Hadhrat Fatima al-Zahra’ (AS) narrates from the Holy Prophet (S) that...
Hadhrat Fatima al-Zahra’ (AS) narrates from the Holy Prophet (S) that: كُلُّ بَنِي أُمٍّ يَنْتَمُونَ إِلَى عَصَبَتِهِمْ إِلاَّ وُلْدَ فَاطمَةَ فَإِنِّي أَنَا أَبُوهُمْ وَعَصَبَتُهُمْ The son of every mother is [solely] attributed to his paternal relations, save the sons of Fatima, for surely I am their father and paternal relation.[^4] This tradition, which is found with slight variations in so many works of traditions, is vocal enough to specify the exceptional relationship between the Holy Prophet (S) and the sons of Hadhrat Fatima (AS).
Throughout the dark pages of history, however, the illegitimate rulers of the Muslim world, due to their jealousy and hatred, always debated this relationship but did not suceed. Following are some examples worthy of consideration: Al-Arbili in his Kashf al-Ghumma narrates: عَنْ ذَكْوَان مَوْلَى مُعَاوِيَة قال قَالَ مُعَاوِيَة: لاَ أَعْلَمَنَّ أَحَداً سَمَّى هَذَيْنِ الْغُلاَمَيْنِ إِبْنَيْ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ. وَلكِنْ قُوْلُوا: اِبْنَيْ عَلِيِّ.
قَالَ ذَكْوَان: فَلَمَّا كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، أَمَرَنِيْ أَنْ أَكْتُبَ بَنِيْهِ فِي الشَّرَفِ. قَالَ: فَكَتَبْتُ بَنِيْهِ وَبَنِي بَنِيْهِ، وَتَرَكْتُ بَنِيْ بَنَاتِهِ.. ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهُ بِالْكِتَابِ، فَنَظَرَ فِيْهِ، فَقَالَ: وَيْحَك، لَقَدْ أَغْفَلْتَ كُبر بَنِيّ! فَقُلْتُ: مَنْ؟ فَقَالَ: أَما بَنُوْ فُلاَنَة ـ لاِبْنَتِهِ ـ بَنيَّ؟ أَمَا بَنُوْ فُلاَنَة ـ لاِبْنَتِهِ ـ بَنِيّ؟.قَالَ: قُلْتُ: اَلله!! أَيَكُوْنُ بَنُوْ بَنَاتِكَ بَنِيْكَ، وَلاَ يَكُوْنُ بَنُوْ فَاطمَة بَنِي رَسُوْلِ اللهِ ؟!
قَالَ: مَا لَكَ؟ قَاتَلَكَ اللهُ ! لاَ يَسْمَعَنَّ هَذاَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكَ ؟! Dhakwan, a slave of Mu’awiya, reports: Mu’awiya [once] said [to me]: Surely I do not know anyone call these two boys (Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (AS)) the two sons of the Messenger of Allah (S). Therefore say: “They are the sons of ‘Ali (AS)”. Later, Mu’awiya ordered me to write down the names of his sons in sequence of nobility.
I wrote the names of his sons and the names of the sons of his sons, but did not write the names of the sons of his daughters. Then I came to him with the written script. He looked at it, and retorted: Woe be unto you! You have forgotten the elders from among my children! I said: Who are they? He said: Aren’t the sons of that daughter [of mine] my sons? Aren’t the sons of such and such daughter of mine my sons? Dhakwan said: I remarked [in amazement]: God!!
Are the sons of your daughters your sons, whereas the sons of Fatima (AS) not the sons of the Messenger of Allah (S)?
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