Among the objections that Wahabis have expressed is:
How can it be believed that in spite of the fact that Ali (a) was
present in the house, his wife Fatima should
go to the door and such an accident should take place? Why Ali (a) himself or
another person from those present in the house did not step forward to open the
door? Can it be justified logically that Ali (a) should send Fatima
to the door when strangers were present behind it?
A. The door was open and Fatima went to the open door in order to close it
upon the persons who were besieging the house
As opposed to today’s custom, when in towns usually the doors are
kept closed all the time and only opened when someone knocks from outside, during
those days, like it is customary in many villages even today that the doors
usually remain open all day and only those who have sought permission can enter.
On the same basis, it is concluded from some traditional reports
that at the time of the occurrence of his incident the door was open and Lady
Fatima Zahra (s) was near it; and on seeing the attackers heading for her house
she went behind the door and closed it upon them.
The Late Ayyashi, Shaykh Mufeed and others have written:
The narrator states that Umar said: Get up, let us go to Ali. Abu
Bakr, Uthman, Khalid bin Walid, Mughira bin Shoba, Abu Ubaidah Jarrah, Saalim
the freed slave of Abu Huzaifah, Qunfadh and I stood up with them. When we came
near the house, Fatima saw us and that is why
she closed the door on our faces. Fatima was
certain that Umar will not enter without permission. Umar kicked and broke the
door, which was made of date trunks. He and his companions entered the house
and shouted ‘God is the greatest’ upon their success. They brought Ali (a) out
of the house.
In the report of Sulaym, it is also mentioned:
Umar came to the door of Ali and Fatima. Fatima
was seated behind the door. Her head was tied and her body had turned frail and
weak due to the loss of her father. Umar knocked at the door and said: Son of
Abu Talib, open the door. Fatima said: Umar,
what do you want from us? Leave us alone in the calamity that has befallen us.
Umar said: Open the door, otherwise I would burn down the house. Fatima asked: Do you not fear the Almighty Allah that we
are present in the house? Umar did not retreat and he called for fire and set
the door afire.