I say: Its full wording is found in al-Nasa’i (1/150), through another route from Yahya: “Another man recited it differently from the way I recited it, so I said: ‘The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—taught it to me.’ The other man said: ‘The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—taught it to me!’ So I went to the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, did you teach me such-and-such a verse?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ The other man said, ‘Did you not teach me such-and-such a verse?’ He replied: ‘Yes. Gabriel and Michael—peace be upon them—came to me. Gabriel sat on my right and Michael on my left. Gabriel said: “Recite the Quran in one mode.” Michael said: “Ask for more, ask for more,” until it reached seven modes; and every mode is healing and sufficient.’”

Its documentation has previously been given under no. 843. Imam Ibn Jarir al-Tabari also narrated it in the introduction to his exegesis (nos. 26 and 27), through other routes from Humayd al-Tawil, with the same chain. Both he and Ahmad narrated it through Hammad ibn Salamah, from Humayd, with the same chain, except that he inserted ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit between Anas and Ubayy. I believe this to be one of Ibn Salamah’s errors, since it contradicts the preceding reports of the reliable narrators from Humayd.

It also has a corroborating report through the narration of ‘Ali ibn Zayd, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah, from his father, with similar wording, adding: “So long as a verse of punishment is not concluded with mercy, or a verse of mercy with punishment—as when you say, ‘Come here’ or ‘Come.’” Ibn Jarir (40), al-Tahawi in al-Mushkil (4/191), and Ahmad (5/51) narrated it. ‘Ali ibn Zayd—namely Ibn Jud‘an—is weak on account of his memory; however, this addition is authentic, because it has a corroborating report through another sound route from Ubayy, which was previously mentioned and documented in the place referred to above.