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Study of the Narrations on the Rib Fracture

 

When we examined what the authors mentioned to prove the rib fracture through narrations on this issue, we found that they rely on two types of narrations:

First Type: Narrations explicitly mentioning the assault on Fatimah. This includes assaults such as hitting, slapping, crushing her with the door, or causing a miscarriage. When we studied these narrations, we found that it includes musnad (reported by a Companion) and non-musnad (not reported by a Companion) narrations.

Second Type: Narrations without explicit mention of hitting Fatimah or causing a miscarriage. These narrations are used by opponents to claim evidence of the original story of the rib fracture.

We conducted a detailed study of the first type of narrations, as they are considered the main evidence for those who assert the myth of the rib fracture. Perhaps, the first person to compile the narrations of the rib fracture in one place was Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili in his book Ma’sat al Zahra’. He dedicated the second chapter of the second section in the book to amassing narrations that allegedly indicate the occurrence of the rib fracture incident and he listed them under the title: Texts and traditions narrated from the fourteen infallibles on the oppression of al Zahra’. He presented 41 narrations in this chapter, arranged according to the order of the infallibles, starting with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and ending with al Hassan al ‘Askari. Most of those who compiled evidence of the rib fracture story after Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili followed his path and imitated him in listing the narrations.

When we studied this chapter, we found that Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili did not adhere to presenting only explicit narrations about the rib fracture. Instead, he expanded the scope and included narrations that do not explicitly mention anything about hitting Fatimah or causing a miscarriage. His purpose was to give the reader the impression of a large number of narrations in this regard. However, the truth is that more than half of the narrations he included are not relevant to the dispute. The explicit narrations regarding the rib fracture issue are only 20 narrations, which are listed in Ma’sat al Zahra’ under the following numbers: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 36, and 41.

As for the rest of the narrations, they do not explicitly mention anything related to the alleged assault incident on Fatimah. These are the narrations listed in al ‘Amili’s book under the following numbers: 1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 30, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, and 40. Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili himself admitted that some of these narrations are not explicit in the required context.^[1]

He said about the narration listed under number 9:

 

لا صراحة فيه بما جرى على الزهراء

It is not explicit about what happened to al Zahra’.^[2]

 

About the narration listed under number 13:

 

لم تصرح هذه الرواية بتعرضهم للزهراء ع مباشرة

This narration does not explicitly state their direct assault on al Zahra’ ‘alayha al Salam.^[3]

 

And about the narration listed under number 40:

 

لم تكن صريحة في تفاصيل ما جرى

 It is not explicit in the details of what happened.^[4]

 

This is sufficient to disregard this type of narration. It is enough that Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili, who exerted effort in amassing all he could to prove this myth and sometimes resorted to far-fetched interpretations, had to admit that these narrations are not explicit in the matter of dispute. Hence, we focused in this study on the narrations that explicitly mention the rib fracture incident without the rest of the narrations that do not indicate to this incident. We expanded our study of these narrations in detail regarding their chains of transmission and texts.

 

Section One

Musnad Narrations

 

In this section, we will discuss the narrations mentioned in the Imami narrative books that describe the rib fracture incident. We will study them comprehensively in terms of their chains of transmission and texts and we will arrange them chronologically according to whom the narration is attributed. We start with the narrations attributed to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then those attributed to the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum, including ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and then those attributed to the rest of the Imams. The total number of narrations we studied is twelve.

In our study of these narrations, we followed the methodology adopted by the Imamiyyah in studying and criticising chains of transmission. We referred to their sources and the reliable books of Rijal (biography and evaluation of narrators) they rely on. We also included the opinions of their scholars on the chains of transmission of the narrations if we found their comments.

 

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^[1]  Muhammad al Hussaini has pointed out this issue in his book Hawamish al Naqdiyyah in two places, the first pg. 26-29, and the second pg. 147-152.

^[2]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/44.

^[3]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/47.

^[4]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/71.

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

 

Study of the Narrations on the Rib Fracture

 

When we examined what the authors mentioned to prove the rib fracture through narrations on this issue, we found that they rely on two types of narrations:

First Type: Narrations explicitly mentioning the assault on Fatimah. This includes assaults such as hitting, slapping, crushing her with the door, or causing a miscarriage. When we studied these narrations, we found that it includes musnad (reported by a Companion) and non-musnad (not reported by a Companion) narrations.

Second Type: Narrations without explicit mention of hitting Fatimah or causing a miscarriage. These narrations are used by opponents to claim evidence of the original story of the rib fracture.

We conducted a detailed study of the first type of narrations, as they are considered the main evidence for those who assert the myth of the rib fracture. Perhaps, the first person to compile the narrations of the rib fracture in one place was Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili in his book Ma’sat al Zahra’. He dedicated the second chapter of the second section in the book to amassing narrations that allegedly indicate the occurrence of the rib fracture incident and he listed them under the title: Texts and traditions narrated from the fourteen infallibles on the oppression of al Zahra’. He presented 41 narrations in this chapter, arranged according to the order of the infallibles, starting with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and ending with al Hassan al ‘Askari. Most of those who compiled evidence of the rib fracture story after Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili followed his path and imitated him in listing the narrations.

When we studied this chapter, we found that Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili did not adhere to presenting only explicit narrations about the rib fracture. Instead, he expanded the scope and included narrations that do not explicitly mention anything about hitting Fatimah or causing a miscarriage. His purpose was to give the reader the impression of a large number of narrations in this regard. However, the truth is that more than half of the narrations he included are not relevant to the dispute. The explicit narrations regarding the rib fracture issue are only 20 narrations, which are listed in Ma’sat al Zahra’ under the following numbers: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 36, and 41.

As for the rest of the narrations, they do not explicitly mention anything related to the alleged assault incident on Fatimah. These are the narrations listed in al ‘Amili’s book under the following numbers: 1, 5, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 30, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, and 40. Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili himself admitted that some of these narrations are not explicit in the required context.^[1]

He said about the narration listed under number 9:

 

لا صراحة فيه بما جرى على الزهراء

It is not explicit about what happened to al Zahra’.^[2]

 

About the narration listed under number 13:

 

لم تصرح هذه الرواية بتعرضهم للزهراء ع مباشرة

This narration does not explicitly state their direct assault on al Zahra’ ‘alayha al Salam.^[3]

 

And about the narration listed under number 40:

 

لم تكن صريحة في تفاصيل ما جرى

 It is not explicit in the details of what happened.^[4]

 

This is sufficient to disregard this type of narration. It is enough that Jafar Murtada al ‘Amili, who exerted effort in amassing all he could to prove this myth and sometimes resorted to far-fetched interpretations, had to admit that these narrations are not explicit in the matter of dispute. Hence, we focused in this study on the narrations that explicitly mention the rib fracture incident without the rest of the narrations that do not indicate to this incident. We expanded our study of these narrations in detail regarding their chains of transmission and texts.

 

Section One

Musnad Narrations

 

In this section, we will discuss the narrations mentioned in the Imami narrative books that describe the rib fracture incident. We will study them comprehensively in terms of their chains of transmission and texts and we will arrange them chronologically according to whom the narration is attributed. We start with the narrations attributed to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then those attributed to the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum, including ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and then those attributed to the rest of the Imams. The total number of narrations we studied is twelve.

In our study of these narrations, we followed the methodology adopted by the Imamiyyah in studying and criticising chains of transmission. We referred to their sources and the reliable books of Rijal (biography and evaluation of narrators) they rely on. We also included the opinions of their scholars on the chains of transmission of the narrations if we found their comments.

 

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^[1]  Muhammad al Hussaini has pointed out this issue in his book Hawamish al Naqdiyyah in two places, the first pg. 26-29, and the second pg. 147-152.

^[2]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/44.

^[3]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/47.

^[4]  Ma’sat al Zahra’, 2/71.