The Sermon of Fadak is one of the most famous speeches of Fatimah al-Zahra (S), delivered after the passing of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Prophet’s Mosque. The sermon was delivered at a time when the issue of Fadak had become one of the most important disagreements between Fatimah al-Zahra (S) and the ruling authority. After Fadak was taken out of her possession and her request for its return did not achieve its intended result, Fatimah al-Zahra (S), accompanied by a group of women from her family and close relations, went to the mosque and addressed the Muhajirun and Ansar.
At the time of the Prophet (PBUH), Fadak was a prosperous area near Khaybar. After the people of Fadak made peace with the Prophet (PBUH), half of it came under the authority of the Messenger of Allah. According to the account used in this article, the Prophet (PBUH) spent the income of Fadak on those in need from the Banu Hashim and later gave it to Fatimah al-Zahra (S). After the Prophet’s passing, a dispute arose over the ownership and administration of Fadak, and this became the setting for the delivery of the Sermon of Fadak.
The Beginning of the Fadakia Sermon of Fatimah al-Zahra (S)
“Praise be to Allah for that which He has bestowed, and thanks to Him for the good thoughts He has placed in the hearts. I praise Him for His encompassing blessings; blessings that have sprung from the fountain of His grace, the abundant gifts He has granted, and the continuous favors He has spread. His blessings are beyond number, and giving thanks and repaying them is beyond one’s ability, while comprehending their ultimate extent is beyond imperfect thought.
He has called His servants to give thanks to Him for the increase of His blessings and the continuity of His gifts, directed them toward praising Him for their completion, and encouraged them to seek even more of His blessings.
I bear witness that there is no deity except Him, and that He is One without partner or associate. The essence of this testimony is sincere love and purity, with which the hearts of those who long for Him become united and whose effects shine upon their thoughts.
He is the God whom eyes cannot see, tongues cannot adequately describe, and minds cannot fully comprehend. He brought all things from nonexistence into existence and created them without any prior model or example. By His power He gave everything growth and brought creation into being by His will, without being in need of their creation and without gaining any benefit from shaping them.
He desired to manifest His wisdom, awaken people to obedience to Him, guide His servants toward worshipping Him, and make His call a source of honor. He therefore placed reward in obedience and punishment in disobedience, so that His servants might be saved from His anger and punishment and be directed toward Paradise and the center of His mercy.
I bear witness that my father, Muhammad, is His servant and Messenger. He chose and selected him before sending him to the people to guide them. Before selecting him, He gave him a noble name, and before raising him as a prophet, He chose and selected him from among the people. This was at a time when the servants were concealed in the unseen, behind the veil of nonexistence and wandering in the vast desert of nothingness. The Almighty Lord knew the outcome of every matter, encompassed all changes, and saw the completion of all things.
He sent Muhammad to complete His command, make His judgment effective, and fulfill what He had ordained. The Prophet observed that every group had adopted a religion: some gathered around fire, some prayed before idols, and all had forgotten the remembrance of the God whom they knew.
Then, through the light of Muhammad, Allah swept away the darkness, freed hearts from the darkness of disbelief, and moved the dark clouds away from before their eyes. He rose to guide the people, delivered them from misguidance and falsehood, and opened their eyes. He guided them to the steadfast religion of Islam and called them to the straight path.
Then, out of His choice, mercy, willingness, and favor, He granted him the companionship of His mercy, relieved him from the hardships of this world, and placed the honored angels around him. He raised the banner of his station in His nearness and wrote the record of forgiveness and divine pleasure in his name.
May the endless blessings and peace of God be upon Muhammad, the Messenger of mercy, the trustee of revelation and prophethood, and the chosen one of the community.”
The Quran and Divine Laws
“You are the servants of Allah, guardians of what is lawful and unlawful, bearers of religion and divine laws, trustees of Allah over yourselves, and His messengers to the nations. You have a right from Allah placed upon you, and you have accepted the covenant that you made with Him.
And what the Messenger of Allah left among you after him is the speaking Book of Allah and the truthful Quran, whose light is radiant and whose rays are shining.
The Quran is a Book whose proofs are clear, whose subtleties and depths are evident, and whose outward meanings are illuminated. Its followers are honored, and the people of the world envy them. Following it opens the way to the garden of divine mercy, and the one who listens to it attains success in both worlds.
Through it, the clear proofs of Allah can be seen, and the explanation of His laws and obligations can be understood. The Quran has made the things Allah has forbidden a means of restraint, His lawful things a permission, and His recommended acts manifest, and it explains the Islamic law.
Allah has made faith a means of removing the rust of polytheism from your hearts, prayer a means of keeping you away from self-worship, zakat a means of purifying the soul and increasing abundant provision, fasting a means of strengthening friendship and sincerity, and pilgrimage a means of strengthening religion.
He has made justice a means of binding hearts together, following us a means of bringing order, and our leadership a means of preventing division and separation. He has made jihad a means of your honor and the humiliation and disgrace of the disbelievers and hypocrites, and patience and steadfastness a means of attaining reward.
He has made commanding what is lawful and forbidding what is unlawful a means of the people’s welfare, and kindness to parents a means of protection from divine anger. He has made maintaining family ties a means of increasing the number of people, retaliation a means of preserving life, fulfilling vows a means of forgiveness, and completing the measure and weight a means of preventing fraud and the reduction of blessings.
He has made abstaining from wine a means of purification from impurities, avoiding slander and false accusations a barrier against divine curse, and forbidding theft a means of following the path of chastity.
He has made purity, avoidance of consuming the property of orphans, and refraining from keeping spoils for oneself and distributing them among those entitled to them a means of being protected from injustice. He has made justice in the implementation of judgments a means of comfort, peace, and proper conduct in people’s affairs.
He has forbidden polytheism so that they may follow the path of salvation through sincerity. Therefore, fear Allah as He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of Islam. Obey Allah in what He has commanded you and in what He has forbidden you.”
Introducing Fatimah al-Zahra (S) and Remembering the Mission of the Prophet (PBUH)
“O people, know that I am Fatimah and my father is Muhammad. What I have said at the beginning, I shall speak of again at the end. I do not speak falsely, nor do I follow error in my actions.
Indeed, a Messenger came to you from among yourselves, and your suffering was grievous to him. He was deeply concerned for you and compassionate and caring toward the believers. If you know him, you will find that he is my father and not the father of your women, and that he is the brother of my cousin and not the brother of your men. What an honored lineage this is.
He conveyed his message to the people and warned them against the punishment of God. He turned away from the ways of the polytheists, struck their necks with the whip of monotheism, and gripped their throats firmly. He guided the people toward God with proof, evidence, and beneficial admonition.
He broke the power of idols and idol worshippers until their gathering was dispersed. The darkness of the night was removed, the morning of faith appeared, and the veil and covering were lifted from the face of truth.
The tongue of the leader of religion began to speak, and the cries of the devils fell silent. The crown and banner of hypocrisy fell to the ground, and the knots of disbelief and division were untied. You, together with a group of pure-hearted, pale-faced people, became speakers of the word of sincerity, while you had been standing on the edge of the pit of Hell.
Because of your weakness and powerlessness, whoever came along could destroy you. You were like a drink to the thirsty, a morsel to the hungry, prey for every beast, trampled under every foot, and crushed beneath every passerby. You drank foul and unpleasant water and satisfied your hunger with animal skin and carrion. You were low and insignificant and lived in fear of the attack of your neighbors.
In such a condition, God Almighty sent Muhammad, His Messenger, to you. After all the suffering he had witnessed and all the hardships he had endured, he delivered you from humiliation and disgrace.
Warriors seeking conflict, savage tyrants, Jews who had sold their religion for worldly gain, and Christians far from the truth attacked him from every side and opposed him.
Whenever they kindled the fire of turmoil with wood and fuel, God extinguished it. Whenever the horn of Satan appeared or a polytheist opened his mouth with foolish speech, he would cast his brother Ali, peace be upon him, into its midst. Ali, peace be upon him, would not cease until he had struck the heads of the opponents and humbled their noses in the dust.
He was diligent in the way of God, close to the Messenger of Allah, and the foremost among the devoted, sincere, hardworking, and striving allies. Yet you at that time lived in comfort and enjoyed security. You watched for the wheel of fortune to turn against us and listened for news. In times of battle, you turned back, and on the battlefield you preferred fleeing to standing firm.”
After the Passing of the Prophet (PBUH)
“When Allah chose the abode of His prophets for His Messenger and made the dwelling place of His chosen ones his home, hatred and hypocrisy became manifest and the veil of religion was torn apart. Every misguided person claimed authority, every unknown person became a leader, and every foolish speaker sought to make his own market thrive.
Satan emerged from his hiding place and called you toward himself, and he found many of you ready to accept his call and waiting for his deception. You followed him lightly and quickly fell into his trap. He kindled the fire of revenge in your hearts, and the signs of anger appeared upon your faces. This caused you to brand a camel that was not yours and enter a watering place that was not yours.
This was while not even two days had passed since the death of your Prophet. The burning within our chests had not subsided, the wound in our hearts had not healed, and the Messenger of God had not yet been placed in the earth.
Your excuse was that you were preventing the emergence of turmoil and that you were following a path other than the path of truth. Yet the Book of God was among you. Its teachings and subjects were known, its commands and proofs were clear and radiant, its signs were luminous and evident, its prohibitions were clear, and its commands were expressive.
But you cast it behind you. Do you turn away from the Book of God and reject it? Do you take a judgment other than the Quran? Or do you judge by something besides it? The wrongdoers have chosen a terrible substitute for the Quran. Whoever accepts a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.
You did not even wait and reflect long enough for the rebellious beast and untamed horse of the caliphate to become calm and submit to you so that you could easily ride it and your hatred and resentment might subside.
You placed wood upon the fire of turmoil and stirred it so that it would blaze. You answered the call of the deceptive Satan and set yourselves to extinguishing the religion of truth and the luminous faith and removing the tradition of the chosen Prophet.
It became like using the removal of foam from milk as an excuse and then secretly drinking it all to the end. You hid in ambush in order to isolate the family and children of the Prophet. We had no choice but patience, and we remained silent as though a dagger had been thrust into our throats and a sharp blade had been placed upon our hearts.”
The Protest Concerning Inheritance and Fadak
“You think that we have no inheritance? Are you seeking the ways of the time of ignorance? For people who possess certainty, whose judgment is better than the judgment of God?
Are you not aware? Yes, you are aware, and it is as clear to you as the shining sun that I am the daughter of that Prophet.
O Muslims, is it permissible for the inheritance of my father to be taken from me by force? Alas! O group of Muhajirun, how strange and yet how disgraceful it is that the inheritance of my father should be violated and taken away while I am deprived of it!
O son of Abu Quhafa! Has God said that you should inherit from your father and I should not inherit from my father? What an outrageous statement! Have you abandoned the Book of God out of obstinacy and stubbornness and cast it behind you, while it says: Solomon inherited from his father David?
Or when it recounts the story of Yahya, the son of Zakariya, it says: Grant me from Yourself a child who will inherit from me and from the family of Jacob. It also says: When death approaches one of you and he leaves wealth behind, he should make a fair bequest concerning parents and relatives, and this is worthy of those who are mindful of God.
Did you, in your false imagination, assume that I have no share or inheritance from my father? And that there is no relationship or kinship between us? Has God sent down a verse specifically concerning you from which my father is excluded? Or do you claim that my father and I follow different religions? Or do you claim that you know the Quran, in its particular and general meanings, better than my father and my cousin?
Then, if this is so, take this prepared camel, already saddled and bridled, and ride it. But know that on the Day of Resurrection it will meet you and call you to account. And what a day that will be! On that day the misguided will lose, but what benefit will regret bring? Every message has its appointed time, and soon you will know who will be afflicted with a punishment that humiliates him or upon whom an everlasting punishment will descend.”
Fatimah al-Zahra’s (S) Address to the Ansar
“O young men, and O strong arms of the nation and supporters of Islam, why this negligence in taking my right from those who have wronged me? Why this weakness in the face of the injustice that has been done to me? Did my father, the Messenger of God, not say that honoring a man should also be honored with regard to his children?
How quickly you changed the situation and stepped onto the wrong path, even though you possess the strength in your arms and enough numbers to restore my rights. Do you say that Muhammad has passed away and that with his passing everything has come to an end?
Yes, his death was a terrible blow to the body of Islam. It was a great tragedy that spread the dust of grief over everything, whose gap grows wider every day, whose separation expands, and whose extent increases. The earth became dark and gloomy in his absence. The best servants of God became sorrowful and mournful over his tragedy. The sun and moon disappeared behind dark clouds, and because of this calamity the stars became separated and scattered. Hopes were lost, mountains trembled, people’s sanctities were broken, and all respect and honor were trampled upon.
By God, his death was a great event, a dreadful tragedy, and an irreplaceable loss to which no other calamity can be compared. But remember that the Quran had already spoken of this event beforehand; the same Book that is always in your homes and which you recite morning and evening, sometimes aloud and sometimes quietly, with different melodies. The earlier prophets also faced this path, for death is an inevitable command of God.
Far be it! O sons of Qaylah, before your very eyes they take away the inheritance of my father and violate my honor, while you openly see, hear, and receive news of it. Yet you sit there unconscious and silent? You have many soldiers and great strength, abundant equipment, and countless weapons and shields.
You hear my call and do not answer! My cry resounds among you, but what benefit is there when you do not respond? You are known to all for your courage, renowned throughout the land for goodness and virtue, and chosen among the tribes and nations. In our view, the People of the House, you were among the best of people.
You fought against the Arabs and endured great suffering and hardship. You broke the power of tyrants and struggled against mighty warriors. You were always on our side and obedient to our command, until the mill of Islam turned around our existence and the milk of the age began to increase.
The cries of the polytheists were choked, the blaze of falsehood died down, the fire of disbelief was extinguished, the call to separation and division ceased, and religion became established.
Now, after all that eloquence, why have you fallen silent? Why do you conceal the truths after they have become clear? And that too in the face of people who broke their covenant and, after accepting faith, followed the path of polytheism?
Yet I see that you have become accustomed to comfort, and you have removed the one who is most deserving of leadership and administration of the affairs of the Muslims. You have chosen to remain in a quiet and comfortable corner and have turned away from the pressure and burden of responsibility toward indifference.
Yes, you have cast out what faith and awareness you had within yourselves, and you have struggled to bring back up the sweet water that you had drunk. If you and everyone on earth were to disbelieve, God is free of need and worthy of praise.
I have said to you everything that needed to be said. But I know that you are a humiliated people, trapped in weakness, and treacherous, and your hearts bear witness to it. What can I do when my heart is filled with blood? I am unable to restrain my tongue from complaining. I have poured out the grief that surges within my chest so that I might complete the proof against you and leave no excuse for anyone.
Now that this is the case, this mount of caliphate is yours. Hold firmly to it and never let it go. But know that its back is wounded and its feet are swollen and torn. It bears the mark of disgrace, and the sign of God’s anger and eternal shame accompanies it.
Yet it will not leave you in peace until it afflicts you with the fire of divine anger, a fire that continually increases and burns the heart and soul.
What you do is present before God, and the wrongdoers will soon know to what place they will return. I am the daughter of a prophet who warned you against divine punishment. Do whatever you are able to do. We too will do what is required of us. You wait, and we too will wait.”
Abu Bakr’s Response and Fatimah al-Zahra’s (S) Reply
“O daughter of the Messenger of God, your father cared deeply for the believers and was like a compassionate nurse toward them, while he was an enemy to the disbelievers and a sign of divine wrath. If we examine him carefully, we find that he is your father and not the father of other women, and the brother of your cousin and not the brother of other men. In the eyes of the Prophet, Ali was superior to all other relatives and was his helper in great matters.
None but the fortunate loves you, and none but the wicked hates you, because you are the pure family of the Messenger and the chosen among the noble people of the world. You guided us toward goodness and righteousness and toward Paradise and divine pleasure.
And you, O chosen lady of women, O daughter of the best of the messengers, are truthful in your speech and foremost in the abundance of your intellect. You will never be distant from your right, and we shall not doubt the truthfulness of your words.
But by God, I have not taken a single step beyond what the Messenger of God said, nor have I acted except according to the permission he gave. I heard the Messenger of God say: We prophets do not leave behind dinars, dirhams, houses, or farms as inheritance. Rather, what we leave behind is the Book, wisdom, knowledge, and prophethood, and whatever provision and means of livelihood we leave is the responsibility of the one who holds authority after us, and he may judge concerning it as he wishes.
We have used that which you are seeking to purchase horses and weapons, so that the Muslims may go to the battlefield with it, fight the disbelievers, and overcome the sinful tyrants. I did this with the agreement of all the Muslims. I did not act alone in this matter, nor did I impose my own opinion arbitrarily.
Here I am, and here is what I possess, for you and at your disposal. I have neither withheld it from you nor stored it for someone else. You are the leader of the women of your father’s community and a fruitful and pure tree for your children. The virtues that are uniquely yours cannot be denied, nor can anything from your branch or root be overlooked. Your authority is valid over what I possess. But do you yourself consider it permissible for me, in this matter, to act contrary to the words of your father?”
Fatimah’s (S) Response to Abu Bakr’s Words
“Never! The Messenger of God did not turn away from the Book of God, nor did he oppose its rulings, and he would never issue a judgment contrary to its commands. Rather, he always followed the Quran and walked according to its chapters.
Do you intend to cover deception and betrayal with forceful adornment and attribute them to him? Your conduct after his passing is like the traps that were spread during his lifetime to destroy him.
This is the Book of God that will judge fairly between me and you, because it makes truth and falsehood clear.
This Book says: ‘Let him be my heir and the heir of the family of Jacob,’ and ‘Solomon inherited from his father David.’ You can see that God has clearly explained the shares of inheritance, and has spoken in detail about obligations, inheritance, and the portions He has prescribed for men and women. He has left no room for excuses for the followers of falsehood and has removed doubt and uncertainty from the minds of the misguided.
So it is not as you say. Rather, your own souls have made this deed seem pleasing to you. Now patience with dignity is better for me, and I shall seek the help of God in this matter.”
“God has spoken the truth, His Messenger was truthful, and the daughter of His Prophet has also spoken truthfully. You are a treasure of wisdom, a heart of guidance and mercy, and a pillar of religion. I do not consider your words to be far from the truth, nor do I seek to deny or criticize them. These Muslims are now the judge between you and me. The responsibility I have taken upon myself was placed upon me by them, and what I have taken into possession has been done with their agreement.”
“O people who hasten to hear idle speech and overlook evil and harmful deeds, do you not reflect upon the Quran, or are there locks upon your hearts? No, rather, it is your evil deeds that have cast darkness upon the pages of your hearts and covered your ears and eyes.
You acted with forethought according to your own interests, interpreted the verses of the Quran, were led down an evil path, and engaged in a bad dispute. By God, carrying this burden will be heavy for you, and a future filled with sin and loss lies ahead of you. When the veils are lifted, the loss of this matter will become clear to you.”
The Words of Fatimah al-Zahra (S) at the Grave of the Prophet (PBUH)
“You have gone, and after you, trials arose. Had you been present, they would not have appeared so great.
Like a land deprived of rain, we lost you. Your people and nation fell apart, and the values among your people became confused. Come and see how they have turned away from the straight path.
Every family that possessed closeness and honor in the sight of God was respected even among strangers, except our family.
When you departed from this world for the next and the earth placed separation between you and us, men from your people revealed what was hidden within their hearts.
When they saw your absence, they attacked us and humiliated us, and whatever we had inherited from you was usurped.
Father, you were like the full moon and the radiant lamp of our lives, upon whom books had descended from God.
Gabriel was our companion and intimate through the verses of the Quran, but you departed, and goodness became hidden from us.
I wish that we had died before you departed from among us and before the earth concealed you within itself.
Truly, we, the afflicted, have fallen into a calamity such as no one afflicted in Arabia or among the non-Arabs has ever suffered.”
The Conversation Between Fatimah al-Zahra (S) and Imam Ali (A)
While Amir al-Mu’minin, peace be upon him, was waiting and counting the moments for Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, to return, the noble lady returned home and, upon seeing the Commander of the Faithful, said:
“O son of Abu Talib, have you become like a fetus hidden behind a veil, sitting in the corner of the house like those under suspicion? You were the one who broke the great wings of the falcon; what has happened now that you have become subject to small wings?
The son of Abu Quhafa has deprived me of my father’s gift and deprived my two children of their nourishment. He openly opposed me and did not turn away from his stubbornness and hostility.
The Ansar have abandoned me, the Muhajirun have turned their eyes away from supporting me, and the people have also withheld their support from me. I have neither a supporter nor a helper in resisting his attack.
With anger restrained, I left the house and returned humiliated. You were a lion who would crush the wolves, while today you have shut the door upon yourself. Can you not stop a speaker from speaking vainly, or bring me some benefit by invalidating falsehood? For I have no power to defend myself.
I wish I had died before experiencing this humiliation. If I spoke harshly or became upset because you did not support me, I ask God for forgiveness.
Woe is me! Every morning when the sun rises from the east and every evening when the sun sets, these words echo within me: my protector has departed from this world and my arm has become weak.
What can I do except take my complaint to my father and seek justice and help from the truth? O God, Your power is greater than anyone’s, and Your punishment is beyond endurance. You Yourself take my right.”
Amir al-Mu’minin Ali, peace be upon him, said:
“O daughter of the chosen women of the worlds and remembrance of the best of the prophets, the sorrow is not for you but for your enemy. Do not grieve. I did not remain in seclusion because of weakness; rather, I used everything within my ability. If you seek nourishment, your provision is preserved with God, and He Himself has taken responsibility for it. Be at peace and leave them to God.”
Fatimah al-Zahra, peace be upon her, said:
“God is sufficient for me…”
And then she remained silent.
