Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

THE GREATEST SEDITION

In my conception, throughout the political history of Islam, there cannot be found any event as horrible as the event of the Saqifah conspiratorial conference, which played the most crucial role in the successive events of the Islamic world and whose waves extended to include all ages and sent on all the Muslim generations devastating storms that have disunited their lines, sowed dissension among them, and carried signs of their termination and decline.

The event of the Saqifah was the first fruit of the huge changeover that followed the departure of the Holy Prophet (s) from this life. The Holy Qur'an had already expressed the great danger of this expected changeover, reading,

And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least; and Allah will reward the grateful. (3/144)

This holy Qur'anic verse gives a very clear depiction of the tense crises and the black calamities that would attack the Muslim community immediately after the passing away of their great savior who had caused fountains of knowledge and wisdom to gush forth from the earth. Indeed, it was a turning back upon the heels, abandonment of the faith, and breaking of Almighty Allah’s code of law. Yet, the most devastating earthquakes can never create the amount of destruction that the event of the Saqifah had caused to humanity.

The dead body of the Holy Prophet was still laid out on the deathbed when such treacherous divisions occurred in the lines of Muslims. The dispute of Muslims came to a head, since all of them tried his best to take over power and authority and to gain the fortunes of the country.

Thrashing out the seriousness of the matter, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) says in one of his sermons,

When Allah took the Prophet (to himself), a group of men went back on their tracks. The ways (of misguidance) ruined them and they placed trust in deceitful intriguers, showed consideration to other than kinsmen, abandoned the kin whom they had been ordered to love, and shifted the building from its strong foundation and built it in other than its (proper) place. They are the source of every shortcoming and the door of gropers in the dark. They were moving to and fro in amazement and lay intoxicated in the way of the people of the Pharaohs. They were either bent on this world and taking support on it, or away from the faith and removed from it.[163]

These people hurried to transfer power to a place other than the proper while the wound had not been yet healed and the Prophet’s body had not been yet buried. They thus left the household of their Prophet alone with their agonies, resting on their sleeplessness, attacked by angst and sorrow, and being disposed to disasters and calamities. Because they violated their homage and usurped power from their divinely-entitled owners, power then reached the hands of the evilest creatures; namely, the Umayyad and ‛Abbasid dynasties, who applied themselves assiduously to persecuting the Holy Prophet’s Household.

If truth be told, the Saqifah Conference was the exordium of all the devastating catastrophes that have been suffered by Muslims since the dawn of their history and hitherto. For instance, the tragic massacre of Karbala', the ravishing of the people of al-Madinah, the burning of the Holy Ka‛bah, and the predominance over Muslims by such vicious persons like Busr ibn Arta'ah, al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah, and Ziyad ibn Abih (the deputy governors of Mu‛awiyah whom ‛Umar had described as the Khosrow -i.e. king- of the Arabs) - all these tragedies were direct outcomes of the Saqifah conspiratorial conference, which brought into being the issue of deterring the Ahl al-Bayt from holding the position of the leadership of the Muslim community, while they are the matches of the Holy Qur'an, as was frequently confirmed by the Holy Prophet.

Back to the main topic, I will hereinafter deal with the topic of the Saqifah conference as accurately as possible, away from the traditional emotions that may be outside the logic of scientific research, which must be the prevalent in the discussion of such topics, since these topics are pertinent to the Islamic faith as a whole.

Saqifah

The Saqifah (i.e. shed: a single-story structure, erected separately, and serving as a meeting hall) of the Banu-Sa‛idah tribe was a place under which the Ansar used to gather for discussing their affairs. Immediately after the Holy Prophet’s passing away, the Ansar held a top secret meeting under that shed, which was attended by the chief of the Khazraj tribe, Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah.[164] In this meeting, they discussed the issue of the next leadership along with its importance and positive role in their political and social destinies. In this meeting too, the Ansar referred to their struggle and efforts in supporting Islam and their contributions to the defeat of polytheism.

Political Statement of Sa‛d

Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah was too ailing to make all the attendants hear him. One of his relatives therefore conveyed Sa‛d’s words to the people. In this statement, Sa‛d said:

“O groups of the Ansar! In this religion, you have precedence and excellence that no other Arabs have its like. The Holy Prophet (s) lived amongst his people for more than ten years, inviting them to abandon the faith of idolatry and to worship Almighty Allah alone. However, except for a few of them, none helped him. They could neither give strength to his religion, nor remove his afflictions, nor defend him. When Almighty Allah decided to grant you merit, He drove honor and reward to you only. He exclusively endued you with His bounties and gave you faith in His Prophet, belief in Him, and defense of His Prophet. He also conferred upon you the merit of defending his companions, according honor to his religion, and fighting his enemies. All these merits were given to you specially. You thus were the ones toughest for his enemies until all Arabs willingly or unwillingly submitted to the command of Allah and the people in far-flung areas with degradation had begun to obey. Then, the Arabs embraced this religion and submitted to the Messenger by your swords… In this matter of caliphate, you alone should take it upon yourself as you are more deserving of it than all others.”[165]

Once he finished his statement, the Ansar hurried to support and show obedience to Sa‛d, saying, “You have hit the target and said accurately. We will not trespass your opinion. Therefore, we will entrust you with this position, for you are convincingly accepted by us and you are expected to gain the pleasure of the believers.”[166]

In this way, the Ansar commissioned the chief of the Khazraj tribe to lead them and expressed their pleasure with nominating him to rule the Muslim community.

Contents of the Statement

The points on which Sa‛d shed light in his statement can be summed up in the following two points:

First: Sa‛d praised the Ansar for they had supported Islam and had not shown any negligence in this regard; therefore, they are the worthiest of holding the position of the leadership, according to the general rule: The gainer undergoes the fine.

Second: The Ansar must be more entitled to the position of leadership than the people of Quraysh who had antagonized and waged wars against the Holy Prophet (s), trying to extinguish his light.

The entire statement of Sa‛d focused on these two points no more. He never mentioned the Holy Prophet’s Household and never referred to the fact that Imam ‛Ali (‛a) should be worthier of holding the position of leadership than anyone else.

Lights on the Situation of the Ansar

A question jumps here: Why did the Ansar hurry to hold their meeting so swiftly while the body of the Holy Prophet (s) had not been yet buried?

In my conception, the answer to this question can be put in the following points:

First: It became undoubtedly clear for the Ansar that the Muhajirun had determined to seize power and to deter Imam ‛Ali (‛a) from the position of leadership. The following events support this fact:

1) The Muhajirun had declared their absolute refusal to the process of paying homage to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) as the next leader that took place at Ghadir Khumm. They thus declared, “Did Muhammad think that this matter (of leadership) had been accomplished for his cousin (‛Ali)? This is impossible! This matter will never come to pass!” These words were then circulated in the city of al-Madinah.

2) The prominent personalities of the Muhajirun had refrained from joining the brigade of Usamah ibn Zayd, for they feared lest rule would be transferred to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) as soon as the Holy Prophet (s) would pass away. Of course, the Ansar had awareness of this fact.

3) Using all means possible, including violence, some persons of the Muhajirun prevented the Holy Prophet (s) from writing down a document that would procure the success and safety of his community forever. They firstly said, “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us!” Secondly, they said, “The man (i.e. the Holy Prophet) is hallucinating!”

Is it logic that one is accused of hallucination because he asked to write down a document? Nay! These people knew for sure that the Holy Prophet (s) only wanted to write down the next leadership of Imam ‛Ali (‛a) in a documented form.

Second: The Ansar were unquestionably certain that the Muhajirun (i.e. the Muslim people of Quraysh) hated Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and incurred the most fervent hostility of him, because he had killed their chiefs and beheaded their heroes. Putting this fact in plain words, ‛Uthman ibn ‛Affan, the chief of the Umayyad family, said to Imam ‛Ali (‛a), “What should I do when the people of Quraysh do not like you after you had killed in the Battle of Badr seventy of their men whose faces were as glowing as golden earrings and you had rolled their noses before their lips in humility?”[167]

In these words, ‛Uthman depicted finely the sorrow and grief of the people of Quraysh for their heroes whom Imam ‛Ali (‛a) had terminated with his sword during the Battle of Badr.

Al-Kinani, a poet from the clans of Quraysh, composed some poetic verses, encouraging the people of Quraysh to take revenge from Imam ‛Ali (‛a) for the blood of their ancestors he had shed. He thus composed,

In every gathering, you have humiliated those great personalities that have hurt the eyes.

How good you were! Do you not remember when you were emancipated slaves of a great personality?

Shame on you! Do you not recall the things that when a free man remembers, he feels ashamed?

This is the son of Fatima[168] who has beheaded and destroyed you and in revenge of which he has not been beheaded.

Where are those stalwarts that faced difficulties and where is the honor of the land of Makkah.[169]

This is another fine representation of the rancor and animosity that the people of Quraysh had felt towards Imam ‛Ali (‛a). The poet of these verses thus demands them to avenge the blood of these polytheists.

Whenever Imam ‛Ali (‛a) came to the mosque, ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab turned his face towards the people of Quraysh who would be present there to remind them of the fact that it was Imam ‛Ali (‛a) who had killed their fathers, brothers, and uncles.

When this issue was repeated more than once, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) felt distaste for that and shouted at ‛Umar,

Are you provoking people against me, O son of al-Khattab? I only shed the blood of these men for the sake of Islam.

In the name of the same Islam did ‛Umar come to power!

In brief, an undeniable fact is that the people of Quraysh hated and provoked the animosity of Imam ‛Ali (‛a).

Ibn Tawus has narrated on the authority of his father who once asked Imam ‛Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-‛Abidin (‛a), “Why do the people of Quraysh dislike ‛Ali so much?”

Imam Zayn al-‛Abidin (‛a) answered, “This is because he sent the first of them to Hellfire and the last of them he humiliated...”[170]

However, when Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was popularly chosen for caliphate after the assassination of ‛Uthman ibn ‛Affan, the people of Quraysh could not stand the matter; they therefore staged a revolution and declared their mutiny and opposition to this government. As a result, wars like the Battle of the Camel and the Battle of Siffin broke out.

At any rate, the Ansar anticipated that fatal blows would be targeted at them if the Muhajirun would come to power, because the Ansar showed love for Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and had a share in the battles that terminated the polytheists of Quraysh.

Third: The Ansar were certain that the people of Quraysh hated them, because they were the strong pillars of the Islamic military. They had devastated the attacks of the people of Quraysh, routed their elders, and killed their stalwarts in large numbers. Hence, they knew that if the people of Quraysh were to gain power over them, they would definitely subject them to the worst circumstances and extract the most terrible revenge from them.

This matter is clearly delineated in the statement of al-Habbab ibn al-Mundhir who said, “We fear that after you, someone comes to caliphate whose sons, fathers, and brothers we have killed.” This prophecy became true, because not much time had passed when the reign of the caliphs had barely ended that the kingdom reached into the hands of the Umayyad dynasty who began to oppress the Ansar and subject them to poverty and needfulness. Mu‛awiyah tried his utmost to extract revenge from them and when, after him, the power was transferred to Yazid, he continued the same attacks on them. Their wealth and property were destroyed and their blood was shed in the plunder of al-Madinah. It was such a terrible incident that it has no equal in history.

Fourth: The Holy Prophet (s) had concluded that the Ansar would suffer very much after him. He therefore said to them, “After me, you shall suffer very much. So, be patient until you meet me on the Divine Pond.”

Accordingly, the Ansar anticipated the befalling of such calamities; they therefore ran to hold their meeting in order to save themselves from persecution.

In my conception, these were the factors that caused the Ansar to organize a meeting of their own under the shed (i.e. Saqifah) of Banu-Sa‛idah.

Criticism of Sa’d Statement

In his previously mentioned statement, Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah did not make any mention of the greatest calamity that had just afflicted the Muslims; namely, the passing away of the Holy Prophet, the chief and savior of humanity. He also pretended to have forgotten the Holy Household who are the match of the Holy Qur'an. Likewise, he did not offer condolences to the Holy Prophet’s brother and door to his city of knowledge; namely, Imam ‛Ali (‛a), whose position to the Holy Prophet was the same position of Prophet Aaron to his brother Prophet Moses. Thus, Sa‛d feigned ignorance about the Imam and forgot the congregational pledge of allegiance that all Muslims made to the Imam at Ghadir Khumm. Instead, Sa‛d made an invitation for himself and his people.

In fact, Sa‛d, in his statement and in the holding of a meeting so swiftly, committed a grave unjustifiable mistake due to which he created sedition in the community, brought about unbearable difficulties to the Muslims, and cast them in a momentous danger.

Because of that meeting, the Infallible Household began to suffer horrible sorts of disasters and misfortunes. Caliphate came to the hands of the Released Ones[171] and their sons who took it as a means of profit and a course to meet their lustful and illegal desires. After the Umayyad dynasty, caliphate was seized by the ‛Abbasid dynasty who became as tyrannical as the Umayyads with regard to the deeds of injustice and persecution, if not they beat the Umayyads in this respect. Referring to this fact, a poet says,

Persecution will never come to an end as long as this nation is ruled by one of the ‘Abbasid dynasty.

Sa‛d received punishment for his deed and as soon as Abu-Bakr came to power, he chased Sa‛d, who became helpless. At last, he had to relocate to Syria from al-Madinah. However, Khalid ibn al-Walid and some others chased him. In the dark of the night, they sat in ambush for him, attacked, killed him, and threw his dead body in a well.

‛Umar Denies the Holy Prophet’s Passing Away!

‛Umar was instrumental in performing a dangerous and significant maneuver in order to control the situation; he laid a hurdle in every matter that led to the appointment of a successor to the Holy Prophet (s), because his partner in this mission; namely, Abu-Bakr, at the time of the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s) was not in al-Madinah; rather, he was in a region called al-Sunh, one mile away from al-Madinah. So, ‛Umar sent a man to bring Abu-Bakr, but he feared that before Abu-Bakr could return, someone else might arrive in the field. Therefore, he stood in the streets in a horrified condition and began to roam the lanes, waving his sword and announcing loudly, “Some hypocrites claim that the Messenger of Allah has passed away! By Allah, the Prophet is not dead; rather, he has gone to his Lord just like (Prophet) Moses the son of ‛Imran… By Allah, the Messenger of Allah will soon return. Whoever claims that he is dead, will have his hands and legs severed.”

People were frightened and they fell into doubt. They were surrounded by waves of perplexity and they could not decide whether to believe the claim of ‛Umar, which was their favorite wish, or to believe what they had seen with their own eyes that the Holy Prophet (s) lay in his bed at home without making any movement.

Whosoever said that the Messenger of Allah had passed away was threatened by ‛Umar’s sword and was chastised by him. ‛Umar was trembling so abnormally that the corners of his mouth foamed as he was threatening every one who would claim the passing away of the Holy Prophet with such cruel punishment like cutting off the hands and the legs![172]

Scrutinizing Remark

If we ponder deeply over these astonishing steps taken by ‛Umar, we shall be able to note some important points that are worthy of attention and research and they are as follows:

1. ‛Umar became an absolute denier with all certainty of the death of the Holy Prophet (s). He claimed that the Prophet went to his Lord just like Prophet Moses and that he would indeed return to the earth. He warned with dire consequences all those who dared to oppose his claim. Without any doubt, this act definitely does not prove his faith in the Prophet’s being alive; rather, it shows his pursuit of an opportunity to reach his aim and it was in perfect accordance with his plan he had already hatched with his group that consisted of persons like Abu-Bakr and Abu-‛Ubaydah. The following points prove this matter:

A) ‛Umar was among those who waited for the Prophet’s demise, and he had asked Usamah, “The Messenger Allah is dying; are you going to be my chief?” He said these words while the Messenger of Allah (s) was still alive and he became sure of the Prophet’s death when the Prophet spoke to the people about his imminent end and informed them about the signs of his approaching death as we have explained in the foregone pages.

B) ‛Umar had stood at the side of the Messenger of Allah (s) during his final ailment and prevented the writing of the document that the Holy Prophet (s) intended to ensure that people should not go astray after him. ‛Umar interjected and said, “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us!” It is but natural that he made this statement while he had become certain of the Prophet’s imminent death.

C) The Book of Allah has announced that every human being would have to taste death. Almighty Allah thus says:

Every soul must taste of death. Then, to Us you shall be brought back. (29/57)

The Almighty Allah has also said especially regarding His Messenger:

Surely, you shall die and they (too) shall surely die. (39/30)

And Muhammad is no more than an apostle; the apostles have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? (3/144)

These Qur'anic texts are recited in the light of the day and the darkness of the night repeatedly. Was ‛Umar unaware of these verses while he used to hear them day and night and he used to frequent the company of the Holy Prophet (s)?

D) The Holy Prophet (s) had already declared that he would soon depart from this life on more than one occasion. During the Farewell Pilgrimage and after his return to al-Madinah, he announced his imminent death. Of course, ‛Umar heard these words as same as many others did.

E) Finally, ‛Umar’s silence and cooling of his temper as soon as his friend Abu-Bakr arrived while he had already announced the return of the Holy Prophet (s) shows that he was acting according to a premeditated plan. He did not say a word against what Abu-Bakr said about the fact of the Holy Prophet’s passing away.

2. The declaration of ‛Umar that the Holy Prophet (s) would return and his warning that he would sever the limbs of any one who said that the Prophet had died - these two points had no weight at all, because cutting off the limbs and impaling are applied to one who abandons his faith or one who spreads mischief in the land. To say that the Messenger of Allah (s) died does not render one liable for such a penalty.

3. Abu-Bakr, in his statement on the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s), said, “Whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is now dead; but whoever worships Allah, then Allah is ever-living and He never dies.” This proves that there is no mention anywhere of any Muslim ever claiming to worship the Holy Prophet (s) or considering him in place of Almighty Allah. Rather, all Muslims are unanimous that the Holy Prophet (s) is the servant of Allah and His messenger and that the Almighty had selected him to convey His revelations and to act as His prophet.

Return of Abu-Bakr

Not much time passed when ‛Umar’s friend and companion, Abu-Bakr, arrived from al-Sunh and along with him went to the Prophet’s quarters. Abu-Bakr removed the cloth from the Prophet’s face and became certain of his demise. He came out to the people and refuted the claim of ‛Umar. Then, he addressed the groups of people who were compelled to keep quiet even though they were devastated by the passing away of the great one who had brought salvation to them:

“Whoever worshipped Muhammad, Muhammad is now dead. Whoever worshipped Allah, then Allah is ever-living and He never dies.”

Abu-Bakr then recited these words of Almighty:

And Muhammad is no more than an apostle; the apostles have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least; and Allah will reward the grateful. (3/144)

‛Umar did not raise any objection and he agreed and testified to it; he said to the effect: “By Allah, it was not but that when I heard the news of the passing away of the Prophet, my legs gave way and I fell down and my legs were not able to move.”[173]

The actions of ‛Umar’s excessive passion in denying the Holy Prophet’s passing away and his sudden stillness immediately after the arrival of Abu-Bakr prove incontrovertibly that the gang of Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar had already conspired against the Holy Prophet’ Household to deter them from holding the position of leadership.

An orientalist, commenting on these conspiratorial events and believing them to have been no more than a conspiracy already plotted by Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar, and Abu-‛Ubaydah to deter the Holy Prophet’s Household from holding the position of caliphate, says,

The party of Quraysh, headed by Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar, and Abu-‛Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, was not a present situation or a product of surprise and improvisation; rather, it was the fruit of many secret conspiracies whose grounds had been already plotted and extremes firmly tied. The stars of this conspiracy were Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar, and Abu-‛Ubayday ibn al-Jarrah with the participation of ‛A'ishah and Hafsah.

Careful study of the consecutive plans of these people conducts to one fact: A long time before the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s), these people had worked against Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and decided to follow a plan aimed at deterring the Holy Household from coming to power and succeeding the Holy Prophet (s) in the political and religious leadership of the Muslim community. For example, their reluctance to join the brigade of Usamah, their facing the Holy Prophet (s) with harsh words to prevent him from documenting the leadership of Imam ‛Ali (‛a), and the other acts must have been planned in advance.

Weakness of the Ansar

The Ansar did not possess a firm determination and steadfastness; they were unaware of the political matters. In spite of their large numbers, they were fraught with weakness and sloth. On the basis of what historicists say after the statement of Sa‛d, there were arguments among themselves. Some of them predicted that the Muhajirun would provide this argument: “We are the Emigrants (i.e. Muhajirun); the foremost companions of the Prophet, his clan, and his devotees. Why do you, the Ansar, not accept our claim, contesting with us on the issue of the next leadership?”

Others said, “In that case, we shall say that let there be a leader from us and a leader from you and we shall not accept anything less than this.”

Having noticed such weakness and collapse among his people, Sa‛d angrily said, “This is the beginning of weakness.”[174]

Indeed, the beginning as well as the end was weak because of their weak morale, dispersal of their rows, and lack of steadfastness that became apparent in the political field. When they had organized their own meeting and kept it a top secret so that they, before the people of Quraysh, could learn about the events that were to come, they might have obtained political supremacy. However, in this contest, they had to face humiliation. They did not gain anything out of it and finally they lost their one and only opportunity to gain power. When the Muhajirun arrived in the meeting without prior information, differences and arguments erupted among the Ansar themselves. The Muhajirun very soon had the control of the situation and the reins of the government in their hands.

Jealousy and Enmity

Another factor that contributed to the defeat of the Ansar was their internal jealousy and malice. Since antiquity, there was a great hostility between the Aws and the Khazraj tribes - the two major tribes that comprised the Ansar among the inhabitants of al-Madinah. The enmity was so severe that it often led to bloodshed. According to historians, the last battle fought between these two tribes in Yathrib was six years before the Immigration of the Holy Prophet (s) and his companions. When the Holy Prophet (s) arrived in al-Madinah and witnessed such enmity between the Aws and Khazraj tribes that even a slightest provocation led to violence, he tried his utmost to forge a bond of friendship among them. Though they agreed to a truce, it was still fragile; and when two people of rival tribes came face to face, they betrayed their inner malice for each other. According to historians, there were many occasions when this latent malice developed into arguments and fights. This same rivalry came out in the open on the day when the Saqifah conspiratorial meeting was held. When Usayd ibn Hu¤ayr, the leader of the Aws who had extreme dislike for Sa‛d, saw that his people had selected him as their candidate for caliphate, he said to them, “If caliphate goes to Sa‛d even once, his tribe will gain such a merit that you will not have any share in it. So, get up and pay homage to Abu-Bakr as the next leader…”[175]

This shows the hidden enmity that the people of the Aws tribe had against the people of the Khazraj. It was such a thing that was very distasteful for the leader of the Aws. That is why he, along with his people, paid allegiance to Abu-Bakr. If it had not been so, caliphate would not have gone to Abu-Bakr.

In addition, some people of the Khazraj tribe also harbored malice towards Sa‛d and considered the position of the next leadership too high for him. Bashir ibn Sa‛d, one of the members of the Khazraj tribe, was an important rival of Sa‛d; he paid allegiance to Abu-Bakr, thus destroying the work of Sa‛d.

In any case, these rivalries and malice were among the reasons for Abu-Bakr having gained the position of caliphate, but not any member of the Ansar.

The Ansar Surprised

While the Ansar were busy in their machination in Saqifah in order to win the position of caliphate, ‛Uwaym ibn Sa‛idah al-Awsi and Ma‛an ibn ‛Adi, who were confidants of the Ansar but friends of Abu-Bakr and members of his group since the time of the Holy Prophet (s), without any announcement they came out of the Saqifah meeting while their hearts were full of enmity and malice towards Sa‛d. They came running to Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar and informed them about the Saqifah gathering. Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar became very much disconcerted at this. Along with Abu-‛Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah and Salim the manumitted slave of Abu-Hudhayfah,[176] they hastened towards the Saqifah and some other people from the Muhajirun followed them. They found the Ansar gathering at their meeting place.

The Ansar were shocked and the face of Sa‛d paled; he feared that caliphate would go out of his hand, because he had already been aware of the weakness, disunity and mutual differences of the Ansar. They had organized this meeting and kept it top secret from the Muhajirun, but now their unexpected arrival was going to render all their planning ineffective and in spite of all their efforts to obtain allegiance, they failed.

Abu-Bakr’s Discourse

After the arrival of the Muhajirun in the meeting of the Ansar, ‛Umar wanted to begin the discourse, but Abu-Bakr restrained him, because he was aware of his acerbic tongue and this would not have in any way solved the impasse in such a delicate situation. It was necessary to observe diplomacy and soft words in order to benefit from the situation. Thus, Abu-Bakr with a smiling face and sweet words began to address the gathering in a kind way:

“We, the Muhajirun, are the first people to become Muslims and with regard to our origin and lineage we are the most respected of them. From the viewpoint of clans, we are in the limits of moderation and from the aspect of faces more beautiful than they are. With regard to the Messenger of Allah (s), we are most proximate of them and you are our brothers in Islam and our partners in religion. You have helped and supported. May Allah give you a good reward for this. Thus, we are the rulers and you are ministers. The Arab people shall not follow anyone except this branch of Quraysh. Do not be disheartened by what the Almighty has given superiority of your brothers, the Muhajirun, over you. I have selected one of these two to be the next leader: ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab and Abu-Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah …”[177]

Research and Investigation

It is necessary to stop here for a few moments and ponder over the above statement of Abu-Bakr:

1. Abu-Bakr has not accorded any significance to the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s). This was a great tragedy for the Muslims and the most terrible incident, which had aggrieved the hearts of all of them. Therefore, to suit the situation, he should have first paid condolence at the passing away of the one who had brought salvation for them and he should have remembered his favors upon them. He should have reminded them of the good works the Holy Prophet (s) had done in their religious and secular spheres. After that, he should have invited them to participate in the funeral rites of the Holy Prophet (s) so that he might be consigned to his eternal abode. After that, he should have organized a general meeting, which all classes of Muslims could have attended and invited them to select a caliph according to their choice, if we condescendingly accept that the Holy Prophet (s) had not already appointed any successor after him.

2. The logic for this discourse is pursuit of power and seeking of a political post. Apart from this, Abu-Bakr did not give any importance to anything. He tried to convince and advise the Ansar that for the benefit of the Muhajirun they must let go of the claim for caliphate and may not share the seat of power with them. However, he gave them the good news that they would be their ministers. As soon as caliphate was established for them and they formed their government, they denied the Ansar their rights and did not entrust any official post to them. Moreover, the Ansar were deprived of all governmental posts they formerly held.

3. This speech did not once mention the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a), the equivalents of the Holy Qur'an, the like of Noah’s Ark in this community that whosoever boarded it was saved and whosoever avoided it was destroyed and drowned as the Holy Prophet (s) had informed.

For this, the most preferable thing would have been to wait for sometime so that the funeral processions of the Holy Prophet (s) would be over and the opinion of the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) had also been sought, so that caliphate could have obtained legality and it would not have been considered a slip as ‛Umar then described it, saying, “Indeed the allegiance to Abu-Bakr was a slip, but Almighty Allah saved the Muslims from its mischief.”

Sayyid ‛Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din, commenting on the negligence of the Holy Prophet’s Household, says,

Even if it is assumed that there did not exist specific nomination for the next leadership in favor of anyone from the family of the Holy Prophet and even if it is assumed that they did not have any precedence over the Companions with regard to their origin and lineage, or morals and valor, or knowledge and good deeds, or faith and sincerity; was there any legal or rational hindrance that the allegiance should have been postponed until the Holy Prophet would be buried? Or was it not possible that in order to maintain peace, the matter of caliphate was to be postponed temporarily? Would such amount of restraint not have been suitable for the Holy Prophet’s family members who were in mourning, while these members were the trust of and the closest people to the Holy Prophet? Almighty Allah has said:

“Certainly, an Apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; to the believers (he is) compassionate, merciful. (9/128)”

The least duty of the community towards the Holy Prophet who had borne severe hardships for his people and always cared for their well-being should have been that his Progeny would not be caused grief and would not be deserted in the way they were deserted, while their wound was yet fresh and the Prophet had yet not been buried.[178]

4. The argument that Abu-Bakr offered to advocate the superiority of the Muhajirun against the Ansar was that the Muhajirun were much nearer to the Holy Prophet in family relation than the Ansar were. Naturally, this claim was more applicable to the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a), because they were the closest in relation to the Holy Prophet (s), since they were his direct family members. Focusing on this point, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) is reported to have said,

They presented the tree as their argument, but they ignored the fruit.

Imam ‛Ali (‛a) is also reported to have said these two poetic verses to Abu-Bakr:

If you have argued on the basis of family relation, there are others who are closer in relation to the Prophet than you are.

And if you have obtained dominance on them by consensus, the people whom are the worthiest of being consulted were absent at the time of consultation.

On another occasion, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) declared,

By Allah, I am verily the Holy Prophet’s brother, heir, cousin, and inheritor of his knowledge. Who may then have a greater claim than mine?

Having stopped at this very point of Abu-Bakr’s presenting the Muhajirun and himself as closer to the Holy Prophet (s) than the Ansar (because the Holy Prophet, by lineal descent, belonged to the tribe of Quraysh), thus concluding that they (i.e. the Muhajirun) must be worthier of holding the position of leadership than all others as a result, many Shi‛ite theologians have commented on this point.

Al-Kumayt, the poet of Islam, composed these poetic lines:

Due to your own entitlement, the people of Quraysh have been leading us and we have thus followed even the lowliest of them and what the lowliest left behind.[179]

They claimed that they had inherited caliphate from their fathers and mothers; while in fact neither their fathers nor did their mothers ever have any share in it.

They (i.e. the people of Quraysh) foolishly believe that they have points of precedence over people (on account to their family relation with the Holy Prophet), while the precedence of the ancestors of Hashim must be more favorable.[180]

Commenting on these situations, Muhammad al-Gilani, a professor, says:

As an argument against the Ansar, ‛Umar used the proximity of the Muhajirun to the Holy Prophet in spite of the fact that ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib was more deserving of caliphate according to this argument than they were, because it had already been used in case of the Prophet’s inheritance. Besides, al-‛Abbas ibn ‛Abd al-Muttalib was the closest in relation to the Prophet and thus the most deserving among the people for holding this position. However, he gave this right to ‛Ali and from this it became established that the post of caliphate should be solely the right of ‛Ali.[181]

At any rate, these people intentionally or unintentionally neglected the Holy Prophet’s Household. As a result, they were the origin of all the problems faced by the Muslim community since that day and up to the day when Almighty Allah shall inherit the earth.

5. In his statement, Abu-Bakr, considering himself the leader and guardian of the Muslim community, nominated ‛Umar and Abu-‛Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to the position of the next leadership, although he was no more than a soldier under the commandership of the eighteen year old Usamah ibn Zayd. If truth be told, this was a brilliant point, because he divested himself of any political desire, invaded the inner selves of the Ansar, and had power over their emotions and feelings.

Tactfully, ‛Umar answered him, “This shall never take place as long as you are alive. No one shall be competent enough to drag you from the place in which the Messenger of Allah had put you!”

Commenting on this statement of ‛Umar, a historicist says, “We do not know when the Holy Prophet (s) placed Abu-Bakr in such a position or at least referred to this. In fact, Abu-Bakr was, just like the other Muhajirun, no more than a soldier under the commandership of Usamah ibn Zayd. Had the Holy Prophet (s) nominated Abu-Bakr to this position, he would have at least ordered him to stay in al-Madinah and would not have ordered him to join that battle.

Altercations and Encounters

The Saqifah conspiratorial conference changed into a violent conflict between the supporters of Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah on one hand and the group of the Muhajirun and the persons from among the Ansar who backed them on the other. They were predominated by political desires, personal fancies, and tribal fanaticisms. The dispute then erupted so violently.

‛Umar’s Role

When some people from the Ansar condemned swearing allegiance to Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar violently stood up to speak. He said, “It can never be that two persons occupy one position. By Allah, the Arabs will never agree to give you leadership while their Prophet was from a people other than you. However, they shall not object if this position is held be one from the group to which the Prophet belonged. For any one who refrains from this, we have a clear argument and a clear power. Who is it that can oppose us in obtaining the kingdom of Muhammad while we are his friends and partners? None does but one who prefers falsehood or one who is led to sinfulness and who throws himself into destruction…!”

There was nothing new in this discourse except that it emphasized what Abu-Bakr had said before; namely; the Muhajirun were more deserving of the succession to the Holy Prophet (s) than anyone else and that they were his friends and partners.

In other words, ‛Umar declared that the Arabs would not submit to any person as their leading authority unless this person would belong to the clan of the Holy Prophet (s). Of course, this claim is worthless, because Islam is too great to be for the Arabs only; rather, it came to embrace the entire humanity. The leadership in the name of this religion has nothing to do with the pleasure or the wrath of the Arabs, since it is an issue that concerns all Muslims equally.

The other refuting point is that the Muhajirun did not belong to the very family of the Holy Prophet (s); rather, the one who was the closest to the Holy Prophet lineally, socially, and practically was his brother, cousin, and the father of his two grandsons; namely, Imam ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib (‛a).

Al-Habbab ibn al-Mundhir

‛Umar had not finished his words when al-Habbab ibn al-Mundhir stood up to speak, saying, “O groups of the Ansar, get hold of your right and do not listen to this man or his companion, because they will deprive you of your share in this matter. Thus, if they do not accept what you want, chase them out of this land and gain dominance over them. By Allah, you are more deserving than they are in this matter, because it was through your swords that people embraced Islam while previously they had no faith. I am the best refuge and more far-sighted than they are. I am a lion among the cubs. By Allah, if you wish, I can strip them off like a barren tree. By Allah, if anyone refutes my statement, I shall cut off his nose with the sword…”[182]

This statement, which was full of anger and warnings, was a challenge to the Muhajirun to an assured conflict from the people of al-Madinah. At the same time, it was a self-praise in their valor.

In this statement, al-Habbab ibn al-Mundhir called his people, the Ansar, to take the procedure of banishing the Muhajirun from al-Madinah, the capital, if they would refuse to hand over the leadership of the Muslim community to the Ansar.

He also called his people to wage a war against the Muhajirun as another solution.

He then praised himself, reminding the attendants that he was one of the heroes who entered the most violent battles; therefore, he would smash the nose of any one who would object to him.

‛Umar replied to him and screamed, “In that case, Allah shall kill you.”

Al-Habbab said, “Rather, He shall kill you.”

Heated argument then broke out between the two parties to the degree that they were about to engage in atrocities and bloodshed against each other.

Abu-Bakr Wins Caliphate

Abu-Bakr anticipated any development in the situation; therefore, he turned towards the Ansar and could calm down the situation. Immediately, the members of his group, fearing that the situation might go out of control, acted as swiftly as lightning and paid homage to Abu-Bakr. The first to swear such allegiance were ‛Umar, Bashir, Usayd ibn Hu¤ayr, ‛Uwaym ibn Sa‛idah, Ma‛an ibn ‛Adi, Abu-‛Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, Salim the manumitted slave of Abu-Hudhayfah, and Khalid ibn al-Walid.

This group made great efforts to force the other people to pay allegiance as same as they had just done. In this matter, ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab was the most active; he shouted at and threatened the people to secure their allegiance. If one refrained, ‛Umar would strike him with his stick on the head. He could hear the Ansar saying, “You have beaten Sa‛d.”

‛Umar replied with fury and anger, “Hit him! May Allah kill him, because he is a mischief-maker.”[183]

When allegiance to Abu-Bakr was sworn, his supporters took him to the Prophet’s mosque as a bride carried to the bridal chamber[184] while the Holy Prophet’s body was laid on his deathbed and was yet to be buried. Meanwhile, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was busy in the funeral arrangements of the burying the Holy Prophet (s).

When Imam ‛Ali (‛a) learnt about the allegiance to Abu-Bakr, he said this poetic verse to express his situation,

The people became involved in what they preferred and stood up in rebellion while Zayd was surrounded by a great calamity.[185]

Thus, Abu-Bakr was paid homage and appointed as the ruler of the Muslim community so swiftly and suddenly although this process of pledge of allegiance was full of spurious points and objections. All this took place while the Holy Prophet’s Household were completely disregarded. None paid any attention to them. Since that day, all types of calamities and taunts confronted them; they were subjected to various tortures and calamites, including the carnage of Karbala' and all these events were rooted in that meeting of Saqifah and nothing else.

‛Umar’s Attitude to Pledging Allegiance to Abu-Bakr

‛Umar passed cruel judgment on the pledge of Allegiance to Abu-Bakr. He said his famous word: “Verily, the pledge of allegiance to Abu-Bakr was a slip, but Allah saved Muslims from its bad consequences. Hence, you must kill any one who may invite you to its like.”[186]

Investigation of this word, which is full of all sorts of criticism and defamation, leads us to the following points:

1) ‛Umar confirmed that the pledge of allegiance to Abu-Bakr had been a slip, meaning evil, wrongdoing, blunder, surprise, or unexpected event. However the meaning meant by ‛Umar was, the result is that he described the coming to power by Abu-Bakr as big mistake, dispraised, and discommended.

2) He besought to God to save the Muslims from the evil consequences and bad repercussions of that event.

3) He issued a decision of condemning to death any person who would invite Muslims to such a pledge of allegiance.

4) In conclusion, ‛Umar vituperated the pledge of allegiance to Abu-Bakr, because it was not based on the sound foundations and true logic of coming to power.

Criticisms of Pledging Allegiance to Abu-Bakr

The process of pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr faces a number of objections, some of which are as follows:

First: In this process, the opinion of the members of the Holy Household, who are the equals of the Holy Qur'an, was not taken at all; rather, they were eliminated, neglected, and abandoned.

Second: The process in which Abu-Bakr was paid homage and he consequently could come to power did not include the people of consultation (i.e. ahl al-hall wa’l-‛aqd in the terminology of the Muslim jurisprudence), whose opinion is legally specified as a condition for the legality of any elections.

Third: The process of pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr took place in a secret rather than a congregational place.

In this connection, ‛Abd al-Wahhab al-Najjar, a modern writer, states,

Having a look into the way allegiance was pledged to Abu-Bakr, making him come to power, proves that consultation about this matter was obviously imperfect. It is understandably known that such processes must be made in a place that includes the congregation of Muslims and that must be preceded by a public announcement.[187]

Fourth: Many Muslims were coerced to pay homage to Abu-Bakr. So, their homage was not optional and was not compatible with their personal wills. In fact, the famous stick (i.e. durrah) of ‛Umar played a major role in giving rise to this pledge of allegiance.

Five: Those who swore allegiance to Abu-Bakr did not specify as condition that Abu-Bakr should follow the Book of Allah and the Holy Prophet’s practice. Of course, the validity of any homage is contingent on this condition.

The Ansar Defeated

The Ansar were thus withdrawn from the political scene, attired with humility and disgrace, and losing all their prestige and power.

Poetizing the defeat of the Ansar, Hassan ibn Thabit, composed these verses:

We had supported and sheltered the Prophet, challenging all the vicissitudes and misfortunes of nights.

For them (i.e. the Muhajirun), we gave halves of the properties that we had earned with our own hands, just like the risky distribution of the slaughter animals.

Our reward for all these favors that we had done them was then that they ignored us totally out of their foolishness! Indeed, this is unfair![188]

Since that day, nothing more than disgrace and humiliation attacked the Ansar. They had to encounter various sorts of ordeals and calamities at the hands of many rulers and kings. In fact, that was the punishment for their having abandoned the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a). In short, the Ansar were the first to open the door of persecution and assault against the Holy Prophet’s Household.

Celebration of the people of Quraysh

When Abu-Bakr held the position of leadership, the tribes of Quraysh could not hide their delight; they were overjoyed, since they considered it a great victory for themselves, because their hopes and aspirations would become true. Expressing this joy, Abu-‛Abrah, a poet from Quraysh, composed these couplets:

Thanks to the One deserving of all praise. The trouble was gone and allegiance given to the Siddiq (Abu-Bakr).

Then, the legs of Sa‛d wavered after he had hoped that the furthest star would be within his reach.

Caliphate is for Quraysh and, by the Lord of Muhammad, you have no share in it.[189]

These couplets talk about the delight of the people of Quraysh for winning caliphate, speak ill of the Ansar, and discuss their deprivation of this position.

Among those who expressed joy at Abu-Bakr’s coming to power was ‛Amr ibn al-‛As. At that time, he was not present in al-Madinah, since he was on a journey. When he returned and learned about Abu-Bakr’s holding the position of leadership, he remarked:

When you go to the Aws, tell them, and when you meet the Khazraj, say to them:

You hoped to rule in al-Madinah. But before it was cooked, the pot was taken off the fire.[190]

Happiness and joy engulfed all the tribes of Quraysh and they began to support the rulership of Abu-Bakr.

When the news of the Prophet’s passing away reached Makkah, its people had decided to announce their apostasy from Islam, but when they were further informed that Abu-Bakr became the caliph, they decided to remain in his obedience and expressed their happiness and pleasure at the turn of the events, since they got rid of both the Ansar and the Holy Prophet’s Household.

The Role of Abu-Sufyan

First of all, Abu-Sufyan rose up against the caliphate of Abu-Bakr; he therefore came to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and encouraged him to rise up against Abu-Bakr and take back his usurped right of holding this position, assuring that he would support him in this regard. He thus said, “I see dust in the atmosphere and nothing except bloodshed will settle the dust. O clan of ‛Abd-Manaf, what Abu-Bakr has to do with your affair? Where are those two oppressed ones; namely, ‛Ali and al-‛Abbas? Why should this matter be held by the lowliest clan of Quraysh?”

He then said to Imam ‛Ali (‛a), “Stretch your hand so that I may pay homage to you. By Allah, if you wish, I can fill the land with cavalry and infantry.” He then cited these poetic verses of al-Mutalammis, a poet, as example:

None could remain established against whom destruction is intended except those two oppressed ones, the ass of the locality and the nail.

One of them shall be buried totally in the grave and the other shall be injured; and none shall weep for him.

He then added,

Thus, after dignity and strength, Quraysh has become submissive to the Taym[191] without even striking of swords.[192]

By this situation, Abu-Sufyan was neither sincere nor loyal to Imam ‛Ali (‛a), because he was the most vehement enemy of Islam and Muslims. However, the Imam (‛a) was aware of his real intention. Thus, he did not give a positive reply and he refused the offer. He thus said to Abu-Sufyan in an angry tone,

By Allah, you intend nothing but mischief. By Allah, for ages you have wished ill for Islam and we are not in need for your advice…”[193]

Abu-Sufyan continued to create mischief and instigate Imam ‛Ali (‛a) to rise up against Abu-Bakr. He thus sang as follows:

O Descendants of Hashim, do not let them vie you, especially the family of Taym ibn Murrah or the clan of ‘Adi.

The affair (of caliphate) is for none except you, none deserves it save you, and no one is superior to Abu’l-Hasan ‛Ali.

O Abu’l-Hasan, have courage as you are most deserving of the work that is awaited.[194]

Confirmedly, the opposition of Abu-Sufyan to Abu-Bakr’s caliphate was not based on faith in favor of Imam ‛Ali (‛a); rather, it was only a trick against Islam, since this man always waited for any opportunity to harm the religion of Islam. Imam ‛Ali (‛a) declined his offer and gave no importance to his false show of kindness, because Abu-Sufyan had already had a very good connection with Abu-Bakr.

Some reference books of the history of Islam confirm that there was a secret agreement between Abu-Bakr and Abu-Sufyan according to which Abu-Bakr had pledged that he would appointed Abu-Sufyan’s sons as the deputy governors of Syria and al-Ta'if. Hence, when Abu-Bakr came to power, he executed the articles of this secret agreement. Yazid, the son of Abu-Sufyan, was given deputy governorship over Syria. On his way to Syria to practice his official missions, Yazid ibn Abi-Sufyan was riding on an animal while Abu-Bakr was seeing him off walking.

After the death of Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar came to power and appointed Mu‛awiyah, the other son of Abu-Sufyan, as the deputy governor of Syria after the death of his brother Yazid.[195]

The other article of the secret agreement was also implemented when the descendants of Umayyah had a share in the position of caliphate.

About the very strong relationship between Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar from one side and Abu-Sufyan from the other, al-Bukhari narrates that Abu-Sufyan, once, passed by some Muslims among whom were Abu-Bakr, Salman, Suhayb, and Bilal. One of them said, “Did the swords of Allah not smite the neck of this enemy of Allah?”

Abu-Bakr chastised them in harsh words saying, “Are you saying this about the chief and master of Quraysh?”

Then, Abu-Bakr hastened to the Holy Prophet (s) and told him what people had said about Abu-Sufyan. Answering him, the Prophet (s) said, “O Abu-Bakr, you have probably displeased them. Even if you have not displeased them, then you have certainly displeased Allah.”[196]

This matter clearly shows the close mutual relationship between Abu-Bakr and Abu-Sufyan.

Similarly, ‛Umar had a very close relationship with Abu-Sufyan. In his own house, ‛Umar dedicated a very well-decorated room to Abu-Sufyan and did not allow anyone else to enter it. When he was asked about the reason, ‛Umar said, “This is the chief of Quraysh.”[197]

‛Umar also gave Abu-Sufyan’s wife, Hind, much money from the public funds to use them in trade and to be saved from poverty.

The Holy Prophet’s Attitude to the Umayyads

The Holy Prophet (s) had destroyed the members of the Umayyad family and attired them the garb of disgrace and humility. One day, he (s) saw Abu-Sufyan riding a camel while his son Yazid was grasping its bridle and Mu‛awiyah driving it. Upon this scene, the Holy Prophet (s) imprecated Allah’s curse upon the three, saying,

O Allah, please pour Your curses upon the rider, the grasper, and the driver.[198]

When Mu‛awiyah proposed to a Muslim woman, she came to the Holy Prophet (s) and asked for his opinion. The Holy Prophet (s) warned her against so and said,

Do not marry him. He is but lowly and worthless.[199]

During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (s), the Umayyads were placed in the deepest abyss of disgrace and humility. However, in the reigns of Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar, their social situation was lifted up and they became senior officials in the Muslim government until they could come to power. ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab nominated ‛Uthman ibn ‛Affan, the chief of the Umayyad family, as his successor and invested him with power and authority over the Muslims. This fact can be easily seen by any one who studies the so-called shura system that ‛Umar designed.

Back to the main topic, the attitude of Abu-Sufyan to the caliphate of Abu-Bakr, although it outwardly revealed dissatisfaction and discontent, was definitely fictitious and unreal. For this reason, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) did not pay any attention to Abu-Sufyan’s attitude and refrained from responding to him.

The Attitude of the Ahl al-Bayt to the Homage to Abu-Bakr

Historicists and narrators of the Prophetic traditions have unanimously and clearly demonstrated that the Holy Prophet’s family members and relatives refused paying homage to Abu-Bakr and objected to his impulsive jumping to the position of the leadership of the Muslim community. Disappointed and displeased, they believed that they were more entitled to this position than Abu-Bakr, because they were the closest to the Holy Prophet (s) lineally and practically.

Let us now mention their situations in further details:

Al-‛Abbas ibn ‛Abd al-Muttalib

The Holy Prophet’s paternal uncle, al-‛Abbas ibn ‛Abd al-Muttalib, was confident that his nephew ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib was the worthiest of succeeding the Holy Prophet (s) and holding the position of religious and political leadership. He thus hurried to say to him, “Son of my brother, extend your hand so that I will pay homage to you. If I do so, the people will say that the Holy Prophet’s uncle has paid homage to the Holy Prophet’s cousin; therefore, none will disagree to your leadership.”

Replying his uncle, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) said, “Who else can demand this position?”[200]

Commenting on this incident, Dr. Taha Husayn says,

When al-‛Abbas scrutinized the matter, he discovered that his nephew was more rightful to hold this position of leadership than he was, because the nephew was the foster son of the Holy Prophet, the most precedent in favor of Islam, and the unbeatable star of all situations. The Holy Prophet used to call him as his brother. One day, Ummu-Ayman jokingly said to the Holy Prophet, “Do you call him your brother and you have given him your daughter in marriage?” Besides, the Holy Prophet said to him, “Your position to me is exactly like the position of Prophet Aaron to Prophet Moses except that no prophet shall come after me.” On another occasion, the Holy Prophet said to the Muslims, “‛Ali is now the master of whomever has regarded me as his master.” For all these reasons, al-‛Abbas, immediately after the passing away of the Holy Prophet, came to his nephew and said, “Extend your hand so that I will pay homage to you… etc.”[201]

It is worth mentioning that al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah suggested to Abu-Bakr that he might offer to al-‛Abbas to hold some governmental offices and that he might give him some money to pull him to his side. Approving of this suggestion, Abu-Bakr, along with ‛Umar, Abu-‛Ubaydah, and al-Maghirah, visited al-‛Abbas and said, “My desire is that I should grant you a share in this matter (i.e. authority), and this share should continue to your sons and descendants after you.”

Straight away, al-‛Abbas understood their motive, which was to separate him from Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and attach him to their party. He therefore answered,

“Verily, Almighty Allah has sent Muhammad - as exactly as He has informed - as prophet and as guardian over the faithful believers. Hence, the Prophet was Almighty Allah’s grace to his nation. When He took his soul and chose for him what He has in possession, the Almighty relegated the Muslims’ administration of their own affairs to themselves so that they would be able to decide on the best for themselves, provided that they would follow the truth and never deviate due to following their fancies. If you, Abu-Bakr, claim that you have taken this leadership due to your closeness to the Messenger of Allah, then you will have usurped our right. If you claim that you have taken this leadership due to the desire of the faithful believers, then we are part of these believers! Hence, we have neither disputed you about this matter without evidence nor have we fought you. Now that you claim that you desire for giving me an office; if this office is one of the believers’ rights, then you are not allowed to use it according to your own opinion; and if this position is our right exclusively, then we will not accept part of it and leave the other part. Moreover, slow down! The Messenger of Allah is a tree whose branches are we exclusively, while you are only its neighbors.”[202]

These words created ceaseless concern in the minds of these people; so, they left al-‛Abbas without gaining any point that would justify their act of coming to power before consulting the family members of the Holy Prophet (s).

Imam ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib

Confirmedly, Imam ‛Ali’s attitude to the pledging of allegiance to Abu-Bakr and his coming to power was characterized by loathing and displeasure. This is because the Imam (‛a) was the worthiest of holding this position and more entitled to it than anyone else. Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was the closest to the Holy Prophet (s) not to mention the facts that he was the Prophet’s brother, cousin, and father of his two grandsons. Besides, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was the one gifted with extraordinary talents and geniuses; therefore, he was presented as the door to the Holy Prophet’s city of knowledge.

It is well known that no other Muslim had ever possessed even one percent of Imam ‛Ali’s noble dispositions and honorable qualities. Nonetheless, these people belittled him and denied deliberately all these qualifications due to which none else was competent enough to hold the position of the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community.

In conclusion, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) strictly opposed paying homage to Abu-Bakr and considered it a clear-cut act of trespass against himself, because he knew for sure that the position of succession to the Holy Prophet (s) was his right alone, and with regard to the caliphate, his position was “like the pivot of the mill; such a lofty position that flood is unable to reach it and the birds also cannot scale those heights,” as he himself described.

Let us now mention, yet briefly, some situations of Imam ‛Ali (‛a) with Abu-Bakr.

Imam ‛Ali Refrains from Pledging Allegiance to Abu-Bakr

Declaring his intense indignation, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) refused to swear allegiance to Abu-Bakr, because the Imam was the greatest personality in Islam. He was just like a towering mountain; “the flood water flows down from him and the bird cannot fly up to him.” Accordingly and with all the more reason, he would never pay homage to one who never matched him in knowledgeability, superiority, struggle for the religion, and all the other talents he exclusively enjoyed.

Forcing Imam ‛Ali to Pay Homage

The ruling authorities decided to force Imam ‛Ali (‛a) to pay allegiance to Abu-Bakr; they therefore appointed some people to execute this matter. Headed by ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab who was shouting, threatening, and having in his hand a firebrand to set the house of the Divine Revelation on fire, some constables and mercenaries went to Imam ‛Ali’s house.

The Holy Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) the daughter of and most beloved to the Holy Prophet (s) came out and cried at ‛Umar, “What have you come with, son of al-Khattab?” Violently, ‛Umar answered, “What I have come with is more forceful than what your father had come with!”[203]

‛Umar shouted again, “I swear by Him Who grasps ‛Umar’s soul in His hand, if you will not come out, I will set this house on fire along with all those therein!”

Some people who feared Allah and showed some respect to the sacredness of the people of Imam ‛Ali’s house, said, “O Abu-Hafs! In this house is Fatima!”

Carelessly, ‛Umar said, “So what? So what?”

Finally, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was led out of his house violently and brought before Abu-Bakr. The party of Abu-Bakr shouted at him, “Pay homage to Abu-Bakr.” The Imam (‛a) replied them in a very rational manner without being fearful of their despotism and tyranny,

I am more qualified for this position than you are. I never pay homage to you; rather, you must pay homage to me. You have confiscated this affair (i.e. caliphate) from the Ansar and argued against them on the basis of your proximity to the Prophet, while you have usurped it from us, the Ahl al-Bayt. Did you not claim to the Ansar that you are more eligible than they are in this matter, because Muhammad belonged to you in family relation? They therefore surrendered the leadership to you and entrusted the command to you. Now, I present the same argument against you. We are the closer to the Prophet in his lifetime and after his death. So, act justly towards us if you have faith; otherwise, you may continue in oppression while you know that it is wrong…”

By providing these brilliant arguments, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) presented the same claim (namely, the closeness to the Holy Prophet) that the Muhajirun had used in their argumentation against the Ansar and could overcome them. In fact, the most qualified in the matter of caliphate according to this claim was Imam ‛Ali (‛a). He argued that he was the closest in family relation to the Holy Prophet, because he was his cousin, son-in-law, and father of his two grandsons and his position to the Holy Prophet was as same as Prophet Aaron’s position to Prophet Moses.

‛Umar ibn al-Khattab, although he had no reply to the statement of the Imam, stood up from his place and spoke up angrily, “You shall not be released until you pay allegiance.”

“What if I refuse?” said Imam ‛Ali (‛a).

“Then, we will behead you!” ‛Umar answered.

Imam ‛Ali (‛a) looked around him and could not find any supporter to resort to; he therefore said in a sad tone, “If you do, you will kill a servant of Allah and a brother of His Messenger.”

Losing all his nerves, ‛Umar said, “Yes, you are a servant of Allah. But no, you are not the brother of His Messenger.”

Forgetting that Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was always the brother of the Holy Prophet (s) and the door to his city of knowledge, ‛Umar turned to Abu-Bakr urging him to impose punishment on the Imam (‛a). He thus said, “Will you not make a decision against him?”

Abu-Bakr, anticipating rebellion and sedition, answered, “I cannot force him to do anything as long as Fatima is to his side.”

Abu-‛Ubaydah, one of the most prominent supporters of Abu-Bakr, looked at the Imam (‛a) and, trying to cool the flames of revolt and to make peace with him, said, “O cousin! You are still young while they are elders of the community. You do not posses the same experience and understanding they have. I do not see Abu-Bakr but that, in this matter, he is stronger than you are. He has patience and ability to run the affairs of caliphate. So, leave this matter for Abu-Bakr, because if you are alive, you shall one day be the most qualified for this post from the aspects of superiority, faith, knowledge, understanding, precedence and kinship…”[204]

In his words, Abu-‛Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah, justifying the precedence of Abu-Bakr over Imam ‛Ali (‛a) in holding the position of leadership, used the argument that Abu-Bakr was older than the Imam; therefore, he must have enjoyed more accurate conception about the political affairs.

This deceptive and fraudulent manner aggrieved Imam ‛Ali (‛a) more. He thus spoke to and preached the Muhajirun saying,

For the sake of Allah, O Muhajirun! Let the power of Muhammad among the Arabs not be taken away from its abode and center; and do not distance the Ahl al-Bayt from their rights among the people and their actual position… By Allah, O Muhajirun! We are the worthiest of all people of this position, because we are the Prophet’s Household, and in this matter, we are more qualified than you are. We, the Ahl al-Bayt, were always the best reciters of the Book of Allah, the most versed in the laws of the religion of Allah, the most knowledgeable with the traditions of Allah’s Messenger, the most conversant with the affairs of the subjects, their defenders against all harmful things, and the distributors among them with equity. By Allah, this matter is exclusively ours. So, do not follow the selfish desires lest you will stray off from the path of Allah and you shall then increasingly deviate from the truth.[205]

Imam ‛Ali (‛a), in the previously mentioned words, preview the qualifications of leadership that the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) other than anyone else enjoyed, such as familiarity with the laws of the religion, knowledgeability with the Holy Prophet’s traditions, and assuming the affairs of the subjects fairly and competently, as well as other qualifications that must be enjoyed by one who assumes the position of leading the Muslim community. In fact, these qualifications were enjoyed by the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) alone.

If the people had replied positively to the call of the Imam, it would have been a guarantee for their wellbeing and protection from deviation and going astray in the field of faith and other fields. The Imam (‛a) would also have saved the nation from many evil consequences. However, since a long time, people have been going towards greed and fulfillment of selfish desires and sacrificing everything for this.

Anyway, the people did not pay any heed to the Imam’s logic; they considered their material gains superior over everything else.

Lady Fatima al-Zahra'

Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) is the doyenne of the women of the world and the only part of the Holy Prophet (s) that remained after his departure. Almighty Allah is pleased when she is pleased, and is wrathful when she is angered. Her father (s) used to take an exceptional interest in his daughter and declared her to be the superior to all the women of the world.

She opposed strictly the party of Quraysh who had determined to turn aside Imam ‛Ali (s) from caliphate, declaring their poisonous slogan, “Prophethood and caliphate should never come together in the same family.”[206]

She thus exerted all efforts to give back the right to its center that her father (s) had planned in order to save his community from deviation and falling in the abysmal warrens of life. However, these people neglected her standing and returned to their former ignorance, committing against her forbidden offenses and forsaking her position to the Holy Prophet (s) - a position that gives her immunity against error as long as her pleasure was part of the Lord’s pleasure and her anger part of His anger.

Let us now refer to some situations of Lady Fatima (‛a) with those usurpers:

Lady Fatima’s Strict Protest

In her protestation against Abu-Bakr and his group, Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) provided overwhelming points of evidence, demonstrating that they had diverged from the line of true guidance that her father (s) had sketched for his community when he assigned the next leader who would guide the people to the truth; namely, Imam ‛Ali (‛a).

She also proved Imam ‛Ali’s priority to hold the position of the next leadership and denounced these people for eliminating the Imam from this position, threatening that they would certainly encounter bad consequences as a result of this situation of them. She thus said,

Woe unto them! Whereto did they move it from the position of the mission, the bases of Prophethood and the place of descent of Gabriel the Honest Spirit? Verily, he (i.e. Imam ‛Ali) is aware of life and religion’s affairs. That was the great loss. What did they deny from Abu’l-Hasan (‛Ali)? Yes, by God! They denied the strikes of his sword, his carelessness about death, his deadly assaults, and his anger for the sake of Allah. By Allah, if they turned away from the rein, which the Prophet had handed over to him (i.e. to Imam ‛Ali), he would catch it tenderly and he would move without harm or worry. He would lead them to a fresh flowing fount and would return them with satiety while he himself would not profit of anything but a little just to break his acute thirst and hunger. If they did so, they would be granted blessings from the Heaven and the earth and they would be rewarded by Allah according to their deeds. Come on to see! As long as you live, time shall show you wonders! I wish I knew on what proof they have relied, to what refuge they resorted and to what tie they clung, and on whose progeny have they encroached and spoke against! Evil indeed is the patron, and evil indeed is the associate, and evil indeed is this change for the unjust! By Allah, they exchanged the good with the bad and the daring with impotent. Disgrace be for a people, who think they do well. Surely, they themselves are the mischief-makers, but they do not perceive. Woe to them! “Is he then who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you judge? (10:35)”[207]

Careful Meditation on Lady Fatima’s Speech

It seems necessary to meditate, yet briefly, on Lady Fatima’s previous words. In her speech, Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) condemned the paying of homage to Abu-Bakr, declaring such homage as alienation from the Holy Prophet’s Household. She (‛a) also pointed out very serious issues, some of which will be mentioned in the following points:

First: Referring to the reasons for which these people turned away from giving Imam ‛Ali (‛a) his right to hold the position of leadership after the Holy Prophet (s), Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) pointed out some peculiar characteristics of Imam ‛Ali (‛a), as follows:

1. The Imam’s sword harvested the heads of the chiefs of Quraysh and thus created in their hearts malice and hatred towards him.

2. The Imam (‛a) never flattered anybody at the expense of the truth. He never cared for any blame or criticism as long as he followed the truth. In this respect, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) is reported to have said,

O people, support me despite your heart’s desires. By Allah, I will take revenge for the oppressed from the oppressor and will put a string in the nose of the oppressor and drag him to the spring of truthfulness even though he may grudge it.[208]

On another occasion, he, expressing his inseparability from the truth, said,

Verily, the truth has left me friendless.

3. The Imam (‛a) dedicated his entire life to pleasing Almighty Allah; he therefore did not take into consideration any point other than the pleasure of Almighty Allah, even if the opposing party was a close relative.

Second: Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) then exposed some features of Imam ‛Ali’s government if only he had held his natural position of leading the Muslim community. Some of these features are as follows:

1. Imam ‛Ali (‛a) would have governed their affairs with perfect justice and would have ruled according to the laws of Almighty Allah.

2. He would have led the people to a luxurious life, security, and peace. He would have distributed the fortunes of Almighty Allah among all people extremely equally and would never have preferred some people to others. In conclusion, under the shadow of the Imam’s rule, all aspects of misery, poverty, and deprivation would have faded away.

3. He would have acted sincerely towards them and guided them to the best of all affairs.

4. He would have refused to benefit from any worldly pleasure and to take for himself the least amount of their financial dues.

In fact, when power came to Imam ‛Ali (‛a), he lived as simply as possible; he had no more than one garment and ate no more than one simple meal. He lived the life of the most miserable citizens. In this respect, he is reported to have said,

Shall I be content with being called Amir al-Mu'minin (The Commander of the Believers), although I do not share with the people the hardships of the world? Or shall I be an example for them in the distresses of life? I have not been created to keep myself busy in eating good foods like the tied animal whose only worry is his fodder or like a loose animal whose activity is to swallow. It fills its belly with its feed and forgets the purpose behind it. Shall I be left uncontrolled to pasture freely, or draw the rope of misguidance or roam aimlessly in the paths of bewilderment?[209]

5. The fortunes and blessings of Almighty Allah would have covered the entire globe and people would have found no hunger and no destitution if Imam ‛Ali (‛a) had been allowed to hold his natural position of succeeding the Holy Prophet (s) in leading the Muslim community. Unfortunately, the Muslims deprived themselves of all of these fortunes and brought about persecution and discrepancy to themselves.

Third: Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) predicted that the Muslim community would suffer very much and encounter various sorts of ordeals and hardship as a result of their eliminating Imam ‛Ali (‛a) from leadership. She thus foretold that (1) seditious matters would blacken the atmospheres of the Muslim community thus disuniting them, (2) the ruling authorities would act towards them tyrannically, and (3) the wrongdoers would manage them dictatorially.

In fact, all these predictions came true, especially after Mu‛awiyah came to power. He tortured and exhausted the Muslims, gave a free hand to such criminals like Samarah ibn Jundub, al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah, Ziyad ibn Abih, and Busr ibn Arta'ah to persecute the people. In the reign of Mu‛awiyah, fear spread, people were sentenced to various sorts of punishment, many eyes were gouged out, many bodies were crucified on the trunks of date-palm trees, and many hearts were pulled out.

More terribly, when Yazid came to power, horrible crimes were committed; he massacred the Holy Prophet’s family, attacked al-Madinah and violated its people’s sanctities, and demolished and destroyed by fire the Holy Ka‛bah.

All these and more were the result of eliminating Imam ‛Ali (‛a) from holding the position of leadership.

Sorrowful Procedures

Abu-Bakr decided that dreadful procedures should be taken against the Holy Prophet’s Household, because the members of this household formed the greatest danger on his government. He aimed at injuring Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) exclusively; therefore, he treated her so repugnantly, causing her to encounter horrible matters, some of which will be mentioned hereinafter:

Threatening with Setting Fatima’s House on Fire

Historicists and narrators of Prophetic traditions have indisputably agreed that Abu-Bakr and his gang threatened to set Lady Fatima’s house on fire. Let us now quote the reports of some of these historicists and narrators:

Al-Tabari has reported that ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab came to ‛Ali’s house where there Talhah, al-Zubayr, and other men from the Muhajirun, and said, “By Allah, I will burn you if you refuse to come out and pay homage.” Unsheathing his sword, al-Zubayr came out in a hurry to face ‛Umar, but he stumbled and his sword fell down from his hand. The group of ‛Umar jumped on him and took that sword.[210]

Ibn ‛Abd-Rabbih al-Andalusi says: The group that absented themselves from pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr included ‛Ali, al-‛Abbas, al-Zubayr, and Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah. As for the first three persons, they sat at Fatima’s house until Abu-Bakr sent ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab to make them leave the house. Abu-Bakr added, “If they refuse to come out, then you should fight them.” Carrying a firebrand in his hand, ‛Umar intended to set the house and them on fire. When he came, Fatima faced him and said, “O son of al-Khattab! Have you come to set our house on fire?” He answered, “Yes, I will do unless you accept what the community has accepted.”[211]

Ibn Abi’l-Hadid states: ‛Umar, accompanying men from the Ansar and a few others from the Muhajirun, came to Fatima’s house and said, “I swear by Him Who grasps ‛Umar’s soul in His hand, if you will not now come out to swear allegiance, I will most surely set this house and you on fire.”[212]

Al-Shahristani reports al-Nazzam as saying: On that event, ‛Umar was shouting, “Burn her house along with all those who are therein.” In fact, none was in that house save ‛Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn.[213]

‛Umar Ri¤a Kahhalah says: Abu-Bakr then asked for some people who had failed to pay homage to him and he knew that they - namely, al-‛Abbas, al-Zubayr, and Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah - were with ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib at Fatima’s house. Hence, Abu-Bakr sent ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab who came to them and called on them to come out. When they refused, he ordered firewood to be fetched. He thus said, “I swear by Him Who grasps ‛Umar’s soul in His hand, if you will not now come out, I will most surely set this house and you on fire.” Some people said to him, “Fatima is there in that house!” He answered, “So what?”[214]

Al-Mas‛udi has mentioned that immediately after the passing away of Allah’s Messenger, al-‛Abbas joined Imam ‛Ali (‛a) to stay with him in his house along with other followers, according to the instructions of the Holy Prophet (s). However, these people came to ‛Ali’s house, raided on him, set fire on the door of the house, took ‛Ali forcibly out of the house, and pressed Lady Fatima (‛a) between the door and the wall so violently.[215]

In the previous lines, I have mentioned the names of some historicists who have referred to this sorrowful event when the inviolability of Allah’s Messenger with regard to his daughter was violated. These people who committed this unforgivable offense failed to know that the house that they were attacking was the same house of Prophethood wherefrom the word of monotheism was launched to spread over the entire world. At the door of the same house, the Holy Prophet (s) used to stop for six months to repeat this holy verse:

Indeed, Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, o people of the household, and purify you with a thorough purification. (33/33)

The Gang that Raided on Lady Fatima’s House

In his raid on the Holy Prophet’s Household, ‛Umar sought the help of the following wicked persons:

1. Usayd ibn Hu¤ayr: This man carried firewood to set to fire the house of Prophethood and the center of the Divine Revelation and knowledge in Islam.[216]

2. Muhammad ibn Maslamah al-Khazraji: Contributing to the offensive process of setting Lady Fatima’s house on fire, this infidel was known for his extreme animosity towards Imam ‛Ali (‛a). In the reign of the Imam (‛a), this man joined the Khawarij (a faction whose members were described by the Holy Prophet as apostates).[217]

3. Al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah: One of the heads of hypocrisy and deviation, al-Maghirah participated in the aggressive process of burning the Holy Household’s house and encroaching upon Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a).[218]

4. Qunfudh: His full name is Qunfudh ibn ‛Umayr al-Tamimi. This slave of Abu-Bakr hit Lady Fatima (‛a) with a whip and contributed to burning her house. ‛Umar, during his reign, respected this man very much. When ‛Umar took the half of the fortunes of his deputy governors after they had been accused of embezzling and robbing the public funds of Muslims, he exempted Qunfudh, as a sign of gratitude for his contributions to the process of pledging of allegiance to Abu-Bakr.

5. Bashir ibn Sa‛d al-Khazraji: This man also participated in the offensive raid on Lady Fatima’s house. He was known for his deviation from Imam ‛Ali (‛a). His son, al-Nu‛man, was appointed as the deputy governor of al-Kufah in the reign of Yazid ibn Mu‛awiyah.

These persons raided on Lady Fatima’s house under the leadership of ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab and by the command of Abu-Bakr.

Abu-Bakr’s Regret

In later times, Abu-Bakr felt terribly sorry for the offensive raid on Lady Fatima’s house that he had commanded. In his final ailment, he said, “I do not regret anything of this world except for three things that I had committed. Now, I wish I had not committed these things.” Expressing one of these three offenses, Abu-Bakr said, “I wish I had not attacked Fatima’s house, no matter what the reason was.”[219]

On another occasion, Abu-Bakr said, “I do not regret anything except three things that I wish I had not done. I wish I had not attacked Fatima’s house; rather, I should have left this issue even if it would lead to a war.”[220]

After the aggressive attack on Lady Fatima’s house, Abu-Bakr lived in a state of insecurity and restlessness. This event did not stop annoying him and causing him ceaseless sorrow and sadness to the last breaths of his life.

Aborting Lady Fatima’s Fetus

Among all the consequences that accompanied the offensive raid on Lady Fatima’s house, the most excruciating event for every Muslim was the aborting of her fetus that the Holy Prophet (s) had given the name: Muhsin. Reporters of Prophetic traditions have unanimously mentioned this event. Let us now refer to some of them:

Ibn Hajar al-‛Asqalani, mentioning the biography of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sarri ibn Yahya ibn Darim, says, “Known as Abu-Bakr al-Kufi, this man was experienced in the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s). Having mentioned the date of the death of this man, Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Kufi says, “Throughout his lifetime, the man was in the right position (i.e. regarding his beliefs). However, in the last of his lifetime, he very often mentioned the defects of some ancestors. I was present when a man was reading before him this report: ‛Umar kicked Fatima so heavily that he caused her to abort her fetus Muhsin.”[221]

Al-Shahristani has reported on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Sayyar that ‛Umar hit Fatima so violently, causing her to have an abortion of the fetus that was in her womb. He then shouted repeatedly, “Burn her house including those who are therein!”[222]

Al-Mas‛udi, referring to the incident involved, says, “They pressed the Doyenne of Women behind the door, causing her to miscarry Muhsin.”[223]

Al-Dhahabi has reported through his own chain of authority that Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Hammad al-Kufi said, “…I was present when a man was reading before him this report: ‛Umar kicked Fatima so heavily that she aborted her fetus Muhsin.’”[224]

Ibn Qutaybah says, “Muhsin died because of the pressure of Qunfudh al-‛Adawi.”[225]

Al-Safadi says that ‛Umar struck the belly of Fatima on that day of the homage, causing her to abort al-Muhsin.[226]

Al-Tabrisi, recording Imam al-Hasan’s protest against a gang of the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt among whom was al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah, quotes the following words of Imam al-Hasan (‛a):

What are you, O Maghirah? You are definitely an enemy of Allah; you abandon His Book and give the lie to His Prophet. You are also a notorious adulterer and you must undergo stoning (i.e. the religious punishment of those who are proved to have committed adultery). Moreover, it is you who hit Fatima the daughter of Allah’s Messenger, causing her to bleed. As a result, she miscarried what she had carried in her womb. You have done all that because you only intended to humiliate Allah’s Messenger, to infringe his orders, and to violate his inviolabilities. Allah’s Messenger had said to Fatima, “You are the doyenne of the women of Paradise.” Unquestionably, Allah shall make your course towards Hellfire straightly and shall impose upon you the bad consequences of what you have said.[227]

Al-Majlisi, in his book entitled Irshad al-Qulub, has reported through his chain of authority that Lady Fatima (‛a) had said,

‛Umar took the whip from the hand of Qunfudh, the slave of Abu-Bakr, and lashed my upper arm. The whip twisted on my upper arm like a bracelet. He then kicked the door with his foot and pressed me behind it while I was pregnant. So, I fell to the ground on my face while fire was flaming and scorching my face. He then slapped me with the palm of his hand so violently that my earring dispersed away from my ear. At these moments, the throes of childbirth came to me, causing me to abort Muhsin, who was killed without any crime he might have committed.[228]

In the previous lines, I have mentioned only few reference books that have recorded the details of the aggression of these people against the Holy Prophet’s daughter, causing her to abort al-Muhsin. Besides, many other more detailing reports have been reported from the Holy Imams (‛a) on this topic.

Abrogation of the Khums Tax

Among the cruel procedures that Abu-Bakr took against the Holy Prophet’s Household was that he prevented them from receiving their share of the Khums (one-fifth) religious tax, which is decided for them exclusively in the Holy Qur'an that reads,

And know that whatever thing you gain, a fifth of it is for Allah and for the Apostle and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, if you believe in Allah and in that which We revealed to Our servant, on the day of distinction, the day on which the two parties met; and Allah has power over all things. (8/41)”

All historicists and narrators have unanimously agreed that the Holy Prophet (s) specified a share of the Khums tax for himself and his relatives and this practice continued up to the last hour of his lifetime. When Abu-Bakr came to power, he abrogated the share of the Prophet as well as that of his relatives and deprived Banu-Hashim of this, making them equal to ordinary populace.[229]

Lady Fatima the daughter of the Holy Prophet sent a message to Abu-Bakr to give her the rest of the Khums of Khaybar, but he refused to pay her anything.[230] Thus, poverty hovered over the family of the Holy Prophet (s) and they were deprived of the most important financial source that Almighty Allah had specified for them.

Probably, by this procedure, Abu-Bakr intended to deprive Imam ‛Ali (‛a) of any financial resource that would help him dispute with Abu-Bakr on the position of leadership. Such procedure is a sort of economical siege that some states impose on their rivals.

Confiscation of Fadak

Another cruel procedure that Abu-Bakr made against Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) was that he confiscated the land of Fadak and put it under State ownership.

Geographic Site of Fadak

Fadak is a village that is situated between Hijaz and al-Madinah. It had belonged to the Jews; so, it was close to the town of Khaybar.[231]

Fadak; The Holy Prophet’s Ownership

The village of Fadak was not conquered by any military force; rather, it was one of the properties that Almighty Allah conferred on His Prophet in the seventh year after Hegira. Hence, it was not within the properties that were militarily occupied, since the Khums tax is subjected to such lands only. As a result, Fadak was purely the Holy Prophet’s ownership.

The Holy Prophet Gifted Fadak to Lady Fatima

When Fadak became a personal property of the Holy Prophet (s), this holy Qur'anic verse was revealed to him:

And give to the near of kin his due. (17/26)

Hence, he transferred the ownership of Fadak and al-‛Awali to Lady Fatima al-Zahra’ (‛a), saying to her,

This is one of the shares that Allah has decided to be for you and your descendants.[232]

The land was thus in the possession and use of Lady Fatima (‛a); and the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) did not have any other economical resource. In this regard, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) says,

Of course, all that we had in our possession under this sky was Fadak.[233]

When Abu-Bakr assumed power, he evicted Lady Fatima (‛a) from the possession of the land and the garden thereon and included them with the public treasury. This procedure of confiscation was intended to deprive Imam ‛Ali (‛a) of any financial power due to which he might demand with his right, which was usurped by Abu-Bakr.

It is worth mentioning that Ibn Abi’l-Hadid, once, asked his mentor ‛Ali ibn al-Fariqi, “Was Fatima truthful when she demanded with Fadak?”

“Yes, she was,” answered the mentor.

Ibn Abi’l-Hadid asked, “Then, why did Abu-Bakr refuse to give her Fadak while she was truthful?”

The mentor answered, “If Abu-Bakr gave her Fadak, she would return the next day and demand with the right of her husband in the position held by Abu-Bakr. If she did, Abu-Bakr would not have any answer, because he had already recognized her as truthful in whatever she claims, without need for testimonies, oaths, and the like!”[234]

At any rate, the ruling authorities that came after the reign of Abu-Bakr acted playfully in this land according to their own fancies. ‛Uthman ibn ‛Affan, the chief of the Umayyads, gifted it to Marwan ibn al-Hakam, and that was one of the reasons that flared up popular revolt against him.[235] When Mu‛awiyah ibn Abi-Sufyan came to power, he took Fadak under his control and left a third of it in the use of Marwan, gave a third to ‛Umar ibn ‛Uthman and the remaining portion to his own son ‛Abd al-‛Aziz. When ‛Umar ibn ‛Abd al-‛Aziz came to power, he took it from the descendants of Marwan and gave it back as alms.[236]

Lady Fatima Demands with Fadak

Lady Fatima (‛a) went to Abu-Bakr and demanded that he should give Fadak back to her. Abu-Bakr asked her to provide witnesses who should testify that the Holy Prophet (s) had given her Fadak as gift. She thus provided witnesses among whom were Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and Ummu-Ayman the virtuous lady about whom the Holy Prophet (s) had said, “She is one of the people of Paradise.”

So, Abu-Bakr, in the beginning, wrote a formal document that carried his order to allow Lady Fatima to regain Fadak. However, ‛Umar took the written document, spit in it, and tore it into pieces.[237]

Other historicists have mentioned that Abu-Bakr did not accept the testimony of Imam ‛Ali (‛a), claiming that it was for the benefit of him that Lady Fatima (‛a) would take Fadak as personal ownership. He also rejected Ummu-Ayman’s testimony, claiming that she was a non-Arab lady who could not understand the issue clearly enough.

Commenting on this event, some Shi‛ite theologians have provided many points of protest, two of which will be cited hereinafter:

First: Abu-Bakr asked Lady Fatima the doyenne of the women of the world to provide evidence that the Holy Prophet (s) had gifted the village of Fadak to her as purely personal ownership. One of the general rules of the Muslim jurisprudence reads that evidence must be made by the plaintiff while a defendant is required to take an oath. By applying this rule to this issue, Abu-Bakr was the plaintiff; therefore, he should have provided evidence, and in case he did not have any, he was required to take an oath no more.

Second: Abu-Bakr neglected the exceptional standing of Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a); she was the doyenne of the women of the Muslim community at least, the daughter of the Holy Prophet (s), the one whose pleasure is part of Almighty Allah’s pleasure and whose wrath is part of His wrath, and the one the love for whom was a duty incumbent upon all Muslims according to this holy Qur'anic verse:

Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives. And whoever earns good, We give him more of good therein. Surely, Allah is Forgiving, Grateful. (42/23)

However, as signs of their love for Lady Fatima (‛a), these people caused her to have an abortion and raided on her house! How terrible their deeds were!

In brief, Abu-Bakr confiscated the village of Fadak and brought it under the state ownership.

Disappointed and distressed, Lady Fatima (‛a) left Abu-Bakr surrounded by sorrow and sadness.

If truth be told, Abu-Bakr should have at least regarded Lady Fatima’s emotions as a sort of honoring the Holy Prophet (s) and appreciating the situation of Lady Khadijah, the mother of Lady Fatima, who had sacrificed her entire fortune for Islam while she was the richest of all the people of Quraysh.

Sayyid ‛Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din, commenting on this point, says,

Had Abu-Bakr at least avoided frustrating Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) in her situations as possible as he could with all means of wisdom! Had he only done so, it would have been much better for him with regard to his end result, it would have kept him away from regret, he would have kept himself away from blame, and the issue would have worked more properly towards uniting the Muslim community in general and towards presenting him as a better leader in particular.

He could have protected the trust of the Prophet (s) and the only daughter of him; namely, Lady Fatima (‛a), against being disappointed and he could have saved her from leaving him while she was stumbling by her garment. What would he have lost if he had acted as her father and given Fadak to her without a trial? A leader of the Muslim community can do whatever he likes according to his general authority over all Muslims. Besides, if Fadak had been sacrificed for the sake of achieving a public interest and warding off the cause of corruption, this would have been more precious than the material value of the land of Fadak.[238]

Abu-Bakr could have done a favor and decided to keep the personal ownership of Fadak in the hands of the Holy Prophet’s daughter instead of facing her with such cruelty whose prints will never be erased from the hearts of the true believers.

Lady Fatima’s Historic Speech

The world became straitened for the beloved daughter of the Holy Prophet (s) and the steps that Abu-Bakr had initiated to impose economic restrictions on her family and her had made the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) financially incapable. As a result, Lady Fatima (‛a) decided to provide her points of evidence before Abu-Bakr in order to put him under clear argument, burden him with the responsibility for what had happened against her, and, at the same time, urge the Muslims to overthrow him.

I have not seen any other speech more dangerous than this one in such a sensitive situation. This speech was supposed to lead to a revolution and overthrowing of Abu-Bakr’s rule. However, due to his tactfulness and diplomacy, Abu-Bakr could control the situation and save his rule from uprising.

According to narrators, Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) became very angry; she therefore put on her veil, wrapped her garment around her body, and, accompanied by some of her female relatives and neighbors, walked majestically just like the stride of the Holy Prophet (s) until she arrived in the presence of Abu-Bakr at a time when a number of people from the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and others were also present there.

A curtain was put between her and the attendants. She first sighed in grief and pain and then wept. The people thus began to weep due to her sad wailing, and turmoil began to be aroused in that gathering, because the attendants saw in her the character of her great father who had no other child except her and who led them to the prosperity in this world and the other world and because they all felt that they had been negligent with regard to their duties towards her and her husband.

She allowed the people respite that their wails would calm down and their tears would stop flowing. At that time, she commenced her address with words of praise and glorification of the Almighty and continued her sermon like flowing water in such a way that no one had heard a more eloquent and meaningful discourse although she was still young and no more than eighteen years old. However, she was the daughter of Allah’s Messenger whom was endued with wisdom and clear judgment.

In her incomparable discourse, Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) spoke on the philosophy of Islam and discussed the logics for the laws and the wisdom of Islamic rules and regulations. She described the condition of the people before the dawn of Islam that to what extent they were mired in oppressing each other, how backward they were in knowledge, and how ignorance dominated their minds, especially in the Arabian Peninsula, where they were targets of humiliation and were on the verge of the pit of fire, that every drinker used to derive enjoyment from them and every greedy one was eyeing and everyone who moved used to take advantage from them; and they were trampled under the feet of all those who walked so much so that they were in such terrible poverty that sometimes they had to satiate their hunger with carrion and quench their thirst with waste water. They were more and more arrested in those terrible circumstances, but through the Holy Prophet (s), Almighty Allah bestowed them salvation and freedom, led them on the path of progress and development, and made the Prophet (s) the leader of their community. How great the superiority and favors of the Holy Prophet (s) were on the Arabs and on all people!

Lady Fatima (‛a) then alluded to the merits of her cousin Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and his manifest struggle and efforts in defense of Islam against the enemies at a time when the Muslims of Quraysh (i.e. the Muhajirun) spent a life of comfort and security and had no role in the propagation of Islam. Rather, as the Prophet (s) has described, at the time of confrontation, they used to run away from the battlefields and they used to flee in horror.

Browse the reference books of the biography of the Holy Prophet (s)! Can you find a single line mentioning any brave act mentioned for these Muslims of Quraysh? Can you find any situation in which they broke into a battlefield or fought bravely? In fact, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was the one and only star of all battles. Hence, the least we can describe him is to confess that he was the hero of Islam and the foremost warrior.

Lady Fatima (‛a) also demonstrated that these Muslims of Quraysh did not stop waiting the befalling of misfortunes upon the Holy Prophet’s Household, plotting evil conspiracies against them, and wishing that they would be attacked by calamities.

In her sermon too, Lady Fatima (‛a) expressed intense regret at the changed circumstances and the deviation of Muslims and their falling into the lure of selfish desires and pride. She predicted that they would be the victims of terrible events and calamities due to their sins and deviations from what the Almighty had prescribed for them; that is, to be always attached to the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a). After she had spoken on these matters, she indicated towards her inheritance that she was supposed to have received from her father but she had been deprived from it. She thus said,

Yet, now you claim that there is not inheritance for us! What! “Do they then seek after a judgment of (the Days of) ignorance? But how, for a people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than Allah?” Do you not know that I am his daughter? Yes, indeed it is as obvious to you as sunlight in midday.

O Muslims! Will my inheritance be usurped? O son of Abu- Quhafah! Where is it in the Book of Allah that you inherit your father and I do not inherit mine? Surely, you have come up with an unprecedented thing. Do you intentionally abandon the Book of Allah and cast it behind your back? Do you not read where it says: “And Solomon inherited David”?

And when it narrates the story of Zachariah, the Qur'an says: “So, give me an heir as from thyself; one that will inherit me, and inherit the posterity of Jacob. And: “But kindred by hood have prior rights against each other in the Book of Allah.”

And: “Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's (inheritance) to the male, a portion equal to that of two females.” And: “If he leaves any goods, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable usage; this is due from the pious ones.”

You claim that I have no share and that I do not inherit my father! What! Did Allah reveal a (Qur'anic) verse regarding you, from which He excluded my father? Or do you say: “These (i.e. Fatima and her father) are the people of two different faiths; they do not inherit each other?!” Are we, my father and I, not adhering to one faith? Or is it that you have more knowledge about the specifications and generalizations of the Qur'an than my father and my cousin (‛Ali)?

In this section of her brilliantly styled sermon, Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) provided the most authentic points of evidence all of which proved that she deservingly had the right to inherit from her father. Some of these points of evidence are as follows:

First: Just like all other people, the prophets are subjected to the laws of inheritance. Providing evidence, Lady Fatima (‛a) referred to the issues of the prophets Solomon, David, and John the son Zachariah. Clearly, many holy Qur'anic verses prove that all these prophets bequeathed and inherited, just like other people.

Second: Lady Fatima (‛a) provided as more points of evidence the general holy Qur'anic verses that demonstrated the laws of inheritance, proving that these laws are applicable to her father, too. Hence, to exclude him (s) from these laws requires a special proof, which is nonexistent. Therefore, it becomes imperative to accept these holy verses according to their general meanings, which, in this case, are considered acceptable evidence.

Third: The exclusion from the laws of inheritance is applied only when the testator follows a religion different from the religion of the legatee, such as when the father is Muslim while the heir is not. Of course, this exclusion is inapplicable in the issue of the legacy of the Holy Prophet (s) to his legatee Lady Fatima (‛a). On the contrary, both the Holy Prophet (s) and Lady Fatima (‛a) are the essence of Islam. Accordingly, on which basis else was she prevented from inheriting her father?

Of course, these points of condemned Abu-Bakr who could not find any reply.

Lady Fatima (‛a) then addressed Abu-Bakr with these words:

So, here you are! Take it! (Ready with) its nose rope and saddled! But if shall encounter you on the Day of Gathering; (thus) what a wonderful judge is Allah, a claimant is Muhammad, and a day is the Day of Rising. At the time of the Hour shall the wrongdoers lose and it shall not benefit you to regret (your actions) then! For every Message, there is a time limit and soon shall you know who will be inflicted with torture that will humiliate him and who will be confronted by an everlasting punishment.

The pictures of tongue-lashing in these words are really sharper than the edge of a sword! It was thus the fair trial that never misses any oppressive act against others.

Lady Fatima (‛a) then turned towards the attendants stimulating their determinations to overthrow the rule of Abu-Bakr, saying,

O you people of intellect, the strong supporters of the nation, and those who embraced Islam! What is this shortcoming in defending my right? What is this slumber (while you see) injustice (being done toward me)? Did not the Messenger of Allah, my father, used to say: ‘A man is upheld (remembered) by his children?’ How quick you have violated (his orders)! How soon you have plotted against us! But you still are capable (of helping me in) my attempt, and powerful (to help me) in that which I request and (in) my pursuit (of it). Or do you say: “Muhammad has perished!”

Surely, this is a great calamity. Its damage is excessive, its injury is great, and its wound (is much too deep) to heal.

The earth became darkened with his departure, the stars eclipsed for the calamity of losing him, hopes were seized, mountains submitted, sanctity was violated, and holiness was encroached upon after his death. Therefore, this, by Allah, is the great affliction and the grand calamity; there is not an affliction which is the like of it nor will there be a sudden misfortune (as surprising as this).

The Book of Allah -excellent be praising Him- announced in the courtyards (of your houses) in the place where you spend your evenings and mornings; a call, a cry, a recitation, and (verses) in order. It has previously come upon His (Allah's) Prophets and Messengers; (for it is) a decree final and predestination fulfilled: “Muhammad is not but an apostle: many were the apostles that passed away before him. If he died or he was slain, will you then turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.”

Addressing the Ansar in particular and provoking them to remove Abu-Bakr from power, she (‛a) said,

O sons of Qilah (i.e. the tribes of al-Aws and al-Khazjar who form the Ansar)! Will I be usurped the inheritance of my father while you hear and see me and while you are sitting and gathered around me? You hear my call and you are included in the (news of the) affair! You are numerous and well equipped! (You have) the means and the power, and the weapons and the shields. Yet, the call reaches you but you do not answer; the cry comes to you but you do not come to help, while you are characterized by struggle, known for goodness and welfare, you are the selected group (which was chosen), and the best ones chosen by the Messenger for us, the Ahl al-Bayt. You fought the Arabs, bore with pain and exhaustion, struggled against the nations, and resisted their heroes. We were still, so were you in ordering you, and you in obeying us until Islam became triumphant, the accomplishment of the days came near, the fort of polytheism was subjected, the outburst of war was subjected, the outburst of infidelity calmed down, and the system of religion was well-ordered. Thus, (why have you) become confused after clearness, concealed matters after announcing them, turned on your heels after daring, and associated (others with Allah) after believing? Will you not fight people who violated their oaths, plotted to expel the Apostle and became aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do you fear them? Nay, it is Allah Whom you should more justly fear, if you believe!

When she realized the weakness and languor of the Ansar, she became certain that they would not respond to her. So, she blamed them, saying,

Nevertheless, I see that you are inclined to easy living, dismissed he who is more worthy of guardianship (i.e. ‛Ali), and secluded yourselves with meekness and dismissed that which you accepted. Yet, if you show ingratitude; you and all on earth together, yet, Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all praise. Surely, I have said all that I have said with full knowledge that you intent to forsake me, and knowing the betrayal that your hearts sensed. But it is the state of soul, the effusion of fury, the dissemination of (what is in) the chest and the presentation of the proof. Hence, here it is! Bag it (leadership and) put it on the back of an ill she-camel, which has a thin hump with everlasting grace, marked with the wrath of Allah, and the blame of ever (which leads to) the Fire of (the wrath of Allah kindled (to a blaze), that which does mount (right) to the hearts, for Allah witnesses what you do and soon will the unjust assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take! And I am the daughter of a warner (i.e. the Prophet) to you against a severe punishment. So, act and so will we, and wait, and we shall wait.[239]

This was the sealing section of Lady Fatima’s igneous speech that expressed her greatness and the scope of her scientific faculties, which are only the extension of the knowledge of her father (s) who had caused fountains of knowledge and wisdom to gush forth from the earth.

Hearts began to burn, eyes opened wide, and people began to feel suffocated as life went away then came back so that the air which had gone should come back and truth was about to be re-established. However, Abu-Bakr was well known for his quick tongue and power of diplomacy. He was able to regain control over the situation and he saved his government from a revolution. He expressed utmost honor and respect for the beloved daughter of the Holy Prophet (s) as if he had more regard for her than his daughter ‛A'ishah. From the depths of his being, he seemed to hold her in reverence. He also expressed a deep grief for the passing away of her dear father the Holy Prophet (s) while he had actually wished the Prophet had died before that time. He said that he had not initiated these steps on his own and had not obtained the seat of rulership of his own. It was actually the choice of the majority and consensus the people!

However, the truth is that Muslims had nothing to do with this. The most prominent Muslim personalities did not pay homage to Abu-Bakr, the majority of the Ansar detested pledging allegiance to him - the allegiance that was slip, as his assistant ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab had expressed.

Lady Fatima Complains to Her Father

Immediately after that situation, Lady Fatima (‛a) went to the grave of her father to complain to him about the calamities that she had to encounter at the hands of these people. She thus said these poetic verses:

There were after you conflicting news and misfortunes.

If you had been here, misfortunes would not have been as many as they are now.

We have lost you as the earth loses its rain.

And your people turned upside down; come to witness them and do not keep away!

Some men showed us what there was hidden in their hearts, when you left and the grave kept you away from us.

Some men frowned at us and we were disparaged when you were lost, and the inheritance was plundered.

These poetic verses communicate the scope of Lady Fatima’s sorrow and deep grief for the misfortunes she had to suffer after the departure of her father from this world. In fact, these people treated her extremely cruelly and violently and they never respected their duty towards the Holy Prophet (s), the first of which was that they were required to respect his family members.

Lights on Imam ‛Ali’s Attitude

Many people wonder why Imam ‛Ali (‛a) did not oppose Abu-Bakr and open a front against him, thus taking back his right forcibly rather than rejecting this procedure and secluding himself from all political affairs.

Imam ‛Ali (‛a), answering such questions, provided some reasons that made him stop demanding with his right of holding the position of leadership. Some of these reasons are as follows:

Lack of Military Assistance

Imam ‛Ali (‛a) did not have enough military power that might make the change and give him victory over his opponents. On many occasions, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) referred to this point. For instance, in his famous sermon known as al-Shaqshaqiyyah, the Imam (‛a) says,

Then I began to think whether I should assault or endure calmly the blinding darkness of tribulations wherein the grown up are made feeble and the young grow old and the true believer acts under strain until he meets Allah (on his death). I found that endurance thereon was wiser. So I adopted patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation (of mortification) in the throat. I watched the plundering of my inheritance.[240]

In this section, the Imam (‛a) demonstrated that he did not have any power to lead a revolution, because he lacked any military assistance and he lacked any shelter that would help him fight against Abu-Bakr. He therefore had to “adopt patience although there was pricking in the eye and suffocation in the throat.”

On another occasion, Imam ‛Ali (‛a), explaining the reason for not revolting against Abu-Bakr, said,

I looked and found that there is no supporter for me except family, so I refrained from thrusting them unto death. I kept my eyes closed despite motes in them. I drank despite choking of throat. I exercised patience despite trouble in breathing and despite having to take sour colocynth as food.[241]

Except for his little family, none stopped with Imam ‛Ali (‛a). If he had waged war against Abu-Bakr, he would certainly have lost it and lost his life, too, not to mention the catastrophic consequences that would befall the Muslim community.

The overwhelming majority paid homage to Abu-Bakr under the pressure of ‛Umar. Intending to put them under argument, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) led Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) to the houses of the Muhajirun and Ansar, asking them for help and for rebelling against the ruling regime. However, they said to her, “O daughter of Allah’s Messenger! We have already paid homage to this man.” Refuting this claim, Lady Fatima (‛a) answered,

Will you then let the inheritance of Allah’s Messenger leave his house to join other houses?

Making an unjustifiable apology, they said, “O daughter of Allah’s Messenger, if only your husband offered this to us before Abu-Bakr had done, we would never accept anyone save him.”

Here, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) answered them reproachfully,

Was it possible for me to leave the body of Allah’s Messenger unburied in his house and go out to quarrel these people about his authority?

Confirming the words of her husband, Lady Fatima (‛a) said,

Abu’l-Hasan did nothing but what he ought to do. They did what Allah shall certainly punish them for it.[242]

In short, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) did not have any military force to fight against Abu-Bakr. If he had had such, it would not have been legal for him to keep silent.

Lady Fatima and Mu‛adh ibn Jabal

Lady Fatima (‛a) then headed for Mu‛adh ibn Jabal, a prominent Companion of the Holy Prophet (s), and asked for his help, saying, “I have come to you asking for your support. You have sworn allegiance to Allah’s Messenger and pledge that you would support his offspring and him and protect him as same as you protect your own family and yourself. Abu-Bakr has usurped Fadak from me and dismissed my deputy from that land.”

Mu‛adh asked, “Am I alone in this question or are there others with me?”

She (‛a) answered, “No one has responded to me.”

Mu‛adh, refusing, said, “What can my support for you do and to which extent can it reach?”

Angrily, Lady Fatima (‛a) said, “I shall never talk to you henceforth until I join Allah’s Messenger.”

Thus, Lady Fatima (‛a) left Mu‛adh disappointed and grief-stricken.

Mu‛adh’s honorable son then came and asked his father, “What for has the daughter of Muhammad come?”

The father answered, “She has come asking for my support against Abu-Bakr.”

The son asked, “What was your reply?”

The father said, “My support can do nothing as long as I am alone.”

The son said, “So, you have refused to respond to her. Have you not?”

The father answered, “Yes, I have.”

The son, inquiring about her reaction, asked, “What did she say to you.”

The father answered, “She said that she would never talk to me until she would join Allah’s Messenger.”

Stormed by anguish, the son said, “As for me, I, by Allah, shall never talk to you until I join Allah’s Messenger if you insist on refusing to support his daughter.”[243]

Maintaining Islam

By all means, if Imam ‛Ali (‛a) had waged war against Abu-Bakr, a deathblow would have come to Islam to cause it eradication. The hypocrites, headed by Abu-Sufyan and the other polytheists of Quraysh whose heroes and chiefs were annihilated by Islam, were ceaselessly waiting for any opportunity to wipe out Islam and bring back the era of ignorance into life.

Another point is that the faith and principles of Islam had not been yet firmly established in the hearts and minds of many of those who claimed embracing Islam, because the majority of them entered this religion in their youth, middle age, or old age. The spirit of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance had been still nested in their hearts. When such a war would break out, they would most surely abandon their faiths and return to idolatry to worship their false deities.

Practically, the people of Quraysh, immediately after the passing away of the Holy Prophet (s), made steps in Makkah towards abandoning the faith of Islam and returning to their previous false beliefs that they had followed for years before the advent of Islam.

In my conception, this was the strongest reason that made Imam ‛Ali (‛a) keep silence and stop demanding with his right.

Maintaining the Unity of Muslims

Imam ‛Ali (‛a) always cared for and worked towards maintaining unity among Muslims. He therefore had to keep peace with those men who usurped caliphate from him. Declaring this fact openly, the Imam (‛a) said when people were determined to pay homage to ‛Uthman ibn ‛Affan,

You have certainly known that I am the most rightful of all others for the Caliphate. By Allah, so long as the affairs of Muslims remain intact and there is no oppression in it save on myself I shall keep quiet seeking reward for it (from Allah) and keeping aloof from its attractions and allurements for which you aspire.[244]

In order to maintain the unity of Muslims and keep them on the same word, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) used peaceful terms with those people and curtained the harsh pains that he had felt in his inner self for the losing of his right.

The previous points have shed light on some reasons that made Imam ‛Ali (‛a) keep silence and act patiently towards those who usurped his right to succeed the Holy Prophet (s) and hold the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community.

Unjustifiable Apology

Abu-Bakr and his friend ‛Umar tried to gain Lady Fatima’s satisfaction as an attempt to give their government a sort of legality and to use her satisfaction with them as a means to gain the Muslims’ satisfaction. They went to her house and asked permission to visit her, but she refused to receive them. Then, for another time, they tried to obtain her permission to visit her, but she again refused. They therefore went to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and asked him to intercede for them with her. When Imam ‛Ali (‛a) did, Lady Fatima (‛a) responded to his request and allowed Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar to visit her. When they came to her house, they greeted her, but she refused to respond. They then advanced a few steps forward and sat before her. She again turned her face away from them. They then insistently begged her to listen to their words. So, she permitted them to speak. Hence, they started begging her to forgive them and be pleased with them.

However, Lady Fatima (‛a) said,

I adjure you by Allah, did you not hear the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘The pleasure of Fatima is part of my pleasure and the displeasure of Fatima is part of my displeasure. Whoever loves Fatima my daughter, has loved me, whoever pleases Fatima has pleased me, and whoever displeases Fatima has displeased me?’

Giving credence to her words, they both answered that they had heard the Holy Prophet (s) saying so.

She then raised her hands towards the heavens and said with sadness and wounded heart,

I call Allah and His angels to bear witness for me that you both have displeased me and you both have never pleased me. Moreover, when I will meet the Messenger of Allah, I will definitely complain to him against you.

Lady Fatima (‛a) then addressed Abu-Bakr, saying,

By Allah, I will invoke Allah’s displeasure upon you in every prayer I will do.[245]

How heavy these words were! Indeed, they were heavier than the strikes of swords. The ground shook under the feet of these two men and rotated like a quern that they left her tottering for the horrible situation in which they had put themselves. They left Lady Fatima’s house with a great disappointment, since they understood how much the wrath that they had burdened themselves with was.

Lady Fatima’s Last Will

The commemoration of the Holy Prophet (s) brought such severe illness to his daughter Lady Fatima al-Zahra' (‛a) that her physique completely weakened in such a way that she did not have strength remaining in her to even get up from her bed. She was slowly withering away like a flower deprived of moisture, because death was approaching her quickly while she was yet in her early youth. Too nigh was the time of her meeting with her father who had separated from her and along with him were gone the affection and kindness he had showered her with.

It became obvious that she was soon to bid farewell to this world. She summoned her cousin Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and stated her bequest to him, which, among other points, expressed instructions that (1) her holy mortal remains should be consigned to the dust in the darkness of the night and none of those who had oppressed her be allowed to attend the funeral, because they were her enemies and the enemies of her father, as she expressed. (2) She willed that her grave would be concealed so that it would remain a symbol of her displeasure all over history.

About this point, a poet[246] composed these poetic verses:

O he who disputes with us about the usurpers who had usurped the right of Fatima, tell us:

Is it true your claim that these two neither committed deliberately any act of wrongdoing against her nor did they make her unhappy?

If so, why was she at her death prepared to meet Allah while they were not allowed to be present there?

Her bier was seen off by the angels of the All-beneficent Lord as a sign of their leniency to her, while these two persons did not participate in that funeral ceremony.

Why did they not follow her? Was it because they belittled the Divine reward obtained from such an act, or was it on account of their stubbornness against her father?

Or was it because the chaste Fatima had willed that these two should never witness her burial? Therefore, they were not allowed.

Or was it that her father had confidentially instructed her to do this; therefore, the Prophet’s daughter obeyed her father?

Whatever you say! It will never justify! Your claim was indeed a forgery that you exceeded all limits when you said it!

Imam ‛Ali (‛a), having assured that all her instructions should be carried out, left her while grief and sorrow covered him totally.

When she passed away, Imam ‛Ali (‛a), in the last hours of night, placed the body in the grave and poured dust upon it. He stood beside the grave and tears flowed from his eyes with such propensity that the ground became wet with them. He uttered the following words describing his shock and grief:

O Prophet of Allah, peace be upon you from me and from your daughter who has come to you and who has hastened to meet you. O Prophet of Allah, my patience about your chosen (daughter) has been exhausted, and my power of endurance has weakened, except that I have ground for consolation in having endured the great hardship and heart-rending event of your separation. I laid you down in your grave when your last breath had passed (when your head was) between my neck and chest.

Verily, we belong to Allah; and to Him shall we return.

Now, the trust has been returned and what had been given has been taken back. As to my grief, it knows no bounds, and as to my nights. They will remain sleepless until Allah chooses for me the house in which you are now residing.

Certainly, your daughter would apprise you of the joining together of your people for oppressing her. You ask her in detail and get all the news about the position. This has happened when a long time had not elapsed and your remembrance had not disappeared. My salutation be on you both, the salutation of a grief stricken not a disgusted or hateful person; for if I go away it is not because I am weary (of you), and if I stay it is not due to lack of belief in what Allah has promised the steadfast.[247]

These statements are full of grief and deep sorrow and they complain to the Holy Prophet (s) about the pains and afflictions that befell him because of the departure of the doyenne of the women of the world from this life, leaving him alone. Although the Imam (‛a) used to stand the ordeals of this life, he declared that his patience reduced for this misfortune.

Imam ‛Ali (‛a) also requested the Messenger of Allah (s) to inquire from his daughter directly about the tortures she had to bear in the short period she lived after his passing away.

In the same way, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) announced his personal grief at the passing away of the Prophet’s beloved daughter, because it was such a terrible tragedy for him that the flames of grief were never to cooled for him until he would meet the Lord.

This is the end of our discussion of Lady Fatima’s attitude to Abu-Bakr.

Imam al-Hasan

When Abu-Bakr usurped the position of leadership, Imam al-Hasan (‛a) was only seven years old. He went to the mosque of his grandfather and found Abu-Bakr on the minbar. He thus said to him,

Come down from the minbar of my father and go to your father’s minbar.

Astounded by Imam al-Hasan’s words, Abu-Bakr had to answer with a soft word, saying, “You are right! By Allah, it is your father’s minbar, but not my father’s.”[248]

Although he was still youngster, Imam al-Hasan (‛a) understood that no one except his father was qualified enough to ascend the minbar of his grandfather the Holy Prophet (s). This is the very truth, because Imam ‛Ali (‛a), the commander of wisdom and eloquence, had defended the Holy Prophet (s) in all situations and under the most difficult circumstances in such a way that exceeded all others who claimed having defended Islam.

Discontented Protestors

A big group of the most prominent companions of the Holy Prophet (s) bore a grudge and protested against Abu-Bakr for he had seized power against Imam ‛Ali (‛a) the hero of Islam, the most versed in the religious laws, the most knowledgeable, and the most ascetic, who was the worthiest of holding this position, because he was the Holy Prophet’s brother, father of his two grandsons, and husband of his daughter Fatima the most beloved by the Holy Prophet (s) and the doyenne of the women of the world. Another reason was that the Holy Prophet (s) had ordered all Muslims to pay homage to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) at the congregation of Ghadir Khumm when he declared,

‛Ali is now the master of whomever has regarded me as his master.

In addition, the Holy Prophet (s) had declared the special position of Imam ‛Ali (‛a) when he more than once said to him,

Your position to me is exactly like the position of Prophet Aaron to Prophet Moses except that no prophet shall come after me.

Among these prominent personalities who denied Abu-Bakr’s coming to power and usurping this position from Imam ‛Ali (‛a) are the following:

Salman al-Muhammadi

Salman al-Farisi (the Persian) was one of the most prominent companions of the Holy Prophet (s). He had full knowledge with Islam, its laws, and its principles. The Holy Prophet (s) cared for him very much that he attached him to his family members, saying,

Salman is one of us - the Ahl al-Bayt.[249]

He (s) also instructed,

Do not say: Salman al-Farisi (i.e. of Persia); rather, you should say: Salman al-Muhammadi (i.e. of Muhammad).[250]

Just like the Ahl al-Bayt who are legally forbidden to receive alms, Salman is also forbidden to receive alms. Confirming this fact, the Holy Prophet (s) is reported to have said,

Salman is forbidden to receive alms.

When Salman saw how caliphate was dissociated from the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a), he condemned Abu-Bakr and demanded him to resign, saying,

O Abu-Bakr, to whom will you refer your issue when something you ignore befalls you? To whom will you resort when you are asked a question whose answer is not known by you? What is your excuse as you have advanced yourself to the one who is more knowledgeable than you are, closer to the Messenger of Allah than you are, more familiar with the Book of Allah and the Prophet’s traditions than you are, and whom was put first by the Holy Prophet during his lifetime and whom the Prophet instructed you all to follow at the hour of his death? However, you abandoned the Prophet’s instruction, pretended to have forgotten his will, breached your promise, broke the covenant, and released yourselves from the bond under which the Prophet put you when you refused to join Usamah’s expedition?[251]

The previous advice of Salman to Abu-Bakr holds an invitation to adhere to the truth, an invitation to unify of the word of Muslims, and an invitation to hand over the affair of the leadership of the Muslim community to the most knowledgeable in the community; namely, Imam ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib.

‛Ammar ibn Yasir

Described by the Holy Prophet (s) as the good and the son of the good, ‛Ammar ibn Yasir was one of the contributors to the construction of the edifice of Islam and one of those whom were harshly persecuted for the sake of Allah. Among the Companions, he was known for his self-denial and wholehearted devotion to the truth. He also enjoyed a highly considerable standing with the Holy Prophet (s).

When Abu-Bakr gained caliphate illegally, ‛Ammar hurried to condemn him and to condemn the people of Quraysh as well, saying,

O groups of Quraysh! O groups of Muslims! If you do not know so far, then be it known to you that the Household of your Prophet are the closest to him, the most rightful to receive his inheritance, the most proficient to run the affairs of the religion, the best protectors of the faithful believers, the best guardians of this nation, and the most sincere to this community. So, order your acquaintance (i.e. Abu-Bakr) to give back the right to its people before your rope shivers, your situation grows weaker, disunity emerges amongst you, sedition invades you forcibly, discrepancy appears amongst you, and your enemy seizes this best opportunity to do violence to you. You have already known that the Banu-Hashim are nearer to this affair than you are and ‛Ali is the closest of you all to your Prophet. Unlike all of you, ‛Ali is your leader by the binding command of Allah and His Messenger. He is manifestly different from you all as proven by many cases, especially when the Prophet closed your doors (to the mosque) and kept ‛Ali’s door open,[252] when he gave him in marriage his daughter Fatima as a sign of ‛Ali’s superiority to all of you. Besides, the Prophet said about ‛Ali, “I am the city of wisdom, and ‛Ali is its door. So, whoever wants wisdom must come to it from its door.” Verily, all of you are obliged to resort to him whenever you face a problem with regard to your religious affairs, while he can dispense with you all in this regard, because he enjoys such unprecedented peculiarities that even the best of you lack. Why do you now depart from him? Why do you usurp his right? Why do you prefer this world to the other world? Evil is this change for the unjust people. Give him what Allah has decided to be for him exclusively. Do not turn back from him retreating. Do not turn back upon your heels; so, you will turn back losers.[253]

In his previous words, ‛Ammar called for the public interest and for taking the Muslim community away from seditions and discommended events. He demanded that the general leadership of the Muslim community must be given to Imam ‛Ali (‛a) whom the Holy Prophet (s) had endued with numerous outstanding virtues such as making him the door to the city of his knowledge. Accordingly, it was unfair to match him to one who lacked such talents and geniuses.

Ab-Dharr al-Ghifari

One of the most prominent personalities of Islam and companions of the Holy Prophet (s), Abu-Dharr was the voice of justice and truth in Islam. He comprehended the teachings and laws of the religion that are purposed for spreading social justice on the land. He was also well known for his continuous protestations against the Umayyad ruling authorities who usurped the public funds and regarded people as their servants.

Expressing his anger with those who eliminated Imam ‛Ali (‛a) from caliphate, Abu-Dharr addressed these words to the groups of the people of Quraysh and the Ansar:

O group of the Muhajirun and the Ansar, you and the good ones amongst you all know well that the Holy Prophet (s) had said, “The rule over the affairs belongs to ‛Ali after me. After him, it belongs to al-Hasan and al-Husayn. After them, it belongs to the members of my Household from the progeny of al-Husayn.” However, you have ignored Your Prophet’s words and tried to forget what he had ordered you to follow. You have thus followed the worldly pleasures and forsaken the blessings of the Other World whose construction will never be destroyed, whose bliss will never vanish, whose people will never be sad, and whose inhabitants will never die. You have become just like the deviated nations who changed the orders of their prophets after them. Soon will you be bitterly punished for your misdeeds. Allah never oppresses His servants.”[254]

In his previous words, this great revolutionist highlighted an important point; namely, he reminded the Muslims of the Holy Prophet’s command that the religious and political affairs of the community should be governed by Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and after him Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (‛a). After them, the great Imams from the offspring of Imam al-Husayn should rule the community. However, Muslims did not respond to their Prophet’s command; rather, they were seduced by the worldly pleasures that caused them to deviate from the truth. As a consequence, they would suffer misfortunes and seditions. Abu-Dharr’s prophecy came true; Muslims’ blood was shed and the souls of many of them were destroyed at the hands of the Umayyad and ‛Abbasid dynasties, who created mischief in the land, spread injustice and persecution among Muslims, deluged the lands with oppression, and forced Muslim to act against their wills.

Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad

Al-Miqdad was one of the prominent personalities in Islam and one of the most sincere companions of Imam ‛Ali (‛a). Reproaching Abu-Bakr, he said,

O Abu-Bakr, retreat your wrongdoing, repent to your Lord, and give back the leadership to its real owner who has more priority to hold this position than you do. You have already known about the allegiance to him that the Holy Prophet (s) had bound you with,[255] ordered you to be a soldier under the standard of Usamah ibn Zayd, and confirmed the illegality of you and your supporters to hold this position when he attached you to the head of hypocrisy and the essence of enmity and rebellion; namely, ‛Amr ibn al-‛As about whom Almighty Allah revealed to His Prophet this verse: “Surely, your enemy is the one who shall be without posterity.” So, fear Allah and hurry to resign this position before it is too late. This is in fact safer for you in your lifetime and after your death. Do not incline to the worldly pleasure and do not be deceived by the people of Quraysh and others. Very soon shall your worldly pleasure knock you down and you will be returned to your Lord Who will then punish you for what you have done. You know for sure that ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib is the successor of the Holy Prophet (s); therefore, give him what Allah has decided for him. If you do, this will cover your defects and lighten your overloads. By Allah, I am but an advisor for you if you only accept my advice. All affairs shall be eventually returned to Allah.[256]

Through these words, al-Miqdad advised Abu-Bakr to resign. However, if Abu-Bakr had resigned at that time, he would have spared the Muslims from many seditions, calamities, and disunity.

‛Utbah ibn Abi-Lahab

In a form of poetic verses, ‛Utbah ibn Abi-Lahab reproached Abu-Bakr for usurping caliphate, saying,

I never expected that this affair (of caliphate) would be turned away From the descendant of Hashim in general and from Abu’l-Hasan in particular.

Has he not been the first to believe, the first to serve Islam, and the most knowledgeable in the Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions?

He is also the last to witness the Prophet and the one whom was assisted by Gabriel in washing and enshrouding the Prophet.

He enjoys such virtuous traits that none of you has their likes and no one among these people ever had his righteous features.[257]

These poetic verses expressed ‛Utbah’s grief and sorrow for eliminating his cousin Imam ‛Ali (‛a) from caliphate, while the Imam was the foremost in accepting Islam and believing in its principles, the most knowledgeable with Almighty Allah’s Book and the Prophet’s practice, and the last person to have witnessed the Holy Prophet (s). Of course, these distinctive features and high standards were not possessed by any other Companion. It was therefore unexpected to deter him from holding the position of leadership.

Abu-Ayyub al-Ansari

One of the most brilliant companions of Imam ‛Ali (‛a), Abu-Ayyub[258] participated in all of Imam ‛Ali’s expeditions and battles. He believed in the Imam’s superiority over all others to hold the position of leadership after the Holy Prophet (s).[259] Admonishing Abu-Bakr for usurping Imam ‛Ali’s right, Abu-Ayyub said,

O servants of Allah, fear Allah as regards the household of your Prophet and give them back their right that Allah has decided for them. You, as well as all our brothers, have heard the Holy Prophet (s) on many occasions and in many situations repeating these words: “Your leaders after me are the members of my household.” Referring to none but ‛Ali, the Prophet (s) also said, “This (‛Ali) is the leader of the pious ones and the slayer of the atheists. Really disappointed is he who disappoints him and really victorious is he who supports him.” So, repent to Allah from your wrongdoing to him, for Allah accepts repentance and He is All-merciful. Do not turn back against him, refusing him.[260]

In these words, Abu-Ayyub advises Muslims to abide by the truth and work towards whatever achieves their unity and bring together their word. Nevertheless, these people lent deaf ears to him.

Ubayy ibn Ka‛b

Ubayy ibn Ka‛b,[261] one of the Ansar, is the chief of the reciters of the Holy Qur'an and one of those who swore allegiance to the Holy Prophet (s). He participated in all of the Holy Prophet’s expeditions. ‛Umar ibn al-Khattab used to call him sayyid al-muslimin (the chief of Muslims).

Condemning Abu-Bakr for usurping caliphate from Imam ‛Ali (‛a), Ubayy said,

O Abu-Bakr, do not deny the right that Allah has decided to one other than you and do not be the first to disobey Allah’s Messenger with regard to his successor and most elite person, as you are challenging his command. Give back the right to its people so that you will be safe. Do not go too far in your error, lest you will be sorry. Hurry to return to the truth so that your sin will be eased. Do not have exclusive control over this matter, which Allah has not decided for you; lest, you will encounter the bad consequence of your deed. Very soon, you will depart what you are now enjoying and come to meet your Lord Who shall interrogate you about what you have done. Verily, your Lord does not oppress His servants.[262]

These words of Ubayy hold sincere invitation to following the truth, achieving the public interest of the community, and working on unifying the word of the Muslims.

Al-Nu‛man ibn ‛Ajlan

The spokesman and poet of the Ansar, al-Nu‛man ibn ‛Ajlan composed some poetic verses, criticizing Abu-Bakr for holding the position of caliphate, which is the right of ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib (‛a). He thus said,

You deemed it illegal to appoint Sa‛d as the caliph! Is it then legal to appoint Abu-Bakr for this position?

Do you think that Abu-Bakr is worthy enough to be the leader; while it is well-known that ‛Ali is the worthiest?

Verily, it is catastrophic not to give this office to ‛Ali, who deserves it more than everyone else, whether you know this or not.[263]

To explain these poetic verses, the poet intends to say that the Muhajirun (i.e. the emigrants of Quraysh) condemned Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah for he had proposed himself for the position of leadership, regarding such act as forbidden because he did not belong to the tribe of Quraysh. Then, they claimed that they were the most entitled to this office because they had family relations with the Holy Prophet (s). According to their criterion, Imam ‛Ali (‛a) must be more entitled to this office than they are, because he was the closest to the Holy Prophet (s) lineally and socially.

‛Uthman ibn Hunayf al-Ansari

One of the best Companions, ‛Uthman ibn Hunayf[264] believed that caliphate should have been held by Imam ‛Ali (‛a) because he was the worthiest of it. Addressing Abu-Bakr disapprovingly, ‛Uthman ibn Hunayf said,

We have heard the Messenger of Allah (s) saying, “My Household are the stars of the earth. So, do not advance yourselves against them. They are verily the leaders after me.” Immediately, a man stood up and asked, “O Allah’s Messenger, who are those representing your household?” The Holy Prophet (s) answered, “They are ‛Ali and his immaculate sons.”[265]

In his protest, ‛Uthman only mentioned a Prophetic tradition about the Ahl al-Bayt (‛a) clearly proving that they are the leaders of the Muslim nation according to the command of Almighty Allah and the binding instruction of the Holy Prophet (s).

Sahl ibn Hunayf

Declaring his support for Imam ‛Ali (‛a) and addressing the people of Quraysh, Sahl ibn Hunayf,[266] one of the best Companions, said,

All praise and all thanks be to Allah. O people of Quraysh, Bear witness that I saw the Messenger of Allah (s) in this very place (i.e. the Prophet’s Mosque) taking ‛Ali ibn Abi-Talib from the hand and saying, “O people, this (‛Ali) is your leader after me and my successor in my lifetime and after my death. He settles my debts and fulfills my promises. He will be the first to shake hands with me on my pond. So, joy is for whoever follows and supports ‛Ali, but woe is whoever lags behind and disappoints him.”[267]

Thus did Suhayl testify to what he had heard from the Holy Prophet (s) about Imam ‛Ali (‛a) the chief of all the pious ones. Indubitably, these people had likewise heard understandably these Prophetic words about the Imam (‛a), but the worldly interests deceived them, causing them to stream with the lusts of sovereignty and power.

Khuzaymah ibn Thabit

Khuzaymah ibn Thabit[268] was one of the most brilliant, most trustful, and closest companions of the Holy Prophet (s) to him. His testimony was equal to two testimonies, because of his ultimate truthfulness and religiousness. Declaring his support of Imam ‛Ali (‛a), he said,

O people, do you not know that the Messenger of Allah (s) admitted my testimony without need for anyone else’s testimony? I thus testify that I have heard the Messenger of Allah (s) saying, “The members of my Household distinguish between the right and the wrong. They are the leaders that must be followed.” I have testified to what I had already known. A mission of a messenger is no more than conveying the message plainly.[269]

Thus did Khuzaymah convey what he had heard from the Holy Prophet (s) about the Holy Household (‛a) whom the Prophet introduced as the leaders of true guidance and the ones whom should be followed.

Abu’l-Haytham ibn al-Tayhan

Abu’l-Haytham[270] recognized properly Imam ‛Ali’s true standing, high status, and great position. Professing that Imam ‛Ali (‛a) deserved the position of caliphate more than anyone else, Abu’l-Haytham said,

I bear witness that our Prophet, on that day at Ghadir Khumm, declared ‛Ali as the next leader. The Ansar on that occasion said, “He has declared him as his successor so that he (i.e. ‛Ali) will be the next leader of the community.” Others said, “He has declared ‛Ali as the master of whomever has considered the Prophet as his master.” When different opinions were said about that incident, we sent one of us to the Holy Prophet (s) to ask him about that. The Holy Prophet (s) said, “Tell people that ‛Ali is the master of the faithful believers after me and the most sincere with regard to leading my community.” I have thus testified to what I personally have witnessed. So, let him who pleases believe, and let him who pleases disbelieve. Verily, the Day of Discrimination is a day pre-appointed.[271]

According to this testimony of Abu’l-Haytham, the Holy Prophet (s) did entrust the position of religious and political leadership with Imam ‛Ali (‛a) in the congregation of Ghadir Khumm.

This is the end of our presentation of the strict protests that were made by the major pious Companions against Abu-Bakr. All these protests prove that Imam ‛Ali (‛a) was the worthiest to hold the position of leadership.

Abu-Bakr Rewards the Supporters

Having come to power and held it strongly, Abu-Bakr, along with ‛Umar, rewarded the persons who had helped him seize power. He thus did them many favors and entrusted them with senior governmental offices. Let us now refer to some of these persons:

Anas ibn Malik supported and had a remarkable role in the process of making people pledge allegiance to Abu-Bakr. As a reward, Abu-Bakr appointed him as the deputy governor of Bahrain.

Qunfudh was a member of the gang that raided on Lady Fatima’s house. Abu-Bakr therefore appointed him as the deputy governor of Makkah.

Salamah al-Ansari was appointed by Abu-Bakr as the deputy governor of al-Yamamah.[272]

Al-Maghirah ibn Shu‛bah was appointed by Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar as the deputy governor of Bahrain, al-Basrah, and al-Kufah respectively.

Abu-Bakr’s Financial Policy

Historians say that Abu-Bakr, in distribution of the public funds among the Muslims, observed equity and in this field he did not deviate from the Prophet’s practice. However, some instances are opposed to this fact, because, first of all, from the charity funds he controlled, he spent a considerable amount to purchase the loyalty of Abu-Sufyan.[273] He also distributed a part of the public funds among the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and sent an amount through Zayd ibn Thabit to a lady from the Banu-‛Adi clan. This lady was amazed at this; so, she asked, “What is this?”

They replied, “It is a share that Abu-Bakr has distributed to women.”

She said, “Are you bribing me against my religion? By Allah, I shall not accept anything from it. Return it to him.”[274]

Abu-Bakr Punishes the Oppositionists

Abu-Bakr and ‛Umar punished severely all those who had opposed the pledge of allegiance to them. Some of these persons will be listed hereinafter:

1. Al-Habbab ibn al-Mundhir

Al-Habbab was one of the famous personalities of the Ansar. Because he had objected to pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr, the ruling authorities arrested him, trod on his belly, filled his mouth with dust, and broke his nose.[275]

2. Sa‛d ibn ‘Abadah

As has been previously mentioned in this book, ‛Umar ordered that Sa‛d ibn ‛Abadah, the chief of the tribe of Khazraj, should be killed. So, Khalid ibn al-Walid assassinated him.

3. Khalid ibn Sa‘id

Khalid was the deputy governor of Yemen during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (s). Because he refrained from pledging allegiance to Abu-Bakr, ‛Umar decided to punish him. However, Abu-Bakr interfered and deterred ‛Umar from that.

4. Buraydah ibn al-Hasib

Because Buraydah ibn al-Hasib al-Aslami criticized Abu-Bakr for having usurped caliphate, ‛Umar ordered his constables to beat him. He then banished him out of al-Madinah.[276]