When Umar ibn al Khattab claims he would burn down the house even with Fatima in it , but intending to get to Ali and the others, that the threat is suddenly acceptable. If you tell someone that you do not want to hurt them, but if she remains with her husband, her family members and their loyal companions in her own house, you will burn down the house anyway, is nothing short of abusive language and verbal violence.
And let us put wool over our ears and interpret it colourfully. Would it make any better to want to burn a house down with Ali ibn abi Talib in it? Is it acceptable to tell the man because of whom you are a in your position today and Islam had prevailed in so many of the major battles, that if he does not get out of his own house, you will burn it down with everyone that is with him inside it ? [Including his own children]?
I don't want to get side-tracked here and would like to really press the brothers on how they can reconcile what is in the 'Saheeh' traditions claiming he gave Bayah right away, with the clear traditions in Bukhari, the one in the Musnad of ibn Shaybah, and that which was agreed on by major scholars such as Imam Nawawi, Ibn Hajar, and even Ibn Taymiyyah and an influential Salafi website - islamqa.
I am sorry if I hurt your feelings.
You will think it's worthy of condemnation because of your hatred for 'Umar, and your love for Ahlul Bhayt is sickeningly weird. Ahlus Sunnah, have not interpreted the Hadith with villainy mind-set.
Fatima knows 'Umar's credentials, Fatima knows the bond he shared with her father (SAW), and Fatima knows all 'Umar is just trying to restore order in the community, hence she encourages 'Ali to get on with it. A community that her Prophet (SAW) worked so hard to unite for 23 struggling years.
The fact 'Umar is saying she is the most beloved to her from the start, she knows 'Umar is not being serious, but he is thinking in the best interest of the Deen, and doesn't approve of Banu-Hashim going into their shells, and as a result causing widespread rumours.
- Was she frightened for a moment. or while? Sure.
- Was Al-Hasan & Al-Hussain scared? Probably, even the narration doesn't mention they were at home.
- Does it prove 'Umar was forced 'Ali to give the oath of allegiance? Bollocks! No, it doesn't due to other supporting, and supplementing narrations. Narrations, that you conveniently ignore.
I am not claiming it proved this narration proves he was forced to give the Bayah. However, all i am trying to say is in the part that is agreed upon by other narrations [the first part] a threat was made to burn down the house. Some say Zubayr ran out and was taken, others say the threat was made and he left, others say another thing entirely.
Objection one: Umar ibn Al Khattab shows that he loves Fatima and is evidenced by his words that none was more beloved to him after he Prophet [saw] than her; this is surely a sign of respect.
Reply: This is a very weak point, and one that really any rational individual who appreciates the significance and nature of words, who is not clouded by bias , would make. Even if – for sake of argument -Umar ibn Al Khattab told Fatima he loved her the most, he still followed this by saying that even this love would not stop him from burning her house down whether she was in it, or not in it. Is this really a sign of reverence and respect? To claim you will burn someones house down whether they are inside it or not, containing your children [Hasan and Hussain], your daughter [Fatima], your dear and beloved husband [Ali ibn Abi Talib] , and other members of your clan and general companions? We will not elaborate further because we truly believe any seek of truth will not genuinely believe the words used were anything but humiliating and disrespectful.
Objection two: If you accept the tradition then you also have to accept the words of Fatima in trying to get Ali ibn Abi Talib to give Bayah and also the notion they then gave their allegiance.
Reply: This is fallacious reasoning. We cite the tradition as not proof of every word it contains in its entirerity, but rather, an authentic report in the eyes of Sunni muslims, which corroborates the most important point in the tradition which has also been mentioned in numerous other chains of transmission in other works – that Umar ibn Al Khattab threatened to burn down the house of Fatima, and that there was fierce opposition to giving the Bayah to Abu Bakr, and that the policy adopted by Umar ibn Al Khattab was to subdue and force others to give their allegiance and fall in line. What is nor corroborated in numerous other traditions is of no interest to us. We want to bring forth what is agreed upon by all of them, and thus adding to its historical significance and reliability.
Objection three: Umar ibn Al Khattab did not go and actually carry out on his oath of Allah [swt] in burning down the house.
Reply: We don’t deny , the aftermath is a hotly disputed topic even among Shias. We take the view that Allah [swt] knows best what happens, although there are strong indicators which we will not discuss here as we are not intent on proving Umar ibn Al Khattab tried to break down the house. What we believe is that there is strong evidence that a humiliating threat was made, and this is enough to condemn what was done in the strongest of terms. Anything done further to this is just insult to injury.
Furthermore, only earlier you put forward the notion Ali gave the allegiance right away willingly. So why do we find Umar ibn al Khattab furious at Ali and the others ? Does their behaviour of gathering in the house, and the anger of Umar not tell you there was something serious going on? For him to be angry enough to threaten to burn down the house if they do not get out, in my view , is no way to settle disagreement with Ali ibn Abi Talib and members of his family. This is the house of Fatima , there is respect to be observed. You can not dispute an individual and even verbally threaten to burn their house down - whether you intend to do it or not. Those are not the manners expected of anyone, let a lone when it is the house of the Ahlulbayt of the Messenger of Allah [saw]. If he were alive, ask yourself, would you be comfortable in making that kind of threat to his family? Are there not better ways to express disagreement? Why did he not just knock and go inside and discuss the matter - after all they loved each other. What was so severe he felt he needed to shout and send threats their way?