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

'''The incident of the attack on the house of Lady Fāṭima (a)''' (Arabic: {{ia|(س) واقعة الهجوم على بيت الزهراء}}) refers to going of [['Umar b. Khattab]] and his companions in front of the house of [[Lady Fatima (a)]] to call [[Imam Ali (a)]] and other people in the house to pledge [[allegiance]] to [[Abu Bakr]]. [[Shi'a] and [[Sunni]] sources have reported that in this incident, which took place after the demise of the [[Prophet (s)]] ([[28 Safar]] [[11 AH|11]]/[[25 May]] 632), ‘Umar b. Khattab threatened to set the house on fire if the people of the house did not exit the house.

In the ''[[book of Sulaym b. Qays]]'', ''[[Ithbat al-wasiyya]]'' and ''[[Tafsir al-'Ayyashi]]'', among the first Shia sources, it is mentioned that in this incident, which led to the breaking and burning of the door of the house, the unborn child of Fatima (a), [[Al-Muhsin b. al-Imam Ali (a)|Muhsin (a)]], was aborted and it later led to the [[martyrdom of Lady Fatima (a)]]. Sunni sources deny burning the door and injuring Lady Fatima (a), and accused its narrators of being "[[Rafidi]]" [lit. “dissenter”].

Abu Bakr’s need for allegiance of Imam Ali (a) to strengthen the position of his caliphate and Ali’s (a) refusal to give allegiance, has been considered as one of the causes of this incident. According to Muhammad Hadi Yusufi Gharawi, a researcher in Islamic history, this incident occurred about fifty days after the [[demise of the Prophet (s)]].

The story of the attack on Fatima’s (a) house, which took place after the [[Saqifa incident]] and with the aim of taking Imam Ali's (a) allegiance for the [[caliphate]] of Abu Bakr,<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsa'', vol. 1, p. 30-31.</ref> and led to the martyrdom of Lady Fatima (a),<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Dalāʾil al-imāma'', p. 134.</ref> has been one of the issues affecting Shia-Sunni relations. Some of the earliest Shia sources, such as the ''book of Sulaym b. Qays'', ''Ithbat al-wasiyya'', ''Tafsir al-'Ayashi'', and ''[[Dala'il al-Imama]]'', have reported the incident and its consequences<ref>Sulaym b. Qays, ''Kitāb Sulaym b. Qays '', vol. 1, p. 150; Masʿūdī, ''Ithbāt al-waṣiyya'', vol. 1, p. 146; ʿAyyāshī, ''Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī'', vol. 2, p. 67.</ref> and in contrast, Sunni sources deny setting the door of the house on fire and the abortion of [[Muhsin b. 'Ali|Muhsin (a)]], and called the narrators unreliable and [[Rafidi]].<ref>Ṣafadī, ''al-Wāfī'', vol. 6, p. 15; Dhahabī, ''Siyar aʿlām al-nubalāʾ'', vol. 15, p. 578; Ibn Ḥajar, ''Lisān al-mīzān'', vol. 1, p. 609.</ref>

In a narration reported by Shias and Sunnis, it is stated that the [[Prophet (s)]] introduced the house of [[Fatima (a)]] and [['Ali (a)]] as the best example of houses mentioned in [[verse]] 36 of [[Qur'an 24]].

In Shia 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)]  

According to Hussein Mohammad Ja'fari, the author of ''[[Tashayyu' dar masir-i tarikh]]'', people’s allegiance to Abu Bakr was not enough for him to gain power, because Ali (a), who was the most important candidate for caliphate among the Prophet’s (a) family, as agreed by Shias and Sunnis, as well as his close companions and [[Banu Hashim]] were not aware of the decision of the members of the Bani Sa'ida meeting. Therefore, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, fearing a serious reaction from Imam Ali (a) or his followers, called them to allegiance and used force when faced with their refusal.<ref>Jaʿfarī, ''Tashayyuʿ dar masīr-i tārīkh'', p. 67-68.</ref>

One of the factors in opposing Imam Ali (a) and leaving him out of the caliphate is considered their jealousy of his many virtues. This factor is also mentioned in a narration of the Prophet (s). Also, in the narrations quoted in Shia and Sunni sources, the Prophet (s) had predicted that some people would show their hatred against Ali (a) after the demise of the Prophet (s). According to some reports, the Quraysh’s hatred against Imam Ali (a), which was due to the killing of the chiefs of Quraysh in the Prophet’s (a) battles, such as the battle of Badr, played the most important role in this issue.

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]].<ref>Yaʿqūbī, ''Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī'', vol. 2, p. 124.</ref> [[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).<ref>ʿAskarī, ''Saqīfa'', p. 99.</ref> [[Al-Tabari]] also named [[Talha]] and [[Zubayr]] among sit-ins.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 202.</ref>

===Abu Bakr’s order to take Allegiance from Ali (a) and his Companions===

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.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsa'', vol. 1, p. 30- 31.</ref> 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.<ref>Yūsufī Gharawī, ''Tārīkh-i hujūm bi khana-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a)''. p. 14.</ref>

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.<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Ikhtiṣāṣ'', p. 186.</ref> 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.<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 202.</ref>

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.<ref>Mufīd, ''al-Fuṣūl al-mukhtara'', p. 56- 57.</ref> 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;<ref>ʿAyyāshī, ''Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī'', vol. 2, p. 68.</ref> 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.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsa'', vol. 1, p. 30- 31.</ref>

=====Imam Ali (a) said about the events after the demise of the Prophet (s):=====

“When Allah took the Prophet (to himself) a group of men went back on their tracks. The ways (of misguidance) ruined them and they placed trust in deceitful intriguers, showed consideration to other than kinsmen, abandoned the kin whom they had been ordered to love, and shifted the building from its strong foundation and built it in other than its (proper) place.”<ref>''Nahj al-balagha'', Khutba 150, translated by Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi.</ref>

[['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'',<ref>Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, ''al-ʿIqd al-farīd'', vol. 5, p. 13.</ref> ''[[Tarikh al-Tabari]]'',<ref>Ṭabarī, ''Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk'', vol. 3, p. 202.</ref> ''Ansab al-ashraf'',<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 1, p. 586.</ref> ''al-Musannif'',<ref>Ibn Abī Shayba, ''al-Muṣannaf'', vol. 13, p. 469.</ref> and ''al-Imama wa al-siyasa''.<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsa'', vol. 1, p. 30.</ref> 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.<ref>Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, ''al-ʿIqd al-farīd'', vol. 5, p. 13.</ref> 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.”<ref>Ibn Qutayba, ''al-Imāma wa l-sīyāsa'', vol. 1, p. 30- 31.</ref>

[[Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi]] believes that ‘Umar’s threat to burn down Fatima’s (a) house, quoted in ''Ansab al-ashraf''<ref>Balādhurī, ''Ansāb al-ashrāf'', vol. 1, p. 586.</ref> and ''al-‘Aqd al-farid''<ref>Ibn ʿAbd Rabbih, ''al-ʿIqd al-farīd'', vol. 5, p. 13.</ref> among [[Sunni]] sources, could not be fabricated by Shia sympathizers or their friends’ political factions because Shias had no power in the first/seventh centuries and were a minority. Moreover, the report is recorded in western Islamic sources where Shias were not present. Shahidi believes that those present in Saqifa were more concerned with the government than with religion.<ref>Shahīdī, ''Zindigānī-i ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn (a)'', p. 109, 111- 112.</ref>