It is a common misconception amongst people that Ahaadeeth were collected and written down after 150 to 200 years of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) `s death. This misconception has led to people viewing hadeeth suspiciously as they surely can`t be authentic as they were collected much later.

Ahaadeeth were compiled and written down since the time of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wasallam), Sahabah (radiallah tala anhum) had their own scrolls or books, with the help of these scrolls and books other hadeeth books were compiled later onwards.

At first the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) stopped his companions (radiallah tala anhum) from writing down hadeeth. [Sahih Bukhari] then afterwards this was permitted, there is a narration regarding it.

Prophet of Allah (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) said to Abdullah bin Amr (radiallah tala anho): Write ahaadeeth, I swear by Him who holds my life in His hand, from this mouth nothing but the truth comes out. [Abu Dawood, volume 1, pg 158: Isnaad is Saheeh]

Abdullah bin Amr (radiallah tala anho) says: We were seated near prophet of Allah (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) and were writing, in this manner was asked: which city will be first conquered, Constantinople or Rome?

He (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) said: Hercules`s city will be conquered first. [Darami, pg 126: Isnaad is Saheeh]

Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) said: Write this hadeeth and give it to Abu shah (radiallah tala anho).... [Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

Ali (radiallah tala anho) says: We don`t have anything but Kitab Allah and the scriptures in which are ahaadeeth of prophet of Allah (sallallaho alaihi wasallam). [Sahih Bukhari & Sahih Muslim]

Abu Huraira (radiallah tala anho) says: Amongst the Sahabah (radiallah tala anhum) no one narrates ahaadeeth more than I do save Abdullah bin Amr (radiallah tala anho), because he used to write them and I didn`t. [Sahih Bukhari]

Anas (radiallah tala anho) heard a hadeeth and liked it so much, he told his son to write it and he wrote it. [Sahih Muslim, Kitab ul Iman]

Anas (radiallah tala anho) says that when Abu Bakr (radiallah tala anho) sent him to Yemen as the governor, he wrote on a scroll and gave it to him whose content was: Start with Allah `s name who is Rehman and Raheem, this is the obligation of Zakat which Prophet of Allah (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) has made on the Muslimeen and this is what Allah ordered His prophet [Sahih Bukhari, Kitab ul Zakat]

The narrator Hamad bin Salma says: I got this book from Anas (radiallah tala anho) `s grandson Samama. [Nasai, kitab ul zakat]

Imam Malik says: I read Omar (radiallah tala anho)`s book … [Muwatta Malik, pg 106]

From the above few authentic narrations from many, we can conclude that ahaadeeth were being written down since the time of the prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam). From such scripts other famous ahaadeeth books were compiled.

But where are these scrolls or books? When the ahaadeeth were copied and narrated into other books, it was but logical that the small compilations get absorbed in bigger compilations.

It is not true that the Muhadditheen collected only verbally transmitted ahaadeeth, and there were no compilations in the earlier times especially the first century of the hijrah. Old compilations can be found today like Sahifa Hammaam, in this are ahaadeeth in which Imam Hamaam bin Munabbi took dictation from Abu Huraira (radiallah tala anho), this compilation is easily available for everyone to view.

So to say that there were no compilations for ahaadeeth till the second century is just a misconception spread by helpers of shaitan so that people give up believing in ahaadeeth and interpret Quran according to their desires thus making a mockery of prophethood which is clear blasphemy. May Allah save us form such a thought. Aameen.

And Allaah Knows Best.