Report of Allamah Balazari (270 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

Balazari says in Ansabul Ashraf:

Abu Bakr sent for Ali (a) to pay allegiance to him and when he refused to pay the allegiance, Umar went to the house of Fatima (s) with a burning torch. Fatima came behind the door and asked: O son of Khattab, do you want to burn down my door? Umar replied: Yes, this would strengthen the religion of your father.[1]

Objections of Wahabism to the chains of narrators of Allamah Balazari

Abdur Rahman Damishqiya, whose objection against the report of Ibne Abi Shaybah about the threat of Umar to burn down the house of revelation was mentioned a little while ago, has also expressed doubt in that inappropriate act and on the chain of this report as well in his article and said:

The chain of reporters of this tradition is disconnected on one side and on the other side Sulaiman Teemi is a companion of companions (Tabii) and there is a great gap between Balazari and him; how can he quote from him without an intermediary. The objection against this report is that Ibne Aun is the last companion of companions and there was a long gap between him and Abu Bakr.

Research into the chain of narrators of this report clearly shows that this objection of Abdur Rahman Damishqiya accompanied with ridicule and taunts more resembles academic objection, because we claim that this report is also perfectly genuine on the basis of sources of narrators of Ahle Sunnat traditions and if Allah wills, we will prove this claim.[2]

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[1] Ansabul Ashraf, Balazari, Vol. 1, Pg. 586

[2] Investigation into the chain of reporters of traditional report:

Balazari has narrated the traditional report through this chain of reporters:

Madaini from Muslimah bin Maharib from Sulaiman Teemi from Ibne Aun: Indeed Abu Bakr…

1- Madaini:

Dhahabi has said about Madaini that:

Madaini: Allamah Hafiz Sadiq Abul Hasan Ali bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abi Saif Madaini Akhbari: He was a history scholar and was learned about battles, expeditions and poems, and regarding these matters he is included among the accurate reporters.

In continuation of the statement of Yahya bin Moin, he writes:

Yahya bin Moin has said regarding him thrice: He is reliable. He is reliable. He is reliable.

Seer Aalamun Nubla, Vol. 10, Pg. 401, Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman bin Qaimaz Dhahabi, Abu Abdullah (d. 748), Mausisatur Risala, Beirut, 1413, Ninth edition, Edited: Shuaib Arnaut, Muhammad Naeem Arqasusi.

Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafyatul Mashahir wal Aalaam, Vol. 16, Pg. 290, Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman Dhahabi (d. 748 A.H.), Darul Kitab al-Arabi, Lebanon, Beirut, 1407 A.H. – 1987 A.D. First edition, Edited: Dr. Umar Abdus Salam Tadmiri.

2- Muslimah bin Maharib:

Ibne Hibban has described him in Kitabus Thiqat; therefore doubt of anonymity of this person is invalid.

Ath-Thiqat: Ibne Hibban, Vol. 7, Pg. 490

3- Sulaiman Teemi:

Mizzi has said in Tahdhibul Kamaal:

Rabi bin Yahya has narrated from Shoba bin Hajjaj that he said: I have not seen anyone more truthful than Sulaiman. Whenever he narrated traditions from the Holy Prophet (s), his expression used to change.

Tahdhibul Kamaal, Vol. 12, Pg. 8, Biography of Sulaiman bin Tarqan Teemi, Abu Motamar Basri, no. 2531 – Al-Jirha wa Tadeel, Vol. 4, Pg. 124, Biography Sulaiman Teemi, no. 539.

4- Abdullah bin Aun:

Some have objected that the report is Maqtu (cut off) over here as he has not narrated the report from companions whereas Safdi, an important Ahle Sunnat scholar has said regarding Ibne Aun:

Possibility exists for him that he heard reports from a group of companions.

Al-Wafi bil Wafiyat, Vol. 17, Pg. 390, under the biography of Hafiz Mazni Abdullah bin Aun bin Artaban Abu Aun al-Mazni, no. 320.

This is when reports exists mentioning the companionship of this person, as Ibne Saad has narrated in Tabaqatul Kubra:

Ibne Aun was very eager to meet the Holy Prophet (s) [at last he got this chance and] a shortly before the passing away of the Prophet, he was able to see him and was extremely elated for this…

Tabaqatul Kubra, Vol. 7, Pg. 198, under the biography of Abdullah bin Aun bin Artaban, No. 3232, Darul Kutub Ilmiya, (Beirut, Lebanon).

So much so that if we suppose that Ibne Aun was not a companion and that he was a companion of companions (Tabii), even then no harm comes to this report; as the father of science of narrators (Ilme Rijal) of Ahle Sunnat, Shoba bin Hajjaj says regarding him:

My doubt about Ibne Aun is better and more acceptable than the certainty of others.

Preface to Al-Jirha wa Tadeel, Pg. 145

And Ibne Mubarak says:

I have not seen anyone superior to Ibne Aun and Shoba has said: My doubt about Ibne Aun is better and more acceptable than the certainty of others.

Seer Aalamun Nubla, Vol. 6, Pg. 365, Shamsuddin Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Uthman bin Qaimaz Dhahabi, Abu Abdullah (d. 748), Mausisatur Risala, Beirut, 1413 A.H., Ninth edition, Edited: Shuaib Arnaut, Muhammad Naeem Arqasusi.

Mizzi has also written in Tahdhibul Kamaal:

Umar bin Habib says: I heard Uthman Batti say: My eyes have not seen anyone like Aun (in excellence and superiority).

And many more other praises are mentioned about him, but we refrain to quote them here:

Tahdhibul Kamaal, Vol. 15, Pg. 399, Yusuf bin Zaki Abdur Rahman Abul Hajjaj al-Mizzi (d. 742 A.H.), Edited: Dr. Bishar Awad Maruf, Mausisatur Risala, Beirut, First edition, 1400 A.H. – 1980 A.D.

Consequently, as we stated:

Firstly: Some Ahle Sunnat scholars have clarified that he was a companion and he met the Messenger of Allah (s) in his last days; he was present during the incident of attack on the house of Fatima (s) and was aware of the issue.

Secondly: Supposing that the report is disconnected and it is mentioned by Ibne Aun of his own accord; in that case also it is sufficient to prove our claim, because a person like Ibne Aun, doubt in whom is same as certainty among Ahle Sunnat scholars…is sufficient for us and is sufficient to prove genuineness of the report.

Building Mosques Over Graves - ON THE SAD OCCASION OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE GRAVES OF JANNATUL BAQI BY THE WAHABIS ( 8TH SHAWWAL -1345 AH / April 21, 1925)

Pre-Islamic instances of mosques built over graves:

The following list is merely indicative and should not be treated as exhaustive:

1. Prophet Dawood (a.s.) in Quds, Israel

2. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) in Hebron, Israel

3. Prophet Is’haaq (a.s.) in Hebron

4. Prophet Yaqoob (a.s.) in Hebron

5. Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) in Hebron

All these graves were elevated structures of stones and remained in this condition even after the spread of Islam in Quds. (Kashf al-Irteyaab, pg 306)

Even Ibn Taimiyyah admits that the structure over Prophet Ibrahim’s (a.s.) grave existed when Islam reached Hebron and in the very presence of companions, none of whom raised any objection. Only thing is the door to the mausoleum (of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.)) remained closed till 400 AH.
(Majma’ al-Fataawaa of Ibn Taimiyyah vol 27 pg 141)

 list of some instances to prove the point that building graves is as old as Islam itself:

1. Existence of the structure i.e. Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) chamber inside which he (s.a.w.a.) lies buried. (Akhbaar al-Madinah vol. 1 pg 81)

Initially the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) room where he lies buried did not have walls. It was Umar b. Khattab who first constructed walls around it and gave it the shape of a structure.
(Wafaa al-Wafaa be Ikhtiyaar al-Mustafa, vol. 2 pg 521)

In fact, constructing and re-constructing walls around the Prophet’s (s.a.w.a.) grave was an ongoing effort with Ayesha, Abdullah b. Zubair (during his brief reign in Medina) and Mutawakkil, among others.

2. Constructing a mosque over the grave of Hazrat Hamzah (a.s.). (Ibid)

3. Grave of Ibrahim – son of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) in the house of Muhammad b. Ali b. Zaid. (Ibid)

4. Building a structure over the grave of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) in the year 372 AH. (Sair-o- Aalam-e-Nobala vol 1 pg 251)

5. Building a structure over the grave of Zubair in the year 386 AH. (Al-Muntazim, vol. 14 pg 377)

6. Building a structure over the grave of Sa’d b. Maaz in the second century. (Sair-o-Aalam-e-Nobala vol. 13 pg 285)

7. Embellishing the grave of Imam Bukhari – compiler of Sahih-e-Bukhari in 256 AH. (Al-Tabaqaat al-Shaafiyyah al-Kubra, vol. 2 pg 234)

8. Abbaside Emperor Haroon al-Rashid constructed a dome over the tomb of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) during his reign in the second century. (Sair-o-Aalam-e-Nobala vol. 16 pg 251)

If leveling graves to the earth was ever mandated in Islam we can be certain that Haroon al-Rashid would definitely have done it given his animosity with the Ahle Bait (a.s.) of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and his role in the murder of the Prophet’s grandson – Imam Moosa b. Jafar al-Kazim (a.s.). On the contrary, we find that he has constructed a dome as a mark of respect for someone who he did not particularly love.

9. The respected companion of the Prophet (a.s.) – Hazrat Salman-e-Muhammadi (r.a.) passed away in 36 AH. Khateeb-e-Baghdadi writes about his tomb – His grave is present even today near the palace of Kasra in Madaaen, Iraq. It is well-known heritage site and has a structure over it. (Taarikh-e-Baghdadi, vol. 1 pg 163)

10. Regarding Talhah b. Abdullah – who died while fighting the caliph of his time, Ibne Batutah writes in his journal, “His grave is at the entrance of the city and over the grave is a dome and a mosque.” (Safarnaameh Ibn Batutah, vol. 1 pg 208)

When this is the respect accorded by the Muslims to the grave of a companion who died on falsehood, graves of those like the Imams of the Ahle Bait (a.s.) who were martyred on truth and were in fact Imams of truth, deserve even more embellishment, veneration and respect.

11. Muhammad b. Idris al-Shaafei – Imam Shaafei, one of the four jurists of the Sunni school, passed away in 204 AH. Zahabi writes, “The entire city collectively constructed a dome over his grave.” (Duwal al-Islam pg 344)

Report of Ibne Abi Shaybah (239 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

He was a teacher of Muhammad Ibne Ismail Bukhari, author of the most authentic book of Ahle Sunnat. Al-Musannaf

He has written in it :

When people paid allegiance to Abu Bakr, and Ali and Zubair entered into a huddle in the house of Fatima, this information reached Umar bin Khattab; he came to the house of Fatima and said: O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, by Allah, your father was the most beloved person for us and after him it was you; but by Allah this love will not prevent me from ordering the burning down of this place along with its inmates if these people gather here. Umar made this remark and went away. When Ali (a) and Zubair returned, the honorable daughter of the Prophet said to Ali (a) and Zubair: Umar came and swore that if you again hold a meeting here, he would burn down the house on you; by Allah, he would indeed do what he has sworn.[1]

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[1] Al-Musannaf fil Ahadith wal Aathaar, Vol. 7, Pg. 432, Abu Bakr bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abi Shaybah al-Kufi (d. 235), Maktabe Rushd, Riyadh – 1409 A.H., First edition, Edited: Kamaal Yusuf Alhut.