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91-530: In addition to seventeen daughters, various sources report that Ali had eleven or fourteen, or eighteen sons. His first marriage was to Fatima , daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , who bore Ali three sons, namely, Hasan , Husayn , and Muhsin , though the last one is not mentioned in some sources. Muhsin either died in infancy, or was miscarried after Fatima was injured during a raid on her house to arrest Ali, who had withheld his pledge of allegiance from

182-641: A Jewish tribe, half of the agricultural land of Fadak was considered fay and belonged to the prophet, in line with verse 59:6 of the Quran. There is some evidence that Muhammad gifted his share of Fadak to Fatima when verse 17:26 was revealed, and her agents managed the property when Muhammad was alive. This is the Shia view. Among Sunnis, al-Suyuti ( d.  1505 ) and al-Dhahabi ( d.  1348 ) are of this view, while al-Jurjani ( d.  1078 ) and Ibn Kathir ( d.  1373 ) are uncertain if

273-768: A chief of the Ansar was likely beaten into submission by Umar, those gathered at Saqifa agreed on Abu Bakr as the new head of the community. The Saqifa event is said to have excluded Muhammad's family, who were preparing to bury him, and most of the Muhajirun. To protest the appointment of Abu Bakr, al-Baladhuri ( d.  892 ) reports that the Banu Hashim (Muhammad's clan) and some of his companions gathered at Fatima's house. Among them were Muhammad's uncle Abbas and his companion Zubayr , according to Madelung. The protesters, including Fatima, held that her husband Ali

364-597: A name of God) as the earthly symbol of the divine creative power. A kunya or honorific title of Fatima in Islam is Umm Abiha ( lit.   ' the mother of her father ' ), suggesting that Fatima was exceptionally nurturing towards her father. Umm al-Aima ( lit.   ' the mother of Imams ' ) is a kunya of Fatima in Twelver sources, as eleven of the Twelve Imams descended from her. Fatima

455-475: A nascent Islam, which faced internal and external threats, according to Mavani. In particular, Jafri notes that Ali turned down proposals to forcefully pursue the caliphate, including an offer from Abu Sufyan . In reference to Abu Bakr's caliphate, Madelung writes that a poem later began to circulate among the Banu Hashim ending with, "Surely, we have been cheated in the most monstrous way." Ali forbade

546-436: A raid on Ali's home. A typical Shia response is that Ali gave up his rights and exercised restraint for the sake of a nascent Islam, according to Abbas. Fatima died in 11/632, within six months of Muhammad's death. She was 18 or 27 years old at that time according to Shia and Sunni sources, respectively. The exact date of her death is uncertain but the Shia commonly commemorates her death on 13 Jumada II . The Sunni belief

637-411: A raid on her house to subdue Ali, ordered by Abu Bakr. It is believed that Fatima's dying wish was that the caliph should not attend her funeral. She was buried secretly at night and her exact burial place remains uncertain. Her most common epithet is al-Zahra ( lit.   ' the one that shines, the radiant ' ), which encodes her piety and regularity in prayer. This epithet is believed by

728-545: A similar view. Madelung suggests that the caliphate of Abu Bakr was inherently inconsistent with maintaining the privileged status of Muhammad's kin and applying the Quranic rules of inheritance to them. As phrased by Mavani, if the Banu Hashim had inherited Muhammad's material property, then they might have also been expected to inherit the spiritual authority of Muhammad. Similar views are voiced by Jafri , Margoliouth , Ayoub , and Lalani, while El-Hibri does not view

819-656: A sister of Khadija. According to Abbas , most Shia Muslims hold that Fatima was Muhammad's only biological daughter, whereas Fedele limits this belief to the Twelver Shia. Hyder reports that this belief is prevalent among the Shia in South Asia . Fatima also had three brothers, all of whom died in childhood. Fatima grew up in Mecca while Muhammad and his few followers suffered the ill-treatment of disbelievers. On one occasion, she rushed to help Muhammad when filth

910-680: A speech at the Prophet's Mosque , known as the Sermon of Fadak , Among other sources, this sermon appears in Balaghat al-nisa' , a collection of eloquent speeches by Muslim women, though the attribution of this speech to Fatima is rejected by Sunnis. Fatima is said to have upheld Ali in her speech as the rightful successor to Muhammad. She is also reported to have chastised Abu Bakr for denying her inheritance and accused him of (hadith) fabrication, saying that Muhammad could have not contradicted

1001-490: Is also said to have praised his other son-in-law, possibly Uthman or Abu al-As . Soufi notes that the reference to the third caliph Uthman might reflect the Sunni orthodoxy, in which Uthman is considered superior to his successor Ali. Buehler suggests that such Sunni traditions that place Ali in a negative light should be treated with caution as they mirror the political agenda of the time. In Shia sources, by contrast, Fatima

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1092-779: Is cited in a Sunni tradition by Aisha as the reason Umar was excluded from a supposed attempt at reconciliation between Ali and Abu Bakr. Kelen describes an incident of Umar's violence against his sister when she professed Islam (before Umar). It is uncertain what followed the above altercation at Fatima's house. Shia sources allege that Fatima suffered injuries and miscarriage during a raid on her house led by Umar. In particular, Shia alleges that Fatima miscarried her son Muhsin , whose name had been chosen by Muhammad before his death, according to Abbas . These claims are categorically rejected by Sunnis, who maintain that Muhsin died in infancy of natural causes. The allegations of violence and miscarriage appear in some Shia works, including

1183-459: Is known to have alluded to the violent arrest of Ali in a letter to him before the Battle of Siffin . Madelung is uncertain about the use of force. Still, he notes that there is evidence (in Sunni sources) that Fatima's house was searched. According to Madelung, Ali later repeatedly said that he would have resisted (Abu Bakr) had there been forty men with him. Alternatively, Buehler suggests that

1274-427: Is reported to have had a happy marital life, which continued until her death in 11 AH . In particular, Ali is reported to have said, "Whenever I looked at her [Fatima], all my worries and sadness disappeared". The Sunni al-Hakim al-Nishapuri ( d.  1014 ) and al-Khwarazmi ( d.  1173 ), and the Shia al-Qadi al-Nu'man ( d.  974 ) and al-Tabari al-Shia (eleventh century ), have likened Fatima to

1365-537: Is reportedly supported by her son Hasan's wish to be buried next to his mother. On the other hand, the Sunni al-Samhoodi ( d.  1533 ) concludes that Hasan is buried next to his grandmother Fatimah bint Asad , rather than his mother Fatima. This uncertainty in Shia sources again underscores Fatima's displeasure with the Muslim community. Fatima was survived by two sons, Hasan and Husayn , and two daughters, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum . Controversy surrounds

1456-454: Is that Fatima died from grief after Muhammad's death. Shia Islam, however, holds that Fatima's injuries during a raid by Umar directly caused her miscarriage and death shortly after. Al-Tabari mentions the suffering of Fatima in her final days. Shia traditions similarly describe Fatima's agony in her final days. In particular, the Isma'ili jurist al-Nu'man similarly reports a hadith from

1547-457: Is that the loss of Fatima was so traumatizing for Ali that he threatened Umar with violence for the first time, despite his previous restraint. Fatima's exact burial place in Medina remains uncertain, with often contradictory reports. The two most probable locations for her grave are the al-Baqi' cemetery and her home, which was later annexed to the Prophet's Mosque . The former location

1638-604: Is the Shia view. Among Sunnis, the charge of usurpation appears, for instance, in the works of Ibn Hajar al-Haythami ( d.  1566 ) and Ibn Sa'd ( d.  845 ). Among others, the Sunni al-Baladhuri ( d.  892 ) reports that Fatima objected to Abu Bakr, saying that Fadak was a gift from her father. Her husband Ali and a maid at Muhammad's house, named Umm Aiman , are reported to have offered their testimonies in support of Fatima. By some accounts, Fatima also brought her two sons as witnesses. Abu Bakr, however, did not find their testimonies sufficient to establish

1729-530: The Ahl al-Bayt , including Fatima, for those who empathize with their divine cause and suffering. Multiple sources report that Fatima never reconciled with Abu Bakr and Umar, partly based on a tradition to this effect in the canonical Sunni collection Sahih al-Bukhari . There are some accounts that Abu Bakr and Umar visited Fatima on her deathbed to apologize, which Madelung considers self-incriminatory. As reported in al-Imama wa al-siyasa , Fatima reminded

1820-662: The Battle of Khaybar . Fatima was at some point given a maidservant, named Fidda. Following the Battle of Uhud , Fatima tended to the wounds of her father and regularly visited the graves to pray for those killed in the battle. Later, Fatima rejected Abu Sufyan 's pleas to mediate between him and Muhammad. Fatima also accompanied Muhammad in the Conquest of Mecca . Among others, the Sunni al-Suyuti ( d.  1505 ) ascribes to Muhammad that, "God ordered me to marry Fatima to Ali." According to Veccia Vaglieri and Klemm, Muhammad also told Fatima that he had married her to

1911-607: The Idrisites and Sharifs of Maghreb in North Africa, and Hammudids in Andalusia , located in modern-day Spain . The Fatimid Caliphate claimed a Husaynid descent. Fatima Fatima bint Muhammad ( Arabic : فَاطِمَة بِنْت مُحَمَّد , romanized :  Fāṭima bint Muḥammad ; 605/15–632 CE), commonly known as Fatima al-Zahra' ( Arabic : فَاطِمَة ٱلزَّهْرَاء , romanized :  Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ ),

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2002-449: The Isma'ili imam Muhammad ibn Isma'il , though this claim has been challenged. While Fatima is not mentioned in the Quran by name, some verses are associated with her in classical exegeses. An example is verse 3:61 of the Quran. After an inconclusive debate about Jesus with a Christian delegation from Najran in 10/631–2, it was decided to engage in mubuhala , where both parties would pray to invoke God's curse upon whoever

2093-520: The children of Hashim paid their allegiance to him at Abwa . Among them were Ibrahim al-Imam, As-Saffah and Al-Mansur. But it soon became clear that Abbasid rule was established, so those who had paid allegiance to him deserted him, and another group of Shiites flocked around him. Muhammad was an inspirational figure to many throughout the caliphate who believed that he was destined for glory due to his ancestry. For years he disguised himself and travelled stealthily, since his professed relationship to

2184-413: The companions , including Abu Bakr and Umar , had earlier asked for Fatima's hand in marriage but were turned down by Muhammad, who said he was waiting for the moment fixed by destiny. It is also said that Ali was reticent to ask Muhammad to marry Fatima on account of his poverty. When Muhammad put forward Ali's proposal to Fatima, she remained silent, which was understood as a tacit agreement. On

2275-400: The death of Fatima in 632 CE , Ali remarried and had more children. Among them, the lineage of Ali continued through Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya , Abbas ibn Ali , and Umar al-Atraf , their descendants were honored by the title Alawi ( lit.   ' of Ali ' ). Respectively, they were born to Khawla al-Hanafiyya , Umm al-Banin , and Umm Habib bint Rabi'a (al-Sahba). Mu'awiya seized

2366-479: The fifth Imam to the effect that "whatever had been done to her by the people" caused Fatima to become bedridden, while her body wasted until it became like a specter. This hadith seems to contain a reference to Fatima's injuries during the raid. Ayoub describes Fatima a symbol of quiet suffering in Islamic piety. In particular, the Twelver Shia believe in the redemptive power of the pain and martyrdom endured by

2457-722: The Abbasid al-Saffah ( r.  750–754 ) declared himself caliph, as they had hoped for an Alid leader instead. The Abbasids soon turned against their former allies and persecuted the Alids and their Shia supporters. In response, Shia doctrinally limited its leadership to the Alids, many of whom revolted against the Abbasids, including the Hasanid brothers Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah ( d.  762 ) and Ibrahim. Some Alids instead took refuge in remote areas and founded regional dynasties in

2548-648: The Abbasids was ignited in Iraq and Bahrain in the mid-ninth century by Ali ibn Muhammad Sahib al-Zanj, who claimed descent from Abbas ibn Ali. The poetry by descendants of Abbas ibn Ali is collected in al-Awraq , compiled by the Turkic scholar al-Suli ( d.  946–947 ). One of his descendants was Abbas ibn al-Hasan al-Alawi, who reached fame as a poet and scholar during the reigns of Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma'mun. Several dynasties have claimed descent from Ali, often through his son Hasan. The Hasanid dynasties include

2639-538: The Abbasids. Their followers also believe that the birth of their twelfth imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi , was hidden for fear of Abbasid persecution and that he remains in occultation by divine will since 874, until his reappearance at the end of time to eradicate injustice and evil. They became known as the Twelvers . Meanwhile, the only historic split among the Imamites happened after the death in 765 of their sixth imam,

2730-649: The Ahl al-Kisa ( lit.   ' people of the cloak ' ). On the same occasion, Muhammad is also believed to have referred to them as the Ahl al-Bayt, according to Shia and some Sunni sources, including the canonical Sahih Muslim and Sunan al-Tirmidhi . Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn al- Ḥasan al-Muthannā ibn al- Ḥasan al-Mujtabā ibn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib or Muḥammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya ( Arabic : أبو عبد الله محمد بن عبد الله بن الحسن بن الحسن بن علي الملقَّب النفس الزكية , lit.   'The Pure Soul'),

2821-421: The Imamites were also probably killed by the Abbasids. For example, their seventh imam, Musa al-Kazim ( d.  799 ), spent years in the Abbasid prisons and died there, possibly poisoned by order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid ( r.  786–809 ), who also had "hundreds of Alids" killed. Caliph al-Ma'mun ( r.  813–833 ) later attempted a reconciliation by appointing in 816 as his heir Ali al-Rida ,

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2912-518: The Prophet meant that he posed a threat to the established political order. He was eventually able to amass a sizable but ragtag army and seize the city of Medina. He then left Medina in the year 145 A.H and took over Mecca and Yemen . He was murdered in Medina a few months later. Medina was an exceptionally poor place for any large-scale insurrection due to its dependence on other provinces for goods, and his motley army of devotees were no match for

3003-587: The Quran. To support her claim, she is believed to have quoted verse 27:16 of the Quran in which Solomon inherits from his father David and verse 19:6 in which Zechariah prays for a son who would inherit from him and from the House of Jacob . As reported in Balaghat , Fatima also quoted verses 8:75 and 33:6 about the rights of every Muslim to inheritance. Abu Bakr terminated the status of purity of Muhammad's kin by forcing them to rely on general alms which

3094-479: The Saqifa affair, while these conflicts might have been amplified in Shia records. Both al-Tabari and al-Mas'udi note that Abu Bakr regretted the events after Saqifa on his deathbed. In particular, al-Tabari states that Abu Bakr wished he had "never opened Fatima's house to anything, even though they had locked it as a gesture of defiance." This appears to have been a sensitive admission that has been censored by

3185-420: The Shia to be a reference to her primordial creation from light that continues to radiate throughout the creation. The Shia Ibn Babawahy ( d.  991 ) writes that, whenever Fatima prayed, her light shone for the inhabitants of the heavens as starlight shines for the inhabitants of the earth. Other titles of her in Shia are al-Ṣiddiqa ( lit.   ' the righteous ' ), al-Tahira ( lit.   '

3276-567: The Shia uprising of al-Mukhtar in 685 on behalf of Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiya. Many more Shia revolts followed afterward, led not only by the Alids but also by other kinsmen of Muhammad. The main movements in this period were the now-extinct Kaysanites and the Imamites. Named after a commander of al-Mukhtar, the Kaysanites energetically opposed the Umayyads and were led by various relatives of Muhammad. Their majority followed Abu Hashim ,

3367-478: The Sunni Ibn Sa'd in his Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kubra suggests that Fatima was born when Muhammad was about thirty-five years old. The Sunni view is that Fatima had three sisters, named Zaynab , Umm Kulthum , and Ruqayyah , who did not survive Muhammad. Alternatively, a number of Shia sources state that Zainab , Ruqayyah , and Umm Kulthum were adopted by Muhammad after the death of their mother, Hala,

3458-524: The Sunni al-Tabari, her dying wish was that Abu Bakr should not attend the funeral, and this request was fulfilled by Ali. Fatima's wish is believed to be at odds with the common practice of Muslims, who are encouraged to join funerals. In Shia sources, her wish for a secret burial is viewed as a sign of the disassociation of Muhammad's daughter with the Muslim community who largely failed to support her against Abu Bakr. The prominent Twelver traditionist al-Tusi ( d.  1067 ) reports an account of

3549-406: The Sunni author Abu Ubayd al-Salam in his Kitab al-amwal . Abu Bakr's regret is also cited by the Shia al-Ya'qubi ( d.  897-8 ). Sunni sources are nearly unanimous that Ali pledged his allegiance to Abu Bakr after Fatima's death. When it became clear that Muslims did not broadly support his cause, Ali is said to have relinquished his claims to the caliphate for the sake of the unity of

3640-456: The absence of the Muhajirun (migrants from Mecca ) from this meeting suggests that the Ansar gathered to re-establish the control of the Ansar over their city Medina, under the belief that the Muhajirun would mostly return to Mecca after Muhammad's death. Abu Bakr and Umar , both companions of Muhammad, hastened to the gathering upon learning about it. After a heated session, in which

3731-453: The allegations of violence should be treated with caution as they reflect the political agendas of the time. In contrast, Veccia Vaglieri is of the view that the Shia allegations are based on facts, even if they have been exaggerated. Abbas writes that some well-regarded Sunni sources mention Umar's raid and Fatima's injuries. Khetia believes that there are known instances where sensitive information has been censored by Sunni authors, such as

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3822-486: The anger of Sunnis. In his al-Saqifa wa Fadak , al-Jawhari ( d.  935 ) includes a tradition to the effect that Umar and his men first threatened to set Fatima's house on fire. Then they entered the house, despite her pleas, and forced Ali and his supporters out of the house. The remainder of the account in al-Imama wa al-siyasa describes that Ali was pulled out of his house by force and threatened with death, according to Khetia. Mu'awiya ( r.  661–680 )

3913-401: The basis of this report, woman's consent in marriage has always been necessary in Islamic law. Muhammad also suggested that Ali sell his shield to pay the bridal gift ( mahr ). Muhammad performed the wedding ceremony, and they prepared an austere wedding feast with gifts from other Muslims. Shia sources have recorded that Fatima donated her wedding gown on her wedding night. Later,

4004-487: The best member of his family. There is another version of this hadith in the canonical Sunni collection Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal , in which Muhammad lauds Ali as the first in Islam, the most knowledgeable, and the most patient of the Muslim community. Nasr writes that the union of Fatima and Ali holds a special spiritual significance for Muslims, as it is seen as the marriage between the "greatest saintly figures" surrounding Muhammad. Ali did not marry again while Fatima

4095-415: The burial that vividly describes the suffering of Ali after the death of his wife, attributed to their son Husayn . Al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ), another notable Twelver scholar, includes in his Ikhtisas a related tradition ascribed to Ja'far al-Sadiq , the sixth Imam . This tradition describes that the next morning Abu Bakr and Umar berated Ali for the secret burial of Fatima. After learning that this

4186-575: The caliph. Abu Bakr was initially the sole witness to this statement, referred to as the hadith of Muhammad's inheritance . In his al-Tabaqat al-kubra , the Sunni traditionist Ibn Sa'd ( d.  845 ) furnishes the hadith of inheritance with two chains of transmission which include numerous prominent companions of Muhammad, such as Umar , Uthman , and Zubayr . In particular, he includes in these chains some notable Hashimites , such as Ali and Ibn Abbas , who are both known to have vehemently disputed this claim of Abu Bakr in other sources. On

4277-513: The canonical Kitab al-Kafi , Kamil al-ziyarat , Kitab al-Irshad , Tarikh al-Ya'qubi , and Dala'il al-imama. Of these, Tarikh al-Ya'qubi does not mention miscarriage, while Kitab al-irshad by al-Mufid ( d.  1022 ) is quiet about any violence. For the latter, considering that al-Mufid writes about violence against Fatima elsewhere, Khetia suspects that he refrained from controversial topics in his Kitab al-Irshad to render it accessible to most Twelvers without provoking

4368-505: The couple moved into a house next to Muhammad's quarters in Medina. Their marriage lasted about ten years until Fatima's death. Fatima's age at the time of her marriage is uncertain, reported between nine and twenty-one. Ali is said to have been about twenty two. As with the majority of Muslims, the couple lived in severe poverty in the early years of Islam. In particular, both had to do hard physical work to get by. Shia sources elaborate that Ali worked at various jobs while Fatima

4459-402: The dearest person to him. She is often viewed as an ultimate archetype for Muslim women and an example of compassion, generosity, and enduring suffering. It is through Fatima that Muhammad's family line has survived to this date. Her name and her epithets remain popular choices for Muslim girls. When Muhammad died in 632, Fatima and her husband Ali refused to acknowledge the authority of

4550-411: The deed written by Abu Bakr. Probably after Abu Bakr rejected Fatima's claim, she demanded her inheritance from the estate of her father. Abu Bakr rejected this too, claiming that Muhammad had disinherited his family. More specifically, he maintained that Muhammad had personally told him that prophets do not leave inheritance, and what they leave behind is public property that should be administered by

4641-478: The eighth imam of the Imamites. But other Abbasids revolted in opposition in Iraq , which forced al-Ma'mun to reverse his policies and Ali al-Rida died around that time, likely poisoned. Ali al-Hadi ( d.  868 ) and Hasan al-Askari ( d.  874 ), the tenth and eleventh imams of the Imamites, were held in the capital Samarra under strict surveillance. Most Imamite sources report that both were poisoned by

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4732-661: The fate of her third son Muhsin . Some canonical Shia sources report that Muhsin died in miscarriage, following Umar's raid on Fatima's house. Alternatively, Sunnis hold that Muhsin died in infancy of natural causes. It is through Fatima that Muhammad's progeny has spread throughout the Muslim world. Fatima's descendants are given the honorific titles of sayyid ( lit.   ' lord, or sir ' ) or sharif ( lit.   ' noble ' ) and are respected by Muslims. The Fatimid dynasty ( r.  909–1171 ) in North Africa claimed descent from Fatima via

4823-679: The first Rashidun caliph Abu Bakr ( r.  632–634 ). The former report appears is Sunni sources and the latter in Shia sources. Hasan and Husayn are recognized as the second and the third Imams in Shia Islam , their descendants being known as the Hasanids and the Husaynids , respectively. They are revered by all Muslims as the progeny of Muhammad and honored by nobility titles such as Sharif and Sayyid . Ali and Fatima also had two daughters, namely, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum . After

4914-484: The first caliph , Abu Bakr . The couple and their supporters held that Ali was the rightful successor of Muhammad, possibly referring to his announcement at the Ghadir Khumm . Controversy surrounds Fatima's death within six months of Muhammad's. Sunni Islam holds that Fatima died from grief. In Shia Islam , however, Fatima's (miscarriage and) death are said to have been the direct result of her injuries during

5005-468: The full moon, the sun hidden by clouds, or the sun that has come out of the clouds. The first expression is a common metaphor for beauty in Arabic and Persian. The Shia al-Majlesi ( d.  1699 ) explains that the second expression is a reference to Fatima's chastity, while the third expression refers to her primordial light. Soufi details that Fatima's manners closely resembled Muhammad's. Her gait

5096-399: The last one was a companion of Muhammad. Nevertheless, Soufi notes that Abu Bakr's testimony is strong enough for Sunnis to make an exception to the Quranic rules of inheritance. Twelvers, however, reject the authenticity of the hadith of inheritance based on their own traditions, pointing also to the contradictions of this hadith with the Quran. In protest, Fatima is said to have delivered

5187-481: The mosque. Jafri adds that those who initially supported Ali gradually turned and pledged their allegiance to Abu Bakr. It appears that only his wife Fatima and their four small children remained on his side, writes Hazleton, in line with a statement to this effect attributed to Ali in Nahj al-balagha . Umar has been noted for his severity and misogyny, especially in Shia sources. "Umar's toughness" ( shidda )

5278-418: The mutual distrust and hostility of Ali with Abu Bakr and Umar is well-documented, though largely downplayed or ignored in Sunni sources. Their differences were epitomized during the proceedings of the electoral council in 644 when Ali refused to be bound by the precedence of the first two caliphs. A common Sunni argument is that Ali would have never continued his relations with Umar had the latter organized

5369-443: The other hand, Soufi holds that Abu Bakr is generally regarded as the only credible narrator of this hadith in Sunni sources, adding that similar reports attributed to other companions have been rejected by Sunnis. Along these lines, Sajjadi writes that all (credible) versions of this hadith are narrated from Abu Bakr, his ally Umar, his daughter Aisha , and Malik ibn Aus Al-Hadathan , though some primary sources have disputed whether

5460-413: The ownership of Fatima, requiring two men or one man and two women as witnesses per Islamic law. Khetia adds that Fatima might have expected her closeness with Muhammad to strengthen her case. In the same vein, Shias argue the truthful Fatima would have not claimed something which was not hers. In another account, Abu Bakr agreed to return Fadak to Fatima but was dissuaded by his ally Umar , who tore up

5551-652: The personal enmity between Abu Bakr and Ali. Madelung, Abbas , and Anthony have noted the poor relations between the two men. In the immediate aftermath of Muhammad's death in 11/632, the Ansar (natives of Medina ) gathered in the Saqifa ( lit.   ' courtyard ' ) of the Sa'ida clan. The conventional wisdom is that they met to decide on a new leader for the Muslim community among themselves. For Madelung , however,

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5642-474: The poet to recite it, adding that the welfare of Islam was dearer to him than anything else. In sharp contrast with Muhammad's lifetime, Ali is believed to have retired from public life during the caliphates of Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman. Anthony describes this change in Ali's attitude as a silent censure of the first three caliphs. While he reportedly advised Abu Bakr and Umar on government and religious matters,

5733-399: The prominent jurist Abu Ubayd al-Salam ( d.  837 ), who was possibly concerned with the righteous representation of Muhammad's companions. Similar allegations have emerged against al-Tabari and al-Mas'udi ( d.  956 ). Along these lines, Lucas and Soufi both note the Sunni tendency to minimize and neutralize the conflicts among companions after Muhammad, particularly about

5824-572: The prophet had forbidden for them in his lifetime. At the same time, Abu Bakr allowed the prophet's widows to inherit his quarters in Medina. In particular, he granted his daughter Aisha some properties in the Aliya part of Medina and in Bahrain. By maintaining their status, Abu Bakr might have signaled to the Muslim community that his daughter Aisha and the rest of Muhammad's widows were the true heirs of Muhammad, according to Aslan . Madelung holds

5915-417: The prophet that, "If beauty ( husn ) were a person, it would be Fatima; indeed she is greater," while some Shia authors have likened her to a human houri . Fatima was severely bereaved after Muhammad's death in A.H.   11/632 C.E . Several elegies to Muhammad, attributed to Fatima, have survived and are collected in a diwan of poetry. At the same time, Fatima also actively contested

6006-461: The pure ' ), al-Mubaraka ( lit.   ' the blessed ' ), and al-Mansura ( lit.   ' helped by God ' ). Another Shia title is al-Muḥadditha, in view of the reports that angels spoke to Fatima on multiple occasions, similar to Mary , mother of Jesus . Fatima is also recognized as Sayyidat Nisa' al-Janna ( lit.   ' mistress of the women of paradise ' ) and Sayyidat Nisa' al-Alamin ( lit.   ' mistress of

6097-404: The quiescent Ja'far al-Sadiq , who played a key role in formulating Imamite doctrines. Some claimed that his designated successor was his son Isma'il , who had actually predeceased al-Sadiq. These followers permanently separated and later formed the Isma'ilites . Some of them denied the death of Isma'il but their majority accepted the imamate of his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il . His death around 795

6188-478: The rule after the assassination of Ali in 661 and founded the Umayyad Caliphate , during which the Alids and their supporters were heavily persecuted. After Ali, his followers ( shi'a ) recognized as their imam his eldest son Hasan. After his death in 670, they turned to his brother Husayn, but he and his small caravan were massacred by the Umayyads in the Battle of Karbala in 680. Soon followed

6279-446: The saga of Fadak as a mere financial dispute. According to Aslan, Abu Bakr's actions are often regarded as a political move to weaken Muhammad's clan and strip his kin from their privileged status. Aslan also argues that Abu Bakr's efforts were intended to undermine Ali's claim to the caliphate. These efforts, writes Aslan, are partly explained by Abu Bakr's conviction that the caliphate must reside outside of Muhammad's clan and partly by

6370-494: The son of Ibn al-Hanafiya. When Abu Hashim died around 716, this group followed Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abd-Allah , the great-grandson of Muhammad's uncle Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib . The Kaysanite movement thus aligned itself with the Abbasids, that is, the descendants of Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib. On the other hand, the Imamites were led by the quiescent descendants of Husayn through his only surviving son, Ali Zayn al-Abidin ( d.  713 ), their fourth imam. His son Zayd ibn Ali

6461-647: The southern shores of the Caspian sea , Yemen , and western Maghreb . For instance, the revolt of the Hasanid Husayn ibn Ali al-Abid was suppressed in 786 but his brother Idris ( d.  791 ) escaped and founded the first Alid dynasty in Morocco . Similarly, a number of Zaydite rules appeared in northern Persia and in Yemen, the latter of which has survived to the present day. Some quiescent imams of

6552-402: The succession of Abu Bakr and maintained that Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad. Fatima died within six months of her father and her death at a young age is subject of intense controversy with allegations against Abu Bakr and his ally Umar , as detailed below. Fadak was a village located to the north of Medina , at a distance of two days travel. As part of a peace treaty with

6643-430: The traditions cited by al-Tabari and al-Baladhuri do not have chains of transmission that reach back to the time of the conflict. Madelung believes that Abu Bakr later placed a boycott on Ali and, more broadly, on the Banu Hashim to abandon their support for Ali. As a result, prominent men ceased to speak to Ali, according to a Sunni hadith attributed to Aisha . Hazleton similarly writes that Ali prayed alone even in

6734-531: The two visitors of Muhammad's words, "Fatima is part of me, and whoever angers her has angered me." The dying Fatima then told the two that they had indeed angered her, and that she would soon take her complaint to God and His prophet, Muhammad. There are also Sunni reports that Fatima reconciled with Abu Bakr and Umar, though Madelung suggests that they were invented to address the negative implications of Fatima's anger. Following her will, Ali buried Fatima secretly at night and hid her burial plot. According to

6825-517: The verse of mubahala must refer to Muhammad's grandchildren, Hasan and Husayn . In that case, he continues, it would be reasonable to also include in the event their parents, Ali and Fatima. Madelung writes that their inclusion by Muhammad in this significant ritual must have raised the religious rank of his family. A similar view is voiced by Lalani. Of those present on Muhammad's side, Shia traditions are unanimous that 'our women' refers to Fatima and 'ourselves' refers to Ali. In particular, since

6916-410: The verse refers to Ali as the self of Muhammad, Shia holds that the former enjoys the same authority as the latter. In contrast, most Sunni accounts by al-Tabari do not name the participants of the event, while some other Sunni historians agree with the Shia view. Some accounts about mubahala add that Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn stood under Muhammad's cloak, and this five are thus known as

7007-470: The verse was revealed to Muhammad in Medina. The revenue of Fadak largely supported needy travelers, the poor, military expeditions, and Muhammad's family, who were forbidden from receiving general alms. Following Muhammad's death in 632 and early in his caliphate , Abu Bakr is said to have seized Fadak from Fatima by evicting her agents, possibly as a show of authority to Muhammad's clan ( Banu Hashim ) who had not yet pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr. This

7098-452: The women of the worlds ' ) in Shia and Sunni collections of hadith, including the canonical Sunni Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim . The name Fatima is from the Arabic root f-t-m ( lit.   ' to wean ' ) and signifies the Shia belief that she, her progeny, and her adherents ( shi'a ) have been spared from hellfire. Alternatively, the word Fatima is associated in Shia sources with Fatir ( lit.   ' creator ' ,

7189-401: Was Fatima's wish, the account continues that Umar threatened to locate and exhume Fatima's body and then re-bury her after funeral prayer . According to this account, what prevented Umar from materializing his threat was Ali's warning, "By God, as long as I'm alive and [my sword] Zulfiqar is in my hands, you will not reach her, and you know best [not to do it]." For Khetia, the interpretation

7280-585: Was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , through his daughter Fatimah . Known for his commanding oratory skills, amiable demeanor, and impressive build, he led the Alid Revolt in Medina , a failed rebellion, against the second Abbasid caliph Al-Mansur . He and a few hundred soldiers faced against a large Abbasid force under Isa ibn Musa , and he was killed on December 6, 762 CE (145 AH ). Initially, he hoped to rebel against Umayyad rule, when

7371-423: Was alive. However, al-Miswar ibn Makhrama , a companion who was nine when Muhammad died, appears to be the sole narrator of an alleged marriage proposal of Ali to Abu Jahl's daughter in Sunni sources. While polygyny is permitted in Islam, Muhammad reportedly banned this marriage from the pulpit, saying that there can be no joining of the daughter of the prophet and the daughter of the enemy of God (Abu Jahl). He

7462-407: Was also similar to the prophet's, according to Veccia Vaglieri, who also argues that Fatima must have enjoyed good health on the account of bearing multiple children, her arduous house chores, and her journeys to Mecca. Her sources are silent about the appearance of Fatima, which leads her to the conclusion, "Fatima was certainly not a beautiful woman". In contrast, the Sunni al-Khwarazmi relates from

7553-460: Was an exception for he led a failed uprising against the Umayyads around 740. The followers of Zayd went on to form the Zaydites , for whom any learned Hasanid or Husaynid who rose against tyranny was qualified as imam. To overthrow the Umayyads, the Abbasids had rallied the support of the Shia in the name of the Ahl al-Bayt , that is, the family of Muhammad. But many Shias were disillusioned when

7644-572: Was born in Mecca to Khadija , the first of Muhammad's wives . The mainstream Sunni view is that Khadija gave birth to Fatima in 605 CE, at age fifty, five years before the first Quranic revelations . This implies that Fatima was over eighteen at the time of her marriage, which would have been unusual in Arabia . Twelver sources, however, report that Fatima was born in about 612 or 615 CE, when Khadija would have been slightly older. The report of

7735-649: Was denied by the majority of his followers, who awaited his return as the Mahdi, while a minority traced the imamate in his descendants. The Isma'ilites actively opposed the Abbasids, and their efforts culminated in the establishment of the Fatimid Caliphate ( r.  909–1171 ) in North Africa , although some have questioned the Isma'ilite ancestry of the Fatimid caliphs. The abortive Zanj rebellion against

7826-442: Was disarmed and carried away. The mob, however, retreated without Ali's pledge after Fatima pleaded with them, as reported in al-Imama wa al-siyasa . Alternatively, al-Baladhuri states that Ali capitulated and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr immediately after Umar's threat. In contrast, the canonical Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim relate that Ali pledged to Abu Bakr after Fatima died. Soufi comments that all but one of

7917-490: Was responsible for domestic chores. It has also been related that Muhammad taught the couple a tasbih to help ease the burden of their poverty: The Tasbih of Fatima consists of the phrases Allah-hu Akbar ( lit.   ' God is the greatest ' ), Al-hamdu-lillah ( lit.   ' all praise is due to God ' ), and Subhan-Allah ( lit.   ' God is glorious ' ). Their financial circumstances later improved after more lands fell to Muslims in

8008-532: Was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija . Fatima's husband was Ali , the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs and the first Shia Imam . Fatima's sons were Hasan and Husayn , the second and third Shia Imams, respectively. Fatima has been compared to Mary , mother of Jesus , especially in Shia Islam. Muhammad is said to have regarded her as the best of women and

8099-473: Was the liar. This is when Muhammad is reported to have received verse 3:61 of the Quran, also known as the verse of mubahala , which reads And to whomsoever disputes with thee over it, after the knowledge that has come unto thee [about Jesus], say, "Come! Let us call upon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly, so as to place the curse of God upon those who lie." Madelung argues that 'our sons' in

8190-531: Was the rightful successor to Muhammad, possibly referring to Muhammad's announcement at Ghadir Khumm . Ali is believed to have explained this position to Abu Bakr. After the Saqifa affair, Abu Bakr reportedly tasked his ally Umar with securing Ali's pledge of allegiance. As noted by al-Tabari ( d.  923 ), the latter led an armed mob to Ali's residence and threatened to set the house on fire if Ali and his supporters would not pledge their allegiance to Abu Bakr. The scene soon grew violent, and Zubayr

8281-419: Was thrown over him at the instigation of Abu Jahl , Muhammad's enemy and a polytheist . Fatima lost her mother, Khadija, in childhood. When Khadija died, it is said that Gabriel descended upon Muhammad with a message to console Fatima. Fatima married Muhammad's cousin, Ali , in Medina around 1 or 2 AH (623–5 CE), possibly after the Battle of Badr . There is Sunni and Shia evidence that some of

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