The Book of Fatemah(sa)

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It is related in Basairul Darajat from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq that he said, “Fatimah left a book as a remembrance. That book is not the Qur’an, but it contains words of Allah from among His numerous words that He revealed to Fatimah. The Prophet of Allah dictated it (to her), while it was written down by Imam ‘Ali.”

Abu Basir relates, “I went to Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq and asked him, ‘May I be ransomed for you! I have a question. Is there any stranger here who may hear me?’ Imam as-Sadiq lifted a curtain which was drawn between his room and the adjoining one, looked therein then said, ‘O Aba Muhammad! You may ask whatever you desire.’ I said, ‘May I be your ransom! The Shi’a relate a tradition that the Prophet of Allah opened a door of knowledge for Imam ‘Ali, and from that door, one thousand doors (of knowledge) opened up. By Allah! This is the complete and true knowledge!’ Imam as-Sadiq remained silent for some time and then said, ‘Verily this is the knowledge, but not a complete one,

O Aba Muhammad! We have with us the ‘Jami’a’ (a compilation), and do people even know what is the compilation? It is a scroll measuring a length of seventy cubits dictated by the Prophet of Allah himself and written down by ‘Ali. It contains all that is lawful and unlawful and all other religious laws that people need, even the penalty of inflicting a scratch.’ Then he patted me with his hand and said, ‘O Aba Muhammad! Do you permit me?’ I replied, ‘I am one of you, you may do as you wish.’ Then he pinched me with his sacred hand and said, ‘The ‘compilation’ also contains the penalty for inflicting a pinch’, he replied this while appearing a bit angry. I said, ‘By Allah! This is the complete knowledge!’ The Imam replied, ‘Verily this is the knowledge, but again not a complete one.’

Then again he remained silent for sometime and continued, ‘Indeed we have ‘Jafr’ with us, and what do people know what the ‘Jafr’ is?’ I asked as to what it was and he replied, ‘It is made of leather, a treasure containing the knowledge of (previous) prophets, the vicegerents and the ancient erudites of the Tribes of Isra’il.’ I again said, ‘Indeed this is the complete knowledge!’ The Imam replied, ‘This is the knowledge, but not a complete one.’ Saying this, he remained silent for a moment and continued, ‘Indeed we have with us the ‘Book of Fatimah’! Do people know what is the ‘Book of Fatimah’?’ I asked him, ‘What is the ‘Book of Fatimah?’

The Imam replied, ‘It is a book three times the size of the Qur’an that is in your possession by Allah! It does not even contain a word from the Qur’an.’5 I again said that this was indeed the complete knowledge and the Imam replied, ‘It is the knowledge but not a complete one.’ Then he remained silent for a moment and said, ‘All the knowledge of the past and the future until the Day of Resurrection is with us.’ I said, ‘This is then the complete knowledge!’ The Imam replied, ‘This also is the knowledge, but not a complete one.’ I asked, ‘Then what is the complete knowledge?’ The Imam said, ‘It is the knowledge that manifests every day and night referring to one subject after the other, and one thing after another until the Day of Resurrection.’”

House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi