Question:

I would like some examples of Hadith prohibition according to famous Sunni references.

Answer:

Some Examples of Hadith Prohibition

1) Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Muslim, al-Darami (the teacher of Bukhari), al-Termedhi and Nasaei narrated in their Isnad from Abu-Sa’eid al-Khodri: The Prophet (P) said: “Do not quote me in other than the Quran. So, whoever has written anything from me other than the Quran, shall erase it.”

2) Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated from Zaid Ibn Thabet: “The Messenger of Allah (P) prohibited us from writing anything from him and he erased them.”

3) Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrated from Abu-Horayra: “We were sitting writing what we had heard from the Prophet (P), when the Prophet (P) arrived. He asked what we were writing. We said: What we have heard from you. He said: Are you (compiling) a book besides the Book of Allah? We said: (we write) what we hear from you. He said: “Write the Book of Allah. Write only the Book of Allah. Are you writing other than the Book of Allah? Write only the Book of Allah.” Abu-Horayra said: Following the instruction of the Prophet (P) we collected our writings and burnt them in a fire.”

The ‘Ahadith (narrations) of Prohibition’ are undoubtedly either fabricated to justify the mistakes of the Caliphs, or they were special instructions for specific people such as Abu-Horayra (see this Q&A for proofs). Remarkably, although-according to Abu-Horayra- the Prophet (P) had prohibited him to write any Hadith, the Sunni books of Hadith are largely filled with his narrations. In fact, in the Sunni books of Hadith, no one has narrated from the Prophet (P) more than Abu-Horayra!

Answered by: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei