Bibi Fatima(as)

[Hasan Askari]

Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu

Dear Imam.

I have another shia question

Bibi Fatima Zahra (sa) died 6 months after her father (saaws), Hadhrath Abu Bakr died two and a half years later and Hadhrath Umar in 24 Hijri. Despite their later deaths how is it that they attained burial sites next to the Prophet (saaws) and not Bibi Fatima alayhis 'salam? Did she request that she be buried away from her father? If so, why? Or did the Muslims prevent her burial?

jazakAllah

[Imam]

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Wa'alaykum 'Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu


All Praise be to Allah who is the Lord of the Worlds, and may Endless Blessings be showered upon His Most Beloved, and Final Messenger of Islam, Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa 'aalihi wa Sallam

On the 3rd of Ramadhan on the night of Tuesday, 11th Hijri, Hadrat Fatimah Radi Allahu anha, passed away, at the age of 29. This narration is by Abban bin Saleh.

However Abu Ja'far narrates that 3 months after the passing away of the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, Hadrat Fatimah Radi Allahu anha passed away.

'Urwah Radi Allahu anhu relates that it was 6 months after the passing away of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, that Hadrat Fatimah Radi Allahu anha passed away. According to Waqdi, this last narration is the most correct.

At the time of the wisal of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, only Sayyidah Radi Allahu anha was alive from amongst the 3 daughters of the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam. There was no such issue as to them being buried or not being buried next to their father Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, nor did any of the Muslims prevent them from being buried next to their father Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.

Such an objection is not a quoted (naqli) one, but one that is made up by the questioner ('aqli), to satisfy his own personal doubt.

Since the ahl-as-Sunnah do not have an objection to this issue, nor have they ever raised such an issue, nevertheless, there was no requirement made by Sayyidah Fatimah Radi Allahu anha to be buried next to her father, nor did she wish not to be buried next to her father, as reference to this issue would otherwise have been recorded.

She was probably aware of the fact that the Beloved Messenger of Islam, Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did give up many wealths and did acquire many stations, and did give up much time, for the other Muslims, and for the Ennobled Companions Radi Allahu anhum, because it is our belief that the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam was more generous (jawad), and more rewarding (rahim), and more forgiving (karim), towards those who had enjoined the religion of Islam, in comparison to lets say His own immediate family (ahl-al-Bay'ah). This was one of the ways in which the religion (din) of Islam was going to flourish, and prosper. It was also a lesson for those who were to come after Him, to show them, that the sunnah does lie in giving everything up for the religion (din) of Islam, rather than giving it up for your own Family.

Prior to the wisal of the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, He Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam did have a quiet word with Syedah Faimah Zahra Radi Allahu anha.

First He Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, mentioned that Hadrat Jibra'il alayhis 'salam used to recite the Qur'an once every year, and that this year He recited it twice. By this He Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam meant that the time for Him to meet His Creator was close, and that Hadrat Fatimah Radi Allahu anha, would be bestowed with the blessing of meeting the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam before any one from amongst the ahl-al-Bay'ah. At this Syedah Fatimah Zahrah Radi Allahu anha began to weep.

Then the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam asked Syyedah Radi Allahu anha, whether she was pleased with gaining the nobility over every woman of the world, at which Syedah Fatmah Zahrah Radi Allahu anha expressed her happiness.

Despite Hadrat Fatimah Radi Allahu anha being alive for 6 months, after the wisal of the Beloved Messenger of Allah Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, and despite her requests prior to her wisal, which are recorded by Hadrat Umm-e-Salmah Radi Allahu anha, not one request was made by her to be buried next to her father, nor did she dissapprove of that request, despite the lenghth of time she remained alive. If the issue was of such great importance, then indeed such a request would have been made by her, and it would have been found amongst the narrations of authoritative personalities, such as Hadrat Umm-e-Salmah Radi Allahu anha, who did achieve requests such as the clothing to be used at Syedahs funeral, and the need of water. Other requests were clean sheets on the bed to be made, at which stage the request for burial next to her father could have been made.

Since this was not the case, the questioners arguement is null and void, according to the principles of narration by the ahl-as-Sunnah. Had she desired to be buried next to her father Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, then who could have denied the wish of one of the greatest women of her time? Would Syedina Abu Bakr Siddiq Radi Allahu anhu denied such a request? Would Faruq-e-A'zam Radi Allahu anhu, denied her wish? Would Uthman Dhun nur 'Ayn disaalowed her claim? Would this have broken out into an arguement between Mawla-e-kull Radi Allahu anhu and Syeddah? Deffinitely not. As Islam teaches us that the greatest personalities of Islam, had the greatest traits, of character, which they had achieved from the Mercy of All the Worlds Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.

This question is somewhat absurd, as it is a doorway to the criticism of some of the Companions Radi Allahu anhum, creating the doubt or impression that 'maybe it was because of them', that Syedah Fatimah Radi Allahu anha was not buried next to the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.

Such doubts and impressions create a bad image or a biased image of some of the Companions, and Islam, does not allow that you have a bad image of any of the Companions, nor does it allow anyone to make such absurd questions, which would otherwise make other non Muslims, or the enemies of Islam, to think twice.

Had such a question been admitted, then this would have given rise to thousands of similar questions, not only in relation to the ahl-al-Bay'ah, but also in relation to the Almighty Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala, His four khalifahs, the Ennobled Companions, the Qur'an, the ahadith-e-Mubarikah, and the belief of the general Muslims as a whole.

May Allah the Almighty keep us firm on the belief of the Beloved Messenger Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, His Family, His Comapnions, and upon the consensus of the majority of Muslims in the world.




Jazak'allah for your question.





Wallahu A'lamu Biththawaab


M. Waseem Ashrafi