Faatimah and the Bakri party

On the 28^th of Safar, 11 years after the Hejrah[1], Rasoolollaah answered the call of Allaah after ^cAa’eshah and Hafsah, who were implementing the order of Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar, forcefully poisoned him[2].

Rasoolollaah had already told ^cAa’eshah that he would die soon, and he had already performed the Farewell Pilgrimage[3], telling Moslems that his death was near; so the Bakri leaders knew that his death would come within a few months. But why did they have to poison him when he was going to die anyway?!

The decision to assassinate him, at this particular time, was made for two reasons:

Firstly: because Rasoolollaah had started a new method in appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen^(AS)[4] as his khaleefah. He would often give speeches to large crowds during which he would appoint Imaam ^cAli^(AS)[5] as his successor, as he did so after the Farewell Pilgrimage to an audience of more than one hundred and twenty thousand; and then he would tell them to give their pledge of allegiance to Imaam ^cAli as his Khaleefah, and call him by his God-given title: “Ameer al-Mo’meneen”, Commander of the Faithful[6]. Therefore the Bakris desperately needed to stop these events, by quickly assassinating him, so that Aboo Bakr^(LA)[7] could still show some legitimacy after usurping the khelaafah.

And secondly: because he was evacuating all the Bakri leaders from Madinah, ordering them to join Osaamah’s army which was going to face a much larger and stronger Roman army in today’s Jordan; a mission that would take several months and have many casualties. And they knew that the Prophet would die while they were away and Ameer al-Mo’meneen would become his successor, and that would be the end of the Bakri ambition of coming to power.

And that is why the Bakri leaders obstinately insisted on staying in Madinah and brought desperate excuses for not marching with Osaamah. But the Prophet repeated his direct order, and prayed against those who disobeyed this order[8]. And as this shameless insubordination continued, Rasoolollaah summoned Qays ibn ^cAbaadah and Habbaab ibn al-Mondher to round them up and escort them to Jorf, outside Madinah, where Osaamah was camping. However, when the escort returned to Madinah to report the completion of its mission, Rasoolollaah said that those people were not about to obey his order and stay with Osaamah[9].

Just as the Prophet had foretold, Aboo Bakr along with his men slipped back into the city under the cover of darkness and hid, waiting for the right moment to appear and act as Rasoolollaah’s representative before his death, which would automatically make him the khelaafah after his death. However, the Prophet immediately announced their return, describing it as: “A great evil that has come upon the city of Madinah”. But regardless, they continued with their plot to pave the way for Aboo Bakr’s future position as the Khaleefah instead of Ameer al-Mo’meneen.

And as Rasoolollaah’s denouncements and strong stances against them became clearer and more intense and as he went further to give public speeches against them for disobeying his order to march with Osaamah, all of which were making it harder for Aboo Bakr to usurp the khelaafah, the Bakris decided to poison him to death, and bring his death nearer and prevent further damage.

After giving the order, Aboo Bakr retreated to Sonh, a Madinah suburb, and most of his men hid in the city, waiting for the poison to take effect.

Therefore when Rasoolollaah[10] died, the Bakri party, with the exception of ^cAa’eshah and Hafsah, was not present in public. And even ^cAa’eshah, herself, was not with Rasoolollaah at the time of his death, as many Bakri scholars narrate from her[11]; although Bakri references testify that she was present only moments before, when the Angel of Death came, and she even heard him[12]!!!

So why would she leave just as the Prophet was about to die?! Is that not a time when people like to be close to their loved ones?!

The fact is that as soon as ^cAa’eshah heard ^cEzraa’eel[13] at the door, and heard Rasoolollaah telling Faatimah that ^cEzraa’eel was here to take his soul, she quickly left to send a courier to her father in Sonh and report Rasoolollaah’s death to the other Bakris, so that they could quickly gather and make their move for the khelaafah.

Therefore, within minutes of Rasoolollaah’s death, ^cOmar^(LA)[14], who was in hiding along with some other Bakris, came to stop the announcement of his death, allowing enough time for Aboo Bakr to return. And to do this successfully, ^cOmar denied that Rasoolollaah had died, saying that he was alive and threatened to kill anyone who said otherwise[15].

And as soon as Aboo Bakr appeared in Madinah, the Bakri leaders headed for the Bani Saa^cedah’s gethering place[16]; and while Ameer al-Mo’meneen and the other Moslems were busy with Rasoolollaah’s burial ceremonies, the Bakris won over their Ansaar[17] rivals and appointed Aboo Bakr as Rasoolollaah’s Khaleefah. Therefore no Bakri party member was present in any of the burial ceremonies!!!

Now, with the support of a number of influential Mohaajireen[18] and Ansaar, through promises of wealth and power and also threats, Aboo Bakr had the backing of numerous tribes which provided him with a very large number of fighters. With all this force, the Bakris went to the mosque and asked the Moslems for their pledge of allegiance to Aboo Bakr.

Meanwhile, a number of Moslems who had not followed the tribal rule of blind obedience to their chiefs, and were not tempted by the promises of wealth and power and did not give in to the threats, stayed with Ameer al-Mo’meneen and refused to give their pledge of allegiance to Aboo Bakr the False Khaleefah.

At this crucial time, a refusal of this magnitude was very dangerous for Aboo Bakr, and he could not afford to have Ameer al-Mo’meneen and a number of influential Moslems oppose his khelaafah. Therefore he ordered ^cOmar to crush this resistance at all costs.

^cAli and Faatimah’s options

After Aboo Bakr usurped the khelaafah through promises of wealth and power and intimidation and threats, Ameer al-Mo’meneen and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen had several options:

1- To publicly and actively support Aboo Bakr, and give up all claim for the khelaafah, thus protect their personal interests and share the wealth and power. And it is very clear why the likes of Ameer al-Mo’meneen and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen could never have chosen with this option.

2- To give their pledge of allegiance to Aboo Bakr like everyone else, without any sort of opposition, thus protect themselves from the Bakri wrath. If they had done so, then the whole world would have believed that Aboo Bakr and his successors represented Islam, and see their goals, hopes, values, teachings, etc. as that of Islam, and so there would be nothing called real Islam. And it is quite clear why they could not have taken this option.

3- To take up arms against the Bakri party and try to topple their regime, and replace Aboo Bakr, the False Khaleefah, with Ameer al-Mo’meneen, the True Khaleefah. If they had chosen the armed opposition, then countless people would have been killed, and the right path would have been severed completely and forever. And it is obvious why they could not have selected this option.

4- To stay in the middle, thus non-violent resistance. As non-violent actions attract a limited violent reaction, therefore a non-violent opposition is usually suppressed to a certain extent, which allows it to be known to others and live on however thinly. And this was the only feasible option for Ameer al-Mo’meneen and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen and the rest of the Rightful Kholafaa’, which allowed their opposition to the Bakri party be known to the peoples of their times and live on to our time without being severed completely.

However, as it was an opposition, and as it posed a great danger to the Bakri regime, it was suppressed violently throughout the ages. It started by the violent attacks on Ameer al-Mo’meneen and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen, causing her death and the miscarriage of her fetus that was named Mohassin by Rasoolollaah, and it continued by the assassination, vicious killing, long imprisonment and torture of every single khaleefah, not to mention their families and supporters, by the successive Bakri regimes.

Therefore after burying Rasoolollaah, when Ameer al-Mo’meneen saw that Aboo Bakr had usurped the khelaafah and had gathered a number of tribes in his corner, he went to his home and stayed there.

And as the Bakri party desperately needed his pledge of allegiance to complete its mission, it started a campaign of pressure that rapidly increased its force and violence.

Faatimah’s role in the defense of ^cAli

During this crucial time, Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen played a very important role:

3- By standing with Ameer al-Mo’meneen, she prevented the Bakri party from forcefully extracting his pledge of allegiance.

4- By supporting Ameer al-Mo’meneen, she helped his opposition to the Bakri party continue during those first crucial days, and become widely known.

5- By defending Ameer al-Mo’meneen, she prevented the Bakri party from eliminating this perilous obstacle from its path. Thus she became a shield for ^cAli from the most serious wrath of the Bakri regime; and she effectively attracted the sharpness of the Bakri hatred during those early days to herself, averting it from ^cAli, sacrificing herself to prevent the Bakri regime from killing him.

The more the Bakri regime struggled to force Ameer al-Mo’meneen into submission, the more she supported him and opposed them; and the harder the Bakri regime tried to draw him into a conflict which would result in his death, the harder she worked to attract the sharp edge of the sword to herself and to keep it as far away as possible from Ameer al-Mo’meneen. So that he neither be coerced into swearing allegiance to Aboo Bakr and nor be killed.

Therefore when ^cOmar and three hundred Bakri ruffians converged on her home, in their worst attack, to forcefully take Ameer al-Mo’meneen to Aboo Bakr and end his opposition either by his allegiance to Aboo Bakr or by a summary execution, we see how she stands in their way, and tries to prevent them from entering her home; and we see how insistent she remains despite the various injuries that they inflict upon her. We see how she stands her ground behind that burning door, despite the fire and that hot jagged nail piercing her chest, and how she struggles to keep them out under those vicious whips, and against those punches and kicks.

^cOmar and the other Bakri ruffians could only enter the house when Faatimah was unconscious. But as soon as she regained consciousness she ignored all the unbearable pains and life-threatening injuries and hurried after Aboo Bakr’s ruffians who were pulling Ameer al-Mo’meneen by his neck to Aboo Bakr.

The following narration shows just how insistent she was in preventing the Bakris from extracting a pledge of allegiance from ^cAli, and from executing him if he continued his refusal:

((When they dragged Ameer al-Mo’meneen [towards the mosque] with a saddlecloth, Faatimah held on to one side of it despite all the pain that she was suffering, pulling it, and the others were pulling to the other direction. Then ^cOmar took a sword from Khaalid ibn al-Waleed and began to hit Faatimah on her shoulder with its sheath until she was wounded[19].)).

Finally, she threatened to pray to Allaah to send a calamity to destroy them, and the Bakris released ^cAli when they saw the foundations of the mosque rise from its place[20].

Several attacks on Faatimah’s home

To coerce Ameer al-Mo’meneen who was staying in his home to give his pledge of allegiance, Aboo Bakr ordered the Bakris to fetch him to the mosque. But he refused to go with them, and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen prevented them from forcing their way into her home.

So these house calls repeated, each time with more terror and viciousness. And a large number of Bakri references have recorded them, but as usual, they have failed to mention some of the more damaging details. Nevertheless, what they have narrated, however incomplete, short, and heavily censured, remains highly troublesome for the Bakri faith.

Below are a few examples of such Bakri narrations about a number of these attacks:

((Aboo Bakr sought after a group of people who had not given [him] their pledge of allegiance, and had gathered in ^cAli’s home; so he sent ^cOmar to them, and he came and called them out, but they refused to come out. Then ^cOmar asked for some wood and said: By Him in Whose hand is ^cOmar’s life! Either you come out now, or I will most certainly put the house on fire with whoever is inside.

So the people came out and gave Aboo Bakr their pledge of allegiance, except ^cAli, who said: I have sworn not to leave, and not to put my robe on my shoulder, until I compile the Holy Qor’aan.

Then Faatimah came and stood at the door and said: I have never seen a people gathered on a worst thing than you. You left the body of Rasoolollaah with us and determined the leadership between yourselves; you did not give us the leadership and did not allow us our right.

So ^cOmar went to Aboo Bakr and told him: Will you not force this rejecter to pledge his allegiance to you?!

So ^cAli astonishingly said: Indeed, how soon you fabricated lies against Rasoolollaah’s wishes!!

So, for a second time, ^cOmar said: Do not allow this rejecter any time for giving his pledge of allegiance.

So Aboo Bakr said to Qonfodh: Return to him and tell him: Ameer al-Mo’meneen[22] calls you to give your pledge of allegiance.

And ^cAli raised his voice saying: Allaah is far above! Aboo Bakr has surely claimed what is not his.

Qonfodh returned and conveyed the message, so Aboo Bakr cried again for a long time.

Then ^cOmar stood up and walked with his group to Faatimah’s door, and they knocked on the door. When Faatimah heard their voices, she called out, with all her voice: O my father! O Rasoolollaah! What have we suffered after you from the son of al-Khattaab[23] and the son of Abi Qohaafah[24]?!

So when the group heard her voice and her crying, they left weeping, and their hearts nearly stopped and their livers nearly cracked. But ^cOmar stayed there along with a few men, and they extracted ^cAli from his home and took him to Aboo Bakr.

^cOmar and his men: Then, by Allaah besides Whom there is no God, we will behead you.

Ali: Then you will have killed the Servant of Allaah and the Brother of His Messenger[25].

^cOmar said: The Servant of Allaah, yes, but the Brother of His Messenger, no[26].

And during all of this, Aboo Bakr was not talking and was keeping silent. So ^cOmar said to him: Will you not give your order about him?

Aboo Bakr: I will not force him to do anything as long as Faatimah is on his side.

So [after being released] ^cAli went to Rasoolollaah’s grave, screaming and weeping, saying: “Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me[27]”[28].)).

((Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar heard that a group of Mohaajireen and Ansaar had refused to give their pledge of allegiance, and were gathering in ^cAli’s home. So they came with a large group of people to raid the home…

And they entered the house, so Faatimah came out and said: By Allaah! Either you leave right now, or I will most certainly cry to Allaah. So those who had entered the house came out, and those who had gathered outside left[29].)).

((Aboo Bakr sent ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab to ^cAli, when he refused to give his pledge of allegiance, and told him: Bring him to me with the utmost violence[30].)).

((^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab came to ^cAli’s home, when Talhah and Zobayr and a number of Mohaajireen were inside, and said: By Allaah! I will most certainly burn down the house on you unless you come out for allegiance right now[31].)).

((When Aboo Bakr was given pledge of allegiance after Rasoolollaah’s death, ^cAli and Zobayr often went to Faatimah, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah, to consult with her.

When the news reached ^cOmar, he went to Faatimah and said: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! There is no one more beloved to me than your father, and there is no one more beloved to us, after your father, than you. But I swear by Allaah that this will not stop me from ordering to set fire to your house if these people come to you again[32].)).

((And there was a large group of people with Khaalid outside the house, all of whom Aboo Bakr had sent for support. Then ^cOmar entered and said to ^cAli: Stand up and pledge your allegiance.

So ^cOmar pulled him up and pushed him, just as he had pushed Zobayr, and Khaalid took them both.

Then ^cOmar and his company dragged them violently, and a lot of people gathered to watch, and the streets of Madinah became crowded with men.

And when Faatimah saw what ^cOmar had done, she screamed and wailed and a large number of women gathered with her; so she stood at the door of her room [inside the mosque] and called out: O Abaa Bakr! How soon you attacked the members of the Household of Rasoolollaah!! By Allaah, I will not speak with ^cOmar until I meet Allaah[33].)).

((Then Aboo Bakr sent ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab to ^cAli and those who were with him, to extract them from Faatimah’s home, and told him: If they disobey you, so fight them.

Then ^cOmar took some fire and went to Faatimah’s home to set it, along with those inside, on fire. Faatimah saw him and said: To where O Ibn al-Khattaab[34]?! Have you come to set fire to our home?!

^cOmar said: Yes, unless you accept what the people have accepted (Aboo Bakr’s khelaafah)[35].)).

((And ^cOmar used the same harshness with Ahl al-Bayt, so he surrounded them with the wood and set it on fire. And when the group entered Faatimah’s home, Qonfodh pushed the door against Faatimah, breaking her rib, so she miscarried her fetus; and she remained bedridden until she died. And it is said that the person who hit her was ^cOmar[36].)).

((I was among those who carried the wood with ^cOmar to Faatimah’s door, when ^cAli and his supporters refused to give Aboo Bakr their pledge of allegiance.

So ^cOmar said to Faatimah: Bring out those who are in the house, or I will most certainly burn it down on them. And there were ^cAli, Faatimah, Hasan, Hosayn and a number of Rasoolollaah’s Companions in the house.

So ^cOmar replied: Yes, by Allaah, unless they come out to give their pledge of allegiance[37].)).

Aside from these Bakri references, the Moslem scholar Solaym ibn al-Qays narrates in his book from Salmaan, who said:

((…Then ^cOmar said to Aboo Bakr: What is stopping you from summoning him (Ali) for giving his allegiance?! for surely all the people have sworn their allegiance to you except him and those four (Salmaan, Aboo Dharr, Meqdaad and Zobayr).

Aboo Bakr was the softer of the two (Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar), the gentler, the more cunning and the more farsighted. And the other (Omar) was the cruder of the two, the harsher and the rougher.

^cOmar replied: We should send Qonfodh. He is a rough, harsh and crude man from the Tolaqaa’[38], from the Bani Oday tribe.

Thus Aboo Bakr sent him with a number of helpers, and they came and asked ^cAli permission for entering. But he refused.

So Qonfodh’s men went back to Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar, who were sitting in the mosque among the people, and said: He did not permit us to enter.

^cOmar ordered them: Go back, and if he gave you permission, so be it; and if not, then enter without his permission.

They went back and asked for permission to enter. Faatimah answered them: I strongly prohibit you from entering without permission.

Thus they returned and the accursed Qonfodh remained, and they reported what Faatimah had said.

^cOmar suddenly became angry and said: What have we to do with women?! Then he ordered some of those who were around him to carry the firewood, so they carried the firewood and ^cOmar carried with them, and they placed it around the home of ^cAli, Faatimah and their two sons. Then ^cOmar called out so that ^cAli and Faatimah could hear: By Allaah, indeed you must come out O ^cAli! And you must give your allegiance to Rasoolollaah’s Khaleefah, or I will burn down the house on you.

Faatimah said: O ^cOmar! What have we to do with you? So he said: Open the door or I will burn down the house on you.

She said: O ^cOmar! Do you not fear Allaah in entering my house?! But ^cOmar refused to leave.

Then ^cOmar called for the fire and set the door alight, and he pushed it open and entered. So Faatimah came forward to stop him and cried out: O my father! O Rasoolollaah!

Omar, then, raised the sword in its sheath and struck her side, so she cried out: O my father! And he raised the whip and lashed her forearm, so she called out: O Rasoolollaah! How bad have Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar acted after you!

Suddenly ^cAli leaped and grabbed ^cOmar by his collar, pulled him hard and threw him to the ground, hitting him on the nose and the neck, and wanted to kill him, but he remembered what Rasoolollaah had told him; so he said: By Him Who honored Mohammad with the Prophethood, O son of Sahhaak[39]! Were it not for a command from Allaah and an order from Rasoolollaah, you will have surely known that you could not enter my house.

There, ^cOmar sent for help, and the people converged on the house. By this time, Qonfodh had returned to Aboo Bakr and told him of his fears should ^cAli come out with his sword, knowing his bravery and power.

So Aboo Bakr told him: Return, and if he came out, so be it; and if not storm into his house; and if he resisted, then burn down their house on them.

So the accursed Qonfodh set out and stormed the house with his men, and some used their swords, and they took ^cAli and put a rope around his neck.

At the door, Faatimah came between them and between ^cAli, so the accursed Qonfodh lashed her with the whip…

He answered: Yes by Allaah, and she was not wearing a veil. So she cried out: O my father! O Rasoolollaah! How bad have Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar acted after you!! She called out with all her voice.

And indeed I saw Aboo Bakr and those around him crying, and there was not anyone who was not shedding tears except ^cOmar and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed and Moghayrah ibn al-Sho^cbah. And ^cOmar was continuously saying: We have nothing to do with women and their views[40].)).

((After the events, Faatimah grabbed ^cOmar’s collar, pulled him and said: By Allaah, O son of Khattaab! If I did not hate to see the calamity come to the innocent, you will have surely seen me pray to Allaah and then find Him quick to respond[41].)).

MOHASSIN, THE MARTYRED FETUS

Both Moslem and Bakri scholars who have recorded the names of the children of Ameer al-Mo’meneen and Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen, also mention the name of Mohassin as their third son.

And a large number of these scholars also mention that it was Rasoolollaah^(SAA)[42] who named this third son, when he was a fetus in Faatimah’s womb, as Mohassin.

And all Moslem scholars unanimously agree on the martyrdom of Mohassin^(AS)[43], the fetus that was killed in its sixth month in the most serious of the Bakri attacks on Ameer al-Mo’meneen’s home. And as such, Mohassin becomes Islam’s first martyr after the assassination of Rasoolollaah.

But, understandably, Bakri scholars do not have this unanimous agreement on the martyrdom of Mohassin, or at least they do not show it. And how could they?! How can a Godly person (Omar) kill two other Godly persons (Mohassin and Faatimah)?!

However, many Bakri scholars have recorded this vicious crime just as they recorded many other Bakri crimes. Below are a few examples:

((Indeed, ^cOmar kicked Faatimah’s stomach, so she miscarried Mohassin[44].)).

((Indeed, ^cOmar hit Faatimah’s stomach on the Day of Allegiance, so she miscarried the fetus. And he was shouting: Put her house of fire with all those inside; and there was no one inside other than ^cAli, Faatimah, Hasan and Hosayn [45].)).

((Indeed, he (Omar) hit Faatimah, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah, and he took away the inheritance of Rasoolollaah’s descendants[46].)).

A revealing comparison

The famous Bakri scholar Ibn Abi al-Hadeed records a conversation on this subject between him and one of his teachers, in his highly respected encyclopedia, which hits at the core of the Bakri faith:

((…Then the Chief, Aboo Ja^cfar, said: If Rasoolollaah had ordered the execution of Habbaar ibn al-Aswad for frightening Zaynab[47] and causing the miscarriage of her fetus, then it is quite clear that if he was alive, he would have ordered the execution of those who frightened Faatimah causing the miscarriage of her fetus!![48])).

Who took part in the attacks?

Since the opposition of ^cAli and Faatimah and their supporters to the khelaafah of Aboo Bakr was very strong and very serious, it needed a lot of force to crush it. But since ^cAli had not taken up arms against Aboo Bakr, the Bakri party could not march an army to his home to eliminate him. They had to somehow coerce him into pledging his allegiance, or to behead him for refusing.

And since ^cAli was not an ordinary person, they had to use their best people for this job.

Historians record that in one of these attacks, Aboo Bakr^(LA)[49] had dispatched more than three hundred Bakri ruffians to force Ameer al-Mo’meneen[50] to accept his khelaafah.

They also record that besides ^cOmar, some very big names took part in these raids. People such as:

1- ^cOthmaan[51] (the Third Usurper of the Khelaafah, and the first Amawi ruler). He is the murderer of two of Rasoolollaah’s stepdaughters; he was also among those who took part in an attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, on his way back to Madinah from the Farewell Pilgrimage, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah[52].

2- Mo^caawiyah[53] (the Governor of Damascus, the Forth Usurper of the Khelaafah, and the second Amawi ruler). He is the son of the Idolater leader Aboo Sofyaan, who marched several armies against the Moslems, and Hend, who mutilated the bodies of Moslems in the battle of Ohod particularly the body of Rasoolollaah’s uncle Hamzah and put his liver in her mouth to eat it. Mo^caawiyah was also among those who took part in the attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah[54].

3- ^cAmr ibn al-^cAAs (the Governor of Palestine, Mo^caawiyah’s right hand, and the Governor of Egypt). He was also among those who took part in the attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah.

4- ^cAbdorrahmaan ibn al-^cAwf[55] (an influential Bakri leader, and one of ^cOmar’s six nominees to succeed him). He was also among those who took part in the attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah.

5- Moghayrah ibn al- Sho^cbah[56] (the Governor of Bahrain, Basrah-Iraq and Koofah-Iraq). He was known as: “The Biggest Arab Adulterer; he was also among those who took part in the attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah.

6- Aboo ^cObaydah ibn al-Jarraah[57] (the Governor of Hems-Syria). He was also among those who took part in the attempt on Rasoolollaah’s life, after appointing Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his Khaleefah.

7- Khaalid ibn al-Waleed[58]. A General in the Idolater armies that fought with Moslems. After Aboo Bakr usurped the khelaafah, he appointed Khaalid as the highest commander in charge of Shaam’s entire army, in today’s Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan. He also appointed him as the Governor of Iraq, but Aboo Bakr died before Khaalid could become the governor.

8- Qonfodh (the Governor of Makkah). Bakri scholars record that one year ^cOmar asked for half of all the wealth from all of his governors accept Qonfodh.

((When ^cAbbaas asked Ameer al-Mo’meneen: What stopped ^cOmar from fining Qonfodh, just as he fined all of his governors?

Ali looked at those who were with him as tears filled his eyes, then he said: ^cOmar thanked him for lashing Faatimah with the whip; so when she died, the effect of the whip was like an armlet on her upper arm[59].)).

Aboo Bakr orders the attacks

Some people like to acquit Aboo Bakr of these hideous crimes, and keep him well clear and clean of such barbaric acts of aggression against the Household of the Prophethood. Therefore they create a nice image for Aboo Bakr, and say how kind and gentle he was and how diplomatically and wisely he acted. And claim that such a personality could never have played any role in such horrible crimes.

On the other hand, they say how rough and harsh ^cOmar was in his nature, and how impatient and restless he could become when it came to God’s work!! And claim that he was the one who ordered and oversaw the suppression and elimination of ^cAli and Faatimah’s opposition to the Bakri rule.

And as such, they would exonerate the Khaleefah from any blame and place the responsibility on ^cOmar’s shoulder, who was not a khaleefah at the time; then they would use a thousand and one excuses and lies to remove this stain from ^cOmar’s record; absurdities such as: He made a judgment and Allaah will reward him two rewards if he was right and one reward if he was wrong?! It was his nature to be severe, not his intention?!…

Firstly, Bakri narrations clearly name Aboo Bakr as the person who ordered these attacks. Some examples are as follows:

((Aboo Bakr sought after a group of people who had not given [him] their pledge of allegiance… So he sent ^cOmar to them[60].)).

((Aboo Bakr sent ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab to ^cAli when he refused to give his pledge of allegiance, and told him: Bring him to me with the utmost violence[61].)).

((Then Aboo Bakr sent ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab to ^cAli and those who were with him, to extract them from Faatimah’s home, and told him: If they disobey you, so fight them[62].)).

Secondly, Bakri records go further to show that Aboo Bakr witnessed these events and, actually, gave orders on the spot. One instance is as follows:

((Then Zobayr came out with his sword unsheathed, so a man from the Ansaar and Zeyaad ibn Lobayd held on to him and the sword fell from his hand. So Aboo Bakr, while sitting on the menbar[63], shouted: Strike it at the rock. And it was broken[64].)).

Thirdly, Bakri records go even further to show that Aboo Bakr, personally, took part in some of these raids. One example is as follows:

Fourthly, how was it possible for Aboo Bakr not to have witnessed those acts of aggression and not to have heard those heartrending screams, when he was sitting in the mosque, and ^cAli and Faatimah’s home was next to the mosque and had a door inside the mosque?!

Historic records also show that in some of those attacks, the people of Madinah had gathered in that area to witness what was happening, so how is it possible for the Khaleefah, who was sitting in the mosque next to that home, not to have seen or heard anything?!

Some Bakri narrations even show that at the time of some of the attacks, Faatimah^(AaS)[66] called out to Aboo Bakr. For instance:

((So she stood at the door of her room [inside the mosque] and called out: O Abaa Bakr! How soon you attacked the members of the Household of Rasoolollaah!! By Allaah, I will not speak with ^cOmar until I meet Allaah[67].)).

Rasoolollaah prophesizes Faatimah’s sufferings

Years before they happened, Rasoolollaah prophesized Faatimah’s sufferings in detail. These prophecies were made so often and on so many occasions, that despite their threat to the Bakri faith, they found their way into well-known Bakri references.

((Heaven has been made forbidden to him who does injustice to my Ahl al-Bayt, and annoys me in my lineage[68].)).

((And if someone worshiped Allaah between the Rokn[69] and the Maqaam[70] until he became like an old skin, but he met Allaah whilst hating the family of Mohammad, then Allaah shall throw him from his nose into the fire of Hell[71].)).

((Whomsoever curses my Ahl al-Bayt, he has surely apostatized from Allaah and Islam; and whomsoever annoys me in my descendants, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy; and whomsoever annoys me in my descendants, he has surely annoyed Allaah.

Allaah has indeed made Heaven forbidden to him who does injustice to my Ahl al-Bayt, or kills them, or supports their enemy, or curses them[72].)).

((By Him in Whose Hand is my life, whoever hates us Ahl al-Bayt, Allaah shall take him to the Fire[73].)).

((…And when I saw her, I remembered what will be done to her after me. As if I can see the degradation enter her house, and her sacredness violated, and her rights usurped, and her inheritance kept away from her, and her ribs broken, and her fetus killed, while she cries: O my Mohammad! But she will not be answered. And asks for help, but she will not be helped…

Rasoolollaah then added: O Allaah! Keep away from Your Mercy him who does her injustice, and punish him who usurps her, and humiliate him who humiliates her, and keep forever in Your Fire him who hits her side causing the miscarriage of her fetus.

((O daughter! Indeed, no Moslem woman is afflicted with more calamity than you, so do not be one with the least patience. You are surely the Chief of the Women of the Heaven[75].)).

Aside from the above Bakri narrations, Moslem scholars also narrate from Rasoolollaah who said the following:

((O my daughter! You are the oppressed after me. And you are the week after me… To Allaah I complain of your oppressors[76].)).

((…Then he (Rasoolollaah) looked at Faatimah and said: You are surely the first to join me from my Ahl al-Bayt. And you are the “Chief of the Women of the Heaven”. And you will suffer, after my death, a great injustice and rage, until you are beaten up, and your rib breaks. May Allaah keep away from His Mercy your killer, and keep away from His Mercy the one who orders your killing, and those who agree and support, and those who are against you, and do injustice to your husband and your two sons[77].))

((He is kept away from Allaah’s Mercy, he is kept away from Allaah’s Mercy[78] who does injustice to Faatimah after my death, and usurps her right and kills her[79].)).

((One day the Prophet went to Faatimah’s home and she prepared a meal from bread, date and fat. Then ^cAli, Faatimah, Hasan and Hosayn came to eat with Rasoolollaah. When Rasoolollaah finished eating, he made a very long sojood[80], then he laughed, then he cried, then he sat.

So Rasoolollaah said: When I ate with you, I became happy for your good health and for your gathering here, so I performed a sojood thanking Allaah the Almighty.

But Jabra’eel descended and said: Do you perform sojood because of your happiness for your family?

So he told me: Your daughter will be the first to join you from your family after suffering injustice, and after her right is usurped, and her inheritance is kept away from her, and her rib is broken. And your cousin; he will suffer injustice, and his right will be usurped, and he will be killed. And Hasan; he will suffer injustice, and his right will be usurped, and he will be murdered by poison. And Hosayn; he will suffer injustice, and his right will be usurped, and his family will be killed, and horses will trample his body, and his caravan will be plundered, and his women and children will be enslaved, and his body will be buried while soaked in blood and covered by sand…[81])).

((Whilst Faatimah, Hasan, Hosayn and I were sitting with Rasoolollaah, he looked at us and cried. So I asked: O Rasoolollaah! What makes you cry?

He said: I weep for the strike on your upper head; and the slap on Faatimah’s face; and the stabbing of Hasan’s thigh, and the poison which he will drink; and the killing of Hosayn.

So all of us the Ahl al-Bayt cried, and I said: O Rasoolollaah! Our Lord has not created us except for calamity?!

He said: Rejoice O ^cAli! For surely Allaah, the Great, the Almighty, has revealed to me that no one will like you except a Mo’men[82] and that no one will hate you except a Monaafiq[83]/[84].)).

((When the Prophet was taken to the skies, it was said to him: …And your daughter will suffer injustice, and her right will be usurped, and she will be beaten up whilst pregnant, and her home will be raided, and she will be humiliated and degraded; but she will not find any supporters. She will miscarry what is in her womb because of the beating, and she will die because of that beating[86].)).

Ahl al-Bayt Speak About Faatimah’s Suffering

Faatimah speaks about her suffering

It has been narrated that Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen[87] briefly explained some of what she suffered at the hands of the Bakri ruffians as the following:

((…Then Qonfodh, ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab and Khaalid ibn al-Waleed were sent to our home to take out my cousin ^cAli to Bani Saa^cedah’s gethering place, for the hopeless allegiance; but he refused to go with them, as he was busy carrying out what Rasoolollaah had asked of him in his will…

So they gathered plenty of wood and put it at our door, and brought fire to light it, to burn us all. Thus I stood behind the door and beseeched them in Allaah’s name and my father’s name to leave us and support us.

But ^cOmar took the whip from Qonfodh’s hand and lashed my upper arm so hard that it left a welt like an armlet, and kicked the door and pushed it against me although I was pregnant; so I fell down forward, and the fire was burning my face. Then he slapped me so hard that my earring tore apart from ear. Then I went into labor and miscarried Mohassin, murdered without guilt.

So is this the nation that solutes me?! Indeed, Allaah and His Messenger have renounced it, and so have I[88].)).

Faatimah also composed a number of poems, mourning her father and pointing to her suffering. And both Moslem and Bakri scholars narrate them; some of these poems are as follows:

((And Islam cried for you as it became a stranger between people, like other strangers.

If you see the menbar[89] on which you used to rise, darkness has risen on it after light.

O My Lord! make my death very near, as life has indeed become embittered[90].)).

((Say! to the one hidden under levels of the earth: If you can hear my scream and my call,

calamities have poured on me that if were to pour on the days, they will have become nights.

Indeed I had protection in the shade of Mohammad; I did not fear injustice, and he was my protector.

But today I am humble for the lowly, and cautious of injustice; and I ward off my oppressor with my robe.

So if a turtledove weeps in her night from sadness on a branch, I weep in my day.

I shall make sadness my friend after you, and I shall make the tear for you my scarf[91].)).

((Indeed, there were news and many difficulties after you; if you had witnessed them, there would not be much talk.

We surely missed you, as the earth misses her downpour; and your people became disordered, so witness them and do not be absent…

Some people showed us the animosities they had hidden in their chests when you left, and the earth shielded you.

Some people frowned on us and disparaged us when you became absent, and all the earth is usurped[92].)).

((The person who embarks on inflicting injustice upon us shall know on the Day of Judgment to what turning he shall turn.

Indeed we suffered [after you O Rasoolollaah!] what no Arab or non-Arab has ever suffered.

So we shall weep on you as long as we live, and as long as we have eyes that can shed tears[93].)).

^cAli speaks about Faatimah’s sufferings

After one of the raids when the Bakri ruffians extracted ^cAli from his home, he stood between the people and raised his voice with a most damaging statement against the Bakris, parts of which are as follows:

((…Your evil-commanding selves abstained from the everlasting Hereafter, and our selves craved after what you abstained from.

And the appointment is near, and the Lord is the best judge; so prepare your answers for the questioning, and prepare your accounts for your injustice towards us Ahl al-Bayt.

Is Zahraa’ beaten up in suppression?! And our rights are forcefully usurped?! And there is no supporter and no defender, and no helper and no rescuer?!

I wish the son of Aboo Taalib (Ali) had died before today, so he would not see the evil-doer infidels rallied for doing injustice to the Pure, the Pious (Faatimah).

So Destruction! Destruction! And Ruination! Ruination! This is something that returns to Allaah, and is taken to Rasoolollaah.

It has surely been excruciating for the son of Aboo Taalib [to see] the blackening of Faatimah’s back by the lashing.

His [brave] position has been known and his [victorious] days have been seen, but he does not erupt to protect his wife and does not firmly stand in front of his spouse; as patience is more suitable and appropriate, and accepting what Allaah wants is better, so that the truth does not lose its gravity, and the falsehood does not emerge from its den; until I meet with my Lord, when I shall complain to Him what you have committed…[94])).

It has been narrated from Ibn ^cAbbaas, who said that Ameer al-Mo’meneen used to recite the do^caa’ of Sanamay Qoraysh, the Two Idols of Qoraysh, in the qonoot[95] of his salaat. Some parts of this do^caa’[96] are as follows:

for surely they have demolished the House of the Prophethood, and blocked up its door…

and exterminated its residents, and annihilated its supporters, and killed its children…

and the stomach that they ruptured, and the fetus that they killed, and the rib that they broke…[98])).

Imaam Hasan speaks about Faatimah’s suffering

It has been narrated that Imaam Hasan^(AS)[99], ^cAli and Faatimah’s first son, spoke these words in a heated encounter in the presence of the Second Amawi ruler, Mo^caawiyah^(LA)[100], who had called his aids and a number of high-ranking Bakri leaders for the one purpose of crushing Imaam Hasan in that famous debate:

((…And you O Moghayrah! You are indeed an enemy of Allaah, and a discarder of His Book, and an accuser of His Prophet; and you are the Adulterer…

And you are the one who beat Faatimah, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah, until she bled, and she miscarried her fetus.

You did this as a mark of degradation towards Rasoolollaah, and as a sign for disobeying his order, and violating his sacredness; when Rasoolollaah had told her: O Faatimah! You are the Chief of the Women of the Heaven[101].)).

Imaam Sajjaad refers to Faatimah’s suffering

Imaam Saadiq has narrated from his fathers a zeyaarah[102] about Faatimah, a part of which is as follows:

((…Peace be upon you O oppressed! The one whose right was taken from her…[103])).

Imaam Baaqir points to Faatimah’s suffering

Ali ibn Hamzah narrates that one day he went to Imaam Kaazim^(AS)[104] and said:

((I be your sacrifice. If you permit me, I will narrate to you a hadeeth from Abi Baseer about your grandfather [Imaam Baaqir].

Whenever he (Imaam Baaqir) fell ill, he used cold water to bring down his fever; so he would use two clothes, one in the cold water and one on his body, and he would alternate between them. Then he would scream loudly so that the people outside his house could hear him: “O Faatimah daughter of Mohammad!”[105])).

The Moslem scholar Shaykh ^cAbbaas Qommi writes in his book “Bayt al-Ahzaan”, that it is very likely that these fevers were caused by the Imaam’s continuous hiding of his grief and sadness for what had happened to his oppressed mother Faatimah; so just as he tries to reduce his fever with called water, he also tries to ease the pain of that tormenting grief by calling out her name.

Imaam Saadiq speaks about Faatimah’s suffering

In a lengthy conversation between Mofaddal ibn ^cOmar and Imaam Saadiq^(AS)[106], during which Mofaddal asked a number of questions evolving around Imaam Mahdi^(AS)[107], Imaam Saadiq pointed to some of Faatimah’s sufferings. Some related excerpts are as follows:

((…And setting fire to the door of Ameer al-Mo’meneen, Faatimah, Hasan and Hosayn to burn them, and lashing the hand of the Great Seddeeqah Faatimah with the whip, and kicking her stomach causing the miscarriage of Mohassin…

Then Faatimah complains [to Rasoolollaah] about what came to her from Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar, and about the usurpation of Fadak…

And he (Aboo Bakr) says that the prophets do not leave inheritance… And ^cOmar says: Bring out your document which you mentioned your father had written for you, and then he takes it from her, spits on it and tears it in the presence of witnesses from the Qoraysh and the Mohaajireen and the Ansaar…

And she tells him (Rasoolollaah) about Aboo Bakr and his ordering Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, Qonfodh and ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab along with a large number of people to forcefully extract Ameer al-Mo’meneen from his home to giving his allegiance in the gathering place of Bani Saa^cedah tribe…

And what ^cOmar says: Come out O ^cAli! and accept what the groups of Moslems have accepted, or we will kill you…

And their gathering firewood to burn the house of Ameer al-Mo’meneen, Faatimah, Hasan, Hosayn, Zaynab, Omm Kolthoom[108] and Feddah[109], and putting fire to the door. And Faatimah coming behind the door to speak with them, saying: Woe unto you O ^cOmar! What is this boldness towards Allaah and His Messenger?! Do you intend to severe his lineage from this world, and vanish him and extinguish the Light of Allaah?!…

And ^cOmar saying: That is enough O Faatimah! Mohammad is no longer present, and the angels are no longer bringing commands and prohibitions from Allaah, and ^cAli is none other than just another Moslem; so either he pledges allegiance to Aboo Bakr or you will all burn.

So she says crying: O Allaah! To You we complain about the loss of Your Prophet and Your Messenger and Your Sincere Friend, and about the turning of his nation against us, and their usurping of our right which You had given us in Your Book that was revealed to Your Prophet.

Then ^cOmar says to her: Keep away O Faatimah! from the stupidity of women, for surely Allaah was not to choose for you the prophecy and the khelaafah. And so the fire was burns the door…

And ^cOmar lashes her upper arm with the whip until it leaves a black mark like an armlet, and kicks the door until it hits her stomach when she is six month pregnant with Mohassin, and his miscarriage.

And ^cOmar’s attack along with Qonfodh and Khaalid, and slapping her face so hard that her earring is torn from her ear, while she weeps loudly and says: O my father! O Rasoolollaah! Your daughter Faatimah is being accused of lying, and is being beaten and the fetus in her womb is being killed.

And Ameer al-Mo’meneen comes out, bareheaded with red eyes, spreads his wrap over her, holds her to his chest, and says to her: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! You have surely known that your father was sent by Allaah to be a mercy for the creatures; so I swear to you in the name of Allaah, I swear to you in the name of Allaah not to move back your veil and raise your forehead [to pray to Allaah to send a calamity on the people], so by Allaah O Faatimah! If you do this, Allaah won’t keep on the earth anyone who bares witness that Mohammad is the Messenger of Allaah and nor Moosaa, ^cEesaa, Ebraaheem, Nooh and Aadam, and no animal will walk the earth and no bird will fly in the sky.

Then he (Ali) says: O son of al-Khattaab! Woe unto you, leave here before I unsheathe my sword and kill. So ^cOmar, Khaalid, Qonfodh and ^cAbdorrahmaan ibn Abi Bakr leave and stay outside the house.

So ^cAli calls out to Feddah: O Feddah! Your mistress, come to her, as she has gone into labor because of the kick and the pushing of the door. Thus she miscarries Mohassin, and Ameer al-Mo’meneen says: He is joining his grandfather Rasoolollaah, and will complain to him[110].)).

Imaam Kaazim speaks about Faatimah’s suffering

Moslem historians record that one day Imaam Kaazim^(AS)[111] was narrating a hadeeth[112] from his fathers that just before he died, Rasoolollaah summoned the Ansaar and spoke to them for one last time, explaining the importance of the Holy Qor’aan and the Ahl al-Bayt^(AmS)[113], and that the two will never separate from one another and will ever remain together until the Day of Judgment; and the Imaam[114] continued narrating that hadeeth until he reached this part of Rasoolollaah’s speech:

((Beware! that Faatimah’s door is my door, and her home is my home; so whomsoever attacks it, he has surely attacked Allaah’s representative.)).

Then the Imaam cried for a long time, cutting the rest of his speech, and then he repeated three times:

((By Allaah, Allaah’s representative was attacked; by Allaah, Allaah’s representative was attacked; by Allaah, Allaah’s representative was attacked. O mother! Allaah’s Blessing be upon you[115].)).

Imaam Reda mentions some of Faatimah’s suffering

It has been narrated from Mohammad ibn Esmaa^ceel ibn Bazee’ and Solaymaan ibn Ja^cfar who said:

((We went to Imaam Reda while he performing the Sojood of Shokr[116], and he extended his sojood. So when he raised his head we asked him: You extended your sojood?

So he said: Whoever recites this do^caa’ in the Sojood of Shokr will be rewarded as much as a Moslem who shot arrows with Rasoolollaah in the battle of Badr[117].

He said: Write: When you are in the Sojood of Shokr, recite: O Allaah! Keep away from Your Mercy the two who altered Your religion…

Imaam Jawaad refers to Faatimah’s suffering

((I was with Imaam Reda when Aboo Ja^cfar [Imaam Jawaad], who had less than four years of age, was brought in. He put his hand on the ground and raised his head towards the sky and became lost in thought. So Imaam Reda asked him: I be your sacrifice, what made you become lost in thought?

Imaam ^cAskari refers to Faatimah’s suffering

((I asked my master Abaa Mohammad Hasan ibn ^cAli [Imaam ^cAskari] in Saamirraa’[120], in the year 255 AH, to dictate to me a salawaat[121] to be recited for the Prophet and his Awseyaa’. And I had taken with me a large sheet of paper. So he dictated to me:

…O Allaah! You be her claimant from those who did her injustice, and usurped her right. O Allaah! You be her avenger for the blood of her children…[122])).

Bakri Leaders Confess To Their Crimes Against Faatimah

Aboo Bakr’s confession

Bakri[123] scholars narrate from Aboo Bakr^(LA)[124] who, after the attacks on ^cAli and Faatimah’s home, said to his men:

((Every man sleeps at night hugging his wife, happy with his family; but you left me alone with this problem. I do not need your allegiance, discharge me[125].)).

A large number of Bakri scholars also narrate that when Aboo Bakr was on his deathbed, a number of people went to visit him, including ^cAbdorrahmaan ibn ^cAwf, an influential high-ranking Bakri leader. And in the conversation that followed, Aboo Bakr told ^cAbdorrahmaan:

((Indeed, I do not feel sorry about anything I did in this world, except three things which I did, and wish that I had not done: …I wish I had not attacked Faatimah’s home[126].)).

^cOmar’s confession

((When Hosayn ibn ^cAli [Imaam Hosayn] was killed, and the news that his head had been cut and carried to Yazeed ibn Mo^caawiyah[127] reached Madinah… mourning ceremonies were held in the home of Rasoolollaah’s wife, Omm Salamah, and the homes of the Mohaajireen and the Ansaar.

Suddenly, ^cAbdollaah ibn ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab came out of his home, with his collar torn[128], slapping his face, and screaming: O crowd of Bani Haashim[129], and Qoraysh, and Mohaajireen and Ansaar! Is it assumed permissible to do this to the family and the lineage of Rasoolollaah while you are alive?! Yazeed must be dethroned.

That night he left Madinah traveling towards Damascus, and in every city he called the people to rise against Yazeed. And reports of his activities were constantly sent to Yazeed.

And the people listened to him and cursed Yazeed, saying: This is ^cAbdollaah son of ^cOmar, Rasoolollaah’s khaleefah, and he is denouncing what Yazeed has done to Ahl al-Bayt, and is calling the people against him; so whoever does not answer his call is not a Moslem. Thus a great unrest hit Damascus.

Finally, he entered the capital and came to Yazeed’s castle with a large crowd…

He was given permission to enter the castle alone, so he entered screaming at Yazeed: You have done what the Turks and the Romans would not have done; move aside so that the Moslems choose someone more suitable for this position.

However, Yazeed received him politely, hugged him, and respected him greatly. Then he said: O Abaa Mohammad! [^cAbdollaah] calm down…

Did your father appoint my father as the Governor of Shaam[130], or did my father appoint your father as Rasoolollaah’s Khaleefah?

Then Yazeed held ^cAbdollaah’s hand, saying: Stand up O Abaa Mohammad! and read it (Omar’s advice to Mo^caawiyah). So they walked into one of the safes where Yazeed asked for a specific box, opened it and took out a smaller box which was sealed and locked, he then took out a thin scroll wrapped in a black silk cloth and gave it to ^cAbdollaah, saying: O Abaa Mohammad! is this not your father’s hand writing?

And ^cAbdollaah read it. [Only some excerpts of ^cOmar’s letter to Mo^caawiyah are mentioned here):

…So I swear by the Hobal and the Idols and the Laat and the ^cOzzaa[131] that ^cOmar never renounced them since he first worshiped them, and that he never worshiped the God of the Ka^cbah, and that he never believed Mohammad. And that he never saluted him accept for becoming powerful enough to work against him and suppress him, for he (Rasoolollaah) had indeed come to us with a great sorcery, and added to that of the Israelites with Moosaa, Haaroon, Daawood, Solaymaan and ^cEesaa; he brought us all of their sorcery and added to it so much that if they had seen him, they would have testified that he is the Master of the Sorcerers.

So hold on O son of Abi Sofyaan! to the tradition of your people, and follow their religion, and continue the mission of your fathers in denouncing this structure (Ka^cbah) which they say has a God whom ordered them to come to it and circumambulate around it…

And thank the Laat and the ^cOzzaa for the rule of the Wise Master ^cAteeq ibn ^cAbdol^cozzaa [Aboo Bakr] on the nation of Mohammad, and his authority in their finances, bloods, faiths, souls, permissibles, prohibitions, taxes… so he would rule leniently in public and harshly in secret…

And indeed, I made a magnificent leap on the shining star of Bani Haashim[132], and its luminous summit… the one named Haydarah[133], Mohammad’s son-in-law, husband of the woman they appointed as Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen, calling her Faatimah. I came to the home of ^cAli, Faatimah and their two sons Hasan and Hosayn, and their two daughters Zaynab and Omm Kolthoom, and their housemaid Feddah, along with Khaalid ibn al-Waleed, Qonfodh and a number of our most loyal men. So I knocked on the door very hard and the housemaid answered me. I told her: Tell ^cAli: Forget this nonsense and do not think about the khelaafah, for surely it is not yours; it is for whom has been chosen by the Moslems…

Again I went to ^cAli’s home and told Feddah: Tell ^cAli to come out and pledge allegiance to Aboo Bakr. But she said: Indeed, Ameer al-Mo’meneen is busy. So I said: Tell him to come out, or we will come in and extract him by force.

Then Faatimah came and stood behind the door, saying: O you straying liars! What are you saying? And what do you want?

I said: Why did your cousin send you to answer me and he chose to sit behind the cover?!

I said: If he does not come out, I will bring a lot of firewood and will burn down this house on whoever is inside; and I took the whip from Qonfodh and lashed her, and told Khaalid: You and the men gather the wood, for surely I am burning it down.

Faatimah: O enemy of Allaah and the enemy of His Messenger and the enemy of Ameer al-Mo’meneen!

She then put her hands on the door, trying to stop me from entering; so I lashed her hands with the whip which hurt her, and I heard her sighs and cries; and I nearly went soft and was about to return, but I remembered my despise of ^cAli and his passion for the blood of the stouthearted Arabs, and the cunning of Mohammad and his sorcery, so I kicked the door against her while she was behind it, and I heard her scream: O my father! This is what is done to your beloved daughter! Ah O Feddah! Hold me, for indeed, by Allaah, my fetus has been killed.

I heard her go into labor, leaning on the wall, so I pushed the door and entered the house. She came towards me and I slapped her face so hard that her earring tore from her ear, and she fell down.

Then ^cAli came, and when I sensed him I quickly went out and said to Khaalid and Qonfodh: I escaped from a great danger; indeed, I have committed a serious crime and I fear for my life. This is ^cAli coming out, and none of us can handle him.

So ^cAli reached her just as she was about to pray to Allaah against us and complain of what had happened to her, so he spread a wrap on her, telling her: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! indeed Allaah sent your father as a mercy to the creatures. I swear by Allaah, that if you uncovered your forehead and prayed to your Lord, He will most definitely destroy these people; as you and your father are dearer to Allaah than Nooh, for whom He drowned the people who were not on his ship… So be O Chief of the Women! a mercy to these inverted people, and do not be a punishment.

Her pain then increased, and she entered her room and miscarried a dead fetus that was called Mohassin…

So when ^cAbdollaah read the letter, he stood up and kissed Yazeed’s head, saying: Praise be to God O Ameer al-Mo’meneen! for your killing the enemy, son of the enemy!! I swear that my father did not tell me what he had told your father…[135])).

Faatimah Rejects Aboo Bakr And ^cOmar

A large number of Bakri scholars narrate the following three ahaadeeth from Faatimah’s archenemy, ^cAa’eshah^(LAa)[136]:

((So Faatimah rejected Aboo Bakr, and did not speak with him until she died. And ^cAli buried her at night, and did not inform Aboo Bakr[137].)).

((So Faatimah became angry at Aboo Bakr and rejected him, and did not speak with him until she died… And when she died, her husband ^cAli buried her at night, and did not inform Aboo Bakr[138].)).

((So Faatimah became angry and rejected Aboo Bakr; and continued her rejection until she died[139].)).

((^cOmar told Aboo Bakr: Let us go to Faatimah, as we have made her angry. So they went together and asked for permission to see Faatimah, but she refused to permit them.

When they entered her room and sat in front of her, she turned her face towards the wall. They greeted her, but she did not return their greeting.

Aboo Bakr then started to speak, saying: O the beloved of Rasoolollaah! We exasperated you…

She said: Do you think that if I narrate to you a hadeeth from Rasoolollaah that you have already heard, you would admit that you had heard it?

So she said: I ask you in Allaah’s name, did not you hear Rasoolollaah say: Faatimah’s satisfaction is my satisfaction, and Faatimah’s exasperation is my exasperation; so whomsoever loves my daughter Faatimah, he has surely loved me; and whomsoever satisfies Faatimah, he has surely satisfied me; and whomsoever exasperates Faatimah, he has surely exasperated me?

Faatimah said: I hold Allaah and His angels as my witnesses that you indeed exasperated me and did not satisfy me. And when I meet the Prophet, I will most definitely complain you to him.

So Aboo Bakr said: I ask Allaah for refuge from his (Rasoolollaah) exasperation and your exasperation O Faatimah! Then Aboo Bakr cried lamenting, until he nearly lost consciousness, while Faatimah repeated: By Allaah! I will most definitely pray to Allaah against you in every salaat I perform.

Then Aboo Bakr left weeping, and the people gathered around him; So he told them: Every man sleeps at night hugging his wife, happy with his family; but you left me alone with this problem. I do not need your allegiance, discharge me[140].)).

((When Faatimah fell ill, Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar went to visit her, but she refused to accept them… Thus ^cOmar went to ^cAli and said: We have gone to Faatimah several times asking for permission to see her, but she has repeatedly refused to receive us and to hear our apology; so could you prepare a meeting for us?

He said: Yes. And he went to Faatimah and said: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! You have seen what you have seen from these two men; and they have come to see you several times but you have refused to receive them; now they have asked me to ask you for permission.

Faatimah: By Allaah, I will not give them permission, and will not speak with them a single work until I meet Allaah and complain to Him what they had done to me.

Faatimah: If you have said yes, then the home is yours, and the women follow the men, and I will not disagree with you over anything; so you may give permission to anyone you like. Thus ^cAli went out and gave them permission to come and see her.

When they saw Faatimah [who was lying], they greeted her, but she did not answer their greeting and turned her face towards the wall. So they came and sat in front of her. So she said to ^cAli: Cover me with a thick cloth; and told the women who were there: Turn my face. So she repeatedly turned her face to the opposite direction as they repeatedly changed their places to sit in front of her.

Then Aboo Bakr said: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! indeed we have come to you to seek your satisfaction, and avoid your exasperation; we ask you to forgive us and pardon us for what we have done to you.

Faatimah: I will not speak to you a single world until I meet my father and complain to him what you have done to me.

She then looked at ^cAli and said: Indeed, I will not speak with them until I ask them about something they had heard from my father, so if they admitted hearing it, then I will see.

They said: Let her ask, and we shall not say other than the truth, and will not testify except truthfully.

So she said: I ask you in Allaah’s name, do you remember that Rasoolollaah once summoned you at night about something regarding ^cAli?

Faatimah: I ask you in Allaah’s name, did you hear the Prophet say: Faatimah is a part of me, and I am a part of her. Whomsoever annoys her, he has surely annoyed me; and whomsoever annoys me, he has surely annoyed Allaah. And whomsoever annoys her after my death, is as if he had annoyed her during my life; and whomsoever annoys her during my life is as if he has annoyed her after my death?

Faatimah: Praise be to Allaah. O Allaah! I hold You as my witness; and so bare witness you who are present [in the room], that these two have indeed annoyed me during my life and at my death. By Allaah, I will not speak with you a single word until I meet my Lord and complain what you have done to me.

So ^cOmar said: What a surprise! How did the people chose you to rule them, when you are a old man who has gone senile?! You become anxious by a woman’s anger, and happy by her satisfaction?! And what guilt does a man carry for exasperating a woman?!

Were Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar truthful in their apology?

It is not ambiguous for a fair-minded person who reads the above narrations, that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar were not truthful in their apology to Faatimah. Had they at all been sincere, they would have put things right, instead of continuing their suppression. But we see that nothing changed, and the Bakri leaders continued on their path.

Aboo Bakr screamed to his men: “discharge me”, as if it were up to them to dethrone him. And even if they could, then what is the meaning of his apology when he wants one of his men to replace him, instead of the Rightful Khaleefah?!

The fact is that Aboo Bakr wanted to rule and had no intention of stepping aside, whether for Ameer al-Mo’meneen or for anyone else. But at the same time, he wanted erase the black mark that attacking Faatimah had brought him.

And ^cAli and Faatimah were cleverer than to be tricked by Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar, and could not be fooled by crocodile tears into forgiving and forgetting and announcing to the people that all was well between them.

Therefore Faatimah turned their public show against them by insistently refusing to meet with them, and by her unwavering unwillingness to accept their apology, and by her severe tone… Telling the whole world that Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen, whose anger and satisfaction are that of Allaah and Rasoolollaah, was angry with Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar.

Whoever dies without knowing his imaam…

((Whoever dies while having no allegiance to the imaam, he has died the death of the ignorance[142].)).

They also narrate that Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen never accepted Aboo Bakr as her imaam until she died.

Saheeh al-Bokhaari and Saheeh Moslem, the two most respectable and authentic references to the Bakris after the Holy Qor’aan, record that she died rejecting Aboo Bakr.

So did she die while having no allegiance to her imaam?! Are the Bakris bold enough to say that Faatimah died as a non-Moslem?!

This is another contradiction which crushes what is left of the Bakri conscience. On the one hand they cannot abandon their beloved Saheeh al-Bokhaari and Saheeh Moslem and deny the authenticity of this hadeeth which almost all of their references have recorded, and on the other hand they do not dare claim that Faatimah died the death of the ignorance.

However, the answer is simple and clear. Sayyedat Nesaa’ al-^cAAlameen died in the allegiance of Ameer al-Mo’meneen, who was chosen by Allaah and appointed by His Messenger as the first khaleefah.

But the Bakris cannot say this either, as it would mean that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar and the rest of their leaders had usurped the khelaafah[143]; and what greater crime?!

[1] Rasoolollaah’s migration from Makkah to Madinah in the thirteenth year of his mission. Moslems start their lunar calendar from the year of the Hejrah.

[2] For more detailed information about the assassination of Rasoolollaah, and his assassins, see: Rasoolollaah, The Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 181.

[3] For more detailed information about the Farewell Pilgrimage, see: Rasoolollaah, The Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 171.

[4] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[5] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[6] For more detailed information about the appointment of Ameer al-Mo’meneen as Rasoolollaah’s khaleefah after the Farewell Pilgrimage, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = pages 171-180.

[7] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.

[8] Bakri scholars admit that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar were among the people who were ordered by Rasoolollaah to join Osaamah’s army; and they all agree that Rasoolollaah’s order for joining Osaamah’s army was extraordinarily emphasized and stressed on, as he repeated it several times and on numerous occasions; and no Bakri scholar has ever claimed that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar did actually march with Osaamah. Therefore Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar disobeyed the repeated direct orders of Rasoolollaah, and ignored his firm commands, and were among those against whom Rasoolollaah had prayed for disobeying his order.

But to make matters even worse, some Bakri scholars claim that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar had two reasons for not joining Osaamah’s army and staying in Madinah—disobeying Rasoolollaah:

First: That after Rasoolollaah’s death, Madinah was in danger of a Bedouin raid, so they needed to stay in the city to protect it.

Second: That after Rasoolollaah’s death, the people of Madinah were divided over the leadership, so they needed to stay to unite the people.

However, these lame excuses bring more problems for the Bakris:

1- Bakri scholars admit that Rasoolollaah had announced his death several months before he died, so at the time of ordering Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar to join Osaamah’s army, he knew that he would shortly die. Thus disobeying his order to march with Osaamah for the excuses of protecting Madinah against the two internal and external dangers means that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar knew Moslems’ interests better than Rasoolollaah, and cared about Moslems more than Rasoolollaah.

2- The imminent Bedouin raid on Madinah is yet to be proven; as the Bedouins around Madinah were all Moslems, and had been loyal Moslems for some time, and had not posed any danger on Madinah in the previous years. So why should they threaten to invade the city after the Prophet’s death?! This external danger seems to be just another fictitious Bakri account of historic events, a product of the creative Bakri imagination by which revealing events are hid.

3- Supposing that the danger was real, how could Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar have defended the city?! They were not famous fighters, as they had not killed or even injured anyone in the numerous battles they had participated in during the life of Rasoolollaah. And they did not have a shred of bravery, as they were not killed when many others were, and they were not injured as were all the other Moslems who had taken part in those early wars, including Rasoolollaah. They often fled from the battlefield and left their positions.

4- If the Bakris claim that the role of Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar in the defense of Madinah was important in planning a good defense strategy; then they are overseeing the fact that neither of them had ever been known to be any good in that field.

5- And if they claim that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar were competent military commanders, then the fact that each one of them commanded only one campaign during Rasoolollaah‘s life and completely failed in his command and had to be replaced by Ameer al-Mo’meneen, proves it wrong.

6- In almost every account of this event in Bakri references, Aboo Bakri is quoted to have said that he does not care if Madinah is raided and its people are hurt and stripped of their positions, and that under no circumstances would he keep Osaamah’s army in Madinah to protect the city, because he does not want to disobey Rasoolollaah’s order in this regard. So if the protection of Madinah is not his aim, why did he and ^cOmar stay behind?!

7- Is it conceivable that with such a danger so imminent, the men of Madinah would knowingly and willingly decide to march to today’s Jordan, leaving their wives, children, and positions unprotected at the mercy of the Bedouin raiders?! Why did not, at least, half of them stay in Madinah?!

8- And if the Bakris claim that Rasoolollaah’s order regarding Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar joining Osaamah’s army was in force while he was alive, but it was no longer valid after his death; therefore Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar had to stay in Madinah to unite the people who were having disagreements about the leadership after the Prophet; one could say:

1- Assuming that there was such a disagreement, what made Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar so capable in resolving it, especially when only the Bakris listened to them?!

2- And their claim that after Rasoolollaah’s death Moslems were left without a leader and they had to choose a khaleefah to prevent internal disintegration, and that is why Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar stayed behind, is easily refuted by the fact that Rasoolollaah did indeed choose his successor before his death, as he had already appointed Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his khaleefah and had taken pledges of allegiance from the Moslems for him.

3- But supposing that Rasoolollaah had not appointed a khaleefah, and that the Moslems had to choose a leader for themselves, then why did only Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar return from Osaamah’s army and ordered the others to leave?! Is it possible to have an election with only one candidate?! And why were not others in Osaamah’s army given a chance to be chosen for the khelaafah?!

4- Further more, it could be said that there was no disagreement between the Moslems over the khelaafah, as they all wanted Ameer al-Mo’meneen as the Khaleefah; and that the trouble started when the Bakris began to show Aboo Bakr as the Khaleefah. If we look at the facts, we see that the disagreements over the khelaafah were between three camps:

a: the Moslems who wanted Ameer al-Mo’meneen as the khaleefah, because Rasoolollaah had appointed him;

b: the Bakris who wanted Aboo Bakr to be the khaleefah, because he had promised them wealth and power;

c: and the Ansaar who wanted one of them to be the khaleefah, because they knew that if the Bakris—who were among the Mohaajireen—usurp the khelaafah from Ameer al-Mo’meneen, the precedence would always be given to the Bakri Mohaajireen, and that at no time will any of the Ansaar be allowed to share some of the wealth and power.

After the above, one can say that Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar stubbornly disobeyed Rasoolollaah’s repeated direct orders about joining Osaamah’s army and stayed behind to usurp the khelaafah from Ameer al-Mo’meneen and become the first and the second khaleefah?!

[9] For more detailed information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 201.

[10] Messenger of Allaah; a title exclusively given to Prophet Mohammad by Allaah.

[11] Bakri scholars narrate:

((Ma^caadh asked ^cAa’eshah: How did you find Rasoolollaah at the time of his illness and death?

So she answered: O Ma^caadh! I was not with him at the time of his death; but go to Faatimah, his daughter, and ask her.)). (al-Esaabah / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 8, page 41)

[12] Bakri scholars narrate:

((Then the Angel of Death descended and stood at the door, in the shape of a Bedouin, and said: Peace be upon you O Members of the Household of the Prophethood! and the Source of the Messengerhood, and the point of come and go for the angels. Do I have permission to enter?

So ^cAa’eshah said to Faatimah: Answer the man.

And Faatimah said: May Allaah reward you for coming here, O Servant of Allaah! Indeed, Rasoolollaah is ill.

The man repeated his request to enter for a second time. And ^cAa’eshah said to Faatimah: Answer the man.

So Faatimah said: May Allaah reward you for coming here, O Servant of Allaah! Indeed, Rasoolollaah is ill.

Then the man repeated for a third time: Peace be upon you O Members of the Household of the Prophethood! and the Source of the Messengerhood, and the point of come and go for the angels. Do I have permission to enter? As this is unavoidable.

Rasoolollaah said: O Faatimah! Who is at the door?

So she said: O Rasoolollaah! The man at the door is requesting permission to enter. We told him twice that you could not receive him; but for a third time he repeated his request with a voice that made me tremble.

The Prophet told her: O Faatimah! Do you know who is at the door? He is the destroyer of the pleasures; and the disperser of the groups; he is the one who makes the spouses widower and widow, and makes the children orphans; he is the demolisher of the homes, and the populator of the graves; he is the Angel of Death.

Enter, may Allaah be Merciful to you, O Angel of Death! So he entered.)). (Helyat al-Awleyaa’ / Aboo No^caym = vol. 4, page 76. Majma^c al-Zawaa‘ed / al-Haythami = vol. 9, page 29. al-Mo^cjam al-Kabeer / al-Tabaraani = vol. 3, page 62)

[13] The Angel of Death.

[14] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.

[15] Ibn Abi al-Hadeed, one of the most famous Bakri scholars, writes in his highly respected encyclopedia:

((All Islamic historians narrate that when Rasoolollaah died, Aboo Bakr was in his home in Sonh, so ^cOmar ibn al-Khattaab said: Rasoolollaah has not died, and will not die until he makes his religion prevail over all religions; and that he will, most assuredly, return and will, most certainly, cut the arms and the legs of those who were shocked with his apparent death. I will strike anyone who says Rasoolollaah has died with my sword.)). (Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 2, page 40)

For more detailed information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 219.

[16] For more detailed information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 222.

[17] Plural of Ansaari: a citizen of Madinah who converted to Islam before the liberation of Makkah.

[18] Plural of Mohaajir: a Moslem who migrated from Makkah to Madinah to escape Idolater suppression, before the liberation of Makkah.

[19] Mostadrakaat ^cAwaalim al-^cOloom / al-Abtahi = vol. 11, page 581

[20] See page 214 of this book.

[21] ^cOmar was also known as Abaa Hafs.

[22] Commander of the Faithful; a title exclusively given to Imaam ^cAli by Allaah. Although its use by others is prohibited, but Bakri rulers have always used it for themselves.

[23] al-Khattaab was said to be ^cOmar’s father.

[24] Aboo Bakr’s father.

[25] There are countless ahaadeeth in Bakri references, some of which were narrated by ^cOmar himself, that Rasoolollaah chose Ameer al-Mo’meneen as his brother, on the Day of Brotherhood, after he migrated to Madinah. All Bakri and Moslem scholars agree on this fact.

[26] This is the only time in history that a person has denied the brotherhood of Rasoolollaah and Ameer al-Mo’meneen. And the fact that this very person is one of the people who had narrated many ahaadeeth about this brotherhood, shows the falsehood of his latter statement. However, this assertive denial after that expressive proclamation is not so surprising from a personality such as ^cOmar.

[27] Holy Qor’aan = soorah 7, aayah 150.

[28] al-Imaamah wa al-Seyaasah / Ibn Qotaybah = vol. 1, page 18. A shorter form of this narration is also mentioned in: A^claam al-Nesaa’ / Kahhaalah = vol. 4, page 114.

[29] Taareekh / al-Ya^cqoobi = vol. 2, page 126.

[30] Ansaab al-Ashraaf / al-Balaadheri = vol. 1, page 587.

[31] al-^cEqd al-Fareed / Ibn ^cAbderabbeh = vol. 5, page 12. Taareekh / al-Tabari = vol. 3, page 198.

Some Bakri scholars record a similar narration:

((^cOmar came to Faatimah’s home along with many Ansaar and a few Mohaajireen, and said: By Him in Whose hand is ^cOmar’s life! Either you come out for allegiance right now, or I will most certainly burn down the house on you...

Then he pulled them out by their collars, dragging them [in the streets] violently.)). (Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 1, page 134)

[32] al-Estee^caab / Ibn ^cAbdelbarr = vol. 3, page 975. Ezaalat al-Khafaa’ / al-Dehlawi = vol. 2, pages 29 and 179. Jam^c al-Jawaami^c / al-Soyooti = vol. 1, page 233. Kanz al-^cOmmaal / al-Hendi = vol. 5, page 651. al-Moghni / ^cAbdoljabbaar = vol. 20, page 335. Mosannaf / Ibn Abi Shaybah = vol. 7, page 432; vol. 14, page 567. Mosnad Faatimah / al-Soyooti = page 20. Nehaayat al-Erab / al-Nowayri = vol. 19, page 39. Qorrat al-Aynayn / al-Dehlawi = page 78. al-Saqeefah wa Fadak / al-Jawhari = pages 38, 50 and 51. al-Waafi fi al-Wafayaat / al-Safdi = vol. 17, page 311.

Ibn Abi al-Hadeed, the famous Bakri scholar, also records this narration but with a difference in its beginning:

((When pledges of allegiance were taken for Aboo Bakr, Zobayr, Meqdaad and a number of other people often came to ^cAli, who was in Faatimah’s home, to consult with him…)). (Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 2, page 45)

[33] Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 2, page 26; vol. 6, page 49.

[34] Son of al-Khattaab.

[35] A^claam al-Nesaa’ / Kahhaalah = vol. 3, page 1207. al-^cEqd al-Fareed / Ibn ^cAbderabbeh = vol. 2, page 250; vol. 4, page 259; vol. 5, page 12. al-Mokhtasar fi Akhbaar al-Bashar / Aboo al-Fedaa’ = vol. 1, page 156. Taareekh / al-Tabari = vol. 3, page 198.

Bakri scholars also narrate:

((Aboo Bakr summoned ^cAli, wanting his pledge of allegiance, but he refused. So ^cOmar came with fire, and Faatimah saw him at the door and said: O Ibn al-Khattaab?! Do you intend to put fire to my door?! ^cOmar said: Yes.)). (Ansaab al-Ashraaf / al-Balaadheri = vol. 1, page 586)

[36] The footnotes of: al-Melal wa al-Nehal / al-Shahrestaani = vol. 1, page 53; and al-Waafi fi al-Wafayaat / al-Safdi = vol. 6, page 17.

[37] al-Ghorar / Ibn Khayzoraanah.

[38] Plural of Taleeq, a captive freed by the Moslems. This term is especially used to refer to the Idolater leaders in Makkah who were forgiven by Prophet Mohammad after the liberation of Makkah.

[39] ^cOmar’s mother; she was known as a vile woman. In such cases, a person was called by his mother’s name if people wanted to remind him of his corrupt past and illegitimate conception, etc.

[40] Ketaab Solaym ibn al-Qays = vol. 2, page 584. This narration has also been recoded with an addition on page 865 of the same reference, the addition is:

((Khaalid ibn al-Waleed unsheathed his sword to strike Faatimah, so ^cAli attacked him with his sword; but Khaalid swore to ^cAli in Allaah’s name that he does not kill him, and ^cAli refrained.

And Meqdaad, Salmaan, Aboo Dharr, ^cAmmaar and Boraydah al-Aslami entered the house, supporting ^cAli… Saying [to the Bakris]: How soon you betrayed Rasoolollaah, and let out the rancor that was in your chests!!

And Boraydah said: O ^cOmar! Do you leap against the Brother of Rasoolollaah and his Wasi, and against his daughter and hit her?! And you are the one whom the Qoraysh knows by which it knows.)).

[41] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 28, page 250. al-Kaafi / al-Kolayni = vol. 1, page 460.

[42] Sallallaah ^cAlayh wa Aalih, Allaah’s Blessings be upon him and his descendants.

[43] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[44] Lesaan al-Meezaan / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 1, page 405. Meezaan al-E^ctedaal / al-Dhahabi = vol. 1, page 139. Seyar A^claam al-Nobalaa’ / al-Dhahabi = vol. 15, page 578.

[45] Ansaab al-Ashraaf / al-Balaadheri = vol. 1, page 404. al-Melal wa al-Nehal / al-Shahrestaani = vol. 1, page 83. al-Waafi fi al-Wafayaat / al-Safdi = vol. 5, page 347.

[46] al-Khotat / al-Maqreezi = vol. 2, page 346. al-Farq bayn al-Feraq / al-Esfaraa’eeni = page 148.

[47] Historians narrate that when Rasoolollaah and the Moslems migrated from Makkah to Madinah, Rasoolollaah asked his stepdaughter Zaynab to join him. On her way to Madinah, a group of Idolaters followed her with the intention of forcing her to return to Makkah; and Habbaar ibn al-Aswad hit her howdah with his spear, so she fell down on a rock, and miscarried her fetus. She later died in Madinah from her injuries.

[48] Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 14, page 193.

[49] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.

[50] Commander of the Faithful; a title given exclusively to Imaam ^cAli by Allaah.

[51] al-Ekhtesaas / al-Mofeed = pages 184 and 187.

[52] For more detailed information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 189.

[53] Waaqi^cat Seffeen / al-Menqari = page 163.

[54] A God-appointed successor of Rasoolollaah. Also caliph. Bakris wrongfully use this title for the leaders of the Bakri party who usurped the Rightful Khelaafah from the a’emmah. Plural Kholafaa’.

[55] al-Bedaayah wa al-Nehaayah / Ibn Kothayr = vol. 5, page 250. Seyar A^claam al-Nobalaa’ / al-Dhahabi = page 26. Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 6, page 48.

[56] al-Ehtejaaj / al-Tabarsi = vol. 1, page 414. al-Ekhtesaas / al-Mofeed = page 185.

[57] al-Ekhtesaas / al-Mofeed = page 185.

[58] Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 6, page 48.

[59] Ketaab Solaym ibn al-Qays = vol. 2, page 675. It has also been narrated from Solaym, who said:

((I met with ^cAli and asked him about what ^cOmar had done. So he said: Do you know why ^cOmar did not fine Qonfodh?

I answered: No.

He said: Because he lashed Faatimah with the whip when she came to stand between them and me. So when she died, the effect of the whip was like an armband on her upper arm.)). (Ketaab Solaym ibn al-Qays = vol. 2, page 674)

[60] al-Imaamah wa al-Seyaasah / Ibn Qotaybah = vol. 1, page 18. A^claam al-Nesaa’ / Kahhaalah = vol. 4, page 114.

[61] Ansaab al-Ashraaf / al-Balaadheri = vol. 1, page 587.

[62] A^claam al-Nesaa’ / Kahhaalah = vol. 3, page 1207. al-^cEqd al-Fareed / Ibn ^cAbderabbeh = vol. 2, page 250; vol. 4, page 259; vol. 5, page 12. al-Mokhtasar fi Akhbaar al-Bashar / Aboo al-Fedaa’ = vol. 1, page 156. Taareekh / al-Tabari = vol. 3, page 198.

[63] A raised platform for a Moslem speaker in a mosque, Hosayneyyah, etc. where he/she would either stand or sit to give a speech.

[64] Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 2, page 56. It has also been narrated:

((Then Zobayr came out with his sword, and Aboo Bakr shouted: Restrain the dog!!… Then Aboo Bakr said: Strike it at the rock.)). (Amaali / al-Mofeed = page 246)

[65] Taareekh / al-Ya^cqoobi = vol. 2, page 126.

[66] ^cAlayhas Salaam, peace be upon her.

[67] Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed / vol. 2, page 26; vol. 6, page 49.

[68] al-Jaami^c le Ahkaam al-Qor’aan / al-Qortobi = vol. 16, page 22.

[69] One of the four corners of the Ka^cbah, in which Hajar al-Aswad, the Black Stone is placed.

[70] Maqaam Ebraaheem is the stone on which Prophet Ebraaheem stood to build the Ka^cbah. Later, the pre-Islamic Arabs moved it away from the Ka^cbah; and after the liberation of Makkah, Rasoolollaah returned it to its correct place next to the Ka^cbah. But during his rule, ^cOmar moved it back to the place in which the pre-Islamic Arabs had placed it!!

[71] Taareekh Baghdaad / al-Baghdaadi = vol. 3, page 122.

[72] al-Sawaa^ceq al-Mohreqah / Ibn Hajar = page 143.

[73] al-Mostadrak / al-Naysaaboori = vol. 3, page 150.

[74] Amaali / al-Sadooq = page 112. Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 28, page 38; vol. 43, page 172. Beshaarat al-Mostafa / al-Tabari = page 197. Ershaad al-Qoloob / al-Daylami = vol. 2, page 295. al-Fadaa’el / Ibn Shaadhaan = page 8. Faraa’ed al-Semtayn / al-Hamoo’i = vol. 2, page 35. Jalaa’ al-^cOyoon / al-Majlesi = vol. 1, page 186.

[75] al-Aahaad wa al-Mathaani / al-Shaybaani = vol. 5, page 369. al-Bedaayah wa al-Nehaayah / Ibn Kothayr = vol. 3, page 206. Ansaab al-Ashraaf / al-Balaadheri = page 405. al-E^cteqaad / al-Maqreezi = page 165. Ershaad al-Saari / al-Qastalaani = vol. 6, page 80. al-Esaabah / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 4, page 367. Es^caaf al-Raaghebeen / Ibn al-Sabbaan = page 128. al-Estee^caab / Ibn ^cAbdelbarr = vol. 2, page 750. Fath al-Baari / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 8, page 136. al-Fosool al-Mohemmah / Ibn al-Sabbaagh = page 127. al-Jaami^c al-Sagheer / al-Soyooti = vol. 1, page 7. Kanz al-^cOmmaal / al-Hendi = vol. 7, page 111; vol. 13, page 95; vol. 16, page 281. Kefaayat al-Taalib / al-Kanji = page 275. al-Khasaa’es / al-Nasaa’i = page 33. al-Khasaa’es al-Kobraa / al-Soyooti = vol. 2, pages 226 and 265. al-Maghaazi wa al-Seyar / al-Hadrami = page 286. Majma^c al-Zawaa‘ed / al-Haythami = vol. 9, pages 23 and 201. Manaaqib ^cAli ibn Abi Taalib / Ibn al-Maghaazili = page 5. Maqtal al-Hosayn / al-Khaarazmi = page 55. al-Mo^cjam al-Kabeer / al-Tabaraani = vol. 22, page 417. Moshkel al-Athaar / al-Tahaawi = vol. 1, page 48. Mosnad / Ahmad = vol. 3, page 64; vol. 5, page 391. Mosnad Faatimah / al-Soyooti = page 41, and a similar narration in pages 49, 51, 52, 78 and 79. al-Mostadrak / al-Naysaaboori = vol. 3, pages 151 and 154. Osd al-Ghaabah / Ibn al-Atheer = vol. 4, page 42. Saheeh / Bokhaari = vol. 4, page 203; vol. 5, page 20. Saheeh / Moslem = vol. 7, page 143. al-Sawaa^ceq al-Mohreqah / al-Haythami = page 185. Seyar A^claam al-Nobalaa’ / al-Dhahabi = vol. 3, page 168. Sharh al-Maqaasid / al-Taftaazaani = vol. 2, page 221. Sonan / al-Termedhi = vol. 13, page 197. Taareekh Demashq / Ibn ^cAsaakir = vol. 4, page 95. al-Tabaqaat al-Kobraa = vol. 2, page 248. Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 12, page 441. Dhakhaa’er al-^cOqbaa / al-Tabari = pages 39 and 136. al-Dhorreyyah al-Taahirah / al-Doolaabi = vol. 1, page 105. Waseelat al-Ma’aal / al-Hadrami = page 88. Yanaabee^c al-Mawaddah / al-Qandoozi = page 165.

[76] Faatimah min al-Mahd elaa al-Lahd / al-Qazweeni = page 301.

[77] Ketaab Solaym ibn al-Qays = vol. 2, page 907.

[78] Rasoolollaah repeated this twice.

[79] Kanz al-Fawaa’ed / al-Karaajaki = vol. 1, page 149.

[80] A particular position in salaat in which the forehead, the palms, the knees and the toes of both feet are placed on the ground. Sojood is also performed on its own—not as part of a salaat—for a number of reasons, some of which are mandatory whereas others are recommended.

[81] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 98, page 44.

[82] Moslem, Shee^cah, a follower of Rasoolollaah and Ameer al-Mo’meneen.

[83] A person who shams Islam but in fact is not a Moslem.

[84] Amaali / al-Sadooq = page 118. Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 28, page 51; vol. 44, page 149. Manaaqib Aal Abi Taalib / Ibn Shahraashoob = vol. 2, page 209.

[85] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[86] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 28, page 62; vol. 53, page 23. Jalaa’ al-^cOyoon / al-Majlesi = vol. 1, page 184.

[87] Chief of the Women of the World; a title given exclusively to Faatimah, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah, by Allaah.

[88] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 30, page 347.

[89] A raised platform for a Moslem speaker in a mosque, Hosayneyyah, etc. where he/she would either stand or sit to give a speech.

[90] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 43, page 177.

[91] Faatimah al-Zahraa’ Min Qabl al-Meelaad elaa Ba^cd al-Estesh-haad / al-Haashimi = page 219. al-Fotoohaat al-Rabbaaneyyah / Ibn al-^cAllaan = vol. 3, page 160.

[92] al-Abdaal / al-Halabi = vol. 1, page 164. al-Ehtejaaj / al-Tabarsi = vol. 1, page 145. Faatimah al-Zahraa’ Min Qabl al-Meelaad elaa Ba^cd al-Estesh-haad / al-Haashimi = page 289. Ghareeb al-Hadeeth / Ibn Qotaybah = page 590.

[93] ^cAwaalim al-^cOloom / al-Bahraani = vol. 11, page 832.

[94] Bahjat Qalb al-Mostafa / al-Rahmaani = page 531.

[95] A particular position in salaat in which the palms are brought up in line with the face, whilst the palms are placed adjacent side by side and facing upwards.

[96] [96] Praying to Allaah, asking Him for something for oneself and/or for others… Do^caa’ can be positive or negative, and has many forms and many uses and effects. Some ad^ceyah (plural of do^caa’) should only be recited in specific times and/or places, whereas other ad^ceyah are not bound to any time or place restrictions. There is a huge number of set formal ad^ceyah narrated from the Fourteen Ma^csoomeen, the recitation of which is highly recommended, but it is also possible for any Moslem to compose his own do^caa’, in any language format, provided that he has a considerable knowledge of Islam.

[97] An Islamic tax of 20% levied, among other things, on the annual superfluous income. Khoms is given to the Prophet or one of his kholafaa’ or one of the representatives of the final khaleefah—Maraaji^c[97], who then give it to its legal recipients accordingly. It could also be directly given to the legal recipients under the supervision or with the permission of the Maraaji`. Once Khoms is deducted from a certain amount, it will no longer be subject to Khoms in the coming years.

[98] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 85, page 260.

[99] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[100] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.

[101] Saheeh / al-Bokhaari = vol. 13, page 197.

[102] Zeyaarah means visiting; it also means the collection of words and sentences which the zaa’er (visitor) recites when visiting the shrine of a prophet or a wasi or a Godly person. There is a large number of set formal zeyaaraat (plural of zeyaarah) narrated from the Fourteen Ma^csoomeen, the recitation of which is highly recommended. Some of these zeyaaraat should only be recited in specific times and/or places, whereas other zeyaaraat are not bound to any time or place restrictions.

[103] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 100, page 199.

[104] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[105] Faatimah al-Zahraa’ min Qabl al-Meelaad elaa Ba^cd al-Estesh-haad / al-Haashimi = page 450.

[106] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[107] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[108] Zaynab and Omm Kolthoom were the two daughters of ^cAli and Faatimah.

[109] Feddah was Faatimah’s student and housemaid.

[110] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 53, excerpts from pages 14 to 19.

[111] ^cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.

[112] A narration from one of the Fourteen Ma^csoomeen. Plural ahaadeeth.

[113] ^cAlayhemos Salaam, peace be upon them.

[114] Leader, good or bad, religious or otherwise. This title has been used for any person with a religious leading role, such as a public prayer leader or leader of a religious group or movement. But in this book it is only used as a title for one of the twelve God-appointed successors of the Prophet Mohammad. Plural a’emmah.

[115] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 22, page 477.

[116] A sojood especially performed for the purpose of thanking Allaah.

[117] In another narration, recorded immediately after this one in this reference, it is mentioned that the Imaam said:

((He will be rewarded as much as a soldier who shot a million arrows with Rasoolollaah in the battles of Badr, Ohod and Honayn)).

Participating in battles with Rasoolollaah has a great reward, and its reward dramatically increases according to the importance, etc. of that battle; and the battles of Badr, Ohod and Honayn were three of the most decisive battles. And shooting every arrow with Rasoolollaah has a great reward, and its reward dramatically increases according to the importance, etc. of that battle.

Here the Imaam says that the reward of reciting this do^caa’ in the Sojood of Shokr is as much as shooting one million arrows with Rasolollaah in these three most important battles.

[118] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 86, page 223.

[119] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 50, page 59.

[120] The city in which he and his father (Imaam Haadi) were held prisoner and were killed and were buried, in today’s Northern-Iraq.

[121] Plural of salaat. Here, salaat means do^caa’ for Allaah’s Blessings and Mercy for someone. There is a large number of set formal salawaat narrated from some of the Fourteen Ma^csoomeen to be recited for other ma^csoomeen; however any Moslem can compose his own salaat for one or more of the Fourteen Ma^csoomeen, in any language format, provided that he has a considerable knowledge of Islam.

[122] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 94, page 74.

[123] A Bakri is a follower of Aboo Bakr. Opposite Moslem, Shee^cah, follower of Rasoolollaah. Some people unknowingly call the followers of Aboo Bakr “Sonnis”. Sonni means a follower of the tradition of Rasoolollaah; and since the followers of Aboo Bakr follow him and not Rasoolollaah, it is wrong to call them Sonnis.

[124] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.

[125] al-Imaamah wa al-Seyaasah / Ibn Qotaybah = vol. 1, page 14.

[126] al-^cEqd al-Fareed / Ibn ^cAbderabbeh = vol. 4, page 268. al-Imaamah wa al-Seyaasah / Ibn Qotaybah = vol. 1, page 18. Kanz al-^cOmmaal / al-Hendi = vol. 5, page 631. Lesaan al-Meezaan / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 4, page 219. Meezaan al-E^ctedaal / al-Dhahabi = vol. 2, page 215. al-Mo^cjam al-Kabeer / al-Tabaraani = vol. 1, page 62. Mosnad Faatimah / al-Soyooti = page 34. Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 2, page 46; vol. 6, page 51; vol. 17, page 164. Taareekh al-Islam / al-Dhahabi = page 117. Taareekh al-Omam wa al-Molook / al-Tabari = vol. 2, page 619. Taareekh / al-Ya^cqoobi = vol. 2, page 137.

[127] The fifth Usurper of the Khelaafah, and the third Amawi ruler. His paternal grandparents were Aboo Sofyaan, the Idolater leader, and Hend, the Liver Eater.

[128] It was a custom to tear open one’s collar in the mourning of a very important and much beloved deceased.

[129] The tribe of Rasoolollaah and the Ahl al-Bayt.

[130] Today’s Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

[131] Hobal, Laat and ^cOzzaa where the three most respected idols to the Idolaters.

[132] Rasoolollaah’s tribe.

[133] One of the names of Ameer al-Mo’meneen.

[134] Also Satan.

[135] Behaar al-Anwaar / al-Majlesi = vol. 30, page 287.

[136] La^cnatollaah ^cAlayha, may Allaah distance her from His Blessings and Mercy.

[137] Moshkel al-Athaar / al-Tahaawi = vol. 1, page 47. Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 6, page 46. al-Sonan al-Kobraa / al-Bayhaqi = vol. 6, page 300. Taareekh al-Omam wa al-Molook / al-Tabari = vol. 3, page 208. Tayseer al-Wosool / al-Shaybaani = vol. 2, page 46. Wafaa’ al-Wafaa / al-Samhoodi = vol. 2, page 995.

[138] Saheeh / al-Bokhaari = vol. 5, page 177. Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah / Ibn Abi al-Hadeed = vol. 16, page 217. Taareekh al-Khamees / al-Deyaarbakri = vol. 2, page 173.

[139] al-Bedaayah wa al-Nehaayah / Ibn Kothayr = vol. 5, page 285. Jaami^c al-Osool / Ibn al-Atheer = vol. 10, page 386. Mosnad / Ahmad = vol. 1, page 9. Saheeh / al-Bokhaari = vol. 4, page 96. Saheeh / Moslem = vol. 5, page 25. al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah / Ibn Kothayr = vol. 4, page 496. Taareekh al-Islam / al-Dhahabi = page 21. Tayseer al-Wosool / al-Shaybaani = vol. 4, page 11.

[140] al-Imaamah wa al-Seyaasah / Ibn Qotaybah = vol. 1, page 13.

[141] Faatimah min al-Mahd elaa al-Lahd / al-Qazweeni = page 596 from ^cElal al-Sharaa’e^c / al-Sadooq.

[142] This hadeeth has been recorded with different forms, through various Bakri chains of narrators, in many Bakri references, some of which are as follows:

al-Ahaadeeth al-Mokhtaarah / al-Maqdesi = vol. 8, pages 194 and 198. Fath al-Baari / al-^cAsqalaani = vol. 13, page 7. Helyat al-Awleyaa’ / Aboo No^caym = vol. 3, page 224. Majma^c al-Zawaa‘ed / al-Haythami = vol. 1, page 324; vol. 5, pages 218 and 223. al-Mo^cjam al-Awsat / al-Tabaraani = vol. 1, page 79; vol. 6, page 70. al-Mo^cjam al-Kabeer / al-Tabaraani = vol. 12, page 160; vol. 19, pages 334 and 388. Mosannaf / ^cAbdorrazzaaq = vol. 2, page 379. Mosannaf / Ibn Abi Shaybah = vol. 7, page 457. Mosnad / Abi ^cAwaanah = vol. 4, pages 416, 422 and 423. Mosnad / Abi Ya^claa = vol. 4, page 234; vol. 13, page 366. Mosnad ^cAbdollaah ibn ^cOmar / al-Tarsoosi = vol. 1, page 28. Mosnad / Ahmad = vol. 1, pages 297 and 310; vol. 3, pages 445 and 446; vol. 4, page 96. Mosnad al-Shaamiyyeen / al-Tabaraani = vol. 2, page 437. Mosnad al-Shahaab / al-Qodaa^ci = vol. 1, page 277. Mosnad / al-Tayaalisi = vol. 1, page 259. Saheeh / Bokhaari = vol. 6, pages 2588 and 2612. Saheeh / Ibn Habbaan = vol. 10, page 434. Saheeh / Moslem = vol. 3, pages 1476, 1477 and 1478. Sho^cab al-Eemaan / al-Bayhaqi = vol. 6, page 60. Sonan / al-Daarimi = vol. 2, page 214. Sonan / Ibn Abi ^cAasim = vol. 2, page 503. al-Sonan al-Kobraa / al-Bayhaqi = vol. 2, page 314; vol. 6, page 300; vol. 8, page 157. al-Taareekh al-Kabeer / al-Bokhaari = vol. 6, page 445. al-Tabaqaat al-Kobraa = vol. 5, page 144. Tafseer al-Qor’aan al-^cAzeem / Ibn Kothayr = vol. 1, page 518. al-Jaami^c le Ahkaam al-Qor’aan / al-Qortobi = vol. 14, page 56. Tahdheeb al-Kamaal / al-Mazzi = vol. 9, page 463.

[143] Successorship of Rasoolollaah. Also caliphate.

Faatimah’s role in the defense of cAli

Faatimah’s role in the defense of ^cAli