Mushabbar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mushabbar, the Arabic Name for Harun third son, the first two being named Shabbar and Shabbir respectively. Also the names given by the Muhammad for his three favorite grandchildren, Hasan, Husain, and Muhsin. Muhsin was never born and died prenataly.

Shi'a sources say that two days after Muhammad's death, Umar al-Khattab led a party of armed men to Ali's house. They called for the men of the house to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr, and also threatened to burn the house down. No one came out, so the armed men pushed their way into the house. Fatima, who was pregnant at the time, was standing behind the door. She was crushed when the door was pushed open suddenly. She miscarried of a boy child, who was called Al Muhsin or Mushabbar. Fatima was gravely injured in the attack and died of her injuries some time later. Abu Bakr and Umar thus stand accused of killing both Muhammad's daughter and grandson.

Some Shi'a say that as Fatima was dying, she asked Ali to bury her in secret; she did not want Abu Bakr and Umar at her funeral. Other Shi'a say that Ali made this decision. In any case, the private burial dramatized the split in the Muslim community.

Sunni sources question this whole narrative, saying that it is a later invention of the Shi'a.