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You may have heard many times that the Prophet himself forbade the writing down of hadith. So exactly how true is this and what is the explanation behind it? Read on to find out......
It is true that the Prophet (sa) forbade the writing down of his deeds for a reason....
Transmitted from Abu Said al-Khudri which reads "Do not write from me anything except the Quran and whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran should erase it"
[Baghdadi, Taqyid, 29-32; al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim, Zuhd, 72]
Explanation
It actually meant that nothing should be written with the Quran on the same sheet, because this might lead to someone to conclude that sentances or words wirtten in the margin or between lines belonged to the Quran.
[al-Khattabi, Maalim al-Sunan, iv, 184; al-Sanani, taudih al Afkar, ii, 366]
It should be remembered that this order was given in the period when the Quran was being revealed and when the text itself was incpmplete. Otherwise there does not appear to be any sound reason to forbid the writing of hadith.
But then later on he told the people to continue in doing so (ie writing it down)
I used to write everything which I heard from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). I intended (by it) to memorise it. The Quraysh prohibited me saying: Do you write everything that you hear from him while the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) is a human being: he speaks in anger and pleasure? So I stopped writing, and mentioned it to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). He signalled with his finger to him mouth and said: Write, by Him in Whose hand my soul lies, only right comes out from it.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3639
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As
It is true that the Prophet (sa) forbade the writing down of his deeds for a reason....
Transmitted from Abu Said al-Khudri which reads "Do not write from me anything except the Quran and whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran should erase it"
[Baghdadi, Taqyid, 29-32; al-Hajjaj, Sahih Muslim, Zuhd, 72]
Explanation
It actually meant that nothing should be written with the Quran on the same sheet, because this might lead to someone to conclude that sentances or words wirtten in the margin or between lines belonged to the Quran.
[al-Khattabi, Maalim al-Sunan, iv, 184; al-Sanani, taudih al Afkar, ii, 366]
It should be remembered that this order was given in the period when the Quran was being revealed and when the text itself was incpmplete. Otherwise there does not appear to be any sound reason to forbid the writing of hadith.
But then later on he told the people to continue in doing so (ie writing it down)
I used to write everything which I heard from the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). I intended (by it) to memorise it. The Quraysh prohibited me saying: Do you write everything that you hear from him while the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) is a human being: he speaks in anger and pleasure? So I stopped writing, and mentioned it to the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him). He signalled with his finger to him mouth and said: Write, by Him in Whose hand my soul lies, only right comes out from it.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 3639
Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As
