Who is the word سمعت attributed to in this narration

Question

Regarding the following Hadith and the chain of narration, who does the word سمعت refer to, and is the ta (ت) pronounced with a dhammah or fathah?

حدثنا يحيى بن يحيى واللفظ له قال: قلت لسفيان بن عيينة: سمعت الزهري يذكر عن عطاء بن يزيد الليثي عن أبي أيوب الأنصاري رضي الله عنه أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: إذا أتيتم الغائط فلا تستقبلوا القبلة ولا تستدبروها ببول ولا غائط ولكن شرقوا أو غربوا. قال أبو أيوب: فقدمنا الشام فوجدنا مراحيض قد بنيت قبل القبلة فننحرف عنها ونستغفر الله. قال: نعم – رواه مسلم (٢٦٤)

Answer

The word سمعت should be read with a fathah on the ta (ت).

It is a question [in the meaning of: أسَمِعْتَ] that Yahya ibn Yahya asked Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah (rahimahumallah) to which he replied in the affirmative، at the end of the narration with the word: نعم (yes).

(Sahih Muslim with Al-Minhaj, Hadith: 608, and Ad-Dibaj, Hadith: 264)

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Farhan Shariff

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar,

This is one (legitimate) method of acquiring a Hadith from one’s teacher, and is called [القراءة على الشسخ] i.e, by reciting it to him in this manner, instead of the teacher verbally saying the Hadith himself.