Hadiths transmitted from the Prophet (PBUH) and the Infallibles (peace be upon them) alongside the Qur’an are considered among the most important religious sources for Shia Muslims. A common misconception, however, is that the primary hadith collections available to Shia today were mostly compiled after the era of the Imams (peace be upon them), which has led some people to doubt the authenticity of these sources and their attribution to the Infallibles (peace be upon them).
It must be noted that the history of compiling and writing hadith collections, as well as the creation of books based on hadith [1], among the companions of the Imams (peace be upon them), dates back a long time. In the Shia community, especially after the time of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), many individuals dedicated much of their time to collecting the narrations transmitted from the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them). Some of them even sent these teachings to Shia communities living in distant lands, in order to spread the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). Over time, the number of these scholars increased, and more detailed and extensive books were written and presented. This process especially flourished during the time of Imam Hasan al-‘Askari (peace be upon him) and played a significant role in preserving the Shia hadith heritage.
Among the companions of Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him) who were involved in compiling hadith, Husayn ibn Ashkib Samarqandi played a prominent role. He authored several works, including a book titled Al-Radd ‘ala al-Zaydiyya [2]. Similarly, Hasan ibn Musa al-Khassab, a companion of Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him), left behind several writings, including Al-Radd ‘ala al-Waqifa [3]. Given the prominence of the Zaydi [4] and Waqifi [5] movements during that time and the potential influence they had on some Shia, these books, which were often based on narrations from the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them) and other proofs, were valuable tools for addressing and controlling such deviations.
Regarding the collection of transmitted narrations and the compilation of hadith [6] collections, there is ample evidence. For example, Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Burqi, a contemporary of several Imams, including Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him), authored the book Al-Mahasin. This book took the form of an encyclopedic work encompassing many religious teachings, including jurisprudence, ethics, exegesis, and more.[7] Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffar Qummi, a contemporary and companion of Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him), authored numerous works on jurisprudential and theological matters. His most famous work is Basa’ir al-Darajat, a hadith collection with a theological approach that contains narrations on the issue of Imamate, the recognition of the Imam, and the virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) [8]. Ali ibn Hasan ibn Ali al-Faddal, who was trusted by Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him), wrote many books as well.[9]
In fact, some hadith collections were even endorsed by the Infallibles themselves [10]. Specifically, sometimes the companions would seek the Imams’ opinions about certain books, such as when Bawarq Bushanjani presented his book Yawm wa Layla to Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him) and sought the Imam’s opinion on it. All the contents of the book were approved by the Imam.[11]
These instances clearly indicate that the narrations of the Imams (peace be upon them) were available to the companions and that there was a valuable scholarly movement that played a key role in preserving the Shia narrative heritage. The principles [12] that were authored up until the time of Imam al-‘Askari (peace be upon him) laid the foundation for larger hadith collections like Al-Kafi. These collections were built upon the writings of companions who had direct interactions with the Imams, and this led to the preservation of the Shia heritage over time, particularly during the period of the occultation of the Twelfth Imam.
(Excerpt from Uswat al-Bashariyyah by Hujjat al-Islam Rasul Jafarian, with some changes and additions)
Footnotes:
[1] Hadith collections (the singular form is Jama’ah Hadithi) refer to books that compile narrations on a variety of topics, such as Al-Mahasin by al-Burqi or Bihar al-Anwar.
[2] Rijal al-Najashi, page 44
[3] Rijal al-Najashi, page 42
[4] The Zaydis were a faction of the Shia who considered Zayd ibn Ali, the son of Imam Ali Zayn al-Abidin, as the Imam after Imam Husayn (peace be upon him).
[5] The Waqifis were a group of Shia who believed that Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) had not passed away and did not believe in the Imamate of the succeeding Imams.
[6] Some collections, which themselves consist of multiple Jama’ah (collections), are referred to as Majami’.
[7] Rijal al-Najashi, page 76.7-76
[8] Rijal al-Najashi, page 354
[9] Rijal al-Najashi, page 258
[10] (Rijal al-Najashi, page 231) (Falah al-Sa’il, page 183)
[11] Rijal al-Kashi, page 538, Hadith 1023
[12] Some individuals who directly and immediately heard narrations from the Infallibles (peace be upon them) recorded these narrations in writing, and these writings are referred to as Asl (or the plural Usul).