1856.] Origin and progress of writing down historical facts. 321 



Taman b. Najy& relates of iZasan [Bacry ? d. in 110] that he 

 used to copy the 7*adythes for the people and rehearse them for 

 thein [with a view of correcting them]. 



64. ^5^ ^^° ^ t^c^ u- 1 ^ trfl u ^ dti j#+ v> *+.*<» v* 



UiU] ^i^ ^.Ui ^ L*Xff y UiU| 



Sa'yd b. Jobayr relates [d. in 95], " Ibn Abbas used to dictate to 

 me 7*adythes, and I wrote them on a roll, till I had filled it and then 

 I wrote on my shoe [they wear yellow shoes or boots]." 



In another version it is stated, " I wrote the ^adythes which I 

 heard from Ibn 'Abbas on tablets, and when I had filled them I 

 took my shoes (or boots) to write upon." A third version runs : 



"In the lectures of Ibn 'Abbas I used to write in my roll and 

 when it was filled I wrote on the upper leather of my shoes (or 

 boots) and then on my hand." 



To expedients, like these, though perhaps not quite as bad, students 

 and short-hand writers take refuge in our days if they are short of 

 paper. The following Aadyth shows that Ibn Jobayr subsequently 

 made a fair copy. 



*=~*b fH c^^ ls^J ^^ L$* ^ l3 d£ft* 

 Sa'yd b. Jobayr relates : " 1 used to hear Aadythes from ' Abd 

 Allah b. 'Amr and Ibn 'Abbas, aud I used to write them down on 

 my two feet (boots), aud the next morning I copied them." The 

 words which I translate by " my feet or boots" run in another version 

 AJtfli JU^I Ak**|j cy U. 



65. The pupils of Qatadah asked him whether they might write 

 down his lectures ? and he answered, What prevents you ? 



66. v^U-JJ| iL yo ^J\ u*a>| *J2£)\ Mi^l Jli 



Abu Qilabah (d. 104) said : " It is better to write down than to 

 forget." 



'Abd Allah b. Mohammad b. 'Aqyl [d. after 140] relates: "We 

 used to go to Jabir b. 'Abd Allah (d. in 70 odd at the age of 94 

 years) and ask him regarding the life (according to another version, 

 'regarding the sonnan or institutions)' of the prophet, and we wrote 

 it down." 



2 u 



