314 Origin and progress of writing down historical fads. [No. 4, 



Al-No'man b. Qays relates, that 'Abydah sent on his death-bed 

 for his writings and expunged them. 



Sa'd b. Sho'bah relates, that his father [d. in 160] told him to 

 wash out his books if he should die and to bury them ; and that 

 he acted up to his orders. Eveu during his life-time, whenever a 

 number of writings from various people had accumulated, he sent 

 his son to the place where the falcons were kept (?) to bury them 

 there 3^)4^1 ^1 ^ ^-"jl u*^l v* v^ *^ Os**x^| (if ^1 &\f j 



iZammad relates, that Abu Qilabah ordered in his will to give 

 his writings to Ayyub (d. 131) and if he should not survive, to 

 burn them. 



'Ysa b. Tunos (d. 187 or 191) gave equally orders that his books 

 *-^ should be burned. 



Ibrahym b. Hashim relates : The books of Bishr b. al-iZarith (d. 

 227) filled eighteen boxes and baskets, and we buried them **&\y.\ Ui«xak 

 ifCjjjjh+s ^ Lo J Ae «uiuS ^^i^^oJ Uii^ Jli ^Lt ^j. Ahmad 

 Ibn iZanbal, who was his contemporary, said, that he could not see 

 the object of burying books. In reference to Bishr, I would observe 

 that he did not propagate ^adythes, either orally or in writing, 

 except that he now and then recited one incidentally. 



Awza'y [d. 157] says, that the science of the iZadythes is a noble 

 science, but since it had been deposited in books it lost the freshness 

 which it had, when it was orally communicated and fell into the 

 hands of persons, who have no vocation to cultivate it. 



V. — Sayings of the prophet shewing that he commanded those who 

 cannot trust in their memory to aid it by writing. 



37. £*~*> aJL/( dj~*j ^! 0*%- cJ^jUai^/i ^-cH^ &\ [a^y^f] ^ 



" Abu Horayrah relates, a man of the Ancar used to sit with the 

 prophet, and to listen to his sayings. And he admired them but 

 could not recollect them. He complained of the weakness of his 

 memory to the prophet, and he said, Assist your memory by your 

 right hand (i. e. write them down)." 



There are a number of versions of this &adytb, all of which rest 



