‫‪The Compilation of the Sunnah: It’s‬‬

‫‪Establishment & Development from the‬‬

‫)‪1st to 9th Century (A.H.‬‬
‫ﺗدوﯾن اﻟﺳﻧﺔ اﻟﻧﺑوي‪ :‬ﻧﺷﺄﺗﮫ وﺗطوره ﻣن اﻟﻘرن اﻷول إﻟﻰ ﻧﮭﺎﯾﺔ اﻟﻘرن‬
‫اﻟﺗﺎﺳﻊ اﻟﮭﺟري‬
‫ﺗﺄﻟﯾف‪ :‬ﻣﺣﻣد ﻣطر اﻟزھراﻧﻲ‬
Lesson Plan
❖ Tadween in the 1st Century
➢ It’s beginning during the Prophet’s lifetime ‫ﷺ‬
■ The two Imams: ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz & Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhri (50 h. - 124 h.)
■ Taqyeed al-’Ilm by Khateeb al-Baghdadi (d. 423 h)
➢ The efforts of the Sahaba in compiling and passing on the Sunnah
■ Memorizing, & Keeping that Memorized
■ Writing & Sending the Sunnah to one another
■ Encouraging their students in writing knowledge
■ Compiling in Suhuf
➢ The efforts of the Tabi’een in compiling and passing on the Sunnah
■ Their drive in memorizing & writing
■ Compiling in Suhuf & some examples
The Two Imams: ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-Aziz & Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhri
1. Malik ibn Anas said: “The first to compile knowledge was Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhri.” (Jaami’ Bayan
al-’Ilm)

What’s meant is a comprehensive and large scale operation of compiling the narrations. This
took place under the orders of the Khalifa as seen below.

2. 'Umar bin 'Abd al-’Aziz wrote to Abu Bakr bin Hazm, "Look for the knowledge of Hadith and get it
written, as I am afraid of the disappearance of the religious knowledge and scholars. Do not accept
anything except the Hadiths of the Prophet. Circulate the knowledge and teach the ignorant, for
knowledge does not vanish except when it is kept secretly (to oneself)." (Bukhari)
3. Ibn Shihaab said: “‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz ordered us to collect the Sunan, so we wrote them down
book upon book. He then sent a copy to every land which had over it a Sultan.” (Jaami’ Bayan
al-’Ilm)
Taqyeed al-’Ilm by Khateeb al-Baghdadi
Chapter 1

The Marfoo’ narrations which have to do with prohibiting the documentation of

hadith

● Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said: “Do not write down
anything from me, and he who wrote down anything from me except the Qur'an, he should
erase it…” (Muslim)

The Athaar from Sahabah & Taabi’een regarding the dislike of documenting hadith

● The overwhelming majority of these Riwayaat are Daeef!

Afan, Abu Walid, Hudayba an-Nadr ibn Taahir Abu
ibn Khalid, Abu Malik, Ibn al-Hajjaj al-Basri
Ulaya, ‘Amr ibn Asim

Hammam Sufyan ath-Thawri Sufyan ath-Thawri

Zayd ibn Aslam Zayd ibn Aslam Zayd ibn Aslam

Ata ibn Yassar Ata ibn Yassar Ata ibn Yassar

Abu Saed al-Khudri Abu Saed al-Khudri

Abu Saed al-Khudri *
The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said: Do not write down
anything from me, and he who wrote down
anything from me except the Qur'an, he
should erase it…” (Muslim)
The Aathaar of the Sahabah and Taabi’een
1. A’ishah: “My father wrote down 500 hadith from the Prophet (‫ … )ﷺ‬when the morning came he came
to her and said “O my daughter, hand me the narrations which are with you”, so I brought them to him
and he burned it... - In the chain is ‘Ali ibn Saalih and he is unknown
2. ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Masud said: “We used to hear something and then write it down.
‘Abd Allah then called for the mother of his child to bring some water, a container and the book. He
then proceeded to wash off the narrations” - In the chain is Majaalid ibn Saed al-Kufi who was
weakened by Ahmad, Bukhari, Yahya ibn Saed, Dhahabi, Ibn Hajar, and others.
3. Umar once wanted to write down the Sunnah. He was then inspired to not to. He then wrote a letter to
all the lands he was ruling over saying “Whoever has something written down (of Sunnah) with him,
then he should erase it”. - This is also Munqati’. As the narrator Yahya bin Ja’dah did not meet
‘Umar. And the meaning is also Munkar since if it was something written to all the lands, then
this would have been something well known and spread but there is nothing else out there that
is narrated like this.
Taqyeed al-’Ilm by Khateeb al-Baghdadi
Chapter 2

Reasons for disliking the documentation of Hadith:

- To give the Qur’an its due rights

- Due to the small number of Fuqahaa amongst the people and their minimal
knowledge in differentiating b/w Qur’an and Hadith
- The dislike of relying upon writing due to a culture of memorization
- The shortness of the Isnaad and therefore, the encouragement of
memorization
Taqyeed al-’Ilm by Khateeb al-Baghdadi
Chapter 3

Athaar on the Permissibility of documenting Hadith:

- Abu Hurayrah: “There was no Sahabi who had more narrations than me, except ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Aas.
Since he used to write, and I did not write.” (Bukhari)
- Ibn ‘Amr: “I used to write down everything I heard from the Prophet (‫“ … )ﷺ‬Write!” By the one whose hand
my soul is in, nothing comes out from me except the Haqq!” (Ahmad, Darimi, Abu Dawud)
- Abu Hurayrah: “The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬gave a sermon during the conquest of Mecca … “Write it down for Abi Shah”
(Bukhari)
- Ali gave a sermon and said, “Whoever claims there is with us that which we recite besides the Qur’an and this
scroll (which was hanging off his sword), then he has lied! And in it was, “Medina is sacred from 'Air to Thaur; So
if anyone makes an innovation or accommodates an innovator, the curse of Allah, the angels …” (Bukhari,
Muslim)
- Bashir ibn Naheeq: “I used to write down from Abu Hurayrah, and when I wanted to depart, I asked him ‘O Aba
Hurayrah, I have written down from you. Shall I narrate it from you?” He replied, “Yes, narrate it from me”.
(Darimi, Musannad ibn Abi Shaybah)
- Saeed ibn Jubayr: “I used to go between Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas and hear Hadith from them and would write it
down...(Darimi, Musannad ibn Abi Shaybah)
Summary of Taqeed al-’Ilm
1. There is no authentic hadith on the prohibition of documenting hadith
except the hadith of Abu Saed al-Khudri (and that is differed upon)
2. The permissibility was there during the lifetime of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
and the author presented the proofs for that
3. That Tadween in its general sense began during the lifetime of the
Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
4. That those who disapproved of writing hadith from amongst the Sahabah
and Taab’ieen was due to certain reasons and not due to any hadith on
this topic
The Efforts of the Sahaba in compiling and passing on the Sunnah
Memorizing, & Keeping it Memorized

❏ Many of the Sahabah used to order their students to write down the knowledge so they may use it to
memorize, then erase what was memorized in order to not rely upon the book

Khateeb al-Baghdadi: “And more than one of the Salaf used to seek aide in memorizing hadith by writing it
down. He would then study it from the book. After becoming precise in it, he would erase it out of fear of
that reliance (upon the book) would enter his heart. And as a result it would make him leave off memorizing
or weaken his abilities.” (Taqeed al-’Ilm)

❏ Writing & Sending the Sunnah to one another

Samurah ibn Jundub gathered together some narrations of the Prophet which he had and sent them to his
son Sulayman. Imam Muhammad ibn Sireen praised this Risala and said, “The Risala of Samurah to his son
contains in it a vast amount of knowledge.” (Abu Dawud)
The Efforts of the Sahaba in compiling and passing on the Sunnah (Cont.)
Encouraging their students in writing knowledge

❏ Anas ibn Malik: “Oh my children! Secure knowledge by writing!” (Tabaqat Ibn Sa’d)
❏ Ibn Abbas would say to his children: “Secure knowledge by writing it. Verily the best of which secures
knowledge is writing it in a book.” (Jami’ Bayan al-’Ilm)

Compiling in Suhuf

❏ Sahifah Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq: In it are the narrations related to Zakat

❏ Sahifah ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (Printed, Found in Bukhari)
❏ Sahifah ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-As (aka “Sahifah as-Sadiq, Printed. All of it can be found in the
Musnad)
❏ Sahifah ‘Abd Allah ibn Abi Awfa
❏ Sahifah Abi Musa al-Ash’ari
❏ Sahifah Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah, etc.
The Efforts of the Tabi’een in compiling and passing on the Sunnah
Compiling in Suhuf & some examples

❏ Sahifah Saed ibn Jubayr: Student of Ibn Abbas

❏ Sahifah Basheer ibn Naheeq: Student of Abu Hurayrah
❏ Sahifah Mujahid ibn Jabr: Student of Ibn Abbas
❏ Sahifah Abu Zubayr al-Makkir: Student of Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah
❏ Sahifah Zayd ibn Abi Unays
❏ Sahifah Ibn Qilaabah: Passed to Ayub as-Sakhtiyani upon his death
❏ Sahifah Hisham ibn Urwah: Grandson of Zubayr ibn al-Awwam