Incident of the attack on the house of Lady Fatima (a): Difference between revisions

In Shiite and Sunni sources, the [[occasions of revelation]] of some verses from the Qur’an are considered related to the households of Lady Fatima’s (a) house (including Imam Ali (a), Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a), [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] and [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]]), including [[Al-It'am Verse|the verse “It’am”]] and the [[al-Tathir Verse|verse “Tathir”]]. In the interpretation of the verse “And bid your family to prayer…” (Qur'an 20:132), it is narrated from [[Abu Sa'id Khidri]] that when this verse was revealed, the Prophet (s) used to go to the house of Fatima (a) every day for eight months, call the households to prayer and then recite the verse of “Tathir”.<ref>[https://www.irna.ir/photo/2652032/%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%B4%DA%BE%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AA-%D8%AD%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B2%DA%BE%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%DB%81-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%DA% The days of martyrdom of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a) in Pakistan (Persian)]; [https://fa.wikishia.net/view/%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B9%D9%87_%D9%87%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%85_%D8%A8%D9%87_%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87_%D8%AD%D8%B6%D8%B1%D8%AA_%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85%D9%87(%D8%B3)#cite_ref-5 Mourning Ceremony of the Fatimiyya in the Islamic Center of Hamburg (Persian)].</ref>  

The Prophet (s) had introduced Ali b. Abi Talib (a) as his successor on the [[18th of Dhu al-Hijja]] in [[10 AH]]/[[March 16]], 632, returning from [[Hajjat al-Wida']] [“the Farewell Hajj”].<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 5, p. 209- 210; Ibn ʿAsākir, ''Tārīkh madīnat Dimashq'', vol. 42, p. 233; Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 1, p. 177.</ref> ‘Umar b. Khattab was among those who congratulated Imam Ali (a) on that day.<ref>Khaṭīb Baghdādī, ''Tārīkh-i Baghdād'',vol. 8, p. 284; Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 1, p. 177.</ref> But just after the demise of the Prophet (s), a number of the [[Emigrants]] and the [[Helpers]] in a gathering formed in [[Saqifa Bani Sa'ida]], against the will of the Prophet (s), agreed on the caliphate of [[Abu Bakr]] and pledged [[allegiance]] to him.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 206; Ibn Athīr, ''al-Kāmil'', vol. 2, p. 327.</ref> According to Ibn Kathir, allegiance to Abu Bakr took place before the Prophet’s (s) burial,<ref>Ibn Kathīr, ''al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya'', vol. 5, p. 268.</ref> at which time Imam Ali (a) was preparing the Prophet’s (a) body for burial.<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā''.</ref>

According to [[al-Ya'qubi]], a historian of the third/ninth century, some famous companions such as [[Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib]], [[Fadl b. 'Abbas]], [[Salman al-Farsi]], [[Abu Dharr al-Ghifari]], [['Ammar b. Yasir]], and [[Bura' b. Azib]] refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr during the [[Saqifa incident]]. [[Sayyid Murtada 'Askari]], a historian of the 15th/21th century, quoting from the sources of the life conduct of the Prophet (s), history and hadiths, said that those who did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr sat with Imam Ali (a) in the house of Lady Fatima (a). [[Al-Tabari]] also named [[Talha]] and [[Zubayr]] among sit-ins.

After swearing [[allegiance]] to him, [[Abu Bakr]] turned to some of the companions who had not pledged allegiance to him. According to the book ''[[al-Imama wa al-siyasa]]'' attributed to Ibn Qutayba, he sent [['Umar]] and [[Qunfudh]] to Fatima’s (a) house four times to call Ali (a) and those who were in the house for allegiance. According to this report, in the first time, the men who were in the house came out after threatening ‘Umar and pledged allegiance, except for [[Imam Ali (a)]] who said that he (a) had sworn not to leave the house until he (a) had completed collection of the [[Qur'an]]. Abu Bakr sent Qunfudh to Fatima’s (a) house for the second and third times, but he also received a negative answer. In the fourth time, ‘Umar went to Fatima’s (a) house with some people and took Ali (a) out of the house and took him to Abu Bakr. According to Muhammad Hadi Yusufi Gharawi, a researcher in the history of Islam and Shiism, Abu Bakr sent people to the house of Imam Ali (a) three times and asked for allegiance. In the first and second times, Imam (a) turned down their request, and in the third time, the caliph and his followers took action.

In the book ''[[al-Ikhtisas]]'' attributed to [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], it is mentioned that when Ali (a) was taken to the mosque, [[Zubayr]], who was among those present in the house of Fatima (a), drew his sword and said, “O sons of ‘Abd al-Muttalib! Are you alive and will Ali be treated like this?!” He attacked ‘Umar, but [[Khalid b. Walid]] threw a stone at him and the sword fell from his hand. ‘Umar picked up the sword and struck it at a stone and broke the sword. According to al-Tabari, a historian of the third/ninth century, Zubayr slipped his foot when he left Fatima’s (a) house and lost his sword.

Ali (a) was taken to Abu Bakr and threatened that he (a) would be beheaded if he (a) did not pledge allegiance. It is stated in the ''[[book of Sulaym b. Qays]]'' that Ali (a) argued in that gathering and reminded the audience of the words of the [[Prophet (s)]] on the [[day of Ghadir]] and other occasions about his succession, but Abu Bakr said that he had heard from the Prophet (s) that [[prophethood]] and [[caliphate]] would not gather in the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]].

According to [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]], Imam Ali (a) did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr on the day of Saqifa, but there are various reports about whether he (a) pledged allegiance later or not, including that he (a) pledged allegiance after forty days or six months or after the [[martyrdom of Lady Fatima (a)]]. Shaykh al-Mufid himself believed that Ali (a) never pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr. According to a report, when Ali (a) was threatened that if he (a) did not pledge allegiance, he (a) would be beheaded, Abbas, the Prophet’s (s) uncle, took Ali’s (a) hand and rubbed on the hand of Abu Bakr in order to save Ali’s (a) life, and thus they let Ali (a) go; but according to the report of ''al-Imama wa al-siyasa'', Abu Bakr said that he would not force Ali (a) to swear allegiance as long as Fatima (a) was with him.

In the fourth time, when ‘Umar went to take Imam Ali (a), Fatima (a) shouted: “O father! O Messenger of God! How much did we suffer after you from the son of Khattab and the son of Abu Quhafa?” Some of ‘Umar’s companions were moved to hear this and returned.

According to al-Ya'qubi, Fatima (a) said to those who had entered her house by force: “I swear to God, if you do not go out, I will cry out to God for justice.” With this word of Fatima (a), all those who were in the house left. Abu Bakr Jawhari (d. 323/934-5) has mentioned in the book ''al-Saqifa wa Fadak'' that when ‘Umar forcibly took Ali (a) out of the house, Fatima (a) went to the door of the house and said to Abu Bakr: “How soon did you attack the family of the Messenger of God (a)! I swear to God I will not speak to ‘Umar until I meet God.” Following this news, Abu Bakr later went to Fatima (a) and interceded for ‘Umar and Fatima (a) was satisfied with him. However, according to the report in ''[[Sahih al-Bukhari]]'', Lady Fatimah (a) was also angry with Abu Bakr, because of [[Usurpation of Fadak|Fadak’s confiscation]] and she (a) was not satisfied with him while she (a) was alive and did not speak to him.

In ''[[Tafsir of 'Ayashi]]'', it is also stated that when Ali (a) was taken out of the house, Fatima (a) went to Abu Bakr and said that “if you do not leave Ali (a), I will go to the grave of the Prophet (s) and I will complain to God with disheveled hair.” Imam Ali (a) sent [[Salman]] to Fatima (a) to stop her from doing so. Fatima (a) returned home when she (a) heard Ali’s (a) message.

[['Umar b. Khattab]] went to Fatima’s (a) house by the order of Abu Bakr to take Ali (a) and his companions for allegiance. When he was confronted by refusal of the people of the house, he ordered firewood to be collected and threatened to set the house on fire with the people in it. ‘Umar’s threat of setting fire to the house has been reported in some Sunni sources such as ''al-‘Aqd al-farid'', ''[[Tarikh al-Tabari]]'', ''Ansab al-ashraf'', ''al-Musannif'', and ''al-Imama wa al-siyasa''. According to Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, a writer and historian of the third/ninth and fourth/tenth centuries, Abu Bakr told ‘Umar that if the people of the house refused to come out, fight them. ‘Umar, holding a fire torch, threatened to burn the house if the people of the house would not pledge allegiance. According to ''al-Imama wa al-siyasa'', when ‘Umar made such a threat, he was told that Fatima (a) was in this house. ‘Umar replied: “Even though she (a) is at home.”