This being the evidence given for permitting the reporting by meaning...

This being the evidence given for permitting the reporting by meaning, and as the term “Sunnh” cannot be taken as subject of worship like the term Qur’an, so when the meaning attains exactitude, 126 no harm shall be there from missing that which be not intended.

In his book Qawa’id al-tahdith, 127 al-Qasimi says: To convey and relate hadith by meaning not by the very words (original text), was permitted by some people among them being: Ali, Ibn Abbas, Anas ibn Malik, Abu al-Darda’, Wathilah ibn al-Asqa and Abu Hurayrah, with a large number of the Tabi’un, among whom we can refer to: Imam Hasan al-Basri, al-Shi’bi, ‘Amr ibn Dinar, Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, Mujahid and ‘Ikrimah.

There was much difference in the way and words used by the Sahabah in narrating the hadith from the Messenger of Allah (may God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny). Some of them used to narrate it completely, with some others narrating by meaning, and some citing it abridged, beside some others making difference between every two words with viewing it to…