Did Fatima (AS) forgive Abu Bakr before her death?
- Anonymous
- May 14
- 21 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
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:
قَالَ الْحَافِظُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْحَافِظُ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ، ثَنَا عَبْدَانُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الْعَتَكِيُّ بِنَيْسَابُورَ، أَنْبَأَنَا أَبُو حَمْزَةَ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ:
لَمَّا مَرِضَتْ فَاطِمَةُ أَتَاهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهَا، فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ: يَا فَاطِمَةُ، هَذَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَيْكِ. فَقَالَتْ: أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ آذَنَ لَهُ؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَأَذِنَتْ لَهُ، فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا يَتَرَضَّاهَا,
فَقَالَ: وَاللَّهِ مَا تَرَكْتُ الدَّارَ وَالْمَالَ وَالْأَهْلَ وَالْعَشِيرَةَ إِلَّا ابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاةِ اللَّهِ، وَمَرْضَاةِ رَسُولِهِ، وَمَرْضَاتِكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ. ثُمَّ تَرَضَّاهَا حَتَّى رَضِيَتْ.
وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ جَيِّدٌ قَوِيٌّ. وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ عَامِرًا الشَّعْبِيَّ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، أَوْ مِمَّنْ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ.
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:
هَذَا مُرْسَلٌ حَسَنٌ بِإِسْنَادٍ صَحِيحٍ
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:
ومراسيل الشعبي ليست عندهم بشئ
The mursal of al-Sha’bi according to them is worth nothing.
Al-Qastalani also states in Irshad al-Sari, Vol. 9 pg. 421:
وهذا معارض بما روي عن ابن عباس أن مدة الفترة المذكورة كانت أيامًا، وحينئذٍ فلا يحتج بمرسل الشعبي لا سيما ما عارضه.
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:
وَهَذَا إِسْنَادٌ جَيِّدٌ قَوِيٌّ. وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ عَامِرًا الشَّعْبِيَّ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ، أَوْ مِمَّنْ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ.
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:
وأن الشعبي لم يسمع من عائشة، ولا من عبدالله بن مسعود، ولا من أسامة بن زيد، ولا من علي، إنما رآه رؤية، ولا من معاذ بن جبل، ولا من زيد بن ثابت.
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:
قوله: (سمعت الشعبي، عن علي) أي يحدث عن علي، قد طعن بعضهم كالحازمي في هذا الإسناد بأن الشعبي لم يسمعه من علي، قال الإسماعيلي: رواه عصام بن يوسف، عن شعبة فقال: عن سلمة، عن الشعبي، عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى، عن علي، وكذا ذكر الدارقطني، عن حسين بن محمد عن شعبة، ووقع في رواية قعنب المذكورة عن الشعبي عن أبيه عن علي،
وجزم الدارقطني بأن الزيادة في الإسنادين وهم، وبأن الشعبي سمع هذا الحديث من علي قال، ولم يسمع عنه غيره.
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
قال مَعْمَرٌ: وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّ الشَّعْبِيَّ كَانَ يَلْعَبُ بِالشَّطْرَنْجِ، وَيلبسُ مِلْحَفَةٌ حَمْرَاءَ، وَيَرْمِي بِالْجَلَاهِقِ، وَذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ مُتَوَارِيَا مِنَ الْحَجّاجِ.
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:
الفضل بن سليمان، عن النضر بن مخارق، قال: "رأيت الشعبي بالنجف يلعب بالشطرنج، وإلى جنبه قطيفة، فإذا مر به بعض من يعرفه أدخل رأسه فيها." أبو معاوية، عن معرّف بن واصل، قال: “رأيت الشعبي عليه معصفرة وهو يلعب بالشطرنج.”
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:
قال علي رضي الله عنه الشطرنج من الميسر ومر علي رضي الله عنه على قوم يلعبون بالشطرنج، فقال: ﴿مَا هَذِهِ التَّمَاثِيلُ الَّتِي أَنْتُمْ لَهَا عَـٰكِفُونَ﴾ قال أحمد: أصح ما في الشطرنج قول علي رضي الله عنه.
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
حدثنا ابن علية عن منصور بن عبد الرحمن عن الشعبي قال: لم يشهد الجمل من أصحاب رسول الله من المهاجرين والأنصار إلا علي وعمار وطلحة والزبير فإن جاؤوا بخامس فأنا كذاب
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:
وكان الشعبي يبالغ ويقول: لم يشهدها إلا علي، وعمار، وطلحة، والزبير من الصحابة
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:
غندر عن شعبة عن سعد بن إبراهيم قال: حدثني رجل من أسلم قال: كنا مع علي أربعة آلاف من أهل المدينة.
قال: ونا أبو غسان: قال نا يعقوب القمي عن جعفر بن أبي المغيرة عن سعيد بن جبير قال: كان مع علي يوم الجمل ثمان مائة من الأنصار وأربع مائة ممن شهد بيعة الرضوان.
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:
أَخْبَرَنَا أبو عبد الله البلخي، أنا أبو غالب محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد الباقلاني، أنا أبو علي بن شاذان، أنا أحمد بن إسحاق بن نيخاب نا إبراهيم بن الحسين الكسائي، نا عقبة بن مكرم الكوفي، نا يونس عن عمرو بن شمر، عن جابر، عن محمد بن علي، ومحمد بن المطلب، وزيد بن حسن، قالوا:
شهد مع علي بن أبي طالب في حربه من أصحاب بدر سبعون رجلاً، وشهد معه ممن بايع تحت الشجرة سبع مائة رجل، فيما لا يحصى من أصحاب رسول الله ،
وشهد معه من التابعين ثلاثة بلغنا أن رسول الله ﷺ شهد لهم بالجنة: أويس القرني، وزيد بن صوحان، وجُنْدَب الخير، فأما أويس القرني فقتل في الرجالة يوم صفين، وأما زيد بن صوحان فقتل يوم الجمل.
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:
قلت: قد حضرها عائشة، وابن الزبير، والحسن والحسين، ومحمد بن أبي بكر، وسهل بن حنيف، وآخرون.
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:
ورُوي عن شريك، عن إسماعيل بن أبي خالد، أنه قال: "سمعتُ الشعبيَّ يحلفُ باللهِ عزَّ وجلَّ؛ لقد دخلَ عليًّ حُفْرتَهُ وما حفِظَ القرآنَ."
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:
ومما حملني على تحرير هذه الرسالة أن حضرت مجلسًا حضره أعيان الفقهاء والقضاة والأمناء من المركين وغيرهم، وجرى بحضرتهم ذكر أمير المؤمنين علي بن ومما حملني على تحرير هذه الرسالة أن حضرت مجلسا حضره أعيان الفقهاء والقضاة والأمناء من المركين وغيرهم، وجرى بحضرتهم ذكر أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام، فانتدب له عين من أعيان الفقهاء فقال:
كان علي لا يحفظ القرآن!! وهذا الشعبي قد نص عليه. فقلت: أو غير هذا؛ فإن الصحابة الذين هم أعلم بذلك من الشعبي، قد شهدوا له بحفظ القرآن. وهذا أبو عبد الرحمن عبد الله بن حبيب السلمي، سيد القراء من التابعين، قرأ عليه وله عنه حرف مجرد، وهو أحد الرواة عن عاصم بن بهدلة. قال: الشعبي أعرف به من غيره.
فقلت: إن الشعبي لم يسمع منه؛ إنما رآه رؤية، ثم ظهر ميله إلى أعدائه طمعا في الدنيا، فما زاده كل ما ذكرته من ذلك إلا تماديا في الباطل.
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:
عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ ، عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ عَلِيًّا وَهُوَ يَخْطُبُ وَيَقُول: سَلونِي فَوَاللَّهِ لَا تَسْأَلُونِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ يَكُونُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ إِلَّا حَدَّثْتكُم بِهِ وَسَلُونِي عَنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا مِنْ آيَةٍ إِلَّا وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِلَيلٍ نَزَلَتْ أَمْ بِنَهَارٍ وَأمْ فِي سَهْلٍ ، أَمْ فِي جبل
'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:
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا الْبَلْخي قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى قالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَهْلُ بنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَسْكَريُ قال: حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ قَالَ:
قُلْتُ لِلشَّعْبِيِّ: مَا لَكَ تَعِيبُ أَصْحَابَ علِيٍّ وإِنَّمَا عِلْمُكُمْ عنْهُمْ؟ قَالَ: عَمنْ؟ قُلْتُ: عَنِ الْحَارِثِ وَصَعْصَعَةَ قَالَ: أَمَّا صَعْصَعَةُ فَكَانَ رَجُلًا خَطِيبًا تَعَلَّمتُ مِنْه الْخُطَبَ، وَأَمَّا الْحَارِثُ فَكَانَ رَجُلًا حَاسِبًا تَعَلَّمْتُ مِنْهُ الْحِسَابَ،
وَأَمَّا رُشَيْدٌ الْهَجَرِيُّ فَإِنِّي أُخْبركمْ عَنْهُ، إِنَهُ قَالَ لِي رَجُلٌ: اذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى رُشَيْدٍ، فَذَهَبْتُ مَعَهُ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ هَكَذَا، وَأَشَارَ سَهْلٌ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذا، يَقُولُ: مَنْ هَذَا؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا، وَعَقَدَ ثَلَاثِينَ، قَالَ سَهْلٌ: يَقُولُ كَأَنَّهُ مِنَّا،
فَقَالَ رُشَيْدٌ: أَتَيْنَا الْحَسَنَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ بَعدَمَا مَاتَ عَلِيٌّ قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا لَهُ: أَدْخِلْنَا عَلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، يَعْنِي عَلِيًّا، وَهُوَ يَعْنِي الْحَسَنَ قَالَ: إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَدْ مَاتَ، قَالَ: لَا، وَلَكِنَّهُ حَيٌّ يَعْرَقُ الْآنَ مِنْ تَحْتِ الدّثَارِ، فَقَالَ: إِذْ عَرَفْتُمْ هَذَا فَادْخُلُوا عَلَيْهِ وَلَا تُهِيجُوهُ، قَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ: فَمَا الَّذِي أَتَعْلَمُ مِنْ هَذَا؟ أَوْ قَالَ: مِنْ هَؤُلَاءِ؟
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:
وأظن الشعبي عوقب بقوله في الحارث الهمداني: حدثني الحارث وكان أحد الكذابين، ولم يبن من الحارث كذب، وإنما نقم عليه إفراطه في حب علي رضي الله عنه وتفضيله له على غيره، ومن ههنا والله أعلم كذبه الشعبي؛ لأن الشعبي يذهب إلى تفضيل أبي بكر وإلى أنه أول من أسلم، وتفضيل عمر.
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:
فأما قول الشعبي: الحارث كذاب، فمحمول على أنَّهُ عَلَى بِالكَذِب الخطأ، لا التعمد، وإلا فلماذا يروي عنه ويعتقده بتعمد الكذب في الدين. وكذا قال علي بن المديني وأبو خيثمة: هو كذاب. وأما يحيى بن معين فقال: هو ثقة. وقال مرة: ليس به بأس. وكذا قال الإمام النسائي: ليس به بأس. وقال أيضاً: ليس بالقوي، وقال أبو حاتم: لا يُحتج به. ثم إن النسائي وأرباب السنن احتجوا بالحارث. وهو مِمَّنْ عِنْدي وقفة في الاحتجاج به.
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:
حمدويه وإبراهيم، قالا: حدثنا أيوب بن نوح، عن صفوان، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن فضيل الرسان، عن أبي عمر البزاز قال: سمعت الشعبي وهو يقول:
وكان إذا غدا إلى القضاء جلس في مكاني، فإذا رجع جلس في مكاني، فقال لي ذات يوم: يا أبا عمر، إن لك عندي حديثاً أحدثك به. قال: قلت له: يا أبا عمرو، ما زال لي ضالة عندك. قال: قال لي: لا أُمَّ لك! فأيُّ ضالة تقع لك عندي؟ قال: فأبى أن يُحدثني يومئذٍ. قال: ثم سألته بعد، فقلت: يا أبا عمرو، حدثني بالحديث الذي قلت لي.
قال: سمعت الحارث الأعور وهو يقول: أتيت أمير المؤمنين علياً ذات ليلة، فقال: يا أعور، ما جاء بك؟ فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين، جاء بي والله حبك. فقال: أما إني سأحدثك لشكرها: أما إنه لا يموت عبد يحبني فتخرج نفسه حتى يراني حيث يحب، ولا يموت عبد يبغضني فتخرج نفسه حتى يراني حيث يكره. قال: ثم قال لي الشعبي بعد: "أما إن حبه لا ينفعك، وبغضه لا يضرك.
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:
حدثنا أحمد بن ابراهيم الدورقي، ثنا عبد الله بن عمرو المنقري، ثنا عبد الوارث أبو عبيدة، ثنا محمد بن ذكوان عن مجالد عن الشعبي قال: قدمنا على الحجاج البصرة، وقدم عليه قراء من المدينة من أبناء المهاجرين والأنصار، فيهم أبو سلمة بن عبد الرحمن بن عوف.
قال: ولم يسمعها الحسن وقد سمعتها أنا وكنت أقرب إلى عنبسة من الحسن، وجعل الحجاج يذاكرهم ويسألهم إذ ذكر علي بن أبي طالب فنال منه ونلنا مقاربة له وفرقاً منه ومن شره، والحسن ساكت عاض على إبهامه.
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
شريك بن عبد الله قال: قلت لأبي إسحاق: إن الشعبي كان يقع في الحارث. فقال: أما والله ما هو من رجاله، لقد دخل الشعبي بيت المال فسرق في خفه مائة درهم.
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:
عن الحسن بن عمر الفقيمي قال: دخلت على الشعبي، فبينا أنا عنده في غرفته إذ سمعت صوت غناء! فقلت: أهذا في جوارك؟! فأشرف بي على منزله فإذا بغلام كأنه قمر وهو يتغنّى! قال إسحاق: وهذا الغناء لابن سريج (وقمير بدا ابن خمس وعشرين ... له قالت الفتاتان قوما) فقال لي الشعبي: أتعرف هذا؟ قلت: لا. فقال: هذا الذي أوتي الحكم صبيا! هذا ابن سريج
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:
المدائني عن سفيان بن عيينه عن مجالد عن الشعبي قال: ركبت مع مصعب يوما، فلما نزل أمرني بالنزول فأخذ بيدي فلم أزل أدخل معه حتى صرت الى بيت قد سدلت ستوره فترك يدي ودخل فبقيت لا أقدر على تقدم ولا تأخر، ثم ناداني من وراء الستر: ادخل يا شعبي، فدخلت فإذا هو وعائشة بنت طلحة على سرير فوالله ما شبهت بوجهها إلا القمر طالعا، فكلمني ثم قال لي: انصرف. وقال: هذه وأنا كما قال القائل:
وما زلت في ليلى لدن طرّ شاربي … إلى اليوم أبدي أحنة وأواحن
وأضمر في ليلى لقومي ضغينة … وتضمر في ليلى عليّ الضغائن
فقالت: والله لا تنصرف إلاّ بجائزة، قال: فأظنه قال: أمر لي بعشرة آلاف درهم، وأمرت لي بمثلها. قال: فلما كان الغد دخلت عليه والناس عنده، وهو على سريره فاستدناني فدنوت حتى ألصقت صدري بالسرير، فقال: أدن فمددت إليه عنقي فقال: كيف رأيت ذلك الإنسان؟ قلت: والله ما رأيت مثله قط فبارك الله للأمير، ثم رجعت إلى مقعدي.
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.