What happened after the Prophets death? Dhahaby one of the great Sunni scholars, relates that after Abu Bakr took over the leadership of the government he gathered the Muslims and the companions of the Prophet (s.a.w) saying:
You relate the Prophets Hadith and certainly you disagree on certain points with one another, and in the future you will find more of these points of disagreement. It is for certain that after you the general public will have even more differences of opinion. As such, you should relate nothing from the Prophet. Tell anyone who asks you that there is the Quran among us, and to see its allowances as lawful and its prohibitions as unlawful. 89
(We see what a strange excuse he found and how he disguised wrong as right and we also see to what extent and precision the Holy Prophets (s.a.w) prediction came to pass).
Qarzat Ibn Kaab one of the Prophets companions relates another event:
When Umar was sending us to take over the governing of Iraq he accompanied us to Sarar on foot and then said: Do you know why I escorted you and saw you off? We replied: You saw us off to show your respect for us and to honour us! He said: Other than that I had something else in mind. You are going to a city where the resonance of the sound of its people reciting the Quran reaches the ears as the resonance of the sound of honey bees in their hives. Be careful lest you keep them from this by relating the Hadith of the Prophet of God (s.a.w). Do not narrate Hadith for them. I am your partner in (the spiritual reward of) this deed.
Qarzat added that: After these words by the caliph, I narrated not so much as one more Hadith of the prophet.
The inhabitants of Iraq having just become Muslims had never seen the Prophet of Islam (s.a.w). These new Muslims who have not seen their Prophet are avid and thirsty to obtain facts concerning him, and to hear his words and Hadith, and to become familiar with his actions and way of life. Because of this it is very probable that they would have said to Qarzat:
Relate some Hadiths for us
and Qarzat replied:
Umar has prohibited us, we cannot relate Hadith. 90
There is another narrative on this matter which is very strange and in which the precise meaning of concealment is seen. If in the past the leaders themselves concealed divine truths, here they used strict prohibition so that others would conceal Hadiths and refrain from the relating of narratives.
Historians say that a short while before Umars death he sent persons to various parts of the Islamic world to summon a few of the Prophets companions to Medina. People such as Abu Dharr, Abdullah ibn Massoud, Abu Darda, Abdullah ibn Hudhaifeh and others. After he gathered them he said:
What are these Hadiths which you have spread throughout the world!?
Those present said:
Do you prohibit our narration of Hadiths?
He replied:
No, I dont prohibit you but you will stay right here with me in Medina and by God while I am alive you will not leave my sight or this city. We are more intelligent and better know which of the Hadiths you relate should be accepted and which ones rejected. They however, the rest of the people, dont know what to accept and what to reject.
This group of the Prophets companions remained in the city of Medina and in the vicinity of the caliph until his death, and were in reality under observation. What, type of Hadiths are those which only their administration recognizes, and may separate the acceptable from the unacceptable among them while the rest of the Muslims dont know of and cannot separate? Pay close attention that the Caliph does not accuse this group of lying. Among them there happened to be Abu Dharr upon whose truthfulness the sun had never cast a shadow. 91
We have no choice here but to interpret that the unacceptable Hadiths were those which were not agreeable with the governments policies at that time because of this the narrators and relators of such Hadiths were kept under observation so they couldnt further circulate them.
Some historians have said: Umar imprisoned three of the Prophets companions; Ibn Massoud, Abu Darda, and Abu Massoud Ansary in Medina and proclaimed that their crime was narrating the Prophets Hadith too frequently. He said to them: You have excessively related the hadiths of the Holy prophet. 92
These were examples from a series of existing records related to the prevention of the promulgation of hadith. This matter does not stop here but goes onward. During the second caliphs rule the people possessed writings, in them having collected Hadiths for themselves. For example, one companion remembered fifty of the Prophets Hadith and having written them down on small pieces of leather or bone had created a small book of Hadith. Another had gathered thirty and still another had collected some more and so on..... In this way the people possess numerous writings of the Prophets hadith.
One day while in the pulpit the Caliph made the people swear to hand him their writings. The Caliph is very powerful and no-one has the strength to resist him, since he commanded them they had no choice but to bring them to him. After everyone had brought their writings he ordered their burning.
This was the fate of Hadith and the form of their narration during the time of Umar, of course to the extent that these records aided us. During Uthmans era this situation did not change. During his rule, Uthman declared from the pulpit: The Hadiths which ere not narrated during Abu Bakr and Umars rule must not be related. We also know that Umar had said: Do not narrate Hadiths with the exception of those related to precepts or matters or worship.
As such, the prohibition of the narration and relating of the Prophets Hadith was in effect during Uthmans lengthy Caliphate and the Caliphates administration controlled this with all of their might.
During Muaviehs rule the situation continued in the same manner and even worse. He had said from the pulpit: O People! Refrain from narrating the Prophets Hadith except for those which were related during Umars time.
Of course this matter did not have only this one aspect and it is not true that there was no contention with relation to this immense movement to halt the promulgation of Hadith. There was a group, who with regard to the enormity of this destruction began an unending struggle against it. We will content ourselves with only two or three historical events in this regard.