Is it true that the Prophet forbade writing hadiths?
The question of whether the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ forbade writing hadiths is addressed in various narrations. One narration from Sunan al-Tirmidhi states, We sought permission from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to write but he did not allow us.
Sunan al-Tirmidhi 41:21. This indicates that there was a period during which the Prophet did not permit his words to be written down.
However, there are also other narrations that suggest a shift in this stance. For instance, in Sunan Abu Dawud, it is reported that a companion named Zaid bin Thabit used to write down everything he heard from the Prophet ﷺ. When the Quraysh objected, saying, "Do you write down everything you hear? The Messenger of Allah is a human being who speaks in anger and pleasure," Zaid stopped writing. When he informed the Prophet about this, the Prophet pointed with his finger to his mouth and said, Write, by the One in Whose hand my soul is, nothing but the truth emerges from it.
Sunan Abu Dawud 26:6.
This suggests that while there was an initial hesitance to write down hadiths, the Prophet eventually encouraged the practice to ensure the preservation of his teachings. Thus, it can be said that the Prophet's position evolved over time regarding the writing of hadiths.
Sources
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Sunan al-Tirmidhi 41:21
Sunan al-Tirmidhi · Book 41, Hadith 21 · Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
We sought permission from the Prophet (peace be upon him) to write but he did not allow us.
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Sunan Abu Dawud 26:6
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 26, Hadith 6 · Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr
I used to write down everything I heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) intending to preserve it. The Quraysh forbade me and said, 'Do you write down everything you hear? The Messenger of Allah is a human being who speaks in anger and pleasure.' So I stopped writing. I informed the Messenger of Allah about that, and he pointed with his finger to his mouth and said, 'Write, by the One in Whose hand my soul is, nothing but the truth emerges from it.'
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