Sahih al-Bukhari 5051
Book 66: Virtues of the Qur'an · Narrated by Sufyan
Arabic
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.
English translation
Narrated Sufyan: 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)
Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 5051, Book of Virtues of the Qur'an. English translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan.