Sahih al-Bukhari 5051
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 66: Virtues of the Qur'an · What is the proper period for reciting the whole Qur'an
Narrated Sufyan:
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، قَالَ لِي ابْنُ شُبْرُمَةَ نَظَرْتُ كَمْ يَكْفِي الرَّجُلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ سُورَةً أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثِ آيَاتٍ، فَقُلْتُ لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ أَقَلَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثِ آيَاتٍ .
Ibn Shubruma said, "I wanted to see how much of the Qur'an can be enough (to recite in prayer) and I could not find a Surah containing less than three Verses, therefore I said to myself), "One ought not to recite less than three (Quranic) Verses (in prayer)."