Continued from part 3........
One more point
All the scholars & historians of AhleSunnah who have narrated the events of J. Fatima Zahra (s.a.)& her demand for inheritance, have also discussed the matter of H. Ali’s(a.s.) allegiance.
Ibn Qutaibah Dainoori writes in his book “Al-Imamat-o-was-Siyaasato”, vol. 1, p. 13,
“All those who did not pledge their allegiance to Abu Bakr were present in the house of H. Ali (a.s.). Abu Bakr sent Umar to arrest them. When Umar reached there, he asked them to come out of the house but they refused. Umar asked his men to collect some firewood and he placed it at the door of H.Ali (a.s.) and shouted, “I swear by the One in whose hands lies the life of Umar. Either you come out of the house or I will set it ablaze and burn you to death” Someone said from inside, “O Abu Hafs (kuniyat of Umar)! J. Zahra is in the house”. Umar replied “So what? I don’t care.” Umar, along with his companions had reached the door of J. Zahra (s.a.). She heard their menacing voices and complained to Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) loudly,
“O my beloved father! O Messenger of Allah! After your demise, Ibn Khattab & Ibn Quhafah crushed us with calamities.”
When the rioters heard the voice of J. Zahra, they were taken aback and felt ashamed. They too began to cry and withdrew themselves. Only Umar (and a few of his cronies) were left standing at the door.Finally they arrested H. Ali (a.s.) and dragged him to Abu Bakr and compelled him to pay allegiance.
H. Ali (a.s.) asked, “What if I refuse?”
l They said, “I swear by the One besides whom there is no other god! We will behead you”
l H. Ali (a.s.) said, “In that case you have killed a servant of Allah and the brother of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)”
l They said, “You may be a servant of Allah,but not the brother of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)”
All this while, Abu Bakr was a silent spectator. Umar snubbed him and said, “Why don’t you order H. Ali (a.s.) to give you allegiance?” Abu Bakr replied, “Till the time J. Fatima (s.a.) is with him I shudder to do such a thing.” At that time, H. Ali (a.s.) turned towards the blessed grave of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and uttered the same words that H. Haroon had told to H. Moosa(a.s.)when the Bani Israel had turned their backs to him (H. Haroon(a.s.)) and began worshipping the cow. At that time H. Haroon told H. Moosa(a.s.)
قَالَ ابْنَ اُمَّ اِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُوۡنِیۡ وَکَادُوۡا یَقْتُلُوۡنَنِیۡ.
“O son of my mother! Indeed the people weakened me (i.e. rebelled against me) and it was certain that they would have killed me”[1]
Later, Umar told Abu Bakr, “Let us proceed to the house of J. Zahra and apologise to her since we have offended and displeased her. They sought her permission to enter the house but she refused. They exhorted her in the name of H. Ali (a.s.). Finally she let them in the house. But when they entered the house, J. Zahra turned her face away from them and stared at the wall. They saluted her but she did not reply to their salutations. Abu Bakr started speaking in an apologetic voice, “O the beloved of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)! I swear by the Messenger of Allah! I respect and cherish you more than my own relatives. In fact I hold you dearer than Ayesha. Alas!If only I too would have died along with Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)! I would not have lived to see this day”
At that time, J. Zahra(s.a.) narrated a tradition of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). She said,
“I ask you by the oath of Allah! Have you not heard the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) say, ‘The satisfaction of Fatima (s.a.) is my (s.a.w.a.) satisfaction and her displeasure is my displeasure?’ Have you not heard him say, ‘The one who befriends Fatima (s.a.) has befriended me and the one who makes her happy has made me happy?’ Did he not say, ‘The one who makes her angry has in fact made me angry?”
All of them confessed that they had indeed heard the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) narrate such a thing. Then J. Zahra (s.a.) said,
“I make Allah and His angels as a witness that both of you have displeased me and have made me angry. When I meet Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), I will certainly complain about you to him”
On hearing this Abu Bakr said, “I seek refuge in Allah from His wrath and also from your anger.” Saying this Abu Bakr wept hysterically. But J. Zahra (s.a.) said,
“I swear by Allah! I will curse both of you after every obligatory prayer”
Hearing all this, Abu Bakr became very sad and remorseful. After coming out of the house, he told the people, “All of you will go home to your wives and sleep peacefully leaving me in this mess. I don’t need your allegiance. Please break it and leave me alone.”
Sending of Umar by Abu Bakr; threat of Umar to burn down the house along with its inhabitants; setting ablaze the house of J. Zahra etc are all events mentioned in many books of AhleSunnah. Some of them are
l Tareekh Abi Fida’a, vol. 1, p. 156, published by Daar-ul-Maarefat, Beirut 1404 AH
l Al Oqd-ud-Fareed, vol. 5, p. 13, published by Daar-ul-Kutub-ul-Aalemiyaah, Beirut
The threat of Umar to burn down the house of H. Ali (a.s.)
l Tareekh Tabari, vol. 2, p. 223, published by Daar-ul-Kutub-ul-Aalemiyaah, Beirut 1408 AH
Allah says in the Holy Quran
اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَیُؤْذُوۡنَ اللہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ لَعَنَہُمُ اللہُ فِی الدُّنْیَا وَ الْاٰخِرَۃِ وَ اَعَدَّ لَہُمْ عَذَابًا مُّہِیۡنًا
.
“Surely those who trouble Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world as well as the Hereafter and has prepared for them a disgraceful chastisement.”(Surah Ahzab, verse 57)
Masoor ibn Mukhramah narrates the following tradition from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.),
...إِنَّمَا فَاطِمَةُ اِبْنَتِيْ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّيْ يُرِيْبُنِيْ مَا أَرَابَهَا وَ يُؤْذِيْنِيْ مَا آذَاهَا.
“Certainly Fatima (s.a.) is my beloved and cherished daughter. The one who angers her has angered me and the one who troubles her has troubled me”(HilyatulAwliyah, vol. 2, p. 40, published by Daar-ul-Fikr, Beirut)
Continued in part 5 ....
[1] Surah A’araf, verse 15
