Holy Quran consists of all basic teachings of deen and tells about details of all beliefs and commandinents. its every letter was memorized by people. The Holy Prophet secured it in written form with the help of reliable scribes. Hadees is dominant on all interpretations of Islam based on beliefs and practical details. The companions of Prophet kept the verbal part of hadees in their memories more than the sermons of their orators, poems of poets and sayings of wise men they started following hadees instantly according to its practical portion...
There are 3 periods of compilation of hadees:
i. Age of Prophet and age of Sahaba
ii. Age of Tabaeen.
iii. Third century after Hijrat and on-words.
i. Age of Prophet and age of Sahaba
The Holy Prophet let recorded many essential commandments and instructions on many occasions. Writings and statements are saved in reliable books of ahadees. Besides this, written instruction to different tribes. replies of letters, the documents of census of Madina Munawarah, invitation letters written to kings and famous rulers of that time treaties, letters of providing shelter and peace and there were many such imiscellaneous writings which were let composed on and off by the Holy Prophet It is famous that after battle of Bader, many Muslims learned writing and then the series of compiling hadees commenced. Although the nation of. Arabs was illiterate before Islam and there was no prevailing custom of getting education among them. However, the interest of learning produced in sahabah due to Islam. There were many companions among them that whatever they listened form Hazrat Muhammad they used to write that with the intention of learning it by heart. It is known by this fact that we much curious and keen were Prophet's companions about memorizing and compiling hadees of the Holy Prophet. In this context, there is saying of the Holy Prophet, "May Allah please that person, who listened my hadees, memorized it and then conveyed it to others as exactly he heard it". (Tirmidhi, Ibn Dawood, Ibn Maja)..
This is approved fact that some companions wrote ahadees during life of the Holy Prophet. As you have read that the Prophet himself let recorded many of his instructions and commandments. It is well known fact that compilation started during age of Prophet and not in 2nd Hijri century as some opponents claim. At the beginning of Islam, the scripts written which were based on hadees of Prophet we have their historical proof.
Sahifa-e-Sadiqa:The collection of hadees by Hazrat Abdullah Bin Amr Bin Al Aas is known as Sahifa-e-Sadiqa.
Sahifa-e-Hazrat AliHazrat Ali collected ahadees based on commandments and 'masail, certain issues, which contained almost 500 ahadees.
Sahifa-e-Hazrat Abu Huraira:In compilation of hadees, the greatest importance is of Sahifa-e-Abu Huraira which is narrated by a student of Abu Huraira named as Hamam Bin Manba This script is so valuable in compilation of hadees as it has reached to us exactly as Hamam has narrated it from Hazrat Abu Huraira and arranged it. This script was found it in the way that a few years back two manuscripts were discovered. One was found in Berlin and other in Damascus. This script is fully saved in Masnad Ahmed and its majority of ahadees are available in related chapters of Sahih Bukhari. In this way, the contemporary research has revealed certain letters and writing of Hazrat Muhammad. The famous among them are invitation letters written to Maququs of Egypt and Najashi.
ii. Second phase of Compilation of Ahadees (Time of Tabaeen):
It is an event that compilation of hadees started during first Hijri century. This is also a fact that Arab who used to remember everything by heart. They felt uneasy in writing and its biggest reason was that their memories were very strong. Whatever they wrote, the purpose was to learn that by heart. The first century was not yet over and Sahabah were leaving the world. In 99th Hijri year, Hazrat Umer Bin Abdul Aziz observed this that world is becoming deserted because of deaths of many Sahabah, then he thought that knowledge of hadees could also be lost, because of the deaths of these scholars. Therefore, he sent letters to all scholars that all ahadees should be searched and collected. In following his direction, the works of Kufa's Imam Sha'abi, Madinah's Imam Zahri and Syria's Imam Makhul were composed and those are memories of that caliphate likewise, at the end of first century famous Imam participated tremendously, in compilation of hadees. It progressed during second hijri century that besides ahadees, accounts of Sahabah and ahle-bait and Tabaieen Fatawas and saying were included one by one during written works of that age. Among these masterpieces the most famous Imam Abu Hanifa's book is 'Alasar Imam Malik's Muwala and sufyan sari's Al Jamae'. During that century, the compilation of Hanafi and Malaki jurisprudence were done in the light of these ahadees and traditions on which Sahabas actions and deeds were based.
iii. Third phase of compilation of Hadees (Third Hijri century and on words):
During third Hijri century, a department of knowledge of hadees accomplished.. Muhadaseen searched out every corner of Islamic world and collected all scattered and fragmented traditions. Authentic ahadees were separated. There was compilation of Asma-Al-Rajal. The permanent act of argument and discussion developed and priceless books like Sahah-e-Sitah were composed.
Asma-Al-Rajal:Such knowledge, which tells about the life circumstances of writers of hadees.
Jarah-o-Tadeel:Analyzing and weighing narrators of hadees through different angles is called Jarah-o-Tadeel..
Sahah-e-Sitah:Six most authentic books of hadees are called Sahah-e-Sitah, which are given below:
Sahih Bukhari: Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad Bin Ismail Bukhari.
Sahih Muslim:Imam Muslim Bin Hajjaj Bin Muslim Qasheeri.
Jameh Tirmidhi: Imam Abu Eisa Muhammad Bin Eisa Al Tirmidhi.
Sunan Abi Dawood: Imam Abu Dawood Suleman Bin Ashas.
Sunan Nisae:Imam Abu Abul Rehman Ahmed Bin Ali Bin Nisae;
Sunan Ibe-e-Ma ja: Imam Abu Abullah Muhammad Bin Yazeed Ibn Maja Al Qazwini.
iv. Four Principles:
The four books given below are the most authentic hadees sources in Fiqh Jafaria:
Al Kaafi: Abu Jaffer Muhammad Bin Yaqub Al Kalini.
Manla Yahduruhu Al Faqhiha: Abu Jaffer Muhammad Ali Bin Babwia Qami.
Al Astabsar: Abu Jaffer Muhammad Bin Al Hassan Al Tusi."
Tahzeeb-Al Ahkam: Abu Jaffer Muhammad Bin Al Hassan Al Tusi.
