The crowd left towards the house of Hazrat Ali (a.s.). The harbored the intention of burning down the house along with the inhabitants.[1] Ibn Abi Ka’ab reports that we heard the neighing of horses, the clatter of bridles and the clanging of spears. We left our houses. The crowd had already gathered at the house of Hazrat Ali (a.s.).[2] Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.) was standing behind the door. There was a bandage on her head. It was obvious that she had been weakened by the relentless grief for her father[3] – the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). When she saw the approaching crowd, she shut the door to her house. She was confident that these people would not enter the house without her permission.[4]
The people reached the door and knocked on it with great force.[5] They began pushing and pulling at the door violently. They kept on hurling abuses at the inhabitants of the house[6] and insisting that they do the bay’at of Abu Bakr.[7] Umar shouted, “O son of Abu Talib, open the door![8] I swear by Allah that if you do not open the door, I will burn it down.[9] I swear by the One in whose Hands is my life, come out and do bay’at or else I will set this house on fire. O Ali, come out and accept the verdict of the people, or else we will wage war with you.[10]
O son of Abu Talib! If you do not come out and pay allegiance to Abu Bakr like the others, I will burn the house down along with its residents.[11]
O son of Abu Talib! Open the door or else we will set your house on fire.[12] Step out to do bay’at – pay allegiance to the caliph of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) or we shall set fire to your house.[13] O Ali, come out or we shall set this house ablaze.[14]
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.) positioned herself behind the door of the house and reproached him saying, “O deviated people and liars, what are you saying! What is your intention!”
Umar replied, “O Fatemah!”
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “O Umar, what do you want?”
Umar: “What has happened to the son of your uncle? Why has he sent you and remained hidden behind the curtain?”
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “O accursed person! I have come out on account of your excesses. I wish to complete my proof upon you and on every deviated person.”
Umar: “Leave all this aside. Do not narrate the stories of women and ask Ali to come out.”
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “Don’t you have any shame? Do you wish to frighten me with a group from Shaitaan? O Umar, know that the party of Shaitaan is weak!”
Umar: “If Ali does not appear, know that I have collected a huge pile of wood and will burn the house along with its inhabitants if he does not do bay’at.”[15]
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “O Umar, why don’t you go and let us remain in our own condition?”
Umar: “Open the door or else, I will burn it down!”[16]
As per another narration, Umar said, “O Fatemah, daughter of the Prophet (s.a.w.)! Send the people gathered in your house outside. Like the other Muslims, they too must submit (give bay’at). Or else, I will set the entire house ablaze.”[17]
As per another narration, Umar said, “You too should accept what has been accepted by the community.”[18] In yet another narration, Umar said, “O Fatemah! Why have these people gathered in your house? If they do not given themselves up, I will burn the house down along with its inhabitants.”[19]
A fourth narration reports that Umar said to Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.), “Take out the people hidden in your house, or else, I will burn the house down along with its dwellers.”
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “Will you burn my children along with my house?”
Umar: “Yes! I swear by Allah, (I will do it) if they do not come out and give bay’at.”[20]
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “O Ibne Khattab! Will you bear the sight of my burning house?”
Umar: “Yes!”[21]
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “Woe be upon you! Do you wish to do away with the progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.)? Do you wish to extinguish the light of Allah? But know that Allah (s.w.t.) will complete His light.”
Umar: “Enough has been said, O Fatemah! Keep quiet! Mohammed (s.a.w.) is no longer with us and neither are those angels who bring the revelation and the orders from Allah (s.w.t.). Now there are just us Muslims. If you wish, send out your family members to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr or else, I will burn your house down.”
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.) (while crying): “O Allah! We put forward a complaint to you about the absence of Your Prophet (s.a.w.), Your Messenger and Chosen One! We appeal to You that the ummat gathered in opposition to us. O Lord! Those rights which You revealed in Your book, and through Your Prophet (s.a.w.) ordained for us, the ummat is snatching away those very rights.”
Umar: “O Fatemah! Leave aside the behavior of women and do not say such useless things! Allah (s.w.t.) will never grant both messengership (nabuwwat) and leadership (khilafat) in the same house.”[22]
Janabe’ Zahra (s.a.): “O Umar! Don’t you have the fear of Allah in your heart that you wish to enter my house and assault me.”
Umar stood his ground and refused to budge from there.[23]
[1] Eqdul Fareed, volume 4 page 242; Taarekhe’ Abul Fida’, volume 1 page 156; Amali Shaykh Mufeed, page 50
[2] Kaukabe' Durriyah, page 194/195
[3] Sulaym Ibne' Qays page 250
[4] Tafseer'e Ayyashi, volume 2 page 67; Al Ikhtesas, page 176
[5] Dalaelul Imamah volume 2; Behaarul Anwaar, volume 30 page 290; Al Kashkul, page 73/74
[6] Hadeeqatush Shiah, page 30
[7] Ash Shafi by Ibne’ Hamzah, volume 4 page 171
[8] Sulaym Ibne' Qays, page 250
[9] Ilmul Yaqeen by Allamah Jauhari and from this in Shar'he Nahjul Balagha, volume 2 page 56. A similar narration in Tareekhe’ Tabari, volume 3 page 202; Al Mustarshid, page 378
[10] Al Hidayatul Kubra page 406; Behaarul Anwaar, volume 53 page 13
[11] Al Kashkul, page 73/74
[12] Kamil Bahai, page 305
[13] Sulaym Ibne' Qays, page 73
[14] Kaukabe' Durriyah, page 194/195
[15] Dalaelul Imamah, volume 2; Behaarul Anwaar, volume 30 page 293
[16] Sulaym Ibne' Qays, page 47-73 and page 250
[17] Al Jamal, page 117
[18] Rauzatul Manazer, volume 11 page 113
[19] Kamil Bahai, volume 2 page 24
[20] At Taraef, page 239; Nahjul Haq, page 271
[21] An Nasabul Ashraf, volume 1 page 576
[22] Al Hidayatul Kubra, page 407; Behaarul Anwaar, volume 53 page 18
[23] Sulaym Ibne' Qays, page 74 and page 250
