Fadak speech by Bibi Fatemah (AS)

Lady Fatimah (AS) protests against Abu Bakr's Actions

Fatimah (AS) felt grieved by Abu Bakr's actions, and was so
displeased with
him that when she knew of his attempt to seize Fadak, she
accompanied a
group of women to the mosque. There she sat down and delivered the
following speech:

     Praise be to Allah for that which He bestowed (upon us); And
thanks be
     to Him for all that which He inspired; and commended in His
Name for
     that which He Provided: From prevalent favors which He created,
And
     abundant benefactions which He offered and perfect grants which
He
     presented; (such benefactions) that their number is much too
plentiful
     to compute; Bounties too vast to measure;

     Their limit was too distant to realize; He recommended to them
(His
     creatures) to gain more (of His benefaction) by being grateful
for
     their continuity; He ordained Himself praiseworthy by giving
     generously to His creatures; I bear witness that there is no
God but
     Allah Who is One with out partner, a statement which sincere
devotion
     is made to be its interpretation; hearts guarantee its con-
tinuation,
     and dominated in the minds is its sensibility. He Who can not be
     perceived with vision; neither be described with tongues; nor
can
     imagination surround His state.
    
     He originated things but not from anything that existed be-
fore them,
     and created them with- out examples to follow. Rather, He
created them
     with His might and dispersed them according to His will; not
for a
     need did He create them; nor for a benefit for Him) did He
shape them,
     But to establish His wisdom, Bring attention to His obedi- ence,
     manifest His might, lead His creatures to humbly vene- rate
Hun, and
     to exalt His decrees. He then made the reward for His
obedience, And
     punishment for his dis- obedience, so as to protect His
creatures from
     His Wrath and amass them into His Paradise.
    
     I too bear witness that my Father, Muhammad, is His Slave and
     Messenger, Whom He chose prior to sending him, named him before
     sending him; when creatures were still concealed in that which
was
     transcendental, guarded from that which was appalling, and
associated
     with the termination and nonexistence. For Allah the Exalted
knew that
     which was to follow, comprehended that which will come to pass,
And
     realized the place of every event.
    
     Allah has sent him (Muhammad) (p.b.u.h) as perfection for His
     commands, a resolution to accomplish His rode, and an
implementation
     of the decrees of His Mercy. So he found the nations to vary in
their
     faiths; Obsessed by their fires, Worshipping their idols, And
denying
     Allah despite their knowledge of Him. Therefore, Allah
illuminated
     their darkness with my Father, Muhammad, (p.b.u.h) uncovered
obscurity
     from their hearts, and cleared the clouds from their insights He
     revealed guidance among the people; So he delivered them from
being
     led astray, led them away from misguidance, guided them to the
proper
     religion and called them to the straight path.
    
     Allah then chose to recall him back in mercy, love and pre-
ference.
     So, Muhammad (p.b.u.h) is in comfort from the burden of this
world, he
     is surrounded with devoted angels, the satisfaction of the
Merciful
     Lord, and the nearness of the powerful King. So may the praise
of
     Allah be upon my Father, His Prophet, Trusted one, the chosen
one from
     among His creatures, and His sincere friend, and may peace and
     blessings of Allah be upon him.

Fatimah then turned to the crowd and said:

     Surely you are Allah 's slaves at His command Prohibition; You
are the
     bearers of His religion and revelation; You are Allah's trusted
ones
     with yourselves; and His messengers to the nations. Amongst you
does
     He have righteous authority; A covenant He brought unto you,
and an
     heir He left to guard you; That is The eloquent book of Allah;
The
     truthful Quran; The brilliant light; The shining beam; Its
insights
     are indis- putable; Its secrets are revealed; Its indications
are
     manifest; and its fol- lowers are blessed by it. (The Quran)
leads its
     adherents to good will; and Hearing it leads to salvation; with
it are
     the bright divine authorities achieved, His manifest
determination
     acquired, His prohibited decrees avoided; His manifest evidence
     recognized; His satisfying proofs made apparent, His permissions
     granted, and His laws written. So Allah made belief to be a
     purification for you from poly- theism

     He made: Prayer- An exaltation for you from conceit. Alms- A
     purification for the soul and a (cause of) growth in
subsistence.
     Fasting-An implantation of devotion. Pilgrimage- A construction
of
     religion. Justice- A harmony of the hearts; Obeying us (Ahlul-
Bayt)-
     Management of the nation. Our leadership (Ahlul-Bayt):
Safeguard from
     disunity.

     Jihad (struggle) - A strengthening of Islam. Patience- A helping
     course for deserving (divine) reward. Ordering goodness (Amr Bil
     Maruf)- Public welfare. Kindness to the parents- A safeguard
from
     wrath. Maintaining close relations with one's kin- A cause for a
     longer life and multiplying the number of descend- ants.
Retaliation
     (Qesas)-For sparing blood (souls). Fulfillment of vows-
subjecting
     oneself to mercy. Completion of weights and measures- A cause
for
     preventing the neglect of others' rights. Forbiddance of
drinking wine-
     An exaltation from atrocity. Avoiding slander- A veil from
curse.
     Abandoning theft- a reason for deserving chastity. Allah has
also
     prohibited polytheism so that one can devote himself to His
Lordship.
     Therefore; Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except
in a
     state of Islam, Obey Allah in that which He has commanded you
to do
     and that which He has forbidden, for surely those truly fear
among His
     servants, who have knowledge.

Lady Fatimah Zahra (AS) then added:

     O People ! Be informed that I am Fatimah, and my father is
Muhammad
     (p.b.u.h) I say that repeatedly and initiate it continually; I
say not
     what I say mistakenly, nor do I do what I do aimlessly. Now
hath come
     unto you an Apostle from amongst yourselves It grieves him that
you
     should perish; Ardently anxious is he over you;; To the
believers he
     is most kind and merciful. Thus, if you identify and recognize
him,
     you shall realize that he is my father and not the father of
any of
     your women; the brother of my cousin (Ali (AS) ) rather than
any of
     your men. What an excellent identity he was, may the peace and
     blessings of Allah be upon him and his descendants.

     Thus, he propagated the Message, by coming out openly with the
warning
     and while inclined away from the path of the polytheists, (whom
he)
     struck their strength and seized their throats, while he
invited (all)
     to the way of his Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching, He
     destroyed idols, and defeated heroes, until their group fled and
     turned their backs. So night revealed its dawn; righteousness
     uncovered its genuineness; the voice of the religious authority
spoke
     out loud; the evil discords were silenced; The crown of hypo-
crisy
     was diminished; the tightening of infidelity and desertion were
     untied, So you spoke the statement of devotion amongst a band of
     starved ones; and you were on the edge of a hole of fire; (you
were)
     the drink of the thirsty one; the opportunity of the desiring
one; the
     fire brand of him who passes in haste; the step for feet; you
used to
     drink from the water gathered on roads; eat jerked meat.

Lady Fatimah (AS) was stating their lowly situation before Islam

     You were despised outcasts always in fear of abduction from
those
     around you. Yet, Allah rescued you through my father, Muhammad
     (p.b.u.h) after much ado, and after he was confronted by mighty
men,
     the Arab beasts, and the demons of the people of the Book Who,
     whenever they ignited the fire of war, Allah extinguished it;
and
     whenever the thorn of the devil appeared, or a mouth of the
     polytheists opened wide in defiance, he (p.b.u.h) would strike
its
     discords with his brother (Ali (AS) ), who comes not back until
he
     treads its wing with the sole of his feet, and extinguishes its
flames
     with his sword.

     He is (Ali (AS) ) diligent in Allah's affair, near to the
Messenger of
     Allah, A master among Allah 's worshippers, setting to work
briskly,
     sincere in his advice, earnest and exerting himself (in service
to
     Islam); While you were calm, gay, and feeling safe in your
comfort-
     able lives, waiting for us to meet disasters, awaiting the
spread of
     news, you fell back during every baffle, and took to your heels
at
     times of fighting. Yet, When Allah chose His Prophet from the
dwell of
     His prophets, and the abode of His sincere (servants); The
thorns of
     hypocrisy appeared on you, the garment of faith became worn
out, The
     misguided ignorant(s) spoke out, the sluggish ignorant came to
the
     front and brayed. The he camel of the vain wiggled his tail in
your
     Courtyards and the Devil stuck his head from its place of
hiding and
     called upon you he found you respon- sive to his invitation, and
     observing his deceits. He then aroused you and found you quick
(to
     answer him), and invited you to wrath, therefore; you branded
other
     than your camels and proceeded to other than your drinking
places.
     Then while the era of the Prophet was still near, the gash was
still
     wide, the scar had not yet healed, and the Messenger was not yet
     buried. A (quick) undertaking as you claimed, aimed at
preventing
     discord (trial), Surely, they have fallen into trial already!
And
     indeed Hell surrounds the unbelievers. How preposterous! What
an idea!
     What a falsehood! For Allah's Book is still amongst you its
affairs
     are apparent; its rules are manifest; its signs are dazzling;
its
     restrictions are visible, and its commands are evident. Yet,
indeed
     you have casted it behind your backs! What! Do you detest it? Or
     according to something else you wish to rule? Evil would be the
     exchange for the wrongdoers! And if anyone desires a religion
other
     than Islam (submission to Allah), it never will it be accepted
from
     him; And in the hereafter, he will be in the ranks of those who
have
     lost. Surely you have not waited until its stampede seized, and
it
     became obedient. You then started arousing its flames,
instigating its
     coal, compiling with the call of the misled devil, quenching
the light
     of the manifest reli- gion, and extinguished the light of the
sincere
     Prophet. You concealed sips on froth and proceeded towards his
(the
     Prophet) kin and children in swamps and forests (meaning you
plot
     against them in deceitful ways), but we are patient with you as
if we
     are being notched with knives and stung by spearheads in our
abdomens,
     Yet-now you claim- that there is not inheritance for us! What!
Do they
     then seek after a judgment of (the Days of) ignorance ? But
how, for a
     people whose faith is assured, can give better judgment than
Allah?
     Don't you know? Yes, indeed it is obvious to you that I am his
     daughter. O Muslims! Will my inheritance be usurped? O son of
Abu
     Quhafa! Where is it in the Book of Allah that you inherit your
father
     and I do not inherit mine? Surely you have come up with an
     unprecedented thing. Do you intentionally abandon the Book of
Allah
     and cast it behind your back? Do you not read where it says: And
     Sulaiman inherited Dawood ? And when it narrates the story of
Zakariya
     and says: 'So give me an heir as from thyself (One that) will
inherit
     ones and inherit the posterity of Yaqoob'.

     And; 'But kindred by hood have prior rights against each other
in the
     Book of Allah'

     And: 'Allah (thus) directs you as regards your children's
     (inheritance) to the male, a portion equal to that of two
females'

     And: '...If he leaves any goods, that he makes a bequest to
parents
     and next of kin, according to reasonable usage; this is due
from the
     pious ones.'

     You claim that I have no share! And that I do not inherit my
father!
     What! Did Allah reveal a (Quranic) verse regarding you from
which He
     excluded my father? Or do you say:

     'These (Fatimah and her father) are the people of two faiths,
they do
     not inherit each other? !' Are we not, me and my father, a
people
     adhering to one faith? Or is it that you have more knowledge
about the
     specifi- cations and generalizations of the Quran than my
father and
     my cousin (Imam Ali) ? So, here you are! Take it! (Ready with)
its
     nose rope and saddled! But if shall encounter you on the Day of
     Gathering, (thus) what a wonder- ful judge is Allah, a claimant
is
     Muhammad, and a day is the Day of Rising.

     At the time of the Hour shall the wrongdoers lose; and it shall
not
     benefit you to regret (your actions) then! For every Message,
there is
     a time limit; and soon shall ye know who will be inflicted with
     torture that will humiliate him, and who will be confronted by
an
     everlasting punishment.

Fatimah then turned towards the Ansars and said:

     O you people of intellect! The strong supporters of the nation!
And
     those who embraced Islam; What is this short-coming in
defending my
     right? And what is this slumber (while you see) injustice
(being done
     toward me)? Did not the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h) my father,
used
     to say:

     'A man is upheld (remembered) by his children ?!' O how quick
have you
     violated (his orders)! How soon have you plotted against us?
But you
     still are capable (of helping me in) my attempt, and powerful
(to help
     me) in that which I request and (in) my pursuit (of it).
    
     Or do you say: "Muhammad (p.b.u.h) has perished;" Surely this
is a
     great calamity; Its damage is excessive its injury is great,
Its wound
     (is much too deep) to healed The Earth became darkened with his
     departure; the stars eclipsed for his calamity; hopes were
seized;
     mountains submitted; sanctity was violated, and holiness was
     encroached upon after his death. Therefore, this, by Allah, is
the
     great affliction, and the grand calamity; there is not an
affliction-
     which is the like of it; nor will there be a sudden misfortune
(as
     surprising as this).

     The Book of Allah-excellent in praising him-announced in the
     courtyards (of your houses) in the place where you spend your
evenings
     and mornings; A call, A cry, A recitation, and (verses) in
order: It
     had previously came upon His (Allah's) Prophets and Messengers,
(for
     it is) A decree final, and a pre- destination
fulfilled: 'Muhammad is
     not but an Apostle: Many were the apostles that passed away
before
     him. If he died or was slain, will ye then turn back on your
heels If
     any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to
     Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those
who
     (serve Him) with gratitude.'

     O you people of reflection; will I be usurped the inheritance
of my
     father while you hear and see me?! (And while) You are sitting
and
     gathered around me? You hear my call, and are included in the
(news of
     the) affair? (But) You are numerous and well equipped! (You
have) the
     means and the power, and the weapons and the shields. Yet, the
call
     reaches you but you do not answer; the cry comes to you but you
do not
     come to help? (This) While you are characterized by struggle,
known
     for goodness and welfare, the selected group (which was
chosen), and
     the best ones chosen by the Messenger (p.b.u.h) for us, Ahlul-
Bayt.
     You fought the Arabs, bore with pain and exhaustion, struggled
against
     the nations, and resisted their heroes. We were still, so were
you in
     ordering you and you in obeying us. So that Islam became
triumphant,
     the accomplishment of the days came near, the fort of
polytheism was
     subjected, the outburst of fabrication subsided, the flames of
     infidelity calmed down, and the system of religion was well-
ordered.
     Thus, (why have you) become con- fused after clearness? Conceal
     matters after announcing them ? Turned on your heels after
daring?
     Associated (others with Allah) after believing? Will you not
fight
     people who violated their oaths? Plotted to expel the Apostle
and
     became aggressive by being the first (to assault) you? Do ye
fear
     them? Nay, it is Allah Whom ye should more justly fear, if you
     believe! Nevertheless, I see that you are inclined to easy
living;
     dismissed he who is more worthy of guardianship (Ali (AS) ) You
     secluded yourselves with meekness and dismissed that which you
     accepted. Yet, if you show ingratitude, ye and all on earth
together,
     yet, Allah free of an wants, worthy of appraise. Surely I have
said
     all that I have said with full knowledge that you intent to
forsake
     me, and knowing the betrayal which your hearts sensed. But, it
is the
     state of soul, the effusion of fury, the dissemination of (what
is)
     the chest and the presentation of the proof Hence, Here it is!
Bag it
     (leadership and) put it on the back of an ill she-camel, which
has a
     thin hump, with ever lasting grace, marked with the wrath of
Allah,
     and the blame of ever (which leads to) the Fire of (the wrath
of)
     Allah kindled (to a blaze), that which doth mount (right) to the
     hearts; For, Allah witnesses what you do, and soon will the
unjust
     assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take !!
And I am
     the daughter of a Warner (the Prophet p.b.u.h.) to you against a
     severe punishment. So, act and so will we, and wait, and we
shall
     wait. [The end of Lady Fatimah's speech.]

It appears from recorded historical events, that Lady Fatimah (AS)
was
successful at the beginning in persuading Abu Bakr to hand back
Fadak to
her; listen to part of a speech he (according to some historians)
delivered
after hearing Fatimah's speech. He said:

     ' O daughter of the Messenger of Allah. . . Surely the Prophet
is your
     father, not anyone else's, the brother of your husband, not any
other
     man's; he surely preferred him over all his friends and (Ali)
     supported him in every important matter, no one loves you save
the
     lucky and no one hates you save tile wretched. You are the
blessed
     progeny of Allah's Messenger, the chosen ones, our guides to
goodness,
     our path to Paradise, and you-the best of women-and the
daughter of
     the best of prophets, truthful is your sayings, excelling in
reason.
     You shall not be driven back from your right...But I surely
heard your
     father saying: ' We the group of prophets do not inherit, nor
are we
     inherited. ' Yet, this is my situation and properly, it is
yours (if
     you wish); it shall not be concealed from you, nor will it be
stored
     away from you. You are the Mistress of your father's nation,
and the
     blessed tree of your descendants. Your property shall not be
usurped
     against your will, nor can your name be defamed Your judgment
shall be
     executed in all that which I possess. This, do you think that I
     violate your father's (will) ? '

Fatimah then refuted Abu Bakr's claim that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) had
stated
that prophets can not be inherited, and said:

     Glory be to Allah ! Surely Allah's Messenger (p.b.u.h) did not
abandon
     Allah's Book nor did he violate His commands. Rather, he
followed its
     decrees and adhered to its chapters. So do you unite with
treachery
     justifying your fabrications? Indeed this-after his departure-is
     similar to the disasters which were plotted against him during
his
     lifetime. But behold ! This is Allah's Book, a just judge and a
     decisive speaker, saying One that will (truly) inherit Me, and
inherit
     the posterity of Yaqub, and Sulaiman inherited Dawood.

     Thus, He (Glory be to Him) made clear that which He made share
of all
     heirs, decreed from the amounts of inheritance, allowed for
males and
     females, and eradicated all doubts and ambiguities (pertaining
to this
     issue which existed with the) by gones.

     Nay! But your minds have made up a tale (that may pass) with
you, but
     (for me) patience is most fitting against that which ye assert;
it is
     Allah (alone) whose help can be sought.

It is apparent that Abu Bakr chanced the mode with which he
addressed Lady
Fatimah (AS) after delivering her speech. Listen to his following
speech;
which is his reply to Fatimah's speech. Abu Bakr said:

     Surely Allah and His Apostle are truthful, and so has as (the
     Prophet's) daughter told the truth. Surely you are the source of
     wisdom, the element of faith, and the sole authority. May Allah
not
     refute your righteous argument, nor invalidate your decisive
speech
     But these are the Muslims between us-who have entrusted me with
     leadership and it was according to their satisfaction that I
received
     what I have. I am not being arrogant, autocratic, or selfish,
and
     they are my witnesses.

Upon hearing Abu Bakr speak of the people's support for him, Lady
Fatimah
Zahra (AS) turned towards them and said:

     O people, who rush towards uttering falsehood and are
indifferent to
     disgraceful and losing actions !

     Do you not earnestly seek to reflect upon the Quran, or are your
     hearts isolated with locks? But on your hearts is the stain of
the
     evil which you committed; it has seized your hearing and your
sight,
     evil is that which you justified, cursed is that which you
reckoned,
     and wicked is what you have taken for an exchange! You shall, by
     Allah, find bearing it (to be a great) burden, and its
consequence
     disastrous. (That is) on the day when the cover is removed and
appears
     to you what is behind it of wrath. When you will be confronted
by
     Allah with that which you could never have expected, there will
     perish, there and then, those who stood on falsehoods.

Although parts of Abu Bakr's speeches can not be verified with
authentic
evidence, and despite the fact that we have already mentioned part
of the
actual speech which Abu Bakr delivered after Lady Fatimah's (AS)
arguments,
it appears certain that Abu Bakr was finally persuaded to submit
Fadak to
her.

     Nevertheless, when Fatimah (AS) was leaving Abu Bakr's house,
Umar
     suddenly appeared and exclaimed :
    
          What is that you hold in your hand ?
    
     Abu Bakr replied :
    
          ' A decree I have written for Fatimah (AS) in which I
assigned
          Fadak and her father's inheritance to her.
    
     Umar then said :
    
          With what will you spend on the Muslims if the Arabs
decide to
          fight you.
    
     Umar then seized the decree and tore it up !!!

Sunni references:
- Seerah al Halabiyah, vol 3 p 391 -> 400
- Fadak in History, Murtaza Muttaheri, p 85
- Fatimah the Gracious, Abu Muhammad Ordoni, 217 -> 240