Fatimah, ‘Ali, and their sons
Fatimah is a part of me; whoever angers her has definitely angered me
March 5, 2019She threw down her staff and her seeds became rooted just as the wayfarer finds joy at the oasis
March 5, 2019BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Fatimah, ‘Ali, and their sons
When Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was questioned about the verse:
قُلْ لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبىٰ
I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.[1]
من هؤلاء الذين أمرك الله بمودتهم فقال علي و فاطمة و ابناهما
“Who are the individuals who Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala commanded to love?”
He replied, “‘Ali, Fatimah, and their sons.”
Hussain al Ashqar and Qais ibn al Rabi’ are present therein and are da’if.
Al Suyuti mentioned it in al Durr al Manthur[2] and stated, “Its sanad is da’if.”
It is common knowledge that this verse is Makki by consensus.[3] Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu married Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha after the Battle of Badr and Sayyidina Hassan was born in the second year after hijrah. So how could the verse command love for someone not yet created? Did Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala address the Quraysh by telling them to love someone He did not yet create?
When this verse is categorical on Imamah, then why do the Shia not demand that Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha be an Imam? And why do they not demand that all four, viz. ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hassan, and Hussain, be Imams during Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam lifetime? It cannot apply to the right of Imamah since the verse includes a woman.
روى البخاري عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أنه سئل عن هذه الآية فقال سعيد بن جبير قربى آل محمد فقال ابن عباس عجلت إن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم لم يكن بطن من قريش إلا كان له فيهم قرابة فقال إلا أن تصلوا ما بيني و بينكم من القرابة
Al Bukhari reports that Ibn ‘Abbas was questioned about this verse, so Sa’id ibn Jubayr replied, “The relatives of Muhammad’s family.”
Ibn ‘Abbas corrected him saying, “You have acted in haste. Indeed, Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was not a tribe from the Quraysh. Yes, he enjoyed family relations with them so he said, ‘except that you maintain the family ties between me and you.’”[4]
Ibn Taymiyyah explains:
Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala declared:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبىٰ
I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.[5]
Allah did not say:
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِلْقُرْبىٰ
Or
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِذَوِي الْقُرْبىٰ
Had he intended love for the relatives, he would have said:
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِذَوِي الْقُرْبىٰ
Just as He―the Sublime―declared:
وَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُوْلِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبىٰ
And know that anything you obtain of war booty – then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives.[6]
At all places in the Qur’an when commanding the rights of the relatives of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam or the relatives of general humans, the word dhawi al qurba has been used not fi al qurba. When the masdar (root word) has been used here instead of the noun, it indicates that He did not intend the relatives.[7]
[1] Surah al Shura: 23.
[2] Al Durr al Manthur vol. 6 pg. 7.
[3] Tafsir al Baghawi vol. 4 pg. 119.
[4] Sahih al Bukhari Hadith: 4818.
[5] Surah al Shura: 23.
[6] Surah al Anfal: 41.
[7] Minhaj al Sunnah vol. 4 pg. 28.
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Fatimah, ‘Ali, and their sons
When Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was questioned about the verse:
قُلْ لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبىٰ
I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.[1]
من هؤلاء الذين أمرك الله بمودتهم فقال علي و فاطمة و ابناهما
“Who are the individuals who Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala commanded to love?”
He replied, “‘Ali, Fatimah, and their sons.”
Hussain al Ashqar and Qais ibn al Rabi’ are present therein and are da’if.
Al Suyuti mentioned it in al Durr al Manthur[2] and stated, “Its sanad is da’if.”
It is common knowledge that this verse is Makki by consensus.[3] Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu married Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha after the Battle of Badr and Sayyidina Hassan was born in the second year after hijrah. So how could the verse command love for someone not yet created? Did Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala address the Quraysh by telling them to love someone He did not yet create?
When this verse is categorical on Imamah, then why do the Shia not demand that Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha be an Imam? And why do they not demand that all four, viz. ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hassan, and Hussain, be Imams during Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam lifetime? It cannot apply to the right of Imamah since the verse includes a woman.
روى البخاري عن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما أنه سئل عن هذه الآية فقال سعيد بن جبير قربى آل محمد فقال ابن عباس عجلت إن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم لم يكن بطن من قريش إلا كان له فيهم قرابة فقال إلا أن تصلوا ما بيني و بينكم من القرابة
Al Bukhari reports that Ibn ‘Abbas was questioned about this verse, so Sa’id ibn Jubayr replied, “The relatives of Muhammad’s family.”
Ibn ‘Abbas corrected him saying, “You have acted in haste. Indeed, Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was not a tribe from the Quraysh. Yes, he enjoyed family relations with them so he said, ‘except that you maintain the family ties between me and you.’”[4]
Ibn Taymiyyah explains:
Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala declared:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبىٰ
I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.[5]
Allah did not say:
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِلْقُرْبىٰ
Or
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِذَوِي الْقُرْبىٰ
Had he intended love for the relatives, he would have said:
الْمَوَدَّةَ لِذَوِي الْقُرْبىٰ
Just as He―the Sublime―declared:
وَاعْلَمُوْا أَنَّمَا غَنِمْتُمْ مِّنْ شَيْءٍ فَأَنَّ لِلَّهِ خُمُسَهُ وَلِلرَّسُوْلِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبىٰ
And know that anything you obtain of war booty – then indeed, for Allah is one fifth of it and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives.[6]
At all places in the Qur’an when commanding the rights of the relatives of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam or the relatives of general humans, the word dhawi al qurba has been used not fi al qurba. When the masdar (root word) has been used here instead of the noun, it indicates that He did not intend the relatives.[7]
[1] Surah al Shura: 23.
[2] Al Durr al Manthur vol. 6 pg. 7.
[3] Tafsir al Baghawi vol. 4 pg. 119.
[4] Sahih al Bukhari Hadith: 4818.
[5] Surah al Shura: 23.
[6] Surah al Anfal: 41.
[7] Minhaj al Sunnah vol. 4 pg. 28.