We have now reached a very sensitive and important point in our discussion - sensitive historically and theologically. I do not know what the consequence of the words we mention here will be! I do not know what the reaction to these words will be! And I do not know how the reader will judge me after reading this and what kinds of accusations will be levelled against me! Sectarianism, divisiveness, causing disturbance and disunity, questioning the honour of the companions and many other qualities may be ascribed to me by the esteemed readers!

It may be that one is displeased by these realities or considers them to be lies and fabrications and then passes judgment on me in absentia, saying or writing whatever seems appropriate to him. This is not as important to me as ensuring that the reader knows that whatever I will mention here is neither taken from Shi’ah sources nor from the books of the Imami scholars. Rather, I will only mention what is found in Sunni sources and those works that the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al- Jama’ah consider reliable.

Then, if these reports are correct and true, it will suffice as good evidence; but if they are weak and incorrect then the responsibility does not fall on my shoulders. Rather, it lies with the original sources. In other words, the fault is not mine - it is the fault of the history that recounts these events. For if these events were not established in the eyes of the erstwhile Sunni scholars, they would not have mentioned them in their authentic works which are considered reliable and trustworthy.

Before entering into the actual discussion, I wish to enumerate the sources and historical references. It is better if the reader refers to these to ensure that we have been faithful in our quotations and narrations. After reading this chapter, one is free to choose his stance with regard to these events, alone, with his own conscience. How it pains me that I am not free with my pen and words to record on these pages all the painful events, distressing circumstances, turbulent episodes and difficult times that the family of the Prophet of Allah and his pure progeny had to undergo, less than a week after his demise. Indeed, freedom is accorded to everyone and to every group except to the family of the Prophet!

The well-known ‘freedom of the press’ in our time, ‘freedom to defend oneself’ which is permitted in all the courts of the world, the ‘freedom of choice and expression’ which is commonly accepted in different parts of the world, and all the other various types of freedoms exist, but speaking about the tribulations that befell the family of the Prophet and recounting the pain and anguish that they suffered is considered an unforgivable sin!

The great scholar, Professor ‘Abd al-Fattah ‘Abd al-Maqsud says in his book al-Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib:

A group of them gathered, sometimes in secret and other times openly, calling the son of Abu Talib [and urging him to take the reins of leadership] because they saw him as the person most capable of managing the affairs of the people. Then they rallied around his house, calling his name and asking him to come out to them So, that they could return his usurped right to him… So, the Muslims were divided by this matter into allies [of the current caliph] and supporters [of the caliphate of Ali], and Madinah had been split into two factions. The unity that was much sought after began showing rifts and was on the verge of a split. Then, nobody but Allah knows what would have happened after this in the future… Then would Ali not, in the eyes of Ibn al-Khattab, deserve to be put to death So, that strife and sedition are averted, and divisions do not come about?

This is something that would be in line with the aggressive attitude of ‘Umar in his fervour to maintain the unity of Islam. The fact that this is what the people were talking of and whispering about shows that the misgivings [about this possibility] were considered real, rather than mere conjecture. For no one could surmise or know what was in Ibn al-Khattab’s mind, but they all followed their imaginations that were based on what they knew of this man who had a violent nature and, it is possible that some of them knew what he would do based on all his previous encounters and saw with the mind’s eye what would happen, before the eyes could actually witness it. If Ali would have stood firm against the threats of ‘Umar when he sought his acceptance and allegiance for the caliphate of Abi Bakr, it may take a short while to consider the consequences of this position and to imagine the outcomes before one realizes that it would necessarily lead to ‘Umar exceeding the limits and considering this opposition as rebellion that must be dealt with in the harshest and most violent manner!

In addition, rumours had already preceded ‘Umar’s footsteps on that day, as he went with some of his companions and supporters towards the house of Fatimah, with the intention of forcing the cousin of the Holy Prophet to, willingly or unwillingly, pledge the allegiance that he had So, far refused to assent to. Some people were saying that the sword would be the only thing that would make him submit! Others were saying that the sword would be met by a sword! Yet others said that ‘fire’ was the only means that could preserve the unity and gain ‘acceptance’ and assent!

Are there any fetters on the tongues of men that prevent them from relating the story of the firewood that Ibn al-Khattab instructed them to bring and place around the house of Fatimah, while Ali and his companions were inside, So, that it may be a means of coercion and a way to force submission? Indeed, all these stories, as well as the premeditated or improvised plots, along with the attack of the son of al-Khattab, were quick to vanish, like foam on water.

The man was enraged as he proceeded towards the house of Ali. The sparks of rebellion had been ignited. His supporters and aides accompanied him but as they were about to storm through, they saw a face like the face of the Prophet of Allah appear at the door, veiled in sorrow. On its sides were the signs of pain, in its eyes were the marks of tears and above its forehead was a frown of anger that was flaring up and a rage that was boiling…

‘Umar stopped in his tracks out of fear and his vehemence evanesced. All his supporters also stopped behind him, in front of the door, when they saw the likeness of the Prophet in front of them, looking at them through the face of his beloved daughter al-Zahra, and they lowered their gazes out of disgrace or shame. Then their determination was overturned when they saw Fatimah move towards the grave of her father, slowly, like a shadow, with footsteps burdened by grief. The eyes turned towards her and the ears keenly listened to her as she raised her weak, sad and sorrowful voice, calling out to [her father] Muhammad, whose resting place was before her, and repeatedly crying: “O father, O Prophet of Allah! ...O father! O Prophet of Allah!”

It was as if the earth was shaking under this rebellious group because of the distressful cry. And as al-Zahra approached the pure grave, she called for help from her father: “O father! O Prophet of Allah! ...look at what Ibn al-Khattab and Ibn Abi Quhafah have done to us after you!”

She had not finished her words before all the hearts were overcome with sorrow and tears were flowing from all the eyes. The people wished that they were able to split the ground upon which they stood So, that they could disappear into the belly of the earth…1

We have quoted these passages from the book of the contemporary Egyptian professor, ‘Abd al-Fattah. However, some examples of what erstwhile scholars and early traditionists mention are as follows:

1. In al-’Iqd al-Farid, Tarikh Abi al-Fida’ and A’lam al-Nisa’:

Abu Bakr sent a group under the command of ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab saying, “if they refuse [to give their pledge of allegiance] then fight them.” ‘Umar came forward with a firebrand intending to set fire to the house. When Fatimah saw him, she said, “O son of al-Khattab, have you come to burn our house?” “Yes,” he replied, “if you do not accept what the ummah has accepted.”2

2. In Tarikh al-Tabari, al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah and Sharh Ibn Abi al-Hadid:

He called for some firewood saying, “By Allah, your house will be burnt with you inside unless you come out and give your pledge of allegiance.” Or he said, “Either come out and pledge allegiance, or I will burn it along with those who are inside it!” Someone said to him, “Fatimah is inside [the house].” He responded, “Even if [she is, I will still burn it]!”3

3. Ibn Qutaybah4 mentions in al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah:

[He was asked:] “How did Ali Ibn Abi Talib (may Allah honour his countenance) pledge allegiance?” He replied, “Abu Bakr found out that a group of individuals who had refused to pledge allegiance to him were with Ali (may Allah honour his countenance), So, he sent ‘Umar there. ‘Umar called out to them while they were in the house of Ali but they refused to come out. So, he asked for some firewood to be brought and said, ‘By the one in whose hand is ‘Umar’s life, you will either come out or I will burn it down along with those who are inside it!’ It was said to him, ‘O Aba Hafs, Fatimah is inside!’ He replied, ‘Even so!’

So they all came out and gave their pledge of allegiance, except Ali. He said, ‘I have taken an oath that I will not come out or place my robe upon my shoulders until I have compiled the Qur’an.’ So, Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) stood at the door and said, ‘I do not know any group that attended a worse gathering than you. You left the body of Prophet of Allah (S) in front of us and decided your affair between yourselves. You did not seek our approval and did not give us our due right!’”5

4. The poet, Muhammad Hafiz Ibrahim, says in his Qasidah al-’Umariyyah:

وقولةٍ لعليٍّ قالها عمرٌ

أكرم بسامعها أعظم بملقيها

And the words that ‘Umar said to Ali,

how honourable its listener and great its addressee

حرقتُ دارك لا أبقي عليك بها

إن لم تبايع وبنت المصطفى فيها

I will burn your house leaving none aside,

if you do not pledge allegiance, even if the daughter of Mustafa is inside

ما كان غير أبي حفصٍ يفوه بها

أمام فارس عدنان وحاميها

None but Abu Hafs could have uttered this,

in front of the champion of ‘Adnan and its defender

5. Mustafa al-Dimyati, in his commentary on the above poem, states:

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari says: Jarir has narrated to us from Mughirah, from Ziyad Ibn Kulayb who said: “‘Umar Ibn al-Khattab came to the house of Ali, while Talhah, al-Zubayr and some men from the Muhajirun were with him. He said [to them], ‘I swear by Allah that I will burn the house down if you do not come out and pledge allegiance!’ So, al-Zubayr came out with his sword drawn, but the sword fell from his hand So, they pounced on him and took him away…”6

6. Al-Shahristani7 has narrated from al-Nazzam that ‘Umar struck the stomach of Fatimah on the Day of Allegiance (yawm al-bay’ah), until she miscarried her child (al-Muhsin). He then screamed, “Burn her house along with those who are in it!” At that time, there was nobody in the house other than Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan and al-Husayn.8

Something similar has been narrated by al-Baladhuri9 and al-Safadi al-Shafi’i.10 And in Ibn Hajar’s Lisan al-Mizan, we read: “‘Umar kicked Fatimah, So, she miscarried [her child] Muhsin.”11

7. In Mizan al-I’tidal of al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi, we find a similar narration.12 Ibn Khazzabah reports that Zayd Ibn Aslam said: “I was among those who carried firewood with ‘Umar to the door of Fatimah when Ali and his companions refused to give the pledge of allegiance. ‘Umar said to Fatimah, ‘Come out of the house otherwise I will burn it along with those who are inside it!’ At that moment, Fatimah was in the house with al-Hasan, al-Husayn and a few of the Prophet’s companions. Fatimah said, ‘Will you burn my children?’ He replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, unless you come out and pledge allegiance!’”

This is what we were able to find in the books of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, and it is possible that others may find more than this in the early sources and in the books of history.

After surveying these historical records, the position of some Muslims towards the family of the Prophet (S) has become evident, and it is clear that certain individuals did not care about the sanctity of the holy lady, al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra, or the sanctity of her house. They never considered the status of her husband, Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a), or the honourable position of her sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn (‘a) and did not preserve the respect of the Noble Prophet through them.

We have noted from these texts that a group came to force Imam Ali (‘a) from his house in order to take his pledge of allegiance to Abu Bakr. We have seen how they threatened to burn the house down along with all who were in it from the family of the Prophet of Allah (S). Al-Sayyida Fatimah was never expecting to see, in her life, a day like this and oppression such as this, even though her father, the Prophet, had informed her about it, with or without mentioning the details, but hearing it is different from seeing it, and experiencing a tribulation is different from hearing or seeing it.

If al-Sayyida Fatimah had heard from her father that her situation will change and that after he (S) dies, the hidden rancour will become manifest, then now she actually witnessed it. A group had attacked her home in order to force her husband out – from the house that the Prophet himself would not enter until having sought permission from Fatimah. It was not possible for al-Zahra to stay silent and remain a spectator. What family would remain silent and calm when they see a group wanting to attack their home in order to force the head of the family to come out? Fear, panic and anxiety reaches its peak and all peace and tranquillity is taken away from such a family. The children cry and wail out of fear and voices are raised in those horrifying moments.

Before the group attacked, al-Sayyida Fatimah was behind the door and had a scarf covering her head, but she had not worn the full veil (khimar). So, when the group attacked, al-Sayyida Fatimah hid herself behind the door in order to veil herself from those men. They pushed the door with such force that they crushed her behind it. At this time, she was six months pregnant. In that moment, al-Sayyida cried out due to intense pain because her baby was killed by the impact of the door - and do not even ask about the spikes on the door that pierced her chest because of the force of the push.

It was then that the group caught Imam Ali and sought to force him out of the house, while al-Sayyida Fatimah tried to prevent them from taking her husband, despite the severe pain she felt and the agitation of the foetus inside her womb. At this moment, the order to strike Fatimah, the beloved of the Prophet of Allah, was issued. The children of Fatimah al-Zahra who witnessed this event have the following to say:

1. Imam al-Hasan (‘a) addressed al-Mughirah Ibn Shu’bah in the court of Mu’awiyah saying: “You are the one who struck Fatimah, daughter of the Holy Prophet, until you made her bleed and she miscarried the child that was in her womb. By this you dishonoured the Prophet of Allah, disobeyed his command, and infringed on his sanctity. The Prophet of Allah had said to her, ‘You are the Mistress of the women of Paradise.’ Most surely Allah will put you in the fire of Hell…”13

2. In the book of Sulaym Ibn Qays: …’Umar came forward and banged on the door shouting, “O son of Abu Talib, open the door!” Fatimah (‘a) said, “O ‘Umar, what do we have to do with you, why don’t you just leave us alone?” He responded, “Open the door otherwise I will burn it down!” She (‘a) said, “O ‘Umar, do you not fear Allah? You are willing to invade my house and attack my home?!” But he refused to go away.

Then ‘Umar called for fire to be brought and he set fire to the door. When the door was burning, he pushed it open. When Fatimah (‘a) faced him, she cried, “O father! O Prophet of Allah!” ‘Umar raised his sword, while it was still sheathed, and struck her on her side with it, So, she cried out. He then raised his whip and lashed her arms, as she exclaimed, “O father! How evil is what Abu Bakr and ‘Umar are doing after you!”

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) tackled ‘Umar and held him by the collar, then he shook him and threw him to the ground, injuring his nose and neck. He wanted to kill him but remembered the words of the Prophet (S) and how he had advised him to remain patient. So, he said, “By the one who honoured Muhammad, O son of Sahhak! If it was not for the Book of Allah and the promise I had given to the Prophet of Allah, you would have known that no one can ever enter my house [like this] …”

Umar began shouting for help, So, the people came to him. They entered the house [of Amir al-Mu’minin] and overpowered him, placing a rope around his neck. Fatimah (‘a) tried to block their way at the door of the house, So, Qunfudh took a whip and stuck her with such force that when she passed away from this world, there were marks on her arms that looked like large bracelets because of his lashes. Then he forcefully pushed her towards the doorpost, breaking her ribs and causing her to miscarry her child. After this, she remained bedridden until she died a martyr because of this.

3. In the book Irshad al-Qulub: From al-Zahra (‘a) who said: “…They gathered firewood outside our door and brought fire in order to burn our house down and us along with it. I stood at the doorpost and beseeched them, for the sake of Allah and my father, to stop what they were doing. ‘Umar took the whip from Qunfudh and lashed at my arm with So, much force that it got swollen such that it looked like a thick bracelet [on my arm]. Then he kicked in the door with his leg and pushed it on me while I was pregnant, So, I fell down on my face as the fire raged on. He then struck me with his hand until my earrings fell out of my ears. At this time labour pains came upon me and I miscarried Muhsin, [who was killed] without any fault.”

4. Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) said: “…The cause of her death was that Qunfudh, the slave of ‘Umar, struck her with the sheath of his sword on his command, So, she miscarried Muhsin and fell severely ill because of this…”14

From this we deduce that more than one person struck the daughter of the Prophet (S), with a whip and at other times, a sheathed sword, and this is what led to her miscarriage.

Poets also describe the pain and anguish of this grave oppression. One of them says:

فأسقطت بنت الهدى وا حَزَنا

جنينها ذاك المسمّى محسنا

The daughter of guidance miscarried,

O what sorrow, her baby who was named Muhsin

Another says:

والداخلين على البتولة بيتها

والمسقطين لها أعزَّ جنينِ

Those who forced their way into the house of Batul,

and caused her to miscarry her precious child

Yet another says:

أو تدري ما صدر فاطم ما المسما

ر ما حال ضلعها المكسور

Can you fathom what happened to Fatimah because of the spikes,

how her ribs were broken?

ما سقوط الجنين؟ ما حمرة

العين وما بال قرطها المنثور

How the baby was miscarried and how,

the eyes became red and how her earrings fell off, strewn?

Another poet says:

ولست أدري خبر المسمارِ

سل صدرها خزانة الأسرارِ

I do not know the news of the spikes,

ask her chest [about it] – for it is the treasure of secrets

Al-Sayyida Fatimah called her servant Fidhdhah for help crying, “O Fidhdhah! Take me away with you and let me lean on your chest, for by Allah, they have killed the baby in my womb!” Fidhdhah rushed forward and held al-Sayyida Fatimah in her arms as she tried to carry her to the room, but the foetus was miscarried before al-Zahra reached her room.

It is well known that the pain of miscarriage is worse than the pain of childbirth, and Fatimah, the beloved daughter of the Prophet, wailed in such a manner that every heart would feel pain and every eye would shed tears [upon hearing it]. The baby left this world as his mother looked on. However, the people did not pay heed to what had happened to the Mistress of all Women and the daughter of the Master of Prophets; rather, they took her noble husband, after having disarmed him and tying the rope of his sword around his neck. They ruthlessly pulled him from his house to the masjid by force in order to make him pledge allegiance.15

Here the pen stops moving and the tongue becomes mute, unable to express what this brave and chivalrous man had to endure. The champion of Islam and the great warrior; the Imam in whose eyes al-Zahra was more valuable than anything else, who cherished her more than everything and considered her to be the most praiseworthy human being after the Prophet. Salman witnessed this perplexing sight and commented: “Can this be done to such a person? By Allah, if he were to pray to Allah, the sky would fall on the earth!”16

Take a moment with me and let us weep for Ali, as he listened to the wails of his beloved wife Fatimah! He heard the cries of his little sons and daughters as they looked towards their mother and father, not knowing what to do. Should they encircle their mother and listen to her wail because of the pain of losing her baby, or should they accompany their father who has been surrounded by people who are pushing him from behind and pulling him forward? Agony, O what agony! Ali wants to assist his wife when he sees her in this state, but the rope is around his neck, and the people are pushing him away, as the cries of the children have made him restless. He looks right and left and cries: “O Hamzah! But I do not have Hamzah by my side today, O Ja’far! But Ja’far is not with me today!”

In the end, they drag the rightful successor of the Prophet out of the house in this atrocious manner, while abusing and taunting him. The women who were standing on the way lamented with raised voices and wailed, but of what use are cries when faced with brute force? Will those hard hearts become soft because of the screams and cries of women?

Fatimah opened her eyes at that moment, and it is possible that she regained consciousness because of the frightened screams of her children. She said, “O Fidhdhah, where is Ali?” Fidhdhah wept and replied, “They have taken him to the masjid!” Fatimah forgot her agony and stood up. Her body was writhing in pain from head to toe, but she gathered her courage for this grave situation and critical juncture. As al-Sayyida Fatimah prepared to come out in order to save her husband from the predicament and redress the situation, Imam Ali was in the Masjid of the Prophet. Ibn Qutaybah says:

They recalled how Ali was brought before Abu Bakr as he kept saying: “I am the servant of Allah and the brother of His Prophet.” Someone said to him, “Pledge your allegiance to Abu Bakr.” He said, “I am more deserving of this than all of you. I will not pledge allegiance to you when it is you who ought to pledge allegiance to me. You have taken this affair from the Ansar and have convinced them using the excuse of your nearness to the Prophet (S) while you usurp it from the Ahl al-Bayt! Did you not tell the Ansar that you are more worthy of this because of your proximity to Muhammad (S), such that they gave you the reins of leadership and surrendered the authority to you? Now I use the same evidence, which you used against the Ansar, against you - we are closer to the Prophet of Allah (S) in life and death, So, be just with us if you fear for your souls.”

Umar said to him, “You will not be released until you pledge allegiance.” Ali replied, “Extract the milk well for half of it is yours! Support him today So, that he may pass it on to you tomorrow. By Allah, O ‘Umar, I do not accept your words and I will not pledge my allegiance to him.” Abu Bakr said, “If you do not wish to pledge your allegiance to me then I will not force you to do so.” Ali addressed the people and said, “O Muhajirun, I call upon you by Allah, do not expel the heir and representative of Muhammad among the Arabs from his house and from inside his home, forcing him towards your own houses and homes and do not divest from his family the right that is theirs and their status among the people. By Allah, O Muhajirun, we, the Ahl al-Bayt, are more deserving of this matter than you, as long as there is one [among us] who recites the Book of Allah, understands the religion of Allah and knows the ways and practices of the Holy Prophet…”

This is what Ibn Qutaybah has narrated in his book al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah.17

In his Tafsir, al-’Ayyashi narrates:

They forced him out of his house with a noose around his neck and pulled him past the grave of the Prophet (S). He said, “O brother, the people have reckoned me weak and were about to kill me.” ‘Umar said to him, “Pledge allegiance!” Ali said, “And what will you do to me if I refuse?” ‘Umar said, “Then, by Allah, I will strike your neck!” “In that case, I will be a martyred servant of Allah and brother to the Prophet of Allah,” said Ali. And in another narration, he said, “In that case you will have killed a servant of Allah and the brother of the Holy Prophet.” ‘Umar retorted, “A servant of Allah, yes, but brother of the Prophet, no!” and in another narration, he said, “As for your being the brother of the Prophet of Allah, we do not accept that attribution.” The Imam (‘a) said, “Do you deny that the Prophet (S) established a bond of brotherhood between me and him?” “Yes,” he said. Then a lengthy, heated debate ensued between the rightful successor of the Prophet (‘a) and that clique.18

At that point, Fatimah arrived at the masjid holding the hands of her sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, accompanied by all the Hashimi women. Al-Sayyida Fatimah saw her husband being threatened with execution, So, she came forward calling out and saying, “Leave the son of my uncle alone! Leave my husband alone! By Allah, [if you do not let him go] I will surely remove my veil and place my father’s shirt on my head before I pray to Allah against you!”

And in another narration [she said], “By the One who sent Muhammad with the truth, if you do not let him go, I will open up my hair and place the shirt of my father, the Holy Prophet (S), on my head. Then I will cry out to Allah, the Most High, [against you]. For Indeed, the camel of Salih is not more honourable in the sight of Allah than me, nor is its baby camel more honourable than my children!”19

In another narration, al-’Ayyashi reports that she said: “O Abu Bakr, do you wish to make me a widow? By Allah, if you do not leave him, I will open my hair and rent my garment before going to the grave of my father and crying out [against you] to my Lord!” Then she took al-Hasan and al-Husayn and left towards the grave of the Prophet (S).

In yet another narration, she said: “What do you want with me O Aba Bakr? Do you want to make my children orphans and me a widow? By Allah, if it was not considered a sin, I would open my hair and cry out to my Lord.” A person among the group said to Abu Bakr, “What do you hope to achieve by this? Do you want the wrath [of Allah] to descend on this ummah?”

Ali told Salman, “Take care of the daughter of Muhammad…” Salman came forward and said, “O daughter of Muhammad, Allah sent your father as a mercy [for mankind] So, turn back [and do not curse these people]!” She said, “O Salman, they want to kill Ali! I do not have the patience [for that] So, let me go to the grave of my father and open my hair, rent my garment and cry out to my Lord.” Salman said, “I am afraid that [if you do this] Madinah will sink into the ground, and Ali has sent me to you, asking that you return to your house and refrain from this.” She (‘a) replied, “Then I will return and bear patiently, and I will listen to him and obey his wishes.”20

In al-Radhawi al-Najafi’s book Ihtijaj al-Zahra [we read]: …Then Ali turned running towards al-Sayyida Fatimah. When he reached her, Fatimah began kissing his shoulders and, with tears flowing from her eyes, she said, “May my soul be sacrificed for yours, and my life be sacrificed defending yours. O Aba al-Hasan, I am with you in both good times and bad.”21

In short, al-Sayyida Fatimah did not return to her house until she had taken her husband with her and saved him from that clique, having delivered him from the forceful attempt to take the pledge of allegiance from him.

• 1. ‘Abd al-Fattah ‘Abd al-Maqsud (d. 1993), al-Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib, p. 225.
• 2. al-’Iqd al-Farid, vol. 5, p. 13; Abu al-Fida’ Isma’il Ibn Ali (d. 732 A.H.), al-Mukhtasar fi Akhbar al-Bashar, vol. 1, p. 156.
• 3. Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 3, p. 198; ‘Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari (d. 276 A.H.), al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 16.
• 4. He is the learned jurist Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah Ibn Muslim Ibn Qutaybah al-Dinawari, a scholar of the third century A.H. and an expert of literature, Arabic grammar and history. He was born in Baghdad in 213 AH and in 276 AH he passed away. He has written many books, the most famous among which is the one we have quoted which is famously known as Tarikh al-Khulafa’. This word has been printed numerous times in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon.
• 5. al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 16.
• 6. Mustafa al-Dimyati, Sharh al-Qasidah al-’Umariyyah, p. 38.
• 7. He is the learned Shafi’i jurist Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Karim al-Shahristani, a sixth century (A.H.) scholar. He has many books, the most well-known amongst which is al-Milal wa al-Nihal, which has been printed numerous times in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon.
• 8. Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd al-Karim al-Shahristani (d. 548 A.H.), al-Milal wa al-Nihal, p. 71.
• 9. Ansab al-Ashraf, vol. 1, p. 404.
• 10. Khalil Ibn Aybak al-Safadi al-Shafi’i (d. 764 A.H.), al-Wafi bil-Wafayat, vol. 6, p. 15.
• 11. Lisan al-Mizan, vol. 1, p. 268.
• 12. Mizan al-I’tidal, vol. 1, p. 158.
• 13. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 197; al-Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p. 278.
• 14. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 170; ‘Awalim al-’Ulum, vol. 11, p. 557.
• 15. It is surprising that Mu’awiyah rejoiced at the calamity that befell Imam Ali (‘a) and wrote to him: “And you were pulled towards them the way a camel that has a stick placed in its nose is pulled, So, that they could take your pledge of allegiance by force…” (Cf. Nahj al-Balaghah, letter 28, p. 387).
• 16. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 261.
• 17. al-Imamah wa al-Siyasah, vol. 1, p. 15; al-Ihtijaj, vol. 1, p. 73.
• 18. Muhammad Ibn Mas’ud al-’Ayyashi (d. 320 A.H.), Tafsir al-’Ayyashi, vol. 2, p. 67.
• 19. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 28, p. 206, al-Ihtijaj vol. 1, p. 86.
• 20. Bayt al-Ahzan, p. 121.
• 21. al-Radhawi al-Najafi, Ihtijaj al-Zahra, p. 140.