Asim narrated: I asked Imam Sha’bi, may Allah have mercy on him, about a hadith, so he told me that hadith. I said: Is this narrated as marfu’ (attributed) to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)? He said: No, attributing it to those after the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is more beloved to us, because if there is any addition or omission in the hadith, then it would be attributed to someone other than the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Imam Ibrahim Nakha'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade Muhaqala and Muzabana. It was asked, "Do you not remember any other hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding this?" He replied: "I do remember, but I prefer to say, 'Abdullah said, Alqama said.'"

Ismail bin Ubaidullah said: Whenever Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), he would say: «قال كذا أو نحوه أو شبهه أو شكله» (that is, the Messenger of Allah [peace and blessings be upon him] said something like this, similar to this, or in this meaning).

Rabee’ah bin Yazeed said: Whenever Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated a hadith, he would say: «اللهم إلا هكذا أو كشكله» , meaning,“This hadith is like this or similar to this.”

Amr bin Maymun said that I used to come to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) every Thursday evening. And I never heard him say, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said." One evening, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said," and his eyes filled with tears, the veins of his neck swelled, I saw that the buttons of his shirt were open, and he said: «مثله أو نحوه أو شبيه به» .

Imam Sha'bi and Imam Ibn Sirin (may Allah have mercy on them) narrated that when Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) would narrate any hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding the days, his face would turn red and he would say: «هكذا أو نحوه، هكذا أونحوه» (that is, in this way or with similar meaning the Prophet said).

Taubah Ambari said that Imam Sha’bi, may Allah have mercy on him, said to me: What is your opinion about that person who keeps saying,“The Messenger of Allah said, the Messenger of Allah said”? I myself sat with (the Companion of the Messenger) Sayyiduna Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, for two and a half years, and except for“this hadith,”I never heard him narrate any hadith from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

Imam Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I sat with Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) for a year, but I did not hear him mention any hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Thabit bin Qutbah Ansari said that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to narrate two or three hadiths in a month.

Abdul Malik bin Ubaid said that Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by us, so we said: Please narrate to us something from what you heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: «واتحلل» that is, by saying «أو كما قال» and the like, I will make it permissible.