Introduction
In the early generations of Islam, the transmission of hadith primarily occurred through the unique narration of each hadith with its own chain of transmission. However, this method soon evolved. Over time, it transformed into regular auditions (سَمَاعات) of complete hadith books. During these formal sessions, students would attend to gain authorisations (إجازات) to transmit the hadiths from their authors.
The Audition Sessions
During these auditions, an invigilator (مُثْبِت الأسماء or مُثَبِّت السَّمَاع or كاتِب الطِّباق) was appointed to meticulously record the names of attendees and absentees, along with any relevant information, in a register (طَبَقَة plural = طِبَاق). Upon the completion of the audition, the author would document the venue and date of completion and then sign the register. This register was then stored safely in a madrasa or masjid to serve as evidence for anyone claiming to have attended the hadith sessions in the future.
A Fascinating Example
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Fattah provides an interesting example of this process. Imam Ibn as-Salah (d. 643 AH) dictated Imam Bayhaqi’s as-Sunan al-Kubra, a multi-volume compendium, to a congregation of scholars over 757 sessions. The eighth volume alone was heard by a large crowd — 93 official scholars and students — in 90 sessions at the Dar al-Hadith Ashrafiyyah in Damascus.
After the dictation of the eighth volume, several key points were noted in the register:
- The number of sessions held (90 for this volume, sessions #527-617).
- The names of the attendees, along with their honorifics, teknonyms, and lineages.
- The status of the attendees, noting who heard all the hadiths, who missed portions, who fell asleep, who spoke during the session, who wrote while listening, etc.
- The date of completion and the venue.
- The name of the registrar, which in this case was listed under the 93rd attendee.
Inclusion of Young Children
The people of hadith often brought their young children to these sessions. If a child was over five years of age and possessed discernment and good perception of the hadiths being recited, their name would be recorded in the register (محضر السماع) with the phrase ‘so and so heard…’ (سمع فلان). For children below five years of age, without discernment or understanding, their names were recorded with the phrase ‘so and so was present/was brought’ (حضر أو أُحضر فلان). Having the names of children recorded among senior and honourable scholars was a distinction. This practice aimed to inspire children to become future scholars and honour them with a short link to senior scholars. It also instilled in them a firm determination to seek hadith from an early age.
Celebratory Gatherings
It was common for scholars to host a walima (feast) upon a young child’s hearing of hadith. This commemorated the occasion and recorded the date of the child’s hearing, making it well-known among people. For instance, Imam Ahmad’s son relates: “When Yahya b. Aktam heard [hadith] from Abdullah b. al-Mubarak as a child, his father prepared a feast, invited people, and announced, ‘Testify that he (Yahya) has heard hadith from Abdullah b. al-Mubarak, while he is little!’” Yahya b. Aktam al-Usayyidi al-Marwazi (160-243 AH) was a notable faqih who was appointed as the judge of Basra at the age of 21. Renowned scholars such as Imam Bukhari narrated from him outside of his Sahih and Imam Tirmidhi narrated from him in his Jamiʿ.
Conclusion
The shift from individual narrations to structured auditions of hadith books highlights both the natural progression towards a more formalised system and the dedication of early Islamic scholars to preserving and sharing the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). This evolution not only guaranteed the accurate transmission of hadith but also cultivated a scholarly culture that deeply valued knowledge, precision, and the nurturing of future generations of scholars.
Hadithiyya 