❀ Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ Was Documented During His Blessed Lifetime ❀
This article is derived from the book Islam Mustafa (علیہ الصلاۃ والسلام) authored by Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi.✔ Islam: A Preserved Religion from Allah ﷻ
Islam is the religion based on the Qur'an and Sunnah, both of which are preserved. Allah ﷻ Himself has taken the responsibility of their preservation:﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ﴾
[Al-Ḥijr: 9]
Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ is a commentary on the Qur'an. Allah ﷻ Himself assigned the responsibility of explaining it to His Prophet ﷺ:
﴿وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
[An-Naḥl: 44]
Hence, it is clear that Islam consists of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ. Just as the Qur'an is preserved, so is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ.
✔ Importance of Chain of Transmission (Isnād)
Imam Abdullah bin Mubarak رحمه الله said:الإسناد عندى من الدين ولولا الإسناد لقال من شاء ما شاء
Muqaddimah Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Hakim An-Naysaburi mentioned:
"If there were no chains of narration, and the hadith scholars had not sought them or memorized them in abundance, then the signs of Islam would have been erased, fabricated narrations would have been created, and the chains would be tampered with. Thus, innovators would have dominated. Removing the isnād would render the hadith baseless."
Maʿrifah ʿUlūm al-Ḥadīth, p. 6
✔ Hadith Was Written in the Time of the Prophet ﷺ
It is crystal clear that the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ was written during his lifetime. Therefore, questioning its authenticity on the basis that it was not documented in his time is incorrect.➤ The Prophet ﷺ said to Abdullah ibn Amr رضي الله عنهما:
"Write the hadiths. By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, nothing comes out of this mouth except the truth."
Abu Dawood, Book of Knowledge, Hadith 3646
➤ Anas رضي الله عنه narrates: Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه wrote the rulings of Zakat and sent them with him when he appointed him governor over Yemen.
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Zakat, Hadith 1454
➤ Abu Rashid Al-Hubrani said: Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As رضي الله عنهما placed a book before me and said,
"This is the book which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ dictated to me."
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, Book of Supplications, Hadith 3529
➤ Musa bin Talha said:
"We have the book that the Prophet ﷺ dictated for Mu’adh رضي الله عنه."
References: Daraqutni, Musnad Ahmad, Mustadrak Hakim, Sunan al-Kubra al-Bayhaqi
➤ When the Prophet ﷺ sent Amr bin Hazm رضي الله عنه to Yemen, he wrote for him a book that contained rulings on inheritance, Sunnah, and blood money. Imam Zuhri said he read it, and Saeed bin Al-Musayyib also read it.
Sunan an-Nasāʾī, Hadith 4850, 4857
➤ Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما stated: The Prophet ﷺ dictated the "Kitab al-Sadaqah." Imam Muhammad bin Muslim said this book was preserved by the family of Umar رضي الله عنه, and he memorized it from Salim, the grandson of Umar رضي الله عنه. Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz رحمه الله also commissioned this book.
Abu Dawood, Book of Zakat, Hadith 1570
➤ Ali رضي الله عنه said:
"We have nothing except the Book of Allah and the Sahifah in which the Prophet ﷺ’s hadiths are written."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
➤ Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه said:
"None of the companions narrated more hadiths than me except Abdullah ibn Amr رضي الله عنهما because he used to write, and I did not."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Knowledge, Hadith 113
➤ Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه also wrote a book regarding Zakat. Imam Malik said he read that book.
Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik, Book of Zakat, Hadith 23
➤ Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz رحمه الله wrote to Abu Bakr bin Hazm:
"Write down whatever hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ you find, for I fear the loss of knowledge and the passing of scholars. Accept nothing but the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ. Spread knowledge and sit for teaching, so that the ignorant may learn. Knowledge only disappears when it is concealed."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik
Hafiz Ibn Hajar Asqalani رحمه الله stated:
Some companions and successors disliked writing hadiths, preferring memorization. However, when efforts declined and fear of loss of knowledge increased, hadiths were documented. Imam Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri رحمه الله was the first to document them at the end of the first Hijri century under the order of Caliph Umar ibn Abdul Aziz رحمه الله. This effort greatly benefited the Muslim Ummah.
Fatḥ al-Bārī, 1/815
✔ Islam: A Religion of Ease
Islam is a religion of ease and does not enforce compulsion.﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 256]
This verse affirms the completeness of Islam and its clear evidences. If someone enters Islam, it is due to divine guidance. If someone chooses disbelief, Allah has veiled his heart, hearing, and sight—forcing them has no benefit.
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 286]
﴿وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 195]
Every harmful action that may endanger Muslims falls under this verse.
﴿يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ﴾
[Al-Baqarah: 185]
This verse addresses travelers and the sick, granting them permission to break their fasts and make them up later.
➤ During a journey to Makkah in Ramadan, the Prophet ﷺ broke his fast and instructed visibly so people could see. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما said:
"The Prophet ﷺ observed fast and also broke it during travel. So, one may choose to fast or not."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 1948 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 1113
➤ The Prophet ﷺ instructed Abu Musa and Mu’adh رضي الله عنهما:
"Facilitate matters for people, do not make things difficult."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 4341, 4342
✔ Islam: A Religion of Sincere Advice
Tamim Dari رضي الله عنه narrated:The Prophet ﷺ said three times:
"Religion is sincere advice."
We asked, “To whom?” He said:
“To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and the general public.”
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 55/95 | Tirmidhī 1926 | Nasāʾī 4199 | Dārimī 4754 | Musnad Aḥmad 4/102
➤ Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه said:
"I pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to establish prayer, give zakat, and offer sincere advice to every Muslim."
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 2715 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Hadith 97-56
