Atrafs as a Method of Classification (Tasnif) and Inclusion (Takhrij)

Abstract

Hadiths have been preserved and recorded in various ways since the Companions. These activities continued during the Tabiin (the successors of the Companions) Period. So much so that these methods have formed the infra-structure of other methods that will emerge later. In this context, before the 70's (A.H.), works named al-Atraf appeared. However, these first works consisted of the notes that they wrote some of the hadiths before coming to the science assemblies to help students remember in hadith learning. Hadith scholars have adopted and applied this method in a very short time. Thus, this method also provided the opportunity for the formation of the first written hadith documents. In addition, with the writing of hadith works, it has turned into a system of al-Tasnif and al-Takhrij in order to make maximum use of these books and to reach the source of a narration that is tried to be found. As a result, al-Atraf literature, which can be evaluated as index, has emerged. As a matter of fact, the first examples of this literature, arranged alphabetically according to the names of the Companions or hadith texts, started to be given since the 4th (A.H.) century. In this way, the way to quickly benefit from the accumulation of the hadith area has been opened. This article focuses on the historical adventure of al-Atraf and their contributions to the hadith field, as well as literature knowledge of the works of al-Atraf which are of great importance for both al-Kitabah, al-Tasnif and al-Takhrij.