Hazrat Ali (a.s.) neither married a second wife during the life time of Fatima Zehra (a.s.) nor he ever thought of another marriage while she was alive. But some inimical narrators have concocted stories to malign him. The story is that Hazrat Ali (a.s.) wanted to marry Abu Jahl’s daughter by name Jaweria or Jamila. When the Prophet (s.a.) heard about this, he was very upset and opposed the idea. Therefore Masoor ibne Makhrama says that Hazrat Ali (a.s.) wished to marry the daughter of Abu Jahl and when Fatima heard about it, she complained to the Prophet (s.a.) and said that the people of his clan have started saying that he hadn’t the slightest care for his daughters and that Ali (a.s.) was bringing another woman home in the person of Abu jahl’s daughter! When the Prophet (s.a.)heard this he was very upset, went to the pulpit and said:
“I donot make the legitimate (Halal)
as illegitimate (Haram) and legitimate
as illegitimate, but By Allah!
The Prophet (s.a.)’s daughter and the daughter of
Allah’s enemy cannot be
united in matrimony with
one person!”
Ref: Qamees, Vol 1, Page 412
Another narration in this connection is that Masoor ibne Makhrama heard the Prophet (s.a.) say from the pulpit that bani Hisham ibne Mughira had sought his permission to give their daughter in marriage to Ali (a.s.). He replied:
“I don’t permit!
I don’t permit!
I don’t permit!
But if the son of Abu Talib gives
divorce to my daughter, he can enter
into matrimony with that girl!”
Ref: Tareeq e Qamees, Vol 1, Page 412
This and many such narratives are attributed to Masoor ibne Makhrama. This person was the nephew of Abd ar Rehman ibne Auf and was born two years after the Migration in Makka and moved to Madina in 8H. Ibne Hajar
Asqalani writes about him: “Two years after the Hijrat he was born in Makka. He came to Madina at the end of Dual Hijja 8 H.” Ref: Tahzeeb al Tahzeeb, Vol 10, Page 151 The author of Asaba writes: “He was born two years after the Hijrat and after the conquest of Makka, Dual Hijja 8 H “” he came to Madina when his age was 6 years. Ref: Asaba, Vol 3, Page 399 Makka was captured in 8 H and the concocted story too was dated around the same period. Till that time Abu Jahl’s children had not embraced
Islam. Therefore, on the day of the capture of Makka, Bilal had sounded the Adhaan standing near the Kaaba the same Jaweria binte Abu Jahl demonstrated her infidelity when she said: 2
“God has kept my father safe
from hearing the crude voice
of Bilal!”
Ref: Tareeq Abul Fida, Page 145
There is no question of matrimony with an infidel like this. The surprising thing is that the old companions are quiet and a child of six years becomes a narrator! And the bigger surprise is that the erudite scholars who reject the evidence of Ibne Abbas regarding the event of Qirtaas saying that the small child cannot be trusted to report correctly, accept and quote the story concoted by Masoor ibne Makhrama.If there was ant truth in these stories, The Ameer e Sham would be the first to make all possible use of them. Even Umm al Momineen Ayesha would be too pleased to talk about these things. But the silence of these two persons proves beyond doubts that they too believed that the stories are concoted..
Also considering Hazrat Ali (a.s.)’s nature one cannot imagine his doing anything without consultingand seeking the permission of the Prophet (s.a.) or to think of doing anything that might have hurt or disturbed him. There are several points to ponder while rejecting these stories outright:
How can we imagine that Hazrat Ali (a.s.) could quietly plan matrimony with Abu Jahl’s daughter and she seeks the permission of th Prpohet (s.a.) for such an alliance. Is such a thing possible from a person who never took a step without the conset of the Prophrt (s.a.)!
How is it possible that the Prophet (s.a.) would term legitimate as illegitimate in ire, even if it is for his personal consideration.. While the Prophet (s.a.) is known for his strict observance of the norms of Shariah, how can one imaginge his anger even if his daughter was faced with the prospect of the second woman to share her home and hearth! We can therefore conclude that the narrations quoted are sheer concoted stories.
Here it is of interest to quote an incident about Mamoon Abbasi. Mamoon gave his daughter Umm al Fazl in marriage to Imam Mohammed Taqi (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) took her along to Madina. From Madina she wrote to her father that Imam Mohammed Taqi (a.s.) had some slave girls at his home. Mamoon wrote to her angrily:
“We have not married you to him
to make whatever is legitimate for him
illegitimate. Don’t ever repeat such complaints again!”
Ref: Sawaiq Mohriqa, Page 123
When a worldly ruler like Mamoon was so particular about things termed legitimate by the Shariah, even though the interest of his own daughter was involved, then how could one imagine that the Prophet (s.a.) would wave aside the norms of Shariah to side with his daughter.. Can we imagine the Prophet (s.a.) going to the pulpit to air his ire? Can we imagine Ali (a.s.) defying the Prophet (s.a.) if he asked him to desist from doing certain things? The story doesn’t hold water when it says that the Prophet (s.a.) angrily said that the daughter of the Prophet (s.a.) and an infidel enemy of
Allah’s daughter cannot be under one roof. When it is well known that Umme Habiba binte Abu Sufian, Safia binte Habi, his own spouses, were the daughters of known infidels and the enemies of Allah!
The truth behind all this concoction is that when the enemies of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) didn’t get anything against him, they went around spinning such yarn and canard.. The cunning adopted by them is that they want to show the nobility of Hazrat Fatima and her importance in the eyes of the Prophet (s.a.), but their main aim is to belittle Hazrat Ali (a.s.) in the consideration of the common Muslims by spreading such stories.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 