Before I begin this article, I would like to say Praise be to Allah (تبارك وتعالى) for this opportunity to defend the doyenne of the women of the worlds Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام). The issue of Fadak is one which is unpalatable to and avoided by the Sunnis but on the other hand, the Shia maintain that studying Islamic history and the actions of companions such as Abu Bakr should not be avoided. The Sunnis claim that Abu Bakr was the best man to lead the Muslims after the Prophet (صل الله عليه واله وسلم) and so discussions into issues like Fadak are necessary to assess the validity of the Sunni claim. When you have the Sideeqa Fatima (عليها السلام) being angered by the so-called Sideeq so soon after the Prophet(صلى الله عليه واله وسلم)'s demise, you realise that something is wrong and the Sunni version of history which portrays life during that time as being harmonious and friendly, is bogus.
The Size of Fadak
Fadak was a piece of land given to the Prophet Mohammed (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) by the Jews during peace time, and therefore it was his property. He then gave it to his daughter Fatima (عليها السلام) and remained in her possession until the Prophet (صل الله عليه واله وسلم) passed away, at which point it was nationalised by the new caliph Abu Bakr. As categorising Fadak as to whether it was a gift or inheritance is a convulated process, this article will focus on the inheritance of Fadak.
The distance of Fadak from Medina was a two or three day journey, and it was an orchard the size of a village. The Sunni propagandists often quote this following hadith and accuse the Shia of exaggerating and lying.
Harun Ar-Rashid said to Imam Musa al-Kadhim (عَليهِ السَلام), "Let me know the location of the land of Fadak so that I could return it to you." The Imam ( عَليهِ السَلام) replied: "I would accept it in its entirety." Harun said: "Specify its boundaries then." The Imam (عَليهِ السَلام) said: "If I specify its borders, you will not return it." Harun said: "I swear in the name of your grandfather that I shall return it." The Imam (عَليهِ السَلام) said: "It extends from one side to Aden (Southern part of Arabian peninsula), and from one side to Samarqand (Afghanistan), and from one side to Armenia and from one side to Egypt in Africa."
(Bihar Al-Anwar Volume 48 Number 20)
Imam Al-Kadhim (عليه السلام)'s answer to the caliph was a symbolic one as Fadak was representative of the usurped caliphate. Aden, Samarqand, Armenia and Egypt were the boundaries of the Muslim empire at the time, and the Imam (عليه السلام) was making the point with the use of hyperbole that if Fadak was to be returned, it would consequence in the return of the caliphate to the Prophet's (صل الله عليه واله وسلم)rightful successors.
Ali (عليه السلام) angered Fatima (عليها السلام)???
The Sunnis claim that the hadith "Fatima is a part of me, whoever angered her angered me" was first said by the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) when Ali (عليه السلام) had angered Fatima (عليها السلام) in an incident, narrated in Sahih Bukhari, in which Ali (عليه السلام) supposedly wished to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl. According to the Sunnis, it was actually Ali (عليه السلام) who had angered Fatima (عليها السلام), and consequently, the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) chastised him by saying that whoever angers Fatima (عليها السلام) angers him. Many Sunnis will undoubtedly be shocked by hearing this incident. Why would Ali (عليه السلام), the lion of Allah, wish to marry the daughter of Allah's sworn enemy? Also, in Islam, men are entitled to marry up to 4 wives, so why did the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) chastise Ali (عليه السلام) for?
Now let us look at the Shia version of the story, narrated by Imam Jafar (عليه السلام):
It is narrated on the authority of Abu Abdullah Jafar Al-Sadiq: A wicked of the wickeds came to Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and said to her: “Did you not know that Ali proposed to marry (Khataba) the daughter of Abu Jahl?” She said: “Is it true what you say? He said three times: “What I say is true.” Jealousy entered into her (heart) to an extent she could not control, for Allah has ordained that women be jealous and that men perform Jihad, and He has made the reward of the patient (woman) similar to that of the Murabit and Muhajir in the way of Allah.
He said: And Fatima’s anguish became severe and she remained thinking about it until night time. She carried Hassan on her right shoulder, Hussain on her left shoulder and held Um Kulthum by her hand and she moved to her father’s residence. Ali came to his residence and did not see Fatima and his anguish increased and became great on him, even though he did not know what happened, and he was ashamed to call her from her father’s house so he went to the Masjid and prayed as much as Allah willed, and he collected some of the sand in the Masjid and laid on it.
When the Prophet saw how sad and anguished Fatima was, he poured water over himself and wore his clothes and entered the Masjid. He kept praying, making Rukoo and Sujood, and after every time he completed two Raka he made Du’a that Allah remove what Fatima had of sadness and anguish because he left her turning over and breathing heavily. When the Prophet saw that she could not sleep and could not rest he said: “O daughter, rise!” So she rose and the Prophet carried Al-Hassan and she carried Al-Hussain and took hold of Umm Kulthoom’s hand until they reached Ali (AS) while he was sleeping.
The Prophet put his foot on Ali, pinched him, and said: “Rise Abu Turab! You have disturbed many a resting person. Call for me Abu Bakr from his house and Umar from his gathering and Talha.” So Ali went and got them from their houses and they gathered around the Messenger of Allah.
The Messenger of Allah then said: “O Ali! Do you not know that Fatima is a part of me and I am from her. Whoever disturbs her has disturbed me and whoever disturbs me has disturbed Allah, and whoever disturbs her after my death then as if he has disturbed her in my lifetime and whoever disturbed her in my lifetime then as if he has disturbed her after my death.”
Source: Sheikh Saduq's Elal-al-Sharae pp 185-6 and Allamah Majlisi's Bihar Al-Anwar 43/pp201-2
A wicked person had come to Fatima (عليها السلام) and told her that Ali (عليه السلام) planned on marrying Abu Jahl's daughter. It is important to remember that this person is described as "wicked". Now, Fatima (عليها السلام) became saddened and anguished, not because she thought the accusation was true but because this individual was spreading lies about her husband, Imam Ali (عليه السلام). Therefore, she went to the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) house which was adjacent to hers. In the mean time, Imam Ali (عليه السلام) returned home, and found that his house was empty. He knew Fatima (عليها السلام) was probably at the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) house, but did not know what was going on and so went to the mosque.
Fatima's (عليها السلام) anguish did not decrease, and so the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) got up, went to the mosque and woke Ali (عليه السلام) up.
The hadith describes the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) as having pinched Ali, and kicked him with his toe. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) did not do this in a violent or aggressive manner, but did it in a way that would wake Ali (عليه السلام) up. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) then summons Ali (عليه السلام) to go and bring Abu Bakr, Omar and Talha. These three where the ones who started the false rumour that Ali (عليه السلام) wished to marry Abu Jahl's daughter, and these three were the ones who angered Fatima (عليها السلام) during the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) lifetime, and it was Abu Bakr and Omar who angered her again after his death.
Interestingly, the Sunnis shoot themselves in the foot with the Abu Jahl's daughter story. As we shall see, the Sunnis claim that the hadith "Whoever angers Fatima angers me" does not apply to Abu Bakr in the case of Fadak because he was in the right. Well, it was within Imam Ali’s rights to want to marry another woman, yet the Prophet still chastised him according to Sahih Bukhari. There are so many holes in the Sunni way of thinking - it is like a sponge.
Another narration the deceitful Sunni propagandists bring up is one found in Bihar al-Anwar. It is important to note that Bihar al-Anwar is a huge, volumnious book containing both authentic and inauthentic narrations. Allamah Majlisi writes in the preface that he simply collected hadith and did not verify them. The narration in question is:
Al-Qummi and Al-Majlisi narrated on the authority of Abu Thar: I migrated with Jafar ibn Abi Talib to Abyssynia. A slave girl worth 4,000 dirhams was given to Jafar as a gift. When we came to Medinah he gave it to Ali as a gift that she may serve him. Ali kept her in Fatima’s house. One day Fatima entered and saw that his head was in the girl’s lap. She said: “O Abu Al-Hasan! Have you done it!?” He said: “O daughter of Muhammad! I have done nothing, so what is it that you want?” She said: “Do you allow me to go to my father’s house?” He said: “I will allow you.” So she wore her Jilbab and went to the Prophet.
This hadith is a forgery. If the Sunni propagandist had continued reading he would have noticed Allamah Majlisi writing in a footnote that Abu Dharr's migration to Abysinnia is unfounded (لايعرف لابى ذر هجرة إلى حبشة). Additionally, if the incident took place in the sole presence of Imam Ali (عليه السلام), Fatima (عليها السلام) and the slave girl, how did Abu Tharr and everyone else found out about it. Thirdly, the isnad of the narration is weak based on the inclusion of a Sunni narrator, namely Hassan Ibn 'Urfa. The Shia opinion is that Imam Ali (عليه السلام) did not have another wife or slave-girl while married to Fatima(عليها السلام).
Hadith of Prophets not leaving Inheritance
The Sunni propagandists claim that Abu Bakr could not allow Fatima (عليها السلام) to have Fadak because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) had said that the Prophets do not leave inheritance.
“We do not leave inheritance. What we leave behind is charity.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jihad was-Siyar, no. 49)
It certainly seems odd that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) did not tell Fatima (عليها السلام) this hadith as it would have concerned her the most. In fact, Abbas (رضي الله عنه) also did not know this hadith, otherwise he would not have asked for his inheritance as it is stated in the Sahihayn. Additionally, Imam Ali (عليه السلام) also had not heard of this hadith otherwise he would not have gone against it by supporting Fatima (عليها السلام). Why did the Prophet(صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) not tell them? If they knew, then it would have saved a lot of hassle and bother. In fact, the Sunnis claim Fatima (عليها السلام) was commiting a big mistake going against the caliph Abu Bakr. If the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) had told Fatima (عليها السلام) he would have prevented her from commiting this big mistake, and she would not have died angry. Therefore, this leads to the conclusion that Prophets do in fact leave inheritance.
The Sunni propagandists often quote the following hadith from Al-Kafi:
"The scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave any Dirham or Dinar (wealth) as their legacy but they did leave knowledge as their legacy. Whoever acquires a share from such legacy has gained a very large share."(al-Kafi, vol. 1 p. 42)
First of all, this hadith is not sahih due to a weakness in the chain. Yes, S. Khomeini considered it sahih and used it to prove the "wilayat ul-faqih" concept, which most scholars do not agree with. However, the more reliable opinion is that this hadith is weak. In any case, its meaning is correct and it in no way bolsters the Sunni argument.
This hadith is clearly referring to the legacy which prophets leave for scholars, as evidenced by the phrase "scholars are heirs of the prophets". It is not referring to material inheritance, but referring to scholars take knowledge from Prophets (عليهم السلام). It would therefore be inappropriate for the Sunni propagandists to quote this hadith to "prove" that Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام) was wrong, when the hadith in no way helps the Sunni side of the argument.
The Sunni propagandists then go on to say that if the hadith is subject to different interpretations, it will be improper for Abu Bakr to be accused of fabricating the hadith. Firstly, the hadith in Kafi and the hadith in Bukhari are significantly different. The hadith in Bukhari clearly refers to material inheritance, while the hadith in Kafi clearly does not refer to material inheritance. Actually, many Abu Bakr apologists the Shia side keep open the possibility that Abu Bakr did in fact make a sincere mistake, although it becomes evident it is more than that. As for the claim that Abu Bakr's ijtehad takes preference due to him being a caliph that is incorrect as he was an illegal one - in any case, this was not a matter of ijtehad but a matter
usurping inheritance on the basis that prophets do not leave it - when we have proved they do.
One has to wonder why the Sunnis defend Abu Bakr so persistently, when there is so much evidence to say otherwise. How is it that you find all Sunnis say that Fatima (عليها السلام) made a bad mistake, but no one says the same about Abu Bakr?
Quran says that Prophets Inherit
And Sulaiman was Dawud’s heir. He said: ‘O you people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah).’” (Quran, 27:15-16)
And surely I fear my cousins after me, and my wife is barren, therefore grant me from Thyself an heir, Who should inherit me and inherit from the children of Yaqoub, and make him, my Lord, one in whom Thou art well pleased. (Quran, 19:5-6)
It seems that even if an angel were to come and say, "O Sunnis, Prophets do inherit", our Sunni friends will continue to reject. The Quran proves that Prophets inherit and so it is baffling why Sunnis place the words of Abu Bakr, who said prophets don't inherit, above the words of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
Sunnis who Deny the Quran
Some Sunni propagandists have continued to claim prophets do not inherit, and interpret the verses in the Quran in their own special way, such as saying only Soloman (عليه السلام) is mentioned when David (عليه السلام) had many children (although only Soloman (عليه السلام) being mentioned does not mean the other children do not receive inheritance). However their arguments are nullified when we come to realise that the first people to use the verses from the Quran were none other than Imam Ali (عليه السلام) and Fatima (عليها السلام).
Fatima came to Abu Bakr and demanded her share in the inheritance. Al-Abbas came to him and demanded his share in the inheritance. Ali came with them. Thereupon Abu Bakr said, “The Apostle of Allah said, “We leave no inheritance, what we leave behind us is charity.” “I shall make provisions for those for whom the Prophet had made.” On this Ali said, “Solomon inherited Dawood, and Zakariya said, "He may be my heir and the heir of the children of Jacob.” Abu Bakr said, “This is as this is. By Allah! You know it as I know.” Then Ali said, “This is the book of Allah that speaks.”
Ibn Saad, Tabaqat Al-Kubra Volume 2 Page 393
Despite the Quran clearly proving that Prophets can leave inheritance, the Sunnis continue to support Abu Bakr's word, and make all sorts of excuses about the verses in the Quran which show Prophets leave inheritance, and they dismiss it as Shia propaganda. As you can see from the narration in Tabaqat which is one of the most reliable Sunni history books, it is not the “Shia propagandists” who first came up with the argument from the Quran but rather Imam Ali (عليه السلام) himself. Unless the Sunnis are willing to debate Imam Ali (عليه السلام) then they are forced to accept that Prophets do inherit, and as we all know ahadith cannot contradict the Quran.
Were they all Mistaken?
Fatima (عليها السلام) said that Fadak was her rightful inheritance. Imam Ali (عليه السلام) and Abbas (رضي الله عنه) agreed. All three were mistaken according to the Sunnis.
Fadak was returned to Imam Al-Baqir (عليه السلام) and Imam Hassan's (عليه السلام) grandson by the Ummayad caliph Omar Ibn Abdul Aziz (رحمه الله). All three were mistaken according to the Sunnis.
Fadak was also returned to Imam Ar-Ridha (عليه السلام) during the Abbasid reign. Sunnis claim he was mistaken.
If one looks at the history of Fadak it becomes evident that according to the Sunni viewpoint all these great personalities were mistaken apart from Abu Bakr, Uthman and many despotic Ummayad and Abbasid monarchs. Subhanallah.
Another interesting thing to note is that the Sunnis claim Fatima (عليها السلام) made a sincere mistake. When you see two great people making the same mistake it might be a coincidence, but when seven great people all make a mistake, it cannot be a simple coincidence.
Sunni Rebuttal #1: Fatima (عليها السلام) was a highly distraught and emotional person at the time
The Sunnis claim that Fatima (عليها السلام) was mistaken over Fadak, and that this was due to her being in a fragile emotional state after the demise of her father the Prophet (صل الله عليه واله وسلم). True, Fatima (عليها السلام) was very saddened and distraught, but this is in no way indicative of her being mistaken over Fadak and this does not mean to say her anger over Fadak was due to emotion. What is to prevent us from saying that Abu Bakr did not give Fadak because he was so emotionally fragile and the same with Omar and the same with the 33,000 companions who supported Abu Bakr. Maybe they were all feeling emotional.
Something that completely shatters the Sunni claims that Fatima (عليها السلام) was mistaken over Fadak for whatever reason is the fact that her husband Imam Ali (عليه السلام)supported her as did her uncle Abbas (رضي الله عنه). Their support for Fatima (عليها السلام) is narrated in Sahih Muslim Book 19 Number 4353 and negates the claim Fatima (عليها السلام) was mistaken, as if three huge revered personalities all believed the Prophet did leave inheritance, this makes Abu Bakr's refusal to give Fadak very fishy.
Sunni Rebuttal #2: Imam Ali(عليه السلام) only supported Fatima(عليها السلام) because she became angry at him
The Sunni propagandists claim that at first Imam Ali (عليه السلام) did not support Fatima(عليها السلام), but then after she became angry at him, only then did he support her. In other words, the Sunni propagandists claim that Imam Ali (عليه السلام) was doing taqiyyah and pretending to support Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام). The Sunni propagandists now find themselves in a very humiliating position, as they constantly attack taqiyyah. Whenever any Shia says something, its always taqiyyah. Yet, these same silly Sunnis are now accusing Ali (عليه السلام) of doing it. Subhanallah.
The Sunni propagandists also say that Fadak is the reason that Ali (عليه السلام) did not give bayah to Abu Bakr until Fatima (عليها السلام) died. The reason that this is untrue can be seen in the following hadith:
Sahih Muslim Book 020, Number 4555:
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: One who defected from obedience (to the Amir) and separated from the main body of the Muslims-if he died in that state-would die the death of one belonging to the days of Jahiliyya (i.e. would not die as a Muslim)
In the eyes of the Sunnis, Imam Ali (عليه السلام) would have been doing a great sin by going against the caliph and in fact, if he had died in that period Imam Ali (عليه السلام)would have died as a jahil! This completely negates the idea that Imam Ali (عليه السلام) was not sincere in his support for Fadak or his abstaining from giving bayah to Abu Bakr.
Sunni Rebuttal #3: Imam Ali (عليه السلام) did not return Fadak
Imam Ali's (عليه السلام) position regarding Fadak is well known - he supported Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام). Of course, the Sunni propagandists say he only "pretended" he supported her because she became angry at him, but this is clearly wrong. In Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, we see that Imam Ali and Abbas came to Omar during his caliphate asking him for Fadak, and Omar made them the trustees. During Abu Bakr's caliphate, Imam Ali (عليه السلام) also supported Fatima (عليها السلام), and in Ibn Sa'ad's Tabaqat Volume 2 he is the one who uses arguments from the Quran to show Prophets do indeed leave inheritance.
The Sunnis often quote ahadith from Sunni texts which claim that Imam Ali (عليه السلام) wished to uphold the way of Abu Bakr and Omar, and this is why he did not return Fadak. Firstly, Imam Ali (عليه السلام) did not wish to follow the "way" of Abu Bakr and Omar - in fact, he turned down the opportunity to be caliph of the Muslims just because he did not wish to follow the way of Abu Bakr and Omar. But the thing is the lay-people *did* want their caliph to follow the "way" of Abu Bakr and Omar. Therefore, if they saw Imam Ali (عليه السلام) doing something contrary to it there would have been a furore, and at the time there was enough discord as it was. Secondly, in the 5 years Imam Ali (عليه السلام) reigned as caliph, there were 3 civil wars. So it is pretty obvious that Imam Ali (عليه السلام) was pre-occupied with all the strife and discord, but if he had ruled longer he may indeed have returned Fadak - afterall we know that he supported his wife Fatima (عليها السلام)'s claim for it.
Sunni Rebuttal #4: Shia Women don't Inherit Land
It is a shameless lie to claim Shia women do not inherit land. According to Shia jurisprudence, it is the wives who cannot inherit land yet the daughters most certainly can – and no Shia jurist says otherwise.
Sunni propagandist quote the following hadith:
“A woman will not inherit anything of land and fixed property.” (Tahdhib al-Ahkam, vol. 9 p. 298; al-Istibsar, vol. 4 p. 152)
However, as any student of Hadith science knows, many hadiths have multiple narrations. Some of these narrations are abridged and would not make sense without the entire narration. In this case, the enitre narration found in the previous page of Istibsar, specifies and details the ruling:
Imam Al Baqir and Imam Al Sadiq said, “A women does not inherit from what her husband leaves behind from land…but she inherits from cash…”
http://al-shia.com/html/ara/books/estebsar-4/a95.html
Any other ahadith which give the impression that the ruling applies to all women is an abridged, abbreviated and shortened version of the above. It is a shame that Sunni propagandists have resorted to looking into obscure rulings which no Shia jurist believes, and have forgotten deliberately or accidentally to look at the whole picture.
Sunni Rebuttal #5: Asmaa Bint Umais (رضي الله عنها)
Asmaa Bint Umais (رضي الله عنها) was the widow of Jafar Al-Tayyar (عليه السلام), who then became the wife of Abu Bakr, before marrying Imam Ali (عليه السلام). She did the ghusl and attended the burial alongside Imam Ali (عليه السلام). The Sunni propagandists will use her involvement to “prove” that Fatima (عليها السلام) supposedly reconciled with Abu Bakr. This could not be further from the truth. She supported and was a companion of Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام) in spite of the fact she was married to Abu Bakr. Afterall, just because someone is married to you it doesn’t mean you should always side with them if the other party is in the right. A good comparison will be the case of Zubayr, who was Abu Bakr’s son-in-law (Zubayr did mutah with Abu Bakr’s daughter Asmaa). However, Zubayr still sided with Imam Ali (عليه السلام) when it came to who succeeds the Prophet Mohammed (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم), and according to Tarikh Al-Tabari, he in fact unsheathed his sword ready to fight Omar. Therefore the Sunni propagandists can no longer use Asmaa Bint Umais (رضي الله عنها) to “prove” their claims. Afterall, was Asmaa (رضي الله عنها) not a companion of Fatima (عليها السلام) when Fatima (عليها السلام) was initially angered after demanding Fadak? The answer to that is yes, and the claims of the deceptive Sunni propagandists are shattered.
Fatima Al-Zahra (عليها السلام) did not reconcile with Abu Bakr
“When Fatima became ill, Abu Bakr came to her and asked for permission to enter. So Ali said, ‘O Fatima, this is Abu Bakr asking for permission to enter.’ She answerd, ‘Do you want me to give him permission?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ So she allowed him (to enter), and he came in seeking her pleasure, so he told her: ‘By Allah, I only left my home and property and my family seeking the pleasure of Allah and His Messenger and you, O Ahlel Bayt.’ So he talked to her until she was pleased with him.” (Sunan Al-Bayhaqi)
There are some Sunni narrations such as the one above which say that Fatima (عليها السلام) reconciled with Abu Bakr. This version is a fabrication, and is in fact, narrated by an individual named Amir Al-Sha’bi, who was a staunch loyalist and supporter of Abu Bakr. Clearly stung by the fact that Fatima (عليها السلام) died angry with Abu Bakr, he forged this account to make Abu Bakr look better. Why would Fatima(عليها السلام) be pleased with Abu Bakr if she considered herself to be in the right until she died, and this is clearly stated in Bukhari, and in fact Ali (عليه السلام) and Abbas (رضي الله عنه) did not give up their case for Fadak after Fatima (عليها السلام) died. This does not make sense if Fatima conceded and became pleased with Abu Bakr.
Even if the Sunnis claim the Bayhaqi narration is sahih to Sunni standards, that does not mean it becomes acceptable to find absurd and ridiculous ways to reconcile it with the polar opposite Bukhari narration. If one finds two sahih narrations, which are contradictory, then the one which is asah min al-akhar (the more authentic) is to be trusted, as any scholar of hadith will tell you. Of course, the one in the revered book of the Sunnis, Sahih Bukhari, is considered superior to the one in Bayhaqi, as the former compilation is considered completely sahih.
I find it odd that the Sunni propagandists ignore the narration in Sahih Al-Bukhari, which is the most reliable book of the Sunnis, which states that Fatima (عليها السلام) died angry with Abu Bakr. One can understand the motives of the Sunnis in disregarding the narration in Bukhari, as it allows them to sleep better at night. However, rejecting the narration in Bukhari amounts to nothing more than an obfuscation of the truth.
Sahih Bukhari
Volume 4, Book 53, Number 325:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(mother of the believers) After the death of Allah 's Apostle Fatima the daughter of Allah's Apostle asked Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to give her, her share of inheritance from what Allah's Apostle had left of the Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting) which Allah had given him. Abu Bakr said to her, "Allah's Apostle said, 'Our property will not be inherited, whatever we (i.e. prophets) leave is Sadaqa (to be used for charity)." Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle got angry and stopped speaking to Abu Bakr, and continued assuming that attitude till she died. Fatima remained alive for six months after the death of Allah's Apostle.
She used to ask Abu Bakr for her share from the property of Allah's Apostle which he left at Khaibar, and Fadak, and his property at Medina (devoted for charity). Abu Bakr refused to give her that property and said, "I will not leave anything Allah's Apostle used to do, because I am afraid that if I left something from the Prophet's tradition, then I would go astray." (Later on) Umar gave the Prophet's property (of Sadaqa) at Medina to 'Ali and 'Abbas, but he withheld the properties of Khaibar and Fadak in his custody and said, "These two properties are the Sadaqa which Allah's Apostle used to use for his expenditures and urgent needs. Now their management is to be entrusted to the ruler." (Az-Zuhrl said, "They have been managed in this way till today.")
The above narration is narrated by Abu Bakr's daughter, Aisha. The Sunni propagandists try to reconcile the above narration by claiming Aisha did not know that Fatima (عليها السلام) had reconciled with Abu Bakr. This excuse is ridiculous. Not only are the Sunni propagandists accusing Aisha of narrating hadiths recklessly, but how on earth could Aisha not be aware when the issue was of such paramount importance, and involved her own father! The Sunnis make it sound as if the relationship between Abu Bakr and Aisha was so poor he did not even bother telling his own daughter that the Prophet's daughter (عليها السلام) was no longer angry with him. This is not possible. Even if telling Aisha slipped Abu Bakr's mind and no one had bothered informing Aisha, she still lived for around half a century after the event, and so she must have found out sometime. Another excuse e-Sunnis have began to make is when Aisha says, "Fatima became angry and did not talk to Abu Bakr afterwards for 6 months until she died", she meant did not talk to him about Fadak. But that would mean accepting Abu Bakr's decision but in which case why would she me angry for? Instead of finding back doors and loopholes you can wriggle out of, I advise Sunni propagandists to stop being in denial and face the truth that Fatima (عليها السلام) maintained her right for Fadak until she passed away, and as I have proved she was justified, this certainly has serious ramifications as to how history should judge Abu Bakr.
Conclusion
Angry Sunnis often approach Shia laymen and severely chastise them as to why we don't like Abu Bakr and Omar. Sunnis often accuse Shias of telling ignorant Sunnis the story of Fadak in order to "convert" them, but the truth is if Sunnis refrained from attacking the Shias for opposing Abu Bakr and Omar then we would not "try and convert you" as the Sunni propagandists put it.
Angering the Prophet's daughter (عليهما السلام), regarding whom he said "Fatima is a part of me" is a serious transgression, and is akin to angering the Prophet of Allah himself. This article has shown the injustice done towards Fatima (عليها السلام) which led to her dying angry. Fatima knew she was dying, as she had been told by the Prophet beforehand yet she continued her protest, a sign that the injustice was perpetrated and her rights usruped.
May Allah guide you as well as me.
Fadak
