The Maswhaf of Fatimah

The seventh claim of Sheikh M. Al-Khatib is that Shias have a maswhaf which is called The Maswhaf of Fatimah, and which is different from the masahif which Muslims have.

It is correct for one to say that there exists a maswhaf by that name. But the word maswhaf does not mean the Qur'an; for it is explicitly mentioned in the ahadith that are in al-Kafi, which is quoted by Sheikh M. al-Katib (see pages 237-242 of the First Volume), that there is nothing in that maswhaf which can be regarded as the Qur'an. For example, the Hadith referred to by him is Hadith No. 1 in the section called Fiihi Dhikrus Swahifa Wal Jafr Wal Jami'a Wamaswhaf Fatimah a.s. But, then, why did he not also cite Hadith No. 4 which says that what is contained in that maswhaf is "an advice to Fatimah a.s."?

It is therefore obvious, from the ahadith which are in al-Kafi, that the "Maswhaf of Fatimah" does not mean "a copy of the Qur'an" because in it there is neither a single verse of the Qur'an nor any words resembling the words of any verse of the Qur'an. The word maswhaf has only been used there to mean "a collection of suhuf (an Arabic word meaning pages)"; and not the Qur'an at all. Not every maswhaf means a Qur'an just as not every Jami' means a mosque.

It is my hope that this brief response to the main claims made by Sheikh M. al-Khatib against Shias as far as the Qur'an is concerned, will remove any doubts which my Muslim brothers and sisters might have had on their fellow Muslims, the Shias.

Let us now turn to what is contained in Sunni books which indicate that the Qur'an is not complete, and await to hear what those with similar views as Sheikh M. al-Khatib's have to say because, unfortunately, the Sheikh himself is long dead.