In spite of all this...

In spite of all this, we do not doubt that their followers followed anyone other than them, for theirs are, indeed, the views of the followers of those Imams, the ones held reliable in dealing with their affairs by every generation. They recorded them in their books because their followers knew their sects best, just as Shi’ahs best know the sect of their Imams, those who worship Allah accordingly, believing that it is the only way to seek nearness to Him.

II Advancement of Shi’ahs in Recording Knowledge During the Sahabah's Epoch, Researchers unhesitatingly accept the fact that Shi’ahs were the pioneers in recording the branches of knowledge, more so than anyone else. As a matter of fact, nobody in the first century of Islam besides ‘Ali (as) and those endowed with the gift of knowledge among his Shi’ahs did so.

The reason for this could be attributed to the differences of opinion among the companions in permitting or forbidding the writing of knowledge.

According to al-’Asqalani in his Introduction to Fath al-Malik al-’Ali Bisihhati Babil ‘Ilm ‘Ali , and according to others, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and a few others disliked the idea for fear hadith might be mixed with the Book, versus the permission granted by ‘Ali (as), and after him al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (as), grandson of the Prophet (pbuh), and a group of other companions, to such writing.

During that time, Ibn Jurayh authored in Mecca the first book dealing with the legacies in which he quotes Mujahid and ‘Ata'. Al-Ghazali says that it is the first book authored in Islam. The truth of the matter is that it is the first book authored by a non-Shi’ah in Islam. After it, Mu’ammar ibn Rashid, of San’a, Yemen, wrote his, then Malik authored his Mawti' .

The Introduction of Fath al-Malik al-’Ali Bisihhati Babil ‘Ilm ‘Ali states that al-Rabi’ ibn Sabih was the first to compile information, and that he lived at the sunset of the time of the tabi’in. Anyhow, the consensus of opinion is that Sunnis did not author a single book during the first Islamic century. As regarding ‘Ali and his Shi’ahs, these spent a great deal of effort and time to attain that end during the first century of Islam.

The first writing of the Commander of the Faithful was the Book of Allah, the Exalted, the Praiseworthy. Having finished the rituals pertaining to the preparation for the departure of the Prophet (pbuh) from this world, ‘Ali (as) decided not to dress except to either say the prayers or compile the Qur'an.