General Muslims (non-Shia) allege that Umar Ibn Khattab, out of friendship, married a daughter (Umm Kulsoom-asws) of Ali Amir ul-Momineen-asws which is absolutely untrue. They give reference to Al-Kafi vol. 5, however, in Ahadith of Al-Kafi (given below), this marriage cannot be proven but rather the evil character of Umar is highlighted that Umar said: if he (Umar) does not get the hand of the daughter of Ali Amir ul-Momineen-asws he (Umar) will destroy the Islamic symbols (i.e., Zamzam), destroy the honour of Bani Hashim and deviously cut the right hand of Ali Amir ul-Momineen-asws by arranging false witnesses in order to implement legal punishment for steeling. Below we present the two Ahadith from Al-Kafi and some other Ahadith from Shia sources to refute their claim:
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ وَ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فِي تَزْوِيجِ أُمِّ كُلْثُومٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فَرْجٌ غُصِبْنَاهُ.
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abu Umayr from Hisham Ibn Salim and Hammad from Zurarah who says:
Abu Abd Allah-asws about the marriage of Umm Kulsoom has said: It was (attempted) marriage by force.[1]
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ: لَمَّا خَطَبَ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنَّهَا صَبِيَّةٌ قَالَ فَلَقِيَ الْعَبَّاسَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا لِي أَ بِي بَأْسٌ قَالَ وَ مَا ذَاكَ قَالَ خَطَبْتُ إِلَى ابْنِ أَخِيكَ فَرَدَّنِي أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ لَأُعَوِّرَنَّ زَمْزَمَ وَ لَا أَدَعُ لَكُمْ مَكْرُمَةً إِلَّا هَدَمْتُهَا وَ لَأُقِيمَنَّ عَلَيْهِ شَاهِدَيْنِ بِأَنَّهُ سَرَقَ وَ لَأَقْطَعَنَّ يَمِينَهُ فَأَتَاهُ الْعَبَّاسُ فَأَخْبَرَهُ وَ سَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَجْعَلَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ إِلَيْهِ.
Muhammad ibn Abu Umayr has narrated from Hisham ibn Salim who has said:
Abu Abd Allah-asws (6th Imam-asws) has said: When he (Umar) proposed marriage with Umm Kulsoom-asws, Amir ul-Momineen-asws said, She is yet a child. He (the Imam-asws) has said that he (Umar) saw Al-Abbas and asked, what is wrong with me is there something wrong with me? He Al-abbas asked, what is the matter? He (Umar) replied saying, I proposed marriage before the son of your brother-asws for his daughter but he-asws rejected my proposal. I swear by Allah-azwj, I will shut down Zamzam, leave no honour for you without being destroyed: I will prove him-asws guilty of theft through two witnesses and cut-off his-asws right hand. So Al-Abbas came to him-asws and told him-asws and asked him-asws to make the matter to him (Al-Abbas), and he-asws made it to him (for calming Umar down).[2] Note: Here there is no proof that this marriage ever occurred.
يف، الطرائف أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ فِي مُسْنَدِهِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ إِلَى الْمُسْتَظِلِ قَالَ: إِنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ خَطَبَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ع أُمَّ كُلْثُومٍ فَاعْتَلَّ بِصِغَرِهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ لَمْ أَكُنْ أُرِيدُ الْبَاهَ وَ لَكِنْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص يَقُولُ كُلُّ حَسَبٍ وَ نَسَبٍ مُنْقَطِعٌ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا خَلَا حَسَبِي وَ نَسَبِي وَ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ فَإِنَّ عَصَبَتَهُمْ لِأَبِيهِمْ مَا خَلَا وُلْدَ فَاطِمَةَ فَإِنِّي أَنَا أَبُوهُمْ وَ عَصَبَتُهُمْ.
(The book) ‘Al Taraif’ – Ahmad Bin Hanbal in his (book) ‘Musnad’, by his chain to Al Mustazil who said,
‘Umar Bin Al-Khattab proposed to Ali-asws for Umm Kulsoom-asws, so he-asws excused with her‑asws being too young. He-asws said to him: ‘I-asws did not want the marriage, but I-asws heard Rasool-Allah-saww saying ‘Every affiliation and lineage would be terminated on the Day of Qiyamah apart from my-saww affiliation and my-saww lineage, and every people, their bond is to their fathers apart from the children of (Syeda) Fatima-asws, for surely, I-asws am their father‑asws and their bond’’.[3]
كَنْزُ الْكَرَاجُكِيِّ، عَنِ الْقَاضِي السُّلَمِيِّ أَسَدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْعَتَكِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنِ الْكُدَيْمِيِّ عَنْ بِشْرِ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ شَرِيكِ بْنِ شَبِيبٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنِ الْمُسْتَطِيلِ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ مِثْلَهُ إِلَّا أَنَّ فِيهِ فَاعْتَلَّ بِصِغَرِهَا وَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْدَدْتُهَا لِابْنِ أَخِي جَعْفَرٍ وَ مَكَانَ كُلِّ قَوْمٍ كُلُّ بَنِي أُنْثَى.
(The book) ‘Kanz’ of Al Karajaky, from the judge al Sullamy Asad Bin Ibrahim, from Umar Bin Ali Al Atakky, from Muhammad Bin Is’haq, from Al Kudeymi, from Bishr Bin Mihram, from Shareek Bin Shabeen, from Urwah, from Al Mustateel Bin Husayn,
‘Similar to it, except that in it, ‘He-asws excused by her-asws being too young and said: ‘I-asws have prepared her-asws to be for the son of my-asws brother-as Ja’far-as, and the place of every people is all sons of a female’’.[4]
يج، الخرائج و الجرائح الصَّفَّارُ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ جُذْعَانَ بْنِ نَصْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مَسْعَدَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَمَّوَيْهِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرَّبِيبِيِ عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ قَالَ: قِيلَ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَحْتَجُّونَ عَلَيْنَا وَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع زَوَّجَ فُلَاناً ابْنَتَهُ أُمَّ كُلْثُومٍ وَ كَانَ مُتَّكِئاً فَجَلَسَ وَ قَالَ أَ يَقُولُونَ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ قَوْماً يَزْعُمُونَ ذَلِكَ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ إِلَى سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلِ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ يَقْدِرُ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع- أَنْ يَحُولَ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَهَا فَيُنْقِذَهَا
(The book) ‘Al Kharaij Wa Al Jaraih’ – Al Saffar, from Abu Baseer, from Juz’an Bin Nasr, from Muhammad Bin Mas’ada, from Muhammad Bin Hamawiya Bin Ismail, from Abu Abdullah Al Rabie, from Umar Bin Uzina who said,
‘It was said to Abu Abdullah-asws, ‘The people are arguing against us and saying that Amir Al-Momineen-asws got his-asws daughter Umm Kulsoom-asws to so and so (Umar)!’ He-asws was reclining. He-asws sat up straight and said: ‘Are they saying that? A people claiming that cannot be guided to the right way! Glory be to Allah-azwj! Amir Al-Momineen-asws was not able upon alienating between him-asws and her-asws, (and) then saving her-asws! They are lying!
كَذَبُوا وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَا قَالُوا إِنَّ فُلَاناً خَطَبَ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ ع بِنْتَهُ أُمَّ كُلْثُومٍ فَأَبَى عَلِيٌّ ع- فَقَالَ لِلْعَبَّاسِ وَ اللَّهِ لَئِنْ لَمْ تُزَوِّجْنِي لَأَنْتَزِعَنَّ مِنْكَ السِّقَايَةَ وَ زَمْزَمَ فَأَتَى الْعَبَّاسُ عَلِيّاً فَكَلَّمَهُ فَأَبَى عَلَيْهِ فَأَلَحَّ الْعَبَّاسُ
And what they are saying did not happen. So and so (Umar) had proposed to Ali-asws for his‑asws daughter-asws Umm Kulsoom-asws, but Ali-asws refused. He (Umar) said to Al-Abbas: ‘By Allah‑azwj! If you do not get me married (to her-asws), I will snatch away the quenching (of the pilgrims) and (control of) Zamzam (stop the Hajj)!’ So, Al-Abbas came to Ali-asws and spoke to him-asws. But he-asws refused upon it. Al-Abbas insisted (on behalf of Umar showing there existed enormous support for Umar and continuation of Hajj!!).
فَلَمَّا رَأَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع- مَشَقَّةَ كَلَامِ الرَّجُلِ عَلَى الْعَبَّاسِ وَ أَنَّهُ سَيَفْعَلُ بِالسِّقَايَةِ مَا قَالَ أَرْسَلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع إِلَى جِنِّيَّةٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ يَهُودِيَّةٍ يُقَالُ لَهَا سَحِيفَةُ بِنْتُ جُرَيْرِيَةَ- فَأَمَرَهَا فَتَمَثَّلَتْ فِي مِثَالِ أُمِّ كُلْثُومٍ- وَ حُجِبَتِ الْأَبْصَارُ عَنْ أُمِّ كُلْثُومٍ وَ بَعَثَ بِهَا إِلَى الرَّجُلِ
When Amir Al-Momineen-asws saw the discomfort of the talk of the man (Umar) upon Al-Abbas, and he will be doing with the quenching (stopping water to Hajjis) what he had said, Amir Al-Momineen-asws sent a message to a Jinnie (devil) from the people (devils) of Najran, a Jewess (faith devil) called Saheyfa Bint Juweyria. He-asws ordered her and she (transformed to human) resemble in a semblance (image) of Umm Kulsoom-asws, and (so) the sights (people) were veiled from Umm Kulsoom-asws (they could not see her in Amir ul-Momineen-asws’s home) and he-asws sent her (Jewess devil) to the man (Umar).
فَلَمْ تَزَلْ عِنْدَهُ حَتَّى إِنَّهُ اسْتَرَابَ بِهَا يَوْماً فَقَالَ مَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ أَسْحَرُ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ- ثُمَّ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّاسِ فَقُتِلَ وَ حَوَتِ الْمِيرَاثَ وَ انْصَرَفَتْ إِلَى نَجْرَانَ وَ أَظْهَرَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع أُمَّ كُلْثُومٍ.
She (the Jewess devil) did not cease to be with him (Umar) until he fell into suspicion with her one day. He (Umar) said, ‘There is no one in the earth of more sorcery than the Clan of Hashim‑as!’ Then he wanted to reveal that to the people, but he was killed, and the inheritance perished, and she (Jewess devil) left to go to Najran, and Amir Al-Momineen-asws revealed Umm Kulsoom-asws (to the people)’’.[5]
[1] بَابُ تَزْوِيجِ أُمِ كُلْثُومٍ, , H. 1, 346, الكافي (ط – الإسلامية)، ج5، ص:
[2] بَابُ تَزْوِيجِ أُمِ كُلْثُومٍ, , H. 2, 346 الكافي (ط – الإسلامية)، ج5، ص:
[3] Bihar Al Awaar – V 40, The book of History – Amir Al Momineen-asws, Ch 120 H 29 a
[4] Bihar Al Awaar – V 40, The book of History – Amir Al Momineen-asws, Ch 120 H 29 b
[5] Bihar Al-Awaar – V 40, The book of History – Amir Al Momineen-asws, Ch 120 H 16