Monday 30 April 2012

References to this series of articles.

www.answering-ansar.org

Please visit the website for original posts and other informative articles.

Conclusion

As you can see the alleged marriage of Umme Kalthum to Umar is a lie, which is so full of holes and contradictions that it throws up more questions than proofs. The Nasibi assumed that our failure to reply was be cause we had none, but in fact we remained silent so as not to expose and humiliate them. Sadly they deemed our sincerity to be weakness and exploited this to the maximum.

The reality is that Sayyida Umme Kalthum (as) married on only one occasion and that was to Aun bin Ja'far. The Umme Kalthum that married Umar ibn al Khattab in 17 Hijri was someone else. The wife of Umar died during the reign of Mu'awiya bin Hind, whilst Umme Kalthum the daughter of Sayyida Fatima (as) was witness to the tragedy of Kerbala and died after 62 Hijri.

Textual evidence from Sunni and Shi'a sources and common sense therefore dictates that Umme Kalthum the daughter of Maula 'Ali (as) and Sayyida Fatima (as) never married Umar ibn al Khattab, this entire claim is false. If the Ahl'ul Sunnah wish to blindly cling to this concept as part of their aqeedah, then we should stress to do so means destroying the reputation of Umar, and is also very disrespectful to Hadhrath 'Ali (as).

The comments of shia Ulema

The comments of Shi'a Ulema

The comments of Sheikh al Mufid

Afriki as proof that the eminent Sheikh Mufid lied when denying the marriage:

Ansar.org states:

Ash-Shaykh al-Mufid
The lead was taken by ash-Shaykh al-Mufid himself. He wrote an independent treatise about the marriage of Umm Kalthum, and discussed it in his other works as well, most notably al-Masa'il as-Sarawiyyah. The tenth question in this books deal with the marriage of Umm Kalthum. It reads as follows:

TENTH QUESTION: What is his (al-Mufid's) view regarding Amir al-Mu'minin marrying his daughter Umm Kalthum to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, and regarding the Nabi r marrying his daughters Zaynab (sic) and Ruqayyah to 'Uthman?

ANSWER: The report speaking of Amir al-Mu'minin marrying his daughter to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab so unfounded. It is narrated via Zubayr ibn Bakkar, and its chain of narration is well known. He was untrustworthy in transmission. There is suspicion on him in what he mentions. He used to hate Amir al-Mu'minin. What 'Ali ibn Hashim claims to narrate from him is untrustworthy. This hadith was included by Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Yahya in his book on genealogy, and account of that people thought it to be true, thinking that it is narrated by an 'Alawi (descendant of 'Ali). However, the fact is that he narrates it from Zubayr ibn Bakkar.
The hadith in itself is a forgery. It is sometimes narrated that Amir al-Mu'minin himself performed the ceremony, and sometimes it is narrated that it was 'Abbas who performed it. Sometimes it is narrated that the marriage took place only after menacing by 'Umar and threats against Banu Hashim; and sometimes it is mentioned that the marriage took place freely and voluntarily. The some narrators claim that a child named Zayd was born from this marriage, while others claim he was killed before consummating the marriage. Some say Zayd ibn 'Umar left offspring, while others say he was killed without leaving children. Some say he and his mother were killed, and some say his mother lived after him. Some say 'Umar gave Umm Kalthum a dowry of 40 000 dirhams, others claim it was 4000 dirhams, and yet others claim her dowry was 5000 dirhams. The origin of this claim, as well as the amount of contradiction in it renders the hadith null, so it is of no consequence.

At this point the benefit of investigating the authenticity of the four reports in al-Kafi will become apparent. It can be seen here that al-Mufid places the responsibility for inventing the marriage of Umm Kalthum on the shoulders of the historian Zubayr ibn Bakkar. However, even a cursory comparison with the narrations in al-Kafi and the one quoted earlier from Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd (all of which are but a drop in the ocean) demonstrates clearly that Zubayr ibn Bakkar features nowhere in any of those chains of narration. Each of the narrators of those reports was a Shi'i about whose trustworthiness the 'Ulamaa of the Shi'ah were fully satisfied. Not a single on of those reports originated with Zubayr ibn Bakkar. On the contrary, each one of them is traced back to Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq. Al-Mufid's protestations are thus completely bereft of substance. If anything, it shows the man's desperation for finding some grounds, no matter how flimsy or spurious, on which to dismiss the marriage of Umm Kalthum.

Reply one

First and foremost could this Nasibi show us exactly where in the comments of Shaykh Mufid, he states that he is referring to the traditions from Usul al Kafi? No reference is made and somehow Afriki is suggesting that Mufid is relying from these texts? We have already taken apart the traditions from al Kafi that Afriki pointed out to Umar's marriage to Umme Kalthum and have conclusively proved that his assertion is baseless.

It should also be pointed out that Sunni scholars that have conducted research into this alleged marriage have also concluded that Zubayr ibn Bakkar perpetuated this lie.

Maulana Muhammad Inshallah and Muhammad Siddiq Chisti al Hanafi Badhyanvi in 'al Seerath al Makhthhoom fee Tahqeeq aqd Umme Kalthum' - a detailed study into this alleged marriage state in the preface:

'Readers should know that these narrations are all rubbish, if truth be known these traditions relating to the marriage of Umme Kalthum have been invented the liar Zubayr ibn Bakkar who attributed this slander to Hadhrath Umar (ra) and also lied against 'Ali (ra)'.

Afriki had also attacked al Mufid's comments as follows:

Ansar.org states:

�Al-Mufid tries to dismiss the incident by drawing attention to the discrepancies regarding certain lesser details. A simple response to this is that when a multitude of reports all share one common element, the common element cannot be dismissed because of differences negligible details. An objective scholar who is not prejudiced by his idiosyncratic notion of what history should actually be like will never stoop to the level al-Mufid has. Objectivity here would require thoroughly sifting through the available historical material and accepting the version that fulfils the criteria of authenticity, such as have been demonstrated in the case of al-Kulayni's narrations in al-Kafi. If an historical incident could be denied for a reason as flimsy as discrepancies in minor details, one could well reject the battle of Badr on grounds of the fact that there are differences regarding the exact date on which it took place, or differences in the amount of combatants, or even the amount of persons killed and taken captive. Here we are once again treated to the spectacle of a scholar's desperation to superimpose the idiosyncrasies of his theology over the facts of history, even if it means he has to discard the most basic standards of objectivity.

This Nasibi is in effect stating that if the report has slight discrepancies, even then the whole event cannot be rejected altogether. What this Nasibi however fails to recognise is that these are more than just discrepancies in minor details. These are major discrepancies�

Reply two - The 'common element' in the narrations are that Umar consummated marriage with an underage girl

Ansar.org states:

When a multitude of reports all share one common element, the common element cannot be dismissed because of differences negligible details. An objective scholar who is not prejudiced by his idiosyncratic notion of what history should actually be like will never stoop to the level al-Mufid has. Objectivity here would require thoroughly sifting through the available historical material and accepting the version that fulfils the criteria of authenticity, such as have been demonstrated in the case of al-Kulayni's narrations in al-Kafi.

We do not find a single authentic Sunni reference that concurs with Afriki's assertion that Umme Kalthum wife of Umar was deemed baligh in 17 Hijri. Having objectively sifted through available historical material, we see that Umme Kalthum described by the Ahl'ul Sunnah scholars as Sagheera (Child) some (including al Kafi) as Sabeeya (milk fed). These terms cannot be used for a girl that has attained puberty, and we already cited the fact that in the Arabic - English Dictionary by Hans Wehr page 516, Sagheer is defined as:

"A minor under age".

Arabic - English Dictionary by Hans Wehr page 516

None of the Ahl'ul Sunnah texts indicate that Umme Kalthum wife of Umar was baligh in 17 Hijri, when we know that Umme Kalthum binte Fatima was baligh. The Umme Kalthum that married Umar in 17 Hijri was not baligh (referred as Sagheera or Sabeeya) this is affirmed by the vast bulk of Ahl'ul Sunnah works, we are citing just some for the sake of brevity�

Al Istiab Volume 2 page 772
Zakhair al Akba page 117
Seerath Umar, page 205 Ibn Jauzi
Asmaath Shameen page 257
Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 463
Nasab Quraysh Zubayri page 349
Al Ulum al Nisa Volume 4 page 256
Tareekh Ibn Asakir Volume 7 page 25
Al Isaba Volume 2 page 469
Al Mudhahib muwassal page 142
Tadhkira al Khawaas page 331
Al Hidayaath al Saud page 259
Sawaiqh al Muhriqa page 55

To Afriki and his stooges who love singing the praises of this marriage, we ask:

'Is is really a matter of pride that your texts depict an event that points to Umar consummating marriage with an under age girl?'

This completely destroys the credibility of your khalifa and makes a complete mockery of the Shari'a. All that these allege marriage does is give ammunition for Christians, who mock Rasulullah's marriage to Ayesha aged nine, this marriage is much worse. Would it not be matter for Afriki to distance himself from this tradition / marriage altogether? Logically this would be the better approach, but when this is a means of winning favour with King Fahad, then these Nasibi's are willing to sacrifice respect and honour of the Sahaba as long as it means scoring points against the Shi'a!

Reply three - If there are contradictions in an event then in the eyes of Ahl'ul Sunnah, such an event is a lie

We read in Taufa Ithna Ashari page 231, from the pen of Al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi:

"Evidence of an event being a lie can be proven if it has numerous contradictions"

Now analyse these contradictions in an event that Afriki is seeking to pass off as fact:

Imam 'Ali (as) conducted the Nikah on his own
Abbas was witness to the Nikah
Banu Hashim were forced to agreeing to give Umme Kalthum in marriage
Banu Hashim happily married Umme Kalthum off
No children were born from the marriage.
Children were born from the marriage.
Zaid bin Umar had no children
Zaid bin Umar had children
Zaid bin Umar died a natural death
Zaid bin Umar was murdered
Zaid's mother died on the same day as Zaid
Zaid's mother survived him
Imam 'Ali (as) said that his daughter was under age
Imam 'Ali (as) said that his daughter was NOT under age
After Umar's death she married Awn bin Ja'far
Awn bin Ja'far died whilst she was still married to Umar
Umme Kalthum died during the Caliphate of Mu'awiya
Umme Kalthum was alive at Kerbala

These contradictions prove that this event was a complete lie, and can be rejected on account of these blatant contradictions, since your own esteemed anti Shi'a scholar had concluded contradictions make an event null and void.

Reply four - Applying the Sunni criteria to determine tradition fabrication makes these narrations null and void

In addition to analysing the isnad of narrations the Ulema of Ahl'ul Sunnah have also devised a criteria via which one can automatically reject narrations.

We are quoting directly from Sirat-un Nabi Volume 1 page 42, by Hanafi scholar Shibli Numani:

"�the following categories of reports are to be discredited without an enquiry into the characters of their narrators:

The traditions that are contrary to reason

The traditions that go against accepted principles

The traditions that belie common observations and physical experience

The traditions that contradict the Qur'an or a mutawattir hadith�

The tradition that threatens severe punishment for a minor fault

The tradition that sounds absurd and nonsense�

The tradition that promises big rewards for trivial acts of piety

A tradition narrated by a single person who has never personally contacted the man from whom he narrates

A tradition that ought to have been known to all and sundry, but has only a single narrator

Any tradition concerning an incident so noteworthy that, if it had actually taken place, it ought to have been related by many, and yet there is but a single narrator to it".

If any of these criteria are established then such traditions are to be rejected. Now we ask those with open minds, can reason really accept that:

A middle-aged man sought the marriage of a child that happened to be his son in laws granddaughter?
An elderly man was willing to violate the Shari'a by demanding the hand of a girl that was already betrothed?
A respectable father would dress up his daughter and send her to a potential suitor (like some mail order bride)?
A suitor (the second rightly guided khalifa) would fondle the girl, by groping and kissing her?
When the girl complains of her treatment, her father is not bothered in the slightest, on the contrary he deems the individual to be a worthy son in law?
A girl that all traditions deem non-baligh and milk fed managed to give birth to two children?

We could cite many examples but feel that for the sake of brevity these shall suffice to prove that this entire episode is fraud that was concocted in the perverted minds of the followers of Mu'awiya as a means of elevating Umar at the expense of degrading the Ahl'ul bayt (as).

Reply five - The confusion of the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema over the identity of Umme Kalthum (as) proves that this event was a lie

As part of efforts of the Ahl'ul Sunnah and Nasibi such as Afriki to cover up the anger of Sayyida Fatima (as) they have given maximum publicity to this lie. What is amusing is that they are still unable to establish:

When she died
Which men she married
When she married these men

Some scholars such as Nawawi, Ibn Sa'ad, Dhahabi and Masudi have asserted that Umme Kalthum was older than her sister Zeyneb was. Such confusion had resulted in clear differences amongst the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema, when did she marry Abdullah bin Ja'far? Ibn Sa'd claimed that he married Umme Kalthum after the death of Zeyneb (as) whilst ibn al Najri claims that Abdullah married Umme Kalthum first and then Zeyneb, when she died.

The general consensus is that Umme Kalthum wife of Umar died during Mu'awiya's reign and the vast bulk thought that she married Zeyneb (as) married Abdullah bin Ja'far first. If we were to accept Ibn al Najri's claim that Zeyneb (as) married Abdullah after Umme Kalthum died then it would mean she married at the age of 49. This is a lie since we know that Imam 'Ali arranged the marriage of Zeyneb (as) to Abdullah in 17 Hijri.

The utter confusion is epitomised by famous Sunni scholar Hasan Qasim. On page 23 of his book Sayyida Zeyneb he states:

"Umme Kalthum married Umar and died during Mu'awiya's reign in Madina".

Amusingly in the same book, on page 64 he comments:

"Umme Kalthum died in Kerbala and was buried in Syria".

How exactly did the same Umme Kalthum rise from her grave in Madina (having died during Mu'awiya's rule) travel to Kerbala and then die in Syria?

Reply six - The different lives of both Umme Kalthum's prove that this event is a lie

Umme Kalthum wife of Umar	Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) wife of Aun bin Ja'far
1. In 17 Hijri she was a child born 12 Hijri	1. Born in 6 Hijri so was baligh in 17 Hijri
2. She died during Mu'awiya's reign with her son, in Madina	2. Present at Kerbala, died in 62 Hijri
3. Amr bin Aas and Mugheera bin Shuhba were advisers to the marriage (Tabari)	3. Imam 'Ali arranged the marriage (Aqd Al Fareed) with Aun bin Ja'far
4. She had children (al Maarif)	4. She had no children (al Aqd al Mundhum)
5. Umar gave dower of 40,000 dirhams	5. 450 Dirhams were given as Dower (same as Sayyida Fatima) [al Aqd al Mundhum]
6. She died at least seven years before Kerbala	6. Present in Kerbala made captive by Ibn Ziyad, gave a sermon in Kufa
7. Had multiple marriages	7. Only one marriage with Aun

As we have already mentioned the texts confirm that Umme Kalthum wife of Umar was not baligh at the time of marriage in 17 Hijri, whilst Umme Kalthum binte Fatima would have been. This Umme Kalthum was the widow of Umar that died before 49 Hijri, whilst Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) remained alive and was witness to the events of Kerbala. An objective historical analysis therefore proves that both of these Umme Kalthum's were different and anyone who claims that they were the same needs to have his head examined. Even a child can reach the conclusion that Umme Kalthum the widow of Umar was NOT the same Umme Kalthum that was in Kerbala.

As we have already mentioned Umar had four wives name Umme Kalthum. If Umar had a wife called Umme Kalthum then it does not automatically mean that her parents were Imam 'Ali (as) and Sayyida Fatima (as) - as we have established the multiple contradictions prove that this event is a fabrication that these Nasibis cannot rely on as proof.

The views of Shi'a Ulema who believed that this marriage took place

In the final part of the article Afriki cites the opinions Sayyid Murtadha, al Tabarsi and Kazmi who subscribed to the viewpoint that the marriage took place under duress.

Reply one - personal views do not constitute proof

These are all 'personal opinions' and as Afriki's own Imam had said personal opinions do NOT constitute proof. Proof has to be based on what can be established from the Qur'an and Sunnah. We have already taken apart the traditions from al Kafi that Afriki deemed proof, and have in addition proven that such a marriage would have contradicted Shari'a, both in the eyes of Ahl'ul Sunnah and Shi'a. We give greater credence to the Shari'a than personal opinions, when the Shari'a would deem such a union Haram, then that is the end of the matter, the personal viewpoints of Shi'a Scholars based on hadith that as we have proven can be refuted via so many angles, makes their opinions just that 'opinions'. We have already cited the fact that Afriki's beloved Shaykh Ibn Taymeeya in Minhaaj as Sunnah Volume 5 page 136 (Egypt edition) stated:

"The personal of views of Ayesha and Umar cannot constitute proof".

If the personal views of Ayesha and Umar do not constitute proof then likewise the personal views of Qummi, Tabarsi etc do not constitute proof. Opinions can be wrong and right, in this situation their opinions were clearly wrong.

Reply two - Imam Ja'far al Sadiq (as)'s rejection of this marriage

We have already proven from the Shi'a traditions that Afriki relied on, that Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) was referring to Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr. If any doubt remains then allow us to quote the comments of Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) when he was asked about this alleged marriage directly:

We read in Nasehkul Tawareekh Volume 3 page 408:

"Umar bin Adheena asked Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) 'People claim that 'Ali married his daughter to such a person'. The Imam, who was until then sitting down, stood up and said angrily, "Whoever holds such a viewpoint is misled." Subhanallah! Was Imam 'Ali unable to free his daughter from their clutches? He could have stood between them and her to protect, they have fabricated a lie".

This in effect denies any claims / viewpoints that Imam 'Ali (as) married Umme Kalthum to Umar. Imam Ja'far (as) made it clear that such a viewpoint was false. For us the word of the Imam (as) is final when he says that this marriage never took place then that is the end of the matter, the personal viewpoints of any Shi'a scholar automatically become null and void.

Reply three - The faithful student of four of the Imams rejection of such a claim

Whilst we could finish this article with Imam Ja'far (as)'s clear words we would also like to cite the words of Muhammad Fadli bin Shaza bin Khaleel Nishapuri. He was a leading Shi'a authority of his time and had the benefit of sitting in the midst of Imam Reza (as), Imam Reza (as), Imam Naqi (as), Imam Taqi (as) and Imam al Askari (as). On this topic he stated categorically:

"People have assumed that Umar married Umme Kalthum binte Fatima, rather he married Umme Kalthum binte Jarweela Khuzeema"
Tareekh al Qum Shaykh Saduq, by Muhammad Nishapur page 193, published in Tehran

Offspring from this alleged marriage

Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) had two children called Zaid and Ruqayya is also a lie

We have already proven that the mother of Zaid was Umme Kalthum binte Jawal. If Nasibi such as Afriki are still going to insist that this was Umme Kalthum binte Fatima, then allow us to humiliate this supporter of Mu'awiya yet further:

Afriki claimed:

Ansar.org states:

Two children were born from this marriage, namely Zayd and Ruqayyah.

Reply One - Did Umar marry off his one-year-old daughter?

A point worthy of note is that despite Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum binte Fatima was baligh (as we agree would be the case if this was indeed the Umme Kalthum) none of his Salaf Ulema would concur with his conclusion. If we rely on the events based on the sources of Ahl'ul Sunnah she was not baligh, and in fact was a milk fed child / not more than five years of age. Umar died in 23 Hijri, the alleged marriage was in 17 Hijri, which means that she was widowed at the age of eleven. Let us assume that at the earliest this Umme Kalthum attained puberty at the age of nine (21 Hijri). That would mean that in those two years she gave birth to Zaid and Ruqayya. Ruqayya's age would be no more than one.

This point needs to be considered for the esteemed Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Ibn Qutaybah in "al Maarif" page 80 (Egypt edition) states as follows:

"From the womb of Umme Kalthum, Umar became the father of a girl called Ruqayya, this is that girl whom Umar married to Ibrahim al Najm, and she died whilst living with him".

Perhaps Afriki could explain how Umar married his daughter to Ibrahim bin Najm when she was no more than one / or two years of age?

Reply Two - Umar's widow had not attained puberty when he died

Whilst we have only used guess work when suggesting that Umme Kalthum could have attained puberty at the age of nine, Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Allamah Zurqani in Sharh Muwwasab Volume 7 page 9 states:

"Umme Kalthum, wife of Umar did not attain puberty by the time that he had died".

When Umme Kalthum did not attain puberty whilst her husband was alive then how exactly did she conceive two Zaid and Ruqayya?

Reply three - Umar the khalifa was impotent!

Modern day Hanafi scholar Mufti Ghulam Rasul produces the following argument as proof that the marriage to Umme Kalthum (as) is a fabrication. He cites several authentic Sunni sources, we are quoting from his text Hasab aur Nasab Volume 5 page 216-217:

"Saleem narrates an episode that Umar would venture in disguise during the evenings on this occasion and overheard a woman telling her daughter to mix water into milk (selling) container. The girl said 'Mother doesn't Umar ibn al Khattab prohibit mixing water with milk? The woman replied 'He isn't watching us'. The girl said 'What is this, we openly obey him and we privately disobey him? In the morning he summoned his sons Abdullah, Ubaydullah and Asim and then called the girl and said before them 'If your father was physically capable then the first that I would do would be to marry this girl'. Asim then married the girl, and she gave birth to girl who became the mother of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz" (taken from Tarjha naza asth al majalis Volume 2 page 125). The author of Shadharath al Dhahab also narrated this in Volume 1 page 119 and Hafidh Ibn Katheer stated Umar praised the fact that he liked the girls knowledge and he married her to his son Asim and this girl became the maternal grand mother of Umar ibn Abdul Aziz (d.101 Hijri) [al Bidayah wa al Nihaya Volume 9 page 192].

This episode occurred during the Khilafath of Hadhrath Umar (ra), and the marriage of Umme Kalthum is also said to have occurred during his khilafath. If the marriage occurred with Umme binte 'Ali and Zaid and Ruqayya were born out of this relationship then offspring could have likewise been produced from marrying this girl. What is the reason that Umar was physically incapable to marry this girl (that did not mix water with milk) whilst he had the physical strength to marry Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali? When Umar did not marry the girl because he was unable to do so due on accounts of impotence, then he was likewise incapable of marrying Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali. The reality is that Umar's wife name was Umme Kalthum binte Jarwal, narrators used guesswork over the names, they replaced the name Umme Kalthum binte Jarwal with Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali, the fact is Umar Faruq did not marry Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali"

Hasab aur Nasab Volume 5 page 216-217

Now what more can we say? The reference makes it clear that:

Umar the khalifa was impotent
He refrained from marrying a woman whose qualities he liked on account of his impotence.

This being the case, then how could the same impotent Umar:

Contradict his reasons for not marrying and ask for the hand of Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali (as)?
Manage to produce two children?

If only poor Afriki had bothered to do some homework before making these stupid claims he would not have ended up looking as stupid as he does now!

Reply Four - Umar the khalifa had a phobia of sexual intercourse

We read in Izalathul Khifa Volume 1 page 373 the following testimony of Umar:

"I don't like to have intercourse since when I ejaculate the semen that I release recites Allah's tasbeeh".

Izalathul Khifa Volume 1 page 373

It seems that the Ahl'ul Sunnah are never quite sure how to praise Hadhrath Umar. In the previous narration he admits that he is impotent, but here Umar the khalifa states that his semen recites Allah (swt)'s tasbeeh. Umar was so absolved with administrative affairs during his reign that he developed a complete disdain of sexual intercourse with women. His self imposed monastic lifestyle was so extreme that his poor suffering wives also lost their sex drives - so much so that when it came to Umar seeking to determine how long a woman could live without a man (sexually) he sought the counsel of his daughter rather than his wives.
See:

Tareekh ul Khulafa, by Suyuti, page 142

Is it really believable that something as impure as semen recites Allah (swt)'s tasbeeh? We are sure that no one would ascribe to such a viewpoint, but clearly if Umar was willing to make such a filthy statement as a means of avoiding ejaculation, then why would the same Umar seek to risk spilling his 'holy' semen by marrying and producing further offspring?

Reply Five - Umar's objective was only to attain status via marriage not to benefit from conjugal relations

We read in Zakhair al Ukba page 168 that when Umar made the initial proposal and Imam 'Ali (as) rejected it, Umar pointed out:

"My intention is not that to attain those benefits connected with a wife, my intention is only to attain a closer link to Rasulullah's relatives".

When Umar's sole aim was to attain status and not to benefit from the conjugal relations that are connected with marriage then where did these two children come from? Was he lying at the time of making the proposal?

Fifth shia tradition

Fifth Shi'a tradition

We feel that the three traditions that Afriki cited have now been successfully refuted, we now feel it important to cite to further Shi'a tradition that the descendants of Mu'awiya and Marwan are particularly fond of citing.

The alleged death of Zaid bin Umar and Umme Kalthum wife of Umar at the same time

Afriki had confidently asserted on UMME KALTHUM:

Ansar.org states:

Her son Zayd died on the same day as his mother, and the funeral prayer for mother and son was performed together.

Whilst Afriki was not speaking of his own accord, rather was simply regurgitating the vomit of his Nasibi forefathers, we would like to cite this tradition from a Shi'a text. We are doing so because we are fully aware having destroyed Afriki's citing of the al Kafi traditions, our opponents will cite this reference to prove that Shi'a traditions compliment Afriki's claims. Also worthy of note is a Nasibi contributor called "Harith" posted this tradition as proof on the Ahl-e-Sonnat.Org discussion page and made a direct challenge to us to reply to it. This is what he said:

Ansar.org states:

"Salamon alaikum Sunni Brother and Sisters
May a commend you for the excellent efforts of your team to counter the lies of the rafida. I would like to share with you this reference that should help us to further embarrass our opponents. It is from the Shi'a religions esteemed work Tadheeb al Ahkam Volume 2 page 380 Chapter Meeras:

"Imam Ja'far Sadiq (as) said 'Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali and her son Zaid bin Umar both died at the same time. It was not possible to ascertain who had died first. They did not inherit off one another and their funeral prayers were read at the same time".

So the Rafidi admit that Umme Kalthum was married to Hadhrath Umar (ra) and that she and her son died on the same day. If you present this to a Shi'a they just look completely shocked, I wonder how these so called great debaters like Answering Ansar have to say to this reference?"

Especially for ahl-e-sonnat.org and their Nasibi contributor here are our replies:

Reply One

Our opponents are fond of citing this tradition to prove that UMME KALTHUM binte 'Ali (as) was indeed Umar's wife. When these Nasibi are unable to find proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah, they try to advance this fragile claim as proof. We assert that all this is incorrect name application on the part of the narrator, if it was indeed binte 'Ali then we can advance clear evidence that destroys such a notion.

The foundation stone of the Tadheeb tradition and Afriki's claim is that UMME KALTHUM and her son Zaid both died at the same time. If this foundation is firm then the Ahl'ul Sunnah claim is proven, if it is weak then the entire argument falls apart, Afriki's claim and the Tadheeb tradition will mean nothing.

Reply two

Before performing an autopsy on this tradition we would urge Afriki to answer the following question that this tradition raise:

In which year did these deaths take place? (45 / 50 Hijri)
In which month did mother and son die? (e.g. Safar / Rajab)
What day did they die on (e.g. Thursday / Friday)
What time of day was it? (Day or night)
Where did they die? (e.g. Madina, Makka)
How old was UMME KALTHUM at the time of her death?

This tradition of Tadheeb is completely silent of these facts, so we are left with no other choice but to consult the reputable texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah, to locate the year that mother and son allegedly died. If this tallies up with the same year that UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima died then Afriki and his stooges are victorious and all the Answering-Ansar team shall convert to the Sunni faith. If on the other hand we can establish that UMME KALTHUM daughter of Fatima (as) died 12 years after the death of UMME KALTHUM wife of Umar and her son then the claim of Afriki has fallen apart.

UMME KALTHUM and her son Zaid died before 50 Hijri whilst Imam Hasan (as) was still alive

For proof we shall rely on the following texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah:

Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 7 page 387 Dhikr UMME KALTHUM
Al Istiab Volume 4 page 469 Dhikr UMME KALTHUM
Zakhair al Akba page 170 Dhikr UMME KALTHUM
Al Tabaqat al Kabeer, Urdu translation Volume 8 page 484 Dhikr UMME KALTHUM

We are quoting from Zakhair al-Ukba:

"Umme Kalthum and her son Zaid died at the same time. The funeral prayers were lead by Abdullah ibn Umar, Abdullah notified Hasan bin Ali".

This tradition locates Imam Hasan (as) at the funeral of UMME KALTHUM wife of Umar. She died in his lifetime. The Imam outlived his sister.

Imam Hasan (as) died in 49 / 50 Hijri

As proof we shall cite the following texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah:

Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 page 291
Zakhair al Akba page 141 Dhikr Hasan
Hayaath al Haywaan Volume 1 page 84 "Al Awaaz"
Al Fusul al Muhimma page 168 Dhikr Hasan
Tadkhira al Khawwas page 121 Dhikr Hasan
Al Maarif page 92

For the sake of brevity we shall only cite Al Maarif page 92 and Tadkhira al Khawwas page 121 Dhikr Hasan:

"Hasan (ra) died in 49 / 50 Hijri)"

From here we have proven that Imam Hasan according to Ahl'ul Sunnah died in 49 or 50 Hijri. He attended the funeral of UMME KALTHUM wife of Umar - so they obviously died BEFORE 49 Hijri. Afriki concurs with this and states:

Ansar.org states:

Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah.

apart when we learn that there is a consensus amongst Sunni and Shi'a historians alike that UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as) died after 61 Hijri, since she was present during the tragedy of Kerbala, eleven years AFTER the death of her brother Imam Hasan (as) in 50 Hijri! If the Tadheeb tradition contradicts Afriki's claim then it is down to doubt on the part of the narrator, who incorrectly assumed that UMME KALTHUM buried with her son was UMME KALTHUM daughter of 'Ali (as). This hadith contradicts history, and hence can be rejected:

Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) was alive after 61 Hijri

We are citing Ahl'ul Sunnah's authority work Akbar al Taweel page 228 "Dhikr Khurooj al Husayn":

"When night fell Husayn left Madina, accompanied by his two sisters Zeyneb and Umme Kalthum".

The is a complete consensus amongst the Shi'a Ulema that UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as) was present at the tragedy of Kerbala, and we have cited an Ahl'ul Sunnah work to prove this.

There is no doubt that UMME KALTHUM was the grand daughter of Rasulullah (s), as evidence we shall cite Ahl'ul Sunnah's authority work - Ya Nabi al Mawaddath by Shaykh Sulayman Qundoozi al Hanafi Volume 2 page 354:

"When Umme Kalthum arrived in Madina she began to cry and recited a eulogy:

'City of our father to not accept us, for we have come with broken hearts. Fatima Zahra the pain that you witnessed from your enemies is far less that the pain that we have witnessed. We are the daughters of Rasulullah (s) described as 'Yaseen' and 'Ta Ha' - we are mourning before our father, Our grandfather Rasulullah (s), the people killed our Husayn and did not care what Allah (swt) had thought'.

This eulogy recited by UMME KALTHUM upon her return to Madina, from Damascus clearly depicts that UMME KALTHUM was telling her grandfather of her suffering. If this was NOT UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as) then she would never had referred to Rasulullah (s) as her grandfather. Also worthy of note is proudly declaring the titles that had been bestowed on her grandfather, and her pride at being his blood relation. Her act of calling upon Sayyida Fatima (as) and Rasulullah (s) is clear proof that she was the natural daughter of Sayyida Fatima (as), not the daughter of another of another of Imam 'Ali (as)'s wives.

If this is not proof within itself, then allow us to also cite the writings of the darling of Ahl'ul Sunnah al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz Dehlavi. He wrote "Sirush Shahadhathayn" in Persian, that was later published by his son Shah Salamathullah Dehlavi as 'Tahreer Shahadhathayn". The book dealt with the tragedy of Kerbala and its aftermath. On Page 79 (Luknow edition) we read:

"Yazeed asked the people 'Who is this woman?' The people replied 'It is Husayn's sister and Fatima's daughter Zeyneb. At that point Umme Kalthum became very distressed she fell on to the head of Husayn, and began to his head and teeth with such force that she fell unconscious. When she regained consciousness she supplicated against Yazeed and said 'Yazeed in the same that you inflicted suffering on us, you shall never witness ease, neither in this world nor the next'. Yazeed then asked 'Is this woman Husayn's sister?' The people replied 'This is Umme Kalthum, the daughter of Fatima Zahra".

We also read in Lughutal Hadees, page 36 - 37 by Hanafi scholar Waheeduz Zaman:

"Ume Kulthum, the daughter of Hazrat Ali, when reached Kufa, she said to Kufans (when they killed Imam Hussain[as]), 'Do you know that you killed and tore apart a piece of the Prophet's life? He was so dear to the Prophet, that He[s] is in pain whilst in Barzakh.'..."

Lughatal Hadeeth, page 36 - 37

See Also:

Lisaan ul-Arab, Vol.2, page 176

Al-Nihayya Fi-Ghareebul Hadeeth, Vol.3, page 422

Sunni scholar Allamah Daulath Abadi in Hidayath al Sau'd page 259 had stated:

"Umme Kalthum the wife of Umar died at a young age in the house of Umar, she had no children".

This may indeed be the case but from the two references that we cited earlier that 55 year old Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali (as) was witness to the tragedy that befell her brother in Kerbala, she survived to tell the tale, and when brought before Yazeed in chains she spoke out against him.

Why did Abdullah Ibne Umar fail to support his alleged stepmother?

Let us for arguments sake accept that the Umme Kalthum binte Fatima present in Kerbala was the Umme Kalthum that married Umar in 17 Hijri. We learn from Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 9, Book 88, Number 227 that Abdullah ibn Umar was an ardent supporter of Yazeed, and made it clear that it was haraam to oppose him since:

"we have given the oath of allegiance to this person (Yazeed) in accordance with the conditions enjoined by Allah and His Apostle"

These words were said by Ibn Umar after Yazeed's ethnic cleansing of the Sahaba in Madina and the mass rape of their women folk. Abdullah ibn Umar had considerable influence with the Banu Umayya so much so that he was even able to spare the life of Mukhthar, despite his being an open enemy of the Banu Ummaya.

If Umme Kalthum in Kerbala was indeed Abdullah's stepmother then he would surely had some respect for on account of her relationship to his father. Would he not have sought to protect his father's honour by intervening and preventing her arrest? Why did he not seek to intervene and spare her the humiliation of being paraded without hijab through the streets, from Kerbala to Makka?

According to Ahl'ul Sunnah Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) died a few days before 80 Hijri

We shall cite the following Sunni sources as proof:

Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 482 - Dhikr Umme Kalthum
Al Isaba Volume 4 page 469 - "Al Kahf"
Zakhair al Akba page 170 - "Dhikr Umme Kalthum (as)"
Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 Dhikr Aulad-e-Nabi

We are quoting directly from Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 482 - Dhikr Umme Kalthum:

"Umar married Umme Kalthum (as) when she was under age (not baligh). She lived with Umar until he died. Two children were born from this marriage, Zaid and Ruqayya. After Umar she married Aun bin Ja'far, when he died Umme Kalthum (as) married Muhammad bin Ja'far. He also died and she married Abdullah bin Ja'far (who was previously married to her sister Zeyneb). She said 'I am embarrassed before Asma binte Umais, as two of her sons have died whilst married to me, and I am fearful with regards to the third. Umme Kalthum (as) married whilst married to Abdullah".

Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 482

Whilst we deem the entire contents of the above narration to be a lie we have quoted it since Nasibi Afriki had made the same assertions in his introduction. It is deeply embarrassing since it suggests that Umar married Umme Kalthum (as) when she was underage that contradicts Afriki's claim that she was of marriageable age. We have already proved that Aun bin Ja'far and Muhammad bin Ja'far were both martyred during Umar's reign, at the Battle of Tashthur in 17 Hijri. Umar died in 23 Hijri. Perhaps Afriki could elaborate on how many men were able to marry this widow of Umar, six years after their own deaths? This pathetic Nasibi had made this claim without conducted any research whatsoever, and then had the audacity to present his claim as 'fact'.

Reply three

In addition to the deaths of both men during Umar's reign, the option that Umme Kalthum (as) married Abdullah after the death of her sister is highly illogical since it would suggest that this marriage had taken place when she was a very elderly woman.

Whether Afriki is going to rely on Ibn Hazm's claim that Hadhrath Zeyneb (as) was divorced by Abdullah and THEN married Umme Kalthum (as) or she married Abdullah AFTER Sayyida Zeyneb (as) died is up to them. The harsh reality is these Nasibis will have to accept the fact that this alleged marriage to Abdullah happened AFTER the tragedy of Kerbala in 61 Hijri where Hadhrath Zeyneb (as) was present.

Do these Nasibi narrators possess any brain cells? On the one had they claim that Umme Kalthum (as) died before 49 Hijri and yet the same woman is able to rise from her grave and marry Abdullah bin Ja'far in 61 Hijri.

We are sure that no open-minded objective person shall ascribe to Afriki's claim, having read the proofs that we have cited. We have refuted this and have in the process refuted the tradition from the Shi'a text Ahkam that clearly cannot be proven if one analyses the sources that we have cited.

Reply four - Abdullah bin Ja'far participated in the funeral prayers of Umme Kalthum (as) widow of Umar

We read in Tabaqat ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 484:

"When Umme Kalthum and her son Zayd died, Abdullah bin Umar lead the funeral prayers. Those that read (behind Abdullah) included Hasan, Husayn, Muhammad al Hanafiyya, Abdullah ibn Abbas and Abdullah bin Ja'far".

Tabaqat ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 484

So Abdullah participated in the funeral prayer of Umme Kalthum wife of Umar before 49 Hijri, when he allegedly married the same Umme Kalthum wife of Umar in 61 Hijri. This source claims that Imams Hasan, Husayn (as) and Abdullah bin Ja'far were present. We leave to Afriki and his Nasibi brethren to examine these blatant contradictions and inform us 'who is telling lies'?.

If our opponents are going to suggest that one of the traditions was wrong on account of a doubt in manes by the transmitter, we shall likewise argue exactly the same on the Tadheeb al Ahkam tradition.

Reply five - There is also an Ahl'ul Sunnah belief that Umme Kalthum wife of Umar remained alive until 80 Hijri

We read in Zakhair al Akba Chapter 8 page 181:

"There exist two viewpoints amongst the Ulema in relation to the death of Umme Kalthum, wife of Umar.

She died before Abdullah

She died after Abdullah"

Even if we accept viewpoint two, then this becomes a matter of deep confusion for the Ahl'ul Sunnah as we read in Zakhair al Akba Chapter 8 page 212 that:

"Abdullah bin Ja'far died in Madina in 80 Hijri. He was ninety years of age".

Reply six - Imam Husayn (as) also participated in the funeral of Umme Kalthum widow of Umar

We read this narration in Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 464:

"Ibn Umar led the prayers of Umme Kalthum and Zaid bin Umar. Zaid's body was closer to the Imam. Hasan and Husayn were also present at the funeral".

Al Muhaddith Ismail Bukhari had also commented in Tareekh Sagheera page 53 (Ahmedabad) that the participants of this funeral were:

"�Hasan, Husayn, Muhammad al Hanafiyya and Abdullah bin Ja'far".

What we are led to believe from these texts are that Imam Husayn (as) was present at the funeral of his dead sister. This is false, as we have already established Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) was present with her brother Husayn (as) at Kerbala where he was martyred. She was imprisoned and returned to Madina in 62 Hijri, when according the sources of Ahl'ul Sunnah she then married Abdullah bin Ja'far. If Imam Husayn (as) participated in the funeral of Umme Kalthum (as), how is that the same Umme Kalthum was alive after Imam Husayn (as) was martyred?

Reply seven - The claim that Zaid bin Umar died at the same time, as his mother is also a lie

We read in Ahl'ul Sunnah's authority work Habeeb as Sayyar Volume 1 page 39 that:

"Zaid bin Umar was poisoned by Abdul Malik bin Marwan".

It is stated clearly in Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Suyuti's work Tareekh ul Khulafa page 215 (Egypt edition) that Abdul Malik became khalifa in 73 Hijri. So, on the one hand Zaid dies a natural death and is buried at the same time as his mother before 73 Hijri - and on the other hand the same Zaid manages to resurrect himself some 23 years later, to be murdered by Abdul Malik bin Marwan.

So from here it is established that the claim that mother and son died together is a lie, this further discredits the authenticity of the Tadheeb tradition that the Nasibi are so fond of quoting on Shi'a chat pages.

Reply eight - The Ahl'ul Sunnah can not even agree about 'when' Zaid bin Umar died

Islamic Website is a major Nasibi Site that is replete with Ansar's wonderful articles across it. In their article "Children of Prophet Muhammad" on IslamicWeb.com we learn:

Most of Al-Hussein's children were killed in the wars. Only two children survived after Al-Hussein's death. The daughter of Fatima, Om Kolthoom married Omar Ibn Al Khataab, the second Calipha. She had a boy named Zayd. Zayd fought along with his uncle Al-Hussein, in the battle of Karbellah.

http://islamicweb.com/history/children.htm

Cached version

That is very interesting, because the same website copied that classic paper by Afriki wherein he wrote:

Two children were born from this marriage, namely Zayd and Ruqayyah. After the martyrdom of 'Umar she was married to her cousin 'Awn ibn Ja'far, and after his death to his brother Muhammad ibn Ja'far. Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah. Her son Zayd died on the same day as his mother, and the funeral prayer for mother and son was performed together.

http://islamicweb.com/beliefs/cults/ummkulthoom.htm

Cached version

Just look at the blatant contradictions

Zayd died in 40ish Hijri
Zayd died at Karbala in 63 Hijri

Wow! Zayd dies in 40 Hijri and resurrects himself so as to be martyred at Kerbala some 23 years later.

Same website, two blatant contradictions!

Reply nine - The Ahl'ul Sunnah can not even agree as to 'who' lead this funeral prayer

One would have at least hoped that the least that the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema could do is have a complete agreement over 'who' lead this funeral congregation, but even on this matter a contradiction exists.

We read in Dar Qathani Volume page 194:

"Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali who was the widow of Umar, had her funeral and that of her son Zaid bin Umar read together. The Imam of both funerals was Sa'eed bin Aas".

Reply ten - 4 takbeers were read during the funeral prayers of Umme Kalthum widow of Umar and her son

We are quoting directly from the following sources:

al Tabaqat ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 483 (Urdu edition)
Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 4b page 469

"Abdullah ibn Umar lead the funeral prayers of Umme Kalthum, the widow of Umar and her son with four takbeers"

al Tabaqat ibn Sa'd Volume 8 page 483

The Umme Kalthum that had four takbeers read at her funeral could not be from Ahl'ul bayt (as) since in the madhab of Ahl'ul bayt (as) five takbeers are read for the deceased. The recital of five takbeers, was the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s), as attested by the Sahaba Zaid bin Arqam (Sahih Muslim - Kitab al Salaat Book 004, Number 2089; Hudhaifa bin Yamani (Sunan al Darqatani page 191 - Bab al Janaza). Moreover the texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah confirm that Imam 'Ali would recite 6 takbeers for a Sahaba pf Badr and five for a normal Sahaba (Sunan Darqatani page 191 - Bab al Janaza). We also read in Fathul Qadeer Sharh Hidaya page 86 that Rasulullah would read five takbeers funeral for the Banu Hashim and in Kanz al Ummal Volume 4 page 57 Kitab al Shamil we are told that Ibn Abbas (ra) led the funeral prayers of Rasulullah (s) with five takbeers.

Funeral prayers with five takbeers was the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s) practised by Imam 'Ali (as) and other Sahaba. There is no way that Imams Hasan (as) and Husayn (as) would allow the funeral prayers of their sister to be conducted in away that contradicted the Sunnah of Rasulullah (s). As such we propose to determine WHO this Umme Kalthum was.

Umar had four wives called Umme Kalthum and only one son called Zaid

If Ahl'ul Sunnah are going to remain stubborn and still assert that mother and son died at the same time before 49 Hijri, then that is their choice. What is clear is this could not be Umme Kalthum binte Fatima since she was alive after 61 Hijri, nor can it be Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr since she was only five when Umar married her. Umar had only one son called Zaid and we assert that his mother was Umme Kalthum binte Jaweel. This was the Umme Kalthum wife of Umar that died before 50 Hijri, whose funeral was lead by Abdullah ibn Umar, with four takbeers.

If our Nasibi opponents are going to claim that Umar two sons called Zaid then we challenge Ahl'ul Sunnah to presents details of the births and deaths of both Zaid's to us. If for example one Zaid died in infancy then why have the Sunni scholars not written anything about this older Zaid - particularly when there is ample material with regards to the rest of Umar's children?

Umme Kalthum binte Jawal was Umar's wife whilst he was khalifa

Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah, al Muhaddith Shah Waliyullah Dehlavi in Izalathul Khifa Volume 1 page 373 states:

"On one evening during Umar's khilafath, he sent some women to come to the aid of his wife. They helped Umme Kalthum binte Jawal dye her hair".

Izalathul Khifa Volume 1 page 373

From here we can establish that Umme Kalthum binte Jawal was his wife during his reign. The fact that women were helping her to dye her hair clearly alludes to the fact that she was a mature woman of considerable childbearing age. Our firm assertion is this was Umme Kalthum mother of Zaid, the same woman that read eulogies for her dead husband (that can be found in Asad ul Ghaybah).

Reply eleven - A narrator was uncertain when he referred to the servant of Rasulullah (s) as his daughter

We read in al Isaba Volume 4 page 247-8 Ibn Hajr Asqalani cites the following commonly held viewpoint:

"Rasulullah's Servant Burkutha came to be viewed as member of his family, as she was born after Khadija gave birth to their first born child Qasim bin Muhammad.

The fact that Burkutha was brought up in Rasulullah's house lead to an uncertainty that she was also the daughter of Rasulullah (s) when this was in fact not the case. The narrator assumed that Burkutha was the sister of Qasim".

The servant girl titled Umm Amina on account of the uncertainty of narrators had been referred to as the daughter of Rasulullah (s). In exactly the same way the narrator of Tadheeb was uncertain when referring to UMME KALTHUM (as) as binte 'Ali.

Reply twelve - the problem of 'uncertainty' with regards to the parentage of Umme Kalthum

We read in Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 7 page 386:

"Umme Kalthum binte Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib married Hasan. Two children were born from this marriage, Muhammad and Ja'far. Hasan then divorced her. She then married Abu Musa Ashari and gave birth to Musa. When Abu Musa died, she then married Imran bin Talha".

Here Ibn Atheer Al Jazari has also been uncertain with regards to the parentage of Umme Kalthum. She was actually the daughter of Fadl bin Abbas, (it was her life that was being discussed in the above narration), but she was referred to as Umme Kalthum binte Abbas. This is confirmed by Ibn Hajr Asqalani in Isaba page 4 Dhikr Umme Kalthum who states that Ibn Atheer applied uncertainty when he referred to Umme Kalthum binte Fadl as Umme Kalthum binte Abbas.

Both of these texts prove that the biography of one Umme Kalthum had been incorrectly applied to another Umme Kalthum - in the same way that the Tadheeb tradition referred to Umme Kalthum as binte 'Ali when she was in fact binte Jawal.

When the Ahl'ul Sunnah have used uncertainty when citing names, then we will argue that Shi'a narrators have done likewise. When a common viewpoint is held with regards to a particular matter amongst the people, then there is no doubt that this shall also influence narrator's views.

Despite the existence of such uncertainty over names / facts in their texts the Ahl'ul Sunnah have not rejected such traditions all together, rather they have acknowledged uncertainty on the part of the narrators. Ibn Hanbal in his Musnad narrates the following event:

"When the waiting period following the death of her husband has expired, Rasulullah (s) initiated a desire to marry Umm Salmah. He sent Abu Bakr to her with the proposal but he was not successful. He (s) then sent Umar and she agreed. Umme Salmah then said to her son Umar, 'arrange my Nikah".

This narration has been copied directly from Musnad by Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Ibn Qaseem Jawadhi in Zaad al Maad Volume 1 page 41. After narrating it he then points out that:

"Umme Salmah's son should not had arranged the Nikah as he was just three years of age at the time. The Nikah must have been arranged by Umar ibn al Khattab not Umar ibn Salmah".

Yet again uncertainly has crept into this narration. From the context the narrator was uncertain over the identity of Umar here, in the same way that the narrator in Tadheeb was uncertain over the identity of Umme Kalthum, and had in fact referred to a completely different Umme Kalthum.

The question arises, how can we rely on narrators who are uncertain over people's identities? We acknowledge that such an approach is incorrect, but it does not automatically make a narration null and void. We for example read in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 5 page 462, Kitab Shahadath that Sa'ad bin Mu'adh supported Rasulullah (s) during the ifk episode. Nawawi in his commentary of Sahih Muslim, relying on the comments of Qadhi Iyad stated that Sa'd bin Mu'adh had in fact been martyred two years prior to the Ifk episode. Again this constitutes uncertainly on the part of the narrator, despite this the hadith is deemed as Sahih. Similarly in Isaba under the Chapter "Dhikr Ruman":

"Masruq took narrations from Umm Ruman mother of Ayesha even though she had died in 6 Hijri".

Masruq narrates the Ifk episode with regards to the Sahaba's slander of Ayesha in Sahih al Bukhari Volume 4, Book 55, Number 602, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 464. Clearly Masruq must have also used 'uncertainty' here too since Umm Ruman died before the ifk episode.
If uncertainly with regards to names can be located in Sahih al Bukhari then what is the objection if we assert the same with regards to the Tadheeb argument? If this still does not convince the followers of Mu'awiya as a credible argument then we suggest they read on.

Reply thirteen - Abu Bakr's appraisal of the kuffar of Badr in a drunken rant and Ayesha's assertion that this referred to another Abu Bakr

We read in Ahl'ul Sunnah's authority work Al-Isaba fi-Tameedh Al-Sahaba, page 22:

"Abu Bakr drank alcohol, he became noisy and started to praise the kuffar of Badr. When Rasulullah (s) received news of this he attended the scene and found Umar with Abu Bakr. When Umar noticed anger on the face of Rasulullah (s) he said," We seek Allah's protection from your anger".

Al-Isaba fi-Tameedh Al-Sahaba, page 22

There is no doubt that Abu Bakr's drunk antics constitute clear ammunition for the Shi'a, so to defend the honour of the Khalifa the Ahl'ul Sunnah to sought to reinterpret the matter. In the commentary of the above narration Hadhrath Ayesha states:

"My father Abu Bakr bin Quhafa married a woman called Umm Bakree, he subsequently divorced her. A poet called Abu Bakr bin Shu'ab the married her and wrote a poet with regards to the kuffar of Badr. Due to the same relationship and names narrators had attributed this to my father".

From this commentary we are led to believe that uncertainly over names had been used by the narrator and that the finger of guilt had wrongly been attributed to her father. If the Ahl'ul Sunnah are going to reject the concept of uncertainty as not possible then are Afriki and his stalwarts prepared to go on record that the esteemed companion in the cave was son drunk that he praised the kuffar of Badr? If uncertainly is acceptable to explain this narration, then exactly the same principle applies to the Tadheeb narration, the narrator had incorrectly applied the name of one Umme Kalthum to another Umme Kalthum. Uncertainly can be located in Sunni and Shi'a sources.

Reply fourteen - analysing the isnad of the Tadheeb al Ahkam tradition

Not only does the Tadheeb tradition contradict history, namely that that Umme Kalthum had died and then somehow appeared in later history to marry again (two men that died before her) its chain is also weak. One narrator is Saeed Ibn Salma who according to Rijjal al Makoofi was an unknown narrator (Volume 1 page 68 and Volume 2 page 27). Neither is the Tadheeb tradition acceptable in logic nor does it have a reliable chain of narrators.

If the Nasibi still refuse to accept our replies, then we do not wish to waste any further time debating with the descendants of Marwan, these type of Nasibi will never be convinced even if we advanced 10,000 replies. We do feel that it is important to highlight some further flaws in Afriki's claim�

The third & fourth shia tradition

The third and fourth Shi'a tradition

Ansar.org states:

Humayd ibn Ziyad-Ibn Sama'ah-Muhammad ibn Ziyad-'Abdullah ibn Sinan-Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq:
-[Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar says:] I asked him about a woman whose husband died: Should she spend her 'iddah in her house, or where she wants to? He replied, "Where she wants to. When 'Umar died, 'Ali u came and took Umme Kalthum to his house." (Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 6 p. 117, Dar al-Adwa, Beirut 1992)

Muhammad ibn Yahya and others-Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa-al-Husayn ibn Sa'id-an-Nadr ibn Suwayd-Hisham ibn Salim-Sulayman ibn Khalid, who says:
-I asked Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq about the woman whose husband has died: Where should she spend her 'iddah? In her husband's house, or where she wants to? He said: "Where she wants to. When 'Umar died, 'Ali u came, took Umme Kalthum by the hand, and took her to his house." (Furu' al-Kafi, vol. 6 p. 117, Dar al-Adwa, Beirut 1992)

Reply one - The chain in both hadith includes weak narrators

Ansar.org states:

Humayd ibn Ziyad-Ibn Sama'ah-Muhammad ibn Ziyad-'Abdullah ibn Sinan-Mu'awiyah ibn 'Ammar-Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq:

Yet again Afriki seems to only rely on what is recorded in Jami' ar-Ruwat.

Ansar.org states:

al-Kulayni reports this narration from his teacher Humayd ibn Ziyad. This Humayd is graded by the Shi'i rijal critics as "'alim jalil al-qadr, wasi' al-'ilm, kathir at-tasnif, thiqah" (a learned scholar, of great status, wide knowledge, a prolific author, reliable) (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 284)

Interestingly is the fact that our great Shi'a scholar Allamah Hullee (ra) writing on this individual deemed him "Aam" (common) that in Shi'a circles means non Shi'a (Khulasathul al Kuwwal page 219). If Nasibi will take issue that a Sunni taught Kulayni then we shoiuld point out that your Imam Bukhari also had teachers that were Shi'a. The views of a non-Shi'a have no value to us.

Ansar.org states:

Ibn Sama'ah is properly known as al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama'ah. He was one of the foremost Shi'i fuqaha of Kufah, and is described as "kathir al-hadith, faqihun thiqah" (a prolific narrator of hadith, a jurist, reliable). (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 225)

Our most authentic text of rijjal that would be our primary source does NOT concur with this. According to Rijjal al Kashi he (Hasan bin Muhammad bin Sama'ah) was:

"An unreliable adherent of the Wakfee madhab"
Rijjal Kashi page 293

Followers of the Wakfee madhab have been condemned by the Shi'a Imams as Kaffir and Zindeeq, one can for example consult the words of Imam Reza (as) in Mukees ad'a raraya fi ilm al riwaya page 83

"An adherent of the wakfee al madhab is an individual opposed to the truth, should he remain on this deviant path until his die, his ultimate resting place shall be in Hell".
These words of the Imam are similarly worded in Rijjal Maqqani Volume 1 page 378

Ansar.org states:

Muhammad ibn Yahya and others-Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa-al-Husayn ibn Sa'id-an-Nadr ibn Suwayd-Hisham ibn Salim-Sulayman ibn Khalid

We have already proven in Reply one that from the Shi'a texts of Rijjal that Hisham bin Salim who had a "al fasad aqeedah and believed that you physically see Allah (swt)" (Rijjal Kashi page 184). A narration by a man with views that diametrically oppose Shi'a aqeedah means that they are to be rejected.

Ansar.org states:

Sulayman ibn Khalid is mentioned as having been a student of Imam al-Baqir. His death is recorded to have caused Imam Ja'far extreme grief. He is universally acclaimed as "thiqah" (reliable). (Jami' ar-Ruwat, vol. 1 p. 378)

Many people were students of Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) including Sunni Imams such as Imam Abu Hanifa, this does not automatically make such a person reliable. If the Imam (as) was aggrieved by his death then it does not mean that it was because he deemed him to be a reliable narrator, grief could be for a number of reasons, do we not have friends that for example are Non Muslim? Are we not heartbroken when they die? Grief may simply have been on account of the cordial relations that existed between the two men. The text claims that Sulayman is universally acclaimed as "thiqah" (reliable). - but by whom? No elaboration is given as to WHICH Shi'a scholars graded him as thiqah. The reality is Sulayman ibn Khalid was an adherent of the Zaydiyya Madhab. In our Shi'a authority source 'Tanqeeyh al Maqaal Volume 1 page 57' with regards to Sulayman bin Khalid we learn that:

"Najashi and Tusi did not deem him to be reliable. Ibn Daud deemed him to be Daeef (weak)".

Reply two - The narration is not logical

The narration is incorrect in terms of logic since there exists no evidence that Umar left any widow (as we shall Inshallah prove). If we find a narration where Rasulullah (s) had declared that two plus two equal five - will we deem it as Sahih? Would logic lead you to conclude that it was Sahih? We do not believe that a Prophet or Imam would ever say anything illogical, even if this can be attributed to a Sahih chain, we shall argue that the fault lies with narrator's recollection - and hence we shall automatically reject it? Now what we would like to know is where did UMME KALTHUM and her children go before and after the prescribed iddat period? We have no further information. Afriki asserts that the UMME KALTHUM that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home after Umar's death is the same UMME KALTHUM that:

Ansar.org states:

After the martyrdom of 'Umar she was married to her cousin 'Awn ibn Ja'far, and after his death to his brother Muhammad ibn Ja'far. Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah.

If the above events can be proven, and ALL the pieces of the puzzle come in place then this is indeed the same UMME KALTHUM daughter of Fatima (as) that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home after Umar died. If however all these events can be refuted, then we are left with just one UMME KALTHUM who Imam 'Ali (as) brought home, and we will then have to analyse history and determine who this UMME KALTHUM was that married Umar.

So let us begin the research into this area, and see how the Ahl'ul Sunnah record the further marriages of UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as). Unfortunately like chapter one, we quickly learn that the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema fabricated further lies to back up their false claim. Lies that are so derogatory that it makes the blood boil of anyone with the slightest shred of love for Imam 'Ali (as). We would like to ask these Nasibis 'What grudge do you have against Imam 'Ali (as) that led to your Ulema writing such lies against him and his children? We ask forgiveness before Allah (swt) for citing the next references, but our intention is sincere�

The slandering of the children of Maula 'Ali (as) by the Ahl'ul Sunnah Ulema

For our evidence we shall rely on the following classical Sunni sources:

Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 7 page 288 Dhikr Umme Kalthum
Sawaiqh al Muhriqa page 94 Ayat Mubahila

We are quoting from Asad ul Ghaybah:

"When UMME KALTHUM was widowed, her brothers Hasan and Husayn approached her and said, "You are perfectly within your rights to marry a second time." If you place the matter the matter in the hands of your father 'Ali he shall marry you to an orphan from our family. Should you want property / worldly possessions then you can marry elsewhere. Imam 'Ali came downstairs and said 'Allow me to arrange your marriage'. UMME KALTHUM replied 'I desire worldly possessions, and shall deal with this matter myself. 'Ali then said, "My daughter this is not you speaking, rather these are the words of your brothers. "With that 'Ali stood up and said 'I am no longer going to talk to you' and walked off. Hasan and Husayn then made up with him and 'Ali said, "Allow me to arrange the marriage of UMME KALTHUM." UMME KALTHUM allowed this and 'Ali said 'I shall marry you to Aun bin Ja'far. 'Aun was a child at the time and 'Ali gave them 4000 dirhams.

One can see from this reference the huge efforts that were taken by these narrators to disrespect that family of Rasulullah (s). The suggestion by this narration and Afriki is that after Umar's death UMME KALTHUM married Aun bin Ja'far. Afriki's 'knowledge' reaches out yet further, who claims after Aun's death she then Muhammad bin Ja'far and then Abdullah bin Ja'far.

This narration is a lie as Aun bin Ja'far was martyred in 17 Hijri in the Battle of Tashthur whilst Umar was still alive

For proof of this we shall advance the following authentic texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah:

Asad ul Ghaybah Volume 4 page 314 "The letter Ayn"
Al Isaba Volume 3 page 44 "The letter Ayn"
Al Istiab Volume 3 page 141 "The letter Ayn"
Zakhair al Akba Part 3, Chapter 1, page 221
Al Maarif page 89 Dhikr al Khabar 'Ali ibn Abi Talib
Tareekh Kamil Volume 2 page 271 "Dhikr Fatah Tashthur"

We are quoting from Asad ul Ghaybah:

"Umar bin Ja'far bin Abi Talib was born during the Prophet's lifetime. He died during the battle of Tashthur. He had no children".

We read in Tareekh Kamil:

"This battle took place in 17 Hijri".

This is indeed a very interesting point since 17 Hijri is the same year that UMME KALTHUM is alleged to have married Umar. If UMME KALTHUM was widowed following Umar death in 23 Hijri, could Afriki kindly explain to us how she then managed to marry Aun bin Ja'far who had died six year earlier in the Battle of Tashthur?

In 23 Hijri there was no sign of Aun bin Ja'far on the earth. This completely destroys the claim that after Umar's death Imam 'Ali (as) married his widowed daughter UM binte Fatima (as) to Aun bin Ja'far. This clearly contradicts the text and logic, and the narrators of Usud ul Ghaybah concocted this marriage to discredit Ahl'ul bayt (as).

Reply three - Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum binte Fatima (as) married Muhammad bin Ja'far is also a lie

Ansar.org states:

After the martyrdom of 'Umar she was married to her cousin 'Awn ibn Ja'far, and after his death to his brother Muhammad ibn Ja'far.

Yet again this Nasibi's claim is false for Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah Ibn Qutaybah, in al Maarif page 89 "Dhikr Janaza 'Ali bin Abi Talib' states:

"Muhammad bin Ja'far and Aun bin Ja'far were both martyred in the battle of Tasthur".

Afriki and the texts Tabaqat ibn Sa'd and Asad ul Ghaybah claim that UMME KALTHUM's third marriage was to Muhammad bin Ja'far. Once again his is smashed to pieces when we learn of the fact that like his brother Aun, Muhammad bin Ja'far was ALSO martyred in 17 Hijri, at a time when she was still allegedly married to Umar! Afriki should conduct some research before presenting such claims before his faithful adherents.

Reply four - Afriki's claim that UMME KALTHUM widow of Umar died whilst married to Abdullah bin Ja'far is a lie

Afriki also claimed that:

Ansar.org states:

Ultimately she died while married to a third of the sons of Ja'far, namely 'Abdullah during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah".

We searched in detail through which texts that this Nasibi had relied upon. We were fortunate enough to come across a reference in Mahmood Abbasid al Nasibi's book "Khilafat Mu'awiya aur Yazeed" where on page 148 he makes this claim:

"Abdullah bin Ja'far was opposed to the rebellion of Husayn, whereas his wife Zeyneb supported her brother. This caused such tensions between husband and wife that after five years he married Zeyneb's sister UMME KALTHUM�Ibn Hazm stated in Jameerath ul Nasab that 'UMME KALTHUM married Umar, then Aun bin Ja'far and then Abdullah bin Ja'far after he divorced Zeyneb'.

We feel it is of relevance to refute the comments of Nasibi Ibn Hazm here:

Hadhrath Zeyneb (as) died whilst she was married to Abdullah bin Ja'far

Here are the proofs from two authentic Sunni works:

Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 page 284 Dhikr Aula ai 'Ali
Zukhair al Akba Chapter 1 part 8 Dhikr Aulad ai Rasul page 181

"Abdullah bin Ja'far married Zeyneb bin 'Ali and she died whilst she was still his wife".

Nasibi Abbasid's claim that Abdullah married UMME KALTHUM AFTER Kerbala is a blatant lie. If any such marriage did indeed take place it could have only occurred after the death of Zeyneb (as) in 62 Hijri. The difficulty for Afriki is that he identifies the death of UMME KALTHUM wife of Umar:

Ansar.org states:

during the first half of the fourth decade after the Hijrah".

Could this Nasibi therefore kindly explain how the same who died during that decade managed to come back to life and marry Abdullah bin Ja'far after 61 Hijri?

For the benefit of our readers allow us to breakdown the contradictions in Afriki's claim:

Umme Kalthum from 17 Hijri until 23 Hijri was married to Umar
After 23 Hijri she married Aun bin Ja'far
She died in 50 Hijri
She was alive in 61 Hijri
She was alive after the tragedy of Kerbala in 61 Hijri when she married Abdullah bin Ja'far.

These five claims are a complete lie as Aun was martyred in 17 Hijri in the Battle of Tashthur. So how did he the deceased Aun manage to marry Umme Kalthum in 23 Hijri? If the same Umme Kalthum died in the fourth how did she then manage to resurrect herself and marry Abdullah bin Ja'far in 61 Hijri?

In the same way that these claims are a lie, so is the claim that she was also the widow of Umar ibn al Khattab. Before establishing that it was Umme Kalthum binte Fatima that Imam 'Ali (as) brought home our opponents will first of all need to prove that it was the same woman that left the home of Imam 'Ali (as) in the first place and then married Umar. If the Nikah cannot be proved, what credence can be given to Umme Kalthum's claim that binte Fatima (as) RETURNED having been previously married to Umar?

We openly challenge Afriki, prove to us from any authoritative Shi'a text with a Sahih isnad that informs us:

On which date this Nikah took place
Who read the Nikah

Sadly for our opponents despite their belated efforts the Nikah of Umme Kalthum binte Fatima CANNOT be established from Shi'a sources, that is pivotal if they are to prove the same woman retuned to Imam 'Ali (as) having been widowed. Alhamdolillah in the same way these Nasibi cannot prove the Nikah of Umme Kalthum from Shi'a traditions - her return following the iddat (waiting period) can also not be proven. The al Kafi tradition clearly needs to be interpreted in a way to support logic and what has already been clearly been established, and that is that Umar married Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr and this is the same Umme Kalthum being referred to in this text.

Reply five - Umme Kalthum's alleged marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far can also be refuted from another angle

Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd and al Isaba both assert Afriki's claim that Umme Kalthum married Abdullah bin Ja'far. If we analyse this claim in the light of the Shari'a then we can also prove that this marriage could not have happened, since UMME KALTHUM and Zeyneb (as) were both sisters unless:

Zeyneb (as) was also present, and this would mean that Abdullah married two sisters at the same time that contradicts the Shari'a.
Zeyneb (as) divorced UMME KALTHUM, we have already refuted this in Reply 3.
UMME KALTHUM married Abdullah after Zeyneb (as)'s death. This would also be incorrect since according to our own Shi'a source Rayheen al Shareeh Dhikr Zeyneb wa Umme Kalthum page 205 we are told clearly that:

"After Kerbala in 62 Hijri when the captive women returned to Madina, UMME KALTHUM died four months later. Here sister Zeyneb (as) died two months and twenty days after her."

The very fact that Zeyneb (as) survived UMME KALTHUM means that her alleged marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far was out of the question. The same UMME KALTHUM who Afriki claims married Umar and Abdullah was not on the earth at the time that Abdullah was widowed.

If this same UMME KALTHUM's marriage cannot be proven with regards to Abdullah it can also not be established with regards to Umar. The correct interpretation is that the UMME KALTHUM being referred to in the al Kafi tradition is UMME KALTHUM daughter of Abu Bakr. Both Sunni and Shi agree this marriage occurred and common sense dictate we accept that which is agreed upon by all. UMME KALTHUM was the last offspring of AB and according to the Ahl'ul Sunnah was five years of age when she married Umar.

Afriki's efforts to misinterpret and apply this Shi'a hadith to fit it with his viewpoints does not aid the Deen in any shape or form. This Nasibi is simply doing this to satiate his stomach and win favour with Fahad, and to achieve this aim he has employed tactics of dishonesty / fraud and an imaginative imagination that Roald Dahl would have been proud of.

Reply six - Umme Kalthum, widow of Umar's marriage to Abdullah bin Ja'far can also be refuted from another angle

Although Afriki seems to be the lone voice in the Sunni world, claiming that UMME KALTHUM binte Fatima (as) was a baligh so could marry Umar, whilst his esteemed authorities disagree with him, referring her too be little more than an infant, let us simply analyse this in accordance with his claim. If she was 11 at the time of marriage to Umar (17 Hijri) then at the time of his death (23 Hijri) she would have been 17 years of age. Aun and Muhammad bin Ja'far were both martyred in 17 Hijri so they no longer appear in the equation, we are left with just one husband that she allegedly married Abdullah bin Ja'far. She could not have married Abdullah until after her sister's death in 62 Hijri.

To conclude that she would have deemed it necessary to marry at the age of 56 contradicts logic and custom. Why would she remain unmarried from the age of 17 until the age of 56 - a passage of nearly forty years?

This is not logical, Imam 'Ali (as) was martyred in 40 Hijri, and this automatically raises the question, as to why he left his young widowed daughter unmarried for 17 years, when neither the Shari'a, logic nor the culture of that time would have been an obstacle to her marrying. Similarly Imam Hasan (as) was martyred in 50 Hijri, again this throws up the question as to why this elder brother failed to take on the responsibility of marrying of his sister in the 10 years that followed his father's death. Imam Husayn (as) was martyred in 61 Hijri, once again the question arises as to why he made no efforts to marry off his youngest sister. If she had not married again whilst a young woman of child bearing age, why did it automatically dawn on her to marry when she was a middle aged women?

Reply seven - Imam Muhammad Baqir (as) referred to Abu Bakr and Umar as Zaalim

If Afriki has misinterpreted a Shi'a text to prove his claim that UMME KALTHUM daughter of Fatima (as) married Umar ibn al Khattab, then we are perfectly within our rights to quote a Shi'a text that proves that such a marriage would not had been tolerated by Imam 'Ali (as).

We read in Rauza Kafi Volume 2 page 84, hadith 340:

"The narrator states, I asked Imam Muhammad Baqir with regards to his opinion on Abu Bakr and Umar. He (The Imam) replied 'Verily there exists no one from the Ahl'ul bayt who left this world, did not do being upset with them. Similarly there are none amongst his decisions who are not upset with them. Our elders made testament to our children that Ahl'ul bayt perpetrated injustice against us and denied us our rights in this world. If any injustices are meted out to the Ahl'ul bayt then it should be known that the foundations of such injustices were Abu Bakr and Umar. In relation to these two individuals, they have incurred the hatred of Allah, his angels and the majority of the people".

Afriki should know that this hadith has ALSO been taken from al Kafi, and it proves beyond a doubt that the family of the Prophet (s) hated Abu Bakr and Umar, so much so the elders told their children to hold the viewpoint that they were unjust? If we for arguments sake accept that relationships between Umar and Imam 'Ali (as) were so cordial that he made Umar his son in law, then why would his descendents condemn Umar in such a manner? The final portion reveals a great deal to us, a fact that the Sect of truth has always held to its hearts for 1400 years, that the Ahl'ul bayt (as) bore enmity towards Abu Bakr and Umar. This tradition in effect makes Afriki's definition of the al Kafi tradition, that Imam 'Ali (as) brought his natural daughter Umme Kalthum after Umar died - null and void.

Imam 'Ali (as) would never marry his daughter to a man that he hated so much that he made a will that was passed through his descendants, that all should deem him to be detestable and unjust. We do not believe that any momin would marry his innocent daughter to a man that he deemed to be unjust - and these Nasibi except us to believe that Ammer'ul Momineen would act in this manner.

If Afriki wishes to quote this hadith then we suggest he do so in a manner that tallies up with historical facts, namely that the Umme Kalthum here was Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr.

Some might feel that it is not right to prove our arguments by citing our own books, but Afriki has left us with no choice, since through deception this Nasibi has sought to exalt Umar my misinterpreting a Shi'a hadith. We should also point out that Ansar.org and other Nasibis also cite there own books as proofs against the Shi'a, we for example suggest they examine Nasibi Abu Sulaiman's refutations to Tijani's claims in Then I was guided.

For those critics that who still need convincing then allow us to present some further evidence�

Imam 'Ali (as) deemed the Shaykhayn to be sinners, dishonest, treacherous, liars and innovators

What better 'proof' can we find of Imam 'Ali's views than the testimony of Umar himself. We read in Sahih Muslim Book 019, Number 4349 that Umar acknowledged the following to Imam 'Ali (as):

When the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) passed away, Abu Bakr said:" I am the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)." Both of you came to demand your shares from the property (left behind by the Messenger of Allah). (Referring to Hadrath 'Abbas), he said: You demanded your share from the property of your nephew, and he (referring to 'Ali) demanded a share on behalf of his wife from the property of her father. Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) had said:" We do not have any heirs; what we leave behind is (to be given in) charity." So both of you thought him to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest. And Allah knows that he was true, virtuous, well-guided and a follower of truth. When Abu Bakr passed away and (I have become) the successor of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him), you thought me to be a liar, sinful, treacherous and dishonest.

No doubt Nasibi will plead that these views quickly evaporated, but clearly this was not the case, since we know from the texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah that when Imam 'Ali (as) was offered the khilafat following Umar's murder THREE conditions were put forward, The texts of Ahl'ul Sunnah record this event as follows:

Abdur Rahman bin Auf approached the pulpit and said that he (Imam 'Ali) shall be given bayya provided that he follow the Qur'an, Sunnah and that he adheres to the practices of Abu Bakr and Umar. 'Ali stated that he would adhere to the Qur'an and Sunnah but would not accept the condition that he adhere to the practices of Abu Bakr and Umar.

Try as they may there is no room for Nasibi to claim that this reference if a lie for the leading Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah have recorded this event:

al Bidayah wa al Nihaya Volume 7 page 146
Sharh Fiqh Akbar page 66 "Fadail Naas badh ai Rasulullah"
Iqd al Fareed Volume 2 page 213
Tareekh Abu Fida Volume 1 page 166 Dhikr Maqaathil Umar
Tareekh Khamees Volume 2 page 255
Tareekh Tabari Volume 14 page 158-159
Tareekh Kamil Volume 3 page 35 Dhikr Shura

Now, this reference clearly demonstrates that Imam 'Ali (as) did not give bayya to Abu Bakr and Umar. Had he done so there would have been no grounds for him to reject this condition and Abdur Rahman would have naturally interjected and queried WHY he was rejecting this having already giving bayya to both men. Of interest for the purposes of this discussion is that Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be an innovator. As the Salafis always remind us Bidah is any practice that is an addition to the Qur'an and Sunnah. The very fact that Abdur Rahman put forward this condition is an admission that their decision were OUTSIDE the Qur'an and Sunnah. Imam 'Ali (as)'s rejection of this condition clearly proves that he deemed anything the two of them to be innovators. So Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be a:

liar,

sinful,

treacherous

dishonest

innovator (that would make him Dhaleen) - misguided

Whilst the first four are bad enough one who commits bidah is the most serious since all bidah is dalallah one indulges in bidah is misguided. For Maula Ali (as), the innovations of Umar were so heinous that he even rejected the Khilafat for it.
Can anyone really understand this concept of khilafat? It was so important that:

The Sheikhain ran towards Saqifa, abandoning the funeral of Rasulullah (s).
The Sahaba whilst debating over the khilafat at Saqifa bani Sa'ada abused and attacked one another
Abu Bakr sought to secure Imam 'Ali (as)'s bayya via duress and Umar threatened to set on fire the home of Sayyida Fatima (as) with her family and eminent Sahaba inside if bayya was not given.

Despite such importance, Imam 'Ali (as) turned his back on leadership as he refused to abide by the Bidahs of Abu Bakr and Umar. Imam Ali (as) was the one who rejected Umar due to his Innovations and Dalalah (misguidance). Then how is possible that he could have given his daughter in the Aqd of such a person to whom he considered Innovator and among the Dhaleen? Would a father not seek to locate that individual who is the 'best candidate'? Does a father not seek to identify those traits in a man that shall best compliment his daughter and ensure her happiness, traits such as decency, piety, faithfulness, honesty, religious? Would a father knowingly marry his daughter to man that he personally deemed to a lying, sinful, treacherous, dishonest, misguided innovator? In the eyes of Imam 'Ali (as) treachery was a most abhorrent trait, and in the Shi'a authority work Ghurar al Hikam page 446, we read his own words, namely:

"The worst of people is he who believes not in trust and refrains not from treachery"

The fact that Imam 'Ali (as) deemed Umar to be treacherous therefore meant that he deemed him to be the worst of people, would a loving father marry his daughter to a man who in his estimation had the traits belonging to the worst of people?

We pose these two questions to Afriki:

Would you marry your daughter to man that you deemed to be a lying, sinful, treacherous, dishonest misguided innovator?
You adhere to a madhab that holds the abusing of the Sahaba to constitute Bidah. Would you therefore happily marry your daughter / sister to a person who commits this bidah?

Reply eight - Umar's disgraceful ancestry means that he would never be the kuff (equivalent) to Umme Kalthum in marriage

As proof we shall cite al Maarif, by Ibn Qutaybah page 77, Chapter "Dhikr Umar":

"Khattab bin Nufayl was from amongst the Quraysh. His mother was from the Fehm tribe (known as San'a). This woman was Nufayl's wife. When Nufayl died his son Umar bin Nufayl, married his mother. Zayd was born from this union. Zayd's mother and al Khattab's mother were one and the same. Zayd was the father of Saeed who was one of the ten blessed with paradise".

From this reference four things are established:

Umar's grandmother was the mother of Khattab's father
Umar's grandmother was uncle Umar bin Nufayl's mother and wife.
Zayd bin Umro was Umar's uncle but was also his nephew
Zayd bin Umar was Umar's uncle and cousin.

No religion would endorse such acts of incest where a woman sleeps with her son, Umar's grandmother had done just that. Ibn Qutaybah is a famous Sunni scholar and al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Aziz in Taufa Ithna Ashari page 40 Chapter 19 cited him as a Sunni scholar that authored Maarif.

It is amusing that Afriki tried to adopt an outrage approach when reading the word Furuj in the al Kafi tradition, we suggest he consult al Maarif and at Umar's ancestry and then decide who should be outraged.

Through his essay Afriki touched on a sensitive issue for the Shi'a, we tried to avoid it, but his adherents love of this essay has left us with no other choice. Afriki has the audacity to claim that a woman from the family of Rasulullah (s) would marry into a family where mothers married their sons! The pure family of Rasulullah (s) would never marry into such a household. Umar was not the equivalent of Sayyida Umme Kalthum (as), and the Ahl'ul Sunnah in their very known Fatwa Rizviya Volume 5 page 101, have stated that:

"A man cannot be lower in family status than a woman".

Similarly in Fatwa al Kubra, Ibn Hajr al Makki states that:

"A Nikah is only permissible when a man and woman's parents are on equal ranking in terms of piety and family lineage".

Famous Deobandi scholar and vocal opponent of the Shi'a Ashraf 'Ali Thanvi expanded on the concept of kuff based on family lineage in Bahishti Zehwar, under the Chapter of Nikah, sub section 'kuff' - Equality in being a Muslim:

"1. Equality in being a Muslim is only considered among the Moghuls, Pathans, and other non-Arab nations. There is no consideration of this among the Shaykhs, Sayyids, 'Alawis, and Ans�ris. A man who accepts Islam and his father was a k�fir cannot be on par or equal to a woman who is a Muslim and her father was also a Muslim. The man who is a Muslim, his father is also a Muslim, but his grandfather was a k�fir; cannot be equal to a woman whose grandfather was also a Muslim.

2. A man whose father and grandfather were Muslims, but his great grandfather was a k�fir will be regarded as equal to a woman whose several forefathers were Muslims. In short, this equality is only considered till the grandfather. Equality beyond the grandfather, such as the great grandfather and beyond him is not considered".

Umme Kalthum was the granddaughter of Rasulullah (s), daughter of Imam 'Ali (as). Umar was the son of a kaffir. Umme Kalthum's mother was Sayyida Fatima (as), Umar's mother was a kaffir, hence there is no way that this pure lady was the equivalent of Umar. Such marriage would not have been correct under the Shari'a.

The al Kafi tradition mentions three facts:

Umme Kalthum
Iddat
Ali (as) bringing her home

Our assertion is that Umme Kalthum could not have been the natural daughter of Imam 'Ali (as) and Fatima (as), since this would contravene the Shari'a. It was in fact Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr, their names were the same and the iddat (waiting period) was incumbent on her following the death of Umar.

If the question is raised, why Imam 'Ali (as) brought this girl to his home, it is because her mother was Asma binte Umais whom Imam 'Ali (as) married after Abu Bakr died. She was the natural mother Umme Kalthum and the sister of Muhammad bin Abu Bakr. Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr remained with her mother, observed the iddat period, and then returned to the home of one of her brothers / sisters and this marriage did not contradict the Shari'a.

The existence of Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr's mother Asma binte Umais is proven from history

We shall rely on an esteemed Shi'a text Anwar kul fi Shamsheerai Ma'sum page 311:

"Umme Kalthum Hadi narrates: Umar proposed to marry Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali, he ['Ali] rejected the offer. Umar then asked for the hand of Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr (who was under 'Ali (as)'s guardianship), he replied that she was too young. Umar said, 'Send the girl to me'. 'Ali sent her on a pretext. Umar said 'Come here and grabbed the girl'. The girl shook free and ran to 'Ali and complained of Umar's behaviour. Umar then waited and eventually married Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr. The people began to say that Umar married Umme Kalthum binte 'Ali, and this became popular belief. She was the blood sister of Muhammad bin 'Abu Bakr".

From this tradition we can see that Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr, sister of Muhammad bin Abu Bakr was under the guardianship of Imam 'Ali (as). When Umar died this was the Umme Kalthum that he brought home, as her father was dead and he (as) had married her mother following Abu Bakr's death. It is the fact that no other women had the same name Umme Kalthum that the advocates of Umar have sought to take advantage of.

If the Nasibi are going to claim that Imam 'Ali (as)'s marriage to Abu Bakr's widow proves the cordial relations between these two Sahaba, we should point out that such a claim is baseless since Rasulullah (s) married widows whose husbands were kaffir.

We already quoted the comments of Sunni research scholar Malik Daulath Abadi in "Hidayaath al Saud" page 359 we are now going to quote the same conclusion that was reached by Imam of Ahl'ul Sunnah al Muhaddith Shah Abdul Haq Delavi who after examining the matter states:

"Asma binte Umais was initially the wife of Ja'far bin Tayyar then she married Abu Bakr from which relationship two children were born from this union a boy (called Muhammad) and a girl called Umme Kalthum. After that she married Hadhrath 'Ali Umme Kalthum came into his house. This is the Umme Kalthum daughter of Abu Bakr that Umar married.
Rijal Mishkat page 115

Ibn Hajr also pinpoints the marriage of the same Umme Kalthum in 17 Hijri. He writes in al Isaba page 323:

Umme Kalthum binte Abu Bakr was still in her mother's womb when Abu Bakr died in 13 Hijri. Umar married the girl in 17 Hijri, at the time she was 4 / 5 years of age.

All of the above Sunni texts concur that Abu Bakr had a daughter called Umme Kalthum. She was under the guardianship of Imam 'Ali (as), when Umar wanted to marry her Imam 'Ali (as) pointed out that she was very young. The very fact that prior to Nikah Umar embraced her and placed her on his knee clearly points to the fact that this was not Imam 'Ali (as)'s natural daughter, as she was too old to be placed on the elderly Umar's knee. Umme Kalthum was the stepdaughter of Imam 'Ali (as) - the fact she lived in the home of Imam 'Ali (as) led to a common view that she WAS the natural daughter of Imam 'Ali (as). Once Umar initiated his desire to marry her, the intervention of Ayesha meant that the matter was taken out of the hands of Imam 'Ali (as) as a result, this five year old girl had the honour of marrying Umar aged fifty five.

Some questions for Afriki to answer

Since Afriki seems to think that he is proven the case for the marriage from the texts of the Shi'a, the strongest tradition being the third / fourth al Kafi traditions, we challenge him to answer these questions:

Can you produce even a single reference with regards to what Umme Kalthum binte Fatima inherited when Umar died?
When Umar died was Hadhrath 'Ali (as) in Madina?
If he was, did he attend Umar's funeral?
If so, can you produce a Sahih mutawattir narration to this effect?
If you cannot, is there any reason why he failed to attend the funeral of his alleged son in law?