Portrayal of Lady Fatima as Drawn by Other Sects

Abstract

    Most Orientalists have consistently slandered the members of the Prophet progeny . I have been astonished with the abundance of writings that delve into their lives, yet most of these are riddled with falsification, oversimplification, and ridicule. I have previously examined how Orientalists portray Imam Hassan (peace be upon him). Today, I am exploring some of their analyses based on weak or neglected hadiths.

Given the vastness of this topic, it is impossible to cover it comprehensively in a few pages. Therefore, I will present some examples driven by Ibn Saad, Ibn Hisham, and other compilers of hadiths and histories, which have contributed in one way or another to the defamation of Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her). Even though many Muslims consider these narratives insignificant, they have been extensively discussed by Orientalists such as H. Lammens, Laura Veccia Vaglieri, Bevan, Clohessy, and Massignon. These discussions include historical discrepancies regarding the birth of Zahra (peace be upon her) and the Night Journey, the alleged multiple wives of Imam Ali (peace be upon her) who remained hidden during Zahra's lifetime, the claim that she washed and shrouded herself during her illness and instructed that her body not be exposed, her complaint to the Prophet against Ali (peace be upon him), and Ali's alleged harshness and severity towards Zahra, which supposedly angered the Prophet. Additionally, they portray Zahra's life as a source of distress for the Prophet. I am not to deal with other issues such as ; her claim to Fadak and her burial.

     It is easy to tarnish a beautiful image by introducing a few scratches here and there. Not only is the image torn to pieces but that it remains distorted in the memories of people. This is precisely what the Orientalists have done by taking up these weak and fabricated hadiths, reviving them through research, analysis, and documentation, even if this betrays the scholarly integrity. Here, we are not concerned with the deliberate slander perpetrated by the narrators against the Prophet, Ali, Fatima, and Hassan and Hussein (peace be upon them) through their manipulation of texts and false accusations against the Prophet. Such deceit cannot escape the discerning eye.