ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Prohibition of Recording the Hadith, Causes and Effects The Establishment Of The Two Trends During The Umayyad Reign When they noticed that the adopters of the thorough compliance with the sacred texts would not stop recording the Hadith despite of the many endeavors to wipe out the features of this matter, the Opinionists and the adopters of the legality of Ijtihad understood the necessity of humoring this trend and providing something for them in this regard so that they would not face any future problem as regards the legislation, since the postponement of the recordation of the Hadith would result in its loss and extinction.

As a consequence, the supporters of the School of Ijtihad exerted all efforts in finding the substitute by which they would face the School of the Thorough Compliance. Husham ibn `Abd al-Malik (or `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz), the Umayyad ruler, ordered Ibn Shihab al-Zuhriy (died in AH 124) to write down the Holy Sunnah.

The Caliphs And The Recordation Of Hadith It has been narrated on the authority of Mu`ammar that Ibn Shihab al-Zuhriy said, “We disliked recordation of the knowledge (of Hadith) until we were forced by those rulers. We thus decided not to prevent any of the Muslims from it.”[^1] According to another narration, al-Zuhriy said, “As the kings ordered me to write down the Sunnah, I did.

I then felt embarrassed before Almighty Allah and thus decided to write it to the others in the same way as I had written to the kings.”[^2] According to a third narration Abu’l-Malih said, “We had not have the courage to write down the knowledge of the Hadith before al-Zuhriy until he was compelled to write down for Husham (ibn `Abd al-Malik, the Umayyad ruler).

As al-Zuhriy wrote for the sons of Husham, the people could write down the Hadith.”[^3] It has been also narrated that after he had opposed Husham ibn al-Hakam, Ibn Shihab al-Zuhriy became his clerk; he thus accompanied him to the Hajj and became the teacher of his sons.[^4] It is undeniable that all those who prohibited the recordation of the Hadith during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet belonged to the tribe of Quraysh.

This fact makes us doubt the soundness, spontaneity, and sincerity of the caliphs’ intentions as regards this matter. In the past, those people of Quraysh prevented `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Ās from writing down the words of the Holy Prophet during his lifetime.