Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Abstract
One of the issues of importance in Islam is the investigation of the history of traditions in order to find out why writing down the traditions was discouraged. Had the holy Prophet (PBUH) forbidden writing of traditions? If so, why would a large number of his companions write the Prophetic traditions? On the other hand, if writing the traditions down was not forbidden by Mohammad (PBUH), what prevented this activity and what purpose it had? The author of the present paper has reached the conclusion that the claim that the Prophet has prohibited people from writing the traditions down is unfounded and cannot be true. Rather, it seems that after the decease of the holy Prophet (PBUH), it was the then government, particularly the second Caliph, which prevented the prophetic traditions from being written down and it had been for the purpose of laying a solid foundation for their newly established government. Therefore, although the companions of the Prophet were asked to write the traditions down, they were not allowed to do so, except for those traditions approved by the then government; consequently, many prophetic traditions were isolated or ignored and people were kept unaware of the practice of the Prophet, especially the traditions regarding caliphate and this ensured that the new government was backed up ideologically.
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