“Even if Fatima is there, “ he responded.1
[What should I say] after the statement of Ibne Shahna: Umar came to the
house of Ali to burn it down with all, who were present inside it. Fatima saw him
and Umar told her:
“Enter that in which the Ummah has entered.”2
After he heard the wails of the beloved daughter of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
and while she had come out of her house and was weeping, she lamented in a
loud voice:
“My father, O Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.); what all we had to bear at the
hands of the son of Khattab and son of Abu Qahafa!”3
After he saw Lady Fatima Zahra (s.a.) wailing along with ladies of Bani
Hashim clan, her voice was raised and she was calling out:
“O Abu Bakr, how soon have you attacked the Ahle Bayt of Messenger of
Allah (s.a.w.a.)! By God, I will not speak to Umar till I meet Allah.”4
After being aware of the sanctity and greatness of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.),
like a camel, in whose nose is inserted a wooden piece in order to control it;5 they
dragged him away to take allegiance from him and saying: “Give allegiance!”
And he says: “What if I don’t?”
They reply: “In that case, we swear by God, except whom there is no other
god that we would strike off your neck.”
He says: “In that case, you would have killed a servant of God and brother
of Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.).”6
After that the world saw Ali (a.s.), who was same in lineage and descent as
Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) that he took refuge at the tomb of Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.a.), wailed and wept, and said:
ابْنَ أُمَّ إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونِي وَكَادُوا يَقْتُلُونَنِي
“Son of my mother! surely the people reckoned me weak and had well-nigh slain me…” (Surah Araaf 7:150)7
On the day Ali (a.s.) was taken for allegiance, Abu Ubaidah Jarrah said to
His Eminence: “O cousin, you are a youth and these are elders of your
community. You don’t have their experience and discernment regarding issues of
governance. I regard Abu Bakr more fitting and capable for this post. So leave
this to Abu Bakr. If you remain alive, you can become the Caliph later due to
excellence in religion, knowledge, perception, precedence in Islam, lineage and
the fact that you are the son-in-law of Prophet.”8
After the fact that the Ansar called out aloud: “We would not give allegiance
to anyone, except Ali (a.s.).”
After the fact that Abu Bakr said to Ansar: “We shall be the rulers and you
will be advisors. This matter is divided among us like two pieces of date leaf
(when it is split by its length into two equal halves).”9
The Aws tribe tried to take over Caliphate and Khazraj tribe also tried to
take over the rule; they competed each other in this matter and every group
thought that its candidate was most worthy for Caliphate and this tussle over
Caliphate created enmity and malice among the communities.10
What shall I say regarding that Caliphate: after the fact that Abu Bakr and
Umar bin Khattab regarded it as ‘an act, which occurred without thinking’ they
compared it to be the happening of the period of Ignorance from which Almighty
Allah kept the community secure.11
After the fact that Umar ordered that he would eliminate one, who repeated
this kind of coup.12
After the fact that he said on the day of Saqifah: “One, who pays allegiance
to a ruler, without counsel of Muslims, the allegiance will not be valid and both
of them would be eliminated.13
After the fact that Umar said to Ibne Abbas: “Indeed, Among you, Ali is
worthier for this matter than me and Abu Bakr.”14
After the fact that Umar said: “By God, we did not do this due to enmity; on the contrary we found Ali young and thought that Arabs and Quraish would not
unite around him due to the blood of their ancestors on his hands.”