Chapter 1:

Ali ('a) Taken by Force to Pledge Allegiance,

Fatimah’s (‘a) House Set on Fire,

Martyrdom of Fatimah az-Zahra’ ('a)

************

There are many hadith making it imperative on the umma to follow Ali (‘a). One of them is narrated by Ammar Ibn Yasir, which the ulema have recorded in their books1. They narrate a lengthy, detailed hadith that cannot be related here in full. It may be stated briefly that when people asked Abu Ayyub why he had gone to Ali ('a) and had not sworn allegiance to Abu Bakr, he replied that one day he was sitting with the Prophet when Ammar Ibn Yasir came in and asked the Prophet (S) a question. In the course of his conversation, the Prophet (S) said: “O Ammar! If all the people go one way and Ali alone goes the other way, you should follow Ali. O Ammar! Ali will not allow you to diverge from the path of guidance and will not lead you to destruction, O Ammar! Obedience to Ali is obedience to me, and obedience to me is obedience to Allah”

In light of these injunctions, and in light of Ali's opposition to Abu Bakr, shouldn't people have followed Ali ('a)? Even if the Bani Hashim, Bani Umayya, distinguished companions, the intelligent ones of the nation, the Muhajirs, and Ansars had not been with him (and they were with him), people should have followed Ali. Yet after the martyrdom of the Prophet, we find that the people did quite the opposite!

Ali ('a) and the Bani Hashim did not take the oath of allegiance immediately. Sunni historians have written that Ali ('a) offered his allegiance after the demise of Fatimah ('a). It is reported by them2 that Ali ('a) offered his allegiance after Fatimah's death. Some of the Sunni ulema believe that Fatimah ('a) died 75 days after the Prophet's death. Ibn Qutayba also holds the same view, but most of the historians claim that she died six months after the Prophet died.

It follows, therefore, that Ali's allegiance came sometime after 3 to 6 months of the Prophet's death. Mas'udi in his Muruj as-sahab, Volume I, page 414, says “None of the Bani Hashim swore their allegiance to Abu Bakr until the death of Bibi Fatimah”

Ibrahim Ibn Sa'd Saqafi narrates from Zuhri that Ali ('a) did not pay allegiance until six months after the Prophet's death, and the people did not have the courage to pressure him except after the death of Bibi Fatimah ('a). Ibn Abu al-Hadid in Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha relates the same fact.

In any case, the Sunni ulema insist that Ali's (‘a) allegiance was not immediate but came only after some time had passed and then only when circumstances forced him to do so (which is not a true or valid allegiance).

‘Aisha said: “Ali did not offer allegiance to Abu Bakr for six months, and no one of the Bani Hashim offered allegiance until Ali did”3

Zuhri said: “Ali did not swear allegiance until six months after the Prophet's death”4

Here are twelve proofs that Ali’s allegiance was taken not willingly but forced.

(1) Abu Ja'far Baladhuri Ahmad Ibn Yahya Ibn Jabir Baghdadi, one of the reliable Sunni traditionists and historians, writes in his History that when Abu Bakr called Ali ('a) to swear allegiance, Ali ('a) refused. Abu Bakr sent Umar who went with a torch to set fire to Ali's (‘a) house. Fatimah ('a) came to the door and said: “O son of Khattab! Have you come to set my house on fire?” He said: “Yes, this is more effective than anything your father did”

(2) Izz ud-Din Ibn Abu al-Hadid Mu'tazali, and Muhammad Ibn Jarir Tabari, narrate that Umar went to the door of Ali's house with Usayd Ibn Khuza'i, Salama Ibn Aslam and a group of men. Umar then called out, “Come out! Or else I'll set your house on fire!”

(3) Ibn Khaziba reports in his Kitab al-Gharrar from Zaid Ibn Aslam, who said: “I was one of those who went with Umar with torches to Fatimah's door. When Ali (‘a) and his men refused to offer allegiance, Umar said to Fatimah, “Let whoever is inside come out. Otherwise, I will set the house on fire along with whoever is inside” Ali, Hasan, Husayn, Fatimah, and a party of the Prophet's companions, and the Bani Hashim were inside. Fatimah (‘a) said: “Would you set my house on fire along with me and my sons?” He said: “Yes, by Allah, if they do not come out and pay allegiance to the caliph of the Prophet”

(4) Ibn Abd Rabbih, one of the famous Sunni ulema, writes in his Iqd ul-Farid, Part III, page 63, that Ali ('a) and Abbas were sitting in Fatimah's (‘a) house. Abu Bakr told Umar: “Go and bring these people. If they refuse to come, fight them” So, Umar came to Fatimah's (‘a) house with torches. Fatimah (‘a) came to the door of the house and said: “Have you come to burn our house?” He said: “Yes..” and so on.

(5) Ibn Abu al-Hadid Mu'tazali in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, Volume I, page 134, quoting from Jauhari's Kitab al-Saqifa, writes in detail about the affair of the Saqifa al-Bani Sa'ad:

“The Bani Hashim and Ali (‘a) were assembled in Ali's (‘a) house. Zubair was also with them since he considered himself one of the Bani Hashim. Ali (‘a) used to say, 'Zubair was always with us until his sons were grown up. They turned him against us.' Umar went to Fatimah's (‘a) house with a group of men. Usayd and Salma were also with him. Umar asked them to come out and swear allegiance. They refused. Zubair drew his sword and came out. Umar said: 'Get hold of this dog.' Salma Ibn Aslam snatched the sword and threw it against the wall. Then they dragged Ali to Abu Bakr. Other Bani Hashim also followed him and were waiting to see what Ali (‘a) would do. Ali (‘a) was saying that he was the servant of Allah and the brother of the Holy Prophet (S). Nobody listened to him. They took him to Abu Bakr, who asked him to take the oath of allegiance to him. Ali (‘a) said: “I am the most deserving person for this position, and I will not pay allegiance to you. It is incumbent on you to pay allegiance to me. You took this right from the Ansar based on your relationship with the Prophet. I also, on the same ground, protest against you. So be just. If you fear Allah, accept my right, as the Ansar did yours. Otherwise, you should acknowledge that you are intentionally oppressing me.' Umar said: 'We will not leave you until you swear allegiance.' Ali (‘a) said: 'You have conspired well together. Today you support him, so that tomorrow he may return the caliphate to you. I swear by Allah that I will not comply with your request and will not take the oath of allegiance (to Abu Bakr). He should pay allegiance to me.' Then he turned his face toward the people and said: 'O Muhajirs! Fear Allah. Do not take away the right of authority of Muhammad's family. That right has been ordained by Allah. Do not remove the rightful person from his place. By Allah, we Ahl Al-Bayt have greater authority in this matter than you have. There is a man among you who has the knowledge of the Book of Allah (The Qur'an), the Sunna of the Prophet, and the laws of our Religion. I swear by Allah that we possess all these things. So do not follow yourselves lest you should stray from the truth.'” Ali returned home without offering allegiance and secluded himself in his house until Fatimah died. Thereafter, he was forced to offer allegiance.

(6) Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Qutayba Ibn Umar Al-Bahili Dinawari, who was an ulema and an official Qazi of the city of Dinawar, writes in his famous Ta'rikh ul-Khulafate Raghibin wa Daulate Bani Umayya, known as Al-Imama w as-Siyasa, Volume I, page 13:

“When Abu Bakr learned that a group hostile to him had assembled in Ali's (‘a) house, he sent Umar to them. When Umar shouted to Ali (‘a) to come out and to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr, they all refused to come out. Umar collected wood and said 'I swear by Allah, Who has my life in His control, either you will come out, or I will set the house with all those in it on fire.' People said: 'O Abu Hafsa! Fatimah (‘a) is also present in the house.' He said: 'Let her be there. I will set fire to the house.' So, all of them came out and offered allegiance, except Ali (‘a), who said: 'I have taken a vow that until I have compiled the Qur'an, I will neither go out of the house nor will I put on full dress.' Umar did not accept this, but the plaintive lamentation of Fatimah and the snubbing by others, forced him to go back to Abu Bakr. Umar urged him to force Ali (‘a) to swear allegiance. Abu Bakr sent Qanfaz several times to summon Ali, (‘a) but he was always disappointed. At last Umar, with a group of people went to the door of Fatimah's (‘a) house. When Fatimah (‘a) heard their voices, she cried out 'O my father, Prophet of Allah (S)! What tortures we are subjected to by the son of Khattab and the son of Abi Quhafa!' When the people heard Fatimah's (‘a) lamentation, some went back with their hearts broken, but Umar remained there with some others until finally they dragged Ali (‘a) from the house. They took Ali (‘a) to Abu Bakr and told him to swear allegiance to him. Ali (‘a) said: 'If I do not swear allegiance what will you do to me?' They said: 'We swear by Allah that we will break your neck.' Ali (‘a) said: 'Will you kill the servant of Allah and the brother of His Prophet?' Umar said: 'You are not the brother of the Prophet of Allah (S).' While all this was going on, Abu Bakr kept silent. Umar then asked Abu Bakr whether he (Umar) was not following Abu Bakr's orders in this matter. Abu Bakr said that so long as Fatimah (‘a) was alive he would not force Ali (‘a) to swear allegiance to him. Ali (‘a) then managed to reach the grave of the Prophet, where, wailing and crying, he told the Prophet what Aaron had told his brother, Moses, as recorded in the Holy Qur'an:

ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي

“Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me” (7:150).

After narrating this affair in detail, Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Qutayba says that Ali (‘a) did not swear allegiance and returned home. Later Abu Bakr and Umar went to Fatimah's (‘a) house to placate her and to seek her pardon. She said: “Allah be my witness that you two have offended me. In every prayer I curse you and will continue cursing you until I see my father and complain against you”

(7) Ahmad Ibn Abd ul-Aziz is an ulema. Ibn Abu al-Hadid writes about him in the following words: “He was a man of learning, a traditionist, a great literary figure” He writes in his Kitab al-Saqifa and Ibn Abu al-Hadid Mu'tazali also quotes from him in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, Volume I, page 9, on the authority of Ab il-Aswad, who said:

“A group of the companions and prominent Muhajirin expressed their indignation at Abu Bakr's caliphate and asked why they were not consulted. Also, Ali (‘a) and Zubair expressed their anger, refused to swear allegiance, and retired to Fatimah's (‘a) house. Fatimah (‘a) cried aloud and made solemn entreaties, but to no effect. They took away Ali's (‘a) and Zubair's swords and hurled them against the wall, breaking them. Then they dragged them to the mosque to force them to swear allegiance”

(8) Jauhari reports from Salma Ibn Abdu'r-Rahman that when Abu Bakr heard that Ali (‘a), Zubair, and a party of the Bani Hashim were assembled in Fatimah's (‘a) house, he sent Umar for them. Umar went to the door of Fatimah's (‘a) house and shouted, “Come out, otherwise, I swear I will set your house on fire!”

(9) Jauhari, according to Ibn Abu al-Hadid in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, Volume II, page 19, narrates on the authority of Sha'bi:

“When Abu Bakr heard about the gathering of the Bani Hashim in Ali's (‘a) house, he said to Umar: 'Both you and Khalid go and bring Ali (‘a) and Zubair to me so that they can take the oath of allegiance.' So Umar entered Fatimah's (‘a) house and Khalid stayed outside. Umar said to Zubair 'What is this sword?' He replied, 'I have acquired it for allegiance to Ali (‘a).'

Omar snatched the sword and hurled it at the stone inside the house and broke it. Then he brought him out to Khalid. He came back into the house, where there were many people, including Miqdad, and all the Bani Hashim. Addressing Ali (‘a), he said: 'Get up! I'm taking you to Abu Bakr. You must pay allegiance to him.'

Ali (‘a) refused. Umar dragged him to Khalid. Khalid and Umar forced him along the road which was packed to capacity with men who witnessed this scene. When Fatimah (‘a) saw Umar's behaviour, she, along with many women of the Bani Hashim (who had come to console her), came out. They were lamenting and wailing with high-pitched cries. Fatimah (‘a) went to the mosque where she said to Abu Bakr: 'How soon have you sacked the Ahl Al-Bayt of the Prophet of Allah (S). I swear by Allah, I will not talk with Umar until I see Allah.' Fatimah (‘a) showed her extreme disapproval of Abu Bakr and did not speak to him for the rest of her life”5

(10) Abu Walid Muhib ud-Din Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ash-Shahna Al-Hanafi (died 815 A.H.), one of the leading Sunni ulema writes in his Rauzat ul-Manazir Fi Khabar ul-Awa'il w al-Awakhir, in connection with the Saqifa affair: “Umar came to Ali's (‘a) house prepared to set it on fire with all its inmates. Umar said: 'Enter into what the community has entered.'“

(11) Tabari, in his Ta'rikh Volume II, page 443, reports from Ziyad Ibn Kalbi that: “Talha, Zubair, and some of the Muhajirin were at Ali's (‘a) house. Umar Ibn Khattab went there and demanded that they come out. If they did not, he said, he would set the house on fire”

(12) Ibn Shahna, in Hashiyya al-Kamil of Ibn Athir, Volume XI, page 112, writes in connection with the Saqifa that: “Some of the Prophet's companions, and the Bani Hashim, Zubair, Atba Ibn Abi Lahab, Khalid Ibn Sa'id Ibn As, Miqdad Ibn Aswad Kindi, Salman Farsi, Abu Dharr Ghifari, Ammar Ibn Yasir, Bara'a Ibn Azib, and Ubai Ibn Ka'b refused to swear allegiance to Abu Bakr. They assembled in Ali's (‘a) house. Umar Ibn Khattab went there intending to burn down the house. Fatimah (‘a) protested to him. Umar said: 'Enter where all others have entered.'“

Kitab al-Isbat ul-Wasiyya, compiled by Ab il-Hasan Ali Ibn Husayn Mas'udi, author of Muruju'dh-Dhahab. He wrote in great detail about the events of that day: “They surrounded Ali (‘a) and burned the door of his house. They dragged him out of the house and pressed the best of the women (‘a), Fatimah, between the door and the wall so forcefully that Muhsin, her unborn son, died of miscarriage”

The Shi’as have not concocted these things. What occurred has been preserved in the pages of history. The miscarriage is a fact.

You may also refer to Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, Volume III, page 351. Ibn Abu al-Hadid wrote that he told his teacher, Abu Ja'far Naqib, that when the Prophet was told that Hubbar Ibn Aswad had attacked his daughter Zaynab's litter with a lance, because of which Zaynab ('a) suffered a miscarriage, the Prophet allowed him to be put to death.

Abu Ja'far said: 'Had the Prophet of Allah (S) been alive, he would have surely ordered the death penalty for him also who had frightened Fatimah ('a) so much that her child, Muhsin, died in miscarriage.'

Two well-known Sunni scholars, Bukhari and Muslim, write in their Sahih that Fatimah ('a) rejected Abu Bakr because she was angry. Because of her displeasure she did not talk to him for the rest of her life. When she died due to her injuries, her husband, Ali (‘a), buried her at night. He did not allow Abu Bakr to join her funeral and offer prayers for her (‘a).

Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i has recorded the same report in his Kifaya, ch.99. Also, Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Qutayba Dinawari in his Imama w as-Siyasa, p.14, writes that Fatimah ('a), while sick in bed, said to Abu Bakr and Umar: “Let Allah and the angels be my witnesses that both of you have made me indignant. When I meet the Holy Prophet (‘a), I will certainly complain against you” The same book also records: “Fatimah (‘a) was indignant with Abu Bakr and refused to see him for the rest of her life”

There is a well-known hadith narrated by many Sunni ulema6 that the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) repeatedly said: “Fatimah is a part of my body, she is the light of my eyes, she is the fruit of my heart, she is my soul between my two sides. He who grieves Fatimah grieves me; he who grieves me, grieves Allah; he who makes her angry, makes me angry; what pains Fatimah pains me”

Ibn Hajar Asqalani, in his al-Isaba fi tamyiz as-Sahaba, quotes from the Sahih of Bukhari and Muslim that the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) said: “Fatimah is a part of my body; what pains her, pains me; that which exalts her spiritual attainment exalts my spiritual attainment”

It is reported7 that the Holy Prophet said: “Verily, Fatimah, my daughter, is a part of my body; what makes her happy, makes me happy; what is painful to her is painful to me”

Ab ul-Qasim Husayn Ibn Muhammad (Raghib Ispahani) narrates in his Mahadhirat ul-Ubada, vol. II, p. 204, that the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) said: “Fatimah is a part of my body; hence, he who enrages her, enrages me”

The ulema8 have reported that the Holy Prophet said to his daughter: “O Fatimah, verily, if you are angry, Allah is also angry; if you are happy, Allah is also happy”

It is quoted9 that the Holy Prophet said: “Fatimah is a part of my body, so whoever enrages Fatimah, verily, enrages me”

There are many such hadith recorded in Sunni authentic books, like Sahih of Bukhari; Sahih of Muslim; Sunan of Abu Dawud; Tirmidhi; Musnad of Imam Hanbal; Sawa'iq al-Ibn Hajar; and Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi's Yanabi ul-Mawadda.

These are but a sample of the many historical facts recorded by Sunni historians. This affair was so commonly known that the poets of old mentioned it. One of the Sunni poets, Hafiz Ibrahim of Egypt, says in a poem in praise of Umar: “No other person but Abu Hafsa (father of Umar) could have the courage of addressing the chief of the Adnan Clan (Ali) and his comrades, saying: 'If you fail to pay allegiance, I will set your house on fire and will not leave any inmate of the house alive, even Fatimah herself.'“

First, the Prophets and their successors acted according to the will of Allah Almighty. Accordingly, we cannot raise any objection as to why they did not wage war, or why they adopted silence before the enemy, or why they suffered defeat.

If you study the historical facts regarding the lives of the Holy Prophets and their successors, you will find many similar instances of acquiescence. The Holy Qur'an has narrated some of those events. In the surah of Qamar (The Moon), the Holy Qur'an relates what the Prophet Noah said when his people rejected him:

فَدَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَغْلُوبٌ فَانْتَصِرْ

“Verily, I am overcome (by these people), so give help” (54:10).

In the sura of Maryam, the Qur'an tells us of the silence of Abraham when he sought his uncle Azar's help and received a disappointing reply:

وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَأَدْعُو رَبِّي

“And I will withdraw from you and what you call upon besides Allah, and I will call upon my Lord” (19:48).

So, just as Abraham withdrew from the people when he did not receive support from his uncle Azar, Ali ('a) also must have withdrawn from the people and gone into seclusion.

If you study the commentaries of both sects, you will find that his withdrawal from people was physical, not merely psychological. I recall that Imam Fakhr ud-din Razi says in his Tafsir al-Kabir, vol.V, p.809: “Isolation from something means keeping aloof from it. What Abraham meant was that he wanted to keep aloof from them, both from the physical and religious point of view”

The chronicles report that after this rejection Abraham migrated from Babylon to Kuhistan in Fars and lived a solitary life in those mountainous surroundings for seven years. He then returned to Babylon and again publicly proclaimed Allah's message and broke the people's idols. At this the people flung him into the fire. Allah Almighty made the fire cool and safe for him, and so his Prophethood was firmly established. In the sura of Qasas (The Narratives), the story about Moses running away in fear of his life has been narrated in this way:

فَخَرَجَ مِنْهَا خَائِفًا يَتَرَقَّبُ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ نَجِّنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ

“So he went forth, fearing, waiting, (and) he said: My Lord, deliver me from the unjust people” (28:21).

In the sura of A'raf (The Elevated Places), the Holy Qur'an tells us of Aaron's plight when Moses had left him in charge of the Bani Israel. The people immediately began to worship the golden calf and, because Aaron had no one to support him, he remained silent. The Qur'an says:

وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ أَخِيهِ يَجُرُّهُ إِلَيْهِ ۚ قَالَ ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي

“And he (Moses) seized his brother by the head, dragging him towards him. He (Aaron) said: Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me” (7:150).

So according to the Holy Qur'an Aaron did not draw the sword against the people. He assumed silence when they adopted Samiri's Golden Calf as the object of worship because he (Aaron) recognized that he was outnumbered. Similarly, Ali ('a), whom the Holy Prophet (S) pronounced to be the counterpart of Aaron (as we have discussed in detail earlier), was also perfectly justified in assuming patience and forbearance when he had been left alone. The Imam (‘a) was forcibly brought to the mosque and an open sword was put on his head to force him to swear allegiance. Later he went to the tomb of the Holy Prophet (S) and repeated the same words that Allah Almighty has related through the tongue of Aaron. Aaron had said to Moses: “Surely the people had reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me”

The Prophet Muhammad's (S) example regarding this point is of course most instructive. We should consider why he maintained complete silence for thirteen years in the face of hostile activities of the enemy in Mecca until finally he had to abandon his native city in the darkness of the night.

The great jurist, Wasiti Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i, and Khatib Khawarizmi report in their Manaqib that the Holy Prophet (S) said to Ali ('a): “The community has a strong grudge against you. Shortly after my death they will deceive you and reveal what they have in their hearts. I order you to be patient and control yourself at that time so that Allah may give you its reward and a good recompense”

Secondly, Amir al-Mu’minin ('a) never looked to himself but was always mindful of Allah. He was completely absorbed in (the way of) Allah. He resigned himself and his people to the will of Allah. Hence, his patience and forbearance in gaining his right were for Allah's sake so that there might not be discord among the Muslims and that people might not return to their previous infidelity.

When Fatimah's (‘a) property was taken from her, she came home, depressed and dismayed. She said to Ali ('a): “You have receded like a fetus. You have retired from the world like an accused person and have broken your hawk-like wings. Now the weak wings of a bird do not support you. This Ibn Qahafa (Abu Bakr) is forcibly snatching away from me my father's gift and my children's means of subsistence. In fact, these people abused me with open ill will and railed at me” She spoke for a long time.

The Imam (‘a) listened to Fatimah ('a) until she was silent. Then he gave her a short reply which satisfied her. He said: “O Fatimah! In the matter of religion and preaching truth, I have never been inactive. Do you wish that this sacred religion remains secure and that your Holy father's name is called in mosques until eternity?”

She said: “Yes, that is my most ardent desire”

Ali ('a) said: “Then you should be patient. Your father has given me instructions regarding this situation, and I know that I should be forbearing. Otherwise, I have such strength that I could subdue the enemy and take back your right from them. But you should know that in that case the religion would be destroyed. So, for the sake of Allah and for the security of Allah's religion, be patient. The recompense in the hereafter for you is better than your right which has been usurped”

It was for this reason that Amir al-Mu’minin made patience his custom. He assumed forbearance and silence for the safety of Islam. In many of his sermons he has referred to this point.

It is reported10 that when Talha and Zubair broke their allegiances and left for Basra, Ali ('a) ordered the people to assemble in the mosque. Then after praising Allah Almighty he said: “After the death of the Holy Prophet, we said that we were his Ahl Al-Bayt, his successors, and the rightful people to receive his heritage. No one except us could claim the right of rulership after him. But a group of the hypocrites snatched away our Holy Prophet's rulership from us and entrusted it to those who were our opponents. By Allah, our hearts and eyes wept for it. By Allah, we were full of grief and indignation. I swear by Allah that if there were no fear that the Muslim community would be shattered, we would have overturned the caliphate. They occupied the seat of power until they reached their end. Now Allah has returned the caliphate to me. And these two men (Talha and Zubair) also swore allegiance to me. Now they have proceeded to Basra intending to cause dissension among the people”

Among the great scholars, Ibn Abu al-Hadid and Kalbi, have reported that at the time of his setting out for Basra Ali ('a) addressed the people. He said: “When the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) died, the Quraish swooped down upon us and deprived us of the right which we deserved more than anyone else. So, I thought that it was better to adopt patience at that time, rather than allow the Muslims to disintegrate and their blood to be spilled, for they had embraced Islam only recently”

Ali's silence and his abstaining from challenging the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Umar was not due to his concurrence with them. It was because he wanted to avoid causing bitter conflict among the people and because he wanted to save the religion from annihilation. So, after six months of silence and disapproval, then, as stated by Sunni ulema, he offered allegiance and cooperated with them. In a letter sent to the people of Egypt through Malik Ashtar, he clearly writes that his silence was for the sake of preserving Islam.

The original text of Ali's letter, which Ibn Abu al-Hadid has recorded in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. IV, p.164, is as follows:

“Allah Almighty sent Muhammad (S) as a witness of the Prophets to warn the people. So, when the Holy Prophet (S) died the Muslims disputed among themselves as to who should succeed him. I swear by Allah that I never thought or believed, nor were there the least signs of it, that the people of Arabia would take away the right of succession from the Ahl Al-Bayt and give it to others after him. It was unimaginable that after the death of the Holy Prophet (S), despite his clear decree, they would deprive me of that right.

I was greatly distressed that the people ran to a certain person (Abu Bakr) and swore allegiance to him. So, I withdrew myself until I saw that a group of people diverged from Islam and intended to destroy Islam. Then I feared that if I did not help Islam and the Muslims, Islam would suffer such destruction as would be more painful to me than the snatching away of the caliphate. Of course, political power cannot last long. It must dissipate like the clouds. It was under these conditions that I had to rise, so that paganism would become weak, and Islam become firm” 11

Aban Ibn Abi Ayyash has narrated from Sulaym Ibn Qays. He (Sulaym) heard from Salman Farsi, who said: “After the Holy Prophet (S) passed away and people did what they did, Abu Bakr, Umar, Abu Ubaydah Ibn Jarrah came to people and told the Ansar their argument. The Ansar told them the argument of Ali ('a). They (Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abu Ubaydah) said: “O group of Ansar, the Quraysh are more deserving of the caliphate than you, because the Holy Prophet (S) was from Quraysh, and Muhajireen are better than you since Allah in His Book has spoken about them first and has given them merits. The Holy Prophet (S) has said: “Imam will be from Quraysh”

Salman says: “I went to Ali ('a) when he was giving the ritual bath to the Holy Prophet (S) since the Holy Prophet (S) has said that none other than Ali ('a) must give him the ritual bath. When the Holy Prophet (S) said to Ali ('a) that none other than him should give him the ritual bath, Ali ('a) had asked: “O Prophet of Allah (S), who would help me in giving the bath?”

The Holy Prophet (S) had replied, “Archangel Jibra’eel (a) will help” So, when giving the bath whenever Ali ('a) wanted to turn any part of the Holy Prophets (S) body, the part would turn itself. After Ali ('a) had completed giving the ritual bath, hunut and shroud, he let me in, and he also let Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Lady Fatimah, Hasan ('a) and Husayn ('a) in. Ali ('a) stood in front and we stood behind him and recited the prayer. And ‘Aishah was in her room - she did not know anything. Allah had put a curtain over her eyes. After that ten people from Muhajireen and ten people from Ansar – they were coming in and praying and going out until such time that there was no one left from the Muhajireen and Ansar who had not prayed”

Salman said: “I told Ali ('a), when he was giving the bath to the Holy Prophet (S) what the community had done and I told him Abu Bakr is at this time on the pulpit of the Holy Prophet (S) and people are not happy to pay allegiance with one hand, but they are paying allegiance with both hands, left and right”

Ali ('a) replied: “O Salman, do you know who was the first to pay allegiance to him on the pulpit of the Holy Prophets (S)?”

Salman: “No, but I can say that I saw him in the shade of Bani Sa’eedah at the time when the Ansar were quarrelling. The first one who paid allegiance was Mughirah Ibn Sha’abah, after him Bashir Ibn Sa’eed paid allegiance, then Abu Ubaydah Jarrah, then Umar Ibn Khattab, then Saalim Mawla Abi Huzayifah and Ma’az Ibn Jabal”

Ali ('a) said: “I am not asking about these people, but do you know who was the first to pay allegiance when he first went on the pulpit?”

Salman said: “No, but I saw one very old man who supported himself with a stick and had a mark in between his two eyes; the mark was very dry. He went to the pulpit first of all and bowed and was crying and saying. “Praise is due to Allah who did not make me die until I saw you in this place. You stretch your hand” So, Abu Bakr stretched his hand and the old man paid allegiance.

Then the old man said: “This religion is like the religion of Adam” Then he got down from the pulpit and walked out of the Masjid”

At that time Ali ('a) asked: “O Salman, do you know who this person was?”

Salman said: “No, but I did not like his talk - it was like he was pleased with the sad demise of the Holy Prophet (S)”

Ali ('a) said: “This was Iblis - May Allah curse him. The Holy Prophet (S) had informed me that Iblis and his top companions were present when, by God’s command, the Holy Prophet (S) had declared me caliph in Ghadir Khumm, and the Holy Prophet (S) had informed people that I was Mawla (master) of everyone and he (the Prophet) had commanded people present that they should pass this message to those that were not present at Ghadir. So, the companions of Iblis came and told him: “This community is blessed and is infallible. Now you and we have no power to manipulate them since they have been told who is their refuge and who is their leader after their Prophet” At that time Iblis was saddened and he went away from there”

Ali ('a) said: “After this I was informed by the Holy Prophet (S) when he said: “People will pay allegiance to Abu Bakr in the shade of Bani Sa’eedah, when they will quarrel through my right and authority. After that they will come to mosque and the first person that will pay allegiance to him on my pulpit will be Iblis who will come in the form of an old man and say so and so. After that he will go out and gather his companions, Shaytan and Iblis. They will all go into his prostration and say: Oh my Lord and my Almighty You are the One who made Adam come out of Heaven and said which community is it that which will not deviate after the death of their Prophet? Never - You thought that I will not be able to manipulate them (and I will have no ways) - Now how do you people find me with what I did with them when they left Allah’s obedience and the command of their Prophet, and this is what Allah has said:

وَلَقَدْ صَدَّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِبْلِيسُ ظَنَّهُ فَاتَّبَعُوهُ إِلَّا فَرِيقًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And certainly, the shaitan found true his conjecture concerning them, so they followed him, except a party of the believers” (34:20).

Iblis made his thought a true action and people obeyed him except a few faithful ones”

Salman said: “When it was night, Ali ('a) made Lady Fatimah ('a) ride and took hands of his sons Hasan ('a) and Husayn ('a) and went to each and every house of those Muhajireen and Ansar who were of Badr and reminded them of his rights called them to help him. But except 4 people nobody came forward to help. He asked the helpers to shave their heads and, in the morning, go to him with their weapons ready to help and pay allegiance to death. In the morning except 4, no one kept their promise”

So, I (Sulaym) asked: “Who were those 4?”

Salman replied: “Myself, Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Zubayr.

Then on the second night Ali ('a) returned to all those who did not come and reminded them to fulfil their promise. They all said they would turn up the next morning but except us no one turned up. On the third night Ali ('a) went again and again on the third day except us no one turned up.

When Ali ('a) saw their treachery and disloyalty, he remained inside his house and started compiling the Qur’an and did not come out of his house until the whole Qur’an was compiled. At that time verses were written in wood, skin and pieces.

After he had collected all the verses and wrote with his own hands in the manner the verses were revealed, with their meanings, and wrote those verses that were revealed to replace previous verses, and the verses that were those on which action was no longer required, then Abu Bakr sent people to his house to come out and pay allegiance to him. He (Ali) sent a message saying that he was busy, and he had taken an oath that except for prayers he will not wear a cloak until he has collected and compiled the Qur’an. So, for a few days they kept quiet. Ali ('a) compiled and completed the whole Qur’an in one piece of cloth and came to people when they were with Abu Bakr in Masjide Nabawi. He very loudly said: “O people, since the passing away of the Holy Prophet (S) I was busy giving him the ritual bath, and compiling the Qur’an, until it has been collected in one piece of cloth. There is not any verse that Allah has revealed which is not in this compilation, and there is not a single verse that the Holy Prophet (S) did not make me read, and there is no verse of which the Holy Prophet (S) did not tell me the meaning”

Then Ali ('a) said to those people:

أَنْ تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ

“So that you do not tell me surely we were heedless of this” (7:172).

Then Ali ('a) said to them: “So that on the Day of Judgment you do not say that I did not call you to help me and did not remind you of my right, and I did not call you to the Book of Allah from beginning to end”

Umar said: “You are calling us to you, but the Qur’an that we have is sufficient for us”

Then Ali ('a) went home.

Umar told Abu Bakr: “Send somebody to Ali ('a) to ask him to pay allegiance, since until such time he does not pay allegiance there is no value attached to the caliphate, and if he pays allegiance, we will give him amnesty”

Abu Bakr then sent a man to Ali ('a) to say: “The caliph of the Prophet of Allah (S) is calling you” The man came and said this to Ali ('a).

Ali ('a) replied: “Glory be to Allah; how soon have you wrongly accused the Holy Prophet (S)! Abu Bakr knows it and those present near him also know it that Allah and His Prophet have not appointed any caliph except myself” The man returned and told Abu Bakr what Ali ('a) had said.

Abu Bakr asked the man to return to Ali ('a) and say: “Amir al-Mu’minin, Abu Bakr, is calling you” The man returned to Ali ('a) house and said what Abu Bakr had told him.

Ali ('a) replied: “Glory be to Allah, By God, it has not been long, when everything is forgotten. By God, he knows that this title is not appropriate for anyone except myself. The Holy Prophet (S) ordered him, and he was seventh in number who had saluted me saying Amir al-Mu’minin.

So, Abu Bakr and his companion Umar, from the seven people asked him: “Is this an order from Allah and His Prophet?”

The Holy Prophet (S) said to both of them: “Yes, surely, this is true from Allah and His Prophet. No doubt, he is Amir al-Mu’minin (Leader of Believers), Sayyidul Muslimeen (Leader of Muslims), Sahibu Liwail (the standard bearer on the day of judgment), Ghuml Muhajileen (the one whose forehead shines). On the Day of Judgment Allah will make him sit on the path and he will make his friends go to Paradise and his enemies go to Hell”

The man returned to tell Abu Bakr what Ali ('a) had told him. That day the man kept quiet.

At night Ali ('a) made Lady Fatimah ('a) ride and held the hands of his two sons Hasan ('a) and Husayn ('a) and there was no companion of the Holy Prophets (S) left to whose house he did not go, and bearing Allah as his witness, told of his rights and called them to help him, but except for us four no one agreed. We shaved our heads and offered our help to him. Amongst us the one who had most intelligently helped him was Zubayr. When Ali ('a) saw that people had left him and did not help him, and all of them had joined Abu Bakr and showed him respect and obeyed him, he stayed at home.

Umar asked Abu Bakr: “What is it that has stopped you from sending somebody to Ali to ask him to pay allegiance because except him and those four, there was nobody left who had not paid allegiance?” Abu Bakr was a little softer at heart, kinder, cleverer, and more thoughtful. The other one was very short-tempered, hard-hearted and an oppressor.

Abu Bakr replied by asking whom he should send to Ali, to which Umar replied that he was sending Qunfuz, who was a very tough, short-tempered oppressor from Tulaqa12, and was from the tribe of Adi Ibn Ka’ab.

Abu Bakr sent him to Ali ('a) and sent more men to help him. He went and requested permission from Ali ('a). Ali ('a) refused permission. The helpers of Qunfuz returned to Abu Bakr and Umar.

These two were sitting in the mosque with people gathered around them. They all told that Ali ('a) did not give them permission. Umar told them to go back to Ali ('a) and if he refuses, enter without permission. They went and asked permission. Lady Fatimah ('a) told them that she was not permitting them to enter. They returned, but Qunfuz, the cursed, remained. His companions said that Lady Fatimah had said such and such, and she was not permitting them to enter.

Umar said angrily: “What do we have to do with women?”

Then Umar told those people who had gathered around him to collect wood. They all collected, and Umar himself lifted and went to the house of Ali ('a), Lady Fatimah ('a) and their two sons, and arranged wood all around the house and then said in a voice loud enough to make Ali ('a) and Lady Fatimah ('a) hear: “By God, O Ali, come out and pay allegiance to the caliph of the Holy Prophet of Allah (S), otherwise we will burn your house”

Lady Fatimah ('a) said: “O Umar, what do you have to do with us?”

He replied: “Open the door, otherwise we will burn your house”

Lady Fatimah ('a) said: “O Umar, are you not afraid of Allah and are you entering our house?”

Umar refused to return. He asked fire to be brought and he set the door on fire, then he pushed it and entered.

Lady Fatimah ('a) came in front and screamed loudly: “O Father, O Prophet of Allah (S)!”

Umar raised his sword with the shield and hit her on the side. She screamed: “O Father” He then lifted a whip and hit her on the hand and she cried: “O Prophet of Allah (S), Abu Bakr and Umar behaved very badly after you”

Ali ('a) rushed, held him by the neck and pushed him away and Umar fell down and hurt his neck and nose. Ali ('a) intended to kill him. He remembered what the Holy Prophet (S) had said, and he said: “By Him, who gave Muhammad the status of Prophethood, O son of Sahak, if the Book from Allah had not been revealed and if the Holy Prophet (S) had not taken a promise from me before, then you would have known that you could have never entered my house”

Umar, complaining, sent somebody, and some people came and entered the house. Ali ('a) went forward to lift his sword, so Qunfuz returned to Abu Bakr and Abu Bakr was frightened that Ali ('a) with his sword, would go to him, since he knew Ali’s bravery and determination.

Abu Bakr said to Qunfuz: “Return to Ali’s house and if he comes out then fine, otherwise enter his house. If he refuses then set the house on fire”

Qunfuz, the cursed, returned and entered the house, without permission, with his companions. Ali ('a) went forward to pick his sword – these people, who were so many went forward against him, got hold of him, raised their swords, arrested him and tied a rope in his neck.

Lady Fatimah ('a) came in between Ali ('a) and those people near the door of the house, so Qunfuz hit her with a whip. When she passed away, the mark of the wound was still on her shoulder. May Allah curse Qunfuz and the one who sent him!

Then they pulled Ali ('a) by force until they brought him to Abu Bakr. when Umar was standing with a sword behind Abu Bakr Khalid Ibn Walid, Abu Ubaydah Ibn Jarrah and Salim Mawla Abu Huzayfah, Mughirah Ibn Sha’aba and others were sitting near Abu Bakr with weapons in their hands”

Sulaym says: “I asked Salman: “Did these people enter the house of Lady Fatimah ('a) without permission?”

He replied: “Yes, by God, when she did not even have a chador over her. So, she screamed: “O Father, O Prophet of Allah (S), Abu Bakr and Umar behaved so badly after you, while your eyes have not even closed in the grave” and she was saying this loudly”

Salman said: “I saw Abu Bakr and those sitting near him crying with tears and whoever was there was crying except Umar, Khadid Ibn Walid, and Mughirah Ibn Sha’aba. Umar was saying: “We have nothing to do with women and their opinion”

Salman said: “Ali ('a) was taken to Abu Bakr and he was saying: “By God, if I had my sword in my hand, then you would see that you would have never reached this stage. By God, I do not consider myself bad in doing jihad with you. If I had even forty people, then I would disperse your community. May God curse that community who paid allegiance to me and then became disloyal”

When Abu Bakr saw Ali ('a) he screamed and loudly said: “Release him”

Ali ('a) said: “O Abu Bakr, how soon did you act against the Holy Prophet (S)! And with what rights and reasons you called people to pay you allegiance? Did you not pay allegiance to me (yesterday) by the command of Allah and His Prophet?”

Qunfuz the cursed, had hit Lady Fatimah ('a) with a whip when she came in between Ali ('a) and the people and Umar had sent him saying: “If Fatimah comes in between you and her husband, hit her” so Qunfuz, the cursed, forced her to take refuge behind the door and he pushed the door so her rib near the side got broken and she had a miscarriage. So she was continuously ill until she attained martyrdom in this.

Salman said: “When Ali ('a) was taken to Abu Bakr, Umar very rudely told Ali ('a): “Pay allegiance to Abu Bakr and leave your useless talks”

Ali ('a) asked: “If I do not pay allegiance what will you people do?”

People said: “We will kill you with humiliation and degradation”

Ali ('a) said: “That will mean that you killed Abdullah and the brother of Prophet of Allah (S)” Abu Bakr said: “As far as Abdullah is concerned it is correct, but we do not accept you the brother of the Prophet of Allah (S)”

Ali ('a) said: “Do you deny that the Holy Prophet (S) had declared brotherhood between him and myself?”

Abu Bakr said: “Yes” Ali ('a) repeated this thrice.

Then Ali ('a) turned towards those people who had gathered around Abu Bakr and said: “O group of Muslims, Muhajireen and Ansar, I am asking you to swear By Allah that you have heard the Holy Prophet (S) say such and such in Ghadir Khumm and say such and such in the Battle of Tabuk” He did not leave anything that the Holy Prophet (S) had said, until he reminded them of absolutely everything.

Everyone replied: “Indeed, Yes”

When Abu Bakr heard this, he got frightened that people might help Ali ('a) to stop what was being done.

He quickly said: “What you have said is true and I have heard it with my own ears, I knew and my heart remembered it but I also heard after that the Holy Prophet (S) say: “We Ahl Al-Bayt are those whom Allah has chosen and gave us status and has chosen the hereafter against this world for us. And Allah has not decreed that Prophethood and caliphate be the same”

Ali ('a) asked: “Is there any one among the companions of the Holy Prophet (S) who can be a witness to what you have said?”

Umar said: “The caliph of the Holy Prophet is saying truth. I have heard the Prophet of Allah saying this”

Abu Ubaydah, Salim Mawla Abu Huzayfah and Ma’az Ibn Jabal said: “He has told the truth. We have heard it from the Prophet of Allah (S)”

Ali ('a) said to him: “You have completed your cursed Sahifah which you agreed in Ka’abah (i.e if Muhammad is killed or dies you people will take away this chaliphate from Ahl Al-Bayt)

Abu Bakr asked: “How did you know about this? We did not tell you”

Ali ('a) said: “O Zubayr you, and Salman you, and Abu Dharr and Miqdad you - I am asking you for the sake of Allah and for the sake of Islam, did you not hear the Holy Prophet (S) say when you were listening: “This one and that one - until he counted up to five - they have made between them a written agreement and have vowed to keep it if I am killed or I die?”

They replied: “Indeed, yes, we heard the Holy Prophet (S) say that to you. Yes, we heard that these people had made an agreement and vowed to keep it if he is killed of dies. They will overpower you and O’ Ali; they will remove you from this caliphate”

Ali ('a) said: “When the Holy Prophet (S) said this I asked: “O’ Prophet of Allah (S) may my parents be sacrificed for you, when this happens what do you instruct me to do?”

Salman, Abu Dhar, Miqdad and Zubayr said: “He instructed you that if you find helpers then you fight against them and get your rights, if you do not get helpers then you pay allegiance and save your blood”

Ali ('a) said: “By God, if those forty people who paid allegiance to me had been loyal to me then I would have fought against you in the way of Allah. But remember, By God, until the Day of Judgment your generation will not get it (caliphate). And what makes your talks a lie - which you have attributed to the Holy Prophet (S) is Allah’s saying:

أَمْ يَحْسُدُونَ النَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَا آتَاهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ فَقَدْ آتَيْنَا آلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَآتَيْنَاهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظِيمًا

“Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His grace? But indeed, We have given to Ibrahim’s children the Book and Wisdom and We have given them a grand kingdom” (4:54).

What is meant by Book here is Prophethood, wisdom is tradition and grand kingdom is caliphate and we are Ibrahim’s children”

Miqdad stood up and said: “O Ali, what is your command for me? By God, if you command me, I will fight with this sword and if you command me, I will stop”

Ali ('a) replied: “O Miqdad, stop, and remember what promise the Holy Prophet (S) took from you and his will”

Then I stood up and said: “By Him in whose Hands is my life, if I knew that I will be able to remove any oppression and the religion of Allah will attain status, then I would put my sword on my neck and would fight at each and every step” Then, addressing people, I said: “What! Are you attacking the one who is the brother of the Prophet of Allah (S), his wasi, caliph of his community and the father of his sons? Then I am giving you good news that trouble will come to you and do not hope for any type of ease”

Abu Dharr stood up and said: “O that community, who after the death of its Prophet is puzzled, and whom Allah has stopped helping due to their sins, surely Allah says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

“Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations” (3:33).

ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Offspring, one of the other, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing” (3:34).

And the children of Muhammad are the descendants of Nuh and they are the children of Ibrahim from Ibrahim, and they are chosen ones from Isma’eel and they are the progeny of Prophet Muhammad (S) and are the household of Prophethood, are the place for Messengers and are those to whom angels descend and ascend. And they are like high skies and are like those mountains that are firm, and they are like that Ka’abah over which the veil hangs and are those springs which are clear and stars who guide people, and a tree like a blessed tree that produces light and its oil is blessed. And Muhammad (S) is the seal of Prophets and is the Leader of Bani-Adam and Ali is Wasi of Awsiya (successor of the successors) and Imam of Muttaqeen (pious) and is the leader of those whose forehead shines and he is the one who never tells a lie, the one who differentiates between truth and falsehood and is wasi of Muhammad (S), the inheritor of his knowledge, and has more rights than anyone over the faithful. Like Allah has said:

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ وَأُولُو الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْعَلُوا إِلَىٰ أَوْلِيَائِكُمْ مَعْرُوفًا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا

“The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves, and his wives are ('a) their mother; and the possessors of relationship have the better claim in the ordinance of Allah to inheritance, one with respect to another, that (other believers, and (than) those who have fled their homes), except that you do some good to your friends; this is written in the Book” (33:6).

So, you also bring forward whom Allah has brought forward and put behind him whom Allah has left behind and give Wilayat (guardianship) and inheritance to the one to whom Allah has given”

Umar stood up and said to Abu Bakr who was sitting on the pulpit: “You are sitting on the pulpit and this man is sitting and is prepared for war - he is not getting up to pay you allegiance. Give us order to cut his neck off”

At this time Hasan ('a) and Husayn ('a) were standing and when they heard what Umar said they started crying. Ali ('a) hugged both of them and told them: “Do not cry, By God, these people are not able to kill your father”

Umme Ayman, who had brought up the Holy Prophet (S) came forward and said: “O Abu Bakr, how soon have you all revealed your hypocrisy and jealousy!”

Umar gave order and she was removed from the mosque. He said: “What do we have to do with women?”

Buraydah Aslami stood up and said: “O Umar, are you attacking the brother and the father of the children of the Holy Prophet (S)? And you are that very person whose reputation in Quraysh is known to us. Are you two not the ones to whom the Holy Prophet (S) had told to go to Ali ('a) and greet him saying ‘Amir al-Mu’minin’? And you two had asked if this was in accordance with Allah and His Prophet’s command, and the Prophet (S) had said YES.

Abu Bakr said: “Yes it was like that but the Prophet of Allah had after that said: “For us Prophethood and caliphate cannot be combined together”

Buraydah said: “The Holy Prophet (S) had not said that. By God I will not remain in a city in which you stay as Amir”

Umar gave order and he was beaten and thrown out of the mosque.

Then he (Umar) said: “O’ Ibn Abi Talib, stand up and pay allegiance”

Ali ('a) asked: “If I do not do it then?” He said: “At that time we will cut your neck” Ali ('a) said it three times. Then he without opening his palm, stretched his hand and Abu Bakr put his hand on his (Ali’s) hand and was happy with that. Before allegiance Ali ('a), when a rope was tied to his neck, said loudly:

ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي فَلَا تُشْمِتْ بِيَ

“Son of my mother! Surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me” (7:150).

Zubayr was told to pay allegiance - he refused. Umar, Khalid Ibn Walid and Mighirah Ibn Sha’aba with a few people rushed to him, took away his sword from his hand, threw it on the floor and broke it, and held him by the neck.

Zubayr said, when Umar was on his chest: “O son of Sahhak, By God, if my sword was in my hand, then you would not have got away from me” He then paid allegiance.

Salman says: “Then they held me, and twisted my neck until it became like a piece of flesh, then took my hand and twisted it, and then forcefully I paid the allegiance. Then Abu Dharr and Miqdad also paid allegiance forcefully.

And among us there was nobody as outspoken as Zubayr because when he paid allegiance he said: “O son of Sahhak, By God, if these evil people who supported you were not present then you would not able to come to me, and my sword would be with me, because I know your cowardice and disgrace, but you have got a few evil people from whom you gained strength and are attaching”

Umar became very angry and said: “Are you talking about Sahhak?” Zubayr asked: “Sahhak who? And can you stop me talking about Sahhak when Sahhak was a prostitute. Do you deny that? Was she not an Ethiopian servant of my grandfather Abdul Muttalib? Your granddfather Nufail committed adultery with her, so your father Khattab was born. After adultery that servant girl was given to your grandfather by Abdul Muttalib, then your father was born, so he was my father’s servant who was born by adultery” Then Abu Bakr made peace between these two (Zubayr and Umar) and then both stopped quarrelling”

Sulaym Ibn Qays says: “I said to Salman: “O’ Salman, you paid allegiance to Abu Bakr and you did not say anything?”

Salman replied: “After allegiance I said to all “Forever and forever may you be destroyed. Do you know what you have done to yourselves? You have done good and you did bad - it is good because you chose the tradition of those who passed away before- that is fighting and disuniting. And it is bad because you left the tradition of your Prophet until you removed caliphate from its mines and from him whose right it was”

Umar said: “O Salman, now that your companion has paid allegiance, and you have paid too, say what you like and do what you like, and your companion can say what he wants”

Salman said: “I said to Umar: “I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) say that until the day of judgment the sins of the entire community will be on you (Umar) and your companion whom you have paid allegiance and the punishment of that will be equal to the punishment of the entire community”

So, Umar said: “Say what you like. What! Have you not paid allegiance? And God has not made your eyes calm in a way that your companion gets caliphate”

Salman said he said: “I bear witness that I have read in various Books of Allah that you, with your names, ancestors and attributes, are one of the doors of Hell”

Umar said to me: “Say what you like Has Allah not taken away the caliphate from the Ahl Al-Bayt whom you had made your God, apart from Allah?”

So, I said to him: “I bear witness that I have heard from the Holy Prophet (S). He said it when I asked him about the verse:

فَيَوْمَئِذٍ لَا يُعَذِّبُ عَذَابَهُ أَحَدٌ

“But on that day shall no one chastise with (anything like) His chastisement” (89:25).

وَلَا يُوثِقُ وَثَاقَهُ أَحَدٌ

“And no one shall bind with (anything like) his binding” (89:26).

He told me that it meant YOU (Umar)”

Umar said: “Shut up - May Allah make you die – O’ servant, O the son of evil tongued”

Ali ('a) said: “O’ Salman I hold you by oath - keep quiet”

Salman said: “By God, if Ali ('a) had not ordered me to keep quiet, I would have told him all that has been revealed relating to him, and I would have told him also all that I have heard from the Holy Prophet (S) concerning him and his companion”

When Umar saw that I was quiet, he told me “No doubt, you are very obedient to him and listen to what he says”

When Abu Dharr and Miqdad paid allegiance, they did not say anything.

Umar said: “O Salman, why did you not keep quiet like your two companions kept quiet? By God, you do not love Ahl Al-Bayt any more than these two and you do not respect their rights more than these two. You saw them pay allegiance quietly”

Abu Dharr said: “O Umar, are you taunting me about the love of Ale-Muhammad and the respect of their rights? May Allah curse, and he did curse those people who held enmity with them, accused them and took away their rights, and made people ride over their necks and reversed the community to their previous beliefs”

Umar said: “Amen – May Allah curse those who took their rights. By God, Ale-Muhammad are equal in this”

Abu Dharr said: “So why did you challenge Ansar through Ale-Muhammad and their rights?” Ali ('a) said to Umar: “O’ son of Sahhak, if we do not have any right in this, then is it yours and the son of a woman who eats flies (Abu Bakr)?”

Umar said: “O’ Abul Hasan, now that you have paid allegiance, keep quiet because people were happy with my companion and were not happy with you - what is my fault in this?”

Ali ('a) said: “But God and His Prophet are not happy with anyone except myself so you, your companion and those who obeyed you, and those who supported you, and good news be for you on Allah’s anger with you, and His Punishment and His degradation of you. O’ Ibn Khattab, may evil befall you, if only you knew how you have erred! If you knew of what you have come out in what you have entered and what evil you have done for yourself and your companion!”

Abu Bakr said: “O’ Umar, now that he has paid allegiance to us and we have been saved from any harm from him, leave him to say what he wants to say”

Ali ('a) said: “Except one thing, I do not say anything. O’ four people (Salman, Zubayr, Abu Dharr and Miqdad) I am reminding you I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) say: “No doubt, there will be one coffin of fire in which there will be twelve people - six from the beginning) and six from the end, that will be in a well which is in the bottom level of the Hell. And this coffin will be the one that will be locked. There will be a stone kept on the well. When Allah wishes the Hell fire to be lighted, He will remove that stone from the top of the well. At that time the Hell will set alight with the flames and heat of the well”

Ali ('a) continued: “I asked the Holy Prophet (S), and you were present, who are the ones from the beginning?

He (S) replied that from the beginning there will be Adam’s son who killed his brother, and Pharaoh of Pharaohs, and the one who argued with the Prophet Ibrahim ('a) concerning God and two people of Bani Israel who changed their Book and their Tradition - one of these two is the one that made Yahudi, a Yahudi, and the other made Nasrani a Nasrani. And the the sixth one is Iblis. And from the end is Dajjal, and these five who are Sahifah, and Kitab, and Jibt and Taghut, O my brother who made an agreement and contract of enmity towards you. And after me, they will overpower you. This one and this one, until he gave names and counted also”

Salman says he said: “You have told truth - we bear witness that we heard the Holy Prophet (S) say that”

Uthman said: “O’ Abul Hasan, have you or your companions have any hadith concerning me?”

Ali ('a) said: “Yes, why not? I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) saying that he has cursed you twice, and then he did not even repent when he cursed you”

Uthman got angry at that and said: “What do I have to do with you? You never leave me, neither during the time of the Prophet not after him”

Ali ('a) said: “Yes, May Allah humiliate you”

Uthman said: “By God, I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) saying: “Zubayr will be killed when he becomes an apostate of Islam”

Salman says: “Ali ('a) told me, and this was between him and myself: “Uthman has said truth, and this will be when after Uthman is killed. He will pay allegiance to me and then will break it and be killed an apostate”

Salman says: “Then Ali ('a) said: “Except four, after the Holy Prophet (S) everyone has become an apostate. After the Holy Prophet (S) people became like Haroon and those who followed him and like the cow and those who followed it” So, Ali ('a) is like Haroon and Atiq (Abu Bakr) like the cow, and Umar like Samiri”

I heard the Holy Prophet (S) saying: “No doubt, a community of my companions will come who will have a high status with me so that they pass the Sirat (bridge on the day of judgment) and when they will see me and I will see them, they will recognize me, and I will recognize them. They will come very near to me. I will say: “O God, these are my companions, my companions” It will be said: “Do not you know what they did after you? Indeed, they reverted when you parted from them” I will say: “Go away and get destroyed”

And I have heard the Holy Prophet (S) say: “My community will choose the tradition of Bani Israel in exactly the same manner that one-foot falls on the other foot, one span equal to another span, one hand like the other, one distance like the other distance, until they enter a hole then these people will also enter that hole. Surely, Torah and the Qur’an were written by one Angel, on one skin, and with one pen, and all examples with tradition became like one”13

The Prophet turned towards his daughter and said: “You are the first one in my Ahl Al-Bayt who will meet me, and you are the leader of the women of paradise. Soon after me, you will be oppressed and forced, and you will be beaten and your rib will be broken. May Allah curse your killer, and curse the one who ordered it and also curse those who became happy, and also curse those who help him and those who overpower you, and curse the oppressor of your husband, and curse also those who oppress your children” 14

• 1. Hafiz Abi Nu'aim Ispahani in Hilya; Muhammad Ibn Talha Shafi'i in Matalib as-Su'ul; Baladhuri in Ta'rikh; Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in Yanabi ul-Mawadda, Chapter 43, from Hamwaini; Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in Mawaddat ul-Qurba, Mawadda V; Dailami in Firdaus.
• 2. Bukhari in his Sahih, Volume III, Chapter of Ghazawa Khaibar, page 37, and Muslim Ibn Hujjaj, in his Sahih, Volume V, page 154.
• 3. Ibn Abu al-Hadid, in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, Volume II, page 18, narrates from Zuhri
• 4. Ahmad Ibn A'sam al-Kufi Shafi'i in Futuh, and Abu Nasr Hamidi, in Jam'a Bain as-Sahihain report from Nafiy, quoting from Zuhri.
• 5. See Sahih Bukhari, Part V and VII.
• 6. like Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad; Sulayman Qanduzi in Yanabi ul-Mawadda; Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani in Mawaddat ul-Qurba; Ibn Hajar in Sawa'iq, reporting from Tirmidhi, Hakim and others, with a slight difference in wording.
• 7. Muhammad Ibn Talha Shafi'i in his Matalib as-Su'ul; Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in Hilyat ul-Auliya, vol. II, p.40, and Imam Abdu'r-Rahman Nisa'i in his Khasa'is ul-Alawi.
• 8. Hafiz Abu Musa Ibn Muthanna Basri (died 252 A.H.) in his Mu'ajam; Ibn Hajar Asqalani in Isaba, vol. IV, p.35; Abu Ya'la Musili in his Sunan; Tibrani in Mu'ajam; Hakim Nishapuri in Mustadrak, vol.VII, p. 154; Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in Faza'il as-Sahaba; Hafiz Ibn Asakir in Ta'rikh al-Shami; Sibt Ibn Jauzi in Tadhkira, p. 175; Muhib ud-din Tabari in Dhakha'ir, p. 39, Ibn Hajar Makki in Sawa'iq, p. 105 and Abu Irfan as-Subban in As'afu'r-Raghibin, p.171.
• 9. Muhammad Ibn Isma'il Bukhari in his Sahih, in the chapter Manaqib Qarabat al-Rasul Allah, p.71, quotes from Miswar Ibn Makhrama.
• 10. Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad Saqafi, who is one of the trustworthy ulema of the Sunni’s, Ibn Abu al-Hadid , and Ali Ibn Muhammad Hamadani.
• 11. Peshawar Nights by Sultanul Waizin Shirazi.
• 12. When Makkah was conquered the Holy Prophet (S) had released him -hence Tulaqa.
• 13. Kitab Sulaym Ibn Qays Al-Hilali hadith #4.
• 14. Kitab Sulaym Ibn Qays Al-Hilali hadith #61.