Chapter 3 Significance of Hadith
Chapter 4 Dedication of Sahaabah Kiram towards Qur’an & Hadith
Chapter 5 Continuity of Hadith from Generation to Generation
Chapter 6 Memorisation and compilation of Hadith
Chapter 7 What worked as a guiding principle
Chapter 3
Significance of Hadith
(Hujjat-e-Hadith حجت حديث)
What Qur’an says about Hadith :
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ
"Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah
an excellent exemplar." (33:21)
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا
"So take what the Messenger gives you and, and refrain from what he prohibits you." (59:7)
مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ
"He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah." (4:80)
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
"But no by thy Lord, they can have no (real) faith untill they make thee judge in all disputes between them." (4:65)
لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ () إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ () فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ () ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا بَيَانَهُ ()
"Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur'an) to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and recite it: But when We have recited it, follow thou its recital (as promulgated): Nay, more, it is for us to explain it (and make it clear)." (75:16-19)
In these verses Allah Ta’ala says to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) that preservation of Qur’an is His job and to explain Qur’an is also His job. The explanations of Qur’an came to us through Hadith only as Allah Ta’ala says in other verse in the Qur’an:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
"It is He who has sent amongst the unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His sign, to purify then, and to instruct them in the Book."(62:2)
Significance of Hadith from Hadith
تركت فيكم شيئين لن تضلوا بعدهما كتاب الله و سنتي و لن يتفرقا حتى يرد على الخوض (صحاح)
"I have left amongst you two things, you will never get astray after (sticking to) these. (These are) Book of Allah (Qur'an) and my Sunnah, they will not part untill they return you to me at Hauz-e-Kauther."
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) says:
إنه سيأتي نأس يجادلونكم بشبهات القران فخذوا بالسنن فإن أصحاب السنن أعلم بكتاب الله (دارمي)
"Soon there will be people who will quarrel with you with doubts about Qur’an, so you take Qur’an with Sunnah (Hadith), as indeed, the people of Sunnah are the ones who know Qur’an better”. (Darmi)
To believe in Qur’an only and not Hadith is Kufr
Haafiz Ibne Hazm Undlusi says:
لو أنّ إمرا قال لا تأخذ إلا بما وجدنا في القران لكان كافرا بإجماع الأمة (أحكام في أصول إحكام -جلد دوم)
"If someone says that he will accept only that thing which he will find in Qur’an (refusing Hadith). He is Kaafir as per the consensus of Ummah."
Rasul (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
نضّر الله إمرا أسمع مقالتي فودعها ثم أداها إلى من لم يسمعها
"May Allah bless him who listens from me Hadith, preserves it and then conveys it to those who have not listened." (Bukhari)
بلّغوا عنّي و لو آية
"Convey (to others) from me, even if it is a single statement"
فليغلغ الشاهد الغائب
"It is mandatory for those who are present should convey (my message) to those who are not present". (Bukhari)
To narrate Hadith is not an easy job
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
من كذّب علي متعمدا فليتبوأ مقعده في النار
One who attributes a lie to me deliberately should find his abode in Hell. (Bukhari)
Hadhrat Hasan Bisri says:
هذا العلم دين فلينظروا عمن تأخذوا دينكم
"This knowledge is Deen, so scrutinise first from whom you are learning Deen."
Chapter 4
Dedication of Sahaabah Kiram towards Qur’an & Hadith
Few Examples
Thirst of Ibne Abbas (RA) for Hadith
He himself says:
"I used to go in search of Hadith to such a person about whom I would know that he knew the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). On reaching there, if I would come to know that the person is sleeping, I would sit outside his gate using my blanket as pillow. The wind would get sand and dust on my face. When that person would come out of his house on his own, and on seeing me he would ask, "Oh! son of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) how are you here? I would say that I have heard that you know a Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), I have come for that. He would say that I should have sent him a word, he would have come himself to me. I would say no, it was my need, hence I ought to come." (Darmi)
Quest of Women for learning Hadith.
Incident of Farokh.
Farokh was a freed slave amongst Sahaabah Al-Kiram. He was serving in army. Once he left his home for a long time to serve at some far-off place. That time his wife was pregnant. He gave his wife about 50-60 thousand Dinars and asked her to keep that as Amaanat. His wife did not waste that money in any unnecessary things but spent that whole money on the education of her son and made him a noted scholar of Hadith in Madinah, so much so that this boy started delivering lectures on Hadith in Masjid-Nabvi in Madinah. The number of students went on increasing day by day. Noted scholars like Imam Maalik, Imam Auzaee and Imam Thouri were amongst his students. When Farokh returned home after 15-20 years, he asked his wife about the money he had given her, she asked him to have a look first in Masjid-e-Nabvi. When Farokh came to know that his wife had spent that money on the education of his son who had become a great scholar of Hadith, he was very happy. From this you can observe that during the period of Sahaabah even women were not lagging behind in this field.
Women in those days didn't ask for gold or silver in Mehr, but asked for teaching of Qur'an and Hadith as Mehr. They would agree to marry a particular person on the condition that he would teach them Qur'an and Hadith.
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) and Hadith
Bukhari quotes Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) narrating his story himself as:
"You people think that Abu Hurairah narrates many Hadith, I was a poor man and used to stay with Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) lying on ground on my belly (in prone position because of hunger) when migrant Sahaabah used to be busy in market and Madinites or Ansaar used to be busy in their fields."
At other occassion he says about himself:
"I came to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) at Khaibar when I was thirty years old, then I stayed with him till he departed from this world. I used to stay with him when he was at home, at Haj or Jihad."
In another narration of Bukhari and Muslim, he says:
"I used to fall down due to fainting attacks between the door of Hadhrat Aayesha's room and the Mimber of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). People thought that I had epilepsy, I was not epileptic but it was all due to hunger."
Incident of Hadhrat Abu Ayub Ansari (RA)
Hadhrat Abu Ayub (RA) was the first host of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) in Madinah after migration. He and another Sahaabi Hadhrat Uqba bin Aamir (RA) had heard a Hadith from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). In later life he forgot some part of that Hadith. He knew that Uqba bin Aamir (RA) had also heard that Hadith with him but by that time Uqba bin Aamir (RA) had settled in Egypt. To clear confusion about one Hadith, Abu Ayub Ansari (RA) travels on his camel all the way from Madinah to Egypt where he meets Uqba bin Aamir (RA), asks him the Hadith and returns without getting down from his camel. He tells Uqba bin Aamir (RA) that he had come to listen Hadith only and not to see him. (Jamia-Bayan-ul-Ilm)
Incident of Jabir bin Abdullah (RA)
Qur'an had directed Sahaabah to follow Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) with utmost perfection, this made it mandatory for them to know every aspect of the life of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). So, whenever they came to know that any person knew a Hadith, they immediately undertook journey towards that place, even if that journey took them months together on foot. Hadhrat Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) narrates his own story as :
"Once I came to know that there is a Hadith which has reached me through one of the companions of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). I at once started journey on my camel and it took me one month till I reached the house of Abdullah bin Unais Ansari in Syria. I sent the message to him that Jabir was at his door. He came out and embraced me. I asked him about the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) which he narrated”.
Abu Sa’eed Khudri (RA)
Like Abu Ayub Ansari (RA), Hadhrat Abu Sa’eed Khudri (RA) also went to Egypt from Madinah just to learn a single Hadith from Fudhala bin Abdullah (RA). He also returned immediately back home after listening the Hadith. (Darmi)
Chapter 5
Continuity of Hadith from Generation to Generation
Hadith in Written Form
In addition to the verbal transmission of Ahaadith from generation to generation, the process of preserving Ahaadith in written form had started right during the period of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). It is not true that there was no written form of Ahaadith before Bukhari and Muslim, the noted books of Hadith. Famous Sahaabi Umru bin Umaya’s son narrates: I narrated a Hadith in front of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah, he refused, I said that I have heard it from you only. Hadhrat Abu Hurairah said if I have narrated it then it would be in written form with me. He caught my hand and took me inside his room. There were many books of Ahaadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), and in that treasure of Ahaadith we found this Hadith as well. Then Abu Hurairah (RA) said that didn't I tell you that that if I have narrated the Hadith, it would be in the written form with me. (Fathul Bari, Tadween-e-Hadith)
This narration clearly proves that Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) had compiled Ahaadith in written form as well. It is well known that Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) has narrated over five thousand Ahaadith which means that he had over five thousand Ahaadith in written form also, then how can one say that Ahaadith were written much later after Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). As per Imam Bukhari Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) had over eight hundred students and many of them had prepared written copies of Ahaadith after learning them from Abu Hurairah (RA).
Darmi has reported on the authority of Bashir bin Nuhaik, who was a student of Abu Hurairah (RA). Hadhrat Bashir bin Nuhaik says:
"I used to write every Hadith which I learned from Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA). When I decided to part with him, I read all those Ahaadith in front of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) and I told him that these were the Ahaadith which I learned from him. He said, yes.” (Darmi)
This narration clearly proves that the students of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) used to write Hadith.
Abdullah bin Umru Al-Aas (RA) and Compilation of Hadith
Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates:
"There is no one who narrates more Hadith than me except Abdullah bin Umru” (Bukhari)
As Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated over five thousand Ahaadith, it means that Abdullah bin Umru has narrated more than that. It is well documented that he used to write Hadith during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam).
He says:
Once I asked Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam):“Should I write everything whatever I listened from you?” He said, “Yes”. I asked, both what you say happily and angrily. He said, “Yes”, as I don’t say anything except truth in all these states.”
(Haafiz bin Abdul-Bar)
This book was known as ‘Sahifa-Saadiqah’. This proves that there were books of Hadith before Bukhari Shareef and Muslim Shareef also.
Hadhrat Anas (RA) and Written Hadith
He used to tell his sons, who were many in number,
“My sons, write down this knowledge of Hadith” (Darmi)
It is reported on the authority of Sayeed bin Halaal, He says:
“When we used to ask more from Hadhrat Anas (RA), he used to bring out his bag and tell us that these were the Hadith he learned and wrote from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and then he presented them to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) (for cross checking)" (Mustadrak Haakim)
Hadhrat Anas (RA) has narrated one thousand, two hundred and eighty six Ahaadith and from above narration it is evident that these were all in written form.
Hadhrat Jabir bin Abdullah (RA) and Written Hadith
Ibne Jowzi has reported in ‘Talqeeh’ that Hadhrat Jabir (RA) has narrated one thousand five hundred and six Ahaadith.
Ibne Hajar has quoted in ‘Tahzeeb’ that Wahab bin Munabbah, a student of Hadhrat Jabir used to write Hadith from Hadhrat Jabir ”.
Hadhrat Aayeshah (RA) and Written Hadith
Hadhrat Aayeshah (RA) is amongst the leading narrators of Hadith and her narrated Ahaadith have been estimated as much as two thousand and ten. Whether she has written or not is not known but her students like Urwah bin Zubair, Umrah bint Abdul Rehman and Qasim bin Muhammad compiled Ahaadith in written form after learning from Hadhrat Aayeshah (RA). Umrah bint Abdul Rahman and Qasim bin Muhammad did so on the direction of Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz as quoted by Haafiz Ibne Hajar. Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz then circulated these copies in all Muslim countries.
Hadhrat Ibne Abbas and Written Hadith
The number of Ahaadith narrated by him has been estimated as much as two thousand six hundred and sixty. It is quoted in Tabaqat Ibne Sa’d that his distinguished student Sayeed bin Jubair wrote Hadith from Hadhrat Ibne-Abbas (RA) and whenever he went short of paper, he used to write on anything available around.
Hadhrat Ibn Umar (RA) and Written Hadith
He has narrated one thousand six hundred and thirty Ahaadith. It is not known whether he himself had written Hadith or not but it is certain that Naafia Maula Ibne Umar wrote Hadith from Hadhrat Ibne-Umar (RA) as quoted in Tabaqat Ibne Sa’d. Hadhrat Imam Maalik has extensively quoted from Naafia and this chain of transmission from Ibne Umar (RA) to Naafia to Imam Maalik is called Golden Chain amongst Muhadditheen.
Chapter 6
Memorisation and compilation of Hadith
In above lines we have seen that Ahaadith were well documented and preserved in written form during the period of Sahaabah. There were so many compilations of written Hadith with distinguished Sahaabah like Hadhrat Abu Hurairah, Jaabir bin Abdullah, Abdullah bin Umru, Ibne al Aas (RA). With all this, the main field of interest for Sahaabah remained the learning and memorisation of Hadith by heart. In this field also, as in others, they were unparalleled. Learning and memorising of Hadith became the predominant aim of their lives. Their memory power was also exceptional.
Memory Power of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA)
Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) is well known as a great narrator of Hadith. Once Marwan, the Khalifah from Banu Ummayah doubted the memory power of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA), so he wanted to test Abu Hurairah (RA). He called him one day and started asking him Hadith. Marwan had already told Abu-al-Za’za to sit behind a curtain and write all the Ahaadith which Abu Hurairah (RA) would narrate. It is said that he wrote about four hundred Ahaadith. After a year Marwan again called Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (RA) asked him to narrate the same Ahaadith which he had narrated the previous year. He again made Abu al Za’za to sit behind the curtain for the same purpose as before. Abu al Za’za says that Abu Hurairah (RA) narrated the same Ahaadith and there was not a difference of even a single word from what he had narrated the previous year. (Imam Bukhari in Kitab al-Kuni)
Memorisation of Hadith and the Muhadditheen after Sahaabah
A great number of students of Sahaabah called Taabaeen and their students called Taba-Taabaeen dedicated their lives for the learning and memorising of Hadith. Their memory power was also miraculous. It is mentioned that Hadhrat Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal had memorised seven lakh Ahaadith by heart. About Imam Bukhari it is well known that he was remembering two lakh Ahaadith out of which one lakh were Sahih, authentic. Imam Abu Zara and Imam Rahuia were also amongst distinguished Hufaaz of Hadith.
Clarification of a Confusion
When we look at all the authentic Hadith books available, we don’t find more than ten thousand Ahaadith after adding all the Ahaadith in these books. Nowadays when people read that such and such person knew two lakh Ahaadith and such and such person knew seven lakh Ahaadith, they get confused as to where are those Ahaadith and how was that possible. Here, one should remember that Muhadditheen used to allot a number to a Hadith as per its chain of transmission and not as per the text or Matan of that Hadith. So, for example, if a Hadith reached to a Muhaddith through ten chains he would label them as ten Ahaadith and not one, though the text of all the ten Ahaadith is same. It is said that the Hadith إنما الأعمال بالنيات “Indeed deeds are as per intention” has been received by some Muhadditheen through seven hundred chains of transmission. So these Muhadditheen would count this one Hadith as seven hundred instead of one.
Memory Power of Imam Zahri (RA)
Hisham bin Abdul Malik was a ruler from Ummayah Dynasty. Once he wanted to test Imam Ibne Shahab Zahri. He called him and requested him to write some Ahaadith for his son; Imam Zahri agreed and wrote about four hundred Ahaadith. After one month Hisham called Zahri again and told him that he had accidentally lost that document and requested him to write them again. Imam Zahri gladly agreed and again wrote the same four hundred ِAhaadith. It is said that there was not a difference of even a single word between the two.
Memorisation of Hadith—A Routine
Ibne Asaakar quotes Ismaiel bin Ubaidah Muhaddith as saying: “We should memorise Hadith in the same way as we memorise Qur’an”
About Ibne Khuzaimah, Zahbi used to say: “Ibne Khuzaimah used to memorise Hadith related to Fiqh the similar way as Qari memorises Qur’an” (Tadveen-ul-Hadith)
Protection of Hadith—Written and Memorised
We have proved in earlier lines beyond any doubt that Ahaadith were well documented in written form during the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) later on and with the Sahaabah. But, to protect Hadith, only written form was not relied upon. Some people are of the opinion that written form is most authentic, it may be right but if it is not combined with memorised form, there can be many problems as is evident by the following examples.
Aaloo Instead of Alif, Laam, Raa
Hadhrat Thanvi (RA) writes that one a person who had not read the Qur'an from any teacher, started reading himself and was very happy when he read the initial words of one of the Surahs of Qur'an, Aalif, Laam, Raa as Aaloo. For pronouncing a word correctly listening is also important, as in English language 'K' is silent in 'Knife', one who has not heard, will pronounce 'k' as well.
Saf’eenah Instead of Siqayah
An Aalim while reciting Surah Yousuf recited a word Siqayah as Safeenah and also tried to defend his recitation. Had there not been thousands of Hufaaz of Qur'an you can understand what would have been fate of the written Quran.
There are hundreds of such examples where the readers committed mistakes while reading and memorisers corrected them and ensured safety of words of Qur'an and Hadith.
Compilation of Hadith and Taabaeen
Efforts oh Umar bin Abdul Aziz (RA)
Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz (RA), well known Khalifah of Muslims after Khulfa-e-Raashideen, wrote a letter to a famous Muhaddith of his time as quoted in Sahih Bukhari:
"Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote to Abu Bakr bin Hazam that he should keep an eye on the Hadith of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and write them because I fear fading away of knowledge (of hadith) and death of Ulema and you should not accept any narration except that of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and you spread knowledge and don't sit until all those know who do not know. Knowledge does not get wasted until it is kept hidden." (Sahih Bukhari)
Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz wrote similar letters to other Muhadditheen and then sent their compilations to various places.
Humam bin Munabbah and Written Hadith
Humam bin Munabbah was contemporary of Hadhrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz and he wrote a voluminous book of Ahaadith from Hadhrat Abu Huriarah (RA). This compilation reached to Hadhrat Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal through Muamir bin Rashid and Abdul Rehman bin Humam bin Huamam bin Naafea. Imam Ahmad accommodated it in his Musnad. Two hand written copies of this compilation have been found in the libraries of Berlin and Damascus. Dr. Hamidullah of Paris has done a good research work on these compilations. (Aatharul- Hadith by Dr. Khalid Mehmood).
Imam Zahri and Written Hadith
Salih bin Keesan writes:
"I and Zahri together collected Ahaadith, then we decided to write them and we wrote all that what we heard is from Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Afterwards we decided to write the narrations of Sahaabah, but I said that I would not write as that was not Sunnah, Zahri said that it is also Sunnah and he wrote, he succeeded and I wasted". (Musannaf Abdul Razzaq)
Some of other Hadith Books of First Century Hijrah
1. Kitab Khalid bin Maidan.
2. Kutb. Hasan Bisri.
3. Kutb.Muhammad-al-Baqar.
4. Kutb. Makhool Shami.
5. Kitab Hakam bin Utba.
6. Kitab Syed bin Jusain.
7. Kitab Abu-al-Aaliya.
8. Kitab. Umar bin Abdul Aziz.
9. Kitab Bashir bin Nuhaik.
Some Hadith Books of Second Century Hijrah
1. Mota Imam Maalik.
2. Jamia Sufiyan Thouri.
3. Jamia Moamer bin Rashid.
4. Kitab Abdul Rehman-al-Auzaaee.
5. Kitab-u-Zuhd- Abdullahb bin Mubarak.
6. Kitab Yahya bin Abi Kathir.
7. Jamia Sufiyan bin Uyainiya.
8. Kitab-ul-Aather- Imam Abu Hanifah.
9. Musannaf Abdul Razaq bin Humam.
10. Kutb. Imam Shaafee.
(Authority of Sunnah by Justice Taqi Uthmaani)
Chapter 7
What worked as a guiding principle
Anas bin Maalik (RA) says that what stops me from narrating Hadith is because of a Hadith in which Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said,
من كذب علي متعمدا فليتبوأ مقعده في النار
" One who attributes a lie towards me deliberately, should find his abode in Hell." (Bukhari)
Hadhrat Hafs bin Aasim narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:
"It is enough for a person to be considered a liar, if he narrates to others what he listens ( that is without verifying)" (Muslim)
Hadhrat Abu Huriarah (RA) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that:
"In the last part of my Ummah such people will be born who will narrate such Ahaadith which neither you nor your ancestors would have listened, you should remain away from them".
Aamir bin Asadi (RA) narrates that Abdullah bin Masood (RA) said that:
" Shaitaan comes to people in the guise of a human and tells them false Hadith, then one of these people narrates that Hadith to others saying that he heard it from a person whom he does not know." (Muslim)
This Hadith teaches that one should not learn Hadith from one whom he does not know.
Mujahid (RA) narrates that:
" Bashir bin Ka'b Adwi (RA) came to Hadhrat Ibne Abbas (RA) and started narrating Hadith to him, Ibne Abbas (RA) did not pay any attention to Bashir bin Ka'b Adwi (RA). Bashir bin Ka'b Adwi (RA) asked Ibne Abbas (RA) as to what had happened to him that he was not listening? Ibne Abbas (RA) replied that there was a time when some body would narrate a Hadith, we would look towards him and give ear to him, now when people have ridden every high and low (that is they narrate true and false Hadith), we have left listening Hadith, we listen to the same Hadith which we know." (Muslim)
This laid the basis for Funn-i-Asmaa-i-Rijal i.e., people first ascertained as to who was narrating the Hadith and then only listened to him. People used to first certify the authenticity, piousness and truthfulness of the narrator. They would also test his memory power thinking that it might be possible that the person is reliable but has a weak memory. If that was proved, they would not accept his Hadith. After getting assured of his reliability, they would see from whom he had learned that Hadith and whether that person also was also reliable or not. They would also scrutininze whether this person had met that person from whom he was narrating Hadith. If it was proved otherwise, then, again his Hadith was rejected.
Abu Is-haq (RA) says that :
"When people talked such things (false Hadith) after Hadhrat Ali (RA), one of his friends said that may God destroy them, what a wonderful knowledge (of Hadhrat Ali (RA)) they destroyed". (Muslim)
Abu Bakr bin Ayyash narrates that:
"He heard Mugairrah (RA) saying that the people who quoted Hadhrat Ali (RA) were not believed unless certified by the colleagues of Hadhrat Abne Masood (RA)”. (Muslim)
