Talking to Ayatollah Rey-Shahri about validity and text of kasa Hadith
Mohammad Mohammadi Nik, known as Reyshahri was born in Rey in 1946 and stayed in Qom and Meshed for theological studies and went to Najaf to continue studies from 1966. He benefitted from the classes of such great scholars as late Haj Mohammad Araki, Haj Sheikh Hossein Vahid Khorasani, Ali Meshkini, Javad Tabrizi, late Golpayegani, late Haj sheikh Morteza Haeri and other scholars. He has memorized the whole Koran and has authored over 60 books. Among his responsibilities following Islamic revolution is the judge of revolutionary courts in towns, chief of army revolutionary courts, minister of intelligence, chief prosecutor general,prosecutor of the clergymen, and presently he is representative of Tehran people in the experts assembly of leadership,custodian of Abdolazim holy shrine, representative of the leader in Hajj affairs and pilgrimage and head of Darolhadith cultural institute and Darolhadith faculty.
Publication of Mafatiholjenan,published by Hazrat Abdolazim Hassani shrine which contrary to other Mafatih books published by various publishers, lacked the Hadith Kassa in its addenda which provoked reactions in religious circles. Though before that, Mohammadi Reyshahri in some comments did not consider the Hadith Kassa existing in the of Mafatiholjenan. The research had been made during the book Ahlolbeit. Reyshahri, with a valid background in narrations and the like, has a decisive scientific antecedent including the compilation of Mizanolhekma(a narration book) and researches like Ahlolbeit in Koran & hadith and running the cultural institute Darolhadith which was inaugurated in 1995 with the message of leader of revolution. It made vast researches in purifying Islamic narrations towards execution of leader's guidelines of which we can mention the establishment of faculty of hadith sciences in Tehran and afterwards in Qom as well as virtual faculty. This action and reactions which followed it caused a pretext for a dialogue by Hamshahri Jomeh and Reyshahri. At the beginning of the talk, he emphasized that Kassa narration is held as reliable by both Shiites and Sunnis and there is no doubt about the authenticity of it and its issue by the prophet. I have thoroughly explained it in the book Ahlolbeit in the Koran and hadith.
Q- then what is the origin of difference?
A- I have said what has come at the end of Mafatiholjenan as Hadith kassa is not the one narrated in creditable narratives of Shiites and sunnis. However, Mohaddeth Qomi, the author of Mafatiholjenan was specialist in narrations in the history of shiism, even he himself, in a comment, on the pulpit, in Feizieh,Qom, had said(in presence of Haj Sheikh A. Haeri): today you do not have a narrator like me in shiism and Haeri had endorsed him saying that why and how such a narration is found in Mafatiholjenan? Accidentally, the main subject of our discussion is the same. Many who had protested the measure taken by the holy shrine in removing this narration from Mafatih said why you have interfered in the Mohaddeth Ghomi's book. While, in Sheikh Abbas's book Mafatih, this narration does not exist. Interesting to know, in his other book,Montahiolaamal,he has talked about it : the well-known narration named Hadith Kassa which is prevalent in our time, does not exist in renown books and narrations of the narrators and we could say it is among characteristics of the book Montakhab.
Q- why then this narration has been found in Mafatih?
A- This hadith has been added by uninformed publishers at their own will and now that we say Mafatih must be authentic, there is the cry from every corner that why? I advise publishers to publish the book without addendums of people other than author. Of course, guidance ministry also bears the responsibility to block and prevent such Mafatih which is against author's view. Apparently there was another book during the life of late Mohaddeth Ghomi called Meftaholjenan to which some additions were made or some deletions were made unjustly; he was concerned about the alterations that might be made in Mafatih. It is stange that he had made predictions about alterations that would be made in this book which came true. He writes in the conclusion of the book: this sinful person, may God forgive him, after I had compiled Mafatiholjenan and spread it all over the world, caused the book to undergo alterations though I had added the other eight topics in a separate chapter and I interceded God for others' negligence in doing such wrong things regarding the book. Now, we should address his great soul and say o' Sheikh rise up and see how all your predictions have come true and what you did not consider as correct has now been added to the book under the title of correct narration.
Q- then in what book that valid Hadith Kassa you referred to has been narrated?
A- That hadith does not accept any change or alterations from view of document and it has been narrated by great narrators in their books. it is called a narration needless of any explanation and has been backed by successive witnesses and there is ground that if anyone would be familiar with history of islam he may not doubt its occurrence. Of course none of narrations available about Kassa event has not given a thorough account of it and each refers to part of it. These narrations have been mentioned in the books Alkhessal, Baharolanvar, Majmaolbayan,Alghadir, Tafsir Tabari, etc.
Q- can one offer a complete narration of the Kassa event by using these narrations?
A- This event became so reputable in Islamic community that the day of the event was called day of Kassa and the five infallibles who were subject to divine graces in that day were called the Kassa parties. Availing ourselves of the various narrations mentioned about this event we can outline the event as follows: one day the prophet of islam went to house of his wife Omm salmeh. He urges her not to allow any person in. but, Fatemeh, daughter of the prophet who had prepared Assideh (a food like kachi) for her father entered the house. Omm salmeh says I could not prevent her from entering. Of course, the prohibition of the prophet did not include Fatemeh, rather, the prophet had prepared the house for the sake of Fatemeh, her husband and the two children. The prophet told his daughter: go and bring your husband and the two children. Fatemeh returned home at once and before long returned father's house accompanied by the husband and the two children. Omme salmeh, at prophet's allusion, stood up and began praying. The sit-together was fully private, a gathering of holiness and purity, the prophet together with Ali who the prophet saw as his breath, Fatemeh who prophet considered as part of his soul and the two children Hassan and Hossein sat beside the tablecloth of Fatemeh. Prophet did not habitually eat without his wife,but today the situation is wholly different. If today Omm salmeh sits at the same tablecloth with the household of the prophet,God's word about the household would be commented tomorrow differently. So,the prophet exceptionally does not invite her wife to the tablecloth. Then, the prophet rubs the Kheybarak(kind of texture cloak) cloth over the head and shoulder of his son-in-law and daughter and grand sons and points with the right hand to the sky and says: o' God, these are my household,so keep them far off any kind of dirt and pollution. This is Tabari's narration. But, in Ebn Hanbal's document, the praying of the prophet goes as this:o' God these are my household keep them far from any pollution and purify them. And in another narrative, this is the narration: these are my household, thus bestow thy salutes on Mohammad and his household. Then, Gabriel descended and the following verses which were later called Tathir verse was revealed: verily,God wants to take pollution away from you and purify you completely.(Ahzab,33). Up to here Omm Salmeh was watching this brilliant event while sitting at the corner of the room. But, she could no longer put up with it and proceeded and lifted the Kassa so she could benefit from this magnificent space, but the prophet decisively took the cloak(kassa) from her thus preventing her from entering this area.
Q- why has this event been repeatedly narrated as indicated in the Farighein books?
A- Pondering over this event clearly proves that this event is not an ordinary one as recounted by some. Rather ,because of its relation with the revelation of Tathir verses is one of the most exceptional events in prophet's life which is related to the introduction of prospective leaders and future guides of the Islamic community.it is said that the prophet prayed for the Kassa household up to the end of his life in the nights to the dawn calling them ahlolbeit. In some narrations, the place of this event is indicated as other houses of the prophet's wives.
Q-can one definitely say that it has happened in Omm salmeh house?
A- Contemplating over the whole narrations proves that the event has undoubtedly happened in her house.Ayesheh also admits this as it is narrated from Abuabdellah Jadali as saying: I asked Ayesheh where the revelation has come and she said in Ommsalmeh house. In another narration ommsalmeh says:if you ask Ayesheh she would say it happened in my house. Sheikh Mofid also says: Omar was asked about this verse and he said:ask Ayesheh about it and she said:it happened in my sister's house, ommesalmeh.
Some narrators have referred to the fact that this event has been repeated and such persons like Ayesheh and Zeynab, daughter of Ommesalmeh asked the prophet the same request as that of Ommesalmeh. However, this seems improbable; maybe they were a witness to the event and asked the prophet to be members of the Kassa, but the prophet had refused their demand.
Q- the narration mentioned at the end of Mafatih surely comes from a source, is it true?
A- As l know,the first book which has quoted the narration without any document is Tarihi book as quoted by Mohaddeth ghomi in Montahiolamal. That is, from the advent of islam up to around 1000 years later,there is no trace of this narration in any book. Astounding to say, this narration without document becomes well-documented as seen on the margins of manuscripts of the book Awalemololum. A detailed document which goes back to Jaber ibn Ansari which he narrates from Fatemeh (pbuh), while Seyed Hashem Bohrani to whom relates this document has not provided the narration in his books(Tafsirolborhan and Ghayatolmaram). While he has attempted to collect the narrations rather than correct or evaluate them;thus,what he has provided in these books, from view of documentary and the text, is contrary to what has been attributed to him. Another point is that many great Shiite narrators like Koleini,Toussi,Mofid,Tabarsi et ibn Shahrashoub whose names are mentioned in the documents have mentioned Kassa hadith in their books as we referred to which is contrary to the commonly said Kassa narration.
Q- other than the cases referred to, does the insistence on removing the non-valid narration of Kassa from the end of Mafatih have another reason?
A- Firstly, if it were published in any other book than Mafatih,we would declare that the narration is invalid, but our duty and the duty of those become informed of the event is to remove it from the book,because as we said, author's view was not to add anything to the text. The other important point is that the valid narration is the event's happening place is ommsalmeh's house while the invalid one refers to it happening in Fatemeh's house thus proving the event does not include the wives of the prophet.