<1% of Companions Are Cited as Sources of Hadith

The prophet was said to have had over 100,000 companions (ṣaḥābī) according to sources like Abū Zurʿa al-Rāzī, with some sources indicating that 114,000 companions performed the pilgrimage with the Prophet after their conquest of Mecca. Despite their large number, most companions did not transmit hadith, even though prophetic Hadith could be simply observing something the prophet did or didn’t do. According to the Musnad of Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥmān—considered the most extensive collection of hadith—only about 1,300 companions are reported to have transmitted any traditions. Ibn al-Jawzī offers a more conservative figure, listing about 1,060 companions who transmitted hadith, along with the number of narrations attributed to each.

The data shows a steep drop-off:

• 500 companions are attributed with transmitting only one hadith each.
• 132 companions are attributed with transmitting two.
• A small cluster transmitted between 5–9 hadiths each.
• 60 companions are attributed with transmitting 10–20 hadiths.
• 55 companions are attributed with 100 or more hadiths.
• Of these, only eleven are said to have transmitted more than 500 hadiths each.

This stark distribution reveals that the bulk of hadith literature relies on the supposed testimonies of a tiny fraction of companions.

The pattern holds across the major compilations:

• Muwaṭṭaʾ of Imām Mālik includes traditions from only 98 companions.
• Musnad of al-Ṭayālisī cites 281 companions.
• Musnad of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal includes about 700 companions.
• Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim contain traditions from 208 and 213 companions, respectively, with 149 companions in common between them.

These figures challenge the common assumption that the hadith tradition reflects a broad-based, community-wide transmission. In reality, the overwhelming majority of hadiths are attributed to a very small subset of the Prophet’s companions. Even using the most generous estimates from the largest hadith compilations, only ~1% of the reported 100,000+ companions are credited with transmitting any hadith at all—and most of those only narrated a single report. If we limit our scope to the more authoritative collections, such as Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī or Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, that percentage drops even further to around 0.2%. This raises important questions about historical transmission, narrative selectivity, and whose voices ultimately shaped the legacy of the prophetic tradition.

Number of Companions	# of Hadith Narrated	%
100,000	0	98.95%
500	1	0.49%
132	2	0.13%
80	3	0.08%
52	4	0.05%
32	5	0.03%
26	6	0.03%
27	7	0.03%
18	8	0.02%
11	9	0.01%
60	10-20	0.06%
123	20+	0.12%

*Note: The numbers above are based on 100,000 companions, even though the estiamte indicates this is the lower bound of the estimate.

It is worth noting that the most commonly reported hadith in the entire corpus is the following warning from the Prophet:

Narrated `Ali: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Do not tell a lie against me for whoever tells a lie against me then he will surely enter the Hell-fire.“

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْجَعْدِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي مَنْصُورٌ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رِبْعِيَّ بْنَ حِرَاشٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا، يَقُولُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ لاَ تَكْذِبُوا عَلَىَّ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ فَلْيَلِجِ النَّارَ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 106
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:106

Ironically, this hadith is also cited as the very reason many companions refrained from narrating anything at all. In another report, even a close companion like al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām expressed hesitation:

Narrated `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair: I said to my father, ‘I do not hear from you any narration (Hadith) of Allah’s Apostle as I hear (his narration) from so and so?” Az-Zubair replied. l was always with him (the Prophet), and I heard him saying, “Whoever tells a lie against me then let him occupy his seat in Hellfire.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ جَامِعِ بْنِ شَدَّادٍ، عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلزُّبَيْرِ إِنِّي لاَ أَسْمَعُكَ تُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَمَا يُحَدِّثُ فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ‏.‏ قَالَ أَمَا إِنِّي لَمْ أُفَارِقْهُ وَلَكِنْ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ ‏ “‏ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Sahih al-Bukhari 107
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:107

This grave warning may well explain why the vast majority of companions did not narrate hadith, and why hadith transmission became concentrated in the hands of a very small number. Out of the 100,000 estimated companions, only 123 are attributed with narrating 20 or more hadiths.

Ranking	Name	# Narrated
123	Abu Shurayh al-Kabi	20
122	Abd Allah ibn Jarrad	20
121	Musawwir ibn Makhrama	20
120	Amr ibn Umayya al-Damrl	20
119	Amr ibn Umayya (another)	20
118	Safwan ibn ‘Assal	20
117	Sa’d ibn ‘Ubada	21
116	al-Rabi	21
115	al-Sa’ib	22
114	Qurra	22
113	‘Umayr ibn Rabi’a	22
112	Umm Qays	24
111	Laqit ibn ‘Amir	24
110	al-Sharid	24
109	Rifa’a ibn Rafi’	24
108	Abd Allah ibn Unays	24
107	Aws ibn Aws	24
106	al-Fadl ibn ‘Abbas	24
105	Abu Waqid al-Laythi	24
104	Abu Talha al-Ansari	25
103	Abd Allah ibn Salam	25
102	Sahil ibn Abi Hathma (Haythama?)	25
101	Abu al-Mulayh al-Hudhali	25
100	Abd Allah ibn Ja’far	25
99	Ya’la ibn Murra	26
98	Abu Humayd al-Sa’idi	26
97	Abu Malik al-Ash’ari	27
96	Abd Allah ibn Buhayna	27
95	Abu Usayd al-Sa’idi	28
94	Utba ibn ‘Abd	28
93	Ya’la ibn Umayya	28
92	Uthman ibn Abi’l-‘As	29
91	Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith	30
90	Suhayb	30
89	Iyad ibn Himir (Hammad?)	30
88	Mu’adn ibn Anas	30
87	Irbad ibn Sariya	31
86	Khubab ibn al-Aratt	32
85	Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr	33
84	Fatima bint Qays	34
83	Ma’qil ibn Yasar	34
82	al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abad al-Muttalib	35
81	Amir ibn ‘Abasa	38
80	Khuzayma ibn Thabit	38
79	Talha ibn ‘Abd Allah	38
78	al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam	38
77	Amir ibn al-‘As	39
76	Umm ‘Atiyya	40
75	Abu Tha’laba al-Khushani	40
74	Hakim ibn Hizam	40
73	Sahl ibn Hunayf	40
72	Mu’awiya ibn Hayda	42
71	al-Miqdad	42
70	Abd Allah ibn Mughfil	43
69	Jundab ibn ‘Abd Allah	43
68	Bilal al-Habashi	44
67	Abu Juhayfa	45
66	Umm Hani	46
65	Abu Barza	46
64	Ka’b ibn Ujra	47
63	al-Miqdam	47
62	Abd Allah ibn Zayd	48
61	Sa’d ibn Zayd ibn ‘Amr	48
60	Abd Allah ibn Bishr	50
59	Shaddad ibn Aws	50
58	Asma’ bint Abi Bakr	58
57	Asma’ bint ‘Umays	60
56	Hafsa Umm al-Mu’minin	60
55	Jubayr ibn Mut’im	60
54	Salman al-Farisi	60
53	Amr ibn Awf	62
52	Ammar ibn Yasir	62
51	Abd al-Rahamn ibn ‘Awf	65
50	Umm Habiba Umm al-Mu’minin	65
49	Adi ibn Hatim	66
48	Abu Rafi	68
47	Zayd ibn Arqam	70
46	Wa’il ibn Hujr	71
45	Maymuna Umm al-Mu’minin	76
44	Salama ibn al-Akwa’	77
43	Rafi’ ibn Khudayj	78
42	Zayd ibn Khalid	81
41	Zayd ibn Thabit	92
40	Abd Allah ibn Abi Awfa	95
39	Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah	100
38	Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari	102
37	Samura ibn Jundab	123
36	Thawban	128
35	Usama ibn Zayd	128
34	Abu Bakra Nufay’	132
33	al-Mughira ibn Shu’ba	136
32	al-Nu’man ibn Bashir	144
31	Abu Bakr al-Siddiq	142
30	Jabir ibn Samura	146
29	Uthman ibn ‘Affan	146
28	Abu Ayyub al-Ansari	155
27	Mu’adh ibn Jabal	157
26	Mu’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan	163
25	Ubayy ibn Ka’b	164
24	Burayda ibn al-Hasib	167
23	Abu Qatada	170
22	Abu al-Darda	179
21	Imran ibn al-Husayn	180
20	Ubada ibn al-Samit	181
19	Sahl ibn Sa’d	188
18	Ma’d ibn Yaman	225
17	Aub Umamam al-Bahili	250
16	Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas	271
15	Abu Dharr al-Gihfari	281
14	al-Bara ibn Azib	305
13	Abu Musa al-Ash’ari	360
12	Umm Salama, Umm al-Mu’minin	378
11	Ali ib Talib	536
10	Umar ibn al-Khattab	537
9	Abd Allah Ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As	700
8	Abd Allah ibn Mas’ud	848
7	Abu Sa’id al-Khudri	1170
6	Jabr ibn ‘Abd Allah	1540
5	Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas	1660
4	A’sha Umm al-Muminin	2210
3	Anas ibn Malik	2286
2	Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar	2630
1	Abu Hurayra	5374

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According to the book, Tawil Mukhtalif al-Hadith by Ibn Qutaybah (d. 889 CE), he highlights that many of the closest companions were apprehensive to narrate any Hadith, such as Sa’id Zayd ibn ‘Amir ibn Nufayl, who did not narrate any hadith despite being supposedly one of the ten who were promised Paradise.

99% of the Prophet’s companions didn’t narrate a single Hadith. The majority of Hadith are attributed to only a handful of companions. pic.twitter.com/IEz6B0SlHv

— ℚ𝕦𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕋𝕒𝕝𝕜 (@talkquran) August 16, 2025

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Source: “Hadith Literature, Its Origin, Development & Special Features” by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi p.15-18