Hadrat Masumah (A.S.), the Great Narrator of Ahadith
The narrators of the Hadiths, Muhaddith(1) from Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and the Infallible Imams (A.S.) bear a great right on the neck of the Islamic nation; and if it was not for their serious efforts, the Islamic teachings would not have reached us. The great Prophet (S.A.W.) used to encourage his companions to listen to and narrate Hadiths, and said: "May Allah enlighten anyone who listens to our Hadiths and preaches them" (2). Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) has said in this regards: "If you learn a Hadith about Halal (Permissible) and Haram (Prohibited) from an honest person, it is better than the entire world and all the gold and silver in it" (3).
Amongst the narrators of Hadith, we come across several virtuous women who have recorded their names as Muhaddiths, the most prominent of which are the women of the family of the Prophet (A.S.).
Lady Masumah (A.S.) is one of those virtuous women, who has narrated Hadiths, with their chain of narrators, (4) from Lady Fatimah Zahra (A.S.), and due to her significance, both Shiites and Sunnis have paid attention to such Hadiths. One of those Hadiths is as follows:
Hafiz Shams al-Din Jazari (died 833 AH), one of the Sunni scholars, has authored a valuable book named "Asna al-Matalib fi Manaqib Sayyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.)". While mentioning some Hadiths about the event of Ghadir, he narrates a Hadith from Hadrat Fatimah (A.S.) which Lady Masumah (A.S.) is in its chain of narrators. In this Hadith, Lady Fatimah Masumah (A.S.) narrates that: "Have you forgotten the saying of the messenger of Allah on the day of Ghadir in which he said: ' Whosoever I am his/her Master (Mawla), Ali is his/her Master (Mawla)' and also said: 'You are to me as Aaron was to Moses." (5)
This Hadith has also been narrated by other Sunni Muhaddiths, such as Amritsari and Shoukani, in the same words and the same chain of narrators from Lady Masumah (A.S.). As for the Shia references, scholars such as Mir Hamed Hussain and Allamah Amini have narrated this Hadith from the same source.
According to this statement, Lady Masumah (A.S.) has been recognized as a Muhaddith lady in both Shia and Sunni sources, and several Hadiths have been narrated from her, one example of which is the aforementioned one.
We, Muslims, are proud that the Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) have been conveyed and reached us through such virtuous people, and it is on us to contribute to our share in protecting and passing on these subjects.
(Selection taken from: "The Generous Lady of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.)", by Ali Akbar Mahdipour)
Footnotes:
1- Muhaddith is an Islamic title, referring to one who profoundly knows and narrates hadiths, the chains of their narration (Sanad), and the original and famous narrators
2- Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 1, p. 85- Al-Ghadir by Allamah Amini , vol. 8, p. 154
3- Wasa'il al-Shia, vol. 27, p. 98
4- The chain of narrators mean the set of persons who have narrated a certain Hadith from one to another.
5- Asna al Matalib, pp. 49 & 50
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