Various Opinions Regarding The Mus’haf Fatimah

As far as we know, no Shi’ite or Sunni scholar has ever gotten their hands on Mus’haf Fatimah. Rather, they've gained an understanding of its scribe and author from the relevant hadith on the subject. In this respect, there hasn't been a far-reaching or comprehensive research on the matter. Some have said, ‘Her Mus’haf contains parables, edicts, sermons, historical accounts and miracles and amazing occurrences. Imam ‘Ali (‘a) is its author, and he gifted it to her as a consolation after her father's death’1

Others are of the opinion that this Mus’haf contains jurisprudence (shar'i), normative and ethical rulings, all future events, and that Lady Fatimah (‘a) wrote it from all the pronouncements that she heard from her father (the Prophet Muhammad (S)) and her husband (Imam ‘Ali (‘a)).2

Imam Khomeini in his last will and testament said, ‘Sahifah Fatimah was inspired to her from the very presence of the Lord most High to Zahra Mardhiyyah (i.e. Lady Fatimah).’3 Sayyid Muhsin Ameen is of the opinion that this noble Lady (‘a) has two books: one inspired by her Lord, the other the sayings of the prophet of Allah (S) to Lady Fatimah (‘a).4

There reason that there are so many divergent opinions on the content of this Mus’haf, as the above quotes point out, is owing to the fact that the hadith are scattered in various chapters of various books. There are no analytical or theoretical analyses (of the hadith by the scholars who had collected the hadith). Because of this, the foundation of the argument and investigation are narrations that haven't been collected into one chapter (of a book of hadith), rather, they are in various books.

Indeed, none of the books that refer to Lady Fatimah (‘a) have hadith that mention the Mus’haf's content mention the same content twice (i.e. every hadith says that the Mus’haf contains something different). In this respect, some have thought that the Mus’haf is the very one that the reports mention, this because of the divergent opinions that have arisen. However, these hadith speak of the books (kitab) of Lady Fatimah (‘a) and not per se of her Mus’haf. In light of this, it is fitting to allude to these other books until we can separate them from and arrive to her Mus’haf.

1. Book Of Ethics

Neither the Shi'a or Sunni books of hadith have noted such a book, rather, its existence has been alluded to in the above-mentioned books. Khara'aty (a Sunni) narrates from Mojahid, ‘Ubayy Ibn Ka'b, went to visit Fatimah (May Allah's pleasure be upon her) - the daughter of Muhammad (S). Fatimah took out a book hidden between the fronds of a date tree and showed it to him. In it was written, 'Whoever believes in God and the day of resurrection is kind to his neighbour.'‘5

There is another narration which refers to this book. It is clear that the above hadith is actually a partial narration. Sheikh Kulayni quotes the full narration in Usul al-Kafi from Imam al-Sadiq (‘a)6. Abu Ja'far Muhammad Ibn Jarir Ibn Rustam Tabari quotes from the scholars of the fourth (Islamic) century also quotes this hadith - with an even longer narration - in the book Dala'il al-Imamah.7

Apparently, the people who said that Mus’haf Fatimah is about factual and ethical matters and etiquette had seen this hadith. As we will point out, Mus’haf Fatimah does not contain ethical matters. Therefore, there is no basis for this belief.

2. Book Of Precepts And Statutes (Kitab Al-Tashri'i)

Such a book has not been recorded in the books of hadith. However, in responding to the question the representative of Mansur - the 'Abbassid Caliph - in Medina, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) made reference to this book.8 From this we can infer that Lady Fatimah (‘a) was in possession of a book on precepts and statutes.

'Allamah Sayyid Muhsin Amin considered this book to be Mus’haf Fatimah,9 however it must be said that there are narrations - to be noted later - that say that the Mus’haf of this noble Lady did not contain matters of the permissible and forbidden. If such jurisprudential rulings were noted, there are other hadith by Lady Fatimah (‘a) quoting her eminent father, the prophet of Islam (S) that say otherwise.10

3. Fatimah's Tablet

Lawh (لُوْح) refers to wide pages of wood or bone, which in Farsi is called tablow (تابلو), or, takhteh (تخته). The existence of this tablet is noted in a great number of hadith. It contains the names of the Shi'ah Imams (‘a).

Abu al-Fath Karajaki (d. 449 AH) firmly believes that all the Shi'ah (scholars) are unanimous regarding the content of this tablet.11 The content of this tablet has not been reported in one place. It has a number of various chains of authority. Kulayni, quoting from Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah Ansari says the following,

‘I approached Fatimah and in her hands was a tablet. In it were the names of the executors (of the prophetic trust) (الأوصياء) from her children, and they numbered twelve.12 The last of them was Al-Qa'im, three amongst them were (named) Muhammad, three amongst them ‘Ali.’13

What [the narrator] meant by ‘three amongst them were (named) Muhammad’ was Muhammad al-Baqir (‘a) (the 5th Imam), Muhammad al-Jawad (‘a) (the 9th Imam) and Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi (‘a) (the 12th Imam, referred to in the hadith as ‘Al-Qa'im’). However, the statement that ‘three among them ‘Ali’ doesn't correspond to the number of Imams with the name of ‘‘Ali’. There were actually four of them: Imam ‘Ali (‘a) (the 1st Imam), ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn al-Sajad (‘a) (the 4th Imam), ‘Ali Ibn al-Musa al-Ridha (‘a) (the 8th Imam) and ‘Ali Ibn al-Muhammad al-Hadi (‘a) (the 10th Imam). How do we rectify this?

The first answer: the pronoun ‘amongst them’ (مِنهُم) refers to ‘her children’ (وُلْدِها). In this respect, the meaning of ‘three amongst them ‘Ali’ is the children of Lady Fatimah (‘a) and that's why the narrator didn't mention the name of Imam ‘Ali (‘a) (the husband of Lady Fatimah (‘a) and father of the Imams (‘a)).

The second answer: The scribe erred (in writing ‘three amongst them ‘Ali’. It was meant to be written as ‘four amongst them ‘Ali’. There is a hadith from Abi al-Jarud quoting Imam al-Baqir (‘a) in which the Imam (‘a) says ‘four’.14

The third answer is that the pronoun of ‘amongst them’ (مِنهُم) is referring to [they numbered] ‘twelve’ (اثنى عشر). If the narrator hadn't said ‘four [‘Ali's] amongst them’ (مِنهُم أربع) it was because Imam ‘Ali's (‘a) name was not written on the tablet. (Regardless), his title has been noted in the tablet as we will see in a narration by Abu Basir.15 The (complete) contents of this tablet are mentioned and verified in Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni'mah.16

The contents of this tablet - and in some people's opinions, the tablet itself - was a gift from Allah to the Prophet (S) which the Prophet (S) had gifted to Lady Fatimah (‘a).17

4. Last Will And Testament

It has been narrated in numerous hadith with multiple chains of transmission that Lady Fatimah (‘a) left behind a book in which wrote down her will and testament.18 This will and testament was shar'i, regarding the seven orchards19 bequeathed to Lady Fatimah (‘a) by the Prophet (S); thus it actually contained a political and social advice.20 Among her last desires was that certain people not be present during her burial, that her place of burial not be revealed, etc. Her last will and testament contain a plethora of matters that are also contained in the Mus’haf Fatimah. Some have said that Imam ‘Ali (‘a) found it by her bedside after her demise.21

5. Mus’haf Fatimah

The existence of this book has been noted, again, by several sources in numerous narrations. We have already enumerated a number of questions surrounding this book, to name a few: who dictated this book? Who is its author? What is it about? Has any alteration in the Qur'an been alluded to in it? Where is this book now and who possesses it? And…

Reliability Of The Narrations Regarding Mus’haf Fatimah

Perhaps the most important question about this Mus’haf is the reliability of the narrations about it. The other issues can only be addressed after the determination of credibility of the narrations. Therefore, we must proceed with these questions first.

Methods Of Determining The Soundness Of Narrations

There are a number of ways to understand the soundness of narrations. Of these, three are the most important:

1st: Examining the (credibility and lives of the) men mentioned in the chain of narrators of a hadith.22 If the men are considered to be reliable (i.e. pious and honest at the time of the narration) then the hadith is reliable.

2nd: There are indications other than the chain of narration that sometimes, even though there are multiple chains of narration; the occasion arises that all the narrators possess the necessary qualifications (of piety), but a single narrator in the chain didn't apply that hadith in theory or practice. The scholars consider such a hadith to be weak, otherwise, they wouldn't have disregarded it. Likewise, there are hadith which are not altogether sound, but there are indications that reliable scholars accepted and applied the subject, thus it is considered to be a credible hadith. In such a situation, the narration is considered authentic (وثق) but not well-documented (ثقة).

3rd: Believability and lack of discrepancy between the legislative, doctrinal and historical hadith. Regarding the first type, that is to say, jurisprudential hadith, it is sufficient for the hadith to have a sound chain of narrators. However, regarding the other two, the acceptance of and consensus of opinion between scholars is sufficient (to prove a hadith's reliability).

If you substitute the latter method (believability and consensus of opinion) for the former (multiplicity of chains of narration), then in any case, the proof of credibility of a hadith is one's belief in its credibility without needing to examine who the narrators in the chain are.

Mus’haf Fatimah And The Ways Of Determining The Soundness And Credibility Of Narrations

Lo and behold, the moment has come to answer the questions raised so far. The narrations concerning Mus’haf Fatimah are sound and reliable by any of the three methods we have noted. If we want to use the third method, every single Shi'a scholar has acknowledged the authenticity of the narrations concerning this Mus’haf, and we haven't found a single dissenting scholar (in this regard). This matter strengthens the determination of authenticity using the second method (multiplicity of chains). We should mention that some have said, ‘Is it possible that Jibra'il (‘a) would descend unto Lady Fatimah (‘a) and impart matters to her, and that ‘Ali (‘a) could hear this and write it down?’ Others say, ‘But ‘Ali (‘a) is superior in virtues to Fatimah (‘a); he (‘a) seems worthy of such a revelation.’

We will answer these reproaches. For the time being, it suffices to quote 'Allamah Muhsin Amin who said, ‘it is neither improbable nor is there room for doubt to believe that Jibra'il (‘a) would speak to Zahra (‘a) and that ‘Ali (‘a) could hear it. It's recorded in a book by the name of Mus’haf Fatimah. What's more, the reliable companions of the Imams (‘a) have narrated such a thing. To those who doubt this, or think it to be improbable, or who think it to be exaggerated or lacking impartiality, I say, 'Do you doubt the power of Allah the most high? Is Zahra (‘a)23, who is of the very essence of the Prophet (S) not worthy of this grace? Do you doubt the soundness of a narration despite the fact that they were uttered from the very Imams of guidance who were the issue of this noble lady and are totally reliable? Given the fact that this same honour was bestowed on Asif Ibn Barkhiya and also Sulayman (‘a), and they certainly not dearer to Allah than the family of Muhammad (‘a)!24

The reliability of the hadith concerning the Mus’haf Fatimah can also be demonstrated by the first method. For example, Kulayni in Al-Kafi considered the hadith and narrations about this book to be acceptable (صحيح).25 In one of these hadiths, Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) says, ‘Fatimah (‘a) lasted 75 days after the departure of the Prophet of Allah (S). Because of her father's (death), she suffered a profound sadness. Jibra'il (‘a) alighted to her in order to abate her grieving and to give her something pleasing. He informed her about her father's (state in heaven) and his (exalted) rank and told her what would happen to her descendants. ‘Ali (‘a) recorded all this (information), and this is Mus’haf Fatimah.26

• 1. Musawwi, S, Al-Muraji’at, page 521, Iran; Dar al-Kitab al-Islami, no date given.
• 2. Ma’rufulhasani, H, Seerat al-A’immah al-Ithna ‘Ashari, pages 96-97. Beirut, Dar al-Ta’aruf.
• 3. Khomeini, R. Vasiyat nameh siyasi-elahi Emam Khomeini, page 3, Tehran (no date or publisher given).
• 4. Ameen, M. ‘A’ayan al-Shi’ah, volume 1, pages 313-314. Beirut, Al-Ansaf publications.
• 5. Khara’ati, Makarim al-Akhlaqwa ma’aliha, page 43. Maktabah al-Islam al-‘alamiyyah, Cairo (no date).
• 6. Bahrani-Isfahani, ‘Awalim al-‘ulum, volume 11, page 533. Tahqiq mu’assasah Imam Mahdi, Qom (no date).
• 7. Tabari, M. Dala’il al-Imamah, page 5. A’alami, Beirut (no date).
• 8. Kulayni, M. Furu’ al-kafi, volume 3, page 705, hadith #2. Dar al-Adhwa’, Beirut (no date).
• 9. Amin, M. A’ayun al-shi’ah, volume 1, page 314-315 (no publisher or date).
• 10. No author, Sirah al-a’immah al-ithnah ‘ashar, volume 1, pages 96-97 (no publisher or date).
• 11. Karrajaki, A. Al-istinsar fi al-nafs ‘ala al-a’immah al-athar, page 13. Dar al-Adhwa’ publications, Qom (no date).
• 12. The narrator states that there were 12 Imams, and says that there are 3 Imams named Muhammad, 3 named ‘Ali. That makes six. There was another ‘Ali, Imam ‘Ali (‘a), but the narrator was speaking of the Imams amongst the children of Lady Fatimah (‘a), so, he didn’t count Imam ‘Ali (‘a) as it was self-evident to him as he lived as a contemporary of Imam ‘Ali (‘a). That makes 7 Imams, and 5 unaccounted for. There were 2 Hasans: Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (‘a) (the 2nd Imam) and Hasan Ibn ‘Ali al-‘Askari (‘a) (the 11th Imam), 1 Ja’far: Ja’far Ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (‘a) (the 6th Imam), and 1 Musa: Musa Ibn Ja’far al-Kadhim (‘a) (the 7th Imam).
• 13. Kulayni, M. Usul al-Kafi, volume 1, page 533.
• 14. Saduq, M. ‘Uyun Akhbar Ar-Ridha’, volume 1, page 47, hadith #7. Reza Mashhadi Publications, Qom, 1363/1984.
• 15. Kulayni, M. Usul al-Kafi, volume 1, page 527, hadith #4, Saduq M, Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, volume 1, page 303, Nashr-e Islami Foundation, Qom (no date).
• 16. Saduq, M. Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, volume 1, page 311, Nashr-e Islami Foundation, Qom.
• 17. Mufid, M. Kitab al-‘Irshad, page 262, Basirati Publication, Qom (no date); also in, Saduq, M. Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, volume 1, page 312, Nashr-e Islami Foundation, Qom (no date), and in, Majlisi, M. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 36, page 201.
• 18. Tusi M. Tahdhib al-Ahkam, volume 9, page 144, hadith #50. Dar al-Adhwa’, Beirut.
• 19. The seven orchards refer to the area around Fadak which was a war spoil after the conquest of Khaybar. It belonged to the Prophet (S) Muhammad and he bequeathed it to Lady Fatimah (‘a). The Caliphs who took power after the Prophet’s demise stated that Prophets only bequeath knowledge, not property, thus they usurped it from that noble Lady (‘a).
• 20. Majlisi, M. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 103, page 135-136, hadith #14.
• 21. Majlisi, M. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 103, page 135-136, hadith #14.
• 22. This referred to as ‘Ilm al-Rijal, the science of the narrators of hadith. It is a field of study on to its own in which the lives and beliefs of the narrators of hadith are studied.
• 23. Zahra (the radiant one) is one of the titles of Lady Fatimah (‘a).
• 24. Amin, H. A’ayan al-Shi’a, page 314. NB: The author’s son has removed this quote from the recent edition of the book.
• 25. Kulayni, M. Usul al-Kafi, volume 1, page 239, hadith #1; also in, Majlisi, M. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 26, page 39, hadith #70; also in, Rijal Najashi, volume 1, page 204-205; and in Rijal Tusi, page 366.
• 26. Kulayni, M. Usul al-Kafi, volume 1, page 241, hadith #5; also in Majlisi, M. Bihar al-Anwar, volume 26, page 41, hadith #72.