I used to write everything which I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I intended (by it) to memorise it. The Quraysh prohibited me saying: Do you write everything that you hear from him while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a human being: he speaks in anger and pleasure? So I stopped writing, and mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He signalled with his finger to him mouth and said: Write, by Him in Whose hand my soul lies, only right comes out from it.  

كُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَسْمَعُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أُرِيدُ حِفْظَهُ فَنَهَتْنِي قُرَيْشٌ وَقَالُوا أَتَكْتُبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ تَسْمَعُهُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَشَرٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ فِي الْغَضَبِ وَالرِّضَا فَأَمْسَكْتُ عَنِ الْكِتَابِ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَوْمَأَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ إِلَى فِيهِ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ حَقٌّ  

Al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab said: Zayd ibn Thabit entered upon Mu'awiyah and asked him about a tradition. He ordered a man to write it. Zayd said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered us not to write any of his traditions. So he erased it.  

لَهُ زَيْدٌ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمَرَنَا أَنْ لاَ نَكْتُبَ شَيْئًا مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ فَمَحَاهُ  

"We used not to write anything but the Tasha-hud and the Qur'an."  

مَا كُنَّا نَكْتُبُ غَيْرَ التَّشَهُّدِ وَالْقُرْآنِ  

When Mecca was conquered, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up. He (Abu Hurairah) then mentioned the sermon of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. He said: A man of the Yemen, who was called Abu Shah, got up and said: Messenger of Allah! Write it for me. He said: Write it for Abu Shah.  

لَمَّا فُتِحَتْ مَكَّةُ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ الْخُطْبَةَ خُطْبَةَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو شَاهٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اكْتُبُوا لِي فَقَالَ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي شَاهٍ  

I asked Abu ʿAmr: What are they writing? He said: The sermon which he heard that day.  

الْخُطْبَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعَهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ مِنْهُ