hadith believing it to be false, shall be regarded among the liars" which was reported by Muslim, said: In prohibiting falsity against him (upon whom be God's peace and benediction) there is no difference between that which is related to rules (ahkam) and that which is devoid of rule like temptation, intimidation and counsels and other than these, which all being unlawful (haram') and among major sins and the most abominable vices as unanimously agreed by the most authentic Muslim scholars ... till he said: Men of resolution and determination have unanimously concurred on prohibiting falsity against common people so how would be the case with that whose saying is legislation, speech is revelation (from God), and falsity against him is falsity against Allah the Most High.85
Al-Suyuti is reported to have said: For evading this, the Rightly-guided Caliphs and chosen Companions (may God be pleased with them), used to be fearing (God) from extensively narrating hadith from the Messenger of Allah (S), among whom be Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Talhah, al-Zubayr, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas, Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Thoban, the slave of the Messenger of Allah, and Zayd ibn Arqam and others.
Abu Bakr and Umar used to demand from anyone relating to them a hadith from the Messenger of Allah they never heard from him (S), to establish it by evidence or otherwise he would deserve punishment, when failing to do so. Further Ali ibn Abi Talib used to exact an oath from the narrator, while Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud's complexion would change when any hadith of the Messenger of Allah would be mentioned before him, with his jugular veins be swelling and his sweat flowing, and his eyes shedding tears, declaring: Or something near to this, or like this, or similar to this. All this was out of fearing from addition or omission, or inadvertence, or forgetfulness, to take precautions for religion and for preserving the Shari'ah. And to cut apart the greed of any avaricious or deviation of any forger against venturing to relate from the Messenger of Allah anything that he never uttered, or foisting into religion that which is strange to it, the practice
85. Ibid, p.23.