The people were all aware of her special status with the Prophet, having often heard from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) that he would say:
“Fatimah is a part of me; whoever hurts her, hurts me.” [1]
And the fate of those who harm God and His Messenger was explicitly stated by the Qur’an:
“Those who harm God and His Messenger, they are cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and a humiliating punishment is prepared for them.” [2]
On the day when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said these words, it was astonishing to the people that anyone could possibly harm Fatimah (peace be upon her). This statement by the Prophet was a prophecy and a warning that after him, a situation would arise where Fatimah (peace be upon her) would be harmed, and it also informed the people that if one day Fatimah (peace be upon her), who held such a high status before God and the Prophet, stood against anyone and expressed her anger and dissatisfaction, they should know that those people are cursed by God and His Messenger and are unfit to rule over the people.
Therefore, after the passing of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), when Fatimah (peace be upon her) saw that the oppressors were undermining the roots of the religion and laying the foundations for a great innovation in the Islamic world, the matter of succession and the appointment of the Prophet’s successor—an issue declared by the Prophet as a divine choice—had been turned into a political election, and to achieve their goals, they committed every form of injustice. Not only did they disrespect the house of the Prophet’s family, but they also forcibly took Fadak, a legacy from the great Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), for their own political purposes. Fatimah (peace be upon her) realized that this was the day to express her anger and dissatisfaction with their actions, and that her father had prepared her for this very moment to defend the sanctity of religion and the leadership of the Prophet’s family.
Thus, in various situations, she openly expressed her discontent and anger at their actions. For example, when visiting the women of Medina, she said, “I swear by God, I have woken up disgusted by your world and angry at your men.” She also came to the mosque with a sorrowful heart and a weakened body, and in the public assembly of the Muhajirun and Ansar, she brought the leaders of the government to a public trial and delivered a very powerful and impactful speech. In one part of her speech, she reproached the group of Ansar, saying:
“O group of noble men! O strong arms of the nation and supporters of Islam! What is this neglect and disregard that you show towards me? What is this indifference to the oppression that has been inflicted upon me? Did my father, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), not say that the respect due to anyone should also be shown to their children?” [3]
Indeed, the beloved of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) was the one who, when she saw the future of Islam in danger, publicly declared her anger and dissatisfaction with the innovations and deviations that the leaders of the government were establishing in the Islamic world, particularly in the matter of the Prophet’s succession and appointment. May it cause the people of the time to reflect on whether those who harm God, His Messenger, and His only daughter deserve to sit on the Prophet’s seat.
(Taken from the book “Zahra, the Pure, the Hidden Secret of the Prophet,” by Sayyid Muhammad Ziya’Abadi)
Footnotes:
[1] Al-Sunan al-Kubra Vol. 10, Chapter on “Who says: The testimony of a father for his child is not permissible,” p. 201; Kanz al-‘Ummal, Vol. 13, p. 96; Nur al-Absar, p. 52; Yanabi’ al-Mawaddah, Vol. 2, p. …
[2] Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 57
[3] Dalail al-Imamah, p. 109