1️⃣ Qadi Abdul Jabbar:
Threatening to burn the house of Fatimah was the legitimate right of Umar ibn Khattab, and there was no problem in it!
He states: Whatever has been mentioned regarding Umar and the burning of the house of Lady Zahra — if it is correct — does not invalidate or criticise Umar in any way, because he had the right to threaten those who refused to pledge allegiance in opposition to the Muslims.
📚 Al-Mughni fi Abwab al-Tawhid wa al-Adl – al-Imamah, vol. 20, p. …
2️⃣ Ibn Taymiyyah:
The attack on the house of Fatimah was to ensure that no public property was hidden inside it!
He writes: The most that can be said in this matter is that Abu Bakr suddenly entered the house of [Fatimah] to see whether any of the wealth of Allah — which was meant to be distributed among the people — was present there, so that he could return it to its rightful recipient.
📚 Minhaj al-Sunnah al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 8, p. 291
3️⃣ Abdul Aziz Dehlawi:
The house of Lady Zahra had become a gathering place for corrupt individuals, and in such a situation, observing courtesy was not necessary!
He argues: If the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a) threatened to burn the houses of those who abandoned the congregational prayer — which is among the emphasised Sunnahs — then why should it be impermissible to threaten burning the houses in such a case of corruption, whose spark could endanger the entire Muslim community and the whole religion? If the Prophet (s.a.w.a) entered the house of Lady Zahra because of decorative curtains and pictures, and did not leave until they were removed — and even entered the House of Allah for the same reason — then if Umar ibn Khattab, due to the presence of corrupters in that house, and the planning of seditious schemes there, threatened to burn it, what sin could be held against him?
At most, it can be said that observing etiquette did not suit this form of threat. However, evident it becomes that in such grave matters, no one observes courtesy — as proven by the act of Amir with Ayesha the Siddiqah, who was undoubtedly the beloved wife of the Messenger (s.a.w.a), the mother of the believers, and worthy of veneration by all creation. Therefore, anything done by Umar in accordance with the act of the Ma'sum should not become a subject of criticism and reproach.
📚 Tuhfa Ithna Ashariyyah – Nasihat al-Mu'minin wa Fazihat al-Shayatin, p. 593
4️⃣ Shibli Nu'mani:
By threatening to burn the house of Fatimah, Umar choked the sedition of Bani Hashim in its cradle!
He writes: Only Bani Hashim continued to insist on their claim; therefore, they would gather in the house of Lady Fatimah to consult among themselves. Umar intended to force Bani Hashim to pledge allegiance, but they refused to bow their heads before anyone except Ali — radiyallāhu ‘anhu. From the perspective of Dirayah Hadith, such conduct from Umar — known for sharp temperament — is not unexpected. Indeed, the actions he undertook in that highly sensitive period, with urgency and intensity, may have involved some excess; however, it must be understood that such sternness was meant to suppress sedition and uproot it. Had the conspiracies of Bani Hashim continued then, the structure of the Muslim community would have collapsed, and the civil wars that later occurred between Ali — karramallāhu wajhah — and Muawiyah would have taken place in that very era.
📚 Sirat al-Faruq, p. 62
5️⃣ Hafiz Ibrahim:
Umar’s threat to burn the house of Fatimah is a sign of his bravery!
He writes about the words of Umar addressed to Ali:
“What a noble listener and what a noble speaker! Umar said to Ali: If you do not pledge allegiance, I will burn your house and leave no one inside — even if the daughter of the Prophet is present.”
According to the poet, these verses refer to Ali’s refusal to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr on the day of Saqifah, and Umar’s threat to set the house of Ali ablaze if he continued his refusal — although in that house was Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet and the wife of Ali.
📚 Diwan Hafiz Ibrahim, p. 82
6️⃣ Umar Abu Nasr:
Umar ibn Khattab attacked the house of Fatimah to create unity and prevent division within the Ummah!
He writes: It was by Allah’s mercy that after the Prophet, the Muslims were guided towards unity and solidarity, and only a few years later they became the most powerful group on earth. After the pledge of allegiance by Quraysh and the Ansar to Abu Bakr, Bani Hashim gathered with Ali ibn Abi Talib in the house of Fatimah. Imam Ali and Bani Hashim refused allegiance to Abu Bakr because they considered themselves more deserving of the caliphate. At this point, Umar ibn Khattab said to Ali: We will not leave you until you pledge allegiance. Ali replied: I do not accept your words, and I will not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. Then Umar feared that sedition would arise. Among the most eager people for unifying the word of the Muslims (i.e., establishing unity) and taking the pledge from Bani Hashim for Abu Bakr was Umar ibn Khattab. Therefore, he suddenly attacked the house of Fatimah in order to take Ali for the pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr.
📚 Fatimah bint Muhammad, pp. 115–120)
