It is narrated on the authority of Urwa b. Zubair who narrated from A’isha that she informed him that Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), sent someone to Abu Bakr to demand from him her share of the legacy left by the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) from what Allah had bestowed upon him at Medina and Fadak and what was left from one-filth of the income (annually received) from Khaibar. Abu Bakr said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said:” We (prophets) do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity.” The household of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) will live on the income from these properties, but, by Allah, I will not change the charity of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) from the condition in which it was in his own time. I will do the same with it as the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upun him) himself used to do. So Abu Bakr refused to hand over anything from it to Fatima who got angry with Abu Bakr for this reason. She forsook him and did not talk to him until the end of her life. She lived for six months after the death of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). When she died, her husband. ‘Ali b. Abu Talib, buried her at night. He did not inform Abu Bakr about her death and offered the funeral prayer over her himself. During the lifetime of Fatima, ‘All received (special) regard from the people. After she had died, he felt estrangement in the faces of the people towards him. So he sought to make peace with Abu Bakr and offer his allegiance to him. He had not yet owed allegiance to him as Caliph during these months. He sent a person to Abu Bakr requesting him to visit him unaccompanied by anyone (disapproving the presence of Umar). ‘Umar said to Abu Bakr: BY Allah, you will not visit them alone. Abu Bakr said: What will they do to me? By Allah, I will visit them. And he did pay them a visit alone. ‘All recited Tashahhud (as it is done in the beginning of a religious sermon) ; then said: We recognise your moral excellence and what Allah has bestowed upon you. We do not envy the favour (i. e. the Catiphate) which Allah nas conferred upon you; but you have done it (assumed the position of Caliph) alone (without consulting us), and we thought we had a right (to be consulted) on account of our kinship with the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him). He continued to talk to Abu Bakr (in this vein) until the latter’s eyes welled up with tears. Then Abd Bakr spoke and said: By Allah, in Whose Hand is my life, the kinship of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) is dearer to me than the kinship of my own people. As regards the dispute that has arisen between you and me about these properties, I have not deviated from the right course and I have not given up doing about them what the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to do. So ‘Ali said to Abu Bakr: This aftetnoon is (fixed) for (swearing) allegiance (to you). So when Abu Bakr had finished his Zuhr prayer, he ascended the pulpit and recited Tashahhud, and described the status of ‘Ali, his delay in swearing allegiance and the excuse which lie had offered to him (for this delay). (After this) he asked for God’s forgiveness. Then ‘Ali b. Abu Talib recited the Tashahhud. extolled the merits of Abu Bakr and (said that) his action was nott prompted by any jealousy of Abu Bakr on his part or his refusal to accept the high position which Allah had conferred upon him, (adding: ) But we were of the opinion that we should have a share in the government, but the matter had been decided without taking us into confidence, and this displeased us. (Hence the delay in offering allegiance. The Muslims were pleased with this (explanation) and they said: You have done the right thing. The Muslims were (again) favourably inclined to ‘Ali since he adopted the proper course of action.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
حدثني محمد بن رافع، أخبرنا حجين، حدثنا ليث، عن عقيل، عن ابن شهاب، عن عروة بن الزبير، عن عائشة، أنها أخبرته أن فاطمة بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أرسلت إلى أبي بكر الصديق تسأله ميراثها من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مما أفاء الله عليه بالمدينة وفدك وما بقي من خمس خيبر فقال أبو بكر إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال ” لا نورث ما تركنا صدقة إنما يأكل آل محمد – صلى الله عليه وسلم – في هذا المال ” . وإني والله لا أغير شيئا من صدقة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن حالها التي كانت عليها في عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولأعملن فيها بما عمل به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأبى أبو بكر أن يدفع إلى فاطمة شيئا فوجدت فاطمة على أبي بكر في ذلك – قال – فهجرته فلم تكلمه حتى توفيت وعاشت بعد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ستة أشهر فلما توفيت دفنها زوجها علي بن أبي طالب ليلا ولم يؤذن بها أبا بكر وصلى عليها علي وكان لعلي من الناس وجهة حياة فاطمة فلما توفيت استنكر علي وجوه الناس فالتمس مصالحة أبي بكر ومبايعته ولم يكن بايع تلك الأشهر فأرسل إلى أبي بكر أن ائتنا ولا يأتنا معك أحد – كراهية محضر عمر بن الخطاب – فقال عمر لأبي بكر والله لا تدخل عليهم وحدك . فقال أبو بكر وما عساهم أن يفعلوا بي إني والله لآتينهم . فدخل عليهم أبو بكر . فتشهد علي بن أبي طالب ثم قال إنا قد عرفنا يا أبا بكر فضيلتك وما أعطاك الله ولم ننفس عليك خيرا ساقه الله إليك ولكنك استبددت علينا بالأمر وكنا نحن نرى لنا حقا لقرابتنا من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم . فلم يزل يكلم أبا بكر حتى فاضت عينا أبي بكر فلما تكلم أبو بكر قال والذي نفسي بيده لقرابة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أحب إلى أن أصل من قرابتي وأما الذي شجر بيني وبينكم من هذه الأموال فإني لم آل فيه عن الحق ولم أترك أمرا رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصنعه فيها إلا صنعته . فقال علي لأبي بكر موعدك العشية للبيعة . فلما صلى أبو بكر صلاة الظهر رقي على المنبر فتشهد وذكر شأن علي وتخلفه عن البيعة وعذره بالذي اعتذر إليه ثم استغفر وتشهد علي بن أبي طالب فعظم حق أبي بكر وأنه لم يحمله على الذي صنع نفاسة على أبي بكر ولا إنكارا للذي فضله الله به ولكنا كنا نرى لنا في الأمر نصيبا فاستبد علينا به فوجدنا في أنفسنا فسر بذلك المسلمون وقالوا أصبت . فكان المسلمون إلى علي قريبا حين راجع الأمر المعروف .
Chapter : The Book of Jihad and Expedition – كتاب الجهاد والسير