Umar at Fatimah's house

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Umar at Fatimah's house refers to the controversial event where Umar came to the house of Fatimah, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, in order to get the allegiance of Ali and his followers or burn her house down. This event, according to Shias, is said to be the cause of Fatimah's miscarriage and eventual death.

Background

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According to the sources, following the death of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Umar attempted to gain the shura (consensus) of the community that Abu Bakr should become the caliph (leader) over the Islamic ummah (community). According to Shi'a sources, as Ali attended the funeral of Muhammad, Abu Bakr and Umar attained the consensus of the community. As Ali was burying Muhammad, he learned that Abu Bakr had attained communal consensus. Fatimah, Ali, and their supporters maintained that Ali should be the leader over the Islamic community because of Muhammad's statement at Ghadir Khumm.[1][2]

Event

After Abu Bakr became caliph, he sent for Ali to demand his allegiance.[3] At the time, Ali and his supporters had gathered in Fatimah's house. There are multiple versions of what happened, ranging from Umar threatening to burn down the place if Ali refused to comply,[4][5][6][7] to storming the house[8] during which Fatimah miscarried Muhsin.[9][10][11]

Tabari adds that Zubayr came out of the house with his sword drawn, but stumbled and was overpowered by Umar's men.[12][3] Veccia Vaglieri says that it was Ali who came to Umar with his sword drawn and was subsequently disarmed, after which Fatima cried and threatened to uncover her hair so that Abu Bakr preferred to withdraw.[13][14]

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari cites Abu Bakr on his deathbed saying that he wished he had never opened Fatima's house to anything, even though they had locked it as a gesture of defiance, implying that her house may have been broken into forced open.[15]

Sunni view and historical sources supporting the Sunni view

According to Sunni books of Hadith and books of history written at the time however, this entire story did not occur. It states that Ali willingly gave oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr, though maintained a distance from him out of respect for Ali's wife Fatima, because of an argument Abu Bakr had with Fatima over her inheritance. When Fatima died 6 months later, Ali went to Abu Bakr to re-establish closer relations. It is further refuted considering that Umar married Ali and Fatima's daughter, Umm Kulthum, whom he married after Abu Bakr taking Khilafa, showing the good relations he had with Ali at the time.[citation needed]

Mosnad Ahmed Ibn Hanbal

After Umar and Abu Bakr achieved the Bay'ah at Saqifah when the Ansar mooted their claim to nominate one of them for the Khilafa, Fatima asked Abu Bakr for her inheritance as the prophet's daughter, mainly Khaybar and Fadak, to which he responded that the prophet Mohammed said no inheritance is claimed from prophets and all their belongings should be charity, to which she was cross and would not speak with him afterwards.[16]

According to Al-Baladhuri,[17] 'Ali ibn Abi Talib came close to the end of the events at Saqifah, and said to Abu Bakr: "I knew that the prophet gave you the right of leading the prayer, and that you were his companion in the cave during the migration, but I had the right of being consulted, however may you be forgiven." and reports that Ali gave his allegiance. This is also confirmed in History of the Caliphs,[18] and Al-Mustadrak.[19]

Various Historical Sunni Sources

According to the hadith,[specify] Abu Bakr al-Baihaqi relates on the authority of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri: 'Abu Bakr ascended the pulpit and cast a glance on the people. He did not find Ali among them. So he sent for Ali and said: "O brother and son-in-law of the Prophet, would you like that the unity among Muslims should be torn to pieces?" Ali replied: "I have no grudge or complaint, O Caliph, of the Prophet." He immediately swore allegiance to him. Al-Baihaqi adds that Ali uttered these words or this was their purport.[citation needed]

Historian Ibn Kathir adds that Ali gave his allegiance soon after Muhammad died, since Ali remained Abu Bakr's companion and was never absent from any congregational prayer.[20]

See also

References

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  13. al-Yaghubi, ii, 141
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  15. Denise L. Soufi, "The Image of Fatima in Classical Muslim Thought," PhD dissertation, Princeton, 1997, p. 84
  16. Mosnad Ahmed Ibn Hanbal, Section 025
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  18. History of the Califs by Al-Soyouty, page 56
  19. Al-Mustadrak (continuation) for Al-Hakim, part 3, page 66
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