Fatimah: and what will make you comprehend who Fatimah is?

A personage bearing feminine qualities So, that she may be a sign of the great might of Allah and His amazing creative power. For Allah created Muhammad (S) So, that he may be a sign of His power among the Prophets, then he created from him part of his flesh, his daughter Fatimah al-Zahra, So, that she may be a sign of His power to create a female being that is the epitome of virtues and the agglomeration of merits. Indeed, Allah, the Most High, has granted Fatimah al-Zahra an Abundant share of greatness and a bountiful portion of loftiness, such that it is impossible for any [other] female to reach her status.

She is from the family of the close friends and loyal subjects of Allah, for whom the heavens have testified to their greatness before the inhabitants of the earth came to know them, and about whom established verses were revealed in the Wise Reminder (the Qur’an) that has been read in the small hours of the night and the ends of the day since it was revealed, and will continue to be read until the Day of Judgment.

She is a person whose greatness becomes more manifest and whose significance and lofty traits become more apparent the more one develops an understanding of the truths and becomes informed of the secrets [of this universe].

Indeed, she is Fatimah al-Zahra; Allah praises her and is pleased when she is pleased and angry when she is angry1. The Prophet of Allah (S) extols her greatness and her lofty status. Amir al-Mu’minin admires her greatness and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (‘a) look upon her with veneration and respect.

She is the great lady in whose name governments came to power and kingdoms were established, and by whose name regimes collapsed and kingdoms were vanquished. Through love for her people shall be seen entering Paradise in droves and because of enmity with her, the disbelievers will be dragged into the fire of Hell.

I believe that this book, because of what it contains, will be highly beneficial, abundantly useful, inspiring, comforting to the soul and a refuge for the spirit, along with many other benefits that cannot be described which the reader will realize.

Since the discussion about the life of Fatimah al-Zahra is comprised of events that are all lessons, admonitions, and examples, by studying it one learns about the close friends of Allah and His special servants as well as their outlook towards life and comes to know of the aspects of Islamic history that are related to the life of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra. This, despite her short life and the fact that she lived in her private quarters, such that nobody could know about her personal life and her conduct in the home except her family and close relatives. And despite the fact that history has oppressed her and has not given due attention to her life and biography, as is befitting of her status.

The discussion about the unique qualities of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra is considered part of a general discourse on women in Islam from the standpoint of protecting her honour and acknowledging her dignity and individuality. This discourse includes the example of a woman in her role as a daughter in her father’s house, a wife in her spouse’s quarters and a mother and nurturer in her husband’s home.

It is not unbefitting to mention here that the discourse about women in Islam and their humanly roles allow for their inclusion as participants in communal circles as well, but within the boundaries that have been set by religion and general principles of modesty, and while preserving [their] honour and dignity.

Similarly, it is clear that Islam does not forbid women from acquiring knowledge, education, erudition and understanding, but this must be done with care to refrain from self-adornment, unrestraint, mingling (with the opposite gender) and any such action that may cause her harm and undermine her dignity.

I believe it is not possible for any law, system, or institution in this world to protect the sanctity of a woman and her dignity and honour more than the religion of Islam has done.

We find that women’s organizations and institutions in Muslim countries have not benefitted women in the least; rather, they have brought her wretchedness in a most atrocious form. I read in one of the newspapers that one such organization is [even] seeking a law from the government banning polygamy!

This organization felt that polygamy was ‘unjust’ and ‘oppressive to women’ So, they wanted men to be prevented from the option to practice it in order that they may not desire more than one woman. Indeed, this organization is ignorant or fails to recognize that by this action, it is opening the doors of corruption and wretchedness for women and is closing the doors of marital bliss and the joy of motherhood.

If a woman is given a choice between marrying a man who is already married and staying alone in her house until her hair turns as white as her teeth, and until death comes to her while she has either passed the better part of her life – including the prime of her youth – with subdual, abstinence and deprivation from the [legitimate] pleasures of life; or giving herself complete liberty and freedom to do things like frequent night parties, go to discos and dance with men etc. then, when her eyes finally open, she finds herself having lost all honour, stripped of her chastity, having crushed her self-esteem, polluted her apron and corrupted her reputation. She [finds that] men pursued her as long as she was young and desirable, but when she lost her beauty and her charms withered, she was tossed aside by everyone and discarded by all men.

If a woman was given the choice to either stay unmarried, thereby remaining a spinster whose end would be one of the two possible outcomes described above, or marry a man who is already married and enjoy marital bliss under the shade of Islamic equity, thereby safeguarding her dignity, protecting her chastity, remaining of good repute and of noble character, and able to play her role in bearing children, raising a family and being part of the society, which of the two is better and more preferable?

These are the only two possibilities, without a third, since the number of women in the world is greater than the number of men, and if every man were to marry only one woman, millions of women would remain without husbands.

Further, there are some men for whom one woman does not suffice, and there are some women whose urges do not match the urges of their husbands with regard to their responsiveness and [sexual] desire. Add to this the other possibilities of women being faced with barrenness, illness, [the need to] travel and many other possible situations that we do not want to mention for the sake of brevity, and I do not mean to embark on these discussions in this book, rather, it is just a point mentioned in passing as it is related to the subject at hand.

I return – and to return is [always] praiseworthy – to my discourse on al-Siddiqah Fatimah al-Zahra. It is important to be aware of one of the most bewildering wonders and baffling phenomena, which is that a personality like Fatimah al-Zahra, who is at the peak of greatness, the summit of nobility and the pinnacle of virtue, has become the target of some poisonous pens and ruthless attacks that have been perpetrated by some Muslims and others.

This becomes more clearly evident when you refer to the books of hadith that are full of the virtues of this illustrious personality - you see next to them some traditions that have been fabricated by forgers and enemies, invented by malevolent, hateful tongues, from the hadith peddlers, the lying concocters who were the mouthpieces of the past rulers, spewing out what their devils revealed to them of flashy words, lies, falsehoods and accusations. This is the state of one who acquires the pleasure of the creature for the displeasure of the Creator.

Indeed, they wrote with pens of hate and inkwells of hypocrisy, in compliance with those who had bought their faith and their dead conscience. They did not care about what was contained in their forgery, even if it denigrated the status of the bringer of Divine Law, the Holy Prophet (S); without being mindful of the fact that their speech contradicted the established traditions that are recorded in their ‘sahih’ books about the virtues of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a).

It is as if they enjoy trying to besmirch the lofty status of al-Siddiqah Fatimah al-Zahra by responding to the call of their lower selves, while they know that she is the offspring of the Prophet and the person whom he loved most. She was his beloved and dear daughter. Yet it is as if, because they could not directly and openly tarnish the character of the Noble Prophet (S), they chose a serpentine path that was indirect in order to fulfil their hellish desires.

I do not understand what their motives were for this vicious, callous attack on the personality of Fatimah al-Zahra and the causes for such an astoundingly deep animosity [towards her]. Is she not the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (S) and a part of him? Is she not the apple of his eyes, the fruit of his heart and the spirit that rests in his breast?

Was al-Zahra the successor of the Prophet of Allah (S) thereby giving them a motive for their attack on her lofty status just as they assailed her great husband because of this very same reason? Then what is this emphasis and insistence on impugning her character? Is it because she was the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (S)?

Then why do we not see the same thing in relation to the other daughters of the Prophet (S)? Or is it because she was the wife of Imam Ali (‘a)? But al-Imam Amir al-Mu’minin (‘a) married four other women after her, So, why do we not see the same tumult and spread of lies and rumours about them? I do not imagine that there could be any wrong done by Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a) except for the fact that she was the most beloved to the Prophet of Allah (S) and was preferred by him over all his other daughters and wives, and that she campaigned and fought for the rights of her husband.

It was because she came to the masjid and sought her rights that had been usurped - the property that had been given to her by Allah and His Prophet - and because she presented evidence against the ruler of the government at that time. And there are many other examples of blessings and merits that Allah has bestowed upon her alone, to the exclusion of all other women. But are these considered crimes that justify and warrant the Muslims to mention her in a way that does not suit her sanctified station?

The Orientalists (both Jewish and Christian) played a pivotal role in this matter as they tried to damage the sanctity of the things that are considered holy by Islam and the Muslims. They collected the falsities and myths from the forged traditions and spread them in their gatherings.

Some Muslims then translated these venomous books before printing and distributing them in Muslim lands without any footnotes, corrections, or critiques, as though their objectives match those of the Orientalists in relation to the contents of their books.

It would be good if we quote here an example from the third volume of Shaykh al-Amini’s book, al-Ghadir, in brief. He says: A Christian Orientalist by the name of Emile Derminghem wrote a book entitled ‘The Life of Mahomet (sic)’ and this book is full of lies, falsities, misguidance, untruths and attacks on Islam, the Qur’an, and the Prophet (S)2.

This book was translated by a Palestinian professor called Muhammad ‘Adil Zu’aytar and he did not annotate it to refute the falsities, myths and lies, under the pretext that he was preserving the intent of the author! How surprising – does putting footnotes to refute that which is false prevent the conveying of the author’s intent in any way?

Some examples of the falsities and lies of this book include the following:

“Fatimah had a frowning face; she was less beautiful than Ruqayyah and not as clever as Zaynab. When her father informed her from behind the curtain that Ali Ibn Abi Talib had mentioned her name, she was not pleased. Fatimah considered Ali to be lacking despite his great valour, and Ali was just as uninterested in her as she was in him.

Ali did was not considered handsome because of his two large eyes, a flat nose, his large belly, and baldness… Ali was brave, pious, truthful, loyal, sincere, and good despite [his] laziness and indecisiveness!

Due to difficult times, Ali used to work in the date-farm of a Jew, watering his palms in lieu of a handful of dates, and when he returned home to his wife, he would say to her frowningly, “Eat and feed the children!”

After every quarrel [with his wife], Ali would get angry and go to the masjid to sleep. His father-in-law would pat him on his shoulders and advise him, patching things up between him and Fatimah for some time. At one time, the Prophet saw his daughter in his house, and she was crying because Ali had struck her!

Indeed, Muhammad, despite his praise for Ali because of his early acceptance of Islam and accepting him as a son-in-law, would not pay much heed to him. The two Umayyad sons-in-law of the Prophet, ‘Uthman ‘the generous’ and Abu al-Asi would get along better with the Prophet than Ali. Ali would often get upset by the lack of action on the part of the Prophet concerning the happiness of his daughter and the Prophet’s considering him incapable of taking responsibility for important matters.

Even though the Prophet left matters pertaining to execution to him, he would avoid granting him the position of commander… Worse than this is what used to happen when Ali and Fatimah joined together in their enmity for the wives of the Prophet and the quarrelling that resulted between the two groups; for Fatimah would complain to her father because he was never siding with his daughters...”

And many other oppressive untruths and dark ahistorical crimes by which the man blackened the pages of his book. The reply given to this Christian by Shaykh al-Amini (may Allah be pleased with him) for his false allegations was:

I do not blame the author – May Allah cut off his ears – even though he has made up such lies and fabrications, because he is from a community that is resentful of Islam and therefore does not wish anything good to befall it, and his entire book concentrates on trying to show its vices and faults. Rather, the blame lies only with the translator for he has wronged Islam, the Orient and the Arabs while considering himself part of them. Indeed, he has been affected by evil and has taken recourse to an inferior pasture - and one is always inclined to his own kind.

All that is contained in this book of the different offensive statements and false attributions is nothing but frivolous words which go against genuine historical accounts and against that which the Muslim ummah has unanimously agreed upon and what its Holy Prophet (S) has informed them about.

Do their fabricated lies match what Fatimah’s father (S) said about her? “Fatimah is a houri3 in the form of a human being; whenever I yearned for Paradise, I kissed her!”4 Or when he (S) said, “My daughter Fatimah is a human houri,”5 or “Fatimah is a bright star.”6 Or even what the mother of Anas Ibn Malik said: “Fatimah was like a full moon on the night of Badr or like a sun that was covered by the clouds and then came forth from behind them, gleaming with white luminescence. She was fair with an inkling of redness. She had black hair and was the closest to the Prophet (S) in likeness.”

By Allah, she was just as the poet has described:

بيضاء تسحب من قيامٍ شعرها

وتغيب فيه وهو جثلٌ أسحمُ

"Whiteness is covered in the face of her hair

and disappears in it, for it was soft, flowing and black

فكأنّها فيه نهارٌ مشرقٌ

وكأنّه ليلٌ عليها مظلمـُ

Just like the bright day was inside it,

and as if the night would become dark through it”7

Her title al-Zahra, which all agree upon, speaks to her lofty status. Are those false judgements supported by what is known of Fatimah’s astuteness and character as reflected in the words of the Mother of Believers, Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her): “Fatimah would speak in the womb of her mother, and when she was born, she fell into prostration and raised her finger [in attestation to the oneness of God].”8

Or is it supported by the words of A’ishah: “I have not seen anyone who resembles the Prophet of Allah more in manner, demeanour, conduct and speech, and in his standing and sitting, than Fatimah. Whenever she entered, the Prophet (S) would stand up and go towards her, kissing and welcoming her, and then he would take her hand and make her sit in his place.”9

Al-Bayhaqi has also mentioned in his al-Sunan [from ‘A’ishah]: “I have not seen anyone who resembles the Prophet of Allah (S) more in speech and elocution than Fatimah…”10

Does the author’s invective against Imam Ali (‘a), where he portrays the Imam in a negative light, claiming that Fatimah was deemed to be unattractive by him, and describing him as having an ugly, frowning face, match what has come to us about his brilliant handsomeness: that ‘his face was So, beautiful that it resembled the full moon, his neck was like a vessel of silver11, his smile was bright and when he smiled, his teeth looked like well-arranged pearls…’?12

And what of the following couplets recited about him by Abu al-Aswad al-Duwali?

إذا استقبلت وجه أبي ترابٍ

رأيت البدر حار الناظرينا

When I witnessed the face of Abu Turab,

I saw the full moon burning the eyes13

نَعَم

Indeed,

حسدوا الفتى إذ لم ينالوا فضله

فالناس أعداءٌ له وخصومُ

They were jealous of the young man when they could not find his equal,

So, the people became his enemies and haters

كضرائر الحسناء قلن لوجهها

حسداً وبغضاً: إنّه لدميمُ

Just like the fellow wives of a beautiful maiden say about her face

out of jealousy and hatred: ‘Indeed, it is ugly!’14

What does your free conscience inform you about Ali regarding what the author attributes to him of ‘laziness and hesitation’ when this same Ali is the one who boldly embarked on dangerous missions and attacked the vanguards of the armies in the battles and wars?

He was the one who defended the Prophet of Allah (S) in every catastrophe and calamity from the time he brought the true religion [of Islam], and even slept on his bed, putting his life at risk, [in order to save the Prophet], until he laid in his final resting place.

Is Ali not the only brave warrior about whom the following verse was revealed:

أَجَعَلْتُمْ سِقَايَةَ الْحَاجِّ وَعِمَارَةَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ كَمَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَجَاهَدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ

“Do you regard the providing of water to Hajj pilgrims and the maintenance of the Masjid al-Haram as similar [in worth] to someone who has faith in Allah and believes in the Last Day and wages Jihad in the way of Allah?” (9:19).

As well as the verse:

وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَشْرِي نَفْسَهُ ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِ اللَّه

“And among the people is he who sells his soul seeking the pleasure of Allah” (2:207).

When did Ali stop fighting against the infidels or defending the honour of the Prophet such that it would be right to accuse him of laziness or hesitation in any affair from the matters of religion? Yet false statements have no limits or bounds.

Can it even be fathomed that Amir al-Mu’minin would have such a bad relationship with his pure wife? Even while the Prophet (S) said to him: “You are similar to me in creation and character and you are from the same tree from whence I came.”15 How then, could the Prophet (S) see him as the best of his ummah, the most excellent of them in discernment and the best of them in character, such that he said: “Ali is the best from my ummah, the most learned among them and the most excellent in discernment”?16

And his (S) saying to Fatimah: “I have married you to the first of my ummah to accept Islam, and the most learned of them, and the most judicious of them.”17

Or his telling her: “I have married you to the first from my ummah to accept Islam and the best of them in character.”18

Did the Prophet say all this while he saw and heard of the relationship [of Ali and Fatimah]? Lies of the deceivers! Rather, Ali (‘a) was just as the truthful and trustworthy as Prophet (S) informed us.

Does your intelligence accept the accusation that this man (may Allah seal his tongue) makes about Ali - that he struck Fatimah, the flesh of the Prophet (S)? Ali was the one who always followed the Prophet (S) and frequently heard him say to Fatimah: “Indeed, Allah is angered by that which angers you and pleased by that which pleases you.”19

Furthermore, he (S) said while holding her hand: “Whoever knows her has known her, and whoever does not know her then [know that] she is part of my flesh, she is my heart and my soul, So, whoever hurts her has hurt me.”20

He (S) also said: “Fatimah is part of me, that which makes her happy makes me happy and that which hurts her hurts me.”21

He (S) said: “Fatimah is part of me, So, whoever angers her has angered me.”22

He (S) said: “Fatimah is part of me, that which makes her sad makes me sad and that which makes her happy makes me happy.”23

Was the Prophet’s praise of Ali restricted to his being the first to accept Islam such that one would need to speculate about its secret? And would that be something sufficient to convince his daughter? Indeed, if his praising him with this attribute was for that purpose, he would have limited himself to telling Fatimah only about this and then go straight to the intended objective. Then why is it that the Prophet (S) would take the hand of Ali at times, in the presence of all his companions, and say: “Verily this is the first person who believed in me, and he will be the first person to take my hand on the Day of Judgment”?24

Why did he (S) at other times address his companions saying: “The first among you to join me at the spring of Paradise is the first of you to have accepted Islam – Ali Ibn Abi Talib”?

How did this [apparently] fabricated secret remain hidden to the companions who were present and those who succeeded them in virtue, such that they themselves began praising him with the same quality, as narrated from Salman al-Farsi, Anas Ibn Malik, Zayd Ibn Arqam, ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas, ‘Abdullah Ibn Hajal, Hashim Ibn ‘Utbah, Malik al-Ashtar, ‘Abdullah Ibn Hashim, Muhammad Ibn Abi Bakr, ‘Amr Ibn al-Hamiq, Abu ‘Umrah ‘Uday Ibn Hatim, Abu Rafi’, Buraydah, Jundub Ibn Zuhayr, Umm al-Khayr Bint al-Hirash and others.

Does the claim that the Prophet (S) paid little attention to Ali get any support from the Qur’an, which refers to him as the pure ‘soul’ of the Prophet and declares his love as the reward for Prophethood?

Or his (S) saying in the hadith of the roasted bird, which has been narrated in the books of Sihah and Masanid: “O Allah, bring to me the most beloved of your creation So, that he may eat it with me.”25

Or his (S) saying to ‘A’ishah: “Indeed, Ali is the most beloved of all men to me and the most honourable of them in my sight, So, understand his rights and show him honour and respect.”26

Or his (S) saying: “The most beloved of all people to me among the men is Ali.”27

Or: “Ali is the best of those whom I leave behind after me.”28

Or: “The best of your menfolk is Ali Ibn Abi Talib and the best of your womenfolk is Fatimah Bint Muhammad.”29

Or: “Ali is the best of mankind, So, whoever turns away from him has rejected the faith.”30

Or: “Whoever does not believe that Ali is the best of people has apostatized.”31

Or, in the hadith of ‘the banner’ that has been unanimously agreed upon, [he (S) said]: “Tomorrow I will surely give the banner to a person who loves Allah and His Prophet and who is loved by Allah and His Prophet.”

Or: “Ali is to me like my head is to my body.”32 Or: “Ali is to me just as I am to my Lord.”33

Or: “Ali is the most beloved of them to me and the most beloved of them to Allah.”34

Or his (S) saying to Ali: “I am from you, and you are from me.” Or: “You are from me, and I am from you.”35

Or: “Ali is from me, and I am from him, and he is the master of all the believers after me.”36

Or what he (S) said in the hadith about sending the Surah al-Bara’ah upon which all are agreed: “No one can take it but the man who is from me and I am from him.”37

Or: “Your flesh is my flesh, and your blood is my blood, and the truth is with you.”38

Or: “There is no Prophet but that he had a counterpart from his ummah

and my counterpart is Ali.”39

Or what has been authenticated by al-Hakim and has been narrated by al-Tabarani from Umm Salamah who said: “When the Prophet (S) was angry he did not allow anyone to come and speak to him privately except Ali.”40

Or what ‘A’ishah said: “By Allah! I have not seen anyone more beloved to the Prophet of Allah than Ali, nor any woman in this earth more beloved to him than his (Ali’s) wife.”41

Or what Buraydah and Ubay said: “The most beloved of people to the Prophet of Allah (S) among the men was Ali and among the women was Fatimah.”42

Or the narration of Jumay’ Ibn ‘Umayr who said: “I went with my aunt to ‘A’ishah and she asked her, ‘Who among the people was most beloved to the Prophet of Allah?’ She replied, ‘Fatimah.’ ‘And among the men?’ She replied, ‘Her husband, as none was known to be more sawwam (oft-fasting) and qawwam (oft-praying in the night) [than him].’”43

How could the Prophet (S) give more attention to anyone else when he (Ali) was the first man chosen by Allah after him from the people of this earth when He looked amongst them, as he (S) informed Fatimah when he said to her: “Verily Allah examined the people of the earth and chose from them your father, So, He sent him as a Prophet, then He examined them a second time and chose your husband, So, He revealed upon me [His command] and I married him to you and chose him as my successor.”44

Or: “Verily Allah chose two from the people of this earth, one is your father and the other is your husband.”45

In addition to this, many other authentic traditions have been mentioned by Shaykh al-Amini to prove the invalidity and falsehood of that deviant book.

Nevertheless, the attacks that have been carried out against the family of the Prophet of Allah are numerous and we shall point to some of them later at the appropriate juncture God-willing.

Before commencing the main discussion, there is no harm in mentioning an introduction as a prologue to the subject, and because the subject of this book is a personality who is above what can be comprehended by human beings, it is necessary for us to introduce some issues that may be considered ‘metaphysical’ but there is no problem in this because the personality we are discussing is unique and metaphysical, and the veracity of this claim will become clear and evident [in the following pages].

• 1. ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Safuri al-Shafi’i (d. 894 A.H.), Nuzhat al-Majalis wa Muntakhab al-Nafayis, vol. 2, p. 228.
• 2. Al-Shaykh ‘Abd al-Husayn al-Amini (d. 1390 A.H.), Al-Ghadir fi al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah wa al-Adab, vol. 3, p. 24.
• 3. The English Dictionary definitions of ‘houri’ do not always match the term hur al-in as mentioned in the Qur’an. Whenever we use the word ‘houri’, it is only for the purpose of translation because this word has clearly been derived from the original Qur’anic term, even though it has not been defined accurately. (Tr.).
• 4. Ahmad Ibn Ali al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d. 463 A.H.), Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 6, p. 259.
• 5. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hajar al-Haythami (d. 974 A.H.), Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah fi al-Radd ‘ala Ahl al-Bida’ wa al-Zandaqah, vol. 2, p. 465; Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Sabban (d. 1206 A.H.), Is’af al-Raghibin fi Sirat al-Mustafa wa Fadha’il Ahl Baytihi al-Tahirin, p. 173.
• 6. Nuzhat al-Majalis, vol. 2, p. 222.
• 7. Abu Abdillah al-Hakim al-Nisaburi (d. 403 A.H.), al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 176.
• 8. Muhib al-Din al-Tabari (d. 694 A.H.), Dhakha’ir al-’Uqba fi Manaqib Dhawi al-Qurba, p. 45.
• 9. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih (d. 328 A.H.), al-’Iqd al-Farid, vol. 3, p. 186.
• 10. Ahmad Ibn al-Husayn Ibn Ali al-Bayhaqi (d. 458 A.H.), al-Sunan al-Kubra, vol. 7, p. 101.
• 11. Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Andalusi (d. 463 A.H.), Al-Isti’ab fi Ma’rifat al-Ashab, vol. 3, p. 1123.
• 12. Abu Na’im Ahmad Ibn Abdillah al-Isfahani (d. 430 A.H.), Hilyat al-Awliya’ wa Tabaqat al-Asfiya’, vol. 1, p. 84.
• 13. Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 654 A.H.), Tadhkirat al-Khawas min al-Ummah fi Dhikr Khasa’is al-A’immah, p. 445.
• 14. Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Dhahabi (d. 748 A.H.), Tarikh al-Islam wa Wafayat al-Mashahir wa al-A’lam, vol. 16, p. 312.
• 15. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 12, p. 500.
• 16. Ali Ibn ‘Abd al-Malik Husam al-Din al-Muttaqi al-Hindi (d. 975 A.H.), Kanz al-’Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wa al-Af’al, vol. 11, p. 902.
• 17. Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Hanbal al-Shaybani (d. 241 A.H.), Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol. 5, p. 26; Muhib al-Din al-Tabari (d. 694 A.H.), al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah fi Manaqib al-’Ashrah, vol. 3, p. 160.
• 18. al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, vol. 3, p. 144.
• 19. al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, vol. 3, p. 167; Tadhkirat al-Khawas, p. 601; al-Muwaffaq Ibn Ahmad al-Khwarizmi al-Hanafi (d. 568 A.H.), Maqtal al-Husayn, vol. 1, p. 90; Muhammad Ibn Yusuf al-Kanji al-Shafi’i (d. 658 A.H.), Kifayat al-Talib fi Manaqib Ali Ibn Abi Talib, p. 364; Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 12, p. 209; al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, vol. 2, p. 507; Muhammad Ibn Ahmad al-Dhahabi (d. 748 A.H.), Mizan al-I’tidal fi Naqd al-Rijal, vol. 1, p. 488; Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalani (d. 852 A.H.), al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, vol. 8, p. 57 among others.
• 20. Nuzhat al-Majalis, vol. 2, p. 228; Mu’min Ibn al-Hasan al-Shablanji al-Shafi’i (d. 13th Century A.H.), Nur al-Absar fi Manaqib Al Bayt al-Nabi al-Mukhtar, p. 96; Ahmad Ibn Muhammad al-Qastalani al-Misri (d. 923 A.H.), Irshad al-Sari li Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 121.
• 21. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4, p. 328; Ahmad Ibn Shu’ayb al-Nasa’i (d. 303 A.H.), Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, p. 146.
• 22. Muhammad Ibn Isma’il al-Bukhari (d. 256 A.H.), Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5, pp. 21 & 29; Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, p. 146.
• 23. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 4, p. 323; al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, vol. 2, p. 548; al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 172; Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 12, p. 203; Tarikh al-Islam, vol. 3, p. 44.
• 24. al-Isabah, vol. 7, p. 354.
• 25. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 1, pp. 77 & 185; Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 13, p. 143; Ibrahim Ibn Muhammad al-Juwayni al-Shafi’i (d. 730 A.H.), Fara’id al-Simtayn fi Fadha’il al-Murtadha wa al-Batul wa al-Sibtayn wa al-A’immah min Dhurriyatihim, vol. 1, pp. 212, 213, 322.
• 26. al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, vol. 3, p. 116; Dhakha’ir al-’Uqba, p. 62.
• 27. Another version reads: ‘the most beloved of my family…’.
• 28. Abd al-Rahman al-Iji al-Shafi’i (d. 756 A.H.), Kitab al-Mawaqif, vol. 3, p. 276; Nur al-Din, Ali Ibn Abi Bakr al-Haythami (d. 807 A.H.), Majma’ al-Zawa’id wa Manba’ al-Fawa’id, vol. 9, p. 113.
• 29. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 6, p. 59.
• 30. Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 11, p. 942.
• 31. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 4, p. 313; Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 11, p. 942.
• 32. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 7, p. 462; al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, vol. 2, p. 366; Nur al-Absar, p. 163.
• 33. Ali Ibn Burhan al-Din al-Halabi (d. 1044 A.H.), Al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah fi Sirat al-Amin al-Ma’mun, vol. 3, p. 489; al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, vol. 3, p. 119.
• 34. Tarikh Baghdad, vol. 10, p. 87.
• 35. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 5, p. 204; Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, pp. 87 & 204.
• 36. Musnad Ahmad, vol. 5, p. 356.
• 37. Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, p. 49.
• 38. al-Muwaffaq Ibn Ahmad al-Khwarizmi al-Hanafi (d. 568 A.H.), al-Manaqib, p. 129.
• 39. al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, vol. 3, p. 120.
• 40. al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, vol. 2, p. 360; ‘Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Bakr Jalal al-Din al-Suyyuti (d. 911 A.H.), Tarikh al-Khulafa’, p. 150.
• 41. al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 167; Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, p. 127.
• 42. Khasa’is Amir al-Mu’minin, p. 128; al-Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 168.
• 43. Abu ‘Isa Muhammad Ibn ‘Isa al-Tirmidhi (d. 279 A.H.), Jami’ al-Mukhtasar min al-Sunan ‘an Rasul Allah (S), vol. 5, p. 701.
• 44. Kanz al-’Ummal, vol. 11, p. 901; Majma’ al-Zawa’id, vol. 9, p. 165.
• 45. Mawaqif al-Iji, p. 8.