Alsiraj Official Website
Sayings (Hadiths) of Prophet Muhammad
Writing of Hadith in Prophet’s life time
The popular idea in the West that the need for Sunna was felt and the force of law given to Hadith after the death of the Holy Prophet (2) is falsified by the above facts. Nor was the preservation of what the Prophet did or said an after-thought on the part of the Muslims, for the Companions of the Holy Prophet while translating into practice most of his sayings endeavoured also to preserve them in memory as well as on paper.
The need of the Sunna, its force as law, and its preservation are all traceable to the lifetime of the Holy Prophet. A special importance was, from the first, attached to his sayings and deeds which were looked upon as a source of guidance by his followers.
They were conscious of the fact that these things must be preserved for future generations; hence they not only kept them in their memory but even resorted to pen and ink for their preservation.
Abü Huraira tells us that when one of the Ansar complained to the Holy Prophet of his inability to remember what he heard from him, the Prophet’s reply was that he should seek the help of his right hand (referring to the use of pen) (Tr. 39:12). This Hadith exists in many forms. Another well-known report is from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr: “I used to write everything that I heard from the Holy Prophet, intending to commit it to memory. (On some people taking objection to this) I spoke about it to the Prophet who said, Write down, for I only speak the truth" (AD. 24:3).
This hadith is very well-known and exists in thirty different forms with small difference. Yet again, there is another report from Abu Huraira: “None of the Companions preserved more hadith than myself, but ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr is an exception, for he used to write and I did not write" (Bu. 3: 39).
Anas ibn Malik states that Abü Bakr wrote down for him the laws regarding alms (Bu. 24: 39). ‘Ali had also a saying of the Prophet with him in writing (Bu. 3: 39). In the year of the conquest of Makka, the Holy Prophet delivered a sermon on the occasion of a man being killed by way of retaliation for some old grievance. When the sermon was finished, one from among the people of Yaman came forward and requested the Holy Prophet to have it written down for him, and the Prophet gave orders to that effect (Bu. 3: 39).
These reports show that while generally hadith was committed to memory, it was occasionally, when there was need for it, reduced to writing. The last-mentioned incident affords the clearest testimony that, whatever the Companions heard from the lips of the holy Prophet, they tried to keep in their memory, for how else could an order be given for the writing of a sermon which had been delivered orally.
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