Objection 4: Report of ‘
In one of their objections, the Wahabis have mentioned:
We have numerous authentic traditional reports, which mention the
proposal of Ali (r) to Juwairiya, Abu Jahl’s daughter, which say that when
Fatima (r) was yet alive, Ali (r) sent a proposal to Abu Jahl’s daughter. When Fatima came to know about this, she was extremely
distraught and the Holy Prophet (s) also, after coming to know about it, came
to the Masjid and said: “Fatima is a part of
me; one, who has hurt her, has in fact hurt me.”
In spite of these traditional reports, why do the Shia try to use
this report as condemnation of Abu Bakr and Umar, whereas the Prophet was
himself infuriated and displeased with his son-in-law – Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a)
– may Allah honor his countenance – and he mentioned the captioned tradition?
The true source of the fiction of the marriage proposal of Amirul
Momineen (a) to Abu Jahl’s daughter, Juwairiya, is the traditional report,
which Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari has mentioned in a number of places in his Sahih.
First, we would quote the original version and then analyze it:
That when they (caravan of Ahle Bayt) reached Medina after
returning from (captivity in Shaam with) Yazid bin Muawiyah after the martyrdom
of Husain bin Ali (may Allah bestow His Mercy upon him), Al-Miswar bin Makhrama
met him and asked, “Do you have any need you may order me to satisfy?” Ali
said, “No.” Al-Miswar asked, “Will you give me the sword of Allah’s Apostle for
I am afraid that people may take it from you by force? By Allah, if you give it
to me, they will never be able to take it till I die. [till Makhrama said in
the due course] When Ali bin Abi Talib asked for the hand of Abi Jahl’s
daughter to be his wife besides Fatima , I
heard Allah’s Apostle on his pulpit delivering a sermon in this connection
before the people, and I had then attained puberty. Allah’s Apostle said: Fatima is from me, and I am afraid she will be subjected
to trials in her religion (because of jealousy). The Prophet then mentioned one
of his sons-in-law from the tribe of Abu Shams, and praised him as a good
son-in-law, saying: Whatever he said was the truth, and he promised me and
fulfilled his promise. I do not make a legal thing illegal, nor do I make an
illegal thing legal, but by Allah, the daughter of Allah’s Apostle and the
daughter of the enemy of Allah, (i.e. Abu Jahl) can never get together (as the
wives of one man).”[1]
Bukhari has written, on another occasion in his book:
Narrated Al-Miswar bin Makhrama: Ali asked for the hand of Abu
Jahl’s daughter. Fatima heard of this and went to Allah’s Apostle saying, “Your
people think that you do not become angry for the sake of your daughters as Ali
is now going to marry Abu Jahl’s daughter. “On that Allah’s Apostle got up and
after his recitation of Tashahud. I heard him saying, “Then after! I married
one of my daughters to Abul Aas bin Rabi (the husband of Zainab, the daughter
of Prophet) before Islam and he proved truthful in whatever he said to me. No
doubt, Fatima is a part of me; I hate to see
her being troubled. By Allah, the daughter of Allah’s Apostle and the daughter
of Allah’s enemy cannot be wives of one man.” So Ali gave up that engagement.[2]
Although other traditional reports also exist in this regard in Ahle
Sunnat books of traditions, but since Bukhari is considered to be the most
important traditional book of Ahle Sunnat, we have analyzed the reports of this
book. Without any doubt, if the suggestions of these reports are clarified the
implication of the rest of them would also become clear.
Before the analysis of Bukhari, it is appropriate to state the
viewpoint of Ahle Bayt (a) regarding this fiction.
Shaykh Saduq (r) has, in his Amali, narrated from Imam
Sadiq (a) a detailed report concerning this:
Al-Qama says: I asked Imam Sadiq (a): O son of the Messenger of
Allah (s), people (Ahle Sunnat) accuse us (Shia) of committing vile acts; in
such a way that it has made us extremely distressed. Imam (a) said: O Al-Qama, man
cannot invite the attention of people and bridle their tongues. How can you
remain safe from that from which the prophets, messengers and successors had
not remained safe? Did they not accuse Yusuf of having intention to commit
fornication? Did they not say about Ayyub (a) that he was involved in those
calamities due to his sins? Did they not say about Prophet Dawood (a) that he
pursued the bird till he glanced at the wife of Uriya for a moment and became
infatuated with her; and in order to achieve his aim, he sent the husband of
that woman to the battlefront and placed him before the Ark of Covenant till he
was killed and after that he married her?... Did they not accuse the Messenger
of Allah (s) of being partial to his cousin, Ali (a) and that he spoke under
the influence of his selfish desires…and they have said more than this
regarding his successors…Did they not allege that the chief of successors, Ali
Ibne Abi Talib (a) wanted to marry Abu Jahl’s daughter while having Fatima as a
wife? And that the Prophet in the presence of Muslims ascended the pulpit and
complained about him saying: O people, Ali wants to bring the daughter of the
enemy of God upon the head of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. Know that
Fatima is a part of me; one, who has hurt her,
has in fact hurt me and one who has pleased her has in fact pleased me and
whoever has infuriated her has in fact made me furious….[3]
