Alledged Row Between Hadhrat Fatimah & Hadhrat Abu Bakr Over Share In Fadak

IT IS NARRATED THAT HADRAT FATIMAH (R.A) DAUGHTER OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) APPROACHED HADRAT ABU BAKR UPON ASSUMPTION OF CALIPHATE TO DEMAND FROM HIM HER SHARE OF THE LEGACY LEFT BY THE RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) FROM WHAT ALLAH HAD BESTOWED UPON HIM AT MADINAH AND FADAK AND WHAT WAS LEFT FROM ONE-FIFTH OF THE INCOME (ANNUALLY RECEIVED) FROM KHAIBAR. HADRAT ABU BAKR RELATED THE HADITH OF RASUL-ALLAH (SAW).

"WE (I.E. PROPHETS) DO NOT LEAVE BEHIND ANY INHERITANCE. WHAT WE LEAVE IS SADAQAH (CHARITY).'' (BUKHARI & MUSLIM).

LET US START FROM THE PROBLEM OF THE LEGACY OF THE HOLY PROPHET (SAW). WE ALL KNOW THAT THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) SPENT ALL HIS TIME IN PROPAGATING ISLAM AND COULD FIND LITTLE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK TO HIS PURSE. IN MAKKAH IT WAS THE WEALTH OF HADRAT KHADIJA WHICH WAS USED FOR RUNNING THE HOUSEHOLD AND FOR THE PROPAGATION OF ISLAM. WEHN HE MIGRATED TO MEDINA HE HAD NO MATERIAL POSSESSION WITH HIM, SO IT WAS A VERY HARD LIFE. THEN WHEN THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) CAME INTO DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH THE MECCANS AND AS A RESULT THEREOF BATTLES WERE FOURGHT, THE SPOILS OF THE WAR FELL INTO THE HANDS OF THE MUSLIMS AND ALLAH EARMARKED ONE-FIFTH OF THE TOTAL SPOILS FOR THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) TO SPEND ON HIS PERSONAL NEEDS AND THOSE OF HIS NEAR RELATIVES, THE ORPHANS, THE NEEDY AND WAY FARER. (AL-QUR'AN 8:41)

THIS WAS THE FIRST SOURCE OF INCOME WHICH THE HOLY PROPHERT (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) ACQUIRED. THEN IN THE FOURTH YEAR OF HIJRA, ALLAH GAVE VICTORY TO THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM)OVER A TRIBE OF THE JEWS (BANU NADIR) WHO ABANDONED THEIR PROPERTIES WITHOUT COMBAT. THIS IN ISLAMIC TERMINOLOGY IS KNOWN AS FAI AND ALLAH IN THE HOLY QUR'AN TOLD THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) TO USE IT AS HE DEEMED PROPER AS IT FELL INTO THE MUSLIM HANDS WITHOUT ANY ENCOUTER (59 : 6-7).

THIS WAS THE SECOND SOURCE OF INCOME OF THE HOLY PROPHET(MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) . THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) EARMARKED FOR HIS PERSONAL USE SOME OF THE GARDENS OF BANU NADIR, SOME OF THE LANDS IN KHAIBAR AND SOME LAND OF FADAK. THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) MET HIS HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE OUT OF THE INCOME FROM THIS PROPERTY AND HELPED THE POOR, THE NEEDY AND HIS KITH AND KIN OUT OF IT, AS LAID DOWN IN THE QUR'AN . THESE GARDENS AND LANDS WERE NOT IN FACT THE PERSONAL BELONGINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) BUT AS ENDOWMENTS FROM WHICH HE AND HIS FAMILY MADE ENDS MEETS AND THE REMAINING PORTION WAS SPENT ON OTHER CHARITABLE PURPOSES. THSES BELONGINGS COULD NOT, THEREFORE, BETREATED AS THE LEGACY OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AND THUS COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIABLY CLAIMED AS INHERITANCE BY HIS RELATIVES. THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) SAID THIS: MY HEIRS SHOULD NOT DISTRIBUTES ANY DINAR OR DIRHAM AMONGST TEHM; WHAT I HAVCE TAKEN IS THE MAINTENANCE OF MY WIVES AND THE SALARY OF MY WORKERS, AND WHATEVER IS LEFT IS SADAQA (BUKARI, MUSLIM).

IT WAS A SORT OF MISGIVING ON THE PART OF HADRAT FATIMA (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HER) THAT HADRAT ABU BAKR WAS RELUCTANT TO GIVE THE DUE SHARE OF HER PART IN THE LEGACY OF HER GREAT FATHER. NOBLE ABU BAKR COULD NOT CONCEIVE OF THAT. HE HAD INTENSE LOVE AND AFFECTION FOR THE FAMILY OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY BE UPON HIM) BUT HE WAS NOT YIELDING TO HER DEMAND SINCE HE FOUND IT AGAINST THE VERDICT OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) IN REGARD TO THE LEGACY OF THE PROPHETS AS WE FIND IN THE HADITH.

AFTER THE DEATH OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR, WHEN HADRAT UMAR BECAME THE COMMANDER OF THE FAITHFUL, THIS MATTER WAS AGAIN BROUGHT TO HIM BY HADRAT ALI AND ABBAS. HE FIRST REFUSED TO ACCEDE TO THEIR DEMAND BUT, LATER ON, HE GAVE THE PROPERTY OF MEDINA (BUT NOT THAT OF KHAIBAAR AND FADAK) IN THEIR CUSTODY ON THE EXPLICIT CONDITION THAT ITS INCOME WOULD BE SPENT IN THE SAME WAY AS IT WAS SPENT DURING THE LIFETIME OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AS ENDOWMENT. THE STAND TAKEN BY ABU BAKR IN REGARD TO THE PROPERTY LEFT BY THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) WAS PERFECTLY IN CONSONANCE WITH THE TEACHINGS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AND ALI HIMSELF DID NT DEVIATE FROM IT DURING HIS CAIPHATE, AND THIS PROPERTY WAS TREATED AS AN ENDOWMENT AND NOT DISTRIBUTED AMONGST THE HEIRS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) EVEN BY HIM. THE QUESTION NATURALLY ARISES IN THE MIND OF A PERSON AS TO WHY THE EMINENT LADY LIKE FATIMA AND HER ILLUSTRIOUS HUSBAND HADRAT ALI WERE NOT CONVINCED BY THE CLEAR-CUT ARGUMENTS OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR WHICH WERE ALL BASED ON THE PRECEPTS AND EXAMPLES OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY BE UPON HIM). THE FACT IS THAT HADHRAT FATIMA WAS FULLY CONVINCED AND THERE WAS NO RANKLING IN HER AFTER SHE LISTENDED TO THE ARGUMENT OF HADRAT ABU BAKR. THIS FACT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY SO MANY OTHER AHADITH E.G. IN MUSNAD IMAM AHMAD, THESE WORDS ARE CLEARLY STATED: "WHEN HADHRAT FATIMA HEARD THE ARGUMENTS OF HADRAT ABU BAKR SHE SAID: THEN YOU KNOW BETTER WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM)" (VOL. P. 4).

HAFIZ IMAD-UD-DIN IBN KATHIR HAS ALSO RECORDED QUOTING FROM HAFIZ ABU BAKR AL-BAIHAQI THAT HADRAT ABU BAKR VISITED THE HOUSE OF HADRAT FATIMA DURING THE DAYS OF HER LAST ILLNESS. THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS BETWEEN THE TWO AND HADRAT FATIMA FELF HAPPY AT THE END AS SHE WAS CONVINCED OF THE VIEW POINT PUT FORWARD BY HADRAT ABU BAKR (AL-BIDAYA WA'N-NIHAYA, VOL. V P. 289).

THEN THERE IS ANOTHER QUESTION. SOME PERSONS SAYS: WE CONCEDE THAT HADHRAT FATIMA BECAME HAPPY WITH ABU BAKR, AND SHE RECOUNCED HER CLAIM OF FADAK, BUT WHY IS IT THAT HADRAT ABBASAND HADRAT ALI WERE NOT CONVINCED AND THEY REPEATED THEIR DEMAND DURING THE CALIPHATE OF HADHRAT UMAR? THE ANSWER IS THAT THE POINT OF DISPUTE WAS NOT THAT THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THIS LANDED PROPERTY LEFT BY THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AS INHERITANCE TO THEM, BUT IT SHOULD BE GIVEN IN THEIR CONTROL AS IT HAD BEEN IN THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) DURING HIS LIFETIME, AND THEY SHOULD BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE RESPONSIBILTY OF IT MANAGEMENT AND ALOWED TO SPEND ITS YIELDS AS THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) HAD DONE. HADRAT UMAR ACCEDED TO THEIR DEMAND AS WE HAVE MENTIONED ABOVE.

ONE MORE POINT WHICH HAS GIVEN RISE TO SO MANY DOUBTS AND MISGIVING IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF ISLAM IS AS TO WHY HADRAT ALI CAUSED DELIBERATE DELAY IN SWEARING ALLEGIANCE TO ABU BAKR SIDDIQI (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH HIM). THE ANSWER IS THAT IT IS WRONG TO STATE THAT HADRAT ALI VOWED ALLEGIANCE TO THE THE FIRST CALIP AFTER THE DEATH OF FATIMA. HE IN FACT OWED ALLEGIANCE TO HIM WHEN AFTER THE DEATH OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) THE MUSLIMS HAD GATHERED IN THAQIFA BANU SA'IDA TO ELECT THAT CALIPH. HADRAT ALI ALSO EXPLAINED THE REASON OF HIS ANNOYANCE. THE WORDS ARE: "ALI AND ZUBAIR SAID: WE WERE ANNOYED FOR THIS VERY FACT THAT WE WERE IGNORED IN CONSULTATION FOR THE ELECTION OF THE CALIPH; WE IN FACT LOOK UPON YOU (ABU BAKR) BEYOND ANY SHADOW OF DOUBT AS THE MOST SUITABLE CHOICE FOR THE CALIPHATE. YOU WERE WITH HIM (THE HOLY PROPHET) IN THE CAVE AND THUS SECOND OF THE TWO, WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EMINENCE AND YOUR GREATNESS AND ALLAH'S MESSENGER (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) COMMANDED YOU TO LEAD THE PRAYER WHEN HE WAS ALIVE." (HAKIM, MUSTADRAK, VOL. 999 P. 66).

THE SECOND PART OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THAQIFA BANU SAI'IDA SUBSTANTIATES THE FACT THAT HADRAT ALI VOWED ALLEGIANCE TO HIM ON THE THAT VERY OCCASION. WHEN ABU BAKR ASCENDED THE PUPLIT THE CAST A GLACE AT THE PEOPLE, BUT DID NOT FIND ALI THERE. THEN SOME PERSON FROM THE ANSAR STOOD UP AND BROUGHT HIM (ALI) (TO THAT MEETING), WHEREUPON ABU BAKR SAID: YOU ARE THE NEPHEW OF ALLAH'S MESSENGER (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AS WELL AS HIS SON-IN-LAW DO YOU WANT TO CAUSE A RIFT AMONGST THE MUSLIMS? THEREUPON HE (ALI) SAID: SUCCESSOR OF THE MESSENGER, DO NOT REPRIMAND ME. SO HE VOWED ALLEGIANCE TO HIM. THIS HADITH IS AUTHENTIC ON THE STANDARD SET BY SHAIKHAIN IN BUKHARI AND MUSLIM (MAKIM, MUSTADRAK VOL. III P. 76).

HADHRAT FATIMA (R.A) LIVED FOR SIX MONTHS AFTER THE DEATH OF MESSENGER OF ALLAH. IT IS SAID IN A NARRATION THAT HADHRAT ALI HAD NOT OWED ALLEGIANCE TO HADRAT ABU BAKR AS CALIPH DURING THESE MONTHS (TILL THE DEATH OF HADHRAT FATIMAH). LATER ON WHEN HADRAT ABU BAKR MET HADRT ALI AT HIS REQUEST IT IS ON RECORD THAT HADRAT ALI SAID:" WE RECOGNISE YOUR MORAL EXCELLENCE AND WHAT ALLAH HAS BESTOWED UPON YOU. WE DO NOT ENVY THE FAVOUR (I.E. THE CALIPHATE) WHICH ALLAH HAS CONFERRED UPON YOU; BUT YOU HAVE DONE IT (ASSUMED THE POSITION OF CALIPH) ALONE (WITHOUT CONSULTING US), AND WE THOUGHT WE HAD A RIGHT (TO BE CONSULTED) ON ACCOUNT OF OUR KINSHIP WITH THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM). HE CONTINUED TO TALK TO ABU BAKR (IN THIS VEIN) UNTIL THE LATTER'S EYES WELLED UP WITH TEARS. THEN ABU BAKR SPOKE AND SAID: "BY ALLAH, IN WHOSE HAND IS MY LIFE, THE KINSHIP OF THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) IS DEARER TO ME THAN THE KINSHIP OF MY OWN PEOPLE. AS REGARDS THE DISPUTE THAT HAS ARISEN BETWEEN YOU AND ME ABOUT THESE PROPERTIES, I HAVE NOT DEVIATED FROM THE RIGHT COURSE AND I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP DOING ABOUT THEM WHAT THE MESSENGER OF ALLAH (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) USED TO DO." (MUSLIM).

OUTWARDLY THERE APPEARS TO BE SOME CONTRADICTION IN THE TWO AHADITH (AS MENTIONED IN MUSLIM AND MUSTADRAK) QUOTED ABOVE, ONE IN WHICH HADRAT ALI IS STATED TO HAVE OWED ALLEGIANCE AFTER DEATH OF FATIMA AND THE OTHER IN WHICH HE IS STATED TO OWE ALLEGIANCE AT THAQIFA BANU SAIDA. HAFIZ IBN HAJAR ASQALANI HAS CLARIFIED BY SAYING THAT IN THIS WAY HADRAT ALI OWED SECOND ALLEGIANCE TO ABU BAKR IN ORDER TO SUBSTANTIATE HIS FIRST ALLEGIANCE SO THAT THE MINDS OF THE MUSLIMS SHOULD BE CLEAR OF ALL THOSE MISGIVINGS WHICH HAD FOUND THEIR WAY IN THEM ON THE DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IN REGARD TO THE LEGACY OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM).

HAFIZ IMDAD-UD-DIN IBN KATHIR HAS, ON THE AUTHORITY OF SOME HARD FACTS, CATEGORICALLY REPUDIATED THE CHARGE AGAINST HADRAT ALI THAT HE REMAINED ALOOF FROM HADRAT ABU BAKR. THIS WAS UNBECOMING OF HADRAT ALI AND OTHER FACTS LEND SUPPORT TO IT THAT THE RELATIONS OF HADRAT ABU BAKR AND HADRAT ALI WERE QUITE CORDIAL E.G. HADRAT ALI JOINED THE PRAYERS LED BY ABU BAKR, HE MADE PASSIONATE APPEAL TO HIM AS HE (ABU BAKR) DECIDED TO GO TO DHU 1-QISSA (FOR NOT LEAVING THE CAPITAL) (AL-BIDAYA WA'N NIHAYA).

ALL THESE FACTS GO TO PROVE BEYOND DOUBT THAT THERE WAS NO RIFT BETWEEN HADRAT ABU BAKR AND HADRAT ALI. BOTH OF THEM WERE EMINENT COMPANIONS OF THE HOLY PROPHET (MAY PEACE BE UPON HIM) AND WERE, THEREFORE, FULLY CONSCIOUS OF THEIR DUTIES TO ALLAH AND THE UMMAH. SOME TRACE OF BITTERNESS THAT WE FIND IN THE HEARTS OF HADRAT FATIMA AND HADRAT ALI (ALLAH BE PLEASED WITH THEM) WAS NOT SOMETHING DEEP ROOTED OR MALICE AGAINST HADRAT ABU BAKR; IT WAS TEMPORARY ILL-FEELING WHICH HAD BEEN CREATED BY SOME MISGIVINGS. WHEN THE MISGIVINGS WERE REMOVED, THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ALL THESE NOBLE SOULS BECAME CORDIAL AND NO VESTIGE OF BITTERNESS WAS LEFT IN THE MIND OF ANY ONE OF THEM.

THE SHIAS, HOWEVER, ALLEGE THAT HADHRAT FATIMA (R.A) RETURNED DISMAYED AND HEART-BROKEN AFTER HER MEETING WITH HADRAT ABU BAKR WHO REFUSED TO GIVE HER SHARE OF INHERITANCE IN THE FADAK GARDEN. THERE IS NO DENYING THE FACT THAT RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) EQUATED HURTING OF HADRAT FATIMA (R.A) FEELINGS WITH THE HURTING OF HIS OWN FEELINGS. THE TEXT OF HADITH IS:

"FATIMA IS A PIECE OF ME, SO HE HOW ANGERS HER ANGERS ME." A VERSION HAS, "WHAT DISTURBS HER DISTURBS ME AND WHAT INJURES HER INJURES ME." (BUKHARI AND MUSLIM).

BUT THE ABOVE HADITH RELATES TO SITUATIONS WHEN ONE HURTS SUCH FEELINGS UNDER THE PULL AND PRESSURES OF PASSIONS AND FOR WORDLY PURPOSES. WHATEVER HADRAT ABU BAKR SAID TO HADHRAT FATIMAH WAS INSELF BASED ON THE "WILL" OF THE PROPHET (SAW) AND AS SUCH HE DOES NOT COME UNDER THE PURVIEW OF HADITH QUOTED ABOVE WHICH IS MORE RELEVANT IN THE CONTEXT OF HADRAT FATIMA AND HADRAT ALI (R.A) CONJUGAL RELATIONSHIP.

AGAIN DWELLING ON THE LAW OF INHERITANCE STATED IN THE QUR'AN KHOMENI HAS WRITTEN IN HIS BOOK THAT ACCORDING TO QUR'AN HADHRAT FATIMA WAS ENTITLED TO HER SHARE OF INHERITANCE IN THE PROPERTY (FADAK GARDEN) LEFT BY RASUL-ALLAH (SAW) BUT ABU BAKR IN CLEAR VIOLATION OF THE QUR'ANIC INJUNCTION DEPRIVED HER FROM IT AND INSTEAD PRESENTED THE CONCOCTED HADITH MENTIONED ABOVE. (THE AUTHENTICITY OF THIS HADITH IS WELL ESTABLISHED AS WE WELL SEE LATER). HADHRATABU BAKR BY NARRATING THIS HADITH MADE THE POSITION CLEAR AND EVEN DID NOT GIVE ANY SHARE TO HER OWN DAUGHTER, HADHRAT AISHA (R.A) AND HADRAT HAFSA (R.A) DAUGHTER OF HADRAT UMAR WHO BOTH BEING WIVES OF RAUL-ALLAH (SAW) WERE THE HEIRS OF HIS PROPERTY. NAWAB MOHSIN-UL-MULK HAS DISCUSSED THIS TOPIC AT LENGTH IN HIS BOOK WHICH SHOULD BE STUDIED BY THE SHIA HIGH PRIESTS. IT MAY BE MENTIONED HERE THAT NAWAB SAHIB WAS BORN AND BROUGHT UP IN A SHIA FAMILY BUT HE CAME TO KNOW THROUGH HIS OWN STUDY AND RESEARCH THAT AHLE-SUNNAH ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK AND AS SUCH ADOPTED THE SUNNI CREED AND CONSEQUENTLY WAS DISOWNED BY HIS FAMILY AND SUFFERED A LOT ON THIS ACCOUNT. HE WROTE THE ABOVE MENTIONED BOOK FOR THE GUIDANCE OF SHIAS AND TO SERVE AS A PRECENDENT FOR THEM TO SEE THINGS IN THE LIGHT OF REALITY. THE BOOK WRITTEN TOWARDS THE END OF 13TH CENTURY HIJRAH HAD BEEN PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 1301 H. BY WRITING THIS BOOK NAWAB MOSHIN-UL-MULK HAS MET THE ENDS OF JUSTICE AND RESEARCH AND HAVE ESTABLISHED A WITNESS AGAINST THE SHIITE WORLD.

THE SHIA HAVE BLOWN THE INCIDENT OF FADAK OUT OF PROPORTION. IF HADRAT FATIMAH (R.A) WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE JUST OBSERVATION/JUDGEMENT OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR WHY THEN DID HADHRAT ALI DURING HIS CALIPHATE NOT RESTORE THIS GARDEN TO THE CLAIMENTS OF THE INHERITANCE OF THE PROPHET (SAW) ? WAS HADHRAT ALI (R.A) ALSO A USURPER IN THIS CASE? (GOD FORBID).

ACCORDING TO SHI'I BELIEF, HADHRAT ABU BAKR, HADHRAT UMAR AND OTHER SAHAABAH FABRICATED CERTAIN AHADITH IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE AIM OF USURPING THE INHERITANCE OF HADHRAT FAATIMAH (RADIALLAHU ANHAA). IN AN ANNOTATION TO THE ALLEGATION OF KHOMEINI, THE COMPILER OF KHOMEINI'S WRITINGS, HAMID ALGAR, SAYS:

"AFTER THE DEATH OF THE PROPHET (SAW), HIS DAUGHTER FAIMA ASKED FOR THE ARABLE LANDS NEAR FADAK (A SMALL TOWN NEAR MEDINA) TO BE ASSIGNED TO HER AS A LEGACY FROM HER FATHER, SINCE IN HIS LIFETIME THE PROPHET HAD USED THE PRODUCE OF THE LAND FOR THE UPKEEP OF HIS WIVES. ABU BAKR REFUSED, CITING THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS: WE PROPHETS BEQUEATH NO LEGACIES; WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND IS CHARITY (SADAQA)." FOR SHI'I TRADITION, FADAK BECAME A SYMBOL OF UNJUST DENIAL." (ISLAM AND REVOLUTION).

REFUTATION OF THE ABOVE ACCUSATION
OF THE SHIAHS

(1) THE UMMAH OF ISLAM-RIGHT FROMTHE EARLIEST TIME--- KNOWNS WHO AMEERUL MU'MEEN SAYYIDUNA ABU BAKR (RADIALAHU ANHU) WAS. THERE IS NOT THE SLIGHTEST AMBIGUITY REGARDING ANY ASPECT OF THE PERSONALITY OF THIS GREATEST OF ALLAH SAHAABAH. HIS RANK AND SUPERIORITY ARE CONCLUSIVELY ESTALISHED BY CATEGORIC PRONOUNCEMENTS OF THE PROPHET (SAW). HIS SUPERIORITY OUTSHINES THE COMBINED RANK AND EXCELLENCES OF THE ENTIRE UMMAH, BEGINNING FROM THE AGE OF THE SAHAABAH AND ENDING WITH THE ADVENT OF QIYAAMAH. HADHRAT ABU BAKR'S RANK BARRING THE AMBIYAA (ALAYHIMUS SALAAM) IS NEXT ONLY TO RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM).

(2) THE AHADITH IN WHICH IS RELATED THAT RASULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) SAID THAT HE DOES NOT LEAVE BEHIND WEALTH TO BE INHERITED, ARE NARRATED BY MANY EMINENT SAHAABAH AND NOT ONLY BY HADHRAT ABU BAKR (RADIALLAHU ANHU). EVEN IF THE HADITH WAS NARRATED BY ONLY HADHRAT ABU BAKR SIDDIQUE (RADIALLAHU ANHU) THE AUTHENTICITY AND AUTHORITY OF THE HADITH WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONCLUSIVE AND AN ESTABLISHED SHAR'I FACT SINCE RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM), HIMSELF PLACED THE SEAL OF TRUTHFULNESS AND SUPERIORITY ON HADHRAT ABU BAKR. HIS TITLE, VIZ SIDDIQUE, HIS RANK AS THE HIGHEST AND GREATEST SAHAABI AND HIS POSITION AS THE ONE NEXT OF RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) DO NOT ADMIT THE SLIGHTEST POSSIBILITY OF FABRICATION IN HIS UTTERANCES. THOSE WHO POSSESS THE BARBAROUS AUDACITY OF ACCUSING THIS ILLUSTRIOUS COMPANION OF NABI-E-KAREEM (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) OF FALSEHOOD AND FABRICATING AHADITH ARE INDEED ACCUSING RASULULLAH (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) OF FALSEHOOD.

AMONG THE EMINENT SAHAABAH WHO NARRATED THE HADITH IN QUESTION ARE ABU BAKR, UMAR, UTHMAAN, ALI, ABBAAS, AISHAH, ABU HURAIRAH, AMR BIN A's, TALHAH, ZUBAIR, ABDUR RAHMAN BIN AUF AND ANAS.

(3) THE HADITH WHICH KHOMEINI AND SHIAHS ALLEGE IS A FABRICATION OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR (RADIALLAHU ANHU) IS RECORDED IN THE HIGHEST AND MOST AUTHENTIC BOOKS OF HADITH. WE THUS FIND THIS HADITH IN BUKHARI, MUSLIM, ABU DAWOOD, TIRMIZI, NISAAI AND OTHERS.

(4) IN THE FOURTEEN HUNDRED YEARS OF ISLAMIC HISTORY NOT A SINGLE AUTHORITY OF THE DEEN REFECTED THIS HADITH IN WHICH NABI-E-KAREEM (SALLALLAHU ALAYHI WASALLAM) UNAMBIGUOUSLY STATED THAT THE AMBIYAA (ALAYHIMUS SALLAM) DO NOT LEAVE WEALTH TO BE INHERITED BY THEIR FAMILES. BUT THE SHIAS MAKE THE SATANIC ACCUSATION THAT THE GREATEST OF ALL SAHAABAH, AMEERUL MU'MINEEN HADHRAT ABU BAKR (RADIALLAHU ANHU) --- NAUTHUBILLAAH! ---- FABRICATED THE HADITH IN ORDER TO DEFRAUD HADHRAT FATIMAH (RADIALLAHU ANHA). MAY ALLAH TA'ALA SAVE US ALL FROM UTTERING OR HARBOURING SUCH VILE CALUMNY AND SLANDER ABOUT SUCH A LOFTY STAR OF ISLAM.

THERE WAS SUCH A LOVE AND AFFECTION BETWEEN HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) AND HADHRAT ALI (R.A) THAT THE LATTER GOT THE FUNERAL PRAYER OF HADHRAT FATIMAH (R.A) LED BY HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A). HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) ON THIS OCCASION ASKED HADHRATALI (R.A) TO LEAD THE FUNERAL PRAYER HIMSELF BUT WHEN HADHRAT ALI (R.A) INSISTED, HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) ASKED HIM WHETHER HE WILL STAND AS A WITNESS BEFORE ALLAH THAT ABU BAKR LED THE FUNERAL PRAYER OF HADHRAT FATIMAH (R.A), ALI REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMITIVE. THEREUPON HADHRAT ABU BAKR (R.A) SAID: THIS WILL SUFFICE FOR MY SALVATION.

( (P. 37) BY QAZI ABDUR RAZZAQ,
KHATIB MARKAZI JAMIA MASJID,
GILGIT, PAKISTAN).

NOTES:-

1. IT IS STATED IN SHARH (P. 543) THAT ABU BAKR USED TO GIVE SOME MONEY TO HADHRAT FATIMA FROM THE INCOME OF FADAK WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO MEET HER YEARLY EXPENDITURE. THIS PRACTICE WAS LATER CONTINUED BY OTHER CALIPHS. IT IS ALSO STATED IN ANOTHER SHIA BOOK (P. 73 ) THAT DURING THE ILLNESS OF HADHRAT FATIMAH (R.A), ASMA, WIFE OF HADHRAT ABU BAKR USED TO ATTEND HER AND AFTER HER DEATH GAVE HER THE LAST BATH.

2. KHOMEINI SAYS: "IN CERTAIN CASES, THE PHRASE: WHAT WE LEAVE BEHIND IS CHARITY, HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE TRADITION BUT IT DOES NOT TRULY BELONG THERE. FOUND ONLY IN SUNNI VERSIONS OF THE TRADITION, IT HAS BEEN ADDED FOR POLITICAL REASONS. (WRITINGS AND DECLARATION OF KHOMEINI).