Traditions on the Mushaf (Book) of Lady Fatima (s.a.) and its content.

Question: Sheikh Kulayni narrates from Imam Jafar bin Mohammad (a.s.) in his book Al-Kafi that his majesty said to Abu Basir: “the Mushaf of Fatima (s.a.) is with us; what do people know about Mushaf of Fatima (s.a.)?”

Did the holy Prophet (pbuh&hp) and his companions know about the Quran of Fatima (s.a.) and were they aware of it? If the holy Prophet (pbuh&hp) wasn’t aware of it, then how did the holy Progeny know come to know of it?

Answer: Among the reports and narrations, especially those narrations that are reported by Sunni reporters, there exist such narrations in vast numbers that have an uncommon and strange content but are either neglected or clarified.

When Bukhari, the famous author who calls his book Sahih (absolutely authentic), selected only a small number of narrations from a cluster of six hundred thousand narrations[1], then in this large number of narrations, there are undoubtedly such narrations which cannot and must not be reckoned as a part of Islamic beliefs.

          Ibn e Uqdah, one of the memorizers of Hadith, says, “I have memorized one hundred thousand Musnad (reliable) narrations and I have reported three hundred thousand narrations apart from them”[2]. In spite of this, in these books of narrations known as Sihah, Masaneed, and Jawameh, many unacceptable contents exist. Likewise, even the narrations of the Shia school of thought, though rarely, have some narrations among them which are not devoid of strange and uncommon meanings. On the other hand, merely the uncommonness of the text does not cause its rejection, but fundamentally, we must always act on the basis of the definitive (Muhkamat) narrations and define our faith and beliefs only according to the criteria of the well defined principles and fundamental rules. If one has an objection in these definitive principles, only then it will be considered for a discussion.

          The fundamental laws and principles that distinguish Shias from other sects are the ones derived from the clear verses and the authentic narrations, upon which reliable and continuous reports have clear implication, such as the chapter Al-Insan, the verse of Mawaddah [3], the verse of Wilayah[4], the verse of Tableegh[5], and many such verses; along with the authentic narrations like the Hadith of Saqlain with the emphasis on «مَا إنْ تَمَسَّکْتُم بِهِما لَنْ تَضِلُّوا أبَداً»[6] along with«لاتُعَلِّمُوهُم فَإنَّهُم أعْلَمُ مِنْکُم»[7], as well as the formal announcement of Ghadir and other such narrations.

          Similarly, it must be remembered that the strangeness and unlikelihood of the text is not much problematic, if so, then the deniers of Islam and Quran have also objected to the miracles mentioned in the Holy Quran regarding the prophets, such as the staff of Prophet Musa (a.s.) turning into snake[8], or the appearance of a she-camel from the heart of a mountain[9] will also be denied by those who do not believe in Allah, but their denial will not change the reality or affect the truth.

          If you and all the Muslims who believe in Quran accept all those positions that were given to Prophet Solomon (a.s.), and that satans were at his disposal and worked for him as masons and divers, then why do you deny that the holy Prophet (pbuh&hp) or the members of his Holy Progeny (a.s.) can also be bestowed with such special positions by Allah (s.w.t.)? If a person has faith in the unseen world and the limitless power of Allah (s.w.t.), he will never consider such special ranks and knowledge as far-fetched with reference to these personalities, as they all come under the seamless power of Allah (s.w.t.).