This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Irshad Ullah Maan's book The Search for Truth.
Question: What is the status of the methodology of the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)?
Answer: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught Islam to the Companions, meaning the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were directly trained by him. Therefore, the Companions were exemplary Muslims. The followers (Tabi‘in) derived the sayings and actions of the Messenger ﷺ from the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and the scholars of Hadith collected them. All these eras are the golden ages of Islam; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared them the best of times. Only the one who wants to interpret the Holy Quran arbitrarily denies the way and methodology of the pious predecessors and the Noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Allah Almighty says: [وَ مَنۡ یُّشَاقِقِ الرَّسُوۡلَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ مَا تَبَیَّنَ لَہُ الۡہُدٰی وَ یَتَّبِعۡ غَیۡرَ سَبِیۡلِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِیۡنَ نُوَلِّہٖ مَا تَوَلّٰی وَ نُصۡلِہٖ جَہَنَّمَ ؕ وَ سَآءَتۡ مَصِیۡرًا] And whoever opposes the Messenger after the right path has become clear to him and follows a way other than that of the believers, We will leave him to what he has chosen, and will burn him in Hell—what an evil destination!
Reference: (An-Nisa:115)
The path of the believers refers to the interpretation and explanation of Islam that the Muslims of the early centuries adhered to. It is the methodology in which appealing to men, performing seclusion at graves, seeking blessings, and giving any importance to anyone's opinion before the command of the Messenger ﷺ or deciding according to any law other than Shariah had no place.
Question: Did the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, also consider the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ as revelation (i.e., the word of Allah)?
Answer: Yes, the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, considered the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ as the word of Allah. There are many examples of this.
Just observe: A woman came to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, "Do you say that Allah has cursed the wet nurse and the one who causes wet nursing?" He said, "Yes!" The woman said, "I have recited the Holy Quran from beginning to end but did not find this anywhere." Then he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If you had read the Quran, you would have definitely found it. Have you not read this verse: [وَ مَاۤ اٰتٰىکُمُ الرَّسُوۡلُ فَخُذُوۡہُ وَ مَا نَہٰىکُمۡ عَنۡہُ فَانۡتَہُوۡا] 'And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.'
Reference: (Al-Hashr:7)
She said, "Yes!" Then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ curse them."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Tafsir, Chapter: And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it: 4686], [Muslim, Book of Clothing and Adornment, Chapter on the prohibition of certain acts... etc.: 2125
It also became clear that it is obligatory for Muslims not to differentiate between the Quran and the Sunnah; acting upon both is mandatory, and the foundation of Islamic Shariah is based on both. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I am leaving among you two things, the Book of Allah and my Sunnah; as long as you hold firmly to them, you will never be misguided.
Reference: Muwatta Imam Malik, narration of Yahya, Book of Qadr, chapter on the prohibition of speaking about predestination: 3], [Mustadrak Hakim, Book of Knowledge: 318
Question: What steps did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ take to preserve the Sunnah?
Answer: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) paid special attention to preserving the Sunnah. Whenever he explained an issue, he would repeat it three times until the matter was understood.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, chapter on whoever repeats a hadith three times to understand it: 95
Once, a delegation from the tribe of Abd al-Qais came to you ﷺ, and after teaching them matters of religion, you ﷺ said: Remember this and inform those who come after you.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Faith, chapter on the performance of Khums as part of faith: 53
Certainly, those who come after also refers to future generations.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, the Tashahhud as if it were a chapter of the Quran.
Reference: Muslim, Book of Prayer, Chapter on Tashahhud in Prayer: 403
In the ninth year of Hijra, many delegations came to Medina. Sayyiduna Malik bin Hawarith also stayed in Medina in the ninth year of Hijra and observed the practical life of the Prophet ﷺ and acquired necessary knowledge. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: Pray as if you are watching me pray.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Adhan, Chapter on Adhan for Travelers When They Are in a Group... etc.: 631
At the Farewell Pilgrimage in Mina, the Prophet ﷺ delivered a sermon to an audience of about one hundred and twenty thousand. At the end of the sermon, the Prophet ﷺ said: Those present should convey my words to those absent, for perhaps you may convey to someone who can preserve it better than you.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Saying of the Prophet ﷺ ((The best conveyer is the one who understands better than the listener)): 67
This prophecy was fulfilled word for word. The hadith scholars preserved the hadiths narrated by the companions, may Allah be pleased with them, perfectly.
Question: Did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also have the hadiths written down?
Answer: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had various hadiths written down on different occasions, here are some references:
① Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما says: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had the book of charity (Kitab al-Sadaqah) written. Imam Muhammad bin Muslim says that this book was with Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه's family, and Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه's grandson Salim taught me this book, and I memorized it completely. Caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz رحمه الله took this book from Sayyiduna Umar رضي الله عنه's grandsons Salim and Abdullah and had it written down.
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Zakat, Bab fi al-Zakat:1570
② Abu Rashid al-Hibrani says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin As رضي الله عنهما placed a book before me and said: This is the book that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had written and given to me.
Reference: Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Du'aat, Bab Du'a Alladhi 'Allamahu ﷺ Aba Bakr: 3529
③ Musa bin Talhah says that we have the book which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had written for Mu'adh.
Reference: Al-Daraqutni: Hadith 1914, Musnad Ahmad: Hadith 21989, Mustadrak Hakim: 1457, Al-Bayhaqi: Hadith 7548
④ When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed Sayyiduna Amr ibn Hazm رضي الله عنه as the governor of Yemen, he gave him a book written for the people of Yemen which contained the duties, Sunnah, and issues of blood money. Imam Zahri says that he read this book, and it was with Abu Bakr ibn Hazm. Saeed ibn Musayyib رحمه الله also read this book.
Reference: Nasa'i, Kitab al-Qisamah, Bab 'Aql al-Asabi': 4850 (and Bab) Dhikr Hadith Amr ibn Hazm fi al-'Uqul wa Ikhtilaf al-Naqilin Lahu: 4857
Question: Did the Companions also write down Hadith?
Answer: Yes! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself had the Companions رضي الله عنهم write down Hadith.
① You ﷺ said to Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما: Write down the Hadith; I swear by the One in Whose hand is my soul! Nothing but the truth comes from this mouth.
Reference: Abu Dawood, Kitab al-Ilm, Bab Kitabat al-Ilm: 3646
② Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه says that when Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was appointed as the ruler of Yemen, he gave written instructions regarding the obligations of Zakat.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Zakat, Chapter on Zakat of Sheep: 1454
③ Hammad bin Salamah says that I obtained this book from Thumamah, the grandson of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him).
Reference: Nasa'i, Book of Zakat, Chapter on Zakat of Camels: 2449
④ The second Caliph Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) also wrote a book regarding Zakat. Imam Malik says: I have read the book of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
Reference: Muwatta Imam Malik, Book of Zakat, Chapter on Charity of Livestock: 23
⑤ Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We have nothing except the Book of Allah and the scroll in which the Hadiths of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ are recorded.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Virtues of Madinah, Chapter on the Sanctity of Madinah: 1870], [Muslim, Book of Hajj, Chapter on the Virtue of Madinah...etc.: 1370
⑥ Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), no one narrated more Hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ from me except Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both), because he used to write them down and I did not write.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Writing Knowledge: 113
This book was passed down through the descendants of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr رضي الله عنهما, and the hadith scholars obtained it from their great-grandson Amr bin Shu'aib رحمه الله and preserved it forever. There are many such incidents narrated from the Companions رضي الله عنهم which prove that they used to write down hadiths.
Question: Were hadiths not written down for 250 years?
Answer: This is only the propaganda of the deniers of Hadith. The Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Companions took special care in preserving the Hadiths, and then during the era of the Tabi‘in, many books were written. Imam Malik's Muwatta is still available, which was written only a hundred years later. In the narration of our master Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them), only Imam Nafi‘ is the narrator. In the narration of our master Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), Imam Zahri is the narrator. In short, the Muwatta contains hundreds of chains in which there is only one or two narrators between the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and Imam Malik, and they are great Imams. Books before Imam Bukhari such as Sahifa Sadiqa, Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Hamidi, Muwatta Imam Malik, Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musannaf Abdul Razzaq, Musnad Shafi‘i are still available today. Other Imams also arranged teaching and instruction in such a way that no fabricator could forge Hadiths and include them in Sahih Hadiths.
