THEY MAY

ASK YOU

Questions and answers on the martyrdom of Lady Fatima-al-Zahra,

the daughter of the holy messenger of Allah peace be upon him and his family.
Alas, the tradition for oppression of the holy progeny
of the prophet oooo, which started shortly after his
passing, continues to this day. One manifestation of
this is the denial of the fact that his daughter, lady
Fatima ooo, was martyred.

The doubters challenge this fact by raising a number

of revoking questions, in an effort to rewrite history.
Here we present a number of these questions along
with their answers in commemoration of one of the
most tragic events in history.

They may ask you 2

 1.
Why Did Imam Ali oo
Choose Not to Retaliate After
The Martyrdom of His Wife?

A. Imam Ali ooo had to remain silent for the sake of

preserving Islam and preventing division.
Additionally, he lacked sufficient support to take
effective action.1

B. With regards to retaliation, the Prophet of Islam

after the conquest of Mecca did not seek revenge
even from Washi who had martyred his uncle
Hamza*. Imam Ali ooo therefore followed the
example set by the Prophet.

C. Furthermore, the Prophet of Islam did not seek

to punish those people who attempted to
assassinate him after the battle of Tabuk.
Muslim Al-Neishaburi makes this remark about
these men in his Sahih: “...twelve of them were
enemies of God and his Prophet in this world
and in the hereafter”.2 When Hudhayfah and
Ammar requested that the terrorists be
punished, the Prophet oooo replied: “I loathe to
hear people say Muhammad oooo killed his own
companions.” 3

*Hamza's title was Sayyid al-Shuhada, meaning the master of the martyrs.

They may ask you 3

 2.
Why Did Imam Ali ooo
Not React, When His House
Was Attacked?

This is a misconception. In fact, Imam Ali oooo

reacted immediately upon the attack on his wife.
Solaim-ibn-Ghays in his book narrates this about the
attack on the house of Lady-Fatima ooo:

"… Umar pressed the door and entered… Umar then

struck the side of Lady Fatima ooo with a sheathed
sword and whipped her arm. Fatima called out:

“O messenger of Allah! Abu-Bakr and Umar treat

your family so unfairly.”.

At this point Imam Ali ooo suddenly rose and took

Umar by the scruff of his neck and threw him to the
floor. He then struck him on his neck and nose and
was about to kill him when he remembered what the
prophet had told him. Therefore, he said to Umar:

“O son of Suhak! I swear by the One who appointed

Muhammad oooo as His messenger, had it not been
for God's order and my vow to the prophet, I would
have proved to you that you cannot force your way
into my house." 4

They may ask you 4

 3.
Why Did Imam Ali oo Have a
Good Relationship With
Those Who Are Said To Be
Responsible For The
Martyrdom Of His Wife?

On the contrary, Imam Ali ooo never had a good

relationship with those who were responsible for the
death of Lady Fatima ooo as narrated in Sahih of
Bukhari: “Ali ooo did not want to see Umar-ibn-
Khattab”, and He viewed Abu Bakr's actions towards
the family of the prophet as “tyrannical”. 3

Furthermore, if Imam Ali assisted the Caliphs, it was

purely for the sake of Islam and the Muslims.

They may ask you 5

 4.
Why Did Imam Ali oo Praise
Umar? Refering To The 228th
Sermon Of Nahj-ul-Balaghah

A. This is a false statement as nowhere in this

sermon has Umar's name been mentioned.
Furthermore, Subhi Saleh, a Sunni scholar says:
“This sermon is regarding one of the
companions of Ali ooo.6

Furthermore, Imam Ali ooo in the 3rd sermon of

the Nahj-ul-Balagheh regarded Umar as a
violent, harsh, and erroneous individual:

“I swear by God that during the reign of the

second-one people were in great distress and
suffering. Hypocrisy and dissatisfaction were rife
and I, during this long gruelling period had no
choice but to remain patient”.

B. Additionally, according to a narration in the

Sahih of Muslim, the second authentic book of
the Sunnis, Umar himself says that Imam Ali
ooo and Abbas-ibn-abdul-Mutalib viewed Abu
Bakr and Umar as sinful liars and treacherous
7
traitors.

They may ask you 6

 5.
Why Did Imam Ali oo Never
Mention The Martyrdom
Of His Wife, Even During
His Own Caliphate?

A. In the 202nd sermon of the Nahj-ul-Balagha,

Amir-al-Momenin Ali ooo, says thus upon
burying his wife Fatima ooo: “…from now my
sorrows are endless and my nights sleepless,
until God reunites me with you...” 8

B. During his government, Imam Ali ooo

complained to Solaim-ibn-Gheis of the condition
of his wife Fatima ooo at the time of her
martyrdom that: “Fatima ooo passed away
whilst she still carried the marks of the attack on
her upper limb like an armband.” 9

C. Ibn-Abbas has also narrated: “During the battle

of Siffin, Ali-ibn-abi Talib ooo read to me from a
book written by himself from what the Prophet
oooo had dictated, where he explained how
Fatima ooo would be martyred.” 10

They may ask you 7

 6.
Why Did Imam Ali oo Name
Three Of His Children Abu
Bakr, Umar, And Uthman?

A. These names were quite common at that time.

For instance, ibn-Hujr al-Asghalani in his book
'Al-Isabah fi tamyiz al Sahabah' mentions 21
companions of the prophet named Umar, 26
named Uthman, and 3 who were called Abu-
Bakr.

B. Some of the companions of the Shia' Imams

were called Yazid, e.g. Yazid-ibn-Hatim, Yazid-
ibn-abdul-Malik, Yazid-ibn-Umar-ibn-Talha etc.
Can we assume that these men were named thus
after Yazid-ibn-Muawiya?

C. The son of Imam Ali whose Kunya* was Abu-

Bakr, was in fact named Muhammad.11
Moreover, Imam Ali ooo named one of his
children Uthman due to his fondness for
Uthman-ibn-Mazuon (not Uthman-ibn-Affan).12

Furthermore, Umar-ibn-Khattab, imposed his

13
own name on one of Imam Ali's children. Umar
is known to have done a similar thing to some
other Muslims too.14

* Kunya is a teknonym i.e. the name of an adult that is derived from the
name of their eldest child, e.g. father of Fahad is called Abu-Fahad.

They may ask you 8

D. If we are saying that one's respect and affection
towards another can be discovered from the
names of his or her children, then what can be
said about the fact that none of the first three
caliphs named their children Ali, Hassan, or
Hussain?

7.
Why Did Imam Ali oo Allow
His Daughter Ume-kulthum,
To Marry The Person
Responsible For The
Martyrdom Of His Wife?
Shia' scholars believe that this marriage never
happened and Alama-Amini's son has extensively
explored the reasons behind this fabrication in an
800-page long dissertation.15

Furthermore, other Shia' Imams had marital ties

with their enemies. For instance, Imam Muhammad
al-Jawad ibn-Ali ooo had married the daughter of
the man who had killed his father. This same woman
later martyred Imam Jawad ooo.

Therefore, even if some people insist that the

marriage in question happened, this cannot indicate
one's approval for the other.

They may ask you 9

 8.
Why Did Imam Hassan And
Imam Hussain oo Never
Mention The Martyrdom Of
Their Mother During Their
Lifetime?

This is a false statement as:

A. In a debate against Muawiya and his followers,

Imam Hassan ooo addressed Mughaira-ibn-
Sho'ba as such: “You are the one who attacked
Fatima ooo, the dear daughter of the prophet,
until she was bloodied, causing her to miscarry.” 16

B. Imam Hussain ooo narrated from his father upon

the burial of Lady Fatima ooo: “… I wail the
wailing of a mother who has lost her child. Oh,
prophet of Allah! God is witness that your
daughter had to be buried in secrecy; her right
was forcefully taken, and her inheritance publicly
seized from her. All this befell shortly after your
departure, whilst your memory was still fresh.” 17

C. Furthermore, one may question whether it would

have even be possible to hold a funeral ceremony
during a time when Umar-ibn-Khattab would
break into people's houses at night and remove
lady's head-coverings and beat them, in order to
stop them from mourning their loved-ones? 18

They may ask you 10

 9.
Why Did The People Of Medina
Remain Silent And Show
No Reaction When The
Daughter Of The Prophet
Was Martyred?

A. Does the action or inaction of the people of

Medina serve as the seal of approval to what was
just? The Prophet oooo made this remark
exclusively about Imam Ali ooo:
“Ali is righteous, and righteousness is with Ali” 19

B. It is fitting that we remind ourselves that the

people of Medina also showed no reaction when
Uthman was killed, and his wife assaulted. In fact,
they even prevented Uthman from being buried in
a Muslim cemetery, resulting in his burial in a
Jewish graveyard instead.20

They may ask you 11

 10.
Why Has The Shia' Community
Only Started To Talk Of This
Martyrdom In The Recent
Years? Referring To Shia'
Calendars Written Prior To 1993

The fact of the martyrdom of the prophet's

daughter has always been one of the firmest
beliefs of Shia's of Imam Ali ooo. This event has
even been mentioned in various Sunni sources:

A. Joveiny a Sunni scholar, narrated from the

prophet how Fatima's ooo right will be taken and
her flank injured, leading to the miscarriage of
21
her child and her martyrdom.

B. Shahrestani another Sunni scholar narrated:

“Umar on the day of taking allegiance, struck
Fatima ooo on her abdomen causing her to
miscarry. On this day, he was shouting 'set this
house and whoever is inside on fire'; whilst in
that house were none other than Ali, Fatima,
Hassan, and Hussain ooo”.22

They may ask you 12

 Even Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani, who is
considered as the source of Wahhabism, accepts
that Fatima's house was attacked but then tries
to justify this action.23

C. Imam Ali ooo upon burying his wife complained

to the prophet as such:

“Soon your daughter will make you aware of how

your people harassed her. Ask Fatima of the
tragic circumstances that befell us quickly after
your passing whilst your memory was still fresh
in minds. 24 Kolayni narrates from Imam al-
Kadhim ooo:

“Verily, Fatima was a saintly martyr” 25

They may ask you 13

Therefore, the tragic martyrdom of the daughter of
our prophet, is an indisputable fact. Thus, the Shia'
community has always mourned these days, even if
this occasion was not marked in the calendars as
clearly as it is today.

Lady Fatima ooo is the greatest woman to have ever

walked on this earth and her short life serves as a
beacon of light to those who seek the straight path.

May God hasten the reappearance of her son.

Fatimiyya 2021

They may ask you 14

 References
1. Solaim ibn-Gheis Helali al-Kufi. Kitab Salim ibn-Gheis. Qom. Nashr-al-
Hadi. Page 151.

2. Al-Neishaburi, Muslim, Sahih of Muslim. Beirut. Dar-al-fikr. 1986. Vol 8.

Page 123.

3. Ibn-Kathir. Sirat al-nabavia. Beirut. Dar-al-marefa li-taba'a va nashr va

tuzi'i. 1975. Vol 4. Page 35.

4. Solaim ibn-Gheis Helali al-Kufi. Kitab Salim ibn-Gheis. Qom. Nashr-al-

Hadi. Page 150. http://lib.eshia.ir/70632/1/150

5. Al-Bukhari. Sahih of Bukhari. Book 64. Hadith 278.

https://sunnah.com/bukhari/64/278

6. Seyed Razi. Nahj-ul-balagha. Edited by Suhbi Saleh. Sermon 228. Page

350. http://lib.eshia.ir/12092/1/350

7. Al-Neishaburi, Muslim. Sahih of Muslim. Book 32, Hadith 58.

https://sunnah.com/muslim/32/58

8. Seyed Razi. Nahj-ul-balagha. Edited by Suhbi Saleh. Sermon 228. Page

319-320. http://lib.eshia.ir/12092/1/319

9. Solaim ibn-Gheis Helali al-Kufi. Kitab Salim ibn-Gheis. Qom. Nashr-al-

Hadi. Page 151. http://lib.eshia.ir/70632/1/151

10. Solaim ibn-Gheis Helali al-Kufi. Kitab Salim ibn-Gheis. Qom. Nashr-al-
Hadi. Page 435. http://lib.eshia.ir/70632/1/435

11. Al-Masudi. Al-Tanbie val-ashraf. Beirut. Dar-a-sa'ab. Page 258; Sheikh

Mufid. Al-Irshad. Qom. Kongerei Sheikh Mufid. 1992. Vol 1. Page 354.

12. Al-Isfahani, Abu al-Faraj. Maghatel al-talebin. Qom. Dar al-kitab Letaba
va-nashr. 1965. Page 55.

13. Albalazeri, Ahmad-ibn-Yahya-ibn-Jabir. Insab al-ashraf. Beirut.

Muassesatul-elmi li-lmatbua'at. 1974. Vol 2. Page 192; Asghalani, Ibn-
Hujr. Tahzib al-tahzib. Beirut. Dar-al-fikr li-taba'a va nashr va tuzi'i. 1983.
Vol 7. Page 427.

14. Ibn al-Athir. Asad-ul-Gha'be. Beirut. Dar-al-Kitab al-arabi. Vol 3. Page

284; Ibn-Sa'ad. Al-tabaghat al-kubra. Beirut. Dar-al-saader. Vol 6. Page
76; Asghalani, Ibn-Hujr. Al-asaba. Beirut. Dar-al-kutub-alelmia. 1994. Vol
5. Page 472.

15. Mouhammad Amini Najafi. Motivations of the Ummayad and Abbasid

governments for fabricating the story of Umar marrying Ume-Kulthum
bint-Ali.

They may ask you 15

 References
16. Al-Tabarsi, abu-Mansur Ahmad-ibn-Ali. Al-Ihtejaj. Mashad. Nashr-e-
murtaza. 1982. Vol 1. Page 278.

17. Seghatul-Islam Koleini. Al-Kaafi. Tehran. Dar-al-Kutub-al-Islamia. 1986.

Vol 1. Page 458; Sheikh Mufid. Al-amali. Qom. Kongerei Sheikh Mufid.
1992. Page 282.

18. Al-Sana'ai, abdul-Razagh. Al-mosnef. Manshurat al-Majles al-elmi. Vol 3.

Page 557.

19. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi. Tarikh-e-Baghdad. Beirut. Dar-al-kutub al-elmia.

1996. Vol 14. Page 322; Majma-al-zavaed. Vol 7. Page 237.

20. Al-Tabari, Muhammad-ibn-Jarir. Tarikh Tabari. Beirut. Muassesatul-elmi

li-lmatbua'at. Vol 3. Page 438 and 468.

21. Al-Juveini, abu-Ishagh Ibrahim-ibn-Sa'ad al-din. Faraed al-mustin. Vol 2.

Page 34-35.

22. Al-Shahrestani, Muhammad-ibn-abdul-Karim. Al-melal val-Nehal. Qom.

Nashr-e-Sharif-e-Murtaza. 1985. Vol 1. Page 71.

23. Al-Harani, Ibn-Taeimie. Menhaj-al-sunna. Vol 4. Page 220.

24. Seyed Razi. Nahj-ul-balagha. Edited by Subhi Saleh. Sermon 202.

http://lib.eshia.ir/12092/1/319

25. Seghatul-Islam Koleini. Al-Kaafi. Tehran. Dar-al-Kutub-al-Islamia. 1986.

Vol 1. Page 458.

They may ask you 16