Umar at Fatimah's house

=Background=The episode about the attack on Fatima’s house by Umar and his supporters is a subject of considerable debate between Sunnis and Shi’ites. Shi’ite historical sources not only give details about the attack, but also mention that Fatima, the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was injured in the attack and the injury resulted in a miscarriage. [Kitab Sulaym Ibn Qays al-Hilali, Hadith 4, p48-67 (English Translation)] Fatima never recovered from her injuries and died soon thereafter. [Ibid.] As per her will, her husband Ali ibn Abi Talib, buried her in night so that Abu Bakr and Umar could not attend her funeral. [The History of al-Tabari, Volume IX, The Last Years of the Prophet, p196, SUNY Press]

=Earliest Historical Accounts=Among the earliest books of History written by Muslims, the following works give credence to this event.

Tarikh al-Tabari

Tarikh al-Masoudi ( Muruj ad-Dhahab)

Tarikh al-Ya’qoubi

= Shi’ite Sources =Shi’ite sources not only give information about the attack but mention other details which are erstwhile missing in the earliest works of history. One Shi’ite source, Kitab Sulaym Ibn Qays al-Hilali gives detailed description about the event.quote|Then Umar told those people who had gathered around him to collect wood. They all collected and Umar himself lifted (the wood) and went to the House of Ali, Lady Fatima and their two sons (peace be upon them) and arranged wood all around the house and said in a voice loud enough to make Ali (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) hear: “By God, O Ali come out and pay allegiance to the Caliph of the Prophet of Allah, otherwise we will burn your house.”Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) said: “O Umar, what do you have to do with us?”He replied, “Open the door or otherwise we will burn your house.” Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) said: “O Umar, are you not afraid of Allah and are you entering our house?”Umar refused to return. He asked fire to be brought and set the door on fire, then he pushed it and entered. Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) came in front and screamed loudly: “O father, O Prophet of Allah.” Umar raised his sword with the shield and hit her on the side. She screamed, “O father.” He then lifted a whip and hit her on the hand and she cried: “O Prophet of Allah, Abu Bakr and Umar behaved very badly after you.”Ali (peace be upon him) rushed, held him by his neck and pushed him away and Umar fell down and hurt his neck and nose. Ali (peace be upon him) intended to kill him…”
Ali refrained from raising his sword against the attackers as per the will of Prophet Muhammad who had taken a promise from Ali to remain patient if he does not get enough sincere supporters for his cause. [Kitab Sulaym Ibn Qays al-Hilali, Hadith 4, p 48-67 (English Translation)]

= Opinion of Later Sunni Historians =Allamah Shibli Nu’mani, the celebrated Sunni scholar writes the following in his book “Al-Faruq”, the biography of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab:quote|"The learned Tabari in his Tareekh Kabir has narrated a tradition to the effect that Umar, standing at the door of Fatimah's house, exclaimed 'O daughter of the Prophet! I swear by God that we love you best of all but if your house continues any longer to be a rendezvous for conspiracy I will set fire to it on account of this."

The authority of this tradition is doubtful having not been able to glean particulars regarding its narrators, but there is no reason to deny the occurrence of this incident in the light of rationalisation. Umar was a man of hot and irrational temper and such an act would not have been inconsistent with his nature". [Al-Faruq, Shibli Nu’mani, p 70, Azeem & Sons Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan] =References=