Sayyidah Fatimah becoming angry at Sayyidina ‘Ali

The Muhaddithin and Fuqaha’ of the Shia
October 4, 2017
The attitude of the Ahlul Bayt towards those who harbour enmity for the al Khulafaʼ al Rashidin.
October 4, 2017

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Sayyidah Fatimah becoming angry at Sayyidina ‘Ali

The pleasure or displeasure of Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha is not the fundamental deciding factor of belief and disbelief, and if our Shia brethren insist that it is then it is a known fact that she became angry at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib on a few occasions, yet no person—whether Sunni or Shia—ever said that he is cast out of the fold of Islam due to it. The Shia have recorded this in their very own books. We find Ibn Babawayh al Qummi—who is also known as al Saduq—reporting from the sixth infallible Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Jafar al Sadiq:

He was asked, “Should the funeral bier be followed with fire, candles, or anything that gives light?”

Abu ‘Abdullah’s face changed colour, he then sat up and said, “A wretched person came to Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘Do you know that ‘Ali proposed to the daughter of Abu Jahl.’

She inquired, ‘Is what you are saying the truth?’

He replied, ‘I have spoken the truth,’ repeating it thrice.

Some wealth from al Mughirah came to her, such an amount that she could support herself with. The reason for this is because Allah has ordained jealousy for women, and has ordained Jihad upon men. He has also written the same reward of the one who guards the borders in Jihad for the patient female who hopes for her reward.”

He said, “Due to what had happened, Fatimah’s grief increased and she remained in a state of thought until nightfall. She then carried Hassan upon her right shoulder, Hussain upon her left shoulder, took hold of the hand of Umm Kulthum, and set off making her way to her father’s room. When ‘Ali came home and saw that she was not at home, a deep worry befell him, because he did not know the reason for her departure. ‘Ali felt too shy to call her from her father’s home, so he set off for the Masjid where he began performing salah. He then gathered some sand which he found lying around in the masjid and he reclined upon it. When the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw the state in which Fatimah was, he poured some water over her, donned his garment, and entered the masjid. He continued performing salah, and remained in the state of ruku’ and sujud for lengthy periods of time. After every two raka’ats of salah he would plead to Allah to remove the grief and sorrow that was bothering Fatimah. That was because when he had left her, she was in such a state that she could not stop herself from turning about because of her restlessness, and she was breathing heavily. Later on, when the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw that she was not getting any sleep, and that she was not getting any rest, he told her, ‘O my beloved daughter, stand up.’ So she stood up. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam carried Hassan, while Fatimah carried Hussain, and took hold of the hand of Umm Kulthum. They then set off to meet ‘Ali. They reached him whilst he was sleeping, so the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam placed his foot upon the foot of ‘Ali and shook it.

He then said,” O Abu Turab, stand up! How many a tranquil person have you disturbed? Go and call Abu Bakr from his home, call ‘Umar from his sitting, as well as Talhah.’

‘Ali then set off and brought them from their houses, and they all gathered by the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘O ‘Ali! Do you not know that Fatimah is a portion of me, and me of her? Whoever harms her has harmed me![1] And whoever harms me has harmed Allah! Whoever harms her after my death, is as if she was harmed during my lifetime, and whoever harms her during my lifetime, it is as if she was harmed after my demise.’”[2]

She also became angry with him on another occasion, when she saw the head of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu in the lap of a slave-girl that was gifted to him from his brother, Jafar radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Al Qummi and al Majlisi narrate from Abu Dhar:

Jafar ibn Abi Talib and I were migrating to Abyssinia, when I gifted a slave-girl to Jafar, whose value was four thousand dirhams. When we returned to Madinah, he gifted her to ‘Ali, so that she could serve him. ‘Ali then designated her to the home of Fatimah. One day when Fatimah came home, she found ‘Ali resting his head in the lap of the slave-girl.

She said, “O Abu al Hassan! Did you?[3]

He replied, “O daughter of Muhammad! By Allah! I did not do anything.”

He then asked her, “What is it that you desire?”

She replied, “Grant me permission to go to the home of my father, the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

He then said to her, “I grant you permission.”

She then dressed herself appropriately and set off to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.[4]

According to the Shia, she became angry with him on a third occasion as well:

When Fatimah requested Fadak from Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr refused to give it to her, so Fatimah returned. The amount of hatred that he showed towards her cannot be described, and because of this very reason she became ill. She became angry at ‘Ali for not coming to her assistance and not helping her.

She told him, “O Ibn Abi Talib! You are hiding like a foetus in the womb and sat back like the hopeless, and all that after you have defeated the bravest and gravest warriors of your time. But now I have been overcome by these effeminate individuals! Ibn Abi Quhafah has forcefully taken Fadak from me which was gifted to me by my father, (he has take it) in an oppressive tyrannical manner. He disputes with me and brings proofs against me! While I have none to assist me, help me, intercede for me or to be my guardian. I went in a state of anger but returned in a state of sorrow. I have brought nothing but disgrace upon myself! The wolves have come and have left, but you did not even move! How I wish that I had died before this day, and that I was not even remembered. I only complain to my father, and seek assistance from my Rabb!”[5]

There are other incidents which al Majlisi, al Tusi, Al Arbili and others have mentioned. Incidents which took place between ‘Ali and Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma, such incidents that caused her to be hurt and subsequently become angry at ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

We do not know what answers the Shia will provide for these incidents and what those among them who are fair will say concerning these incidents.

We would be greatly pleased if they could provide satisfactory answers, in the same manner that we have provided answers concerning al Siddiq and al Faruq. If they were to say that she became pleased with him after she had become angry with him, we will say, “She also became pleased with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma after she became angry with them. Abu Bakr went to her after that and interceded on behalf of ‘Umar, so she accepted his request and became pleased with him once again.”[6]

NEXT⇒ The attitude of the Ahlul Bayt towards those who harbour enmity for the al Khulafaʼ al Rashidin.


[1] What is strange is the fact that this hadith is specifically only narrated about ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, according to their reports, however they utilise the hadith against al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Ibn Taymiyyah comments on that saying, “If this serves as a warning to the one who perpetrates it, then it is necessary that it applies to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu. However, if it does not serve as a warning to the one who perpetrated this action, then Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu would still be further away from this warning being applied to him than ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. (Muntaha of al Dhahabi)

[2] Ilal al Shara’i of al Qummi, pg. 185, 186. Al Majlisi also transmits this narration in his Jala’ al Uyun in Persian.

[3] Look at the explicitness of this expression, and the absurdity of this nation! See how they have fabricated lies in the name of the Ahlul Bayt of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This coming from a nation that claims to love and honour the Ahlul Bayt. Concerning this we say that the Ahlul Bayt are free from these types of profanities!

[4] Ilal al Shara’i’, pg. 163. Also see Bihar al Anwar, pg. 43, 44, Chapter: Her relationship with ‘Ali.

[5] Haqq al Yaqin of al Majlisi, study on Fadak, pg. 203, 204. Also see al Ihtijaj of al Tabarsi, and al Amali, pg. 295.

[6] Sharh Nahj al Balaghah by Ibn Abi al Hadid, vol. 1 pg. 57; Haqq al Yaqin, pg. 180; Sharh al Nahj by Ibn al Maytham, vol. 5 pg. 507; Sharh al Nahj by Dunbuli, pg. 331.

BACK Return to Table of contents

Sayyidah Fatimah becoming angry at Sayyidina ‘Ali

The pleasure or displeasure of Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha is not the fundamental deciding factor of belief and disbelief, and if our Shia brethren insist that it is then it is a known fact that she became angry at ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib on a few occasions, yet no person—whether Sunni or Shia—ever said that he is cast out of the fold of Islam due to it. The Shia have recorded this in their very own books. We find Ibn Babawayh al Qummi—who is also known as al Saduq—reporting from the sixth infallible Imam Abu ‘Abdullah Jafar al Sadiq:

He was asked, “Should the funeral bier be followed with fire, candles, or anything that gives light?”

Abu ‘Abdullah’s face changed colour, he then sat up and said, “A wretched person came to Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘Do you know that ‘Ali proposed to the daughter of Abu Jahl.’

She inquired, ‘Is what you are saying the truth?’

He replied, ‘I have spoken the truth,’ repeating it thrice.

Some wealth from al Mughirah came to her, such an amount that she could support herself with. The reason for this is because Allah has ordained jealousy for women, and has ordained Jihad upon men. He has also written the same reward of the one who guards the borders in Jihad for the patient female who hopes for her reward.”

He said, “Due to what had happened, Fatimah’s grief increased and she remained in a state of thought until nightfall. She then carried Hassan upon her right shoulder, Hussain upon her left shoulder, took hold of the hand of Umm Kulthum, and set off making her way to her father’s room. When ‘Ali came home and saw that she was not at home, a deep worry befell him, because he did not know the reason for her departure. ‘Ali felt too shy to call her from her father’s home, so he set off for the Masjid where he began performing salah. He then gathered some sand which he found lying around in the masjid and he reclined upon it. When the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw the state in which Fatimah was, he poured some water over her, donned his garment, and entered the masjid. He continued performing salah, and remained in the state of ruku’ and sujud for lengthy periods of time. After every two raka’ats of salah he would plead to Allah to remove the grief and sorrow that was bothering Fatimah. That was because when he had left her, she was in such a state that she could not stop herself from turning about because of her restlessness, and she was breathing heavily. Later on, when the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw that she was not getting any sleep, and that she was not getting any rest, he told her, ‘O my beloved daughter, stand up.’ So she stood up. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam carried Hassan, while Fatimah carried Hussain, and took hold of the hand of Umm Kulthum. They then set off to meet ‘Ali. They reached him whilst he was sleeping, so the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam placed his foot upon the foot of ‘Ali and shook it.

He then said,” O Abu Turab, stand up! How many a tranquil person have you disturbed? Go and call Abu Bakr from his home, call ‘Umar from his sitting, as well as Talhah.’

‘Ali then set off and brought them from their houses, and they all gathered by the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, ‘O ‘Ali! Do you not know that Fatimah is a portion of me, and me of her? Whoever harms her has harmed me![1] And whoever harms me has harmed Allah! Whoever harms her after my death, is as if she was harmed during my lifetime, and whoever harms her during my lifetime, it is as if she was harmed after my demise.’”[2]

She also became angry with him on another occasion, when she saw the head of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu in the lap of a slave-girl that was gifted to him from his brother, Jafar radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Al Qummi and al Majlisi narrate from Abu Dhar:

Jafar ibn Abi Talib and I were migrating to Abyssinia, when I gifted a slave-girl to Jafar, whose value was four thousand dirhams. When we returned to Madinah, he gifted her to ‘Ali, so that she could serve him. ‘Ali then designated her to the home of Fatimah. One day when Fatimah came home, she found ‘Ali resting his head in the lap of the slave-girl.

She said, “O Abu al Hassan! Did you?[3]

He replied, “O daughter of Muhammad! By Allah! I did not do anything.”

He then asked her, “What is it that you desire?”

She replied, “Grant me permission to go to the home of my father, the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

He then said to her, “I grant you permission.”

She then dressed herself appropriately and set off to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.[4]

According to the Shia, she became angry with him on a third occasion as well:

When Fatimah requested Fadak from Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr refused to give it to her, so Fatimah returned. The amount of hatred that he showed towards her cannot be described, and because of this very reason she became ill. She became angry at ‘Ali for not coming to her assistance and not helping her.

She told him, “O Ibn Abi Talib! You are hiding like a foetus in the womb and sat back like the hopeless, and all that after you have defeated the bravest and gravest warriors of your time. But now I have been overcome by these effeminate individuals! Ibn Abi Quhafah has forcefully taken Fadak from me which was gifted to me by my father, (he has take it) in an oppressive tyrannical manner. He disputes with me and brings proofs against me! While I have none to assist me, help me, intercede for me or to be my guardian. I went in a state of anger but returned in a state of sorrow. I have brought nothing but disgrace upon myself! The wolves have come and have left, but you did not even move! How I wish that I had died before this day, and that I was not even remembered. I only complain to my father, and seek assistance from my Rabb!”[5]

There are other incidents which al Majlisi, al Tusi, Al Arbili and others have mentioned. Incidents which took place between ‘Ali and Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma, such incidents that caused her to be hurt and subsequently become angry at ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

We do not know what answers the Shia will provide for these incidents and what those among them who are fair will say concerning these incidents.

We would be greatly pleased if they could provide satisfactory answers, in the same manner that we have provided answers concerning al Siddiq and al Faruq. If they were to say that she became pleased with him after she had become angry with him, we will say, “She also became pleased with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhuma after she became angry with them. Abu Bakr went to her after that and interceded on behalf of ‘Umar, so she accepted his request and became pleased with him once again.”[6]

NEXT⇒ The attitude of the Ahlul Bayt towards those who harbour enmity for the al Khulafaʼ al Rashidin.


[1] What is strange is the fact that this hadith is specifically only narrated about ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, according to their reports, however they utilise the hadith against al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Ibn Taymiyyah comments on that saying, “If this serves as a warning to the one who perpetrates it, then it is necessary that it applies to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu. However, if it does not serve as a warning to the one who perpetrated this action, then Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu would still be further away from this warning being applied to him than ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu. (Muntaha of al Dhahabi)

[2] Ilal al Shara’i of al Qummi, pg. 185, 186. Al Majlisi also transmits this narration in his Jala’ al Uyun in Persian.

[3] Look at the explicitness of this expression, and the absurdity of this nation! See how they have fabricated lies in the name of the Ahlul Bayt of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This coming from a nation that claims to love and honour the Ahlul Bayt. Concerning this we say that the Ahlul Bayt are free from these types of profanities!

[4] Ilal al Shara’i’, pg. 163. Also see Bihar al Anwar, pg. 43, 44, Chapter: Her relationship with ‘Ali.

[5] Haqq al Yaqin of al Majlisi, study on Fadak, pg. 203, 204. Also see al Ihtijaj of al Tabarsi, and al Amali, pg. 295.

[6] Sharh Nahj al Balaghah by Ibn Abi al Hadid, vol. 1 pg. 57; Haqq al Yaqin, pg. 180; Sharh al Nahj by Ibn al Maytham, vol. 5 pg. 507; Sharh al Nahj by Dunbuli, pg. 331.