Important Events After the Demise of the Holy Prophet (SAWAW)
The Saqifah: A Hasty Decision and Its Painful Consequences
Immediately after the outward demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW), a gathering of the Ansar (natives of Medina) took place in the Saqifah (courtyard) of the Banu Sa’ida clan . The purpose of this meeting was for the Ansar to decide on a new leader of the Muslim community from among themselves, intentionally excluding the Muhajirun (migrants from Mecca) . Upon learning of this meeting, Abu Bakr and Umar, both prominent companions, became concerned of a potential coup and hastened to the gathering .
After a partially heated debate, Abu Bakr was ultimately elected by those gathered as the new head of the Muslim community . Umar himself later described this event as a “falta” (hasty affair) . This rushed decision at Saqifah, made without the consultation of the Prophet’s family and many prominent companions, would become the foundation of a painful series of events that deeply wounded the Ahlul Bayt (ASWS).
The Refusal of Bay’ah and The Gathering at Fatima’s Home
A significant number of companions refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr following the event of Saqifah . Among those who refused were Ali ibn Abi Talib, Al-Abbas bin Abd al-Muttalib, Al-Fadl bin Al-Abbas, Al-Zubayr ibn Al-Awwam, Khalid bin Said, Al-Miqdad, Salman the Persian, Abu Dhar Ghaffari, Ammar ibn Yasir, and Ubayy bin Ka’b . These companions gathered at the house of Syeda Fatima-tu-Zahrah (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha) to support Imam Ali and oppose the illegitimate seizure of the Caliphate .
The Holy Prophet’s own cousin, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, told Abu Bakr: “If you demanded what you demanded through kinship to the Messenger of Allah, then you had confiscated our own. If you had demanded it due to your position among Muslims, then ours is a more prestigious than yours. If this affair is accomplished when the believers are pleased with it, then it cannot be so as long as we are displeased therewith” . This powerful statement reveals the depth of the opposition to Abu Bakr’s illegitimate rule.
The Burning of the Door and the Violation of the Sacred House
One of the most painful incidents that followed the Saqifah was the attack on the house of Syeda Fatima-tu-Zahrah (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha). According to historical accounts, Umar ibn al-Khattab, along with a group of individuals, came to the house of the daughter of the Holy Prophet . In the house were Imam Ali, Syeda Fatima, and their two sons, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussain (ASWS), who were still in a state of deep sorrow over the death of the Prophet .
Fatima opened the door and asked Umar: “Did you come here to burn our house?” Umar retorted: “Yes, unless you enter into what the nation entered into [meaning allegiance to Abu Bakr]” . Umar then slammed open the door against Fatima, at which point she found herself being squeezed between the door and the wall of her house, causing one of her ribs to break . At that time, she was pregnant with the third grandson of the Holy Prophet; however, the force that Umar applied on the door caused her to have a miscarriage, and the baby who had been named Muhsin by the Prophet was stillborn only a few days after the death of his grandfather .
This tragic event is recorded by several historians. Ibn Abd Rabah al-Andalusi narrates that Abu Bakr sent Umar to take those refusing allegiance out of the house and said: “If they refuse, then fight them.” Umar came with a torch of fire to engulf the house on them . Al-Tabari also relates that Umar told those in the house: “By Allah, I will burn the house unless you come out for the bayah (allegiance)” . Al-Baladri reports that Umar came with a torch to the house of Ali and Fatima and confirmed he would burn the door .
Many years later, at a meeting between Imam Hassan and Mu’awiyah in the presence of Mugheerah Ibn Shu’bah, Imam Hassan said to Mugheerah: “You are the one who hit Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet until you made her bleed and she miscarried her baby. You wanted to humiliate the Prophet, and you opposed his teachings and violated the respect of the Prophet. You know that the Prophet said to Fatima al-Zahra, ‘You are the leader of the women of Paradise.’ By Allah, your fate will be the Fire” .
The Snatching of Garden Fadak
The usurpation of Fadak stands as one of the most blatant injustices committed against Syeda Fatima-tu-Zahrah (Salam Allah-Ho Alaiha). Fadak was a village located at a two-day walking distance from Medina. It was inhabited by Jews who, realizing the might of the Muslims after Khaibar, decided to yield to the Messenger of Allah without fighting . Since the inhabitants transferred possession out of fear, this property became the sole possession of the Prophet, in accordance with Allah’s decree: “What Allah has bestowed on His Apostle from them for this (which) ye made no expedition with either cavalry or camelry: But Allah gives power to His Apostles over any He pleases” (59:6) .
There was no dispute among Muslims that Fadak belonged to the Prophet; the disagreement was over whether he had granted it to his daughter . Fatima claimed that Fadak was granted to her by her father during his lifetime . She brought witnesses—Imam Ali, Umm Ayman (whom the Prophet described as a woman of Paradise), and her two sons—to testify to this fact . Despite this, Abu Bakr refused her claim .
Abu Bakr justified his action by citing a hadith he claimed to have heard from the Prophet: “We the group of prophets do not inherit, nor are we inherited; what we leave is for alms!!” . However, Shia scholars reject this hadith for several reasons: it contradicts the Quran, which explicitly states that prophets inherit and are inherited from (19:6; 27:16); it relies on a solitary narration that cannot override clear Quranic text; and it dismisses credible witnesses, despite Islamic law forbidding the rejection of valid testimony, especially from figures like Imam Ali .
The real motives behind the usurpation of Fadak were political. Had Abu Bakr admitted Fatima’s words regarding Fadak as undisputable facts, she could also claim her husband’s right to leadership. Ibn Abil-Hadid recorded a dialogue where he asked a distinguished teacher: “Was Fatima truthful in making the claim regarding Fadak?” The teacher answered: “Yes!” When asked why the Caliph did not return her property, the teacher replied: “If he had accepted her word on that day and had returned Fadak to her on account of her being a truthful woman and without asking for any witnesses, she could very well use this position for the benefit of her husband on the following day and say: ‘My husband is the rightful successor of the Prophet'” .
The Anger of Syeda Fatima and Her Unwavering Stance
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) had declared: “Fatima is a part of me. Whoever makes her angry, makes me angry” . This prophetic statement was recorded in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, two of the most important hadith books for Sunnis . It is also recorded in Sahih Bukhari that Syeda Fatima was angry with Abu Bakr and did not speak to him before she died .
The most authentic narrations from Sunni sources confirm this anger. Al-Bukhari has written in multiple places: “Fatima, the daughter of the Messenger of God, became sad from Abu Bakr and refused to communicate with him. Her sadness from him continued until she passed away” . In another narration: “Fatima was angry of Abu Bakr and she did not talk to him until she passed away” .
Ibn Qutaybah narrates that when Abu Bakr and Umar sought to reconcile with Fatima, she confronted them: “I swear you to God; didn’t you hear from the Messenger of God that said ‘the satisfaction of Fatima is my satisfaction and the sadness of Fatima is my sadness’?” Both confessed: “Yes, we have heard such thing.” Then Syeda Fatima declared: “I consider God and angels as witness that you have irritated me and have made me sad and I will complain you when I visit my father” .
Syeda Fatima’s anger was so profound that she willed to be buried at night and did not inform Abu Bakr for her funeral ceremony and prayer . This final act demonstrated her unwavering stance against the injustice committed against her and her family.
The Sermon of Fadak: A Powerful Defense of Divine Justice
The Sermon of Fadak, delivered by Syeda Fatima at the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, was a profound defense of divine justice and Quranic law . In this sermon, she protested Abu Bakr’s succession to Muhammad and criticized Muslims for descending to what she described as their pre-Islamic habits. She considered her husband Ali to be the rightful successor of Muhammad, referring to his announcement at Ghadir Khumm .
In her speech, Fatima chastised Abu Bakr for denying her right of inheritance, quoting verses from the Quran to support her claim. She said: “O Muslims! Will my inheritance be usurped? O son of Abu Quhafeh! Where is it in the Book of God that you can inherit from your father and I do not inherit mine?” She quoted the Quranic verses showing that Solomon inherited from David (27:16) and that Zechariah prayed for a son who would inherit from him (19:6) .
Her powerful words moved the audience to tears, yet the injustice continued. The sermon stands as a testament to her courage, her eloquence, and her unwavering commitment to justice . She declared: “Shall my inheritance be wrested from me in a tyrannical and oppressive manner? For soon, those who commit injustice will find out what they return to” .
Abu Bakr’s Regret and The Guilt of the Unjust
Near the end of his life, Abu Bakr himself expressed remorse for the actions taken against the Ahlul Bayt. He said: “Every man sleeps next to his wife, embracing her, enjoying his family, and you left me with my misery. I don’t need your bayah, I don’t need it, take it away from me” . He also mentioned: “I was sad for three things that I did, and I wish I hadn’t done them. One of them is that I exposed the house of Fatima” .
Abu Bakr asked Umar to accompany him to reconcile with Fatima, saying: “Since we have angered Fatima, let us go and make her happy” . However, as recorded in Sahih Bukhari and other authentic sources, Syeda Fatima never forgave them and refused to speak to them until her death .
The events that followed the outward demise of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWAW) represent one of the most painful chapters in Islamic history. The hasty decision at Saqifah, the refusal to consult the Ahlul Bayt, the burning of the door, the violation of Syeda Fatima’s home, the miscarriage of her unborn child, and the usurpation of Fadak all demonstrate how the companions who took power forgot the holy sayings of the Prophet regarding the sanctity and dignity of his Ahlul Bayt.
The Holy Prophet had declared: “Fatima is a part of me. Whoever hurts her hurts me, and whoever delights her delights me.” He had also said: “The example of my Ahlul Bayt is like the Ark of Noah. Whoever boards it is saved, and whoever turns away from it is drowned.” Yet, despite these clear prophetic commands, the Ahlul Bayt were subjected to the most painful treatment by those who claimed to be the Prophet’s successors. Syeda Fatima’s anger remained until her death, and she left this world without forgiving those who had wronged her. Her legacy of courage, justice, and unwavering commitment to truth continues to inspire believers to this day.