Jafr

Jafr (Arabic:الجَفر) is the title of a hadith book dictated by the Prophet (s) and written by Imam Ali (a) on goat skin. The Book of Jafr is one of the trusts of Imamate and one of the sources of Imam's (a) knowledge, which, according to some hadiths, only the Prophet (s) and his successors can look through it.

Some researchers believe that the Book of Jafr was encrypted and that the science of Manaya and Balaya is recorded in it. Among other characteristics of the Book of Jafr mentioned in hadiths is that it does not rot and that its ink does not disappear over time. Some researchers refer to some hadiths and believe that this book is now with Imam al-Mahdi (a).

According to some hadiths, in addition to the book of Jafr, Imams (a) had other jafr collections, which are not books and are only storages for keeping other spiritual texts, such as the Torah, the Bible, and Mushaf of Fatima (a). Several books have been written on Jafr, including Haqiqat al-jaft 'ind al-Shi'a, written by Akram Barakat 'Amili (born in 1968).

Introduction and position

According to Shiite hadiths, Jafr was a book dictated by the Prophet (s) and written by Imam Ali (a). "Jafr" in the Arabic lexicon means "lamb" or "goat", so in hadiths, it refers to a special book dictated by the Prophet (s) and written by Imam Ali (a) on goat skin.

According to a narration from Imam al-Kazim (a), in the last days of the Prophet's (s) life, God ordered him to go to Mount Uhud with Imam Ali (a) and slaughter a goat he (s) would find there. After carrying out this order, they found the animal's skin tanned. Gabriel descended with a group of angels, who brought a pen and green ink, and Ali (a) wrote the book with that pen and ink on the tanned skin.

According to some narrations, Jafr is one of the trusts of the Imamate, which indicates that its owner is an Imam (a). According to Aqa Buzurg Tihrani, the author of the book al-Dhari'a, the book of Jafr, like other trusts of Imamate, was passed among Shiite Imams (a), and now it is with Imam al-Mahdi (a). Some authors have attributed the knowledge of Jafr to Imam Ali (a). On the other hand, some other researchers have considered this attribution without reason.

Other Jafrs

In some narrations, other jafrs, such as Jafr Abyad (white) and Jafr Ahmar (red), have been mentioned. Akram Barakat, a Lebanese writer (born in 1968), believes that other jafrs, different from the book of Jafr are storages made of leather for keeping spiritual things. According to some narrations, books such as the scrolls of Ibrahim (a), the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms, and Mushaf of Fatima (a) are kept in Jafr Abyad and the Prophet's (s) sword is kept in Jafr Ahmar.

Content and Characteristics

Based on a narration from Imam Sadiq (a), the knowledge of Manaya and Balaya and the news of all events from the beginning of the creation until the Day of Judgment are recorded in the Book of Jafr. According to a hadith of Imam al-Sadiq (a), the signs of the coming of Imam al-Mahdi (a), the news of the friends and enemies of Imam Ali (a) who will be born until the Day of Judgment, and the interpretation of what only God and those firmly grounded in knowledge are aware of, are some of the minor issues mentioned in Jafr.

According to some researchers, the book of Jafr was encrypted. The small volume of the Book of Jafr (goat skin) and its extensive content (recording of all events in the world) have prompted researchers to try to solve this inconsistency. In solving these problems, Sayyid Mir Sharif Jurjani (740/1339-816/1414), one of the Hanafi scholars of the eighth/fourteenth century, believes that the book of Jafr was written using the method of the science of letters. But Akram Barakat accepted the secret nature of this book, called Jurjani's claim an allegation without evidence, and believes that there is no explanation about this in hadiths.

The book of Jafr is mentioned in hadiths as having characteristics such as not rotting and its ink not disappearing over time. According to a narration from Imam al-Kazim (a), looking at Jafr is among the privileges of the Prophet (s) and his successors, and only they can look through Jafr.

Examples of Imams' (a) References to the Book of Jafr

In some hadiths, it has been mentioned that Imams (a) referred to the Book of Jafr and informed about unseen matters. Among these narrations is the news that Imam al-Sadiq (a) gave about the birth time of Imam al-Mahdi (a), the length of his life, and the events during his occultation, as well as informing that Imam al-Rida (a) would not complete his period of being the crown prince.

Sunni's Viewpoint

Most Sunnis have attributed the book of Jafr to Imam al-Sadiq (a). According to Ibn Khaldun, a historian of the eighth/fourteenth century, the book of Jafr was written by Harun b. Sa'id 'Ijli, one of the great Zaydis, narrating hadiths from Imam al-Sadiq (a) about future events.

Ibn Taymiyya, the Salafi leader, did not accept the existence of the Book of Jafr or any book of Shiite Imams (a) on the news of the future. According to some Sunni writers, Ibn Taymiyya's denial of Jafr was the exclusive attribution of the knowledge of the Unseen to God and some prophets.

Monographs

Several books have been written on the subject of Jafr, some of which are:

• Haqiqat al-Jafr 'ind al-Shi'a, written by Akram Barakat al-'Amili. This book was published for the first time in 1416 AH in 285 pages by Dar al-Safwa Publishing House of Lebanon.

• Nigahi no be Jafr-i Ali (a) was written by Sayyid Husayn Musavi Zanjani. This 64-page work was published for the first time in 1384 SH by the efforts of Salsabil Publishing House.

• Bahth hawl al-Jafar wa 'ilm al-Ma'sum (a) min khilal al-athar, written by Sayyid 'Ammar Sadruddin Musawi 'Amili. This book was published for the first time in 1419 AH and was printed for the second time in 1429 AH by the efforts of Dar al-Mahajjat al-Bayda of Beirut.