Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear brother Assalam alaikum,

One of my shia friend told me the below hadeeth from Sahih Bukhari and claimed that there was an enemity between Abu Bakr (ra) and Fatimah (ra) until she died. Even as a sunni I was surprised to see the below hadeeth, pease explain, May Allah give you jazai khair for your service to islam.

Sahi Bukhari, Volumn 004, Book 053, Hadith Number 325.

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Narated By `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.") 

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Answer:

The property of fadak fatimah

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

It is indeed recorded and documented in history that Hadrat Fatimah (r.a.) did ask Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) to give her her inheritance from the Prophet’s (saws) property after he (saws) died. Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) informed her of the saying of the Prophet (saws): ‘The Prophets property is not inherited (by their legal heirs), but whatever they (the Prophets) leave as inheritance is for Sadaqah’, which in all probability was not known to Hadrat Fatimah (r.a.) and thus she remained unhappy with the decision of Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.).

It is also recorded in history that when Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) explained the matter to Hadrat Ali (r.a.) who was the husband of Hadrat Fatimah (r.a.), he accepted and was content with the decision of Abu Bakr (r.a.).

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 5.60 Narrated by Aisha

Fatima sent somebody to Abu Bakr asking him to give her her inheritance from the Prophet (saws) from what Allah had given to His Messenger (saws) through Fai (i.e. booty gained without fighting). She asked for the Sadaqa (i.e. wealth assigned for charitable purposes) of the Prophet (saws) at Medina, and Fadak, and what remained of the Khumus (i.e. one-fifth) of the Khaibar booty. Abu Bakr said, "Allah's Messenger (saws) said, 'We (Prophets), our property is not inherited, and whatever we leave is Sadaqa, but Muhammad's family can eat from this property, i.e. Allah's property, but they have no right to take more than the food they need.' By Allah! I will not bring any change in dealing with the Sadaqa of the Prophet (and will keep them) as they used to be observed in his (i.e. the Prophet's) life-time, and I will dispose with it as Allah's Messenger (saws) used to do." Then 'Ali said, "I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger (saws)," and added, "O Abu Bakr! We acknowledge your superiority." Then he (i.e. 'Ali) mentioned their own relationship to Allah's Messenger (saws) and their right. Abu Bakr then spoke saying, "By Allah in Whose Hands my life is. I love to do good to the relatives of Allah's Messenger (saws) rather than to my own relatives." Abu Bakr added: ‘Look at Muhammad (saws) through his family (i.e. if you are no good to his family you are not good to him!).”

Beloved brother in Islam, that this incident and misunderstanding took place between Hadrat Fatimah (r.a.) and Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) is indeed factual….but some people who have their own devious agendas to promote exaggerate and dramatize the misunderstanding in their efforts to prove that Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.) Allah forbid, was unjust to the family of Prophet Mohamed (saws) and usurped their rights….whereas nothing could be further from the Truth.

These brethren who have an agenda cite these and other selective happenings in their ultimate effort to imply or prove that the Khilaafah or leadership of the believers after the death of the Prophet (saws), which according to them was given to Hadrat Ali (r.a.), was usurped unjustly by Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.), Hadrat Umar (r.a.) and Hadrat Uthmaan (r.a.)….for that basically forms the main thought behind their breaking from the Muslim Ummah into a sect of their own called the ‘Shiate-Ali’ or the ‘Group of Ali’!!!

The truth is brother, neither Hadrat Ali (r.a.) contested the leadership, nor did he ever claim that he was the chosen and appointed successor of the Prophet (saws), nor did he himself hold any animosity towards the companions of the Prophet (saws) of the likes and stature of Hadrat Abu Bakr (r.a.), Hadrat Umar (r.a.) or Hadrat Uthmaan (r.a.). Many years after the death of these noble companions, some people who had personal political aspirations dug and selectively added up these records of minor misunderstandings….and started claiming that leadership of the believers belonged only to the direct descendants of Prophet Mohamed (saws)! All they succeeded in doing was breaking up the United Ummah of Islam into sects and sub-sects which exist to this day!

What is and should be of paramount importance to the Ummah of Prophet Mohamed (saws) is what is documented in the One and Only Glorious Quran and the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws)….for that is the essence of Islam and its unconditional obedience is absolutely obligatory for every believer who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day. It is the obedience of the Quran and the Sunnah for which every person will be questioned on the Day of Judgment, and it is only its obedience or disobedience which will determine one’s results in the Hereafter.

Whatever happened or transpired after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws) is the ‘History of the Muslims’, and if Allah forbid, any untoward incident did take place, only those responsible will be questioned and taken to task by the One Who is All-Knowing, All-Wise Alone. The rest of the believers will not even be asked or questioned regarding the acts of those before them!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 134:

134 That was a people that have passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did and ye of what ye do! Of their deeds there is no question in your case!

To sit down 1400+ later today and try to determine who was right and who was wrong amongst the ‘History of the Muslims’, to take the side of one and curse the others, and to use these incidents and misunderstandings to break up the United Ummah into sects and sub-sects on those assumptions, and start and invent a new ‘deen’ with its specific rites and rituals is definitely not the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah….especially when both parties agree that adherence to the Quran and the Sunnah alone is what is required for salvation, and both parties agree that the Quran was completely revealed and the Sunnah was completely established in the lifetime of the Prophet Mohamed (saws)!

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32

This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55:

And you all belong to one and the same Ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Allah says in Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17

Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan