Abdul Fatah Abdul Maqsood (born 1912 A.D. in Alexandria, Egypt)
was an intellectual of the Sunni faith and a prominent Egyptian writer who has
composed eloquent and expressive Arabic verses in excess and is the author of a
large number of books like, Abna Ana Maa ar Rasul, Yaum Kiyum Uthman,
Saleebiya Ilal Abad, Az-Zahra Umme Abiha, Al Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib,
As-Saqifah wal Khilafah and so on…
His greatest and most important book is Al-Imam Ali Ibne Abi
Talib in nine volumes, which he wrote in a period of thirty years, which by
insight and close examination has opened new doors of research in the analytic
history of Islam and has removed many doubts.
This well informed and well known Egyptian intellectual has
mentioned the incident of attack on the house of revelation in two places in
his book:
Umar said: By God in whose hands is the life of Umar, if you do
not come out of the house I would burn it down along with its occupants. Some
religious persons and who respected the sanctity of the Holy Prophet (s) and his
descendants, said: O Aba Hafas, Fatima is present in this house, but he replied
without concern: Let her be! Umar came forward and knocked at the door, then he
hit it with his fists and kicked it till he entered it forcibly…scream of lady
Zahra arose from the house…that wail was a resonation for call of help, which
the daughter of the Prophet called out and she said: Father, O the Messenger of
Allah (s)…Fatima, through her wails, wanted to inform her father who had passed
away about the oppression of one of his companions. Perhaps the disobedience of
the stretched neck of carelessness of these companions would be exposed, that
its forcibility would be gone, and the severity of the act and tough stance
would be destroyed. She hoped that a lightning would engulf him immediately.
When the people returned and Umar wanted to flee from the scream of Lady Zahra (s)
like a desert deer, Ali (a) due to the severity of emotions clasped the handle
of the sword as if his anger was swallowed by it.[1]
He further writes in the same book:
But is the mouth of people closed and their tongues have became
dumb that they do not question incident in which Umar ordered that firewood
should be gathered at the door of the house of Fatima (s)? Yes, the son of
Khattab surrounded the house of Fatima in
which Ali and his friends were present to either convince them or attack
without any regard. All this was either pre-planned or it happened suddenly.
Like foam, it appeared on the surface of the waves and not much time passed
that Umar went away from there!... That person set out from the house of Ali (a)
in anger and fury. His companions also followed him and attacked the house.
Suddenly the face of the Messenger of Allah (s) became visible between the door
of the house – a face, which was covered in a veil of sorrow and signs of grief
were visible in it. Tears were flowing from the eyes and his face was
angry…Umar was shocked and the fury that he had shown went away. His companions
who had followed him stood before the house in bewilderment; because the face
of the Messenger of Allah (s) was visible in the face of his beloved daughter
Lady Zahra (s). Heads were bowed due to shame and eyes were lowered. The hearts
became uncontrollable. While they looked at Fatima, who started moving like a
shadow and with trembling steps, she moved to the tomb of her father with
sorrow and grief…People focused their eyes and ears upon her. Her wail arose
and tears fell down like raindrops and she again and again called her father
with a burning heart: “Father, O Messenger of Allah (s)…” As if the earth was
shaking below the feet of these oppressive fellows due to the call of
Fatima…Lady Zahra (s) moved closer and facing that purified grave and said: “Father,
O Messenger of Allah (s)…after you what all we had to suffer at the hands of
the sons of Khattab and Abu Qahafa.” No heart remained, but that it trembled
and no eye remained without shedding tears. Those people wished the earth
swallows them.[2]
[1] Al-Imam
Ali Ibne Abi Talib, Abdul Fatah Abdul Maqsood, Vol. 4, Pg. 274-277 and Vol.
1, Pg. 192-193
[2] Al-Majmuatul
Kamilah Al-Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib, Abdul Fattah Abdul Maqsood, Translated
(into Persian) by Sayyid Mahmud Taliqani, Vol. 1, Pg. 190-192.
Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a), Abdul
Fatah Abdul Maqsood, Translated by Sayyid Mahmud Taliqani, Vol. 1, Pg. 326-328,
Third edition, Haidery Offset Printing Press.