Did Fatima forgive Abu Bakr before death?
Updated: Jun 14
One of the most common defenses that our opponents use with regards to the dispute between Fatima (AS) and Abu Bakr is that before Fatima’s death, she and Abu Bakr met and amicably ended their dispute, and she was pleased with him before she died.
This narrative is one which we have examined and have found to be quite absurd. We shall present a comprehensive refutation for it in the hopes that our Shia brothers and sisters benefit and know how to respond in case they come across this story.
Authenticity of the report
Like most of our opponent’s narratives for Islamic history, this story was popularized by Ibn Kathir, who recorded in Bidaya wal-Nihaya, vol. 8, pg. 196:
Al-Bayhaqi narrated from al-Hakim, from Muhammad b. Ya'qub, from Muhammad b. Abd al-Wahhab, from Abdan b. Uthman al-Ataki, from Abu Hamza, from Ismail b. Abi Khalid, from al-Sha'bi, who said:
When Fatimah became ill, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq came to visit her and sought permission to enter. Ali said: "O Fatima, Abu Bakr is asking permission to see you." She replied: "Would you like me to allow him in?"He said: "Yes."
So she permitted him, and he entered and sought to appease her, saying: "By Allah, I did not leave my home, wealth, family, and kin except in pursuit of God's pleasure, the pleasure of His Messenger, and your pleasure, O People of the House." Then he continued to seek her approval until she was satisfied.
This chain of narration is good and strong. It appears that 'Amir al-Sha'bi heard it from Ali or from someone who heard it from Ali.
We see that Ibn Kathir was citing al-Bayhaqi, and thus we can locate the primary source in Sunan al-Bayhaqi Vol 6, pg. 491, Hadith # 12735:
This is a good mursal narration with an authentic chain of transmission.
We see that al-Bayhaqi commented on the report that the report is a good mursal (disconnected) report, while Ibn Kathir attempted to lighten the blow by claiming that al-Sha’bi must have heard it from ‘Ali (AS) or someone else who was there.
We say: As for al-Bayhaqi’s comment that the report is mursal but good, we simply ask our opponents why they pick and choose when a mursal report is acceptable? Furthermore, how can a mursal report be taken when it contradicts a sahih report, namely the sahih report of ‘Aisha where she affirms that Fatima died angry with Abu Bakr?
Our sentiments are confirmed by Ibn Abd al-Barr in al-Tamhid, Vol 9 pg. 300:
The mursal of al-Sha’bi according to them is worth nothing.
Al-Qastalani also states in Irshad al-Sari, Vol. 9 pg. 421:
The Mursal of al-Sha’bi is not hujjah at all, especially when it contradicts the Sahih.
Did al-Sha’bi hear this report from ‘Ali (AS)?
As we mentioned earlier, Ibn Kathir commented the following:
This chain of narration is good and strong. It appears that 'Amir al-Sha'bi heard it from ‘Ali or from someone who heard it from ‘Ali.
We say: This is pure conjecture, and Ibn Kathir knew it, but he was so desperate to absolve Abu Bakr that he suggested this absurd possibility.
On the contrary, it is confirmed that al-Sha’bi did not hear from ‘Ali, but rather that he saw ‘Ali. We read in al-Hakim al-Nishaburi’s Ma'rifat 'Ulum al-Hadith, pg. 354 - 355:
And that al-Sha‘bi did not hear from A'isha, nor from Abdullah b. Mas'ud, nor from Usamah b. Zayd, nor from ‘Ali, he only saw him without hearing from him, nor from Mu'adh b. Jabal, nor from Zayd b. Thabit.
Some may point out that there is a report where al-Sha’bi narrates directly from ‘Ali (AS), namely Sahih al-Bukhari 6812. This cannot be advanced as evidence, as Ibn Hajar recorded in Fath al-Bari Vol. 21, pg. 531:
His statement: “(I heard al-Sha‘bi from ‘Ali)” means that he is narrating from ‘Ali. Some, like al-Hazimi, have criticized this chain of transmission, arguing that Al-Sha‘bi did not hear it directly from ‘Ali. Al-Isma‘ili said: ‘Isam b. Yusuf narrated it from Shu‘bah, who said: from Salamah, from al-Sha‘bi, from ‘Abd al-Rahman b. Abi Layla, from ‘Ali. Similarly, Al-Daraqutni mentioned that Husayn b. Muhammad narrated it from Shu‘bah. In the version narrated by Qa‘nab, it appears as “from Al-Sha‘bi, from his father, from ‘Ali.”
Al-Daraqutni definitively stated that the additional links in these two chains are erroneous and that al-Sha‘bi heard this hadith directly from ‘Ali. He also stated that this was the only hadith al-Sha‘bi heard from him.
Al-Sha’bi is a lying nasibi
At this point our more critical thinking readers will be wondering; if al-Sha’bi did not hear this from Ali and we have no record of any other sahabi or tabi’i narrating this incident, where did al-Sha’bi get this story from? The answer is that he fabricated this story, and we shall now present clear proof for his dishonesty.
We read in the great A'lam al-Hudah, al-Sharif al-Murtada's al-Fusul al-Mukhtara, pg. 216 - 217 the following assessment on al-Sha'bi:
A-Sha‘bi was notorious for his hostility toward Ali (AS), his followers, and his descendants. He was known for lying, drinking, gambling, and debauchery. He served as a tutor to the children of Abd al-Malik b. Marwan and was a close companion of al-Hajjaj.
Isma‘il b. Isa al-‘Attar narrated Bahlul b. Kathir that Abu Hanifa said:
I once visited al-Sha‘bi to ask him about a matter. I found him with a chessboard and wine, wearing a saffron-dyed shawl. I posed my question, and he mockingly said: "What do the people of its origin say?". I replied: "Even this, along with everything else?" I then tore up all the notes I had taken from him and resolved never to narrate from him again.
Abu Bakr al-Kufi narrated from al-Mughira:
Al-Sha‘bi would not hesitate to continue playing chess and backgammon even when the call to prayer was made. I once passed by him, and he was standing on one leg in the sun with a pawn in his mouth, saying: “This is the punishment for a gambler.’”
Al-Fadl b. Sulayman narrated from al-Nadr b. Mukharriq:
“I saw al-Sha‘bi playing chess in Al-Najaf with a blanket beside him. If anyone who knew him passed by, he would hide his head under it.”
His lies were so outrageous that he once said: “Only four companions attended the Battle of the Camel: Ali, Ammar, Talha, and Al-Zubayr. If anyone claims a fifth, then I am a liar.”
However, historians unanimously report that at Basra, alongside Ali, were:
• 800 from the Ansar,
• 900 from the people of the Pledge of Ridwan,
• 70 from the people of Badr.
Al-Sha‘bi also falsely claimed that Ali had red hair and a red beard, contradicting the known description from the community.
His enmity and lies reached such an extent that he swore: “By Allah, ‘Ali b. Abi Talib entered his grave without having memorized the Qur’an.” This statement contradicts consensus and is a clear falsehood.
Mukhalid narrated that it was said to al-Sha‘bi:
“You attack the Shia, yet you learned from them.” He would reply: “I have no doubt that our companion, al-Harith al-A‘war, was a liar.”
Al-Sha‘bi imitated the style and dress of vagabonds and thugs. He even opposed the consensus by stating that: “A woman in postpartum (nifas) must wait for two months.”
So, how can the narration of such a man be used as evidence against the Commander of the Faithful (AS)?
Sharif al-Murtadha establishes a powerful case against al-Sha'bi, and almost everything he mentions can be corroborated from the works of our opponents, to which we shall list out below.
Al-Sha’bi used to play chess
Maʿmar said: "It reached me that al-Shaʿbi used to play chess, wear a red cloak, and shoot marbles. That was because he was hiding from al-Hajjaj."
We also find in Qabul al-Akhbar wa Ma‘rifat al-Rijal, Vol 1, pg. 203:
Al-Fadl b. Sulayman narrated from al-Nadr b. Mukharriq:
“I saw al-Sha‘bi in Najaf playing chess, with a cloak beside him. Whenever someone who knew him passed by, he would hide his head in it.”
Abu Mu‘awiya narrated from Ma‘rif b. Wasil:
“I saw al-Sha‘bi wearing a saffron-dyed garment while playing chess.”
Should our opponents attempt to excuse al-Sha’bi, we would kindly remind them of their beloved Imam Ahmad’s ruling regarding the matter put out in al-Mughni by Ibn Qudamah, vol. 14, pg. 155 - 156:
Ali (AS) said: "Chess is a form of gambling."
And Ali (AS) once passed by a group playing chess and said: "What are these idols that you are devoted to?" [21:52]
Ahmad (b. Hanbal): said: "The most authentic statement regarding chess is the saying of Ali (AS)."
Al-Sha’bi’s absurd lie about the Battle of the Camel
Ibn al-Aliyah narrated to me from Mansur b. Abd al-Rahman from al-Sha'bi who said:
'None of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (AS) from the Muhajirun and Ansar witnessed the Battle of Jamal except Ali, Ammar, Talha, and Zubayr. If they bring a fifth, then I am a liar.'"
This report can also be found in the following sources:
Some may point out that in Ibn Khayyat’s rendition of the report, al-Sha’bi says 'the people of Badr' as opposed to 'the companions of the Prophet (SAW)'. This does not resolve the issue as the majority of the reports have him saying the companions or the muhajirun and the ansar. In either case, it does not help their case out because we can name another companion who attended the battle of Badr.
We say: All praise is due to Allah for exposing the liars, as al-Sha’bi has made our job easy; according to him if we can provide a fifth companion of the Prophet (SAW) who witnessed the Battle of the Camel, then he admits he is a liar. Even the Sunni scholar al-Dhahabi was amazed at this outrageous statement, commenting in Tarikh al-Islam pg. 484:
And al-Sha'bi used to exaggerate and say: Only Ali, Ammar, Talha, and Zubayr among the companions witnessed it.
In any case we shall now present reports that show that al-Sha’bi’s claim was invalid. We read the following reports in Tarikh Khalifa b. Khayyat, pg. 110:
Ghunder narrated from Shu‘bah, from Sa‘d b. Ibrahim, who said: A man from Aslam told me:
"We were with Ali- four thousand from the people of Medina."
Abu Ghassan narrated from Ya‘qub al-Qummi, from Ja‘far b. Abi al-Mughira, from Sa‘id b. Jubayr, who said:
"With Ali on the Day of [the Battle of] the Camel were 800 from the Ansar and 400 from those who had witnessed the Pledge of Ridwan."
Al-Sha’bi claims that not a single Ansari was at the Battle of the Camel, while Sa’id b. Jubayr (RA) affirms that 800 Ansar were with the Imam.
We further read in Tarikh Dimashq by Ibn Asakir, Vol. 19, pg. 442:
With his chain to Zayd b. Hasan: "Seventy men from the Companions of Badr fought alongside Ali b. Abi Talib in his battles. Seven hundred men who had pledged allegiance under the tree were with him, along with an uncountable number of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Also, three of the Tabi‘in fought alongside him, about whom we have been informed that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ testified they would enter Paradise: Uways al-Qarani, Zayd b. Suhan, and Jundub al-Khayr. As for Uways al-Qarani, he was killed among the infantry on the Day of Siffin. As for Zayd b. Suhan, he was killed on the Day of the Camel."
Should our opponents try to play their usual games of chain weakening, we would like to end the matter by quoting none other than Ibn Kathir himself who says in al-Bidaya wal-Nihaya Vol 10 pg. 474 after quoting al-Sha’bi:
I (Ibn Kathir) say: ‘A’isha, Ibn al-Zubayr, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Muhammad b. Abi Bakr, Sahl b. Hunayf, and others were also present.
Al-Sha’bi’s lie about ‘Ali dying without memorizing the Quran
We read in Ta’wil Mushkil al-Qur’an, pg. 149, by Ibn Qutayba al-Dinawari:
It was narrated from Sharik, from Ismail b. Abi Khalid, that he said:
“I heard al-Sha’bi swear by Allah, the Almighty: ‘Ali entered his grave without having memorized the Qur’an.”
Al-Hakim also recorded in Fada’il Fatima al-Zahra, pg. 32 - 33:
What compelled me to write this treatise is that I attended a gathering in which prominent jurists, judges, and trusted officials from the learned and others were present. During this gathering, the mention of Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (peace be upon him) occurred. One of the notable jurists boldly claimed:
“Ali did not memorize the Qur’an!” And he cited al-Sha‘bi as evidence. I responded: “Far from it! The Companions, who are more knowledgeable than al-Sha‘bi, testified that ‘Ali memorized the Qur’an.” This is ‘Abdullah b. Habib al-Sulami, the master of the Qur’an reciters from the Tabi‘in, who recited the Qur’an under Ali and transmitted a reading from him, being one of the narrators from Asim b. Bahdalah. The jurist replied: “Al-Sha‘bi knows better than others.”
I (al-Hakim) said: “Al-Sha‘bi never heard from Ali directly; he only saw him. Later, he inclined toward Ali’s enemies out of worldly desires, and everything I mentioned only increased him in falsehood.”
‘Ali himself affirmed that he had memorized the entirety of the Quran. We read in Tafsir ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Vol. 3 pg. 234 - 235, Report # 2970:
'Abd al-Razzaq from Ma’mar b. Rashid from Wahab b. ‘Abdullah from Abu al-Tufayl who said:
‘I witnessed Ali addressing and saying: ‘Ask me, by Allah whatever you ask me about till the Day of judgment, I will inform you about it. And ask me about the Book of Allah. I swear by Allah, there is NOT a single verse except that I know whether it was revealed during the night or during the day, or on a level land or on a mountain.
All the narrators of this report are well-known reliable transmitters!
Al-Sha’bi’s hatred for the companions of ‘Ali (AS)
We read in Kitab al-Du'afaa' al-Kabir, vol. 2, pg. 63 - 64 by al-'Uqayli:
Muhammad b. Zakariyya al-Balkhi narrated from Muhammad b. al-Muthanna narrated from Sahl b. Muhammad al-Askari narrated from Ibn Abi Za’ida:
I said to al-Sha‘bi, "Why do you criticize the companions of Ali, while your knowledge comes from them?" He said, "From whom?" I said, "From al-Harith and Sa‘sa‘a (i.e. famous companions of Ali)."
He replied, "As for Sa‘sa‘a, he was an eloquent orator, I learned speeches from him. And as for al-Harith, he was skilled in arithmetic, I learned calculations from him. But as for Rushayd al-Hajari, let me tell you about him."
A man once said to me, "Let’s go to Rushayd." So, I went with him. When Rushayd saw me, he said to the man, ‘Who is this (i.e. al-Sha'bi)?’ So the man made a sign with his hand and indicated the number thirty (Sahl, a sub narrator, said: he meant that he is one of us).
Then Rushaid said: "We came to al-Ḥasan b. Ali after Ali had died. We said to him, “Let us enter to see the Amir al-Muʾminin”, meaning Ali, while he (i.e. al-Hasan) thought they meant him. He replied, “Amir al-Muʾminin has died.” We said, “No, rather he is alive, he is sweating now beneath the burial shroud.” Then he said, “If you believe that, then enter upon him but do not agitate him.”
Al-Shaʿbī said: 'What am I supposed to learn from this or from such people?”
Al-Sha'bi dismisses the claim that he relied upon the companions of Imam Ali (AS) by saying he only took unimportant matters/skills from them. Then he goes to criticise Rushayd al-Hajari (RA), where he tells a story that involved Rushayd expressing supernatural beliefs about Imam Ali, that he was still alive and that he could be talked to after he died and that Imam al-Hasan (AS) endorsed such a belief. The story shows how Shi'a beliefs and practices (such as visiting shrines and talking to them) was a very early practice traced back to the first century of Muslims.
Al-Sha'bi's hatred for the Shia of ‘Ali was due only to their love of ‘Ali (AS), as demonstrated by his hatred of al-Harith al-A’war (RA), whom he called a liar. We read in Ibn Abd al-Barr’s Jami' Bayan al-'Ilm, pg. 439:
I believe that al-Shabi was punished for his statement about al-Harith al-Hamdani: “Al-Harith told me, and he was one of the liars.” However, no falsehood was known from al-Harith; rather, he was only criticized for his excessive love for Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and his preference for him over others. And it is from here, and Allah knows best, that al-Sha'bi deemed him a liar because al-Shabi inclined towards preferring Abu Bakr and believing that he was the first to embrace Islam, as well as preferring Umar.
Even al-Dhahabi struggled to explain the reasoning behind why al-Harith was weakened by al-Sha’bi, stating in Siyar A’lam al-Nubala Vol 4, pg. 153:
As for al-Sha‘bi’s statement that al-Harith is a liar, it is understood to mean that he erred in narrating falsehoods rather than deliberately fabricating them. Otherwise, why would he narrate from him if he believed he intentionally lied in religious matters? Similarly, ‘Ali b. al-Madini and Abu Khaythama also said that he was a liar. However, Yahya b. Ma‘in said that he was trustworthy and, on another occasion, stated that there was nothing wrong with him. Likewise, Imam al-Nasa’i said that there was nothing wrong with him, but he also said that he was not strong. Abu Hatim stated that he is not to be relied upon as evidence. Nevertheless, al-Nasa’i and the compilers of the Sunan accepted al-Harith’s narrations. As for me, I have reservations about citing him as proof.
Al-Sha’abi’s hatred for ‘Ali and his disciple al-Harith al-A’war is confirmed even in Shia sources, such as Rijal al-Kashshi. vol. 1, pg. 270, Report # 141:
Hamdawayh and Ibrahim narrated Ayyub b. Nuh, from Safwan, from Asim b. Humayd, from Fudayl al-Rassan, from Abu Umar al-Bazzaz that he heard from al-Sha'bi:
“When he (al-Sha'bi) went to court in the morning, he would sit in my seat, and when he returned, he would sit in my seat again. One day, he said to me: ‘O Abu Umar, I have a narration to share with you.’ I replied: ‘O Abu Amr, I have always sought something valuable from you.’
He said: ‘Woe to you! What valuable thing could you expect from me?’ That day, he refused to share the narration with me. Later, I asked him again: ‘O Abu Amr, narrate to me the hadith you promised.’
He said: I heard al-Harith al-A’war say, "I visited the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (AS), one night, and he asked me: ‘O A’war, what brings you here?’ I replied: ‘By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, your love brought me here.' So he said: 'Let me tell you something in gratitude for that:
No servant who loves me will die until their soul departs while seeing me in a state they love. And no servant who hates me will die until their soul departs while seeing me in a state they despise.'"
Al-Sha’bi then added: “Know this: Loving him will not benefit you, and hating him will not harm you.”
Al-Sha’abi used to insult ‘Ali to grow close to al-Hajjaj
We read in Ansab al-Ashraf, Vol. 13, pg. 387- 388:
Ahmad b. Ibrahim al-Dawraqi narrated from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr al-Minqarī, from ʿAbd al-Wārith Abū ʿUbaydah, from Muḥammad b. Dhakwān, from Mujālid from al-Shaʿbī who said:
We came to al-Hajjaj in Basra, and among those who came to him were Qurraa' (reciters) from Medina from the sons of the Muhajirun and Ansar, among them Abu Salamah b. Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awf.
Al-Hajjaj began conversing with them and asking them questions. Then he mentioned Ali b. Abi Talib and insulted him, and we too spoke similarly, out of cautious alignment with him and fear of his evil, while al-Hasan remained silent, biting on his thumb.
Al-Sha’abi was a thief
Sharik b. Abdullah said: I said to Abu Ishaq, "Al-Sha’abi used to speak ill of al-Harith." He replied, "By Allah, he is not one of his men! Indeed, al-Sha‘abi entered the Bayt al-Mal and stole a hundred dirhams in his shoe."
Al-Sha’abi used to compare singers to the Prophets of Allah
We read in Kitab al-Aghani Vol. 1, pg. 303:
Al-Hasan b. Umar al-Fuqaymi said: "I entered upon al-Sha'bi, and while I was with him in his upper room, I heard the sound of singing! I said: 'Is this in your neighborhood?!' So he had me look over to his house, and there was a young boy, like a full moon, singing! Ishaq said: This song is by Ibn Surrij: 'A moonlike boy appeared at twenty-five… to whom the two girls said: arise!' Then al-Sha'bi said to me: 'Do you know who this is?' I said: 'No.' He said: 'This is the one who was granted wisdom as a child, this is Ibn Surrij.'"
Al-Sha'bi was a corrupt man who loved young boys and their singing. If anyone happened to see him, he would become proud in his sin and wouldn’t hesitate to describe his singing boy with descriptions used for prophets in the Noble Qur'an. He says to a singing boy what Allah (swt) had described Yahya (AS) with in the Qur'an: وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيًّا [19:12]
We ask our reader to consider; would they take religious teachings and narrations from someone who compares a modern singer to a Prophet of Allah?
Mus’ab b. al-Zubayr encourages al-Sha’abi to look at his wife
We read in Ansab al-Ashraf, Vol. 10, pg. 138:
Al-Mada'ini narrated from Sufyan b. 'Uyaynah, from Mujalid, from al-Sha'bi, who said:
One day, I was riding with Mus'ab, and when we dismounted, he ordered me to dismount as well. He took me by the hand and kept leading me until we reached a room whose curtains had been drawn. Then he let go of my hand and entered, and I was left not knowing whether to advance or retreat. Then he called to me from behind the curtain, saying, “Enter, O Sha'bi.”
So I entered, and found him with ‘Aisha bt. Talha on a bed. By Allah, I could only liken her face to a rising moon. He spoke with me briefly, then said to me, “You may leave.” And he said, “This is she, just as the poet said:
'From the time I first grew a mustache, I've always shown passion and longing for Layla.
I’ve harbored a grudge toward my people over her, and she harbors grudges towards me on behalf of hers.'”
She said, “By Allah, you will not leave without a gift.” He (al-Sha'bi) said: I think he said she gave me ten thousand dirhams, and he (Mus'ab) gave me the same.
The next day, I went to see him. People were gathered around, and he was on his throne. He beckoned me close, so I came near until my chest was against the throne. He said, “Come closer,” so I extended my neck to him. He asked, “What did you think of that person?” I said, “By Allah, I have never seen anyone like her. May Allah bless the governor!” Then I returned to my seat.
A similar report can be found in Kitab al-Aghani Vol. 2, pg. 373 - 374.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the report of al-Sha’abi regarding Fatima and Abu Bakr reconciling is unacceptable due to al-Sha’abi not being present during the time of the incident, as well as his indecency and dishonesty. The fact that our opponents would try to use a report such as this in face of Aisha’s admission that Fatima died angry with Abu Bakr should be clear proof to any critical thinker that the opponents of the Shia are unable to defend the actions of their caliph, and have to resort to such tactics for their narrative to make sense. We ask Allah to protect us from ignorance.
beautiful Refutation,May allah Give you success and Barakah aameen.