Al-Mufid Did Not Mention What al-Tusi Mentioned

Someone says, “If Shaikh al-Tusi transmits the consensus of the Shi`as regarding the beating and the miscarriage suffered by al-Zahra’ (A.S.), then Shaikh al-Mufid is the man who was adamant in his rebuttal of those who disagreed with him in his sect contemporary to al-Tusi, and he did not mention anything in his books, other than in Al-Ikhtisas, where there is doubt cast about its attribution to him, about the issue of breaking her rib or anything else said in this regard at all.”

Then he adds saying, “I have traced the references cited in his (al-Mufid’s) books and which discuss al-Zahra’ (A.S.) and could not find any tradition regarding breaking the rib, the miscarriage, or things like that..., and I do not know if my investigation is precise (enough).”

In respond to this statement, we would like, first and foremost, to record the following observation:

This same individual insists on making a reference to the breaking of the rib although he rebuts what al-Tusi said by citing al-Mufid’s first statement proving that he undertook the task of denying everything which al-Tusi stated regarding beating al-Zahra’ (A.S.) and her miscarrying Muhassan. Al-Tusi did not discuss breaking the rib when he decided the said consensus and his report that many traditions support each other in its regard; so, what is the justification of cramming the issue of breaking the rib in this regard?!

Having stated such an observation, we would like to say that Shaikh al-Mufid did, indeed, discuss the oppression suffered by al-Zahra’ (A.S.) and much of what she had to undergo in his books.

In the field of discussing what the same individual said about this issue, I would like to state the following:

FIRST: I could not understand what is meant by the issues referred to by this speaker with the use of the phrase “things like that” which he adds to the issue of breaking her rib. Does he mean beating her (A.S.) or her miscarriage, or burning her house till the fire consumed the door’s wood?!

SECOND: Since al-Mufid did not mention any of these things in his books, if we say that this is true at all, it does not mean that he denied that it took place. Remaining silent and not mentioning something does not prove basically denying it. Rather, we have said that the report of al-Tusi, student of al-Mufid, regarding the consensus, and his taking it for granted, proves that his professor was on the top of the list of those who advocated it and were enthusiastic about it. It cannot be true that Shaikh al-Tusi should thus mention this issue in such an emphasis, with firmness, and with complete clarity, if one of his professors, whom nobody, those who agree or disagree with him, doubts his in-depth knowledge of these issues, contradicts others in this issue and denies that there was a fundamental consensus.

But if this professor, namely al-Mufid, says that very few made such a claim, the issue, i.e. the claim of consensus, becomes a lot more complicated because al-Tusi’s claim regarding the consensus becomes an open proof of lying and false attribution to the dignitaries of the sect and its symbols, and al-Tusi is much, much greater than anyone can level such a charge against him.

THIRD: When al-Mufid wants to address the Shi`as and write a book about this sect, he never hesitates to openly declare the details of what the truthful Lady, al-Zahra’ (A.S.), had to undergo. He narrates in his book titled Al-Ikhtisas from `Abdullah ibn Sinan who cites Imam al-Sadiq (A.S.) saying the following:

Abu Bakr wrote a title of her ownership of Fadak, so she went out and the title was in her hand. `Omer [ibn al-Khattab] met her. He said to her, “What is this piece of paper which you are holding, O Daughter of Muhammed?” She said, “A title written for me by Abu Bakr whereby he restored my ownership of Fadak.” He said, “Give it to me.” She refused to give it to him, so he kicked her with his foot, and she was big with Muhassan, causing her to miscarry. Then he slapped her. It is as though I can see an earring in her ear being broken. Then he took the title and tore it to pieces. She left, and she remained sick for seventy-five days because of `Omer thus beating her, following which incident she died.^[1]

He, may Allah have mercy on him, has also narrated in the same book, I mean Al-Ikhtisas, another incident stating that the “second caliph” kicked her house door with his foot, breaking it, then he kicked Fatima (A.S.) with his foot, causing her to miscarry Muhassan.^[2]

He has also narrated another tradition at the end of the same book wherein he quotes Aba `Abdullah (A.S.) as saying, “... and [God condemns] the killer of the Commander of the Faithful, the killer of Fatima, the killer of al-Muhassan, the killer of al-Hasan, and the killer of al-Husain..., etc.”^[3]

As regarding the accuracy of attributing the book titled Al-Ikhtisas to Shaikh al-Mufid, we have stated in a query to follow that doubting the accuracy of attributing it to Shaikh al-Mufid is out of question in the absence of an acceptable or a reasonable justification. We also said that it appears that al-Mufid chose this part of the book from Al-Ikhtisas by Ibn `Imran; thereupon, his choice of this tradition in particular, may Allah have mercy on him, is due to a merit which he saw and which caused him to prefer it over others.

FOURTH: Shaikh al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, discussed what al-Zahra’ (A.S.) had to go through in more than one place in his other books as well. So, notice the following:

1. Al-Kanji al-Shafi`i has cited Shaikh al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, saying that the latter added to what is narrated by the mass of others the following: Fatima (A.S.) miscarried a boy after the demise of the Prophet (A.S.), one who had been named by the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) as Muhassan. This is something which is not reported by transmitters with the exception of Ibn Qutaybah.”^[4]

Al-Kanji, then, attributes to specifically al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, the claim that al-Muhassan was miscarried, apparently with the intention to point out to what he, may Allah have mercy on him, stated in Al-Irshad. There is a strong possibility that he had pointed out to what Al-Ikhtisas has stated. But we would like to say the following to al-Kanji in this regard: A simple review of the transmitted texts will demonstrate that many, besides Ibn Qutaybah, had also transmitted the same, and we will, Insha-Allah, mention many of such texts in the parts of this book.

2. Shaikh al-Mufid has stated in his book titled Al-Muqanna`a, which deals with Shi`i fiqh, and also in the book titled Al-Mazar, a particular ziyara of the truthful one and the pure, which states that she (A.S.) is a martyr. In it, we read the following: “Peace be upon you, the batal, the pure martyr.”^[5] What was the reason behind her martyrdom other than what those folks put her through? Was she (A.S.) martyred because of an ailment that afflicted her? Or did she have an accident such as falling from her house’s rooftop?! Or was she anonymously assassinated?! Texts will be cited which al-Mufid, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded as they fit in the section dedicated to texts by the will of Allah.

3. Al-Mufid, may Allah sanctify him, recorded the attempts to set the house of al-Zahra’ (A.S.) to fire in his book titled Al-Amali from al-Ji`abi from al-`Abbas ibn al-Mugharah from Ahmed ibn Mansar al-Ramadi from Sa`ad ibn `Afar from Ibn Laha`ah from Khalid ibn Yazid from Aba Hilal from Marwan ibn `Othman saying, “When people swore the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr, Ali (A.S.), together with al-Zubayr and al-Miqdad, remained at the house of Fatima (A.S.) and refused to get out (to swear it). `Omer ibn al-Khattab said, `Set the house on fire.’ Al-Zubayr came out with his sword unsheathed... Ali ibn Aba Talib (A.S.) came out and was met by Thabit ibn Qais ibn Shammas who asked him, `What are you going to do, O Father of al-Hasan?’ He said, `They wanted to set my house to fire while Abu Bakr is sitting on the pulpit as people swear the oath of allegiance to him, and he is neither defending us nor finding fault with the assault...’ Thabit said to him, `My hand shall never part from yours till I am killed defending you.’ They all went out and returned to Medina. Fatima was standing at her door. There was nobody inside her house at the moment. She said, `I have never seen people whose presence is worse than yours. You abandoned the corpse of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) inside the coffin lying in front of us and settled your own affair among you without granting us any authority, then you did what you did, safeguarding no right for us.’”^[6]

This tradition is quite clear in its indication that an attempt was made to enter her house by force and that they assaulted its residents because Ali (A.S.) said, “... while Abu Bakr is sitting on the pulpit as people swear the oath of allegiance to him, and he is neither defending us nor finding fault with the assault...’ There was an assault going on which needed to be stopped and an oppression which needed to be denounced. Also, the sentence saying “They wanted to set my house to fire” implies that they did make such an attempt such as gathering firewood, especially when he described how Abu Bakr was “... neither defending us nor finding fault with the assault,” that is, he neither objected to, nor did he stop, what they wanted to do, i.e. burning his house. So, the issue was not merely an empty threat. This is supported by his saying “... They wanted...” instead of saying “They threatened to set my house to fire.”

This narrative is clearly indicative of the house which they were going to assault was inside the Mosque facing the pulpit of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) where Abu Bakr was sitting to receive the oath of allegiance after he had returned from the saqifa accompanied by his supporters who were escorting him to the Mosque and who were forcing people to swear the oath of allegiance to him. What was going on did go on before his very eyes; he neither stopped it nor even denounced it.

It is quite obvious that the grave of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) was at the house of Fatima (A.S.), not at the house of `a’isha, as we investigated and verified^[7]. They neither respected the sanctity of the grave, nor that of the Mosque, nor that of the house, nor that of al-Zahra’ (A.S.)...