Umm Kulthum bint Ali: Difference between revisions

'''Umm Kulthūm bint 'Alī''' ({{lang-ar|أُمّ كُلْثُوم بِنْت عَلِيّ|link=}}), also known as '''Zaynab al-Ṣughrā''' ({{lang-ar|زَيْنَب ٱلصُّغْرَىٰ|lit=the junior Zaynab|link=no}}), was the youngest daughter of [[Fatima]] and [[Ali|Ali ibn Abi Talib]]. The former was the daughter of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and the latter was his cousin. Ali is also recognized as the fourth [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun caliph]] ({{Reign|656|661}}) and the first [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Shia imam]]. A young Umm Kulthum lost her grandfather and mother in 632 [[Common Era|CE]]. While she was still a child, the second Rashidun caliph [[Umar|Umar ibn al-Khattab]] ({{Reign|634|644}}) asked for her hand in marriage, which was resisted by Umm Kulthum and her father Ali, possibly due to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. By one [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] account, Ali finally agreed to the marriage when Umar enlisted the support of prominent [[Muslims]] for his proposal.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}

=== MarriageAlleged marriage to Umar ===

The second [[Rashidun Caliphate|Rashidun caliph]] [[Umar|Umar ibn al-Khattab]] is said to have asked Umm Kulthum for her hand in marriage during his reign ({{Reign|634|644}}), according to the [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] historian [[Ibn Sa'd]] ({{Died in|845}}) in his biographical {{Transliteration|ar|Tabaqat}}. Still a child at the time, Umm Kulthum resisted this proposal, the report by Ibn Sa'd continues. This refusal is attributed by the Islamicist [[Wilferd Madelung|W. Madelung]] ({{Died in|2023}}) to Umar's reputation for harsh treatment of women. Ali too was reluctant but eventually gave in, according to Ibn Sa'd, when Umar enlisted the support of prominent [[Muslims]] for his proposal.{{Sfn|Madelung|1997|p=67}} This proposal was likely an overture by Umar, who may have considered Ali's cooperation necessary in his collaborative scheme of government.{{sfn|Madelung|1997|pp=62, 65}} While Ali reputedly advised Umar and his predecessor [[Abu Bakr]] ({{Reign|632|634}}) in certain matters,{{sfn|Nasr|Afsaruddin|2023}}{{sfn|Poonawala|1982}} their conflicts with Ali is also well-documented,{{sfn|Aslan|2005|p=122}}{{sfn|Madelung|1997|pp=42, 52–54, 213–4}}{{sfn|Abbas|2021|p=94}} but largely downplayed or ignored in Sunni sources,{{sfn|Jafri|1979|p=45}}{{sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2019|p=78}} where there is often a tendency to neutralize the conflicts among the [[Companions of the Prophet|companions]] after Muhammad.{{Sfn|Shah-Kazemi|2019|p=78}}{{Sfn|Lucas|2004|p=255{{ndash}}284}}{{Sfn|Soufi|1997|p=120}} In contrast, these conflicts might have been magnified in [[Shia Islam|Shia]] sources.{{Sfn|Jafri|1979|p=45}} Some Shia scholars stated that the marriage indeed took place, and that rejecting the fact that it took place is not a possibility claiming that rejecting the event is ignorance<ref>{{Cite book |last=Almurtadha |first=Sharif |title=Rasael Shareef Almurtada 3 |pages=149 |quote=As for the one who denies, due to the negligence of our disciples, the occurrence of this contract, and the transmission of this narration, and that she gave birth to children of a known and well-known age. It is not permissible for anyone except an ignorant or stubborn person to push it, and what need do we have to push away necessities and observations in a matter that has a way out of religion}}</ref> & stubbornness.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shoshtri |first=Muhammad Taqi |title=Qamoos Arrijal 12 |pages=216 |quote=The author said: In the reports: that Omar married her by force, and Al-Murtada had a message in which he insisted on that and others insisted on denying it. I said: No researcher has denied it, without a doubt, so our reports of it are frequent in her marriage and her waiting period, in addition to the reports of the common people and the traffic agreement”}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Tehrani |first=Muhammad Al-Hussein |title=Marifat Alimam 15 |pages=258 |quote=The marriage of Omar bin Al-Khattab to Umm Kulthum, daughter of Al-Siddiqa Al-Kubra, may God’s peace be upon her, is one of the recognized historical events, so why do some Shiites want to deny that in some books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Al-Wafi |title=Faydh Kashani flood 21 |pages=109 |quote=But the truth is that the narration of Zubayr bin Bakkar, despite the proximity of his reign and the fact that his book was in the sight of those who knew about this incident and their witness, is linked to the frequency, because the marriage of Ali’s daughter, peace be upon him, to the caliph of his time was not something that would be hidden or forgotten after a hundred years, and it was reported by those who claim Knowledge and trustworthiness, such as Zubayr ibn Bakkar, who was the judge of Mecca and was known for his genealogy in his time and after, must be truthful, even though this incident was also transmitted from other men, according to the degree of understanding and authenticity, such as Abu Bishr al-Dulabi, Ibn Saad, and Ibn Wahb, which usually prevents their collusion in lying. And what was mentioned in our hadiths also supports it”}}</ref> An example, is [[Al-Majlisi]] and [[Ali al-Sistani|Sistani]], who are held very highly by Shia scholarship.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Al-Majlisi |title=Miraat Aluqool fi sharh Akhbar Arrasool 20 |pages=45 |quote=Also, Al-Mufid’s denial (may God bless him and grant him peace) of the origin of the incident is only to show that this was not proven by their methods. Otherwise, after the receipt of that news, and what will be presented with the chains of transmission, that Ali, peace be upon him, when Omar died, he came to Umm Kulthum and took her to his house, and other things. I verified it [the marriage] in the book (Bihar Al-Anwar). Denying that is strange}}</ref> <ref>{{Cite web |date=2007 |title=question 85 |url=http://www.alseraj.net/ar/fikh/2/?ohJCgBXYrO1075094893&61&90&3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202205718/http://www.alseraj.net/ar/fikh/2/?ohJCgBXYrO1075094893&61&90&3|archive-date=2007-02-02 }}</ref>Some shiite scholars said there is evidence that Ali, her father, consented to the marriage and didn’t oppose it.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tehrani |first=Muhammad al-Hussein |title=Maarifat Alimam Tehrani 15 |pages=263 |quote=The marriage was with Ali’s consent, and Al-Abbas was correct in his mediation, and Omar was praised for his desire, and scholars know that Uthman’s marriage to the daughter of the Chosen One, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, was a source of pride for Uthman and not for the Chosen One, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family... Yes, it is clear from what we mentioned. Omar’s marriage to Umm Kulthum is a proven historical matter that is recognized and cannot be denied}}</ref> This was also verified through [[genealogists]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Al-Amri |first=Ali bin Abi Al-Ghanim |title=Almajdi fi ansab al talibeen |page=199 |quote=What is relied upon from these narrations is what we saw above, that Al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib married his to Omar with the consent and permission of her father and Omar [wife] gave [birth to] her children Zaid…}}</ref>