Many people think the Fadak dispute is only found in Shia books. But the actual debate between Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (sa) and Abu Bakr is preserved in Sunni sources as well.
This post collects the argument from Sunni and non-Imami historical sources only.
==============================
1. Lady Fatimah (sa) asked Abu Bakr for her inheritance from Fadak, Khaybar and the Prophet’s property in Madinah
Arabic:
أنَّ فاطمةَ عليها السلامُ ابنةَ رسولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أرسلت إلى أبي بكر تسألُه ميراثَها من رسولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مما أفاء الله عليه بالمدينة وفدك، وما بقي من خمس خيبر، فقال أبو بكر: إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: لا نورث، ما تركنا صدقة، إنما يأكل آل محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم في هذا المال.
English:
Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, sent to Abu Bakr asking him for her inheritance from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from what Allah had given him in Madinah, Fadak, and what remained of the fifth of Khaybar.
Abu Bakr said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity. The family of Muhammad only eats from this wealth.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Hadith 4240/4241.
Also recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1759a.
==============================
2. Abu Bakr’s reply: “I will not change anything from the Prophet’s practice”
Arabic:
وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أُغَيِّرُ شَيْئًا مِنْ صَدَقَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ حَالِهَا الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهَا فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، وَلأَعْمَلَنَّ فِيهَا بِمَا عَمِلَ بِهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَأَبَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى فَاطِمَةَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا.
English:
“By Allah, I will not change anything from the charity of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the condition it was in during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I will act in it as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ acted.”
So Abu Bakr refused to give anything of it to Fatimah.
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4240/4241.
Also recorded in Sahih Muslim 1759a, Sunan Abi Dawud 2968, and Sunan al-Nasa’i 4141.
==============================
3. Lady Fatimah’s direct question: “Who will inherit from you?”
Arabic:
جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ إِلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَتْ: مَنْ يَرِثُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: أَهْلِي وَوَلَدِي، فَقَالَتْ: مَا لِي لا أَرِثُ أَبِي؟ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: لا نُورَثُ، وَلَكِنِّي أَعُولُ مَنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعُولُهُ، وَأُنْفِقُ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهِ.
English:
Fatimah came to Abu Bakr and said:
“Who will inherit from you?”
He said:
“My family and my children.”
She said:
“Why should I not inherit from my father?”
Abu Bakr said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: We are not inherited from. But I will support whoever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to support, and I will spend on whoever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to spend on.”
Reference:
al-Tirmidhi, al-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah, Hadith 401.
Also recorded in Musnad Ahmad, Musnad Abi Bakr, Hadith 61 in IslamWeb numbering.
==============================
4. Another Sunni wording: “Why did you inherit the Prophet instead of us?”
Arabic:
أن فاطمة قالت لأبي بكر: من يرثك إذا مت؟ قال: ولدي وأهلي. قالت: فما لك ورثت النبي دوننا؟ فقال: يا بنت رسول الله، إني والله ما ورثت أباك أرضا ولا ذهبا ولا فضة ولا غلاما ولا مالا. قالت: فسهم الله الذي جعله لنا وصافيتنا التي بيدك؟ فقال: إني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: إنما هي طعمة أطعمنيها الله فإذا مت كان بين المسلمين.
English:
Fatimah said to Abu Bakr:
“Who will inherit from you when you die?”
He said:
“My children and my family.”
She said:
“Then why did you inherit the Prophet instead of us?”
He replied:
“O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, by Allah, I did not inherit from your father any land, gold, silver, servant, or wealth.”
She said:
“Then what about the share of Allah which He assigned to us, and our selected property which is in your hand?”
He said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: It is only a sustenance which Allah fed me with; when I die, it returns to the Muslims.”
Reference:
Ibn Sa’d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, section: Dhikr Mirath Rasul Allah ﷺ wa ma tarak.
==============================
5. Qur’anic argument: Ali (as), with Fatimah (sa), argued from the inheritance of prophets
Arabic:
جاءت فاطمة إلى أبي بكر تطلب ميراثها، وجاء العباس بن عبد المطلب يطلب ميراثه، وجاء معهما علي، فقال أبو بكر: قال رسول الله: لا نورث، ما تركنا صدقة، وما كان النبي يعول فعلي. فقال علي: ورث سليمان داود، وقال زكريا: يرثني ويرث من آل يعقوب. قال أبو بكر: هو هكذا، وأنت والله تعلم مثلنا أعلم. فقال علي: هذا كتاب الله ينطق. فسكتوا وانصرفوا.
English:
Fatimah came to Abu Bakr seeking her inheritance. Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib also came seeking his inheritance, and Ali came with them.
Abu Bakr said:
“The Messenger of Allah said: We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity, and whatever the Prophet used to support is upon me.”
Ali said:
“Sulayman inherited Dawud, and Zakariyya said: He will inherit me and inherit from the family of Ya’qub.”
Abu Bakr said:
“That is so, and by Allah you know what we know.”
Ali said:
“This is the Book of Allah speaking.”
Then they remained silent and left.
Reference:
Ibn Sa’d, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 2, p. 315 in Dar Sader numbering.
==============================
6. Lady Fatimah (sa) argued that Fadak was already gifted to her, and she brought witnesses
Arabic:
المدائني عن سعيد بن خالد مولى خزاعة عن موسى بن عقبة قال: دخلت فاطمة على أبي بكر حين بويع فقالت: إن أم أيمن، ورباح يشهدان لي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أعطاني فدك.
فقال: والله ما خلق الله أحبّ إلي من أبيك... أفتريني أعطي الأسود والأحمر حقوقهم وأظلمك وأنت ابنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ إن هذا المال إنما كان للمسلمين...
قالت: والله لا أكلمك.
قال: والله لا أهجرك.
قالت: والله لأدعونّ الله عليك.
قال: لأدعونّ الله لك.
English:
Al-Mada’ini narrated from Sa’id ibn Khalid, from Musa ibn Uqbah:
Fatimah entered upon Abu Bakr when allegiance had been given to him and said:
“Umm Ayman and Rabah testify for me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me Fadak.”
Abu Bakr said:
“By Allah, Allah did not create anyone more beloved to me than your father… Do you think I would give the rights of black and red people and wrong you while you are the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? This wealth belonged to the Muslims…”
She said:
“By Allah, I will not speak to you.”
He said:
“By Allah, I will not abandon you.”
She said:
“By Allah, I will supplicate against you.”
He said:
“I will supplicate for you.”
Reference:
al-Baladhuri, Ansab al-Ashraf, p. 79 in the online Arabic edition.
==============================
7. Abu Bakr al-Jawhari records the same Fadak gift argument with a stronger ending
Arabic:
قالت فاطمة لأبي بكر: إن أم أيمن تشهد لي أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أعطاني فدك...
فقال لها: يا ابنة رسول الله... أتراني أعطي الأحمر والأبيض حقه وأظلمك حقك، وأنت بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم...
قالت:
والله لا كلمتك أبدا.
قال:
والله لا هجرتك أبدا.
قالت:
والله لأدعون الله عليك.
قال:
والله لأدعون الله لك.
فلما حضرتها الوفاة أوصت ألا يصلى عليها، فدفنت ليلا، وصلى عليها عباس بن عبد المطلب.
English:
Fatimah said to Abu Bakr:
“Umm Ayman testifies for me that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me Fadak.”
He said to her:
“O daughter of the Messenger of Allah… Do you think I would give the red and white their rights and wrong you regarding your right, while you are the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?”
She said:
“By Allah, I will never speak to you.”
He said:
“By Allah, I will never abandon you.”
She said:
“By Allah, I will supplicate against you.”
He said:
“By Allah, I will supplicate for you.”
When death came to her, she instructed that he should not pray over her. So she was buried at night, and al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib prayed over her.
Reference:
Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Jawhari, al-Saqifah wa Fadak, p. 102 in the Rafed online edition.
Also cited as p. 104 in the printed edition edited by Dr. Muhammad Hadi al-Amini, Beirut, 2nd edition, 1413 AH / 1993 CE.
==============================
8. al-Jahiz summarizes the debate logic
Arabic:
وقد بلغ ذلك من فاطمة أنها أوصت أن لا يصلي عليها أبو بكر.
ولقد كانت قالت له حين أتته مطالبة بحقها ومحتجة لرهطها: من يرثك يا أبا بكر إذا مت؟ قال: أهلي وولدي. قالت: فما بالنا لا نرث النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم؟!
فلما منعها ميراثها وبخسها حقها... قالت: والله لأدعون الله عليك. قال: والله لأدعون الله لك. قالت: والله لا كلمتك أبدا. قال: والله لا أهجرك أبدا.
English:
The matter reached such a point with Fatimah that she instructed that Abu Bakr should not pray over her.
She had said to him when she came demanding her right and arguing for her family:
“Who will inherit from you, O Abu Bakr, when you die?”
He said:
“My family and my children.”
She said:
“Then why do we not inherit from the Prophet ﷺ?”
When he prevented her inheritance and diminished her right, she said:
“By Allah, I will supplicate against you.”
He said:
“By Allah, I will supplicate for you.”
She said:
“By Allah, I will never speak to you.”
He said:
“By Allah, I will never abandon you.”
Reference:
Abu Uthman Amr ibn Bahr al-Jahiz, al-Rasa’il al-Siyasiyyah, p. 467, Dar wa Maktabat al-Hilal, Beirut.
Also quoted by Ibn Abi al-Hadid in Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 16, pp. 264–265.
==============================
9. The ending in Sahih sources: Fatimah (sa) remained angry and did not speak to Abu Bakr until death
Arabic:
فَأَبَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى فَاطِمَةَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا، فَوَجَدَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَهَجَرَتْهُ، فَلَمْ تُكَلِّمْهُ حَتَّى تُوُفِّيَتْ.
English:
Abu Bakr refused to give anything of it to Fatimah. So Fatimah became angry/upset with Abu Bakr regarding that; she avoided him and did not speak to him until she died.
References:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4240/4241.
Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1759a.
Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq, Hadith 9774.
al-Sunan al-Kubra of al-Bayhaqi, Hadith 12384 in IslamWeb numbering.
==============================
The reconstructed debate from Sunni sources
From the Sunni-source pieces, the debate becomes very clear:
1. Fatimah (sa) asked for her inheritance from the Prophet’s properties: Fadak, the share of Khaybar, and the Prophet’s property in Madinah.
2. Abu Bakr replied with the hadith:
لا نورث، ما تركنا صدقة
“We are not inherited from; what we leave is charity.”
3. Fatimah (sa) challenged him with normal inheritance logic:
“Who will inherit from you?”
He replied:
“My family and my children.”
She replied:
“Then why should I not inherit from my father?”
4. Another Sunni wording reports that she said:
“Why did you inherit the Prophet instead of us?”
5. Ali (as), with Fatimah (sa) and al-Abbas, argued from the Qur’an:
ورث سليمان داود
“Sulayman inherited Dawud.”
And Zakariyya said:
يرثني ويرث من آل يعقوب
“He will inherit me and inherit from the family of Ya’qub.”
6. Fatimah (sa) also argued that Fadak was not only inheritance, but had already been gifted to her. In al-Baladhuri and al-Jawhari, she brought Umm Ayman as a witness, and in al-Baladhuri also Rabah.
7. Abu Bakr still refused to hand over the property, saying he would manage it as the Prophet ﷺ managed it.
8. The dispute ended with Fatimah (sa) angry with Abu Bakr, refusing to speak to him until death.
This is why the Fadak dispute cannot be dismissed as a small political disagreement.
From Sunni sources themselves, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (sa) argued against Abu Bakr from three angles:
Inheritance.
Qur’anic inheritance of prophets.
Fadak as a gift.
And the ending in Bukhari and Muslim is clear:
Fatimah (sa) became angry with Abu Bakr, avoided him, and did not speak to him until she died.
Now remember the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ in Sahih al-Bukhari:
فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي، فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي
“Fatimah is a part of me; whoever angers her has angered me.”
Reference:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3714.
This is not a minor issue.
This is Sayyidah Fatimah al-Zahra (sa), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Loading comments...