TRADITIONS FROM BEHAR UL ANWAR REGARDING OPPRESSION

Tradition No 1 :

 Al-Majlisi, may Allah have mercy on him, detailed a letter sent by the second caliph to Mu`awiyah narrating what al-Zahra’ (A.S.) had to go through at his hand. Among its contents are the following details:

 

I went to his [Ali’s] house bent on getting him out of it. I said to the maid, Fidda, “Tell Ali (A.S.) to come out to swear fealty to Abu Bakr since all the Muslims have already done so.” She said, “The Commander of the Faithful (A.S.) is busy.” I said to her, “Leave such talk aside and tell him to come out or else we shall enter and get him out by force.”

Fatima (A.S.) came out and stood behind the door. She said, “O you folks of misguidance and falsehood, what are you saying, and what do you want?!” I said, “O Fatima!” Fatima (A.S.) said, “What do you want, `Omer?!” I said, “What is wrong with your cousin? Why did he send you to answer the door as he sat behind the curtain?” She said, “It is your own oppression, you wretch, that has forced me to come out thus and has tied you to the evidence as well as every misguided deviator.” I said, “Leave such falsehood and women’s fables aside and tell Ali to come out.” She said, “No love to you from us nor respect; are you scaring me with the Party of Satan, O `Omer?! Surely the Party of Satan is weak.” I decided that if he refused to come out, I would bring plenty of firewood and burn everyone in his house unless Ali is led to swear the oath of allegiance. I took the whip of Qunfath and hit her with it, then I said to Khalid ibn al-Walid, “Go, you and our men, and gather firewood, for I shall set it ablaze myself.” She said, “O enemy of Allah and of His Messenger and of the Commander of the Faithful!” I hit Fatima (A.S.) on the hand because she was holding the door, thus stopping me from entering it. I tried to open it but I could not, so I hit her hands with the whip, and it hurt her. I heard her exhaling and crying, and I almost felt that my heart was becoming soft, then I remembered Ali’s grudges and how much blood he had spilled of the heroes of the Arabs. I kicked the door. Fatima (A.S.) had supported the door with her body, and I heard her let a scream whereby I thought she turned Medina upside down. She said, “O Father! O Messenger of Allah! Should this be done the one your loved, to your daughter?! O Fidda! Take me, for by Allah what I have in my womb has been killed.” I heard her birth-pangs as she supported herself with the wall. I pushed he door and entered. She faced me with a face that caused my vision to be blurred, so I slapped her on her cheeks from outside the veil. Her ear-ring was crushed into bits and pieces that scattered on the ground. Ali (A.S.) came out. When I realized his presence, I hurried to get out of the house and said to Khalid, Qunfath and those in their company, “I have been saved from something tremendous!” According to another narrative, he said, “I have committed a great crime from which I do not feel safe for my life at all, and here is Ali (A.S.) coming out of the house. Neither I nor all of you combined can overpower him. Ali (A.S.) came out. She hit with her hands her forelock to expose it and to complain to Allah, the Great, because of what had befallen her. Ali (A.S.) shrew her outer mantle on her saying, `O daughter of the Messenger of Allah (A.S.)! Allah sent your father as a mercy to the worlds... so, O Head of the Women of the World, you too should be a mercy to these afflicted folks and do not be a torment.’ The pain of child-birth intensified. She entered the room and miscarried a child whom Ali (A.S.) named Muhassan. I gathered many people, not to overpower Ali (A.S.) but so that I feel more safe. I approached him as he was besieged and took him out of his house... Abu Bakr said to me, `Woe unto you, O Abu Bakr! What have you done to Fatima?!”

.Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 30, p. 293-95. Al-Khasabi, Al-Hidaya al-Kubra, p. 417.  

Tradition no 2 :

Al-Ishnani quotes his grandfather quoting Muhammed ibn `Ammar quoting Masa ibn Isma`il quoting Hammad ibn Salamah quoting Aba al-Tufayl quoting Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S.) saying that the Messenger of Allah (A.S.) said to him, “O Ali (A.S.)! There is a treasure for you in Paradise, and you are Thul-Qarnain (Double-horns) of this nation, so do not follow your eyes while performing the prayers.” Al-Saduq has said, “I have heard some mentors saying this treasure is his son al-Muhassan, the one whom Fatima (A.S.) miscarried when she was squeezed between both doors.” He cites evidence from a narration saying that Muhassan will be at the gate of Paradise. He will be told to enter, but he will refuse saying, “No! I shall not enter till both my parents enter first.”

Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 39, pp. 41-42. Ma`ani al-Akhbar, pp. 205-07

Tradition No 3 : 

 Ibn Tawus has said the following in his will to his son: “I have mentioned to you among the most interesting incidents how they wanted to burn with fire the house of Fatima (A.S.) and everyone inside it. Al-`Abbas, your grandfather Ali (A.S.), al-Hasan (A.S.), al-Husain (A.S.) and other good people were then inside it.”

Ibn Tawus, Kashf al-Mahajja, p. 115 (1412 A.H. edition published by the Office of Islamic Information, Qum, Iran).

Tradition No 4 :

Al-Majlisi I, in his commentary on the book titled Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, upon reaching the topic of how Fatima (A.S.) was martyred:

 

She, peace and blessings of Allah be upon her, was martyred because of the beating which received at the hands of `Omer [ibn al-Khattab]... He hit her stomach with the door when he wanted the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.) to swear the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr. Qunfath, slave of `Omer, hit her with the whip as he had ordered him. The incident is very well known by both Sunnis and Shi`as and it is detailed in the book by SALIM ibn Qais al-Hilali. Due to the beating, a male child named Muhassan was carried. This is also mentioned in the book titled Al-Irshad by al-Mufid (may Allah be pleased with him.).”

Rawdat al-Muttaqin, Vol. 5, p. 342