FADAK in HISTORY By Shaheed Muhammad Baqir As-Sadr Translated By Abdullah Al-Shahin Introduction 7 The method of the book 8 A Summary about the chapters of the book 9 A word on the case 12 My role in this revision 14 The author's foreword 16 CHAPTER ONE On The Scene Of The Revolution Preface 17 The environment of the event 20 The tools of the revolution 22 The route of the revolution 27 The women 28 A Phenomenon 28 CHAPTER TWO Fadak In Its Real And Symbolical Meaning The Location 31 Fadak in its first stages 32 During the rules of Imam Ali 32 During the reign of the Umayyads 33 During the Abbasid reign 35 The Symbolic and Material value of Fadak 37 CHAPTER THREE The History Of The Revolution The method of studying history 39 Appraising the history of the first Islamic age 41 With al-Aqoad in his study 48 The incentives of the revolution 53 The incentives of the first Caliph's situation 56 The political dimensions of the case of Fadak 57 The Case of Fadak in the objective circumstances 65 The death of the leader; The Prophet 65 The case of Saqeefa and Imam Ali's situation 68 Analysis of the situation in the case of Saqeefa 79 Why did me not protest with the Prophet's traditions? 101 Peaceful Confrontation 107 CHAPTER FOUR Light From The Fatimite Speech The Greatness of the leading Prophet 115 Greatness of Imam Ali and his Excellences 117 A Comparison between Imam Ali's situations and the others 119 The ruling party 124 The great sedition 127 CHAPTER FIVE The Court Of The Book Abubakr's situation on the Prophet's inhertance 137 The variations of Abu Bakr's Tradition 141 The result of the argument 161 The matter of donation 176 INTRODUCTION In the Name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the universe and blessing and peace be on the master of the prophets and messengers, Prophet Muhammad, and on his pure progeny and his excellent companions. About the author and the book: Fadak in History was the firstling scholarly work by the martyred Imam Muhammad Baqir as- Sadr. It was really, according to the historical period, in which it was written, a unique study because it relied on modern scientific methods in investigating the details and the documents related to the case.1 It engaged the reader in a debate that was profound, logical and exact. If you examine the studies published at that time half a century ago or in the later period, concerning such sensitive SUPjects, you will realized what a scientific antecedence and a historical achievement the martyred Imam had achieved in this study. It was no wonder, for the martyred Sayyid as-Sadr's genius gushed out when he was too young. His talents developed rapidly to equip the Islamic library with his original studies in different fields of knowledge and the Sharia. He was a devoted jurisprudent, a pious mujtahid and a nonesuch brilliant. He enriched the Islamic thought and supplied it with the elements of vitality. In fact, it may not be an exaggeration to say ____________ 1- It is the case of Fadak, which will be explained in details later on. ( 8 ) that Imam as-Sadr was a living thesis of the revived Islam. He assumed intellectual and jihad responsibilities that no one did like him except very few others along the history of Islam. He was in continuous jihad and persevering effort in order to free the thought of the universal arrogants and their agents until his holy life was crowned with martyrdom in the way of Allah and Islam. THE METHOD OF THE BOOK The martyred Sayyid used a scientific method in this book Fadak in History. He thought that he had to use this method in such historical studies that had political concepts. This method depended on objectivity, which he referred to by saying (to be impartial), examination and scrutiny (deliberateness in judgement) and then to be free in thinking. Imam as-Sadr considered these things as basic conditions to build a compact historic construction must contain a wide scrutiny of every SUPject of that past time historically and socially according to the general and private life in the religious,moral, social and political life."1 If this would be the aim of such historical studies, which would be its general frame, so Imam as-Sadr drew the attention to the necessity of "that this scrutiny must be acquired from the real life of ____________ 1- See chap.3. ( 9 ) people and not from a world invented by affection and fanaticism or by blind worshipping and imitation". Then he put a condition for that scrutiny not to depend on a deviate imagination to raise the bad to the top and to issue incorrect results according to that. That the martyred Sayyid confirmed the necessity of keeping to the essence of the scientific research and leaving away our emotion and bad inheritance. He drew the historical studies, which would make a historian as a novelist deriving from his own mind not from the historic events. The aspects of this method showed the Sayyid's early deep conscience of the fundamentals and basic conditions of the scientific research arming himself with the scientific logic, being enthusiastic about the truth and clinging to what he could derive from the real events. In all of that he depended on what the historical documents had recorded. Then he concluded according to the accurate fundamentals and principles. A SUMMARY ABOUT THE CHAPTERS OF THE BOOK Imam as-Sadr discussed the case of Fadak according to the Fatimite1perspective, which referred to its ramified dimensions in relation to the aspects of the Islamic life and the later ages. So he considered it (the case of Fadak) as comprehensive revolution. He discussed the background of the case according to the great memories of her father, prophet Muhammad (s), circuiting in her ____________ 1- Concerning Fatimah, the prophet's daughter(s). ( 10 ) mind. Then she came to a bitter phenomenon surging with unlimited ordeal and sedition. All that motivated her to squawk and to announce her start to confront. Then Sayyid as-Sadr moved to the second chapter (Fadak in its real meaning and symbolic meaning). He defined Fadak and moved with it through the successive historical periods since it was extorted from Fatimah (s) until what became of it at the last days of Abbasid reign. Then he moved to the third chapter (the history of the revolution), in which he talked about the revolution, defining the conditions of the research and the method of writing the biography of the individuals and the umma. He commended the first Islamic age and its great achievements. Then he discussed al-Aqqad's1 book Fatima and the Fatimites. He criticized al-Aqqad for his futile treatment of the case of Fadak and his attempt to limit it in a narrow corner according to the logic of unthoughtful worship and blind imitation of the bad inherited traditions without using his mind. After that the Sayyid tried to explain the dimensions of Fadak that it was not a dispute about a certain matter or an extorted property but it was much greater that. He said; "We feel, if we study the real history of the case of Fadak and its disputes, that it had aspects of a revolution, whose motives were available. We notice that those disputes in their reality and motives were as revolution against the ruling policy ..." Then he gave a logical justification by saying: "If you study whatever you like of the historical documents about this case, will you find that there was a dispute about a property? Or will you find a disagreement ____________ 1- An Egyptian Writer. ( 11 ) about Fadak in its limited meaning of possession or yields of a piece of land? certainly not! It was the revolution against the reign and the out cry, by which Fatima (s) wanted to pluck up the cornerstone, on which history was built after the day of saqeefa1 ..." Here Sayyid as-Sadr began to observe the events happened before the day of Saqeefa. He expressed Imam Ali's situations, which he had done loyally for the sake of Islam. In another chapter Imam as-Sadr discusses Fatima's address before the public. He analyses and condemns the purposes of the opponents and through that he shows Imam Ali's characteristics and situations, which made him the only one, who deserved the first ruling position and the intellectual and political authority over the Islamic umma. Then he concludes the book with a chapter titled with the court of the book, in which he discusses the case of Fadak showing its details and ambiguites. He provokes the deep paradoxes, on which those, who prevented Fatima her certified right, depended. He depends in all of that on the holy Quran and the Sunna and according to the logic of truth and fairness. Thus was a summary about the chapters of the book, in which the reader will find a well-versed analysis and sedate arguments in an eloquent method with keeping to the conditions and requirements of the impartial research. ____________ 1- It was the day when the prophet (s) died and the companions gathered in the saqeefa (shed) of Bani Sa'ida to choose the caliph, in fact to seize the caliphate hurriedly as long as the Hashimites (the prophet's family ) were busy with the procedures of the burial.