Penyampaian hadith berakhir selepas hadith-hadith dikumpulkan dalam kitab-kitab. Selepas zaman pencatatan hadith, zaman Bukhari, Muslim dan para penyusun Sunan, tidak ada lagi periwayatan hadith kerana riwayat menunjukkan pemindahan (naql), dan pemindahan ini telah berakhir. Para perawi hadith ialah para Sahabat, Tabi'in dan yang lain. Ulama hadith berkata bahawa sesiapa yang melihat Nabi ﷺ dan beriman kepadanya ialah seorang sahabi. Namun, kebenarannya ialah sahabi ialah sesiapa yang benar-benar menghayati makna persahabatan (suhbah). Dalam satu riwayat daripada Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab,

The narration of hadīth came to an end after the compilation of ahadīth in the books. After the age of the recording of ahadīth, the age of Bukhari, Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan there is no narration of ahadīth because narration [riwaya] is indicative of transmission [naql] and this transmission came to an end. The transmitters of ahadīth are the Sahabah, the Tabi’een and others. The 'ulamā of hadīth say that whoever saw the Prophet  and believed in him is a sahābi. However, the truth is that the sahābi is whoever has actually realised the meaning of companionship [suhbah]. In a narration from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab,