تويت
What happened to Fadak
“Fadak” was one of the properties, which belonged to the Jews who
lived around Madinah. After the conquest of Khaibar, as per the terms of
treaty, it went in the possession of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). As it was
not captured forcibly in a holy war, no one had any right or share in it
and thus it was an absolute property of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.). All
properties apart from Fadak were also similar. There also were such other
properties, which formerly belonged to “Bani Quraizah” and were
within Madinah. The holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to spend the proceeds
of these properties on both his holy wives and on his poor and needy relatives,
thus helping them. So he had, since long back, gifted Fadak to his
dearest daughter Fatima Zahra (s.a.). So it belonged exclusively to her.
Fatima (s.a.) too used to spend and donate the profits of Fadak in the
path of Allah. As soon as the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) passed away and
when Fatima was still in a state of mourning, she was informed that the
officials of caliph Abu Bakr had cancelled Fatima (a.s.)’s ownership of
Fadak! Fatima (a.s.) was very much grieved by this deed of greed. So she
sent some one to the caliph to question him about this cancellation of her
right over Fadak. He replied, ‘Fadak is a part of Baitul Maal and hence
Fatima has no right in it.’
Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return.[1] Has
such irregularity ever taken place in the world?
Before dealing with the objection raised by Fatima (s.a.) we find it
necessary to mention here our impressions:
Firstly: Had the caliph taken into consideration benefits of both the
worlds offered to him by the Prophet of God (s.a.w.a.), he would have
never indulged in such undue deeds.
Did the caliph not recollect that the locust-eating Arabs had become
the caliphs of the world? Did he not remember that when he and his like
were bowing before stones and worshipping idols, it was the father of
Fatima (s.a.) who pulled them out of humiliation and degradation and
guided them to grandeur, and brought them out from polytheism and
made them believers? Was it a reward of all this goodness that the
dearest daughter of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) should be grieved so
much just for the sake of a little piece of garden? And all this despite the
right of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had already been mentioned in the
holy Quran through the holy verse:
Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives.[
2] And thus the friendship (affection) of the holy progeny has been
made obligatory for the entire community. Was it unbecoming on the
part of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who had gifted so much to the caliph
to gift even a piece of garden to his beloved daughter?
Secondly: Fatima is one of the holy members of the honourable family
regarding whom the holy Quran says:
Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of
the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying[3] indicating that
Allah the Almighty has made them pure from all uncleanness. Can such
a respectable personality ever make an unlawful or improper claim of
ownership? No, never. Each and every word and deed and movement
and pause of Fatima prove that it is true and that she is the righteous
leader. Making a false claim of Fadak is filth, which is an impossibility in
the case of Fatima (s.a.).
Thirdly: Under what authority and proof can Fatima (s.a.) be prevented
from making her claim when she is an associate of Quran and a
source of reason?
Fourthly: How can the claim of Fatima be baseless when the holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) says, “Fatemah is a part of me”? Can Fatima who is a
part of the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) ever make a false claim? No, never. (For it
will tantamount to accusing the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) of making a false
claim).
Fifthly: The holy Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“I am at war with those who attack you.”
This makes it clear that the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) too is an associate in
her claim. Yes, there is no doubt that the one who quarrels with Fatima
(a.s.) quarrels with the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.), because there is no disagreement
about the validity and soundness of the abovementioned
hadith. Its goes as follows: One day the holy Prophet (s.a.w.) gathered
Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain at one place and said:
“I am at war with the one who quarrels with you and I am at peace
with the one who is at peace with you.”
Sixthly: It is obvious that Fatima (s.a.) who was denied her right had
become sad, as is expected from any human being. There is a hadith recorded
in Sahih Bukhari from Ayesha which runs as follows:
Fatima went to my father Abu Bakr to inform him about the usurpation
of Fadak and said that her father, the Prophet of God (s.a.w.a.), had
gifted Fadak to her. Abu Bakr held back Fadak from her. So Fatima returned
disappointed and died while she was angry with my father.
This hadith is found in all hadith books but I have quoted only
Bukhari. It shows that Fatima (s.a.) was unhappy with the caliph, while
the Prophet of God had said, “Fatima is from me, whoever hurts her hurts
me”. This is an explicit statement. No claim contrary to it is possible. Just
as it is impossible that denial of Fadak may not displease her, so it is impossible
that the displeasure of Fatima (s.a.) will not make the holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) unhappy.
Now we may revert to the argumentation of the original claim:
We quote below a narration made by Allamah Abu Abdillah Bukhari
in the part “Faraaiz-e-Sahih al- Bukhari”, which says that Fatima (s.a.) demanded,
“O Abu Bakr! In case your father expires who is his heir?”
He replied, “I, his son, will be his heir.”
Fatima asked, “Who is the heir of my late father?”
Abu Bakr said, “You who are his daughter.”
Fatima asked, “Then why do you take back Fadak forcibly?”
Abu Bakr replied that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) said, “We
Prophets do not leave inheritance.”
Fatima shot back, “My father had gifted me Fadak during his lifetime
and currently it is in my use.”
Abu Bakr argued, “You must produce witness.”
Fatima brought Ali (a.s.) and Umme Aiman as witness. The caliph did
not accept. Fatima returned disheartened and disappointed.
Here let us examine some aspects of this claim:
First: The tradition on which the caliph based his decision is a one-person
narration, and a one-man narration cannot be relied upon against a
clear Quranic commandment.
Second: Even if a narration is true, it does not pertain to the inheritance
of wealth. Rather, it indicates the inheritance of Prophethood or
messengership. For, at that time the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had, in response
to a claim made by the Jews and the Christians, said that Prophethood
is not based on race that I must belong to Bani Israel. Had Prophethood
been a part of heritage or inheritance, then a Prophet must be
from Bani Israel. That is why the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had defended
his claim in these words.
Third: In case this hadith was about inheritance of wealth, then no
Prophet should have any inheritor. But we do see that the inheritors of
all the Prophets have shared the wealth left by those Prophets. The holy
Quran also supports our claim as God Almighty says in it while mentioning
the event of Prophet that Zakariya said,
Who should inherit from me and from the children of Yaqoub?[4]
Zakariya’s request for a child was because of his desire that his children
should inherit his wealth, and in his children were also those who
were not Prophets.
Fourth: This tradition, in any case, does not relate to the claim of
Fatima because the possession of Fadak by Fatima was not by way of inheritance
but it was a gift and this hadith prevents inheritance, not a gift.
Fifth: Bringing forth of witnesses was not necessary for Fatima (s.a.)
because she was only defending what was in her possession and witnesses
are required when the possession of anything is demanded.
Fatima Zahra (s.a.) was holding a property, not demanding it.
Sixth: It is known that the second caliph had, during his caliphate, returned
Fadak to Ali (a.s.) but Ali rejected the offer saying: When an established
right of one was denied to her and now when she is no more, I
cannot accept Fadak. All historians, even the author of Qaamoos al Aalaam
has, under the topic, FADAK explained this sentence of Ali (a.s.).
Now, if the argument of the first caliph was correct then why did the
second caliph disregard it and returned Fadak to its owner? And if the
first caliph was not right, then why was the dearest child of the holy
Prophet (s.a..w.a.) harassed?
Seventh: Umar bin Abdul Aziz, an Umayyad caliph, was known as a
wiser and more pious man than his predecessors. He was also more inclined
toward truth. He returned Fadak to the progeny of Fatima (s.a.)
during his caliphate. This also means that all Muslims had been convinced
that the confiscation of Fadak was oppressive and wrong.
We conclude this unpalatable investigation here. At the end of every
court trial, some rights are established. Yet we suffice with this much
that the First Caliph had expressed his remorse publicly in these three
phrases:
First: Acceptance of caliphate,
Second: Sending his men to the house of Fatima to obtain allegiance.
Three: Confiscation of Fadak
We have nothing to do with the remorse or otherwise on the part of
that Caliph. But, alas, before taking such ugly actions, he should have
done something to prevent it. How much hardships and pains the holy
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had suffered for the welfare and prosperity and safety
of religion as well as their worldly lives. The kind Prophet, at the last
moment of his life, when the entire Muslim nation was under his obligation,
leaves as his memorial his beloved daughter. He also ordered
everybody to respect and honour her. Thus, anybody who opposes these
commands, whosoever he may be, cannot escape historic investigation
and its unpalatable consequences.
Fatima Zahra (s.a.), after the passing away of the holy Prophet
(s.a.w.a.), suffered many oppressions and innumerable attacks on her
rights. Then she, under the painful effects of such excesses passed away
from this world.
Fatima Zahra (s.a.) was the youngest child of the holy Prophet
(s.a.w.a.). She was born to lady Khadija (s.a.) and was the youngest remembrance
of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) left for the ummah. Thereafter
the memorials of Fatima Zahra are Hasan (a.s.), Husain (a.s.), Zainab
(a.s.) and Umme Kulsoom (a.s.).
The Quranic verses and hadiths describing the grace and nobility of
Fatima Zahra (s.a.) are so many that the brevity of this book does not suffice
to accommodate all of them.
As Fatima Zahra (a.s.) was buried secretly at night in the presence of
only Ali (a.s.), Hasan, Husain and a small selected group of Bani
Hashim, the actual location of her blessed grave of this dearest daughter
of the holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) is not known to common Muslims. But it is
likely that her holy grave is situated in one of the mausoleums.
[1] Surah Baqarah 2:156
[2] Surah Shura 42:23
[3] Surah Ahzab 33.33
[4] Surah Maryam 19:6
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