Many people think this claim only exists in Shia books. But the foundation of this argument is actually found in major Sunni and non-Imami historical sources.
The issue is not merely that Lady Fatimah (sa) was buried at night. The important point is that Sunni sources mention these points together:
1. Fatimah (sa) became angry with Abu Bakr.
2. She did not speak to him until she died.
3. Ali (as) buried her at night.
4. Abu Bakr was not informed.
5. Some historical sources explicitly say she instructed that Abu Bakr should not pray over her.
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1. Sahih al-Bukhari: Fatimah (sa) was angry and Abu Bakr was not informed
Arabic:
فَوَجَدَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي ذَلِكَ فَهَجَرَتْهُ، فَلَمْ تُكَلِّمْهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ... دَفَنَهَا زَوْجُهَا عَلِيٌّ لَيْلًا، وَلَمْ يُؤْذِنْ بِهَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا
English:
“Fatimah became upset/angry with Abu Bakr regarding that, so she avoided him and did not speak to him until she died… Her husband Ali buried her at night, did not inform Abu Bakr about her, and he prayed over her.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Hadith 4240/4241.
Website Reference:
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4240
Scan Image Reference:
https://archive.org/details/bukhari-4240
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2. Sahih Muslim: the same core narration
Arabic:
فَوَجَدَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: فَهَجَرَتْهُ فَلَمْ تُكَلِّمْهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ... فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَتْ دَفَنَهَا زَوْجُهَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ لَيْلًا وَلَمْ يُؤْذِنْ بِهَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ
English:
“Fatimah became upset with Abu Bakr regarding that. She avoided him and did not speak to him until she died… When she died, her husband Ali ibn Abi Talib buried her at night and did not inform Abu Bakr about her.”
Reference:
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1759a, Kitab al-Jihad wa’l-Siyar.
Website Reference:
https://sunnah.com/muslim:1759a
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3. al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak: Abu Bakr did not know until after burial
Arabic:
دُفِنَتْ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَيْلًا، دَفَنَهَا عَلِيٌّ وَلَمْ يَشْعُرْ بِهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى دُفِنَتْ، وَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ
English:
“Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, was buried at night. Ali buried her, and Abu Bakr did not know about her until she had been buried; Ali ibn Abi Talib prayed over her.”
Reference:
al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak ‘ala al-Sahihayn, Kitab Ma‘rifat al-Sahabah, Hadith 4820 in the online numbering.
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4. Ibn Shabbah / al-Samhudi: Ali buried her at night and Abu Bakr was not informed
Arabic:
فَوَجَدَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَهَجَرَتْهُ فَلَمْ تُكَلِّمْهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ... فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَتْ دَفَنَهَا عَلِيٌّ لَيْلًا، وَلَمْ يُؤْذِنْ بِهَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ
English:
“Fatimah became upset with Abu Bakr regarding that, so she avoided him and did not speak to him until she died… When she died, Ali buried her at night and did not inform Abu Bakr about her.”
Reference:
Ibn Shabbah, Tarikh al-Madinah, quoted by al-Samhudi in Wafa’ al-Wafa bi Akhbar Dar al-Mustafa, section on Fatimah’s request from Abu Bakr.
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5. Abu Nu‘aym al-Isfahani, Hilyat al-Awliya’: Fatimah (sa) was buried at night
Arabic:
تُوُفِّيَتْ فَاطِمَةُ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ بِسِتَّةِ أَشْهُرٍ، وَدَفَنَهَا عَلِيٌّ لَيْلًا
English:
“Fatimah died six months after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and Ali buried her at night.”
Reference:
Abu Nu‘aym al-Isfahani, Hilyat al-Awliya’, section “Fatimah bint Rasul Allah.”
Note:
This narration does not mention Abu Bakr, but it supports the night-burial tradition.
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6. al-Jahiz, al-Rasa’il al-Siyasiyyah: explicit wording that Abu Bakr should not pray over her
Arabic:
وَقَدْ بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ أَنَّهَا أَوْصَتْ أَنْ لَا يُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ
English:
“The matter reached such a level with Fatimah that she instructed that Abu Bakr should not pray over her.”
Reference:
al-Jahiz, al-Rasa’il al-Siyasiyyah, p. 231 in the online edition.
The surrounding text connects this to her claim over inheritance/Fadak and her words: “By Allah, I will supplicate against you.”
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7. Ibn Abi al-Hadid quoting Abu ‘Uthman al-Jahiz
Arabic:
وَقَدْ بَلَغَ ذَلِكَ مِنْ فَاطِمَةَ حَتَّى إِنَّهَا أَوْصَتْ أَلَّا يُصَلِّيَ عَلَيْهَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ
English:
“The matter reached such a level with Fatimah that she instructed that Abu Bakr should not pray over her.”
Reference:
Ibn Abi al-Hadid, Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 16, p. 264, quoting Abu ‘Uthman al-Jahiz’s argument.
Note:
Ibn Abi al-Hadid was a Mu‘tazili scholar, not an Imami Shia scholar.
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The key point
Even if someone rejects the later historical reports, the core argument still remains from Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:
Fatimah (sa) was angry with Abu Bakr.
She did not speak to him until she died.
Ali (as) buried her at night.
Abu Bakr was not informed.
Then we also have the famous hadith of the Prophet ﷺ in Sahih al-Bukhari:
Arabic:
فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي، فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي
English:
“Fatimah is a part of me; whoever angers her has angered me.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3714.
So the question is simple:
If Sahih al-Bukhari says whoever angers Fatimah angers the Prophet ﷺ, and Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim also say Fatimah was angry with Abu Bakr and did not speak to him until death, then how can this be treated as a small political disagreement?
This is not a minor issue.
This is the daughter of the Prophet ﷺ.
This is Sayyidah Fatimah al-Zahra (sa).
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