Orientalists’ Objection
For the past two hundred years, Orientalists and opponents of Islam have claimed that the writing down of hadiths did not take place in the first century AH, but that these hadiths were fabricated in the third century AH. The deniers of hadith in India also repeated this objection in various forms, and on this basis they fabricated tales and stories of Iran and the non-Arab world.
The Response of Islamic Scholars
Islamic scholars gave reasoned and well-argued answers to these objections, but the opponents did not stop repeating these objections. A strong answer to these objections was presented through the “Sahifa of Hammam ibn Munabbih.”
Sahifa of Hammam ibn Munabbih: Proof of the Writing of Hadith in the First Century AH
Introduction to the Sahifa of Hammam:
Hammam ibn Munabbih (may Allah have mercy on him), a student of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), was a resident of Yemen. He heard hadiths from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) and collected them in a written sheet. This collection was in fact the compilation of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), but because Hammam ibn Munabbih wrote it down, it was attributed to him and became known by the name “Sahifa of Hammam ibn Munabbih.”
The Importance of the Sahifa:
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away in 58 AH, which shows that this sahifa had already been written before his death.
The Research of Dr. Hamidullah:
The well-known researcher Dr. Hamidullah (may Allah have mercy on him) discovered in 1933 CE one manuscript copy of this sahifa from the library in Berlin and another from the library in Damascus. After comparing the two copies, he published it in book form from Hyderabad Deccan in 1955 CE.
Similarity Between the Sahifa and Other Hadith Books:
This sahifa is present in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal exactly in the same way as it is in the Berlin and Damascus manuscripts. There is a gap of about 200 years between the time of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) (died 240 AH) and the Sahifa of Hammam, but no difference was found between the two. This makes it clear that the chain of writing down hadith was never broken at any time.
The Transmission of the Hadiths of the Sahifa of Hammam
Continuity of the chain of narration:
Hammam ibn Munabbih transmitted this collection of hadiths from his teacher Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) to his students. His well-known student is Ma’mar ibn Rashid al-Yamani, who conveyed this sahifa to his students without any deficiency or addition. Abdur-Razzaq ibn Hammam, a student of Ma’mar, also narrated the hadiths of this sahifa in his famous work “al-Musannaf.”
The services of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and other muhaddithun:
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal took hadiths from Abdur-Razzaq and included them in his famous work “Musnad Ahmad.” Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim also included these hadiths in their books. Thus these hadiths were preserved generation after generation.
Details of the Manuscripts
The Berlin manuscript:
The number of the Berlin manuscript is “1797, 1384 WE”. This manuscript was kept in the state library in Berlin before the Second World War and was later moved to Tübingen. This manuscript contains eight folios, and there are 19 lines on each page. It was written in the 12th century AH.
The Damascus manuscript:
The Damascus manuscript is complete and older. It was written in the 6th century AH, and many scholars have taught from it. Several chains of narration are recorded on this manuscript, which are proof of its authenticity and preservation.
The Impact of the Sahifa of Hammam on the Compilation of Hadith
The honest approach of the muhaddithun:
The muhaddithun showed extraordinary honesty in preserving the Sahifa of Hammam. The inclusion of the hadiths of this sahifa in books such as Musnad Ahmad and Bukhari and Muslim is proof that the compilation and preservation of the hadith books were carried out in an extremely trustworthy manner.
The narration of the hadiths through different chains:
The hadiths narrated by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) were also narrated by other companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and each narration had a different chain. All these narrations confirm one another.
Conclusion: The Historical Proof of the Preservation of Hadith
The existence of the Sahifa of Hammam ibn Munabbih and the evidence of its preservation establish that the hadiths were not fabricated in the third or fourth century, but have been transmitted in a preserved manner from the era of the Prophet ﷺ and the era of the Companions. The objections of Orientalists and deniers of hadith can be refuted through this historical proof.
