Umar at Fatimah's house
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|
Part of a series on the |
|
|
|
- This is a sub-article to the Succession to Muhammad
Some Shi'a and Sunni sources narrated that during the Succession to Muhammad, when Abu Bakr sent a group of people headed by Khalid ibn Walid and Umar at Fatimah's house. Shi'a portray this event as an military Coup d'état, while Sunni are prone to view it in a totaly different maner.
Contents |
[edit] Previous events
According to the Shi'a view, Umar ibn al-Khattab was not only one of Abu Bakr's most zealous supporters, but also his co-conspirator and in some cases his superior. Umar led a party of armed men against Ali's house in Medina and called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr, who they had decided would take power in the the meeting at Saqifah. Umar and Khalid ibn Walid threatened to burn the house down if they did not submit.
[edit] Event
[edit] The door
Umar ibn al-Khattab and his men broke down the door. According to one narration of the Peshawar Nights debate, Abi'l-Hasan Ali Bin Husain Mas'udi was cited to have written that Fatima Zahra, who was pregnant at the time, was standing behind the door and she was pressed severely enough that she miscarried a son whom the Shi'a call Al Muhsin[1]. She cried out:
| You have left the body of the Apostle of Allah with us and you have decided among yourselves without consulting us, and without respecting our rights. Before Allah, I say, either you get out of here at once, or with my hair dishevelled I will make my appeal to Allah."[2] |
[edit] Arrests
The Peshawar debate claim is that at this point Zubayr ibn al-Awwam went out, but was disarmed, and Ali was arrested [1]. They were both brought to Abu Bakr, but since situation critical due to the Fatimah event, they did not put a death ultimatum on Ali's homage. Ali held out and did not pay homage until Fatima's death [3]
Sa'id Akhtar Rizvi, a 21th century Shi'a twelver Islamic scholar writes:
| ...after saqifah, he (Zubayr) had taken out his sword to fight those who had entered the house of 'Ali to take him to Abu Bakr [4]. |
[edit] Talk with Abu Bakr
Ibn Qutaybah, 9th century Islamic scholar writes:
When Abu Bakr had taken the caliphate, 'Ali was dragged to Abu Bakr as he repeatedly declared,
Then 'Ali was commanded to take the oath of allegiance to Abu Bakr. 'Ali said:
'Umar said,
'Ali cried,
Ultimately Abu Bakr said,
|
[edit] List
Among the people enumerated to have been included in the siege, the following are included:
- Umar Ibn al-Khattab [5]
- Khalid ibn al-Walid [5]
- Abd-al-Rahman ibn Awf [5]
- Thabit Ibn Shammas [5]
- Ziad Ibn Labid [5]
- Muhammad ibn Maslamah [5]
- Salamah Ibn Salem Ibn Waqash [5]
- Salamah Ibn Aslam [5]
- Usaid Ibn Hozair [5]
- Zayd ibn Thabit [5]
Among those in the besieged house are the following included:
- Ali [6]
- Salman the Persian [6]
- Abu Dharr al-Ghifari [6]
- Miqdad ibn Aswad [6]
- Ammar ibn Yasir [6]
- Zubayr ibn al-Awwam [6]
- Khuzaymah ibn Thabit [6]
- Ubay ibn Ka'b [6]
- Farwah ibn `Amr ibn Wadqah al-Ansari [6]
- al-Bara ibn Azib [6]
- Khalid ibn Sa`id [6]
- and many others [6].
[edit] Views
[edit] Shi'a view
Fatima Zahra wanted to defend the first Imam (Ali ibn Abi Talib) and by most accounts her words and her actions succeeded in protecting Ali from Umar and his men. When she faced Umar ibn al-Khattab and his soldiers, she set an example to all Shi'a (since she faced them as a Shi’a of Ali, not as the wife of Ali), and this action is a significant part of what has defined her role as a Shi'a and as a Muslim woman. [7].
[edit] Non-Muslim view
Edward Gibbon, a 18th century non-Muslim Islamic scholar wrote:
| After the simple inauguration of Abubeker, he was obeyed in Medina, Mecca, and the provinces of Arabia: the Hashemites alone declined the oath of fidelity; and their chief, in his own house, maintained, above six months, a sullen and independent reserve; without listening to the threats of Omar, who attempted to consume with fire the habitation of the daughter of the apostle. The death of Fatima, and the decline of his party, subdued the indignant spirit of Ali: he condescended to salute the commander of the faithful, accepted his excuse of the necessity of preventing their common enemies, and wisely rejected his courteous offer of abdicating the government of the Arabians. [8] |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Peshawar Nights [1] on Al-Islam.org
- ^ Jafri 1979 p 52, citing Baladhuri,1 pp585 f; Ya'qubi II, p126; al-Tabari I p1818; Abu Bakral Jawhari in his Sharh Nahj al-Balagha II p47,50,56f. Iqd IV p259f. al-Imama Wa's-Siyasa, I, pp 12-13
- ^ Jafri 1979 p53 citing Yaqubi II 126 Baladhuri I 586, al-Tabari I 1825 Iqdd IV 260 and Hadith II 22; he points out that this is the most common and oldest written tradition, but that there are a few more recent variations on this.
- ^ a b Imamate: The Vicegerency of the Prophet al-islam.org [2]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fatima the Gracious by Abu Muhammad Ordoni, chapter "Attacking the House of Fatimah (AS)"
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l A Shi'i-Sunni dialogue on Al-Islam.org [3]
- ^ Ali Shariati. Fatemeh is Fatemeh. Tahrike Tarsile Quran' 1982 ISBN 0940368099 Excerpts online accessed 11 July 2006.
- ^ The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , section Reign of Abubeker; A.D. 632, June 7.
