The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded the community that those present should convey his words to those absent, and offered an answered supplication for those who convey them. He said in an authentic hadith:

“Convey from me, even a single verse. Relate reports from the Children of Israel; there is no harm in doing so. Whoever deliberately attributes a lie to me, let him take his seat in the Fire.”

He also said in his sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage:

“Let those present convey this to those absent, for many a person to whom it is conveyed understands it better than one who heard it directly.”

He also said:

“May Allah grant radiance to a person who hears a hadith from us and conveys it to someone who has not heard it. Many a bearer of religious knowledge lacks understanding, and many a bearer of religious knowledge conveys it to someone with greater understanding than himself. There are three things toward which a Muslim’s heart bears no resentment: doing one’s deeds sincerely for Allah, offering sincere counsel to those in authority, and remaining with the Muslim community; for their call encompasses those behind them.”

In this, he supplicates for anyone who conveys his hadith, even if he lacks deep understanding, and for anyone who conveys it even when the listener has greater understanding than the transmitter. This accounts for the radiance bestowed upon those who convey it. Hence Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna said:

“You will find no one among the scholars of hadith without radiance in his face, because of the Prophet’s supplication, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

Both nadara and nadura mean “to be radiant,” though the form with the a vowel is more eloquent.

Scholars, past and present, have always held hadith transmitters in high esteem. Indeed, al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

“When I see a scholar of hadith, it is as though I have seen one of the Prophet’s Companions, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

Al-Shāfiʿī said this because they occupy the Companions’ position in conveying the hadith of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Al-Shāfiʿī also said:

“The scholars of hadith have preserved it, and we therefore owe them a debt of gratitude, for they have preserved it for us.”

End of quotation.