ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Tragedy of al-Zahra’: Doubts and Responses Part 5: Kashifal-Ghita’ And Sharafud-Din What Kashifal-Ghita’ Says One individual seeks an excuse from a statement made by the renown scholar and authority, Shaikh Muhammed Husayn Kashifal-Ghita’, whom he describes as a thinker, when asked about this subject.

He considers the statement of Kashifal-Ghita’ as proving the invalidity of the claim that the rib of al-Zahra’ (sa) was broken because she was assaulted, and that this also negates the claim that they forcibly entered her house, beat her and were responsible for the events which preceded and succeeded that. The proofs on which Kashifal-Ghita’ relies are the following: He, may Allah have mercy on him, has said, “I do not exonerate these folks, but hitting a woman was in those days a shameful act.

Anyone who beats a woman will incur shame on himself and on his offspring. In Nahjul-Balagha , Ali (as) says, ‘Do not afflict women with any harm, even if they condemn your honour, because they are weak in body, in spirit, and in mind.

If we, during the pre-Islamic era, used to be admonished to keep away from them, the polytheist that we were, so he and his offspring after him are all shamed for it.”[^1] He, may Allah have mercy on him, has also said, “But the issue of al-Zahra’ (sa) and slapping her on the cheek is something which my conscience cannot accept, nor can my mind believe, nor my feelings are satisfied with it, because those folks would have been too embarrassed to commit such a momentous vile act.

The Arab traditions and the pre-Islamic customs had already deepened such feelings of embarrassment..., etc.”[^2] Then he presumed that if they had something like that, they would have found from among the sahaba those who would have rebuked and stopped them.

He also derived his excuse from her lack of reference to their having beaten her or causing her to miscarry, nor did she refer to any of that in her speeches which contained her complaints against how she was treated by her people, how badly she was mistreated, such as her speech at the Mosque in the presence of the Muhajirun and ansar “although she was rebellious, extremely upset.” She said to Ali (as), “So-and-so usurped from me what I have inherited from my father S and what will both my sons inherit.” She did not say that he or his friend beat her.