Burial Place of Lady Fatima (a): Difference between revisions

Shiite scholars have put forth speculations about the burial place of Lady Fatima (a).<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-warā'', vol. 1, p. 301.</ref> The majority view among Shiite scholars is that she was laid to rest in her own house,<ref>Ḥusaynī Shīrāzī, ''Al-duʿā wa l-zīyāra'', p. 588; Anṣārī, ''Al-Mawsūʿat al-kubrā'', vol. 16, p. 113.</ref> although [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] notes that most Shiite scholars take the place of her burial to be in [[Rawdat al-Nabi]].<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid'', vol. 2, p. 711.</ref> Other possibilities have also been propounded in Shiite sources, such as [[al-Baqi']]<ref>Irbilī, ʿAlī b. ʿĪsā al-. ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 1, p. 501.</ref> cemetery and [[Aqil b. Abi Talib|'Aqil’s]] house ([[Monuments of al-Baqi'#Monuments of Shiite Imams|the mausoleum of the Imams buried in al-Baqi']]).<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 79, p. 27.</ref>

[[Al-Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili|Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-Amili]], a Shiite researcher of history, believes that determining the exact location of Lady Fatima’s burial place is impossible. According to al-Shaykh al-Tusi<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid'', vol. 2, p. 711.</ref> and [[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi|Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi,]] it is best to visit Lady Fatima (a) in all three potential locations: Rawdat al-Nabi, her house, and al-Baqi'.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid'', vol. 2, p. 711.</ref> In his ''[[Misbah al-za'ir (book)|Misbah al-za'ir]]'', [[Ali b. Musa b. Ja'far b. Tawus|Sayyid b. Tawus]] believes that the pilgrimage place of Lady Fatima (a) is Rawdat al-Nabi, but in his [[Iqbal al-a'mal (book)|''al-Iqbal'']], he says that it is the [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi#The House and the Burial Place of Prophet Muhammad (s)|Prophet’s chamber]].

The majority view among Shiite scholars is that [[Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a)|Fatima (a)]] was buried in her residence.<ref>Ḥusaynī Shīrāzī, ''Al-duʿā wa l-zīyāra'', p. 588; Anṣārī, ''Al-Mawsūʿat al-kubrā'', vol. 16, p. 113.</ref> This possibility is preferred by [[al-Shaykh al-Saduq]], [[Ibn Idris al-Hilli]], [[Ali b. Musa b. Ja'far b. Tawus|Ibn Tawus]], [[Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi|'Allama al-Majlisi]], and [[Al-Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin|Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin]]. In support of this view, they cite a hadith from [[Imam Ali b. Musa al-Rida (a)|Imam al-Rida (a)]] according to which Lady Fatima (a) was buried in her own house, and when the [[Umayyad dynasty]] expanded [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi|Masjid al-Nabi]], her house was incorporated within the mosque.

In his ''[[al-Muqna'a]]'', [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] supports Fatima’s burial in Rawdat al-Nabi as the most accurate possibility. The Shiite scholar of hadith al-Shaykh al-Tusi claims that most Shiite scholars believe that Fatima (a) was buried in Rawda. The area known as Rawdat al-Nabi lies between the Prophet's minbar and his burial place within [[Al-Masjid al-Nabawi|Masjid al-Nabi]], which is referred to by the Prophet (s) as a "rawda" (garden or a green area) among the "rawdas" of the [[heaven]]. According to a hadith cited in ''[[Ma'ani l-akhbar (book)|Ma'ani l-akhbar]]'', this designation is due to Fatima's burial at the site.

[[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi|Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi]], a sixth/twelfth century exegete of the [[Qur'an|Quran]] and theologian, and [[Ibn Shahrashub]], a sixth/twelfth century Quranic exegete and scholar of [[hadith]], believe that the two most probable speculations about Fatima’s burial place are her own house and Rawda. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi suggests that the two possibilities are close to each other. 'Allama al-Majlisi proposes a reconciliation between the two views, as most Shias hold the belief that Rawda encompasses Fatima’s house as well.<ref>Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 97, p. 193; Majlisī, ''Mirʾāt al-ʿuqūl'', vol. 5, p. 349.</ref> For this reason, some researchers say that the Rawda view confirms the house view.

The Shiite scholars believe that [[Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a)|Fatima's]] grave remained concealed due to her own will for a secret burial. As per the Shiite sources, Fatima requested to be buried in secrecy because she believed that the [[caliphate]] was illegitimately taken away from [[Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (a)|Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Fadak]] was unlawfully seized from her, and Muslims failed to provide her with assistance. [[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] has noted in his book ''Dala'il al-imama'' that Fatima (a) had requested for her burial place to remain clandestine.<ref>One reason for the concealment of the grave, which is explicitly mentioned in Fatima al-Zahra’s will, is to perpetuate dissatisfaction with the government of the time throughout history, as this would pose the question why the resting place of the Prophet’s only daughter should remain unknown.</ref>