41/12. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2668 — Abdullah bin Amr Wrote Hadith
What Has Been Related About Permitting That
Hadith About Abdullah bin Amr Writing Hadith
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2668
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2668
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ، وَهُوَ هَمَّامُ بْنُ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَكْثَرَ حَدِيثًا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنِّي إِلاَّ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَكْتُبُ وَكُنْتُ لاَ أَكْتُبُ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَوَهْبُ بْنُ مُنَبِّهٍ عَنْ أَخِيهِ هُوَ هَمَّامُ بْنُ مُنَبِّهٍ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
None Of The Companions Of The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Narrated More Ahadith From Him Than Me, Except 'Abdullah Bin 'Amr. For He Used To Write Them Down And I Did Not Write.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2668In-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 24English translation : Vol. 5, Book 39, Hadith 2668
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2668
This Hadith records Abu Hurairah saying that no companion narrated more ahadith from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم than him, except Abdullah bin Amr. He explains the reason: Abdullah bin Amr used to write, while Abu Hurairah did not write. The Hadith is important for the topic of hadith preservation and writing hadith. It shows that writing was used by a companion as a way to keep what he learned. It also shows Abu Hurairah’s honesty in mentioning another companion’s method. The wording does not compare their virtue in general. It simply reports narration, writing, and memory. A hadith about Abdullah bin Amr writing hadith highlights careful preservation of prophetic knowledge.
What we learn from this hadith
- Abdullah bin Amr used writing to preserve hadith.
- Abu Hurairah honestly mentioned the reason for Abdullah’s large narration.
- Writing can support the keeping of religious knowledge.
- The companions used different ways to preserve what they learned.
