Amr ibn Shubbah relates through his chain of transmission...

Amr ibn Shubbah relates through his chain of transmission that Asim ibn Bahdalah said: ‘The first person to record grammar was Abu al–Aswad’.” Al–Jahiz is reported to have said that Abu al–Aswad was considered to be among the tabi’i s, the jurists, the traditionists, the poets, the nobles, the knights, the princes, the grammarians, the shrewd, the quick–witted and the niggardly. He was also counted among the ‘bald noblemen’ and had foul breath.He was also a Shi'ah.

Al–Jahiz’s report is related by both Abu al–Faraj in Al–Aghani , and al–Suyuti in Bughyat al–Wu’at . Similarly, al–Raghib states in Al–Muhadarat in his account on Abu al–Aswad that he was the first to furnish (some of the letters of) the Holy Qur’an with dots and he also established the discipline of grammar under the supervision of Ali (‘a).

He was among the most accomplished people in judgment and intellect and he was a Shi'ah, a poet, a quick–witted man, reliable in what he relates…” Al–Yafi’i records in Mir’at al–Jinan that Zalim ibn Amr, Abu al–Aswad al–Basri was among the most eminent tabi’i s and a companion of the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) with whom he participated in the battle of Siffin. He was among Ali’s best supporters who were endowed with sound judgment and mature intellect.

He was the first to record Arabic grammar by the direction of the Commander of the Faithful”. Imam al–Baihaqi writes in his book Al–Mahasin wa al–Masawi that Yunus ibn Habib, the grammarian has said “The pioneer of Arabic studies who opened up the gates to this discipline and trod its path is Abu al–Aswad al–Du’ali whose name is Zalim ibn Amr”.

Abu al–Barakat, Abdurrahman ibn Muhammad al–Anbari records in the beginning of his book Nuzhat al–Albab that Abu ‘Ubaydah Mu‘mar al–Muthanna and others, relate that he learnt grammar from Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a). Abu Hatim al–Sajistani says that Abu al–Aswad was born in the pre–Islamic era and learnt Arabic grammar from Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a). Abu Salamah Musa ibn Isma’il narrates from his father who said: “Abu al–Aswad was the first person to introduce grammar and it was in the city of Basrah”.

Ibn Al–Anbari observes: “Indeed, the founder of Arabic studies who defined its broad outlines and rules was the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) and Abu al–Aswad al–Du’ali took after him”.