Death of Fatima az-Zahraa (as)

Reposted

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assalam 'alaykoum

First of all, thank you for answering my previous question.

What is the Zaydi view about the death of the blessed daughter of our Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, sayyidah Fatimah? You probably know the Twelver and Sunni stance on this issue, is the Zaydi one similar to any of those?

What is the Zaydi view about the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, having other daughters than sayyidah Fatimah?

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wa alaykum as salaam wa rahma!

Thanks for your question!

As for the death of Fatima az-Zahraa (as), our sources simply says that she died. They do not include the circumstances of her death. However, the sources are clear in not stating that she was killed. It could therefore be assumed that Our Lady (as) died of some illness or grief.

As for the existence of other daughters, Zaydi sources are clear that the Prophet, salla allahu alayhi wa alihi was sallam, had more than one daughter. He had Umm Kulthum, Zaynab, Ruqqaya and Sayyida Fatima from Khadija (as).

It is noteworthy that the 12ers are divided on the issue. Below is an excerpt from a 12er site.

And Allah knows best!

IRS

Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) was not the only daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure family), as misconceived by many believers today. She was one of the four daughters of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family); the other three were Zainab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum (peace be upon them all).

A detailed lecture titled “Bal Hunna Banatu Rasoulillah Sala Allahu Alaihi wa Aalih” was delivered by his eminence Sheikh al-Habib on this topic; in which he stated that we do not have any, not even one single proof from either the Quran or Sunnah to negate the existence of other biological daughters of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family).

On the contrary, there are numerous traditions and Quranic evidences that support the fact that Zainab, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum (peace be upon them) were truly the biological daughters of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family). The following are some of these evidences:

• “Yā 'Ayyuhā An-Nabīyu Qul Li'zwājika Wa Banātika Wa Nisā'i Al-Mu'uminīna Yudnīna `Alayhinna Min Jalābībihinna” O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (33:59)

Despite the fact that the use of the plural word “daughters” in the above verse clearly supports the fact that the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) had more than one daughter, some argue that this word has been used in an honorific sense, in similarity to the plural word ”women” used in verse (03:61). As all Mufassireen have agreed that the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family), at the event of Mubahala, did not accompany any other woman other than Fatima (peace be upon her), the plural word “women” was used to exalt the status of Fatima peace be upon her and thus the word “daughters” was used in the same sense in the above verse.

One reply to this objection is: the narrations that support the fact that the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) took Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) to represent “our women” at the event of Mubahala are numerous, whereas there is not even one tradition in the holy Sunnah which negates the existence of any other biological daughters of the Holy Prophet.

• “Ad`ūhum Li'abā'ihim Huwa 'Aqsaţu `Inda Allah “Call them by (the names of) their fathers; this is more equitable with Allah (33:05)

In the days before the revelations of the Quran had begun (period of Jahilayah), Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his pure family) adopted Zaid ibn Haritha as his son. Zaid was then called and known as Zaid ibn Muhammad. However, when the above Quranic verse was revealed the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) ordered to change Zaid’s name back to Zaid ibn Haritha.

All Muslims then started to call Zaid with his real father’s name. Accordingly, if these three daughters were not the biological daughters of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family), and were rather adopted, then we would have found narrations stating that the holy Prophet along with the Muslims had stopped calling these three daughters after the Prophet’s name, at the point when this verse was revealed, and started calling them after their real fathers names.

These three daughters have been called after the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) until the last moment of their life. In fact even after the martyrdom of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family); none of the Imams (peace be upon them) or their companions, historians or Hadith narrators referred to any of these three daughters as “Zainab, Ruqayya, or Umm Kulthum daughter of so and so”.

• Sheikh Saduq in al-Khisal reported that Abu Basir (who is a trustworthy man) narrated on the authority of Abu Abdullah al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “The Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) had the following progeny from Khadija: al-Qasim, al-Tahir and he was Abdullah,Umm Kulthum, Ruqiyyah, Zainab and Fatima (peace be upon them). Fatima was married to Ali bin Abi Talib, Zainab was married to an Ummawi man Abul Aas bin al-Rabi and Umm Kulthum was married to Uthman but she died before consummation, when they marched to the battle of Badr, Allah's messenger married him (i.e. Uthman) to Ruqiyyah. The prophet had Ibrahim from Maria the Coptic, who was a slave girl” (al-Khisal by Sheikh Seduq, page 404)

• When Muslims were weary of the oppression of the Government of Uthman and its officials, they went to Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) and requested him to advise Uthman (may the curse of Allah be upon him) not to trample on the Muslims’ rights, Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) thereupon said to Uthman: “You have seen as we have seen and you have heard as we have heard. You sat in the company of the Prophet of Allah as we did. (Abu Bakr) Ibn Abi Quhafah and (`Umar) ibn al-Khattab were no more responsible for acting righteously than you, since you are nearer than both of them to the Prophet of Allah through kinship, and you also hold relationship to him by marriage which they do not hold.” (Nahjul Balagha, sermon 163)

If Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum (peace be upon them) were not the biological daughters of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) then Uthman would not be nearer to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) through kinship than Abu Bakr and Umar, would he?!

• Allamah Majlisi reported that Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman narrated: “The Prophet came out to us-as if I am seeing him right now- carrying al-Hussain son of Ali on his shoulder and putting his good hand on his (al-Hussain’s) foot and clinging it to his chest and said: “This is al-Hussain son of Ali; he has the best grandfather and grandmother; his grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, is the master of all Prophets; his grandmother is Khadija daughter of Khowaylid, the first of all women to believe in Allah and His Messenger.

“This, al-Hussain son of Ali has the best father in all people, the best mother in all people; his father is Ali son of abu-Talib, the Messenger’s brother, vice and cousin, the first of all men to believe in Allah and His Messenger; his mother is Fatima daughter of Muhammad, the Mistress of all women. This, al-Hussain son of Ali has the best (paternal) uncle and the best (paternal) aunt; his uncle is Ja’far son of abu-Talib who is adorned with two wings with which he flies to wherever he wants in Paradise, and his aunt is um-Hany’ daughter of abu-Talib.

“This, al-Hussain son of Ali has the best (maternal) uncle and the best (maternal) aunt; his uncle is al-Qasim son of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, and his aunt is Zainab daughter of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah”. He then put him on his shoulder, separated his arms then knelt and said: “O people, this is al-Hussain son of Ali; his grandfather and grandmother are in Paradise; his (paternal) uncle and aunt are in Paradise; his (maternal) uncle and aunt are in Paradise; he and his brother are in Paradise.” (al-Bihar by al-Majlisi)

• Lady Fatima al-Zahra confirmed that she had other biological sisters when she asked Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon them both) to marry her niece Umamah before her martyrdom: “I ask you to marry my niece Umamah; surely she will be to my children as I was”. The word “niece” clearly indicates that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure family) had other biological daughters.

• al-Sheikh in al-Tahthib, al-Kulaini and many others reported on the authority of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) the following portion of Dua’: “O Allah: (please do) send blessings upon Ruqayyah, the daughter of Your Prophet, and curse those who injured Your Prophet through wronging her (i.e. Uthman may the curse of Allah be upon him). O Allah: (please do) send blessings upon Ummi-Kulthum, the daughter of Your Prophet, and curse those who injured Your Prophet through wronging her (i.e. Uthman may the curse of Allah be upon him)” (Mafatih al-jinan, Month of Ramadhan)

Reposted

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Dear brother,

Thank you very much for your very interesting reply.

I'd like to have more details.

Although Zaydis do not believe that Fatimah az-Zahra was killed, do they believe in the story (related in tarikh at-Tabari for example) that 'Umar came to her house for getting the bay'ah from 'Ali and some other muhajirun, and that he threatened to burn the house down?

Do Zaydis believe in the existence of al-Muhsin and the story of the miscarriage of sayyidah Fatimah?

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Salams!

yes. According to Zaydi sources, one of which is the book of history Al-Masaabeeh fi Seerah, the 2nd Caliph threatened to burn down the house of Sayyida Fatima (as). He did so to get the bayah from Ali (as). In the aforementioned text, it is narrated that when 'Ali (as) asked: "What would you do if I don't give the bayah?" He was told: "We will strike your neck!" (i.e. We will kill you!). Ali (as) looked up and said: "O Allah, bear witness!" It was then that the text said he shook the hand of Abu Bakr (giving him the bayah).

Our texts do mention Muhsin and that he was miscarried. However, it is not due to a door falling on Sayyida Fatima (as).

And Allah knows best!

IRS