No Need to Assault AL-ZAHRA’ (A.S.) While Ali (A.S.) is Present

Someone says: Let us suppose they did enter the house. Why should they assault al-Zahra’ (A.S.) in particular, beat her and leave Ali (A.S.) alone? They were supposed to assault him in his room where he and other Bani Hashim were sitting, for the house is not ten kilometers but only ten meters!

Here is our answer:

 

FIRST: We have already indicated that someone says that all Bani Hashim were with Ali (A.S.) inside the house; so, how could a small room measuring ten meters be spacious enough for all of them?!

 

SECOND: They entered the house after they had finished assaulting al-Zahra’ (A.S.) at the door, and she was no longer able to face and stop them.

 

THIRD: It is as if this individual thinks that the home of al-Zahra’ was made up of many rooms, or a house and at least one room; so, how did he prove it and what texts did he rely upon to draw such a conclusion?

 

FOURTH: The reason why they attacked her (A.S.) was not because she was their target. Rather, they assaulted her because she tried to stop them from reaching Ali (A.S.), setting herself as a barrier between them and him. Texts have made this quite clear, and that she tried to stop them from opening the door, or at least she met them at the door.

Here, we would like to quote a sample from both sects:

From among the texts which have clearly stated that she tried to stop them from reaching Ali (A.S.), we would like to mention the following:

 

1. Al-Fayd al-Kashani has said, “Fatima (A.S.) intercepted them and tried not to let them reach her husband saying, `By Allah! I shall not let you drag my cousin oppressively!”[1]

 

2. Al-Majlisi has quoted Ali (A.S.) as saying that when they took him out, Fatima (A.S.) intercepted them at the door, so Qunfath hit her with a whip on her wrist, causing a mark on her wrist looking like a bracelet because of Qunfath beating her. He pushed her, breaking one of her side ribs, and she miscarried a fetus from her womb.”[2]

 

3. Ali (A.S.) is quoted as having said that the reason why Qunfath escaped being penalized by `Omer is that he was the one who hit Fatima (A.S.) with the whip when she tried to intercept them so that they might not reach him (Ali [a]). So, she died, peace of Allah be upon her, and the mark of the whip was still on her wrist looking like a bracelet.[3]

 

Among the texts which have clearly indicated that she tried to stop them from opening the door, we would like to mention the following:

 

1. Al-Balathiri and others have narrated that `Omer went there accompanied by Qais, so Fatima (A.S.) met him at the door and said, “O son of al-Khattab! Are you really going to burn my door?!” He said, “Yes, and it is stronger than that which your father had brought.”[4]

 

2. The narrative of al-Mufaddal refers to Fatima (A.S.) coming out to face them and addressing them from behind the door till she referred to Qunfath the accursed stretching his hand to beat her when they forcefully broke her house door open. Then she mentions how `Omer kicked the door with his foot till it her stomach..., etc.[5]

 

3. In the book by SALIM ibn Qais, it is stated that, “... came out to the door behind which Fatima (A.S.) sat... So `Omer came, hit the door, then said, `O son of Aba Talib! Open the door!’ whereupon Fatima (A.S.) said, `O `Omer! What do we owe you?! Why don’t you leave us and our problems alone?!’ He said to her, `Open the door; otherwise, we shall burn it and burn you...’ Then he set the door ablaze. `Omer pushed the door and was met by Fatima (A.S.) who cried out, `O father! ..., etc.”[6]

 

4. `Omer himself is quoted as having said, “So I kicked the door, and she had stuck her belly on the door as a shield... I pushed the door and entered, so she faced me with a look which made my vision go into a trance...”[7]

 

5. `Omer is also quoted as having said, “When we reached the door, Fatima (A.S.) saw them, closing the door in their faces. She did not think that any of them would enter her house without her permission. `Omer kicked the door, breaking it open, and it was made of palm branches, so they entered.”[8]

 

6. She (A.S.) has said, “They brought the fire to burn the house and our own selves, so I stood at the door’s latch and pleaded to them in the Name of Allah..., etc.”[9]

 

7. `Omer ibn al-Khattab is also quoted as having said

 

Fatima clutched her hands on the door trying to stop me from opening it. I sought to open it, but I found the challenge too great, so I hit both her hands with the whip, and it caused her pain... I kicked the door, and she had stuck her belly on the door to fortify it... I forced the door open and entered. She faced me with a look which caused my vision to go into a trance, so I slapped her on her cheeks from outside her face’s veil, breaking her earring which scattered on the floor. Ali came out. When I felt his presence, I rushed to get out of the house and said to Khalid (ibn al-Walid) and to Qunfath and those in their company, “I surely have been spared a momentous event.” I gathered a large number of men not to subdue Ali but to make my heart more daring. I went to him, and he was besieged at his house, and took him out of his house..., etc.[10]

 

On the other hand, some texts point to the fact that the assailants were trying to pressure and scare Fatima (A.S.) so that she might not intercept their way and keep them from reaching Ali (A.S.) and those with him. They actually wanted her to help them dissuade those assembled at her house from their decision (not to swear the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr). Examples are:

 

1. When the assailants reached her house, `Omer called out, “O Fatima daughter of the Messenger of Allah! Get those who have sought shelter at your house out so that they may swear the oath of allegiance and join the other Muslims who have already done so; otherwise, I, by Allah, shall set them all to fire.”[11]
 

2. In another text, he is quoted as having said, “O daughter of the Messenger of Allah! By Allah! Nobody is dearer to me than your father and your own self! By Allah! This does not stop me from setting the door of those who have assembled at your house ablaze!”[12]

[1]`Ilm al-Yaqan fa Usal ad-Dan, pp. 686-87, Chapter 20.

[2]Al-Tibrisi, Al-Ihtijaj, Vol. 1, p. 212. Fatima Bahjat al-Mustafa, p. 529, quoting Mir’at al-`Uqal.

[3]Salam ibn Qais’s book, p. 134.

[4]Refer for documentation of this [blasphemous] statement the following references: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 28, pp. 389, 411 and what is mentioned in a footnote on p. 268. Ansab al-Ashraf, Vol. 1, p. 586. Sayyid al-Murtada, Al-Shafi, Vol. 3, p. 241. Al-`Iqd al-Farad, Vol. 4, pp. 259-60. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-`Ummal, Vol. 3, p. 149. Al-Riyad al-Nadira, Vol. 1, p. 167. Al-Tara’if, p. 239. Tarikh al-Khamas, Vol. 1, p. 178. Nahj al-Haqq, p. 271. Nafahat al-Lahat, p. 79. Abul-Fida’, Tarikh, Vol. 1, p. 156 and other references which will be forthcoming.

[5]Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 53, pp. 14, 17, 19.

[6]Ibid., Vol. 43, pp. 43, 197-98 and Vol. 28, p. 299. The book by Salam ibn Qais, p. 250 (published by al-A`lami).

[7]Ibid., Vol. 8, pp. 220-27, quoting Dala’il al-Imamate.

[8]Al-`Ayyashi, Tafsir, Vol. 2, p. 67. Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 28, p. 227. Al-Ikhtisas, pp. 185-86. Tafsir al-Burhan, Vol. 2, p. 93.

[9]Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 30, p. 348, citing Irshad al-Qulab by al-Daylami.

[10]Ibid., Vol. 30, pp. 293-95.

[11]Al-Jamal, pp. 117-18 (new edition). Nahj al-Haqq, p. 271. Al-Imama wal Siyasa, Vol. 1, p. 12. Ibn Shuhnah, Tarikh (referred to in a footnote in Al-Kamil), Vol. 7, p. 164. Abul-Fida’, Tarikh, Vol. 1, p. 156. Al-`Iqd al-Farad, Vol. 4, p. 259. Al-Ya`qabi, Tarikh, Vol. 2, p. 126.

[12]Muntakhab Kanz al-`Ummal (referred to in a footnote in Ahmed’s Musnad), Vol. 2, p. 174, from Ibn Aba Shaybah. Ibn Abul-Hadid, Sharh Nahjul Balagha, Vol. 2, p. 45 from al-Jawhari and al-Mughni to the judge `Abdullah, Part 20, Section 1, p. 335. Al-Murtada, Al-Shafi, Vol. 4, p. 110.