Fatimah bint al Asad gave birth to ‘Ali in the Ka’bah

إن فاطمة بنت أسد ولدت عليا في جوف الكعبة

Fatimah bint al Asad gave birth to ‘Ali in the Ka’bah.

I have not found any mention of this in the books of hadith. What is founded is that Sayyidina Hakim ibn Hizam radiya Llahu ‘anhu was born in the Ka’bah.

One of the startling statements of al Hakim is that after he reported that Sayyidina Hakim ibn Hizam radiya Llahu ‘anhu was born in the Ka’bah, he asserts:

قد تواترت الأخبار بأن فاطمة ولدت عليا في جوف الكعبة

Narrations that affirm that Fatimah gave birth to ‘Ali in the Ka’bah have reached the level of tawatur.[1]

It was appropriate for him to relate those mutawatir narrations.

Al Suyuti has classified the narration’s sanad as weak which mentions that Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu was born in the Ka’bah. He lists this as a blunder of al Hakim, author of al Mustadrak. He emphasises that Sayyidina Hakim ibn Hizam radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the one to be born in the Ka’bah.[2]

The author of Tahdhib al Asma’ has declared the narration of ‘Ali’s birth in the Ka’bah as da’if.[3]

It is very startling of al Hakim―who is known to display laxity ―to declare this narration mutawatir whereas the reliable narrators coupled with their leader―Imam Muslim―have narrated that Sayyidina Hakim ibn Hizam radiya Llahu ‘anhu was born in the Ka’bah.[4]

Al Dhahabi has reported it from Ibn Mandah and has also reported a narration of Zubair from Mus’ab ibn ‘Uthman that Hakim was born in the Ka’bah.[5] In fact, this is what he reported in Jamharat Nasab Quraysh[6].

It appears in Kitab al Thiqat:

حكيم بن حزام … و كان مولده قبل الفيل بثلاث عشرة سنة دخلت أمه الكعبة فمخضت فيه فولدت حكيم بن حزام في جوف الكعبة

Hakim ibn Hizam: His birth took place 13 years before the Year of the elephants. His mother entered the Ka’bah, went into labour, and gave birth to Hakim ibn Hizam in the Ka’bah.[7]

Al Zayla’i has used Muslim’s statement as proof in Nasb al Rayah[8].

Hafiz Ibn Hajar has reported it from Zubair ibn Bakkar who is reliable.[9] Hafiz al Mizzi reported it from ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu.[10] Hafiz Ibn ‘Abdul Barr reported it.[11] And al Suyuti reported it.[12] It also appears in Akhbar Makkah that he was the first person to be born in the Ka’bah.[13]

These are the reports of al Hakim:

سمعت أبا الفضل الحسن بن يعقوب يقول سمعت أبا أحمد محمد بن عبد الوهاب يقول سمعت علي بن غنام العامري يقول ولد حكيم بن حزام في جوف الكعبة دخلت أمه الكعبة فمخضت فيها فولدت في البيت

I heard Abu al Fadl Hassan ibn Ya’qub saying―I heard Abu Ahmed Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahhab saying―I heard ‘Ali ibn Ghannam al ‘Amuri saying, “Hakim ibn Hizam was born in the Ka’bah. His mother entered the Ka’bah, experienced labour pains, and delivered in the Ka’bah.”[14]

أخبرنا أبو بكر محمد بن أحمد بن بالويه ثنا إبراهيم بن إسحاق الحربي ثنا مصعب بن عبد الله فذكر ثم نسب حكيم بن حزام و زاد فيه و أمه فاختة بنت زهير بن أسد بن عبد العزى و كانت ولدت حكيما في الكعبة و هي حامل فضربها المخاض و هي في جوف الكعبة

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Ahmed ibn Baluwayh informed us―Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al Harbi narrated to us―Mus’ab ibn ‘Abdullah narrated to us. He mentioned the lineage of Hakim ibn Hizam there and added, “His mother is Fakhtah bint Zuhayr ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza. She had given birth to Hakim in the Ka’bah. She was pregnant, and went into labour while she was in the Ka’bah.”[15]

Next⇒ Fatimah would visit her uncle Hamzah’s grave, pray and cry at his graveside

[1] Al Mustadrak vol. 3 pg. 482.

[2] Tadrib al Rawi vol. 2 pg. 359.

[3] Tahdhib al Asma’ vol. 1 pg. 169.

[4] Vol. 3 pg. 164 Hadith: 1532.

[5] Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ vol. 3 pg. 46; Fayd al Qadir vol. 2 pg. 37; al Qustuni: al Wafayat vol. 1 pg. 67; Mashahir ‘Ulama’ al Amsar vol. 1 pg. 12; Rih al Nasrin fi man ‘Asha min al Sahabah vol. 1 pg. 49; al Wuquf ‘ala al Mawquf vol. 1 pg. 80.

[6] Jamharat Nasab Quraysh vol. 1 pg. 353.

[7] Kitab al Thiqat vol. 3 pg. 71.

[8] Nasb al Rayah vol. 4 pg. 2.

[9] Tahdhib al Tahdhib vol. 2 pg.384; al Isabah vol. 2 pg. 112.

[10] Tahdhib al Kamal vol. 21 pg. 63.

[11] Al Isti’ab vol. 1 pg. 142.

[12] Tadrib al Rawi vol. 2 pg. 358.

[13] Akhbar Makkah vol. 3 pg. 226, 236.

[14] Al Mustadrak vol. 3 pg. 549 Hadith: 6041.

[15] Al Mustadrak vol. 3 pg. 550 Hadith: 6044.

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