- 11 Feb 2008, 18:55
#11729
Is Mushaf Fatima a Shi'a Qur'an?
Dr Muhsin M R alidina
One of the spurious allegations, amongs many, hurled at the Shi'a is that they have another Qur'an called Mushaf Fatima. We intend to show what Mushaf Fatima is and explode the fallacious allegation of the Shi'a possessing any other but The Qur'an between the two covers that is found in Muslim households and Mosques.
IS MUSHAF FATIMA ANOTHER SHI'A QUR'AN
AN ALLEGATION
One of the many unfounded allegations that the Shi’a of Ali and Fatima AS have had to endure is that we possess a separate Qur’an with additional three suwar (chapters of The Qur’an) or with some verses missing. However, no one for the last fourteen centuries has ever been nor will be able to show such a Qur'an simply because the accusation is false and such a Qur'an does not exist. The Qur'an that we believe in and read and follow is the one and only that is in the hands of every Muslim Had there been a different Qur'an, would the bloodthirsty tyrants who were time and again rescued by our Aimmah by answering questions with verses of The Qur'an not discovered this fiction? Our Aimmah AS quoted verses from the same Qur'an that the caliphs read. And, above all,. Hadhrat Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq AS categorically said that The Qur’an between the two covers is the real thing. Those words puts paid to any allegations that are hurled against the Shi’a. Indeed. those who make these allegations against the Shi’a have skeletons of their own skeletons in their closets.
Not still satisfied in their malicious intent, they seize upon Mushaf Fatima to get back on the Shi’a. Mushaf Fatima, they allege, is the Shi’a Qur’an. In reply, we will begin by asking them: does Mushaf Uthman mean that the followers of Uthman bin Affan have a different Qur’an from the one that The Prophet SAWW left behind with his Purified itrah ? If Mushaf Uthman is not Uthman’s Qur’an then why should Mushaf Fatima be Fatima’s Qur’an?
MUSHAF DEFINED
So, what is a Mushaf? Lexically, the Arabic word Mushaf can mean a book, collection of pages, a volume or a collection of writings. Sahifah means a page or, in modern Arabic, a newspaper. The plural is suhuf. Thus, in The Qur’an (87:18,19) Allah SWT refers to“ Inna hadha lafi Ssuhufil oola, Suhufi Ibrahima wa Musa” (This is the Scrolls/Scriptures of yore. the Scriptures of Ibrahim AS and Musa ).The word Mushaf, then, does not necessarily mean The Qur’an. It can be applied to any book.
MUSHAF FATIMA
What is Mushaf Fatima? To understand this we need to know who Fatima AS is? Hadhrat Fatimatu Zzahraa AS, the only daughter of The Prophet SAWW has several epithets that describe her unique status before Allah SWT (1) The Prophet SAWW (2) and Aimma AS (3) from the progeny of The Prophet SAWW through Imam Ali AS and Seyyidah Fatima AS. Besides the name Fatima, which means one who will deliver her devotees (the Shi’a) from Hell-Fire and keep them away from jahalah (i.e. from being ignoramus), she has eight other names: al-Siddiqah (The most Truthful), al-Tahirah (The Pure one) ,al-Mubarakah (The Blessed) , al-Zakiyyah (The Unblemished), al-Radhiya (The Contented), al-Mardhiyyah ( The one who pleases Allah SWT), al-Zahirah/al-Zahraa (the Luminous) and al-Muhaddithah (The Interlocutor with Angels). Each of these extols her virtues and qualities.
AL-MUHADDATHUN
Hadhrat Fatima AS is also named Al-Muhaddithah. This is the quality that relates to Mushaf Fatima. Archangel Jibraeel used to speak to her. A question may be posed here: only prophets speak to are spoken to by the angels to receive revelations from Allah SWT. How then can anyone else be included in this category? The answer is simple. In The Qur’an, there are several verses that show that persons other than the prophets were spoken to and spoke to angels. For example, “Behold! The angels said: ‘O Maryam! Allah has chosen you and purified you above the women of all nations. O Maryam! Worship Allah devoutly, prostrate yourself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down” (3:42-43). In 19:16-21 it is related that Archangel Jibraeel spoke to her, “when he appeared to her as a ma in all respects.” In 11:71-73 there is a description of the angels visiting Nabi Ibrahim AS to give him the good tidings of a son. Hadhrat Ibrahim’s wife, Sara, who was serving the guests thinking they were human beings, spoke to the angels and they replied her. These are the Muhaddithun, as our Aimmah AS also are. So, why not Fatima AS whom The Prophet SAWW said : “Maryam was the leader of women during her time, but my daughter Fatima is the leader of all women from first to last”. She is the leader of Hadhrat Maryam too. Ipso fact, she is one of the Muhaddithun.
When The Prophet SAWW passed away, Hadhrat Fatima AS was very sad, not only because of her bereavement but also because of the atrocities she and her family had to undergo at the hands of those who claimed to be the successors to her father’s mantle. When The Prophet SAWW was at his deathbed, he told her that she would be the first to join him shortly. In fact she lived either 75 or 95 days after The Prophet SAWW. In this short period, she underwent such suffering that she had to exclaim: “Subbat alayya masaiban lau annaha, subbat alal ayyami sirna layaliha” ( Had the afflictions that have befallen me fallen on the days they would have become like dark nights). The only person to console her was Imam Ali AS who was himself under stress and agony from the oppression being wreaked on The Prophet SAWW’s Progeny. Hadhrat Fatima AS' lamentation shows as if instead of the recompense of “mawaddah” The Prophet SAWW had asked for ‘adawah’ for his “qurba”.
CONTENTS OF MUSHAF FATIMA
Allah SWT sent Jibraeel to talk to Hadhrat Fatima AS about future events to console her as well as show the world her status. As Ummul Aimmah AS, she would leave a legacy of knowledge for her progeny that would pass from Imam to Imam. Jibraeel related to her all that would happen to the Aimma AS. This has led those who harbor animosity against the Shi’a to accuse us of regarding Hadhrat Fatima AS as a prophet. Far from it, The Shi’a firmly hold to the finality of Prophet Muhammad SAWW. However, as it has been shown by evidence from The Qur’an, Allah SWT sent ‘wahyi’ (inspiration) to non-prophets too. In fact, Allah divinely inspired the bee (16:68) to select a place to live from the mountains. Thus, Mushaf Fatima is a collection of this divinely inspired knowledge as well as her wasiyyah. Imam Ali AS recorded the Mushaf as Seyyidah as Fatima AS related what Jibraeel had said to her. There is not a single verse of The Qur’an in it, though it is thrice the size of The Qur’an. Mushaf Fatima also contains ahadith of The Prophet SAWW that Hadhrat Fatima AS had heard from him. At the time when the khulafaa forbade at the pain of punishment to write down the ahadith of The Prophet SAWW The Progeny of The Prophet SAWW preserved them for posterity and their authenticity is impeccable for they were narrated by a Maasoomah AS. Imam Muhammad Al-Baquir AS said that the Mushaf contained the knowledge of the heights of the heavens, the number of angels in the heavens, the number of angels who brought messages (rasul) and the number that did not. The names of the angels and where they were sent, who accepted them and who belied them. It also has the names of the believers (mumineen) and infidels (kafiroon), and their names from Hadhrat Adam to The Day of Judgment. It gives the names of the cities, towns and villages and their descriptions. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, a warith of Mushaf Fatima, is quoted by Jamad bin Uthman that there would be 128 zindiiq (false claimants of prophethood) and that he had read this in Mushaf Fatima.
OTHER COLLECTIONS
It may be pertinent here to mention other collections that our Imam of the Time (AFS) possesses that he inherited from his predecessors. There is al-Jami’a which The Prophet SAWW dictated to Imam Ali AS and which has details of all the muhallalaat and muharramaat(4) as well as the legal verdicts that people need to be aware of. Then there is al-Jafr which Imam Ali AS had inherited from The Prophet SAWW. It contains knowledge of the past and future events. There are two types of al-jafr; white (abyadh) and red (ahmar). The white jafr contains the previous scriptures, i.e. Zaboor of Hadhrat Dawood AS, Taurat of Hadhrat Musa AS and Injeel of Hadhrat Isa AS as well as the Suhuf of Hadhrat Ibrahim AS. The red jafr is a leather bag that contains the weapons of The Prophet SAWW. Both these jafr are with Imam Al-Hujjah AFS as is the Dhulfiquar of Imam Ali AS(5).
CONCLUSION
The unique status of Hadhrat Fatima AS from Qur'anic verses, the ahadith of The Prophet SAWW and the attributes she shares with the Aimma AS are divine virtues that Allah SWT saw fit to bestow upon her. In return, she left a legacy of knowledge in her Mushaf which is not another Qur'an. Hadhrat Fatima AS is Fatima “Al-sirril Mustawda'a Fiiha” and we seek her shafa'a on The Day of Judgement. In Jamadi'ul Ukhra as we celebrate her wiladah on 20th and mourn her martyrdom on 3rd, we send our salutations to her: Assalamu Alaiki Ya Binta RasuliLLah wa Zawjati WaliyiLLah wa Ummul Aimmah.
________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
1. There are many verses in The Qur’an extolling the status of Hadhrat Fatima AS. To cite a few: Tat.hiir (33:33), Mubahila (3:61), Mawaddah (42:23), Ta’am (76:8,9), Amanah (33:72).
2. The ahadith of The Prophet SAWW demonstrating Seyyidah AS’ status are well-known: Hadith Safina (The Tradition of The Ark of Salvation), Man Sarra and Ghadhiba Fatima (Whoever pleases her and whoever displeases her), Badh’ati RasuliLlah (Flesh and Blood of The Prophet SAWW) etc.
3. Hadhrat Fatima AS shares fifteen qualities of The Aimmah AS. One is being a Muhadditha. Fatima was a pillar for Imam Ali AS and the mother of Aimmah AS.
4. The lawful and the forbidden.
5. Professor Liyakat Takim answering a question submitted to 'Alim Network.
Dr Muhsin M R alidina
One of the spurious allegations, amongs many, hurled at the Shi'a is that they have another Qur'an called Mushaf Fatima. We intend to show what Mushaf Fatima is and explode the fallacious allegation of the Shi'a possessing any other but The Qur'an between the two covers that is found in Muslim households and Mosques.
IS MUSHAF FATIMA ANOTHER SHI'A QUR'AN
AN ALLEGATION
One of the many unfounded allegations that the Shi’a of Ali and Fatima AS have had to endure is that we possess a separate Qur’an with additional three suwar (chapters of The Qur’an) or with some verses missing. However, no one for the last fourteen centuries has ever been nor will be able to show such a Qur'an simply because the accusation is false and such a Qur'an does not exist. The Qur'an that we believe in and read and follow is the one and only that is in the hands of every Muslim Had there been a different Qur'an, would the bloodthirsty tyrants who were time and again rescued by our Aimmah by answering questions with verses of The Qur'an not discovered this fiction? Our Aimmah AS quoted verses from the same Qur'an that the caliphs read. And, above all,. Hadhrat Imam Ja’far Al-Sadiq AS categorically said that The Qur’an between the two covers is the real thing. Those words puts paid to any allegations that are hurled against the Shi’a. Indeed. those who make these allegations against the Shi’a have skeletons of their own skeletons in their closets.
Not still satisfied in their malicious intent, they seize upon Mushaf Fatima to get back on the Shi’a. Mushaf Fatima, they allege, is the Shi’a Qur’an. In reply, we will begin by asking them: does Mushaf Uthman mean that the followers of Uthman bin Affan have a different Qur’an from the one that The Prophet SAWW left behind with his Purified itrah ? If Mushaf Uthman is not Uthman’s Qur’an then why should Mushaf Fatima be Fatima’s Qur’an?
MUSHAF DEFINED
So, what is a Mushaf? Lexically, the Arabic word Mushaf can mean a book, collection of pages, a volume or a collection of writings. Sahifah means a page or, in modern Arabic, a newspaper. The plural is suhuf. Thus, in The Qur’an (87:18,19) Allah SWT refers to“ Inna hadha lafi Ssuhufil oola, Suhufi Ibrahima wa Musa” (This is the Scrolls/Scriptures of yore. the Scriptures of Ibrahim AS and Musa ).The word Mushaf, then, does not necessarily mean The Qur’an. It can be applied to any book.
MUSHAF FATIMA
What is Mushaf Fatima? To understand this we need to know who Fatima AS is? Hadhrat Fatimatu Zzahraa AS, the only daughter of The Prophet SAWW has several epithets that describe her unique status before Allah SWT (1) The Prophet SAWW (2) and Aimma AS (3) from the progeny of The Prophet SAWW through Imam Ali AS and Seyyidah Fatima AS. Besides the name Fatima, which means one who will deliver her devotees (the Shi’a) from Hell-Fire and keep them away from jahalah (i.e. from being ignoramus), she has eight other names: al-Siddiqah (The most Truthful), al-Tahirah (The Pure one) ,al-Mubarakah (The Blessed) , al-Zakiyyah (The Unblemished), al-Radhiya (The Contented), al-Mardhiyyah ( The one who pleases Allah SWT), al-Zahirah/al-Zahraa (the Luminous) and al-Muhaddithah (The Interlocutor with Angels). Each of these extols her virtues and qualities.
AL-MUHADDATHUN
Hadhrat Fatima AS is also named Al-Muhaddithah. This is the quality that relates to Mushaf Fatima. Archangel Jibraeel used to speak to her. A question may be posed here: only prophets speak to are spoken to by the angels to receive revelations from Allah SWT. How then can anyone else be included in this category? The answer is simple. In The Qur’an, there are several verses that show that persons other than the prophets were spoken to and spoke to angels. For example, “Behold! The angels said: ‘O Maryam! Allah has chosen you and purified you above the women of all nations. O Maryam! Worship Allah devoutly, prostrate yourself, and bow down (in prayer) with those who bow down” (3:42-43). In 19:16-21 it is related that Archangel Jibraeel spoke to her, “when he appeared to her as a ma in all respects.” In 11:71-73 there is a description of the angels visiting Nabi Ibrahim AS to give him the good tidings of a son. Hadhrat Ibrahim’s wife, Sara, who was serving the guests thinking they were human beings, spoke to the angels and they replied her. These are the Muhaddithun, as our Aimmah AS also are. So, why not Fatima AS whom The Prophet SAWW said : “Maryam was the leader of women during her time, but my daughter Fatima is the leader of all women from first to last”. She is the leader of Hadhrat Maryam too. Ipso fact, she is one of the Muhaddithun.
When The Prophet SAWW passed away, Hadhrat Fatima AS was very sad, not only because of her bereavement but also because of the atrocities she and her family had to undergo at the hands of those who claimed to be the successors to her father’s mantle. When The Prophet SAWW was at his deathbed, he told her that she would be the first to join him shortly. In fact she lived either 75 or 95 days after The Prophet SAWW. In this short period, she underwent such suffering that she had to exclaim: “Subbat alayya masaiban lau annaha, subbat alal ayyami sirna layaliha” ( Had the afflictions that have befallen me fallen on the days they would have become like dark nights). The only person to console her was Imam Ali AS who was himself under stress and agony from the oppression being wreaked on The Prophet SAWW’s Progeny. Hadhrat Fatima AS' lamentation shows as if instead of the recompense of “mawaddah” The Prophet SAWW had asked for ‘adawah’ for his “qurba”.
CONTENTS OF MUSHAF FATIMA
Allah SWT sent Jibraeel to talk to Hadhrat Fatima AS about future events to console her as well as show the world her status. As Ummul Aimmah AS, she would leave a legacy of knowledge for her progeny that would pass from Imam to Imam. Jibraeel related to her all that would happen to the Aimma AS. This has led those who harbor animosity against the Shi’a to accuse us of regarding Hadhrat Fatima AS as a prophet. Far from it, The Shi’a firmly hold to the finality of Prophet Muhammad SAWW. However, as it has been shown by evidence from The Qur’an, Allah SWT sent ‘wahyi’ (inspiration) to non-prophets too. In fact, Allah divinely inspired the bee (16:68) to select a place to live from the mountains. Thus, Mushaf Fatima is a collection of this divinely inspired knowledge as well as her wasiyyah. Imam Ali AS recorded the Mushaf as Seyyidah as Fatima AS related what Jibraeel had said to her. There is not a single verse of The Qur’an in it, though it is thrice the size of The Qur’an. Mushaf Fatima also contains ahadith of The Prophet SAWW that Hadhrat Fatima AS had heard from him. At the time when the khulafaa forbade at the pain of punishment to write down the ahadith of The Prophet SAWW The Progeny of The Prophet SAWW preserved them for posterity and their authenticity is impeccable for they were narrated by a Maasoomah AS. Imam Muhammad Al-Baquir AS said that the Mushaf contained the knowledge of the heights of the heavens, the number of angels in the heavens, the number of angels who brought messages (rasul) and the number that did not. The names of the angels and where they were sent, who accepted them and who belied them. It also has the names of the believers (mumineen) and infidels (kafiroon), and their names from Hadhrat Adam to The Day of Judgment. It gives the names of the cities, towns and villages and their descriptions. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, a warith of Mushaf Fatima, is quoted by Jamad bin Uthman that there would be 128 zindiiq (false claimants of prophethood) and that he had read this in Mushaf Fatima.
OTHER COLLECTIONS
It may be pertinent here to mention other collections that our Imam of the Time (AFS) possesses that he inherited from his predecessors. There is al-Jami’a which The Prophet SAWW dictated to Imam Ali AS and which has details of all the muhallalaat and muharramaat(4) as well as the legal verdicts that people need to be aware of. Then there is al-Jafr which Imam Ali AS had inherited from The Prophet SAWW. It contains knowledge of the past and future events. There are two types of al-jafr; white (abyadh) and red (ahmar). The white jafr contains the previous scriptures, i.e. Zaboor of Hadhrat Dawood AS, Taurat of Hadhrat Musa AS and Injeel of Hadhrat Isa AS as well as the Suhuf of Hadhrat Ibrahim AS. The red jafr is a leather bag that contains the weapons of The Prophet SAWW. Both these jafr are with Imam Al-Hujjah AFS as is the Dhulfiquar of Imam Ali AS(5).
CONCLUSION
The unique status of Hadhrat Fatima AS from Qur'anic verses, the ahadith of The Prophet SAWW and the attributes she shares with the Aimma AS are divine virtues that Allah SWT saw fit to bestow upon her. In return, she left a legacy of knowledge in her Mushaf which is not another Qur'an. Hadhrat Fatima AS is Fatima “Al-sirril Mustawda'a Fiiha” and we seek her shafa'a on The Day of Judgement. In Jamadi'ul Ukhra as we celebrate her wiladah on 20th and mourn her martyrdom on 3rd, we send our salutations to her: Assalamu Alaiki Ya Binta RasuliLLah wa Zawjati WaliyiLLah wa Ummul Aimmah.
________________________________________________________________________
Notes:
1. There are many verses in The Qur’an extolling the status of Hadhrat Fatima AS. To cite a few: Tat.hiir (33:33), Mubahila (3:61), Mawaddah (42:23), Ta’am (76:8,9), Amanah (33:72).
2. The ahadith of The Prophet SAWW demonstrating Seyyidah AS’ status are well-known: Hadith Safina (The Tradition of The Ark of Salvation), Man Sarra and Ghadhiba Fatima (Whoever pleases her and whoever displeases her), Badh’ati RasuliLlah (Flesh and Blood of The Prophet SAWW) etc.
3. Hadhrat Fatima AS shares fifteen qualities of The Aimmah AS. One is being a Muhadditha. Fatima was a pillar for Imam Ali AS and the mother of Aimmah AS.
4. The lawful and the forbidden.
5. Professor Liyakat Takim answering a question submitted to 'Alim Network.
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