Question 399 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 4

Supporters Response:

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send His prayers upon Muhammad and his family, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. Peace be upon you, noble brother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. The oppression suffered by the pure, Truthful One, Fatimah al-Zahra (a)-the attack on her house, its burning, the breaking of her rib, and the miscarriage of her fetus-is among the established matters that are as clear as the sun at midday. None denies it except one who has made a fool of himself and whose inner nature has become wicked. The narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) concerning this are mass-transmitted in both wording and meaning. Whoever examines the position of the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) knows that they treated al-Zahra (a) as though she were the daughter of their most bitter enemy and as though they were seeking vengeance from her for not merely one blood-feud, but many. There is a book entitled The Attack on the House of Fatimah, by Abd al-Zahra Mahdi. In it you will find dozens of narrations and the opinions of all the early and later Shia scholars, confirming that this grave oppression occurred. As for one who has come today to cast doubt upon it, his objective is known: to court and appease the Sunnis, or else to be contrary merely to become known. It has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt that whoever denies the oppression they suffered has been made a partner in that oppression alongside those who oppressed them. In truth, such people do not deserve attention or a hearing. If they wish to establish that Abu Bakr and his brothers did not mistreat al-Zahra (a), proving this is harder than stripping thorns from the tragacanth. Their most authoritative sources state that Abu Bakr withheld her land, Fadak, from al-Zahra (a); that al-Zahra became angry with him; and that she died while angry with him, without speaking to him. Sunni sources also state that Allah becomes angry at Fatimah's anger (a). Thus Allah, His Messenger, and Fatimah al-Zahra (a)-the one who harms her has harmed the Messenger Muhammad (s)-were angry with Abu Bakr. How can they mend this hideous breach? Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4, chapter ‘The Prophet's Call to Islam and Prophethood,’ p. 42: Urwah ibn al-Zubayr related that Aishah, Mother of the Believers-may Allah be pleased with her-informed him: ‘Fatimah (a), daughter of the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-asked Abu Bakr al-Siddiq after the death of the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-to distribute to her her inheritance from what the Messenger of Allah had left of that which Allah had bestowed upon him. Abu Bakr said to her: The Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-said: We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity. So Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-became angry and shunned Abu Bakr. She continued shunning him until she died.’ Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 8, Book of Inheritance, p. 3: From Urwah, from Aishah: ‘Fatimah and al-Abbas (a) came to Abu Bakr seeking their inheritance from the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him. At that time, they were seeking their two plots of land in Fadak and their shares from Khaybar. Abu Bakr said to them: I heard the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-say: We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity. The family of Muhammad only eats from this property. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I will not abandon anything I saw the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers and peace be upon him-do concerning it; rather, I will do it. He said: So Fatimah shunned him and did not speak to him until she died.’ Would that I knew: could one whom the Messenger (s) testified was in Paradise, and that she was his spirit and a part of him, lie and claim what was not hers? Far be it from her. Why did she remain angry, shunning and boycotting Abu Bakr, until she died? Does she become angry for falsehood or for the truth? So which one is more truthful? We will leave the judgment as to who is more truthful to Aishah's words, lest we be accused of relying upon our sources alone: Al-Mustadrak by al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, vol. 3, pp. 160–161: From Aishah-may Allah be pleased with her-that whenever she mentioned Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet-may Allah's prayers be upon him and his family-she said: ‘I have never seen anyone whose speech was more truthful than hers, except perhaps the one who begot her.’ Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi attested that this narration was authentic according to the criteria of the two sheikhs. Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 7, Book of Seeking Permission, p. 142; Sahih Muslim, vol. 7, chapter ‘Some Virtues of Umm Ayman,’ p. 144: From Aishah, from the Messenger Muhammad (s): ‘… He said: O Fatimah, are you not pleased to be the mistress of the women of the believers, or the mistress of the women of this nation?’ Al-Mustadrak-al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, vol. 3, p. 154: From Aishah, who said: ‘I have never seen anyone whose speech and manner of speaking more closely resembled those of the Messenger of Allah-may Allah's prayers be upon him and his family-than Fatimah. Whenever she entered upon him, he welcomed her, stood for her, took her hand, kissed her, and seated her in his place.’ Al-Hakim likewise attested that this narration was authentic according to the criteria of the two sheikhs. Thus Fatimah is more truthful than Abu Bakr. We cannot believe Abu Bakr and disbelieve her or accuse her, when tongues are incapable of recounting her virtues (a). She and her husband were the people most beloved to the Messenger of Allah, as al-Hakim al-Naysaburi also narrated in his Mustadrak: Al-Mustadrak-al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, vol. 3, p. 154: From Jumay ibn Umayr, who said: ‘I entered with my mother upon Aishah and heard her from behind the curtain as my mother asked her about Ali. She said: You ask me about a man when, by Allah, I know of no man more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (s) than Ali, and no woman on earth more beloved to the Messenger of Allah (s) than his wife.’ Al-Hakim likewise attested to the authenticity of this narration. Therefore, Fatimah's anger (a) toward a person means that the Messenger (s) is angry with him and Allah is angry with him. Al-Mustadrak-al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, vol. 3, p. 154: From Ali-may Allah be pleased with him-who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (s) said to Fatimah: Allah becomes angry at your anger and is pleased at your pleasure.’ Al-Hakim likewise attested to the authenticity of this narration. Al-Mustadrak-al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, vol. 3, pp. 154–155: From al-Miswar ibn Makhramah-may Allah be pleased with him-who said: The Messenger of Allah (s) said: ‘Fatimah is only a branch from me; what delights her delights me, and what constricts her constricts me.’ Al-Hakim likewise attested to the authenticity of this narration. Sahih al-Bukhari-as presented above-states that Fatimah (a) became angry with Abu Bakr and died while shunning him, without being pleased with him. This means that the Messenger (s) was not pleased with Abu Bakr, nor was Allah, Majestic and High. So what is the matter with you? How do you judge? What weight do you set equal to the family of Muhammad? Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send His prayers upon Muhammad and his family, the Imams and the Mahdis. May Allah's abiding curse be upon those who oppressed them until the Day of Judgment. The Scientific Committee Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah establish him upon the earth) Sheikh Nazim al-Uqayli Shawwal 1430 AH