Book of Fatimah
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The Book of Fatimah, Mushaf of Fatimah or Fatimah's Mushaf is according to Shi'as tradition, a book written by Fatima Zahra, the daughter of Muhammad.
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[edit] Shi'a view
There are Shi'a Muslim tradition that can be found in Usul al-Kafi about a book called "Mushaf of Fatimah", which speaks of Fatimah upon the passing of her father, Muhammad. There are several versions of this tradition, but common to all are that the angel Gabriel appeared to her and consoled her by telling her things that she wrote in a book. According to one tradition <ref name ="al-Islam 9">al-Islam.org [1] </ref> they were prophesies. The book, if it was ever physical, did not survive, and was seen to be something that the Mahdi would reveal in the last days <ref name="al-Islam 8">al-Islam.org [2]</ref>.
A narration reports:
| Abu Abdillah (AS) said: "... We have with us the Book of Fatimah, but I do not claim that anything of the Quran is in it." <ref>Usul al-Kafi, Tradition #637</ref> |
A narration reports:
| Abu Abdillah (AS) also said about the book of Fatimah: "There is nothing of what is permitted and what is forbidden in this; but in it is the knowledge of what will happen." <ref>Usul al-Kafi, Tradition #636</ref> |
A narration reports:
| Abdul Malik Ibn Ayan said to Abu Abdillah (AS): "The Zaydiyyah and the Mu'tazilah have gathered around Muhammad Ibn Abdillah (Ibn al-Hasan, the second). Will have they any rule?" He (AS) said: "By Allah there are two books in my possession in which every prophet and every ruler who rules on this earth (from the beginning of the earth till the day of Judgment) has been named. No, by Allah, Muhammad Ibn Abdillah is not one of them." <ref>Usul al-Kafi, Tradition #641</ref> |
Muhammad al-Tijani writes about a previous experience:
| He removed his spectacles and looked at me then said, "Beware of these poisonous ideas, the Shias change the words of Allah in the way they like, and they have many verses about Ali and his off-spring that we do not know. In fact they have a special Qur'an. They call it The Qur'an of Fatimah. I warn you not to be deceived by them."<ref>http://www.al-islam.org/guided/14.html</ref> |
Al-Islam.org writes:
| Although the Quran is commonly called a "Mushaf" today, perhaps referring to its "collection" after it was dispersed. Quran is a Mushaf (book), but any Mushaf (book) is not necessarily the Quran! There is no Quran of Fatimah! As the above and many other traditions suggest, The book of Fatimah has absolutely no connection with Quran. This concept is commonly pulled out of context and published by anti-Shi'i groups due to their hatred toward the Followers of the Members of the House of Prophet (PBUH&HF). I have seen it mentioned in a book printed by the government of Saudi Arabia.
What is also *very* important to recognize and understand is that belief in Mushaf Fatimah is NOT a requirement of BELIEF to the Shia. It is just few traditions which report such a thing. It is nothing crucial for us, nor any one (except Imam Mahdi) has access to it.<ref>Al-Islam.org [3]</ref> |
Also:
| In the previous part we quoted from Quran that Mary (AS) had communication with angels. If according to Sahih al-Bukhari, Fatimah (AS) was the best of ladies in this world and in hereafter, then why can't she communicate with the angels? <ref>http://www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/chapter6b/9.html</ref> |
[edit] Sunni view
Sunni do not have any sources regarding such book, and are known to have missrepresented Fatimah's Mushaf as "Fatimah's Qur'an", accusing Shi'as of having their own version of the Qur'an, or at least believing such exists. Shi'a reject all such notions <ref name ="al-Islam 8"/>.
The Sunni website AhlelBayt.com deems the Shiite rejections as an example of Taqiyya. The website quotes the following narration from Usul al-Kafi:
| The heretics will appear in the year one hundred twenty eight (745/746AD) because I have found it in the Mushaf of Fatima (a.s.).” The narrator has said that he asked the Imams (a.s.), “What is Mushaf of Fatima?” The Imams (a.s.) said, “When Allah took the Holy Prophet (s.a.) from this world, it caused such a degree of grief to Fatima (a.s.) that only Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, knows its extent. Allah then sent an angel to her to offer solace and speak to her. She complained about it to Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) who asked her to inform him whenever she would find the angel speak to her. She then informed him when the angel came to speak. Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) then would write down all that he would hear of the conversations of the angel so much so that his notes took the shape of a whole book.<ref>Usul al-Kafi Hadith 636 Ch. 40 h.2 Al-Islam.org </ref> |
As a conclusion to this, AhlelBayt.com states:
| How can the Shia then claim to be Muslim when they believe in holy books after the Quran? We do not believe that people of the Bahai faith are Muslim, simply because they follow another holy book after the Quran! The Shia also believe in someone after the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) who recieved Wahi (divine revelation) and published a book of Wahi. Truly, such beliefs constitute major disbelief.<ref>http://www.ahlelbayt.com/articles/canon/shia-holy-books</ref> |
[edit] Bahá'í view
Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith wrote Kalimát-i-Maknúnih or The Hidden Words around 1857.
Bahá'ís believe that The Hidden Words was revealed by Bahá'u'lláh in fulfillment of this tradition. Indeed, Bahá'u'lláh originally named the book The Book of Fatimah, though he later referred to it in its modern appellation.<ref>[4]</ref> This aspect of fulfillment corresponds with the Bahá'í beliefs that end times prophecies of all the world's religions are to be interpreted mystically and metaphorically. This puts the Bahá'í understanding of what Gabriel revealed to Fatimah somewhat at odds with the Shi'a traditions.
[edit] Religious Parallels
In practical effect, The Hidden Words bear similarities to the Hadith Qudsi, which are also very spiritual utterances that Muslims hold in high regard. The Hidden Words function in a similar way to the Beatitudes in Christianity or the Psalms in the Hebrew Bible.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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