Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), who had the honour of being the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, married his daughter Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) to the rightly-guided caliph Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). This event is of great importance historically, and there is tawatur (mass transmission) and consensus regarding it. There is agreement about this marriage in both the Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shia schools of thought, and Shia hadith scholars and jurists have also mentioned this marriage in their books.
Narrations about the marriage:
The well-known Shia historian Ahmad bin Ya’qub mentioned in his book, in the events of 17 AH, that:
“In the same year Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) sent a proposal of marriage for Umm Kulthum bint Ali, the daughter of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and it is clear that Umm Kulthum was the daughter of Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). Sayyiduna Ali said that she was still young, upon which Sayyiduna Umar said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say that on the Day of Resurrection all lineages and connections will be cut off, except my lineage and my relationship through marriage.'”
In Shia books there are several narrations giving details of this marriage, among them the narration of Muhammad bin Ja’far al-Kulayni and a statement of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (may Allah have mercy on him):
“When Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) died, Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took his daughter by the hand and took her to his house.”
Further historical references:
The Shia scholar al-Tusi narrated from Imam al-Baqir (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) and her son Zayd bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) died at the same time. It is also clarified in it that:
“The funeral prayer of both was offered together, and neither of them could become the heir of the other.”
Confirmation of the marriage by Shia scholars
The marriage of Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has also been acknowledged by various Shia scholars in their books. Some important names among them are as follows:
➊ Sayyid Murtada Alam al-Huda mentioned this marriage in his book Al-Shafi (166).
➋ Ibn Shahr Ashub, a well-known Shia historian, also mentioned this marriage in his book Manaqib Al Abi Talib (162/3).
➌ Al-Irbili narrated this report in his book Kashf al-Ghummah (10).
➍ Ibn Abi al-Hadid stated this marriage clearly in his well-known book Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah (124/3).
In light of these narrations, Shia jurists also presented the permissibility of the marriage of a Hashimi woman to a non-Hashimi man as evidence. The Shia jurist al-Hilli wrote that:
“The marriage of a free woman with a slave man, of an Arab woman with a non-Arab man, and of a Hashimi woman with a non-Hashimi man is permissible.”
Sharia and juristic reasoning:
Shia scholars deduced from this marriage that the marriage of an Arab woman with a non-Arab man, and of a Hashimi woman with a non-Hashimi man, is permissible. In this regard Shahid al-Thani, a well-known Shia jurist, also clarified this issue, saying that the Prophet ﷺ married his daughters to non-Hashimi men. Mentioning Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Abu al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:
“The Noble Prophet ﷺ married one of his daughters to Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and another to Sayyiduna Abu al-As bin al-Rabi’ (may Allah be pleased with him), although neither of them was from Banu Hashim. Likewise Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) married his daughter Umm Kulthum to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).”
Narrations of Shia historians and details of the marriage
The well-known Mu’tazili Shia scholar Ibn Abi al-Hadid also narrated an incident concerning the marriage of Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) in his book Sharh Nahj al-Balaghah. He wrote that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) sent an envoy to the Roman king. Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) had sent perfume as a gift to the wife of the Roman king. When the envoy returned, he brought bottles filled with jewels. Upon this, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) declared those jewels to be the property of the Muslims and distributed them.
“Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) sent the envoy to the Roman king. Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) bought some perfume for a few dinars, sealed it in two bottles and sent it as a gift to the wife of the Roman king. When the envoy returned he brought bottles filled with jewels. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) distributed the jewels among the Muslims, and Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) was given some jewels in exchange for her dinars.”
Objections raised by Shia historians and their answer
Some Shia scholars raised objections about this marriage and claimed that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was not pleased with this marriage and accepted the match out of fear. Muqaddas al-Ardabili, a Shia scholar, said that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) made this marriage out of fear of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him):
“Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) did not want to marry his daughter to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), but out of fear he entrusted his uncle Sayyiduna Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) with the responsibility of carrying out this marriage.”
The Reality and Clarification
These statements are not only historically baseless, but they also present the personalities of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Ahl al-Bayt in an improper manner. The claim that Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) married off his daughter out of fear is devoid of any strong historical basis. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) held an exalted station and was a brave and strong personality. Believing such fabricated narrations is extremely misleading.
The Marriage of Sayyida Umm Kulthum and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) in the Books of Ahl al-Sunnah
There are also authentic evidences regarding this marriage in the books of Ahl al-Sunnah. It is narrated from the well-known Companion Sayyiduna Tha’laba ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) distributed cloaks among the women of Madinah, and one cloak was left over. Someone suggested that this cloak be given to the granddaughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, that is, Sayyida Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), the respected wife of Sayyiduna Umar, whereupon Sayyiduna Umar said that another Ansari woman, Umm Salit, was more deserving of this cloak. This narration makes it clear that Sayyida Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with her) was indeed the wife of Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).
“Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him) distributed cloaks among the women of Madinah, and one fine cloak was left over. The people present said: O Commander of the Believers! Give this cloak to the granddaughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Sayyida Umm Kulthum. Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Umm Salit is more deserving, because she used to give us water to drink on the day of the Battle of Uhud.”
The Death of Sayyida Umm Kulthum and Her Son
It is also mentioned in the authentic narrations of Ahl al-Sunnah that Sayyida Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) and her son Zayd ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) died together and their funeral prayer was offered together. In this regard, the following details are found in the narration of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both):
“Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) offered the funeral prayer for nine deceased persons together, among whom were Sayyida Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with her) and her son Zayd ibn Umar. Their funeral prayer was led by Sayyiduna Sa’id ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), while among the noble Companions, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra, Sayyiduna Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Sayyiduna Abu Qatada (may Allah be pleased with them) were present.”
These narrations are present in the books of Ahl al-Sunnah with a very strong chain of narration, and they make clear the truth and importance of this marriage.
Further Evidences and Hadiths
In the books of Ahl al-Sunnah, further details are also found about the funeral prayer offered by Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) for Sayyida Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with her) and her son Zayd ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both). It is narrated from Imam al-Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) offered the funeral prayer for his brother Zayd ibn Umar and his mother Umm Kulthum bint Ali in such an arrangement that he placed the child close to the imam and the woman behind him.
“Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) led the funeral prayer for his brother Zayd ibn Umar and his mother Sayyida Umm Kulthum bint Ali (may Allah be pleased with her); he placed the child close to the imam and the woman behind him.”
These hadiths further strengthen the point that the marriage between Sayyida Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) really took place, and that it is a historical reality.
The Mutual Relationship between the Ahl al-Bayt and the Noble Companions
The marriage of Sayyida Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) to Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is an important event that shows the relationship of love and respect between the noble Companions and the Ahl al-Bayt. This marriage is evidence that close family ties and relations existed between the Ahl al-Bayt and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the aim of which was to strengthen mutual unity and the Islamic social order.
Refutation of False Objections
Objections have been raised against this marriage in some narrations, as some narrations were mentioned in Shi’a books to the effect that this marriage took place without the consent of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). However, Ahl al-Sunnah and authentic historical narrations clearly refute this. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was a very brave and strong personality, and to say about him that he carried out this marriage under some pressure or fear is a totally baseless and false statement.
Summary
➊ Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) married his daughter Sayyida Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) to Sayyiduna Umar al-Faruq (may Allah be pleased with him).
➋ Narrations about this marriage exist in both the Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shi’a schools of thought.
➌ This marriage is a manifestation of love and mutual respect between the noble Companions and the Ahl al-Bayt.
➍ Some fabricated narrations that try to make this marriage controversial are baseless and misleading.
➎ The historical and religious significance and standing of this marriage remains firm, and it points to the deep relations between the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the Ahl al-Bayt.
References:
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