Fadak

Fadak () was a garden oasis in Khaybar, an tract of land in northern Arabia; it is now part of Saudi Arabia. Situated approximately thirty miles from Medina, Fadak was known for its water-wells, dates, and handicrafts. When the Muslims defeated the people of Khaybar at the Battle of Khaybar; the oasis of Fadak was part of the booty given to the Prophet Muhammad. Upon his death, he reportedly bequeathed it to his daughter, Fatimah. It became the object of dispute between Fatimah and the caliph Abu Bakr.

History

Pre-Islamic Khaybar

In the 7th century, the Khaybar oasis was inhabited by Arab Jews, who pioneered the cultivation of the oasis and made their living growing date palm trees, as well as through commerce and craftsmanship, accumulating considerable wealth. Some objects found by the Muslims in a redoubt at Khaybar — a siege-engine, 20 bales of Yemenite cloth, and 500 cloaks — point out to an intense trade carried out by the Jews.

The oasis was divided into three regions: al-Natat, al-Shiqq الشِّق, and al-Katiba الكتيبة, probably separated by natural diversions, such as the desert, lava drifts, and swamps. Each of these regions contained several fortresses or redoubts containing homes, storehouses and stables. Each fortress was occupied by a clan and surrounded by cultivated fields and palm-groves. In order to improve their defensive capabilities, the fortresses were raised up on hills or basalt rocks. This agreement was distinct from the agreement with the Jews of Khaybar, which essentially entailed the practice of share-cropping. Muhammad retained the revenues of the Fadak region for the poor as ṣadaqa, travelers in need, and for his family. It is not entirely clear how Muhammad managed his possession of Fadak. Ibn Taimiyya wrote in his Minhaj al-Sunnah that Muhammad appointed Amr ibn al-As as the governor of the Khaybar oasis Following the death of Muhammad, scholars disagreed as to whether Fadak was exclusively the property of Prophet. Some Muslim commentators agree that following the conquest of Fadak, the property belonged exclusively to Muhammad, while several others reject this view. Various primary sources describe the acquisition of Fadak in the following way:

Half the Land of Fadak, which was given by Jews after the peace treaty, was purely the property of Rasool Allah (s). Similarly, 1/3rd of the Valley of Qari and 2 castles of Khaybar were the exclusive property of the Prophet (s) and no one else had a share of it.

The Apostle of Allah received three things exclusively to himself: Banu an-Nadir, Khaybar and Fadak. The Banu an-Nadir property was kept for his emergent needs, Fadak for travellers, and Khaybar was divided by the Apostle of Allah into three sections: two for Muslims, and one as a contribution for his family. If anything remained after making the contribution of his family, he divided it among the poor Emigrants.

Another primary account describes eleven fruit trees in Fadak, planted by Muhammad himself. Other scholars who accept the view of Fadak as belonging exclusively to Muhammad after the conquest of Khaybar include: Ali bn Ahmad al-Samhudi Ibn Hisham Abu al-Fida

Fatimah

Upon the death of Muhmmad, his daughter Fatimah declared her claim to inherit Fadak as the estate of her father. The claim was rejected by the ruling caliph, Abu Bakr, on the grounds that Fadak was public property and arguing that the Prophet had no heirs. Sources report that Ali together with Umm Ayman testified to the fact that Muhammad granted it to Fatimah Zahra, when Abu Bakr requested Fatima to summon witnesses for her claim. Various primary sources contend that Fadak was gifted by Muhammad to Fatima, drawing on the Qur'an as evidence. These include narrations of Ibn 'Abbas who argued that when the Qur'anic verse on giving rights to kindred was revealed, Muhammad called to his daughter and gifted the land of Fadak to her.

Various scholars commenting on the Qur'an, Chapter Al-Hashr, verse 7, write that the Angel Gabriel came to Muhammad and commanded him to give the appropriate rights to the “Dhul Qurba” (near kin). When asked by Muhammad, who the “Dhul Qurba” referred to, Gabriel replied “Fatima” and that by “rights” was meant “Fadak”, upon which Muhammad called Fatima and presented Fadak to her. None of the major Sunni Tafsir works mention the Quranic verse Al-Hashr, 7 was referring to Fatimah and her rights in Fadak.

After the death of Muhammad

When Umar became Caliph, the value of the land of Fadak along with its dates was 50,000 dirhams. After Uthman, ‘Ali became caliph, but did not overturn the decision of his predecessor. He maintained Marwan's position as trustee of the Fadak. This was interpreted not as an act of dissimulation (taqiyya), as regardless Fadak was now under the authority of the state and therefore during'Ali's Caliphate, came under the authority of 'Ali himself, Fatima and his two sons, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Therefore, 'Ali deemed it satisfactory that Fadak was now under the control of the Prophet's family, and did not make a formal declaration of personal possession, to avoid resurrecting the old feud, and causing disunity (fitna) regarding the decision of the first Caliph.

Fadak under the Umayyads (661 – 750)

Mu'awiyah, the first Umayyad Caliph did not return Fadak to Fatima's descendants. This way was continued by later Umayyad Caliphs until Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz seized power. When Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, known as Umar II, became Caliph in 717 CE, the income from the property of Fadak was 40,000 dinars. Fadak was returned to Fatima's descendants by an edict given by Umar II, but this decision was renounced by later caliphs.Umar II's successor, Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik (known as Yazid II) overturned his decision, and Fadak was again made public trust. Fadak was then managed this way until the Ummayad Caliphate expired.

Fadak under the Abbasids (750 – 1258)

In year 747 CE, a huge revolt against the Umayyad Caliphate occurred. The Umayyad's were eventually defeated by the Abbasid army under the rule of Abu Abbas Abdullah al-Saffah (see Battle of the Zab) in year 750. The last Umayyad Caliph, Marwan II, was killed in a lesser battle a few months after the Battle of the Zab, thus ending the Umayyad Caliphate. Historical accounts differs on what happened to Fadak under the early Abbasid caliphs. There is however consensus among Islamic scholars that Fadak was granted to the descendants of Fatimah during Al-Ma'mun's reign as Caliph (831-833 CE). Al-Ma’mun even decreed this to be recorded in his (dīwāns). Al-Ma’mun’s successor, Al-Mutawakkil (847-861) recaptured Fadak from the progeny of Fatimah, decreeing it to be used for the purposes initially outlined by Abu Bakr. Al-Muntasir (861-862), however, apparently maintained the decision of Al-Ma'mun, thus allowing Fatimah's progeny to manage Fadak. What happened hereafter is uncertain, but Fadak was probably seized by the Caliph again and managed exclusively by the ruler of the time as his private property.

Fadak in Literature

The dispute over Fadak was narrated in various sources, some of which became almost legendary. Among these is the tale of the famed caliph of the Arabian Nights tales, Harun al Rashid, narrated in the 16th c. work Laṭā’if al-Tawā’if (The Subtelties of People, in which Harun is described as feeling regret over the denial of Fadak to the Prophet’s family. Harun inquired about the boundaries of the oasis from a descendant of Fatima in order to return it to its rightful possessors. The descendent cautioned that after drawing the borders of the garden of Fadak, Harun would no longer want to relinquish it. Nevertheless Harun pressed on. The descendant replied that the first boundary of Fadak was Aden, the second Samarqand, the third the Maghrib, and the fourth the Armenian Sea. These borders outlined virtually the entire empire of Harun. That Harun himself initiated the process of returning Fadak and was not pressed by the Prophet’s descendants reveals that in the Shi’i conception, worldly possessions are of little to no importance to the Prophet’s family or to the authority of the Imams.

See also

List of Muslim reports

Succession to Muhammad

Shi'a view of Abu Bakr

References

External links

A picture of Fadak

Shia Viewpoint

http://imfi.ir/english/lib/pro_ahl/fatima/fadak_in_history/index.htm

Category:History of Saudi Arabia Category:Geography of Saudi Arabia Category:Fatimah