Objection 9 : How did the modesty of
Ali (a) allow that
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.[1]
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.[2]
On the other hand Lady Fatima Zahra (s) was sure that Umar and
the people accompanying him would not enter the house without permission
according to the commands of Quran and Islamic laws, because the commands of
Quran on all Muslims are as such.
يَا أَيُّهَا
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّىٰ
تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَىٰ أَهْلِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوا فِيهَا أَحَدًا فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا
حَتَّىٰ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ قِيلَ لَكُمُ ارْجِعُوا
فَارْجِعُوا ۖ هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ ﴿٢٨﴾
“O you who
believe! Do not enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked
permission and saluted their inmates; this is better for you, that you may be
mindful. But if you do not find anyone therein, then do not enter them until
permission is given to you; and if it is said to you: Go back, then go back;
this is purer for you; and Allah is Cognizant of what you do.” (Surah Nur
24:27-28)
In addition to the fact that the house of divine prophets is
having special position, it is necessary to accord more respect to them, as the
Holy Quran has advised this especially:
يَا
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَنْ
يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ
“O you who believe! do not enter the houses of the Prophet
unless permission is given to you…” (Surah Ahzab 33:53)
Without any doubt, the house of Lady Fatima Zahra (s) is also
considered as the house of the Prophet as clarified in numerous commentaries of
Ahle Sunnat scholars.
Famous Ahle Sunnat commentators, like Suyuti and others in the
commentary of the 36th verse of Surah Nur[3]
have narrated from the Messenger of Allah (s) that the house of Ali and Zahra (s)
is considered to be the most excellent of the houses of the prophets.[4]
In addition to this, it was expected that with attention to the
status of Lady Zahra (s) and respect of the Holy Prophet (s) in the view of
Muslims of the early period of Islam, the besiegers on seeing that lady would feel
ashamed and not barge into the house and go away from there as some persons did
on hearing the voice of Lady Zahra (s).
Ibne Qutaibah Dainawari writes:
Umar came to the house of Fatima
with a group of people. Fatima , on hearing the
voice of the crowd wailed in a loud voice: O Messenger of Allah (s)! After you
what all we had to suffer at the hands of the sons of Khattab (Umar) and Abu
Qahafa (Abu Bakr)?! Some people were moved by Fatima ’s
wailing and left the place weeping, but Umar remained there with other persons.[5]
Therefore, this objection returns to the shamelessness of the
attackers, who did not respect the sanctity of that house and its occupants and
it does not in any way harm the character of Lady Fatima Zahra (s) and Amirul
Momineen Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a).
A glance at the practice of the Prophet (s) in this matter is the
best rebuttal to the objection makers; because a number of instances are
mentioned in books of Shia and Sunni that His Eminence permitted his wives to
open the door for strangers.
1- Umme Salma and opening of the door for Ali (a):
The Messenger of Allah (s) emerged from the chambers of Zainab
binte Jahash and entered the room of Umme Salma since that day it was turn for
him to stay at her place. Not much time passed that Ali (a) knocked at the door
softly. The Messenger of Allah (s) woke up. Umme Salma did not reply. The
Prophet said: Get up and open the door…[6]
2- Ayesha and opening of the door at the command of the Messenger
of Allah (s):
Amirul Momineen (a) says: I recited the Morning Prayers with the
Messenger of Allah (s) and came out of the Masjid with him. His Eminence said:
I am going to the house of Ayesha. I also came to Fatima
and we all enjoyed the company of Hasan and Husain. After that I went to the
house of Ayesha and knocked at the door. She asked: Who’s there? I replied: Ali.
She said: The Prophet is asleep. I returned to my house and (after sometime)
again came to her place and knocked. She asked: Who’s there? I replied: Ali.
She said: The Prophet is busy. I could not remain patient anymore and I knocked
the third time. Ayesha asked: Who’s there? I replied: Ali. I heard the voice of
the Messenger of Allah (s) saying: Ayesha, open the door. Ayesha opened the
door and I entered…[7]
According to reports having correct chain of narrators, which Wahabis
have mentioned in most of their books, the Messenger of Allah (s) allowed Umar
bin Khattab to sit with Ayesha on the same dinner table and they have even
narrated that when they were eating from the same plate, the hand of Ayesha
touched against Umar’s.
Ibne Abi Shaybah in Musannaf, Bukhari in Adabul
Mufarrad, Ibne Abi Hatim, Ibne Kathir and others have mentioned in their
commentaries that:
The Messenger of Allah (s) was having his dinner with Ayesha when
Umar entered. His Eminence invited him to join them. Umar came forward and his
hand was in the dish when it touched Ayesha’s hand. Umar said: Oh, if the
Prophet had observed Hijab for his wives from me, no eye would have seen them.[8]
[1] Tafsir
Ayyashi, Vol. 2, Pg. 67, Abi Nadhar, Muhammad bin Masud bin Ayyash Salmi
Samarqandi, alias Ayyashi (d. 323 A.H.); Researched, edited and referenced by
Sayyid Hashim Rasooli Hamallati, Maktaba Ilmiya Islamiya, Tehran.
Al-Ikhtisaas,
Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Noman, Ibne Muallim Abi Abdullah Akbari Baghdadi
Shaykh Mufeed (d. 413 A.H.), Edited: Ali Akbar Ghaffari, Sayyid Mahmud Zarandi,
Darul Mufeed Lit Taba wan Nashar wa Tauzih, Beirut , Second Edition, 1414 - 1993.
Biharul Anwar, Vol.
28, Pg. 227, Muhammad Baqir Majlisi (d. 1111 A.H.), Edited: Muhammad Baqir
Bahbudi, Mausasul Wafa – Beirut – Lebanon, Second corrected edition, 1403 –
1983 A.D.
[2] Kitab
Sulaym bin Qays Hilali, Pg. 864, Sulaym bin Qays Hilali (d. 80 A.H.), Edited:
Muhammad Baqir Ansari, Intisharat Hadi - Qom ,
First edition, 1405 A.H.
[3] فِي
بُيُوتٍ أَذِنَ اللَّهُ أَنْ تُرْفَعَ وَيُذْكَرَ فِيهَا اسْمُهُ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ
فِيهَا بِالْغُدُوِّ وَالْآصَالِ ﴿٣٦﴾
“In houses which
Allah has permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them;
there glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings.”
[4]
Ibne Marduya has narrated from Ansar bin Malik and Buraidah that he said: The
Messenger of Allah (s) recited this verse: “In houses which Allah has
permitted to be exalted and that His name may be remembered in them; there
glorify Him therein in the mornings and the evenings.” A man stood up
and asked: Which house is this, O Messenger of Allah (s)? He replied: Houses of
the prophets. Abu Bakr stood up and asked: O Messenger of Allah (s), is the
house of Ali and Fatima from these houses. He replied: Yes, and more excellent
than them.
Ad-Durrul Manthur,
Vol. 6, Pg. 203, Abdur Rahman bin Kamaal Jalaluddin Suyuti (d. 911 A.H.), Darul Fikr, Beirut – 1993.
Al-Kashf wal Bayan (Tafsir
Thalabi), Vol. 7, Pg. 107, Abu Ishaq Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Thalabi
Nishapuri (d. 427 A.H. – 1035 A.D.), Darul Ahya Turath Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon,
1422 A.H. – 2002 A.D. First edition, Edited: Al-Imam Abu Muhammad bin Ashur,
Reference and research: Ustad Nazir Saadi.
Al-Jawahirul Ahsan fee
Tafseeru Quran (Tafsir Thaalabi), Vol. 7, Pg. 107, Abdur Rahman bin
Muhammad bin Makhluf Thaalabi (d. 875), Mausasal Aalami Lil Matbuat, Beirut.
Ruhul Maani fee Tafsirul
Quranil Azeem wa Saba Mathani, Vol. 18, Pg. 74, Allamah Abul Fadhl
Shahabuddin Sayyid Mahmud Alusi Baghdadi, (d. 1270 A.H.), Darul Ahya Turath
Arabi, Beirut.
[5] Al-Imamah
was Siyasah, Vol. 1, Pg. 16, Abu Muhammad Abdullah bin Muslim Ibne Qutaibah
Dainawari (d.276 A.H.), Edited: Khalil al-Mansur, Darul Kutub Ilmiya, Beirut,
1418 A.H. – 1997 A.D. Edited: Shiri, Vol. 1, Pg. 38, Edited: Zaini, Vol. 1, Pg.
24
[6] Tarikh
Medina Damishq wa Zikr Fadhlaha wa Tasmiya man Halha minal Amail, Vol. 42,
Pg. 470, Abul Qasim Ali bin Hasan Ibne Hibtullah bin Abdullah Shafei, (d. 571
A.H.), Darul Fikr, Beirut, 1995, Edited: Mohibbuddin Abi Saeed Umar bin Ghrama
Umari;
At-Tadween fee Akhbari
Qazween, Vol. 1, Pg. 89, Abdul Karim bin Muhammad Raafi-i Qazwini (d. 623
A.H.), Darul Kutubul Ilmiya, Beirut, Edited: Azizullah Attari, 1987 A.H.
[7] Al-Ihtijaj,
Vol. 1, Pg. 292 & 293, Abu Mansur Ahmad bin Ali bin Abu Talib Tabarsi (d.
548 A.H.), Edited with notes: Sayyid Muhammad Baqir Khorasan, Darun Noman Lit
Taba-a wan Nashr – Najaf Ashraf, 1386 A.H. 1966 A.D.
[8] Fathul
Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 8, Pg. 531, Abul Fadhl Ahmad bin Ali bin Hajar
Asqalani Shafei (d. 852 A.H.), Darul Marifa, Beirut – 1379, Edited: Muhibuddin
Khatib.
The above report is also
mentioned in reliable Ahle Sunnat sources.