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

'''The Burial Place of Lady Faṭima (a)''' is an unknown location. Speculations about her burial place include her own house, [[Rawdat al-Nabi]], [[Al-Baqi']], and [[Aqil b. Abi Talib|'Aqil's]] house ([[Monuments of al-Baqi'|the mausoleum of al-Baqi' Imams]]). The prevailing view among Shi'a scholars is that she was buried in her own house, although [[al-Shaykh al-Tusi]] notes that most Shi'a scholars consider her burial in Rawdat al-Nabi to be the more likely possibility. According to [[Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi]], Shias believe that Rawda encompasses [[Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a)|Fatima's]] house as well, leading some researchers to conclude that the Rawda theory supports the house theory.

[[Sayyid Ja'far Murtada al-'Amili]], a contemporary researcher of history, believes that determining the exact location of Lady Fatima's grave is impossible. Al-Shaykh al-Tusi and [[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi|Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi]] hold the belief that it is best to [[Ziyara|visit]] Lady Fatima (a) in all three potential locations: Rawdat al-Nabi, her house, and al-Baqi'.

[[Shia|Shias]] believe that Lady Fatima's burial site is unknown due to her body being [[Funeral and burial of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a)|secretly buried]] according to her own will. They hold that Fatima (a) specifically instructed for a clandestine burial, as she believed that the caliphate was illegitimately taken away from [[Imam 'Ali (a)]], [[Usurpation of Fadak|Fadak]] was unlawfully confiscated from her, and [[Islam|Muslims]] did not provide her with aid.

Most [[Sunni]] scholars hold the view that Lady Fatima's grave is situated in the mausoleum of [[Imams of the Shi'a]] within the al-Baqi' cemetery. Some Shi'a scholars argue that this belief stems from a desire to alleviate the pressure exerted by Shias regarding the secrecy of Fatima's burial site.

There are works written about the [[burial]] place of Lady Fatima (a), such as ''Marqad Sayyidat al-Nisaʾ Fatimat al-Shahidat al-Zahra (a) fi ayy makan?'' (Where is the mausoleum of the Mistress of All Ladies the martyr Fatima al-Zahra?) and ''Ayn qabr Fatima?'' (Where is Fatima’s grave?).

Shi'a theological works discuss the issue of Lady Fatima's (a) burial place, which is often cited by Shi'a theologians to rebuke the first [[caliph]], [[Abu Bakr]].<ref>Ḥillī, ''Kashf al-murād'', p. 373.</ref> According to Shia belief, Lady Fatima's (a) burial place remains unknown because of her dissatisfaction with Abu Bakr and 'Umar for their usurpation of the [[caliphate]] and [[Usurpation of Fadak|confiscation of Fadak]].<ref>Tabrīzī, ''Sīra-yi Ustād al-fuqahāʾ wa l-mujtahidin Mīrzā Jawād Tabrīzī'', p. 89; Mazāhirī,  ''Andīsha-ʾī nāb'', p. 65.</ref> In fact, Seyyid Muhammad Hussein Jalali (d. 2020) suggests that Lady Fatima (a) willed to be buried secretly to ensure that those responsible for her [[martyrdom]] would never be forgotten throughout history.<ref>Ḥusaynī Jalālī, ''Fihras al-turāth'', p. 71.</ref>

=== Lady Fatima’s House ===

Some Shi'a scholars believe that the hadith in which Imam 'Ali (a) refers to Fatima (a) as being “buried adjacent to the Prophet (s)”<ref>Sayyid Raḍī, ''Nahj al-balāgha'', p. 319; Ibn Shahrāshūb, ''Manāqib'', vol. 3, p. 364.</ref> corroborates the view that she was buried in her own house, since the closest place to the burial site of the Prophet (s) was her residence.<ref>Māzandarānī, ''Sharḥ uṣūl kāfī'', vol. 7, p. 208; Ḥasanzāda, ''Hizār-o-yik kalima'', vol. 3, p. 446.</ref>

Some Shi'a researchers argue that it is unlikely for Fatima to be buried in her own house as this contradicts the [[hadith]]s which state that [[Imam Ali (a)]] carried her body outside of the house during her [[Funeral Procession|funeral]].<ref>Ḥamūd, ''Abhā l-midād'', vol. 2, p. 547.</ref> However, some speculate that either the funeral did not involve the body<ref>Ḥusaynī Shīrāzī, ''al-Duʿā wa l-zīyāra'', p. 588.</ref> or was intentionally misleading as to the location of her burial.<ref>Turābī and etc, "Justarī dar chigūnigī wa makān-i dafn-i haḍrat-i Zahrā (a) dar manābiʿ-i nukhustīn", p. 131.</ref> Another Shi'a researcher suggests that the funeral procession started from another house belonging to 'Ali (a) and Fatima (a), located in close proximity to [[al-Baqi']], and proceeded towards the other residence of 'Ali (a) and Fatima (a).<ref>Najmī, ''Tārīkh-i ḥarām-i aʾimma-yi Baqīʿ'', p. 166.</ref> According to this viewpoint, the events following the death of the [[Prophet (s)]], such as the attack on Fatima's house, occurred in the house situated near al-Baqi'.<ref>Najmī, ''Tārīkh-i ḥarām-i aʾimma-yi Baqīʿ'', p. 163.</ref>

=== Rawdat al-Nabi ===

In his ''[[al-Muqna'a]]'', [[al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] supports Fatima’s burial in Rawdat al-Nabi as the most accurate possibility.<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Muqniʿa'', p. 459.</ref> The Shi'a scholar of hadith al-Shaykh al-Tusi claims that most Shi'a scholars believe that Fatima (a) was buried in Rawda.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Miṣbāḥ al-mutahajjid'', vol. 2, p. 711.</ref> The area known as Rawdat al-Nabi lies between the Prophet's minbar and his burial place within [[al-Masjid al-Nabi]], which is referred to by the Prophet (s) as a "rawda" (garden or a green area<ref>Ibn Sīdah, a''l-Muḥkam wa l-muhīt al-aʿzam'', vol. 8, p. 245.</ref>) among the "rawdas" of the [[heaven]].<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 9, p. 257.</ref> 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.<ref>Ṣadūq, ''Maʿānī al-akhbār'', p. 267.</ref>

[[Al-Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi|Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi]], a sixth/twelfth century<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Tāj al-mawālīd'', p. 80.</ref> exegete of the [[Qur'an]] and theologian, and [[Ibn Shahrashub]], a sixth/twelfth century<ref>Ibn Shahrāshūb, ''Manāqib'', vol. 3, p. 365.</ref> 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.<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Tahdhīb al-aḥkām'', vol. 6, p. 9.</ref> '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.<ref>Qāʾidān, ''Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmi Makka wa Madīna'', p. 210.</ref>

=== Al-Baqi' Cemetery ===

According to [[Ali b. Isa al-Irbili|Baha' al-Din al-Irbili]], a seventh/thirteenth Shi'a historian, people and historiographers widely believe that Fatima was buried in al-Baqi'. He cites a hadith that confirms this possibility. However, he does not specify an exact location in the al-Baqi' cemetery for her resting place.<ref>Irbilī, ''Kashf al-ghumma'', vol. 1, p. 501.</ref>

Al-Shaykh al-Tusi<ref>Ṭūsī, ''Tahdhīb al-aḥkām'', vol. 6, p. 9.</ref> and Amin al-Islam al-Tabrisi<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Iʿlām al-warā'', vol. 1, p. 301.</ref> dismiss this possibility as unlikely. This is supported by a hadith in ''[[Al-Kafi (book)|al-Kafi]]'', which implies that Fatima (a) was not buried in al-Baqi'.<ref>Anṣārī, a''l-Mawsūʿat al-kubrā ʿan Fāṭimat al-Zahrāʾ'', vol. 16, p. 51.</ref> On this hadith, [[Imam al-Hasan (a)]] made a will to [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] as follows: “after my martyrdom, take me to the mausoleum of the Prophet (s) so that I renew my [[allegiance]] to him. Then take me to my mother’s grave, and from there take me to al-Baqi'.”<ref>Kulaynī, ''al-Kāfī'', vol. 2, p. 43.</ref>

=== 'Aqil’s House (Mausoleum of the Imams in al-Baqi') ===

The majority view among Sunni scholars is that the grave of Lady Fatima (a) is located in the mausoleum of Shi'a Imams in al-Baqi'.<ref>Samhudī, ''Wafāʾ al-wafā'', vol. 3, p. 93; Ibn Najjār al-Baghdādī, a''l-Durrat al-thamīna'', p. 166; Qāʾidān, ''Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmi Makka wa Madīna'', p. 209.</ref> They try to support the view by citing Imam al-Hasan’s [[Wasiyya|will]] to be buried alongside his mother Fatima (a).<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Dhakhāʾir al-ʿuqbā'', p. 54 and 151.</ref> In contrast, Shias cite a hadith<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Irshād'', vol. 2, p. 17.</ref> to show that the person called "Fatima" who is buried in al-Baqi' is in fact [[Fatima bt. Asad (a)|Fatima bt. Al-Asad]], Imam 'Ali’s mother.<ref>Qummī, ''Anwār al-bahīyya'', p. 174; Qāʾidān, ''Tārīkh wa āthār-i Islāmi Makka wa Madīna'', p. 209.</ref> Muhamamd Sadigh Najmi, a Shi'a scholar, believes that Sunni authors have tried to propagate the idea that Fatima (a) was buried within the mausoleum of Shi'a Imams in al-Baqi' to alleviate the pressure from Shias concerning the secrecy of Fatima’s grave.<ref>Najmī, ''Tārīkh-i ḥarām-i aʾimma-yi Baqīʿ'', p. 128.</ref>

[[File:قطعه خوشنویسی درباره حضرت فاطمه.jpg|thumbnail|right|A poem by [[Husayn Wahid Khurasani]], with the theme of the secret grave of lady Fatima (a); Calligraphy by Muhammad Jawadzada, illustration by Ramin Mr'ati.]]

The Shi'a scholars believe that [[Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a)|Fatima's]] grave remained concealed due to her own will for a secret burial.<ref>Ṭabrisī, ''Tāj al-mawālīd'', p. 80; Nājī Jazāʾirī, ''Marqad Sayyidat al-Nisāʾ'', p. 16.</ref> As per the Shi'a 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.<ref>Khuṣaybī, ''al-Hidāya al-kubrā'', p. 178; Fattāl al-Nayshābūrī, ''Rawḍat al-wāʿiẓīn'', vol. 1, p. 151.</ref> [[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]]<ref>Mufīd, ''Kitāb al-amālī'', p. 281.</ref> and the author of ''[[Dala'il al-imama (book)|Dala'il al-imama]]''<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Dalāʾil al-imāma'', p. 133.</ref> have noted 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>

Imam 'Ali (a) buried Fatima (a) secretly under the veil of night<ref>Numīrī, ''Tārīkh al-madīna'', vol. 1, p. 107.</ref> and then obliterated any evidence of her grave.<ref>Kulaynī, a''l-Kāfī'', vol. 2, p. 490.</ref> He went on to construct either forty<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Dalāʾil al-imāma'', p. 136; Khuṣaybī, ''al-Hidāya al-kubrā'', p. 179.</ref> or seven counterfeit graves<ref>Ibn Shahrāshūb, ''Manāqib'', vol. 3, p. 363.</ref> to ensure that her actual burial place could not be identified. According to certain Shi'a sources, it is said that [['Umar b. al-Khattab]] planned to exhume the graves and conduct a [[Funeral Prayer|funeral prayer]] for Fatima's body. However, upon Imam 'Ali’s warnings, he changed his mind.<ref>Hilālī, ''Kitāb Sulaym b. Qays'', vol. 2, p. 871; Majlisī, ''Biḥār al-anwār'', vol. 28, p. 304.</ref>

'Ali b. 'Abd Allah al-Samhudi, a Sunni historiographer (d. 911/1506), maintains that a reason why Lady Fatima’s burial site remains unknown is that in the early Islamic period, graves were not often solidified by plaster and bricks.<ref>Samhudī, ''Wafāʾ al-wafā'', vol. 3, p. 93.</ref> However, this is criticized because the graves of many [[Companions of the Prophet (s)|companions]] and relatives of the [[Prophet Muhammad (s)|Prophet (s)]] are known.<ref>Najmī, ''Tārīkh-i ḥarām-i aʾimma-yi Baqīʿ'', p. 114.</ref>

* '''''Marqad Sayyidat al-Nisa' Fatimat al-Shahidat al-Zahra (a) fi ayy makan?''''' (Where is the mausoleum of the Mistress of All Ladies the martyr Fatima al-Zahra?) by Sayyid Hashim Naji Musawi Jazaʾiri: This work collects Shi'a hadiths regarding the reasons why Fatima’s grave is concealed, along with possible accounts of her burial place.<ref>Nājī Jazāʾirī, ''Marqad Sayyidat al-Nisāʾ Fāṭima al-shahīda al-Zahrā (a) fī ayy makān?'', Table of Contents.</ref> The book was published in 2016-7 by Danish Publication in [[Qom]].<ref>Nājī Jazāʾirī, ''Marqad Sayyidat al-Nisāʾ Fāṭima al-shahīda al-Zahrā (a) fī ayy makān?''</ref>

* '''''Ayn qabr Fatima?''''' (Where is Fatima’s grave?): This work discusses the possibilities about where Fatima (a) was laid to rest, arguing that the most probable alternative is burial in her own house.<ref>Rāḍī, ''Ayn qabr Fāṭima (a)?'', p. 135.</ref> The book was published in 1432/2011 by Dar al-Mahajjat al-Bayda in [[Beirut]].<ref>Rāḍī, ''Ayn qabr Fāṭima (a)?''</ref>