FIRST: There is no validity for the argument which says that since she did not use it as an argument, it actually never took place. An event takes place and there may sometimes be obstacles in using it as an argument. In other words, if something happens, and people witness it and verify it, there will be no need to mention it, nor is there any benefit of telling others about it, especially to the same person who committed it except if something else necessitates such a repetition, such as obligating him to take responsibility for it, or something like that.

 

SECOND: We have stated that had she (A.S.) made this issue the foundation of her objection to those who usurped the caliphate, she would have fallen in the risk of losing the main polar issue, the issue of caliphate. They would have portrayed to the public that the dispute with her (A.S.) was personal and about trivial matters. It would not have been a dispute regarding the faith or regarding who is more fit to rule or to be trusted with safeguarding the interests of the nation.

If the issue becomes personal, it is then obligatory on al-Zahra’ (A.S.) to forgive the wrong-doers when they went to her and asked her to forgive them, because forgiveness regarding personal matters is mandated by the exemplary humane and Islamic norm of conduct. Allah Almighty has said, “Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn away from the ignorant ones” (Qur’an, 7:199). He also says, “... pardon and forgive so that Allah may bring about His command” (Qur’an, 2:109) and “... turn away with kindly forgiveness” (Qur’an, 15:85).

Turning the dispute to a personal matter is the best gift al-Zahra’ (A.S.) could have presented to them. But the issue was not personal. They did not effect justice. They did not hand over the caliphate to its legitimate owner, nor did they do anything that would demonstrate their obedience to righteousness. So, al-Zahra’ (A.S.) had no right to forgive them, nor to placate them, nor to tell them what would have pleased them and made them very happy.

THIRD: She (A.S.) did make a reference to the same. She mentioned it to the Commander of the Faithful (A.S.), too. We will together review such statements in the section dedicated to texts and legacies. Yet we would like here to refer to some of them: