Fadak & The Sermon of Fatimah in Sunni Narrations

Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Rahim. Al-hamdulil-Lahi Rabbi 'l-Alameen, wa salla Allahu 'ala Muhammadin, wa aali at-tahirin. We are going through some authentic evidences from books which are followed and taken as authentic by the majority of Muslims regarding what happened with Fatimah Al-Zahra, alayha as-salam, after the passing away of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy progeny.

We mentioned in the last episode that the House of Fatimah was being attacked. We quoted many Sunni references about that. Today in front of me is a very well-known Sunni book of Hadith, which is called Al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer by Al-Tabarani. Al-Tabarani is a well known scholar among our Sunni brothers, who has compiled many books, one of them is Al-Mu'jam as-Sagheer, Al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, Al-Mujam al-Kabeer. In Al-Mujam al-Kabeer, volume one, page 62. The narration is very long, speaking about the last moments of the life of Abu Bakr.

He said that I repent doing three things I wish I did not do it. He said: amma inni la as'a ìala shay'. Surely I do not feel deep sadness on things which I have done more than three things. I wish I never did them. I wish: wadattu anni lam akun kashaftu bayta Fatimah. I wish I did not attack the house of Fatimah. I wish I did not attack the house of Fatimah. Wa taraktuh wa in ughliqa 'ala al-arb. I wish I left the House of Fatimah, even if it was a centre of war against me. Even if it was. But the point is, I wish I did not attack the house of Fatimah. So no one can say that, "this is just a claim, who says that he attacked or he ordered". This is in Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer by Al-Tabarani and this is exactly what is narrated that Abu Bakr said: "wadattu anni lam akun kashaftu bayta Fatimah" I wish I did not attack the house of Fatimah. Al-Mu'jam Al-Kabeer by Al-Tabarani Vol. one page 62.

Also, Ibn Taymiya himself, Ibn Taymiya, the well-known enemy of Ahl ul-Bayt and the godfather of Wahhabism. He in his book, Minhaj as-Sunna Vol. 8, page 291. He writes, he writes here, he wrote that Abu Bakr "innahu kabasa bayta Fatimah, liyandhur hal fihi shay'in wa min mal li-Llah". Abu Bakr attacked and raided the house of Fatimah to see whether it has inside it any of the funds of the Muslims which means that he is admitting that the House of Fatimah was being attacked, was raided. Fatimah is not a person who takes anything which is not her right. And the House of Fatimah is the house of the Prophet. Attacking the house of Fatimah is something which cannot be at all accepted under any circumstances.

Now we want to talk about Fadak. What is Fadak? Fadak is a place which was gained without war. And in Islam, such places which come to the Muslims without war, it comes to the Prophet directly. The Prophet has the right to give it wherever he finds it better. We here find in Musnad Abi Ya'la. In Musnad Abi Ya'la, Hadith No. 1037, when the verse of "Wa aati dhal qurba haqqah" (17:26), was revealed means: "give your relative his or her right".

'Da'a an-Nabiyu Fatimah wa a'taha Fadak'. The Prophet called Fatimah and gifted her, and gave her Fadak. So Fadak was granted, gifted, given by the Prophet to Fatimah during his time, Fatimah was the owner of Fadak. Also, you find this fact that the Prophet gave Fadak to Fatimah in as-Sunan Al-Kubra by Al-Bayhaqi (Hadeeth 8696), in Al-Dhurr Al-Manthur by Suyyuti (Vol 4 p177) in Fat'h al-Qadeer by Shawkani (Vol 3 p224). All of them say that the Prophet called Fatimah and gave her Fadak, she became the owner. Shawahid al-Tanzil by Hakim Al-Hasakani Vol. 1 p. 438. So a lot of evidence, authentic evidence, Mutawatir, that Fadak was given, given to Fatimah by the Prophet, and Fatimah was the owner for a long time during the life of the Prophet.

So when the Prophet passed away, there was no point, for any ruler to take Fadak from Fatimah, because Fatimah was the owner. It was not, Fadak was not ownership of the Prophet because the Prophet has already given it to Fatimah. Any father gifting anything to any of his sons or daughters, then that person becomes the owner, new owner, that is it. And no one has got right to take it back from him. That is why when Abu Bakr took charge of the government and sent his people to drive away the farmers of Fatimah, who used to work for her in Fadak and took over Fadak from her, she said it is mine, it is my own ownership, my own property. Abu Bakr asked her to bring a witness bring a witness that you are the owner bring a witness, that your father has gifted Fadak to you in his life.

Okay, is it fair to ask Fatimah to bring a witness? Fatimah, who is part of the Prophet. Doubting Fatimah means doubting the statement of the Prophet himself. He said that she is part of me. I am pleased when she is pleased, I am unhappy when she is unhappy and Allah is happy when Fatimah is happy and Allah is angry when Fatimah is angry. Then you come and ask Fatimah to bring a witness! The statement of Fatimah is the biggest evidence. We ask witness from those whom we do not trust. If the Prophet tells you to do something or to say something, you will ask him, bring a witness? No, if you believe in him. When Fatimah said it is mine, it my own ownership, my own property, my father has gifted it to me and he says, bring a witness.

Fatimah brought Ali ibn Abu Talib, he was a witness, she brought al-Hasan, he was a witness, she brought Al-Husayn, he was a witness. She brought Umm Ayman, witness. Abu Bakr refused all of them. Because he decided to refuse right from the beginning, no matter whom she brings, he decided to refuse anything from Fatimah, he decided. To take over Fadak, not to keep Fadak in the hands of Fatimah because Fadak was giving Fatimah reasonable income. And he was not happy with that.

So he refused all of them with different excuses. He refused a witness of Ali Ibn Abi Talib claiming that he is your husband. So your interest is his interest. I cannot accept his witness, which is also another blunder. To refuse witness of a man like Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Means to doubt the truthfulness of Amir Al-Mu'minin. About whom Allah has said "Anfusana wa anfusakum" (3:61). Witness of Hasan and Husayn were also rejected claiming that they are children. Witness of Umm Ayman was also rejected, claiming that she is a woman. She told him. If you do not accept that, the fact that it is my own property, after all, it is my father's property. So I am his only daughter. I am his only daughter. So it comes to me. And inheritance. He came up with a new claim that I have heard your father saying that we, the Prophets, do not leave inheritance.

She told him, my father told you. My father does not speak against Qur'an. In Qur'an Allah says "wa waritha Sulayman wa Dawud" (27:16). Sulayman inherited his father, Dawud. In Qur'an Allah says: "Yarithuni wa warithu min ale Ya'qub" (19:6) When Zakariya prayed to Allah to grant him a son and he said "yarithuni", to inherit me. And you claim that my father said that. The Prophets do not leave any inheritance? And he told you? 'Laqad ji'ta shay'aan fariya'. This is an allegation on my father.

He refused to give her. And he brought two witnesses. That they heard the Prophet saying that there is no inheritance from the Prophet. Among them was Aisha and Hafsa. It just to be mentioned here that Aisha and Hafsa, with due respect to all the wives of the Prophet. They came during the government of Uthman, both of them came to Uthman. When they saw Uthman giving a lot of money to his family members, his relatives, Bani Ummayah, they came and told him, give us from the inheritance of the Prophet, we are his wives. We have got share in his inheritance. Uthman told them, you and she, both of you. Didn't both of you come? And gave witness against Fatimah, that you heard the Prophet saying that 'there is no inheritance from the Prophet'? You did that to deprive Fatimah from her inheritance, and now you are coming to claim inheritance for yourselves. Go out. I will not give you any inheritance. From that time, Aisha started attacking Uthman openly and saying 'Uqtulu Na'thalan", kill Na'thal. She used to call Uthman as Na'thal, Na'thal is the name of one Jewish Yahudi in Madinah. She used to give Uthman name of a Yahudi in Medina. 'Uqtulu Na'thalan, qatalah Allah' Kill Uthamn, Na'thal.

Fadak was taken away by force from Fatimah. Unlawfully that is why later on some rulers who came later as everyone knows that Fadak is the right of Fatimah and after Fatimah, her children and grandchildren. So they gave Fadak back to the inheritors of Fatimah. Fatimah suffered a lot and the tragedy of Fatimah has got many dimensions one of them is Fadak In fact, the insisting of the Saqifa people not to give Fadak to Fatimah, which is her right was based on their fear that the income of Fadak that could make her financially sound and that can create risk on their chair. Fatimah also was being deprived from her right to weep on her father. She faced calamities after calamities when she lost her father. So the people of Saqifa, after what they did, they told Ali Ibn Abi Talib: stop your wife from weeping day and night, either she weeps, day and keeps silent night or she weeps night and keep silent day. That made him Ali Ibn Abi Talib, take her out of Medina and a place by the name of Bayt al-Ahzaan, Bayt al-Huzun, was made for her to go there and remember her father and weep on him.

Fatimah, alayha as-salam, suffered a lot that even the prominent Sunni Ulama' narrated her statement telling her father, oh, father: "subbat alaya masa'ibun, wa law annaha subbat 'ala al-ayam samah layaliya" Alousi, the famous Sunni alim who has written Tafsir Al-Alousi, he narrated the statement of Fatimah telling her father, Oh, father, calamities were poured, poured on me. That if such calamities are poured on the days, it would turn the days into nights. The greatness of Fatimah cannot be explained with the short time which we spent in this episode.

But we say that Fatimah remains the indicator of the real Islam after the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his holy progeny, because Ali Ibn Abi Talib alayhi as-salam, was been ordered to be patient to keep quiet, as he said, "la usalimannah, ma salimat umur al-muslimin" I will remain peaceful as far as the affairs of Muslims are safe. But Fatimah alayha as-salam, came out and she went to the masjid and gave her great sermon in which she told the people how they left the teachings of the Prophet so soon.

The sermon of Fatimah alayha as-salam in the Masjid is a statement which every Muslim need to know about. We need to read it, understand it, study it, reflect and ponder on it, because Fatimah alayha alsalam has said very important things in her sermon in front of the Muslims after what she faced from the tragedies.

She tells them after praising Allah and mentioning the great achievements of his last and greatest Messenger, Muhammad, peace be upon him and his holy progeny, she says, "Hatta idha akhtar Allahu li an-Nabiyhi dara Ambya'ih" till when Allah has taken the Prophet from this life to the life of his Prophets, means the Akhirah. 'Daharat khillatu an-Nifaq'. The character of nifaq (hypocrisy) came out, openly. Which means during the life of the Prophet, Nifaq was hiding the hypocrites was hiding their heads. When the Prophet passed away, they came up openly. They found a suitable situation to come out.

'Wa samula jilbab ud-deen'. The religions cloth became weak, 'Wa naduqah khadimu al-ghaween', and the people who were deviated and unable to talk, they spoke out. She spoke about what happened immediately when the Prophet passed away, how the hypocrites took over. 'Wa atla'a ash-Shaytan ra'sahu min maghrizeh' Shaytan (satan) which was hiding his head brought his head up. 'Sarikhan bikum', (calling you), 'fa wajadakum li du'aihi mustajibeen' Shaytan, called you and found you responding to him. Then she said: 'Fa stanhadhakum, fa wajadakum khifafa', called you, to get up with him, with the Shaytan, he found you very quick to join him, join Satan.

And she said 'Hadha walahdu qareeb' Prophet just passed away, 'Wa al-kalmu raheeb' and the wound of losing the Prophet is so big. 'Wa al-jurhu lamma yandamal' The wound of losing the Prophet did not cure. 'Bidaran za'amtun khawf al-fitna', you went quickly to do something quickly, means Saqifa, claiming that you want to avoid Fitna, 'Ala fi al-fitnati saqatu', those who went to Saqifa have fell inside the fitnah. She also spoke about the future, she said that. Wait, you will see the bad result of your deviation from the teachings of the Prophet. Then, 'wa antum al'aan taz'amuna an la irthali?' And you claim that I have no right in inheritance. 'Afa hukma al-jahiliyati tabghun?' Do you want the role of Jahiliyyah, 'Wa man ahsanu min Allahi hukma, li qawmin yuqinoon' What rule is better than the rule of Allah for people who have surety and and faith in Allah.

She tells 'Oh muhajireen, 'Aubtazu irtha Abi' How can I be deprived from my inheritance from my father, and she spoke to Abu Bakr. 'Afi al-kitabi an taritha abak wa la aritha abi', is it in the Qur'an that you inherit your father and I do not inherit my father? 'Laqad ji'ta shay'an fariya', you have claimed big allegation on the Prophet, 'Fa doonakaha', take it. Fatimah is telling that if you are insisting on depriving me from my inheritance, I leave it. You will face it in the Day of Judgment. 'Fa na'ma al-hakum Allah wa azza'eemu Muhammad'. Allah is the best judge, and Muhammad is the best witness. "Wa nuwadu Al-Qiyamah" and our time will be the Day of Judgment. 'Wa 'indah as-sa'ati, yakhsaru al-mubtilun' and on that Day, the wrong people will lose totally.

The sermon of Fatimah alayha as-salam is narrated in many Sunni books. This narration, which I recited is from Sunni book called Balaghatu an-Nisa' which is a Sunni book. And this is by narration of Ahmad Bin Taahir Abi Tayfur. So the sermon of Fatimah alayha as-salam has great meanings, which every Muslim needs to read and understand, as she said, 'Wa saya'lamu at-taloon', those who will come after you, the generations to come, 'ghidhdhama assasa al-awwaloon' they will see, the bad results of what the beginners founded, the deviation, which was founded from Saqifa, will have its bad impact on the generations to come.

May Allah guide all Muslims to the Islam of the Prophet, and to obey the Prophet, and to follow Qur'an and Ahl ul-Bayt, the only way to obey Allah and the Prophet. Wal hamdu li-Llahi 'ala kulli hal, wa salla Allahu 'ala Muhammadin, wa aali at-tahirin. Wa as-salamu alaykum, wa rahmatul-Lahi, wa barakatuh.