Marriage of Umm Kulthum with 'Umar b. al-Khattab

The marriage of Umm Kulthūm with ʿUmar b. Khaṭṭāb is an alleged Islamic historical event over which there has been controversy between Shiite and Sunni Muslims with respect to its motivations, the way it happened, and even whether it took place at all. Sunni sources have emphasized that the marriage between 'Umar and Umm Kulthum, (Imam 'Ali (a)'s daughter), did in fact take place. Some Shiite sources cited the event, but some Shiite scholars rejected the occurrence of this marriage. In some hadiths, Shiite Imams (a) have pointed to this marriage, saying that it occurred under duress. Many books are written to reject the view that this marriage took place.

Why is it important?

The reason why it is important for Shiite and Sunni sources is that some Sunni scholars took the occurrence of this marriage to be evidence that there was no dispute between Imam 'Ali (a) and 'Umar b. Khattab in the early Islam after the events of Saqifa Bani Sa'ida, showing that in Imam 'Ali (a)'s view, caliphate was not usurped by 'Umar and that Fatima al-Zahra (a) was not martyred as Shiites say she was.

The motivation for marriage

'Umar b. Khttab is quoted as saying that what moved him to this marriage was not pleasure; rather it was a hadith he heard from the Prophet (s) that on Dooms Day (or Yawm al-Qiyama), all relations will be cut except relations with me.

This has been cited in Shiite sources as well in a hadith from Imam al-Rida (a). However, in response it has been said that even if the hadith cited by 'Umar b. Khattab and Sunni Muslims is true, it is conditional upon the Prophet (s)'s being satisfied and happy with the person; otherwise, many relatives of the Prophet (s), such as Abu Jahl, would be saved on Dooms Day just in virtue of their relationships with the Prophet (s). Moreover, 'Umar's daughter, Hafsa bt. 'Umar, was married to the Prophet (s), and so 'Umar already had a relationship with the Prophet (s).

The first account: the occurrence of the marriage

Most Sunni scholars have emphasized that the marriage did take place—they have even mentioned the amount of mahr and their children.

Al-Tabari gives the following account of this marriage: 'Umar first proposed marriage with Umm Kulthum bt. Abu Bakr to her sister, 'A'isha. 'A'isha talked with her sister, Umm Kulthum. But because of 'Umar's strictness with respect to women, Umm Kulthum rejected the proposal. 'Amr b. As told 'Umar about the rejection of his proposal, and introduced Umm Kulthum bt. 'Ali (a) to 'Umar in order to make a relationship between him and the Prophet (s).

Some Sunni sources have said that 'Umar proposed for marriage on his own: he asked 'Ali b. Abi Talib (a) to give him the permission to marry Umm Kulthum. However, Imam 'Ali (a) said that she is too young. 'Umar said: "She is not too young; you do not want to let me marry her. So send her to me so that I can see her." Imam 'Ali (a) sent her to 'Umar. When 'Umar saw her, he told her to tell her father that it is not as he says. Then Imam 'Ali (a) agreed to let them marry.

According to some other Sunni sources, in their meeting, 'Umar touched Umm Kulthum's shins and uncovered them. Umm Kulthum told him: "I would blind your eyes and break your nose had you not been a Caliph." When she went back to her father, she complained and said: "You have sent me to a bad old man." Sibt b. Jawzi says about this action of 'Umar that such an action is wrong even if she were a bondwoman; 'Umar had no right to do this because by the consensus of all Muslims, it is forbidden to touch a non-Mahram woman's body.

Some Shiite scholars have accepted that such a marriage took place. Al-Kulayni cites a hadith according to which after 'Umar's death, Imam 'Ali (a) took Umm Kulthum back to his house.

According to some sources, Imam 'Ali (a) undertook the charges of the marriage. According to others, 'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib or Imam al-Hasan (a) and Imam al-Husayn (a) undertook its charges.

Coercive marriage

Given some hadiths, a number of Shiite scholars have accepted that the marriage took place, but they take it to be under duress or coercive. For example, al-Sayyid al-Murtada says that Imam 'Ali (a) consented to this marriage under duress and out of taqiyya, and by the intercession of his uncle, 'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib. In his reply to a question about 'Umar's marriage with Umm Kulthum, he says: "The marriage was not out of Imam 'Ali (a)'s consent; however, after frequent requests by 'Umar that would lead to quarrels, the marriage took place." There are hadiths in this regard: for example, Imam al-Sadiq (a) was asked about Umm Kulthum's marriage with 'Umar; he answered: "this is the first marriage in Islam that was usurped." In al-Kafi, there is a hadith according to which Imam 'Ali (a) refused 'Umar's request to marry Umm Kulthum, because she was too young. However, 'Umar went to 'Abbas b. 'Abd al-Muttalib, Imam 'Ali (a)'s uncle, threatening that he would destroy the spring of Zamzam, denigrate their reputation by bringing a witness to testify that 'Ali has committed theft, thereby cutting his right hand. 'Abbas told everything to Imam 'Ali (a), asking him to leave the affair to him, and the Imam (a) accepted the request.

The second account: the marriage did not take place

Some Shiite scholars have denied the whole story. Al-Shaykh al-Mufid says: "the hadith about Umm Kulthum's marriage with 'Umar is not reliable; its narrator is Zubayr b. Bakkar who was an enemy of Imam 'Ali (a)." Ibn Shahrashub quotes Abu Muhammad Nawbakhti as saying that there was a marriage vow, but since Umm Kulthum was too young, 'Umar had to wait until she grows up, but before their wedding, 'Umar passed away. According to Zabih Allah Mahallati, a reflection reveals that such a marriage never took place. Also some contemporary scholars have made arguments to show that the marriage did not take place.

Aqa Buzurg Tihrani mentions some books that have denied such a marriage:

• Ifham al-a'da wa al-khusum fi nafy 'aqd Umm Kulthum , by Nasir Husayn b. Amir Hamid Husayn.

• Tazwij Umm Kulthum bt. Amir al-Mu'minin wa inkar wuqu'ih (ithbat 'adamih) (The marriage of Umm Kulthum and the denial of its occurrence (showing its non-occurrence)) by Muhammad Jawad Balaghi.

• Radd al-Khawarij fi jawab radd al-Shia published in Urdu in Lahore.

• Risala fi tazwij 'Umar li Umm Kulthum bt. 'Ali (a) by Sulayman b. 'Abd Allah Mahuzi; just like al-Shaykh al-Mufid and Ibn Shahrashub, he denied the marriage.

• Al-'Ijala al-mufhima fi ibtal riwaya nikah Umm Kulthum by Sayyid Mustafa Dildar 'Ali al-Naqawi.

• Qawl Mahtum fi 'Aqd Umm Kulthum by Sayyid Kiramat 'Ali Hindi.

• Kanz Maktum fi hall 'aqd Umm Kulthum by Sayyid 'Ali Azhar al-Hindi.

Some contemporary scholars have written books on the denial of this marriage; for example, Sayyid 'Ali Milani has written books such as Tazwij Umm Kulthum min 'Umar (Marriage of Umm Kulthum with 'Umar) and Fi khabar tazwij Umm Kulthum min 'Umar (On the hadith regarding Umm Kulthum's marriage with 'Umar).

The third account: Umm Kulthum, Abu Bakr's daughter

Some scholars have suggested that the Umm Kulthum who married 'Umar was the daughter of Abu Bakr, rather than Imam 'Ali (a). A Sunni scholar, al-Nawawi, has accepted this account in his book, Tahdhib al-asma'. In a footnote on the book, Ihqaq al-haqq, Ayatollah Mar'ashi Najafi accepts this account. He takes Umm Kulthum to be Asma' bt. 'Umays, Abu Bakr's wife, who married Imam 'Ali (a) after Abu Bakr's death. Imam 'Ali (a) took her daughter, Umm Kulthum, to his own house, and then she was married to 'Umar. Since she was Imam 'Ali (a)'s step-daughter, some people mistook her to be Imam 'Ali (a)'s daughter, rather than Abu Bakr's.

External Links

• The material for writing this article has been mainly taken from ازدواج ام کلثوم با عمر بن خطاب in farsi wikishia.