*****

When the forts of Khaibar were conquered, the nobles, landlords, and prominent of Fadak came to the Holy Prophet. Fadak was an area in the valley of the Medina hills. It contained seven villages that extended as far as the seacoast. Many were very fertile and there were oases there. There was a peace treaty with the people stating that half of the whole of Fadak was to be in their possession and the other half would be the property of the Holy Prophet. This fact has been narrated by many traditionists and historians.1

When the Holy Prophet (S) returned to Medina, Gabriel revealed the following: “

وَآتِ ذَا الْقُرْبَىٰ حَقَّهُ وَالْمِسْكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا

“And give to the near of kin his due and (to) the needy and the wayfarer, and do not squander wastefully” (7:26).

The Holy Prophet (S) pondered the significance of this revelation. Gabriel appeared again and informed him that Allah had decreed: “Let Fadak be given to Fatimah” The Holy Prophet (S) called Fatimah ('a) and said: “Allah has commanded me to bestow Fadak as a gift to you” So, he immediately gave possession of Fadak to Fatimah ('a).

The chief of the commentators2 narrate that when the verse “and give to the near of kin his due” was revealed, the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) called Fatimah ('a) and bestowed the great Fadak upon her as a gift. Accordingly, so long as the Holy Prophet (S) lived, Fadak remained in Fatimah's possession. That exalted lady leased the land; its revenue was collected in three instalments. Out of this amount she took enough money for food for her and her children and distributed the rest to the poor people of Bani Hashim. After the demise of the Holy Prophet (S), the officers of the ruling caliph snatched this property from Fatimah ('a).

It is an admitted fact that the caliphs confiscated Fadak on the basis of the well-known hadith narrated by Abu Bakr, who declared that he had himself heard the Holy Prophet (S) say: “We Prophets do not leave behind any legacy; whatever we leave as inheritance is charity” (i.e., the property of umma).

First, it was not an inheritance, but a gift. Second, the purported hadith is unacceptable. First, whoever contrived this hadith uttered it without thinking about the words he used. If he had been careful about it, he would never have said: “We Prophets do not leave any inheritance,” because he would have known that his lying would be exposed by the very wording of this concocted hadith. If he had used the words “I have not left behind any legacy,” his attempted hadith would have been more plausible. But when he used the plural “We Prophets..” we are obliged to investigate the truth of the hadith. Now based on this statement we refer to the Holy Qur'an for guidance. We find that there are several verses which tell us that the Prophets in fact did leave inheritances. This proves that this hadith is to be rejected outright.

Many ulema3 of the Sunni sect have narrated the speech of Fatimah ('a) before a large gathering of the Muslims. The opponents were stunned when they heard her reasoning and could not reply. Since they had no answer to give, they caused a disturbance.

One of the arguments of Fatimah ('a) rejecting the hadith was that, if the hadith were true, then why were there so many verses about the inheritances of the Prophets ('a). She said: “At one place the Holy Qur'an says:

وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ

“And Solomon was David's heir” (27:16).

About the Prophet Zakariyya ('a) the Holy Qur'an says:

فَهَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ وَلِيًّا

“Therefore grant me from thyself an heir” (19:5).

يَرِثُنِي وَيَرِثُ مِنْ آلِ يَعْقُوبَ

“Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob” (19:6).

About Zakariyya's invocation the Holy Qur'an says:

وَزَكَرِيَّا إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِي فَرْدًا وَأَنْتَ خَيْرُ الْوَارِثِينَ

“And Zakariyya, when he cried to his Lord: 'O my Lord, leave me not childless, though Thou art the best of inheritors” (21:89).

فَاسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ يَحْيَى

“So, we responded to him and gave him Yahya” (21:90).

After that she said: “O Son of Abu Qahafa! Is it there in the Book of Allah that you are an heir of your father, and I am deprived of my father's legacy? You have committed a great slander. Have you people deliberately abandoned the Book of Allah (the Holy Qur'an) and ignored it altogether? Am I not the descendant of the Holy Prophet? Why are you depriving me of my right? Why are all these verses of inheritance, which are intended for all people in general and for the Prophets in particular included in the Holy Qur'an? Is it not a fact that the verses of the Holy Qur'an shall remain unchanged until the Day of Judgment? Does not the Holy Qur'an say:

وَأُولُو الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ

“And those who are akin are nearer one to another in the ordinance of Allah...” (8:75).

يُوصِيكُمُ اللَّهُ فِي أَوْلَادِكُمْ ۖ لِلذَّكَرِ مِثْلُ حَظِّ الْأُنْثَيَيْنِ

“Allah enjoins you about your issue! The male shall have the equal of the shares of two females” (4:12).

كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذَا حَضَرَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ إِنْ تَرَكَ خَيْرًا الْوَصِيَّةُ لِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ۖ حَقًّا عَلَى الْمُتَّقِينَ

“Bequest is prescribed for you when one of you approaches death, if he leaves wealth, that he bequeath unto parents and near relations in kindness. (This is) a duty for all those who ward off (evil)” (2:180).

Then why have I, in particular, been deprived of my father's legacy? Has Allah revealed some special verses to you, which exclude my father (from his right). Do you know the outward and inner meanings of the Holy Qur'an better than my father, Muhammad, and my cousin, Ali?”

When they were silenced by these arguments and true facts, they had no answer. They resorted to deception and abusive language.

She cried: “Today you have broken my heart. On the Day of Judgment, I will file a suit against you in the Divine Court of Justice and Allah Almighty will decide the case justly. Allah is the best judge. Muhammad is the master and lord; our and your promised time is the Day of Resurrection. That day the transgressor will be losers, and your repentance will do you no good. For everything there is an appointed time and you will know before long who will be afflicted with scornful chastisement”

Many scholars have recorded that when Fatimah ('a) finished pleading her case, Ali ('a) began his remonstrance in the public gathering of Muslims in the mosque of Medina, turning towards Abu Bakr, he said: “Why did you deprive Fatimah of her father's legacy, though she was its owner and possessed it during the lifetime of her father?”

Abu Bakr replied: “Fadak is the booty of the Muslims. If Fatimah produces complete evidence that it is her own property, I will certainly give it to her; otherwise, I will deprive her of it”

The Imam said, “Is it not a fact that when you pronounce a judgment about Muslims, in general, you pass quite a contradictory judgment concerning us?

Hasn't the Holy Prophet said that the onus of proof lies on the plaintiff and that of defence on the defendant? You have rejected the judgment of the Holy Prophet and, contrary to religious law, you demand witnesses from Fatimah who has been in possession of the property since the time of the Holy Prophet. Moreover, is the word of Fatimah, who is one of the Ashab al-Kisa (people of the mantle) and who is included in the verse of purity, not true?” If two persons were to give evidence that Fatimah had committed some wrong, tell me how would you treat her?”

Abu Bakr said, “I would inflict punishment on her as I would any other woman”

The Imam ('a) said, “If you did this, you would be an infidel before Allah, because you would have rejected Allah's evidence about Fatimah's purity. Allah says 'Verily, Verily, Allah intends but to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness, O you the People of the House, and purify you (with) a thorough purification.' Is this verse not revealed in our praise?”

Abu Bakr said: “Why not?”

The Imam ('a) said: “Is it possible that Fatimah, whose purity Allah has verified, would lay a false claim to a petty property? You reject the evidence of the purified one and accept the evidence of the Arab who urinates on the heel of his own foot!”

After saying this the Imam returned to his home angry. His protest excited the people. Everyone said: “Truth is with Ali and Fatimah. By Allah, Ali speaks the truth. Why is the Holy Prophet's daughter treated so outrageously?”

Ibn Abu al-Hadid narrates that the people were deeply impressed by the protests of Ali ('a) and Fatimah ('a) and began to cause a disturbance. Abu Bakr, who saw that the two Holy persons had already left the mosque went to the pulpit and said: “O people! Why are you so disturbed? Why do you listen to everybody? Since I have rejected their evidence, they are talking nonsense. The fact is that he is a fox who is betrayed by his own tail. He creates all sorts of disturbances. He minimizes the importance of disturbances and incites the people to create agitation and uproar. He seeks help from the weak. He seeks assistance from women. He is like Ummu't-Tihal with whom people of her own house were fond of fornicating”

Aren't these remarks outrageously abusive? Do they accord with praise, respect, love and sympathy, which the Holy Prophet (S) had said were due his family? How long will Sunni’s remain absorbed in this misguided faith and fanaticism? For how long will they oppose the Shi’as and call them Rafidi’s (rejectors) and infidels because they criticize the words and actions of people which are recorded in their own books?

Consider the matter justly. Was the insolence of the aged companion of the Prophet justified? The wicked and abusive language of Mu'awiya, Marwan, and Khalid was not as distressing as that which comes from the mouth of the man who is called the “companion of the cave” Respected reader! We were not present at that time. We hear the names of Ali, Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Talha, Zubair, Mu'awiya, Marwan, Khalid, Abu Huraira, etc. We have neither friendship nor enmity with any of them. We see two things: first, those whom Allah and His Prophet loved and for whom respect, and loyalty was commanded. Second, we examine their deeds and utterances. Then we decide with a fair mind. We resist letting our preference for someone distort our judgment.

We aren't the only ones who are shocked at such behaviour. Even the fair Sunni ulema are amazed to learn it. Ibn Abu al-Hadid writes in his Sharh an-Nahj ul- Balagha, Vol. IV, p. 80, that the utterances of the Caliph filled him with astonishment. He asked his teacher Abu Yahya Naqib Ja'far Ibn Yahya Ibn Abi Zaid ul-Basari to whom the caliph's words referred. He said that the statements were not indirect. The reference was explicit.

Ibn Hadid said: “If they had been explicit, I would not have put the question” Upon this he laughed and said: “These things were said against Ali” Ibn Hadid repeated the words in astonishment: “Were all those words said against Ali?” His teacher said: “Yes, O son! This is what rulership means”

Resorting to abusive language is the tactic of one who has no convincing reply. All this was done to Ali ('a) about whom, as reported by all the Sunni leading ulema in their reliable books, the Holy Prophet (S) said: “Ali is with the truth and the truth is with Ali”.

In reference to both Ali ('a) and Fatimah ('a), the Holy Prophet (S) said that their trouble was his own trouble. The Holy Prophet (S) said: “He who troubles these two troubles me, and the one who troubles me troubles Allah”

It is also written in all the Sunni authentic books that the Holy Prophet (S) said, “He who reviles Ali reviles me, who reviles me reviles Allah”

Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i, in his Kifayatu't-Talib, ch. 10, narrates a detailed hadith on the authority of Ibn Abbas, who told a section of the Syrians, who were cursing Ali ('a) that he had heard the Holy Prophet (S) saying about Ali ('a): “He who abuses you abuses me, and he who abuses me abuses Allah, and he who abuses Allah will be thrown straight into Hell”

After this hadith he quotes many other hadith from authentic sources all of which prove that those who abuse Ali ('a) are infidels. Chapter 10 of his book is entitled: “Concerning the Infidelity of One who Abuses Ali” Also, Hakim in his Mustadrak, vol. III, p. 121, has quoted this same hadith. So, according to all these hadith, those who curse Ali ('a), curse Allah and his Prophet (S). All of them (like Mu'awiya, the Bani Umayya, the Nasibi's, the Khariji’s) are themselves cursed.

There is a second point which disproves the supposed hadith: “We leave no inheritance”. The Holy Prophet (S) said: “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate; and I am the house of wisdom and Ali is its door”

Both sects accepted this. Certainly, one who was the gate of the Holy Prophet's knowledge understood all hadith and instructions of the Holy Prophet (S), particularly those concerned with the problems of inheritance. On them depends the welfare of the whole nation.

The Holy Prophet (S) also said: “One who wishes to acquire knowledge should come to Ali's door” If his knowledge had been incomplete, the Holy Prophet (S) would not have said that Ali ('a) was the best judge in the whole community.

He said: “Ali is the best of all among you in interpreting the laws” This hadith is recorded in all the authentic books.

Would the Holy Prophet (S) proclaim the superiority of a man's mastery of the laws, if that man did not understand the problems of inheritance and the rights of the people? Part of the purpose of the Holy Prophet (S) was to secure social reform for the people in this world and peace and comfort for them in the hereafter. How could he make Ali the Commander of the Faithful ('a) and yet not convey to him a tradition such as this, which affects the entire social order?

As I have already said earlier, the Holy Prophet (S) said: “For every Prophet there is a vicegerent and heir; verily, Ali is my vicegerent and heir”

If you say that their inheritance did not mean inheritance of wealth but that of knowledge (although it has been proven that they meant inheritance of wealth) my point of view becomes clearer. The heir of the Prophet's (S) knowledge deserved the position of caliphate more than any one of those who were devoid of the Holy Prophet's (S) knowledge.

Second, it has been proven that the Prophet (S) made Ali ('a) his immediate successor and heir, according to the hadith narrated by Sunni ulema. Allah appointed him to this rank. Could the Prophet have neglected to tell his successor and heir?

Moreover, it is very strange that in resolving questions regarding religious laws Abu Bakr and Umar accepted Ali's decisions. The Sunni ulema and historians have recorded the judgments pronounced by Ali ('a) during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman.

The Sunni’s say it is very strange that we claim that the caliphs did not know the religious ordinances and that Ali ('a) used to remind them. There is nothing strange about it. To know all the ordinances is very difficult. It would not be possible for a man to have such perfect knowledge unless he was the Prophet of Allah (S) or the 'Gate of Knowledge' of the Holy Prophet (S). The Sunni ulema have recorded these facts in their authentic books. I cite an example so that uninformed men may not think that we say these things to offend them.

The Sunni ulema4 report the following incident: “Umar wanted to stone a woman because she had given birth to a child after a six-month pregnancy. Ali said, 'Allah says in the Holy Qur'an that the time, from conception till the prescribed time of suckling, covers a period of thirty months. Since the suckling period is for two years, the period of pregnancy is six months. This means that a birth of a child is possible after a pregnancy of six months.' So, Umar set the woman free and said, 'If Ali had not been there, Umar would have perished.'“

In the same chapter he quotes from Ahmad Ibn Hanbal's Manaqib: “When Umar faced a difficult problem and was unable to understand it, he relied upon Ali's understanding”

Several such events took place during the caliphate of Abu Bakr and Uthman. When they became entangled in some difficulty, they called Ali ('a) as the real arbiter. They themselves acted according to his decision.

Now you may wonder why they did not accept Ali's evidence in the case of Fadak. Now in that case they chose to follow their own desires and snatched away the right of Fatimah ('a).

The third argument to prove the falsity of this hadith is Caliph Abu Bakr's own statement and action. If the hadith were correct, whatever the Holy Prophet (S) had left would have been confiscated. The heirs would have had no right over anything left behind, but Abu Bakr gave Fatimah's apartment to her and gave the apartments of the wives of the Holy Prophet (S), ‘Aisha, Hafsa, and others to them as their heritage.

Besides this, if the hadith were correct and if Abu Bakr believed that it was the Holy Prophet's ordinance, then why, after confiscating Fadak (which he considered to be charity belonging to the Muslims) did he write a document that the property be returned to Fatimah ('a)? Later Umar intervened and destroyed the document.

Ibn Abu al-Hadid in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha and Ali Ibn Burhan ud-din Shafi'i in his Ta'rikh Sirat ul-Halabiyya, vol. III, p. 391, write that Abu Bakr was moved to tears by Fatimah's impassioned speech. He wept because of Fatimah's plight and subsequently wrote a document stating that the property be returned to her. But Umar destroyed the document.

It is however surprising that the same Umar, who during Abu Bakr's caliphate objected to the returning of Fadak, returned it to its heirs during his own caliphate. Similarly, the Amawid and Abbasid caliphs also returned it to the heirs of Fatimah ('a).

The well-known traditionist and historian of Medina, Allama Samhudi (died 911 A.H.), in his Ta'rikh ul-Medina and Yaqut Ibn Abdullah Rumi in his Mu'ajam ul-Buldan, state that during his caliphate, Abu Bakr took possession of Fadak. Umar, during his reign, returned it to Ali ('a) and Abbas. If Abu Bakr occupied it on the order of the Holy Prophet (S) and considered it the property of the Muslims, on what principle did Umar entrust the property of all the Muslims to a single individual?

Sometimes a witness is cleverer than the plaintiff for whom he gives evidence. The Caliph had no such idea. If the property had been returned for the expenses of the Muslims, it must have been so recorded in history. But all the prominent historians write that it was released in favour of Ali ('a) and Abbas. Ali ('a) accepted Fadak as its rightful heir, not as an individual Muslim. One Muslim may not possess the property of all the Muslims.

Perhaps the reference is to Umar Ibn Abd ul-Aziz, but Ali ('a) and Abbas were not alive during the time of Umar Ibn Abd ul-Aziz. That is a separate story. Allama Samhudi in his Ta'rikh ul-Medina and Ibn Abu al-Hadid in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. IV, p. 81, narrate from Abu Bakr Jauhari that when Umar Ibn Abd ul-Aziz occupied the seat of the caliphate, he wrote to his governor at Medina to return Fadak to the descendants of Fatimah ('a). Accordingly, he called Hasan Ibn Hasan ul-Mujtaba (and according to some reports he called Imam Ali Ibn ul-Husayn) and returned Fadak to him.

Ibn Abu al-Hadid writes about it in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. IV, p.81, in the following words: “This was the first property which was snatched away unjustly and then was given over to the descendants of Fatimah by Umar Ibn Abd ul-Aziz”

It remained in their possession for a long time until Caliph Yazid Ibn Abd ul-Malik usurped it again. Then the Bani Umayya occupied it. When the caliphate went to the Bani Abbas, the first Abbasid Caliph, Abdullah Saffa, entrusted Fadak to the descendants of Imam Hasan ('a), who distributed its income, according to the rights of inheritance, to the descendants of Fatimah ('a).

When Mansur persecuted the descendants of Imam Hasan ('a), he snatched away Fadak from them again. When his son, Mahdi, became the caliph, he returned it to them. When Musa Ibn Hadi became the caliph, he again usurped Fadak. When Mamunu'r-Rashid the Abbasid occupied the seat of the caliphate, he ordered Fadak to be released to the descendants of Ali.

Yaqut Hamawi quotes Mamun's order in his Mu'ajam ul-Buldan. Mamun wrote to his governor at Medina: “Verily, the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) bequeathed Fadak to his daughter, Fatimah. This fact was established and commonly known to the descendants of the Holy Prophet”

The well-known poet, Di'bal Khuza'i, was also present at this time. He recited some couplets, the first of which means: “Today we are all happy and rejoicing. Mamun has returned Fadak to the Bani Hashim”

It has been proved by irrefutable arguments that Fadak had been given by the Holy Prophet (S) to Fatimah ('a). It was usurped without any justification. But later caliphs, on grounds of justice or for political considerations, returned it to the descendants of that oppressed lady.

If Fadak was bestowed upon her as a gift, why did she claim it as her heritage and not say anything about a gift? At first, she claimed it as a gift. But when witnesses were required from the property's occupants, in contradiction to the injunction of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S), she produced witnesses. Their evidence was rejected. She was thereby forced to seek protection under the law of inheritance.

This fact is recorded not only in Shi’a books, but also in those written by Sunni prominent ulema5 that at first Fatimah ('a) remonstrated with Abu Bakr that she owned Fadak and that the Holy Prophet of Allah (S) had given it to her. Since witnesses were not available, she was forced to claim her right according to the law of inheritance.

Also, the ulema6 narrate that the first claim of Fatimah ('a) was that Fadak had been a gift. When her witnesses were rejected, she was much pained and said in anger that she would not talk to Abu Bakr and Umar again.

And so, it was...she never saw them again and did not speak to them. When the time of her demise approached, she specified in her will that none of these people was to take part in her funeral prayers. Her uncle, Abbas, offered the funeral prayers, and she was laid to rest at night. According to Shi’a sources and according to the statements of the Imams, Ali ('a) performed the funeral prayers.

Will you please tell me which religious ordinance demands witnesses from one who is in possession of the property? It has been proved that Fatimah ('a) was in possession of Fadak. As reported by all Sunni ulema, Abu Bakr's demanding witnesses from her was against religious law. Does our religious law not say that witnesses should be produced by the plaintiff and not by the holder of the property?

Second, nobody denies the general significance of the 'Verse of Evidence', but it also has a specific significance. What do you mean by its specific significance? The proof for this is the report recorded in the authentic books of hadith, regarding Khazima Ibn Thabit. He gave evidence in support of the Holy Prophet (S) in a case concerning the sale of a horse. An Arab had made a claim against the Holy Prophet (S) and his (Khazima's) single evidence was considered sufficient. The Holy Prophet (S) gave him the title of Dhu'sh-Shahadatain because he was regarded as being equal to two just witnesses.

This example shows that the 'Verse of Evidence' allows for exceptions under some circumstances. When Khazima, an individual believer and companion from among the community, was made an exception to the verse, Ali ('a) and Fatimah ('a) who were infallible according to the 'Verse of Purity' were in a better position to enjoy this exception. They were definitely free from all falsehood. To reject their evidence was to reject the evidence of Allah.

Fatimah ('a) claimed that her father bestowed Fadak upon her as a gift and that it was in her possession and control during the Holy Prophet's (S) lifetime. She was asked to furnish witnesses. She produced Amir al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) and Hasan (‘a) and Husayn (‘a) as her witnesses. But their evidence was rejected. Was this action not unjust? It is beyond comprehension how anybody could reject Ali's (‘a) testimony. Allah Almighty says in the Holy Qur'an that we should be with Ali (‘a), that is, we should follow him. Zaid al-Adl became the embodiment of truth because of his extreme truthfulness.

Similarly, Ali ('a) was also called 'the truthful,' as Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

“O you who believe! Be careful of (your duty to) Allah and be with the truthful ones” (9:119).

Truthful ones” refers to the Prophet Muhammad (S), Ali, and the Ahl Al-Bayt ('a).

Sunni prominent scholars have written in their books and commentaries that this verse was revealed in praise of Muhammad (S) and Ali ('a). “The truthful ones” refers to these two Holy men, and according to some reports it means Ali ('a); other reports say that it refers to the progeny of the Holy Prophet (S).

The Sunni ulema7 narrate that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “These truthful ones are Muhammad and Ali”

It is related8 that Ibn Abbas said: “In this verse 'the truthful ones' are Muhammad and his Holy descendants”

And they9 write: “With the truthful ones, that is, with Ali Ibn Abi Talib”

Allah says:

وَالَّذِي جَاءَ بِالصِّدْقِ وَصَدَّقَ بِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

“And he who brings the truth, and he who accepts it as the truth - these are they that guard (against evil)” (39:33).

The ulema narrate in their books10 from Ibn Abbas: “He who brings the truth' is Muhammad, and 'he who testifies to it' is Ali Ibn Abi Talib”

Allah says in chapter of Hadid (Iron) of the Holy Qur'an:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الصِّدِّيقُونَ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ وَنُورُهُمْ

“And (as for) those who believe in Allah and his apostles, these it is who are the truthful and the faithful ones in the sight of their Lord; they shall have their reward and their light” (57:19).

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad and Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in Manazil Min al-Qur'an Fi Ali narrate on the authority of Ibn Abbas that this Holy verse was revealed in praise of Ali ('a) referring to him as being among the truthful ones.

In the Chapter Nisa Allah says:

وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Apostle, these are with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favours from among the Prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they” (4:69).

In this verse also the truthful ones refers to Ali (‘a). There are many hadith narrated by Sunni ulema and ours, indicating that Ali ('a) was the truthful one of the community and, in fact, the most exalted among the truthful ones.

Many of prominent ulema11 have written in their books that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “There are three great truthful ones: - Hizqil, the Believer of the people of Pharaoh; Habib Najjar of the Surah Yasin, and Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who is superior to them all”

Also, they12 narrate that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “There are three truthful ones: - Habib Najjar, the Believer of the people of the Chapter Yasin who said, 'O people! follow the Prophets;' Hizqil, the believer of the people of Pharaoh, who said, 'Do you kill a man who worships Allah?', and Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who is the most exalted of them all”

Sunni’s themselves prove with various hadith in conformity with the Holy Qur'an, that Ali ('a) occupied the highest rank among the truthful ones and yet they call others as “siddiq” (truthful) although not a single verse has been reported about their being truthful.

Reader! Please be just. Was it proper to reject the evidence of the person whom Allah calls “siddiq” in the Qur'an, one whom we have been commanded to follow?

The Holy Prophet (S) said: “Ali is always with truth and truth revolves round Ali”

It is narrated13 that the Holy Prophet (S) was heard saying: “Ali is with the Qur'an and the Qur'an is with Ali; there will never be a difference between the two, and the two will not separate from each other until they reach me at the pool of Kauthar”

Some narrators have reported these words: “The right is always with Ali, and Ali is always with the right. There will be no difference between the two, and the two will not be separate from each other”

Ibn Hajar writes in Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, ch. 9, Part 2, p. 77, that the Holy Prophet (S) on his deathbed, said: “I leave behind with you two things: The book of Allah and my progeny, my Ahl Al-Bayt” Then, holding Ali's hand, he raised it and said: “This Ali is with the Qur'an, and the Qur'an is with Ali. The two will not separate from each other till they reach me at the pool of Kauthar. Then I will ask each of them about the matter of succession”

Also, it is generally narrated that the Prophet (S) said: “Ali is with the right and the right is always with Ali. They revolve around each other”.

Sibt Ibn Jauzi, in Tadhkirat al-Khawas ul-Umma, p.20, in connection with the 'Hadith of Ghadir', narrates that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “Let the right move round Ali, in whatever direction he moves” Sibt commenting on this says: “This hadith proves that if there is any difference between Ali and any other companion, the right will certainly be with Ali”

It is recorded in the books that have been mentioned and in other authentic books of Sunni’s that the Holy Prophet (S) often said: “He who obeys Ali verily obeys me, and he who obeys me verily obeys Allah. He who disobeys Ali verily disobeys me, and he who disobeys me verily disobeys Allah”

Ab ul-Fath Muhammad Ibn Abd ul-Karim Shahrastani reports in his Milal-wa-Nihal that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “The reality is that Ali is always on the right, and those who follow him are on the right”

With all these explicit reports, which are recorded in authentic books, wasn't refusing to agree with Ali ('a) the same as refusing to agree with the Holy Prophet (S)?

Also reported14 on the authority of Salman Muhammadi, that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “Fatimah's love is useful to us in a hundred places, the easiest of them being Death, the Grave, the Mizan (the Balance), Sirat (the bridge) and the Questioning. So, if my daughter, Fatimah, is pleased with somebody, I am also pleased with him. If I am pleased with somebody, Allah is also pleased with him. If my daughter, Fatimah, is displeased with somebody, I am also displeased with him. If I am displeased with him, Allah is also displeased with him. Woe be to him who oppresses Fatimah and her husband. Woe be to him who oppresses Ali and Fatimah and their Shi’a’s”

I ask you what conclusion you draw in light of these authentic hadith and the hadith recorded by Bukhari and Muslim that Fatimah ('a) remained indignant with Abu Bakr and Umar until she died.

Someone may say the hadith of “indignation” means religious indignation and not ordinary worldly indignation. Her indignation regarding Abu Bakr and Umar, which is recorded in all reliable books, was not religious. That is, Fatimah ('a) did not feel angry with Abu Bakr and Umar because they violated any religious injunction. Of course, if anyone had aroused her religious indignation, he would have been subject to his Prophet's curse. But Fatimah's anger resulted from a change in her condition, which every sensitive person feels when he fails to achieve his object. Since Fatimah ('a) had made a request for Fadak and the Caliph did not accept her claim, she was naturally affected by it and felt indignant at that time. But later this slight displeasure disappeared from her mind, and she was satisfied with the decision of the Caliph. The proof of her satisfaction was her silence. And when Ali ('a) took the reins of the caliphate, he did not for all his supreme authority, take back Fadak under his control. This, too, is proof that he was satisfied with the decision of the previous caliphs.

First, to say that Fatimah's anger was not religious but worldly. You would have expressed this view without careful study. According to the principles of the Qur'anic verses and the hadith of the Holy Prophet (S), no perfect believer would ever show such an indignation, not to speak of Fatimah ('a), whose eminence is evident from the “Verse of Purity”: “Verse of Mubahala” and the Sura Hal Ata of the Holy Qur'an. (76:1)

There are numerous hadith in all the authentic books that Fatimah ('a) occupied the highest rank of Iman (belief) and that the Holy Prophet (S) had explicitly said about her: “Verily, Allah has filled my daughter, Fatimah, with belief from head to foot”

Any believer, man or woman, whose special mark is to admit the truth, would never show any indignation when a judge issues a just order. Nor would such a believer cling to that anger and wrath till his death insisting in his will that none of those who were in any way connected with those orders should be allowed to join in his funeral prayers.

Moreover Fatimah ('a), about whose purity Allah Himself gives evidence, could never make a false claim, so that a judge might reject her claim.

Second, if Lady Fatimah's indignation was merely “worldly indignation”, or her disappointment in having her claim rejected, her anger should have subsided soon, particularly after the regret shown by those responsible for her anger. There should have been no grief in her heart. The Holy Prophet (S) said: “One of the signs of a believer is that he does not naturally nurse any grudge based on carnal sentiments, against anybody”.

Also, the Holy Prophet (S) said: “If a believer happens to commit a fault, the aggrieved believer does not feel antipathy towards him for more than three days”.

So, the pure and truthful Fatimah az-Zahra’ ('a), who was, according to the testimony of Allah Almighty, imbued with faith from head to foot, could never bear malice against anybody. And it is acknowledged by both sects that Fatimah ('a) left this world angry with Abu Bakr and Umar. So, it follows from this that Fatimah's indignation was purely religious. When she saw that the order was passed against her in violation of the commands of Allah and her Holy father, she felt furious with religious displeasure and this was that anger, which incurred Allah's and His Prophet's wrath.

Third, Silence does not necessarily mean concurrence. Sometimes the oppressor's rigidity forces acquiescence.

Fatimah ('a) was not only grieved, but she left this world indignant. Both Bukhari and Muslim wrote: “Fatimah was indignant with Abu Bakr. She kept aloof from him and did not talk with him for the rest of her life”.

Fourth, Ali ('a) did not, during the period of his caliphate, take possession of Fadak and return it to the descendants of Fatimah ('a), this indicated his acquiescence in the decision of the previous caliphs. Even here you would be mistaken. The Holy Imam was not free to act during the period of his caliphate so as to have stopped any innovation or restore any right. Whenever he intended to take such a step, there was immediate opposition.

If he had returned Fadak to the descendants of Fatimah ('a), his opponents, particularly Mu'awiya and his followers, would have claimed that Ali ('a) acted against the practices adopted by Abu Bakr and Umar. Besides this, in order to pass such orders, authority and independence were necessary. But people had not allowed him such power. He could not introduce anything that would have violated the precepts and practices of the previous caliphs. Ali's powerlessness is evident from the following two examples.

Since the previous caliphs had removed the pulpit from its place where the Prophet (S) had placed it, the Imam intended to return it to its original place. But the people opposed him and would not tolerate anything contrary to the practice of Abu Bakr and Umar, even though it might be compatible with the practice of the Holy Prophet (S).

Similarly, when the Imam forbade the people to offer congregational tarawih prayers, they rose against him and claimed that Ali ('a) wanted to change the way of Caliph Umar.

So how could Ali ('a) restore Fadak to the descendants of Fatimah ('a)? If he had done so and said that it had been unjustly confiscated, the people would have cried that Ali Ibn Abi Talib was inclined towards the world and was usurping the right of the Muslims for their own descendants. Hence, he thought it proper to be patient. Since the real claimant had left this world, he suspended his claim to it, so that when the last of the divinely guided Imams comes to restore rights to their just claimants, he will secure his right.

In such a state of affairs the silence of the Imam did not mean that he was satisfied with the decision. If he had considered the action of the previous caliphs just, he would not have argued his case before them. Also, he would not have expressed his anguish and displeasure and would not have invoked Allah to be the arbiter.

It is recorded in Nahj ul-Balagha that Ali ('a) in a letter to the Governor of Basra, Uthman Ibn Hunaif Ansari wrote: “Among those things on which the sky casts its shadow was Fadak, which was in our possession. But a group showed niggardliness and the other side, Fatimah, and her descendants withdrew from pursuing their claim. And the best Judge is Allah”

If you say that Fatimah ('a) was satisfied with the decision in the last days of her life and pardoned those responsible for it. I am afraid you are mistaken here. As has been proved beyond doubt earlier through reliable hadith that oppressed Lady remained indignant until she died.

To prove my point of view I should like to submit the following report15: “Umar asked Abu Bakr to go with him to visit Fatimah. They had certainly enraged her” (Some reports say that it was Abu Bakr, who asked Umar to go with him to visit Fatimah ('a). This seems more plausible.)

In short, both of them went together to the door of Fatimah ('a) but she did not allow them to visit her. When they asked Ali ('a) to intervene, he remained silent, but he allowed them to go in. When they went in and saluted her, she turned her face to the wall.

Abu Bakr said: 'O part of the Prophet's liver, by Allah, I value the relationship of the Holy Prophet with you more than my relationship with my daughter, ‘Aisha. Would that I had died soon after the Holy Prophet of Allah (S). I know your rank and position more than anyone else. If I have deprived you of your right of heritage, it was really because of the Holy Prophet, whom I myself heard saying: 'We Prophets do not leave any heritage. What we leave is charity (for the Muslims).'

Fatimah ('a) then said to Amir al-Mu’minin ('a) that she would remind them of a hadith of the Holy Prophet (S) and ask them to say in the name of Allah if they had not heard the Holy Prophet (S) saying it: 'Fatimah's pleasure is my pleasure, Fatimah's indignation is my indignation. So, one who loves my daughter Fatimah loves me; one who pleases Fatimah, pleases me. One who offends Fatimah, offends me.'

Both said: 'Yes we heard these words from the Holy Prophet of Allah (S).'

Then Fatimah ('a) said: 'I call Allah and His Angels to witness that both of you have offended me and did not treat me justly. When I meet the Holy Prophet (S) I will certainly complain to him of you both.'

Abu Bakr, being troubled at these words, began to weep and said: 'I seek Allah's shelter from the Holy Prophet's anger.'16

Fatimah ('a) began to weep and said: 'I swear by Allah that I will certainly call down curses upon you in all my prayers.'

After hearing this, Abu Bakr went out, weeping. People gathered round him and consoled him. To them he said: 'Woe be to you. You are all happy, sitting with your wives comfortably, but I am in this wretched state. I do not need your allegiance. Rid me of it. By Allah, after what I have seen and heard from Fatimah, I do not want any Muslim to suffer the burden of allegiance to me.'“

These reports, related by Sunni notable ulema, show that the oppressed Fatimah ('a) remained indignant with Abu Bakr and Umar until the last hour of her life.

The clearest proof of Fatimah's (‘a) anger in this regard is that she made the following will to her husband, Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (‘a): “None of those persons who have oppressed me and snatched away my right should be allowed to join my funeral. They are certainly my and the Holy Prophet's (‘a) enemies. Do not allow any one of them or their associates to offer funeral prayers for me. Bury me at night when people are asleep”

Bukhari writes in his Sahih that Ali ('a) complied with Lady Fatimah's will and buried her at night quietly. People tried their best to find where Fatimah ('a) was buried, but they could not. It is unanimously accepted that Fatimah ('a) was, according to her will, buried at night. The Holy Prophet (S) left a single daughter to serve as his memory. The Sunni ulema agree that he said: “Fatimah is a part of my body. She is my legacy and trust. Respect her as you respect me. Never do anything to incite her anger against you. If she is angry with you, I also will be angry with you”

Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Faqih Shafi'i writes in his Mawaddat ul-Qurba that the Holy Prophet (S) said: “Those who grieve Fatimah will be strictly dealt with by me on the Day of Judgment. Fatimah's pleasure is my pleasure, and Fatimah's anger is my anger. Woe be to him with whom Fatimah is indignant”

How tragic is it that for all these declarations, the Community not only ignored her but also snatched away her right and caused her so intense torment. Even while still a young woman, she declared: “I was subjected to so many troubles that if days had been subjected to such troubles, they would have turned into nights” 17

What Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ('a) said on the occasion of the burial of Fatimah while addressing the Holy Prophet (S) at his grave: “O' Prophet of Allah (S), 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 (S), 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.

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“... Verily we are Allah's and verily unto Him shall we return” (2:156).

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 till Allah chooses for me the house in which you are now residing.

Certainly, your daughter would apprise you of the joining together of your ummah (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 salam (salutation) be on you both, the salam 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 those who endure”18

• 1. Yaqut Hamawi, the author of Majim ul-Buldan in his Futuh ul-Buldan, vol. VI, p. 343; by Ahmad Ibn Yahya Baladhuri Baghdadi (died 279 A.H.) in his Ta'rikh; Ibn Abu al-Hadid Mu'tazali in his Sharh an-Nahj ul- Balagha, (printed Egypt), vol. IV, p. 78, quoting from Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Abd ul-Aziz Jauhari; by Muhammad Ibn Jarir Tabari in his Ta'rikh al-Kabir, and by many other traditionists and historians.
• 2. Ahmad Tha'labi in his Kashf ul-Bayan; Jalal ud-din Suyuti in his Tafsir, vol. IV, reporting from Hafiz Ibn Mardawiyya; the famous commentator Ahmad Ibn Musa (died 352 A.H.) reporting from Abu Sa'id Khadiri and Hakim Ab ul-Qasim Haskani; Ibn Kathir; Imad ud-din Isma'il; Ibn Umar Damishqi; Faqih al-Shafi'i in his Ta'rikh, and Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi Hanafi in his Yanabi ul-Mawadda, ch. 39, reporting from Tafsir al-Tha'labi, Jam' ul-Fawa'id and Uyun ul-Akhbar.
• 3. In his Kitab al-Saqifa the great scholar and traditionist, Abu Bakr Ahmad Ibn Abd ul-Aziz Jauhari, about whom Ibn Abu al-Hadid says in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha that he was one of the eminent ulema and traditionists of the Sunni’s; Ibn Al-athir in his Nihaya; Mas'udi in Akhbaru'z-Zaman and in Ausat; Ibn Abu al-Hadid in Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. IV, p. 78, quoting from Abu Bakr Ahmad Jauhari's book Saqifa and Fadak in different ways and from a number of sources, some of which refer to the fifth Imam Muhammad Baqir through Siddiqi Sughra Zaynab al-Kubra and some of which refer to Abdullah Ibn Hasan on the authority of Siddiqi Kubra Fatimah Zahra and on the authority of ‘Aisha and also on the authority of Muhammad Ibn Imran Marzabani, he from Zaid Ibn Ali Ibn Hussain; he from his father, and he from his father Imam Hussain; and he from his illustrious mother, Fatimah Zahra; and many other ulema.
• 4. Imam Ahmad Hanbal in his Musnad; Imam ul-Haram Ahmad Ibn Abdullah Shafi'i in his Dhakha'ir al-Uqba; Ibn Abu al-Hadid in his Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha; and Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi in his Yanabi ul-Mawadda, Ch.56, quoting from Ahmad Ibn Abdullah; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Qala'i; and Ibn Saman.
• 5. It is recorded in Sirat ul-Halabiyya, p.39, compiled by Ali Ibn Burhan ud-din Halabi Shafi'i (died 1044 A.H.).
• 6. Imam Fakhr ud-din Razi in his Tafsir al-Kabir concerning the claim of Fatimah; Yaqut Hamawi in his Mu'ajam ul-Buldan; Ibn Abu al-Hadid Mu'tazali in Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. IV, p. 80, from Abu Bakr Jauhari and the fanatical Ibn Hajar in Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, p.21, under the heading Shuhubhat al-Rafza, VII Shubha.
• 7. Imam Tha'labi in the commentary Kashf ul-Bayan, Jalal ud-din Suyuti reporting from Ibn Abbas in his Durr ul-Manthur, Hafiz Abu Sa'id Abd ul-Malik Ibn Muhammad Khargushi reporting from Asma'is in his Sharaf ul-Mustafa, and Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani in his Hilyat ul-Auliya.
• 8. Sheikh Sulayman Hanafi in his Yanabi ul-Mawadda, ch. 39, p.1191, reporting from Muwaffaq Ibn Ahmad Khawarizmi, Hafiz Abu Nu'aim Ispahani, and Hamwaini relates on the authority of Ibn Abbas.
• 9. Sheikh ul-Islam Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad Hamwaini, one of the Sunni eminent scholars, in his Fara'id as-Simtain, Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in his Kifayatu't-Talib, ch. 62, and Muhadith Sham in his Ta'rikh, reporting from his sources.
• 10. Jalal ud-din Suyuti in Durr ul-Manthur, Hafiz Ibn Mardawiyya in Manaqib, Hafiz Abu Nu'aim in Hilyat ul-Auliya, Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in Kifayatu't-Talib, ch.62, and Ibn Asakir in his Ta'rikh, reporting from a selection of commentators, narrate the following on the authority of Ibn Abbas and Mujahid.
• 11. The following have all recorded this hadith: Imam Fakhr ud-din Razi in his Tafsir Kabir; Imam Tha'labi in Kashf ul-Bayan; Jalal ud-din Suyuti in Durr ul-Manthur; Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in the Musnad; Ibn Shirwaih in Firdaus; Ibn Abu al-Hadid in Sharh an-Nahj ul-Balagha, vol. II, p.451; Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i in Manaqib; and Ibn Hajar Makki in Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa (30th hadith out of the 40 hadith that he has commented on concerning the virtues of Ali) quoting from Bukhari, who reports from Ibn Abbas, with the exception of the last phrase.
• 12. Sheikh Sulayman Balkhi in his Yanabi ul-Mawadda, ch. 42, quoting from the Musnad of Imam Hanbal; Abu Nu'aim Ibn Maghazili Shafi'i; the great orator Khawarizmi, quoting from Abu Laila and Abu Ayyub Ansari, in his Manaqib; Ibn Hajar in his Sawa'iq (and a host of others).
• 13. Khatib Baghdadi in his Ta'rikh, vol. IV, p. 321, Hafiz Ibn Mardawiyya in Manaqib, Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Masnad, Fakhr ud-din Razi in Tafsir al-Kabir, vol.I, p. 111, Ibn Hajar Makki in Jam' as-Saghir, vol.II, pp. 74,75, 140 and Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, ch.IX,Fasl 11, hadith 21, narrating from Umme Salma and Ibn Abbas also in Yanabi ul-Mawadda, ch. 65, p. 185, taking from Jam' as-Saghir of Jalal ud-din Suyuti, in addition, in Ta'rikh ul-Khulafa, p.116, Faiz ul-Qadir, vol. IV, p. 358, narrating from Ibn Abbas Manaqib as-Sabi'in, p. 237, hadith 44 quoting from the author of Firdaus; Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa, ch.59, Part 2, p. 238, narrating from Umme Salma and Muhammad Ibn Yusuf Ganji Shafi'i in Kifayatu't-Talib, some of them narrating from Umme Salma, some from ‘Aisha and some from Muhammad Ibn Abu Bakr.
• 14. Parsa of Bukhara in his Fasl ul-Khitab; one by Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal in Musnad and by Mir Seyyed Ali Hamadani Shafi'i in Mawadda XIII of Mawaddat ul-Qurba.
• 15. Abu Muhammad Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Qutayba Dinawari (died 276 A.H.) in his Ta'rikh al-Khilafa'i'r-Rashidin, known as Al-Imama wa as-Siyasa, vol. I, p. 14 and other Sunni ulema, like Ibn Abu al-Hadid, write in their authentic books.
• 16. If he were truly remorseful then he would have returned what he had taken from the Prophets household, which he did not. You cannot steal something and say I am sorry yet keep the item you stole. Did they return Fadak to Fatimah ('a)? Did they return the government rule back to Imam Ali ('a)? No, they did not so this shows that they were not truly remorseful or trying to make things right.
• 17. Peshawar Nights by Sultanul Waizin Shirazi.
• 18. Nahjul Balagha sermon 201.