A Study and Analysis of the Reason Why Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) did not Write any Books

One of the doubts that has been fueled concerning Imam alSadiq (‘a) is his Eminence's lack of knowledge due to writing no books. This issue has been used as a pretext to question all the narrations issued by the Imam (‘a). However, one of the ways of acquiring knowledge is using quotations and narrations in religious teachings which have epistemic value commensurate with their authenticity. Consequently, the complete denial of narrations would contribute to the elimination of various scientific disciplines such as history, Quranic sciences, exegesis and hadith. Furthermore, the Imam's Divine knowledge has been proven by solid and demonstrative reasons. Thus, assuming that no books have been written by Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), this matter does not necessarily signify his Eminence's lack of knowledge; furthermore, the reasons behind not having written any books should be explored as well. One of the main reasons why Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) wrote no books was the prevalence of political pressure in his era. Writing a book would have served as a pretext as well as a living proof that could have been used by the despotic rulers of the time to intensify their persecution of the Shi'a. Moreover, training a large number of students, each of whom has authored numerous scholarly books is regarded as the best proof of their master's knowledge.