Is it permissible to narrate a sound hadith by compiling its wordings from various narrations found in Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa'i, and Abu Dawud, such as the saying: "Listen and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed over you, whose head is like a raisin, leading you with the Book of Allah," or is it obligatory to adhere to the context of a single narration, and if permissible, to which source should it be attributed?

The permissibility of combining different wordings from various narrations of a single hadith was practiced by some imams, such as Ibn Jurayj and Al-Zuhri. This is permissible as long as the narrators are trustworthy. The established practice eventually settled on distinguishing the additions when referencing narrations. There are two ways to present a hadith that has additions: either presenting it with all its additions while distinguishing them, or selecting a primary narration and appending the additions to it. Presenting a hadith in a scholarly book differs from presenting it in a sermon or admonition; the former requires precision and distinguishing between narrations, while the latter is more lenient. It is incumbent upon anyone who avails himself of the concession of combining narrations to be knowledgeable of the meaning of the hadith and the implications of the language.