- From the book: Ilal Sharai by Shaykh Sadooq, Vol.1, Chapter on why Sayyida Fatimah (a) was buried at night, Hadith 2, page 185-189:
“A man comes to Imam Ja’far (as) asking why Sayyida Fatima (as) was buried at night, and Imam Ja’far (as) himself opts to tell him the entire story. This shows how absurd it is to say that this a part of history we’d not like to talk about, since it gets no where near harming the status of any of the Infallibles (as).
Imam Ja’far tells the man that once a liar came to Sayyida Fatimah (a) and gossiped and lied to her about Imam Ali (a) marrying Abu Jahl’s daughter. Sayyida Fatimah (a) would not believe him and repeatedly asked him if he was saying the truth, and he kept saying he did. So then she took Imam Hasan عليه السلام, Imam Hussain (a) and her daughter Kulthoom (a) with her and went to the Prophet (pbuh) where he was praying.
She was worried and troubled. So the Prophet (pbuh) took Fatima (a) with him to where Ali (a) was and asked Ali (a) to call Talha, Abu Bakr and Umar and reminded them all that whoever hurts his daughter, hurts him and whoever hurts him, hurts Allah.
The Prophet (pbuh) then asked him why Ali (a) had did what he did, and Imam Ali (a) replied that the news which has reached Fatima (a) is wrong and he can not even contemplate of such a thing.
The Prophet (pbuh) said Ali (a) has spoken the truth (which shows he already knew, and it wasn’t really Imam Ali (a) standing in some kind of a court, being questioned, as some people like to portray it as!!), and Fatima (a) smiled so broadly that her teeth were shown! Umar and Abu Bakr secretly said to each other after this event that they were puzzled at why they were called there.
Imam Ja’far then goes on to tell the man about the after-events of the Prophet’s (pbuh) death; of Fatima (a) refusing to talk to them. He tells the man that at one point she reminded both Abu Bakr and Umar of this incident where the Prophet (pbuh) explicitly said whoever hurts her, hurts him and whoever hurts him, hurts Allah so that people can bear witness that they were present when this was said to them.”
Nowhere in the hadith is it said that Fatima (a) believed in what the man said. She was saddened and worried by what she had been informed of – yes. But it wasn’t because she believed the Imam had proposed to Abu Jahl’s daughter. It was because her husband, the future Caliph and Imam of the Muslims had really ugly rumors flying around about him! Isn’t it completely normal for a woman to get worried when someone spreads lies about her husband?
Also, Abu Bakr and Umar were completely right to be puzzled about being called in the middle of the night for something that was between Ali and Fatima. But it wasn’t something that was between Ali and Fatima! The Prophet (pbuh) wanted to make use of the opportunity (of a sad and worried Fatima (a) ) to send a message to them both of the consequences of hurting her. It’s funny how people use this story in a way completely opposite to what it is meant for.