In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
The Sermon of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), Known as the Sermon of Fadak
Abdullah ibn al-Hasan (peace be upon him) narrated with his chain of transmission from his forefathers (peace be upon them) that when Abu Bakr resolved to deny Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) her rights over Fadak and the news reached her, she veiled her head with her scarf, draped herself in her cloak, and set out accompanied by a group of her attendants and the women of her people. Her garment trailed behind her, and her walk mirrored the dignified stride of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). She entered the gathering where Abu Bakr was seated, surrounded by a multitude of Muhajirun, Ansar, and others.
A curtain was placed between her and the assembly. She sat down, heaved a sigh so profound that the gathering burst into tears, and the council was shaken. After a moment of silence, allowing the sobbing to subside and the tumult to settle, she began her address with praise and gratitude to Allah, invoking blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). Her eloquence moved the assembly to tears once more.
When they regained composure, she resumed her speech, saying:
“Praise be to Allah for what He has bestowed, and thanks be to Him for what He has inspired. Glory is due to Him for what He has granted, encompassing blessings that He initiated, abundant favors that He perfected, and bounties that He poured forth in succession. Blessings too numerous to count, too vast to recompense, and too immense to comprehend in their entirety. He invited His creation to increase their share of them through gratitude and sought their praise for their continuity. He called them to achieve even more through His abundant generosity.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without partner. A testimony whose interpretation is rooted in sincerity, whose connection is deeply embedded in the hearts, and whose illumination shines in the intellect. He is beyond the vision of eyes, beyond the description of tongues, and beyond the grasp of imaginations in terms of His essence. He originated all things without pre-existing matter and brought them into being without emulating any pre-existing model. He created them by His power and shaped them by His will, without needing their creation nor benefiting from their formation. His purpose was to affirm His wisdom, call attention to obedience to Him, manifest His power, instill servitude in His creation, and honor His invitation then He has made reward the outcome of obedience to Him and punishment the consequence of disobedience to Him, as a means to protect His servants from His wrath and guide them to His Paradise.
And I bear witness that my father, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), is His servant and messenger. Allah chose him and selected him before sending him forth, named him before creating him, and chose him before dispatching him, at a time when creation was still concealed in the unseen, protected by the veil of the unknown, and tied to the ends of nonexistence. This was due to Allah’s knowledge of the outcomes of matters, His encompassing awareness of the events of ages, and His understanding of the decrees of destiny. Allah sent him to complete His command, fulfill His decree, and execute His irrevocable determinations.
He found the nations divided in their religions, devoted to their fires, worshipping their idols, and denying Allah despite their recognition of Him. Through Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), Allah illuminated their darkness, uncovered confusion from their hearts, and lifted blindness from their sight. He stood among the people as a guide, rescued them from misguidance, opened their eyes to truth, and directed them toward the upright religion and the straight path.
Then Allah took him back to Himself with a grasp of mercy, choice, longing, and preference, freeing him from the burdens of this world to the comfort of rest. He was surrounded by the angels of righteousness, granted the pleasure of the Forgiving Lord, and brought near to the All-Powerful Sovereign.
May Allah’s blessings be upon my father, His prophet, His trustee over revelation, His chosen one, and His most beloved from among creation. Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Then she turned to the people present and said:
You are the servants of Allah, the bearers of His command and prohibition, the carriers of His religion and revelation, and the trustees of Allah over yourselves. You are the messengers of His call to the nations. You claim that you hold a right in Allah’s matter, a covenant that He presented to you, and a trust that He left with you: the Book of Allah, the speaking scripture, the truthful Quran, the radiant light, and the shining illumination. Its insights are clear, its secrets revealed, its outward meanings evident. Its adherents rejoice in it, following it leads to Allah’s pleasure, and listening to it ensures salvation. Through it, Allah’s illuminated proofs are achieved, His explicit commands are clarified, His prohibitions are warned against, His manifest signs are displayed, His sufficient evidences are confirmed, His virtues are recommended, His allowances are granted, and His decreed laws are written.
Allah has made faith a purification for you from polytheism, prayer a means to guard you against arrogance, almsgiving a purification of the soul and a cause for the growth of sustenance, fasting a reinforcement of sincerity, pilgrimage (Hajj) a strengthening of religion, justice a harmonizer of hearts, our obedience a system for the nation, our leadership (Imamate) a safeguard against division, struggle in the way of Allah (jihad) a source of honor for Islam, patience a means to merit reward, enjoining good a benefit for the public, kindness to parents a shield from wrath, maintaining family ties a multiplier of numbers, retaliation (Qisas) a safeguard for blood, fulfillment of vows a path to forgiveness, honesty in weights and measures a deterrent from cheating, prohibition of wine consumption a purification from impurity, avoiding slander a protection against curses, abstaining from theft a guarantee of chastity.
Allah has forbidden polytheism to establish sincerity in His lordship {So fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims}[1]. Obey Allah in what He has commanded you and forbidden you from, for {Only those of His servants who have knowledge fear Allah}[2].
Then she said:
O people! Know that I am Fatimah, and my father is Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family. I say this from the beginning to the end, and I do not speak error, nor do I act unjustly:
{There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; he is concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.}[3]
If you attribute him and recognize him, you will find that he is my father, not the father of your women, and the brother of my cousin, not the brother of your men. Indeed, he is the best one to be attributed to, peace and blessings be upon him and his family.
He delivered the message, proclaiming the warning, turning away from the paths of the polytheists, striking at their middle, and seizing them by their necks. He called to the path of his Lord with wisdom and good advice, breaking the idols and smashing the heads of the disbelievers until their gathering dispersed, their backs turned in retreat. The night split to reveal its morning, the truth became manifest in its purity, the leader of the faith spoke, and the tongues of the devils were silenced. The flames of hypocrisy were extinguished, the knots of disbelief and discord were unraveled, and you uttered the word of sincerity among a group of hungry and destitute.
You were on the brink of a pit of fire, a sip for the drinker, a prey for the eager, a spark for the hasty, a stepping ground for others. You drank polluted water and fed on dry leaves, living in humiliation and submission, fearing that people around you might snatch you away {You feared that people might snatch you away from all around you}[4]
Then Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, saved you through Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, after trials and hardships, and after he had to face the wild beasts of men, the wolves of the Arabs, and the rebellious from among the People of the Book, {Whenever they lit a fire for war, Allah extinguished it.}[5].
Whenever the devil raised his head or a pagan opened his mouth, he sent his brother (Ali) into its jaws. He would not return until he had trampled its nose underfoot and extinguished its flames with his sword, tirelessly striving in the path of Allah, diligently pursuing the command of Allah. He was near to the Messenger of Allah, the leader of Allah’s allies, devoted in counsel, relentless in effort, and unyielding in labor.
But you—meanwhile—were living in ease and comfort, indulging in pleasures, secure and carefree, waiting for calamities to befall us, listening for news of our misfortune. You turned away at the moment of battle and fled at the time of confrontation.
When Allah chose for His Prophet the abode of His prophets and the dwelling place of His chosen ones, hypocrisy emerged among you, the robe of faith wore thin, the voice of the misguided was heard, the insignificant rose to prominence, and the calls of the false resounded.
He moved about in your courtyards, Satan then raised his head from his hiding place, calling out to you, and he found you ready to answer his call and eager to respond to his deceit. He roused you, and you rose swiftly; he incited you, and you turned wrathful. You began branding what was not your own and drinking from a source not meant for you. This occurred while the covenant was still recent, the wound still fresh, the Messenger yet unburied, and you claimed to act in fear of discord {Surely, they have fallen into discord, and indeed Hell will encompass the disbelievers.}[6]
Far from you and how you are misled! The Book of Allah is among you; its matters are clear, its rulings shining, its signs resplendent, its deterrents evident, and its commands straightforward. Yet you have cast it behind your backs. Do you desire something other than it, or do you rule by something else? {Evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.}[7],{Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers.}[8].
It was not long before its turmoil subsided and its reins became manageable, yet you began rekindling its flames, fanning its embers, responding to the calls of the misleading Satan, extinguishing the light of clear faith, suppressing the traditions of the chosen Prophet. You swallowed deceit silently and moved against his household and progeny with enmity and harm.
We endure from you the cuts of daggers and the piercings of spears in the heart, and you claim that we have no inheritance {Do you seek the judgment of the time of ignorance? And who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have certainty?}[9]
Do you not know? Yes, it is as clear as the shining sun that I am his daughter.
O Muslims! Will my inheritance be seized? O son of Abu Quhafa! Is it written in the Book of Allah that you inherit your father while I do not inherit mine? {You have certainly brought a strange thing.}[10], Have you deliberately abandoned the Book of Allah and cast it behind your backs while it says: {And Solomon inherited from David.}[11], And regarding the account of John, son of Zechariah: {My Lord, grant me a successor who will inherit from me and from the family of Jacob.}[12], And it says: {The relatives by blood are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah.}[13], And it says: {Allah enjoins you concerning your children: for the male, a share equal to that of two females.}[14], And it says: {It is prescribed for those who leave behind wealth to make a bequest to parents and relatives according to what is reasonable—a duty upon the righteous.}[15].
You claimed that there is no share for me, no inheritance from my father, and no bond of kinship between us!
Did Allah single you out with a verse excluding my father? Or do you claim that the followers of two different religions do not inherit from each other, while my father and I belong to the same religion? Or are you more knowledgeable about the specifics and generalities of the Quran than my father and my cousin?
Here it is before you, tethered and loaded—awaiting you on the Day of Gathering. What a fine judge is Allah, and what a fine leader is Muhammad, and the appointment is the Day of Resurrection. At that time, the wrongdoers will be the losers, and your regret will not benefit you, {For every news, there is a set time, and you will come to know.}[16], {And those who do wrong will come to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned.}[17]“
Then she turned her gaze towards the Ansar and said:
O assembly of youth and supporters of the faith, defenders of Islam! What is this negligence regarding my right? Why this slumber in the face of my oppression? Was it not the Messenger of Allah, my father, who used to say, ‘A man is safeguarded in his offspring’? How swiftly you have altered your stance, and how hastily you have turned away!
You have the ability to help me with what I seek and the strength to support me in my endeavor. Do you claim that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) has passed away? Indeed, it is a monumental calamity—so vast and grievous that its severity widens, its gap expands, its crack deepens. His absence has darkened the earth, eclipsed the stars, shattered hopes, and humbled the mountains. His sanctity has been violated, and his honor disregarded at his death. By Allah, this is the great catastrophe and the immense misfortune, the likes of which have no parallel, nor has any greater calamity occurred so suddenly.
The Book of Allah—praised be His name—had forewarned you of such events. It was recited to you at dawn and dusk, heralding and crying out its message. It has recorded for you the fate of previous prophets and messengers—judgments of separation and decrees of inevitability:
{Muhammad is but a messenger; other messengers have passed on before him. So, if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all, but Allah will reward the grateful.}[18].
O sons of Qayla! Is my inheritance from my father to be seized while you witness and hear it, while you are gathered here and assembled? The call reaches you, yet you do not respond; the cry comes to you, yet you do not assist. Despite being described as defenders, renowned for good deeds and righteousness, selected for honor and virtue, you fought against the Arabs, endured hardship and toil, confronted nations, and battled the mighty. You obeyed our commands, and we led you until the wheel of Islam turned in our favor, the milk of days flowed abundantly, and the voice of disbelief was subdued.
How, then, have you deviated after clarity? Why have you retreated after advancing? And why have you partnered with others after believing?
{Will you not fight a people who have violated their oaths, intended to expel the Messenger, and attacked you first? Do you fear them? But Allah has more right that you should fear Him if you are true believers.} (Quran 9:13)
Behold! I see that you have settled into ease and turned away from supporting those most deserving of it. You have sought comfort, avoided hardship, and indulged in abundance. You have rejected what you had absorbed and abandoned what you had accepted: {If you and everyone on earth disbelieve, indeed Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy}[19].
Know that what I have said comes from my awareness of the betrayal that has gripped you and the treachery harbored in your hearts. Yet, it is the outpouring of a sorrowful soul, the expression of suppressed anger, the cry of despair, the release of a burdened chest, and the presentation of a proof.
Take it, then, and seize it! Load it upon your backs, marked with eternal disgrace and the wrath of Allah. It will accompany you to the fire of Allah, ignited and ready to consume the hearts {Indeed, those who do wrong will come to know to what return they will be returne}[20].
I am the daughter of the one who warned you of severe punishment, {So act as you wish; we are acting. And wait; indeed, we are waiting.}[21]“
Abu Bakr (Abdullah ibn Uthman) responded to her, saying:
“O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, indeed your father was compassionate, kind, merciful, and gracious to the believers, but severe and punishing towards the disbelievers. If we reflect upon him, we find that he was your father alone among all women and the brother of your husband alone among all companions. He favored him above every close relation and assisted him in every grave matter. None loves you except the fortunate, and none detests you except the wretched.
You are the pure progeny of the Messenger of Allah, the chosen and elect ones. You are our guides to good and our paths to Paradise. You, O most virtuous of women and daughter of the best of Prophets, are truthful in your words and unrivaled in your abundant wisdom. You are neither denied your rights nor doubted in your sincerity. By Allah, I did not deviate from the decision of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), who said:
‘We, the community of Prophets, do not leave behind gold, silver, houses, or properties as inheritance. We only bequeath books, wisdom, knowledge, and prophethood. Whatever remains of our possessions is for the leader of affairs after us to judge in accordance with his discretion.’
We have allocated what you claimed to the provisions of war, including horses and weaponry, with which the Muslims defend themselves, strive against the disbelievers, and confront the rebellious and wicked. This was done with the consensus of the Muslims. It was not a decision I made on my own, nor did I act unilaterally in what I considered appropriate.
As for my current state, my wealth and all I possess are before you and at your disposal. I will neither withhold it from you nor reserve anything from you. You are the foremost lady of your father’s nation, the noble tree whose fruits are your sons. Your virtue cannot be denied, and your status, both in root and branch, cannot be diminished.
Your decree is binding regarding whatever is within my possession. Do you then believe I would contravene your father in this matter, peace and blessings be upon him and his family?”
Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) responded:
“Glory be to Allah! The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) never deviated from the Book of Allah, nor opposed its rulings. Instead, he followed its course and adhered to its chapters. Do you now, after his death, conspire against him with deceit, as you once plotted against him with treachery during his life? This act mirrors the schemes devised against him during his lifetime.
Behold, this is the Book of Allah—a just arbitrator and a decisive speaker—which states: ‘He inherits me and inherits from the family of Jacob,’ and: ‘And Solomon inherited David.’ Allah, the Exalted, made clear His decrees in these matters, legislated the shares of inheritance, and detailed the rights of both males and females. This was done to remove the excuses of the false claimants and dispel doubts for those who follow later.
But no, ‘Your souls have enticed you to something evil. Patience is most fitting, and Allah is the One sought for help against what you describe.’”
Abu Bakr replied:
“Allah and His Messenger speak the truth, and His daughter speaks the truth. You are the source of wisdom, the abode of guidance and mercy, the pillar of religion, and the beacon of proof. I do not dismiss your truth nor refute your words. These Muslims are witnesses between me and you. They entrusted me with what I now carry, and by their consensus, I took what I took—not out of arrogance, selfishness, or usurpation, and they are my witnesses.”
Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) turned to the assembly and declared:
“O people! How quickly you rush to falsehood and turn a blind eye to disgraceful and ruinous acts! ‘Do they not reflect on the Quran, or are there locks upon their hearts?’ No, rather it is your evil deeds that have sealed your hearts, taking away your hearing and sight.
Wretched indeed is your interpretation, miserable your consultation, and deplorable the outcome of your choices. By Allah, you will find its burden heavy and its aftermath grievous when the veil is lifted, and the torment behind it is revealed. ‘And there will appear to them from their Lord that which they were not expecting. ‘And there, the falsifiers will lose.’”
Then, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) turned towards the grave of her father the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and recited these verses:
There have been events and tumult after you,
Had you been witness, the calamity would not have grown so vast.
We have lost you as the earth loses its rain,
And your people have faltered—observe their deviation.
Each has his kin and closeness to their Lord,
Nearer to the Most Merciful in their nearness.
Men have shown us the secrets of their hearts,
When you departed and the dust veiled you from us.
They frowned upon us, belittled us in your absence,
And the whole land has been seized and taken.
You were a radiant full moon, a guiding light,
Upon you descended the books from the Almighty.
Gabriel comforted us with the verses revealed,
But now, all goodness is concealed and withdrawn.
If only death had taken us before you,
Before your passing and the veiling earth.
We have been struck by a calamity unseen by any,
Neither by the Persians nor the Arabs of any lineage.
This sermon has been narrated by several scholars from the general public in varying degrees of detail and through multiple chains of transmission:
- Abdul Hamid Ibn Abi Al-Hadid (d. 656 AH) in his book Sharh Nahj Al-Balagha (Vol. 16, pp. 211–213, 249, and 252).
- Abu Bakr Al-Jawhari (d. 323 AH) in his book Al-Saqifah wa Fadak through multiple chains of narration.
- Ibn Tifur (d. 280 AH) in his book Balaghat Al-Nisa through various narrations.
- Ibn Al-Athir (d. 606 AH) in his work Manal Al-Talib fi Sharh Tawa’il Al-Raghib (pp. 501–507).
- Al-Khwarizmi (d. 568 AH) citing Al-Hafidh Ibn Mardawayh in Maqtal Al-Hussain (Vol. 1, p. 77).
- Professor Omar Rida Kahhala in his book A’lam Al-Nisa (Vol. 3, p. 1208) referencing Balaghat Al-Nisa.
These sources demonstrate the widespread acknowledgment and transmission of this sermon across various historical and scholarly traditions.
[1] Quran 3:102
[2] Quran 35:28
[3] Quran 9:128
[4] Quran 8:26
[5] Quran 5:64
[6] Quran 9:49
[7] Quran 18:50
[8] Quran 3:85
[9] Quran 5:50
[10] Quran 19:27
[11] Quran 27:16
[12] Quran 19:5-6
[13] Quran 8:75
[14] Quran 4:11
[15] Quran 2:180
[16] Quran 6:67
[17] Quran 26:227
[18] Quran 3:144
[19] Quran 14:8
[20] Quran 26:227
[21] Quran 11:121-122