1512 — “Recite the Quran in forty days (then in a month, then in twenty days, then in fifteen, then in ten, then in seven).” He said: “He eventually settled on seven.”

Al-Tirmidhi recorded it (2/156) through Sammak ibn al-Fadl, from Wahb ibn Munabbih, from Abdullah ibn Amr: the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said this to him. He said: “A good, singular hadith.”

I say: Its chain of transmission appears to be authentic, but it is more likely interrupted. Muhammad ibn Thawr narrated it from Mamar, from Sammak ibn al-Fadl, from Wahb ibn Munabbih, from Amr ibn Shuayb, from his father, from his grandfather Abdullah ibn Amr: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, instructed him to recite it in forty days, then in a month, then in twenty days, then in fifteen, then in ten, then in seven.” He said: “He eventually settled on seven.” This is closer to what is correct, and its chain is good.

Most of the routes of transmission of this hadith do not mention forty days. In some of them, he eventually settled on three days. See the Musnad of Imam Ahmad (2/158, 162, 163, 164, 165, 188, 189, 193, 195, 199, 200, and 216); one of them will follow this. There is also corroboration for three days in the hadith of Sad ibn al-Mundhir al-Ansari, who said: “O Messenger of Allah, may I recite the Quran in three days?” He said: “If you are able.” He said: “He would recite it in this manner until he died.”

Ibn al-Mubarak recorded it in al-Zuhd (1274): Ibn Lahiah informed us; he said: Habban ibn Wasi related to me from his father, from Sad ibn al-Mundhir al-Ansari....

I say: This is a sound chain of transmission whose narrators are trustworthy. Although Ibn Lahiah had poor retention, that applies when he is narrated from by someone other than the Abadilah, the scholars named Abdullah. This, as you see, is Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak’s narration from him.