The Anger of Fatimah al- Zahra (S), the Legality of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate

The satisfaction of Zahra (a.s.) is a basis for satisfaction of Allah, and her anger is the sign of Allah’s anger, as well as she is the chief of women of the world. Naturally, such a person will be pure and infallible.

Question: What is the relationship between the anger of Fatima al- Zahra and the legality of Abu Bakr’s caliphate?
Answer: Although, Bukhari has written his traditional book in accord with ruling policy at his age, he quotes from Ayishah in the book “Maghazi” that she said:
“Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet, sent a person to take three things back from Abu Bakr:
1- Her legacy passed on by the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).
2- Fadak.
3- Whatever had been left from one-fifth of Khaybar’s booties.
Abu Bakr said in reply that: I have heard from the Prophet (s.a.w.) who said that:
“لا تورث، ما ترکناه صدقه”
“We do not pass on anything as legacy but it is charity, and the household of Muhammad (s.a.w.) subsists on this property”. Then he says that: Fatima became angry about Abu Bakr’s negative position. She left him and did not speak to him anymore, and she lived six months after the Prophet (s.a.w.)”.[1]
When Fatima (a.s.) passed away, her husband, Ali (a.s.), buried her at night, and he neither inform Abu Bakr of her departure nor swear allegiance to Abu Bakr while she was living.[2]
The mentioned tradition indicates that Imam Ali and his wife (a.s.) refused to swear allegiance to him.
If Abu Bakr’s caliphate was legal and so-called fully qualified, why did the beloved daughter of the Prophet (a.s.) pass away while she was angry with him?
There is a contradiction according to Sunni’s principles in this issue, because historians say that the beloved daughter of the Prophet (a.s.) did not swear allegiance to caliph and did not speak to him till the last moments of her life, they even say that Ali (a.s.) did not swear allegiance to Abu Bakr while the beloved daughter of the Prophet (a.s.) was alive, but he swore allegiance to him compulsorily and unwillingly six months after the event of Saqifah.[3]
Besides, they quote in Sahihs and Musnads that whoever does not swear to the Imam of his time, his death is the death of ignorance.
Muslim says in his Sahih that:[4]
“من مات و لیس فی عنقه بیعة، مات میتة جاهلیة”
“Whoever dies while he has not sworn to an Imam, he has died as an ignorant person”.
Ahmad ibn Hanbal also quotes in his Musnad that:[5]
“من مات بغیر امام، مات میتة جاهلیة”
“Whoever dies while he has not known the Imam of his age, his death is as the death of ignorance”.
How do we confirm these two statements?
On one hand, the satisfaction of Zahra (a.s.) is a basis for satisfaction of Allah, and her anger is the sign of Allah’s anger, as well as she is the chief of women of the world.[6] Naturally, such a person will be pure and infallible.
On the other hand, she passed away while she did not swear allegiance to caliph.
Now, this contradiction should be solved by one of these two ways:
1- The death of pure Zahra (a.s.) who was the basis of divine satisfaction and anger, and the chief of women of heaven has been the death of ignorance–Allah forbidden–  because of non-swearing allegiance to Imam of her time.
2- The caliph of the time has not been Imam of his age, and he has occupied the place of caliphate without any reason, and the Imam was that person whose caliphate was confirmed in the land of Ghadir, and Zahra (a.s.) swore allegiance to him and did not stop helping him to the time she was alive.[7]

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References

[1] The text of the tradition is as follows: “فوجدت فاطمة علی ابی بکر فی ذلک فهجرته فلم تکلمه حتی توفیت”, the researcher of Sahih of Bukhari has interpreted “فوجدت” (become angry) to “غضبت” (become angry), therefore, Fatima gave her life to Soul-Creating, while she was angry with the caliph of the time. Also Bukhari quotes in “Bab Manaqib Qurabah Rasul Allah (s.a.w.), tradition No. 3714 that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: “فاطمة بضعة منی، فمن اغضبها، اغضبنی” (Fatima is part of me, whoever makes her angry, makes me angry).

[2] Sahih Bukhari, Bab Ghazwah Khaybar, tradition No. 4241.

[3] Sahih Bukhari, Kitab Farz al- Khums, tradition no. 3093.

[4] Sahih Muslim, Bab Imarah, p. 58, tradition no. 88.

[5] Musnad Ahmad, vol. 2, p. 96.

[6] Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 3, p. 156.

[7] The Guide of the Truth, Shaykh Ja’far Subhani, p. 647 – 653.

Source: makarem.ir