The virtuous researcher al-Khawajoo’i al-Mazandarani, one of the greatest Shi`a scholars of his time, has said the following in his dissertation titled Taraq al-Irshad (the venue of guiding):
As regarding their harming Fatima (A.S.), this is quite well known and is recorded in the Sunnis’ books. Abu Bakr sent some men to the house of the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.) when he refused to swear the oath of allegiance, setting it ablaze although Fatima (A.S.) and a group of Bani Hashim were inside it. They took Ali (A.S.) out and hit Fatima (A.S.), so she miscarried.
As regarding the answer of the Qawshaji wherein he says that Ali (A.S.) did not lax from swearing the oath of allegiance due to dissension or mutiny but to an excuse and to something which had then taken place, this answer prompts one to ask this question: “Had the matter been so, what prompted him to set his house to fire and take him out by force?!”
Had this delay (in swearing fealty to Abu Bakr) been for something which necessitated lagging behind others in swearing fealty, the issue as you have come to know being the necessity to neglect doing so and the valid excuse, in that case, there is no justification at all for getting him out by force or for setting his house on fire.
But if it was not like that, then how can anyone like Ali (A.S.) lag behind others in swearing fealty without an excuse rather than swear the oath of allegiance to an imam whom he regarded as fit for the imamate? “Whoever dies without having sworn the oath of allegiance to an Imam dies the death of the days of jahiliyya,” according to the narration of this hadith (of the Prophet [a]) by Ibn Mayman ibn Mahran.[1]
What was the fault of Fatima (A.S.) in all of this, and for what did she deserve to be beaten till she miscarried?!
After too much arguing, his statement proves what is stated because when he (al-Qawshaji) accepted the authenticity of the narrative, he did not cast any doubt about it. It clearly indicates that they beat Fatima (A.S.) severely. Before harming, they had already hurt the feelings of the Messenger of Allah...”[2]
Having mentioned a host of what Sunnis have narrated in paying tribute to Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.) and to Lady al-Zahra’ (A.S.), he said, “How do the Sunnis narrate these narratives then they oppress her, hurt her, confiscate what belongs to her, attribute telling lies and making a false claim to her, breaking her rib and causing her to miscarry...?”[3]
He also wrote saying, “So look, O wise, rational and terse reader, how the Sunnis narrate such narratives then oppress her, confiscate what belongs to her, break her rib and cause her to miscarry! So let one who imitates be forewarned... Our own sources indicate that she was an Infallible Lady, a truthful and a pleased martyr.”[4]
