Successors of the Companions (Tabe'een)

Question 1

Who were the Successors (al-Tabe’een), and what was their role in Hadith transmission?

Answer 1

• The Successors (al-Tabe’een) were the generation who learned from the companions.
• They recorded and transmitted Hadiths narrated by their teachers (the companions) and compiled collections called Suhuf.
• They also passed on the collections of companions to future generations.

Question 2

What is a famous example of a Sahifa (Hadith collection) that has survived?

Answer 2

• The Sahifa of Hammam ibn Munabbih, which contains 138 Hadiths narrated through Abu Huraira is a famous example of a Sahifa (Hadith collection) that has survived

Question 3

Why were early Hadiths primarily transmitted orally?

Answer 3

• Early Hadiths were transmitted orally because diacritical marks were not used in the Arabic script at that time, making it difficult to distinguish words that looked similar when written.
• Therefore, hearing the Hadith was crucial to avoid misunderstandings.

Question 4

Why did scholars doubt the authenticity of Hadiths not heard directly from a teacher?

Answer 4

• Scholars doubted the authenticity of Hadiths that were not heard being read aloud by a teacher, as this could lead to errors in transmission, given the challenges of reading the unmarked Arabic script.

Question 5

Which caliph ordered the recording of Hadiths related to administrative and taxation matters, and what other types of collections were made?

Answer 5

• The Umayyad caliph Umar bin Abdul Aziz ordered the recording of Hadiths related to administrative and taxation matters.
• Collections also included the verdicts and sayings of the companions and the family of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H).

Question 6

What was the view of the successor al-Zuhri regarding the writing of Hadiths?

Answer 6

• The successor al-Zuhri considered writing down Hadiths as essential for accurate transmission.

Question 7

What is the most authoritative Hadith collection compiled by Imam Malik, and how many Hadiths does it contain?

Answer 7

• The most authoritative collection is al-Muwwata, compiled by Imam Malik ibn Anas.
• It contains 1,720 Hadiths and is considered a legal text that uses Hadiths alongside the Quran to establish points of legal teaching.

Question 8

How did the structure of Hadith collections change in the late 2nd and early 3rd century A.H.?

Answer 8

• There was a shift towards Musnad collections, where Hadiths were grouped by the name of the Companion narrating them, such as those of Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A.), Hazrat Ali (R.A.), or Abu Huraira (R.A.).

Question 9

What is the most famous Musnad collection, and how many Hadiths does it contain?

Answer 9

• The most famous Musnad collection is that of Ahmed ibn Hanbal, containing 27,647 Hadiths