“Sleep awhile, then pray, then sleep again, and finish it once every month.” I kept asking him to reduce the period and he kept shortening it for me until he finally said, “Recite it every seven nights.” Recorded by Ahmad (2/162, 216) with this wording, and by al-Tayalisi (no. 300) through several chains from Ata; all the transmitters are reliable. Abu Dawud (1/220) also transmits it through Hammad from Ata, but Ata remarked: “We disagreed about the report from my father—some of us said seven days, others said five.” Third path: Ibn Jurayj said, “I heard Ibn Abi Mulaykah report from Yahya ibn Hakim ibn Safwan, from him: I had gathered the Quran and recited it in a single night. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘I fear that a long time will pass and you will grow weary; recite it once a month.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, let me benefit from my strength and my youth.’ He said, ‘Recite it in twenty days.’ I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, let me benefit from my strength and my youth.’ He said, ‘Recite it in ten.’ I repeated, ‘O Messenger of Allah, let me benefit from my strength and my youth.’ He said, ‘Recite it every seven.’ I again pleaded, ‘O Messenger of Allah, let me benefit from my strength and my youth,’ but he refused.” Reported by Ibn Majah (1/406) and Ahmad (2/113, 119); all its narrators are trustworthy.