Fatimah al-Zahra'

Fatimah bint Muhammad (فاطمة‎ Fāṭimah; born 615 AD, 5 BH – died 28 August 632 [disputed]) was the youngest daughter and, according to Shia Muslims, the only child of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and Khadijah who lived to adulthood, and therefore part of Muhammad's household. Her husband was Ali, the last of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and her children include Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia Imams, respectively. She is the object of love and respect of Muslims, as she was the child closest to her father and supported him in his difficulties, was the supporter and loving caretaker of her own husband and children, and was the only child of Muhammad to have male children live beyond childhood, whose descendants are spread throughout the Islamic world and are known as Sayyids.

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Vinay Khetia, Shaikh Vinay Khetia has studied at various traditional Islamic seminaries in London, Iraq and Syria. He has an undergraduate degree in Religious and Near Eastern Studies from the University of... Answered 5 años ago

S/A

There is no single 'Sunni understanding of history'. Islamic history and its vast sources are too vast and multi-vocal for it to have one understanding on this matter. The Sunnis themselves have multiple views on the subjects even among the theological schools of the 'asharis and mu'tazila (some of the theological schools among Sunnis). However the predominant view is that she died a natural death. However the Sunni leaning historical tradition such as History of al-Tabari and the Ansab al-Ashraf of al-Baladhuri do indicate that something violent or potentially violent occurred at the hosue of Fatima (as) following the death of the Prophet. For instane al-Tabari relates that the end of the his life, the first caliph said: " I wish I did not throw open/or unveil the house of Fatima - lam akshif manzil fatima, however they ( Ali, Fatima and those in the home) had locked it down with hostile intent - ghalaquhu 'ala al-harb. So clearly something violent or potentially violent occurred as per this narration found in al-Tabaris's history under the section dealing with the final words of the 1st caliph at his death.  That being said, the Sunni historical tradition for the most part do not describe her as being injured or killed as a result of that incident. However there were others such as al-Nizam, the famous Mu'atazlite theologian (who would also be considered to belong broadly to the Sunni school or at least non-Shia in a formal sense) who describes her as being injured and dying from this and he was in-fact blamed for this and condemned by later scholars for holding such a view. Thus it was a view that existed in the Muslim community.

wa salaam

Sh.Vinay Khetia

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Abolfazl Sabouri, Abolfazl Sabouri is based in New Zealand and has an MA in Jurisprudence and Islamic Studies. He is a graduate of Elmiyeh seminary in Qom with more than 15 years of study and research where he has... Answered 5 años ago

Most of Shia ulama believe in this. 

The evidences are ahadith and history. 

Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 5 años ago

Assalaamu alaykum,

Some Shi'a have held that she was not the only biological daughter of the Prophet (S) and some Shi'a hold that she was. Allah knows best!

Might I suggest, for further discussion, you explore the book _The Blessed Tree_ by Shaykh M. S. Bahmanpour discussing her life.

Best wishes!

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Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 5 años ago

I would like to recommend the readable and well-referenced biogrpahy _The Blessed Tree_ by Shaykh M. S. Bahmanpour which goes through much of what is recorded historically about her. It would not do justice to the subject for me to decide what is most significant and type it here!

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Based on the information that I have come across, the wives of the Prophet (s) did not receive an inheritance from his estate, but rather were given a 'provision' or stipend. This was either left for them in the lifetime of the Prophet (s) or was given by Abu Bakr as the first defacto caliph.

So were the wives not entitled to any inheritance? There is an interesting narration in the Mu'jam al-Buldan of Yaqut al-Hamawi that after the demise of the Prophet (s) the wives considered sending 'Uthman (presumably bin 'Affan) to Abu Bakr as their representative to demand their eighth share. But 'Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr and one of the wives of the Prophet (s), opposed it and all the wives withdrew from such a demand. 

This is important because had the wives been entertained in their claim for inheritance, then Lady Fatima's (a) claim to Fadak could not have been refuted on the grounds that the Prophets do not leave heirs as was claimed by the first caliph Abu Bakr.

Fadak, in any case, was a lifetime gift that the Prophet (s) had made to Fatima (a).  That estate was not handed over to her by Abu Bakr despite her claims to it. This is widely documented in the hadith and historical sources.

For more details on the estate of Fadak and the politics that was at play behind it being withheld from Fatima (a) please refer to:

https://www.al-islam.org/fadak-allamah-sayyid-saeed-akhtar-rizvi/fadak

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Azhar Nasser, Sheikh Azhar Nasser was born and raised in Michigan and obtained a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Michigan. He pursued his religious studies at the Hawza of Najaf under the... Answer imported 5 años ago

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Faiyaz Jaffer, Shaykh Faiyaz Jaffer is the Associate Chaplain and Research Scholar at the Islamic Center at New York University. He attained an MA degree in Islamic Studies (UK), with a concentration on early... Answer imported 5 años ago

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Hussein Khimjee, Dr. Husein Khimjee obtained his Doctorate from University of Toronto Centre for Religious Studies majoring in Islam. He currently teaches Islam and World Religions at Wilfrid Laurier University. He... Answer imported 5 años ago

The name of Ahl al Bayt are not limited to Imam `Ali, Bibi Faatima, Imam al Hasan and Imam al Husayn `Alayhimu Ssalaam because Rasul Allah (Salla~llahu `Alayhi Wa Aalihi wa Sallam) is reported to have prophesied the names of the Imams from his Ahl al-Bayt that would follow. In a Hadith reported, he publicly announced them by name; and then each one of them is reported to have announced his successor.

The Twelve names that Rasul Allah Salla~llahu `alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam announced are:

(1) Imam `Ali ibn abi Talib (2) Imam al-Hasan ibn `Ali (3) Imam al-Husayn ibn `Ali (4) Imam `Ali ibn al-Husayn (Zayn al Aabidin) (5) Imam Muhammad ibn `Ali (al-Baqir) (6) Imam Ja`fer ibn Muhammad (al-Saadiq) (7) Imam Musa ibn Ja`fer (al-Kaazim) (8) Imam `Ali ibn Musa (al-Rida) (9) Imam Muhammad ibn `Ali (al-Jawaad) (10) Imam `Ali ibn Muhammad (al-Haadi) (11) Imam Hasan ibn `Ali (Hasan al-Askari) (12) Imam Muhammad ibn Hasan (al-Mahdi)

May Allah's Peace be upon all of them as we await the return of our Twelfth Imam, also as per prophesy from Rasul Allah Salla~llahu `Alyhi wa Aalihi wa sallam.

By virtue of the above Hadith, they too are part of the Ahl al Bayt.

Since they are the Imams appointed, they too are beyond making any sins,and therefore, Ma`sum.

As to your question of why are they sinless or what does the sinlessness mean, I think it is very important to know that their sinlessness does not mean that they are not human beings like ourselves. We are not allowed to exaggerate anything about Imams and it is our fundamental belief that they are human beings like ourselves and are bound by all the Laws and Hukm of Allah Subhanahu wa ta`ala.

They do not commit sins because they are honoured servants of Allah; and Allah Subhanahu wa ta`ala has honoured them and has given them great dignity and authority. Allah has protected them from all kinds of uncleanliness and has throroughly purified them (see Qur'an 33:33).

They have the highest perfection and are endowed with `ilm al-ladunni and chastity. They are endowed with all virtues, bravery, chastity and quality. Further, they are the carriers and transmitters of the correct Sunnah of Rasul~Allah. They are therefore our Imams. They are the guides and they have the authority after Rasul Allah(Salla~llahu `Alayhi wa Aalihi wa Sallam) in the matters in which we require help and guidance; in religious commandments, in Judgment, in legislation, in the commentary of the Qur'an and in the interpretation of the Qur'an.

For further reading in this and other issues that relate to us please see a very concise book "The Faith of Shia Islam" by Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar. Truly Allah IS the Knowing.