❖ Ṣaḥīfah Hammām: The Earliest Evidence of Hadith Preservation ❖
✿ Orientalist Objection
For over two centuries, Western Orientalists and modern-day Hadith deniers have claimed that Hadith literature was not documented in the first century AH. Instead, they assert that Hadiths were fabricated in the third century Hijri. These claims have been echoed by certain Hadith rejecters in the Indian subcontinent, who used them as a basis for inventing fictional narratives and undermining the Islamic tradition.
❖ Scholarly Response from the Muslim World
Islamic scholars have provided clear and reasoned refutations to these objections. One of the most compelling responses is the existence and authenticity of "Ṣaḥīfah Hammām ibn Munabbih", which stands as irrefutable evidence that Hadith documentation existed during the first Islamic century.
❖ Introduction to Ṣaḥīfah Hammām ibn Munabbih
- Hammām ibn Munabbih (رحمه الله) was a student of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) and a resident of Yemen.
- He compiled the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ as narrated by Abū Hurayrah into a written document.
- Although the narrations originated from Abū Hurayrah, due to Hammām’s role in transcribing them, the collection became known as "Ṣaḥīfah Hammām ibn Munabbih".
❖ Historical Significance
- Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) passed away in 58 AH, confirming that the compilation was completed prior to his death.
- This timeline alone debunks the Orientalist claim that Hadith was first recorded in the third century.
❖ Scholarly Verification: Dr. Muḥammad Ḥamīdullāh’s Contribution
- In 1933, the renowned researcher Dr. Muḥammad Ḥamīdullāh (رحمه الله) discovered two manuscript versions of the Ṣaḥīfah:
- One in the Berlin State Library
- Another in a Damascus library
- After careful comparison and authentication, he published a critical edition in 1955 from Hyderabad Deccan.
❖ Consistency with Later Hadith Collections
- The entire content of Ṣaḥīfah Hammām is preserved word-for-word in Musnad Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, despite a gap of nearly 200 years between the two.
- This remarkable consistency confirms that Hadith documentation was never interrupted and that oral and written preservation methods worked in harmony.
❖ Transmission of the Ṣaḥīfah
✔ Chain of Transmission (Isnād):
- Hammām transmitted the Ṣaḥīfah to his students, most notably Muʿammar ibn Rāshid, a Yemeni scholar.
- Muʿammar passed it on to ʿAbd al-Razzāq ibn Hammām, who recorded it in his book "al-Muṣannaf."
- Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal then included these Hadiths in his "Musnad", while Imām al-Bukhārī and Imām Muslim also incorporated them into their compilations.
- This unbroken chain showcases the trustworthiness and reliability of Hadith transmission.
❖ Manuscript Evidence
✿ Berlin Manuscript:
- Catalogued under: 1797, 1384 WE
- Originally preserved in Berlin’s state library; later moved to Tübingen.
- Contains 8 folios, with 19 lines per page.
- Written in the 12th century AH.
✿ Damascus Manuscript:
- More complete and older, dated to the 6th century AH.
- Used as a teaching resource by multiple scholars over time.
- Contains multiple isnāds, affirming its authenticity and historical value.
❖ Impact on Hadith Compilation
✔ Integrity of the Muḥaddithīn:
- The inclusion of Ṣaḥīfah Hammām in Musnad Aḥmad, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim demonstrates the meticulous care and honesty of Hadith scholars.
- Their approach to preserving and authenticating narrations was systematic, scholarly, and transparent.
✔ Multiple Chains of the Same Hadith:
- The narrations of Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) are corroborated by multiple Companions with varied chains of transmission.
- This multi-isnād authentication strengthens the historical reliability of the narrations.
❖ Conclusion: A Historical Proof of Hadith Preservation
The existence, transmission, and preservation of Ṣaḥīfah Hammām ibn Munabbih is conclusive evidence against the Orientalist and Hadith-rejectionist claim that Hadith was fabricated in the third or fourth century AH.
This compilation originates from the era of the Companions, is preserved in written form, and has been verified across centuries through authentic manuscripts, scholarly scrutiny, and continuous narration.
Thus, the objections of the Orientalists and their sympathizers are not only historically inaccurate but are thoroughly refuted by established, well-documented Islamic scholarship.
