Report of Masudi Shafei (345 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

Masudi has written in Asbatul Wasiyya:                                                                                  

They besieged him and burnt down the door of his house and brought him out of the house forcibly and crushed the chief of the ladies of the world behind the door, leading to the miscarriage of Mohsin.[1]

Taqiuddin Subaki, in the book, Tabaqatush Shafiya has mentioned his name in the list of scholars of Shafeite school of thought. Therefore, it definitely disproves that he was a Shia.[2]

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[1] Asbatul Wasiyya, Pg. 143

[2] Tabaqatush Shafiya, Vol. 3, Pg. 456-457, No. 225, Daar Ahyaul Kutubul Arbiya.

Report of Mabard (285 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

Ibne Hadid writes:

Muslim bin Yazid bin Abdul Akbar Baghdadi (210 to 285) is a famous literary personality and a writer of famous books. In the book of Al-Kamil, he has written about the story of aspirations of Abu Bakr quoting from Abdur Rahman Ibne Auf as follows:

Alas, if I had not exposed the house of Fatima and had left it alone, even if I had been forced to war.[1]

Report of Tabari (310 A.H.) with correction of reference

It is mentioned in Tarikh Tabari:

Umar came to the house of Ali (a) while Talha, Zubair and a group of Muhajireen were present there, and he said: By Allah, come out of the house to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr, otherwise I would burn down the place…[2]

Objection of Wahabism to the genuineness of Tabari’s report

It is objected to the report of Tabari that this report is problematic due to the weakness of chain of its narrators, because some scholars have claimed that Ibne Humayyad was a liar.

In reply, we say: Difference of opinion with regard to personality of reporters is natural; therefore, it must be seen what opinions others have about him.

In Tahdhibul Kamaal of Mizzi, which is considered to be the most authentic Ahle Sunnat book of science of narrators (Ilme Rijal), it is quoted from Yahya bin Moin, who is an authority of Ahle Sunnat science of narrators (Ilme Rijal), that he said with regard to Ibne Humayyad:

He is a reliable person, without any kind of doubt and is a very good narrator.[3]

We also add that those aware of Ilme Rijal of Ahle Sunnat testify that no narrator can be found, except that regarding him weakness exists, even with regard to Bukhari, whose book is the most important book of Ahle Sunnat after the Holy Quran; various weaknesses like deceit, hypocrisy and fraud etc. are included in it.[4]

In addition to the above, Abdur Rahman Damishqiya has also raised an objection and said:

In this traditional report there are doubts: one of them being in the existence of Jarir bin Hazim, although he is an honest person, but sometimes he is involved in doubts and mistakes and as Abu Dawood has said he has mixed together the correct and incorrect reports. Another problem is Mughira bin Muqsam; that in spite of the fact that he is trustworthy, his traditions are having incomplete chains of narrators. Ibne Hajar has also included him in the third category of defrauders in traditions and his reports are not acceptable; except if it is clarified through hearing.[5]

That is why it is necessary to correct the chains of narrators of Tabari also on the basis of Ilme Rijal of Ahle Sunnat.[6]

Consequently the chains of narrators of the report of Tabari is absolutely correct and without any doubt and the objection of Abdur Rahman Damishqiya are all baseless and show his lack of attention and lack of precision about his own sources of science of narrators.

Report of Ibne Qutaibah Dinawari (276 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

The report of Ibne Qutaibah is as follows:                                          

Abu Bakr was in pursuit of some people to take their allegiance as they were not present there to give allegiance to him. And that is why they had gathered with Ali (a). Abu Bakr in order to take allegiance sent Umar after them. Umar went after them and called out to them, but they did not pay any heed and did not come out of the house. Umar called for firewood and said: By Allah, in whose hand is my life if you don’t come out I would burn down the house with its occupants. They said to him: O Aba Hafs, Fatima is present in this house. Umar replied: Even if that is the case…In another report it is mentioned: Umar came to the door of the house of Lady Fatima Zahra (s) with a large number of helpers (Ansar) and a few emigrants (Muhajireen). When Fatima heard them she cried: O father, O Messenger of Allah (s)! What all we did not face at the hand of Ibne Khattab [Umar] and Ibne Abi Qahafa [Abu Bakr]…[1]

The personality of Ibne Qutaibah is so trustworthy in the view of Ahle Sunnat that Ibne Taymiyyah, the founder of Wahabism, has also paid tribute him in very positive terms and he says:

All the people of Marakkesh considered him respectable and honored him and anyone who had a view opposed to him was considered as heretic and apostate and they said: A house, which does not have a book of Ibne Qutaibah, has no goodness.[2]

With attention to the time of the death of Ibne Qutaibah Dainawari in the third century (276 A.H.), his proximity to the early period of Islam and the importance of his personality shows that he was a famous intellectual and an elder and leader of Ahle Sunnat in literature, history, jurisprudence, traditions, sciences of Quran and etc…so it is not possible to doubt his veracity and person, that is why they strive to cast aspersions on the reliability of Al-Imamah was Siyasah.

Since Wahabis do not have satisfactory proof to prove their weak claim that is why they have presented the statements of orientalists[3] and some weak statements of modern scholars.[4]

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.

Report of Nazzam (230 A.H.) about the attack on the house of revelation and martyrdom of Lady Zahra (sa)

Ibrahim bin Sayyar bin Hani, alias Nazzam (d. 230 A.H.), famous philosopher and theologian of Ahle Sunnat, who due to his beautiful discourse in prose and poetry has become famous as Nazzam; he is the founder of the Nazzamiya sect and is from the elders of Mutazila. He is among those who have admitted to the trespassing on the sanctity of Lady Fatima Zahra (s) by the second Caliph of Ahle Sunnat and some other facts and events, which took place in the early period of Islam; but regretfully some Ahle Sunnat scholars have condemned him severely only because he has admitted these facts and without any justification leveled false accusations against him and have even expelled him from the folds of Islam and related him to Brahmanism.[1]

In his numerous books, he has quoted the incident of attack on the house of Lady Zahra (s):

On the day of allegiance of Abu Bakr, Umar hit at the side of Lady Fatima (s), which led to the miscarriage of her child, who was named as Mohsin.[2]

As was hinted, Nazzam became a target of many allegations due to his explanation of some historical facts, so that naturally by criticism, investigation of accusatory instances and exposing of reality, the allegations laid on him would be removed.[3]