this hadith as evidence is contrary to the words of AUah,'@And Sulaymin [Solomon] inherited [the knowledge ofl Dzwood pavid],) (Quran 27: 16) and that it is contrary to what Allah (&) said concerning His Prophet Zakariya (M): (And verily, I fear my relatives after me, and my wife is barren. So give me from Yourself an heir, who shall inherit me, and inherit [also] the 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs posterity of Ya'qoob [Jacob] [inheritance of the religious knowledge and prophethood, not of wealth]. And make him, my Lord, one with whom Yon are well-pleased!) (Quran 19: 5-6) They said: "Inheritance implies wealth and the like, and no one can say that what is meant in the verse is knowledge and not wealth."68 L The response is that the word 'inheritance' is a generic word that includes many meanings. It may be used with regard to inherited knowledge, prophethood, kingship or other things that can be transferred. The following verses refer to nothing more than the generic meaning of inheritance; they do not indicate inheritance of wealth: #Then We gave the Book [the Quran] as inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose.) (Quran 35: 32) #These are indeed the inheritors who shall inherit the Firdaws [paradise].

They shall dwell therein forever.), (Qur2an 23: 10-11) #And Sulaymk [Solomon] inherited [the knowledge of] Diwood [Davidlh (Quran 27: 16). Diwood had many other children besides Sulaymk, and Sulaymk cannot have been singled out to inherit his wealth, which indicates that what is meant by inheritance here is inheritance of knowledge, prophethood and so on, and not inheritance of wealth. The context of this verse is praise for Sulaymk and the blessings for which Allah (&&) singled him out. There is no particular virtue in singling him out for exclusive inheritance of wealth, because inheritance of wealth is something ordinary and common among people. (Who shall inherit me and inherit [also] the posterity of Ya'qoob [Jacob].) (Quran 19: 5-6) What is meant is not inheritance of wealth, because he (Zakan'ya) did not inherit any of the wealth of the family of 'Ali ibn Abi Tcilib Ya'qoob; rather those who would inherit from the posterity of Ya'qoob are their children and other heirs, if they did inherit.69 Similarly, the words of Allah: #And verily, I fear my relatives after me, and my wife is barren.

So give me from Yourself an heir,# (Quran 19: 5) do not indicate that the inheritance in this case was inheritance of wealth, because Zakariya was not afraid that they would take his wealth after he died. That is not what he was worried about, because Zakariya (,g%) was not known to have any wealth, he was a carpenter who ate from what his own hands earned, as it says in sahih ~uslirn.'~ He did not have any more savings than what he needed to keep him going; therefore, his asking Allah (@) for a son to inherit from him indicates that what is meant in these two verses is inheritance of prophethood and taking over his position.71 Al-Qwbi said in his commentaq on this verse: "Based on that, he did not ask for someone to inherit his wealth, because the Prophets are not inherited from. This is the more correct of the two opinions concerning the interpretation of this verse. What Zakariya (m) meant was inheritance of knowledge and prophethood, not inheritance of wealth, because it is proven that the Prophet (g) said: 'We prophets are not inherited from; what we leave behind is In light of this hadith, we can understand the verse in which Allah (s) says, *And Sulaymh [Solomon] inherited [the howledge ofl Diiwood [David].) (Quran 27: 16) This is similar to what Zakariya (,@) said: (Who shall inherit me, and inherit [also] the posterity of Ya'qoob [Jacob] [inheritance of the religious knowledge and prophethood, not of wealth]. And m&e my Lord, one with whom You are Well-Pleased!'b (Quran 19: 6) The second verse explains what is meant in the first verse.

Sulaymih did not inherit the wealth that Diiwood left behind; 'Ali ibn Abi TCilib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs rather what he inherited from him was wisdom and knowledge. Similarly, Y&ya inherited from the posterity of Ya'qoob (m). This is what the scholars said about the interpretation of the Quran, except for the ~ Z f i d i s . ~ ~ It is worth pointing out that the R2fifidis went against their own interpretation that inheritance is something obligatory when they limited the legacy of the Prophet (g) to Fitimah (@a) only, and claimed that no one inherited from the Prophet (@j) except her. Thus they excluded his wives and his relatives, contrary to the general meaning of the verses that they quoted as evidence. AsSadooq narrated with his chain of narration from Abu Ja'far alBiiqir that he said: "No, by Allah, neither al-'Abbh, nor 'Ali, nor any of his heirs except Fiitimah (I$+,) inherited from the Messenger of Allah (B).

The only reas& why 'Ali (&) took the Prophet's weapon and other things was to pay off his debts."74 Al-Kulayui, as-Sadooq and at-Toosi narrated, with their chains of narration going hack to al-Biiqir, that he said: "Ali inherited his knowledge from the Messenger of Allah (g), and F2timah (a) inherited his estate."75 In fact, they even excluded Fiitimah (6) from that when they claimed that women do not inherit property. In his book al-KLij'i, Al-Kulayni included a chapter entitled: "Women do not inherit anything of property," in which he quoted a number of reports, including a report from Abu Ja'far a.-Saiq in which he said: "Women do not inherit anything of land or property."76 As-Sadooq narrated, with his chain of narration going back to Maysar, who said: "I asked him (a$-Siidiq) about women and what they are entitled to of inheritance. He said: 'As for land and property, they do not inherit them."'77 Thus it becomes clear that from their point of view, F2timah (I$&) was not entitled to anything of the inheritance - without even having to quote as 'Ali ibn Abi Tklib evidence the hadith, "We prophets are not inherited from."78 If women do not inherit property or land, on what grounds could Ficimah (@&) have asked for Fadak - according to what they say - which is undoubtedly property?79 This indicates that they are lying and contradicting themselves, let alone the fact of their ignorance. 80 They also claim that Abu Bala (&) asked Fitimah (a) to bring witnesses, and she brought 'Ali and Umm Ayman (may Allah be pleased with them), but that Abu Bakr (&) refused to accept their testimony. This is an obvious and blatant lie. Hamm2d ibn Ishiq said: "As for what some people narrated about Fitimah (I&+) asking for Fadak and saying that the Messenger of Allah (@) had allocated it to her, and 'Ali (&) testifying to that hut Abu Bakr (&) not accepting his testimony because he was her husband, this is something that has no basis, and no report could ever be proven concerning that; rather it is fabricated and bas no proof."81 4.

The Sunnah and scholarly consensus indicate that the Prophet (B) was not to be inherited from. Ibn Taymiyah said: "The fact that the Prophet (g) was not to be inherited from is definitively proven in the sound Sunnah and by the consensus of the Companions, either of which is definitive proof which cannot be contradicted by another report which appears to be general in meaning. If it is general in meaning, then the other report is an exception, because if we accept it as proof, it would be no more than speculation or probability which cannot contradict that which is definitive, because that which is speculative cannot contradict that which is definitive. This report was narrated by more than one of the Companions at different times and in different gatherings, and none of the Companions ever objected to it or denied it. Rather they all accepted it and believed it.

Xli ibn Abi TZlib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs Hence none of his wives insisted on demanding inheritance, and his paternal uncle did not insist on demanding inheritance. Rather when he asked for that and was told of what the Prophet (e) had said, he gave up his demand, and this is how matters remained at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, including 'Ali (&). , . Nothing was changed, and none of the Prophet's estate was divided."82 Ibn Taymiyah said: "Ali (&) was appointed caliph after DhunNoorayn 'Uthmk (&), and Fadak and other property came under his control, and he did not give any part of them to any of the children of Fitimah (I$&) or to any of the wives of the Prophet 1%) or to any of thesons of al-'Abbis. If there was any injustice and he was able to remove it, that would have been easier for him than fighting Mu'iwiyah and his armies. Do you think he would have fought Mu'iwiyah, with all the bad consequences that resulted from that, and not given these people a little wealth, which was much easier for him to .do?"83 There was a consensus among the Rightly Guided Caliphs concerning this issue, and the Abbasid caliph Abn al-'Abbh asSaff* used this consensus as evidence against some of those who debated with him concerning this issue.

Ibn al-Jawzi said in Talbees Iblees: "We narrated Erom as-Saffiiii that he addressed the people one day, and a man who was one of the descendants of 'Ali (&) stood up and said: '0 Amir al-Mu'rnineen, help me against those who have wronged me.' He said: 'Who has wronged yon? He said: 'I am one of the descendants of 'Ali (&), and the one who wronged me was Abn Bakr (&) when he took Fadak from Fswah.' As-Saf* said: 'Did he persist in wronging you? The man said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Who succeeded him?' The man said: ' 'Umar.' He said: 'Did he persist in wronging you?' The man said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Who succeeded 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib him?' The man said: "Uthmiin.' The man said: 'Did he persist in wronging you?' He said: 'Yes.' As-S&ah said: 'Who succeeded him?' And the man began turning around as if he was looking for an escape Some of the descendants of 'Ali (&) . . from Fiitimah (I&) stated clearly that Ahu Bakr (&) was correct in his judgement on the issue of Fadak, according to what was narrated by al-Bayhaqi with his chain of narration from Fudayl ibn Marzooq, who said: "Zayd ibn 'Ali ihn d-Husayn ibn 'Ali ibn Ahi Taih said: 'If I were in Ahu Bakr's position, I would have given the same ruling as Abu Bakr did with regard to ~adak.""~ Ahu d-'Abbiis d - Q w b i (may AUah have mercy on him) also narrated that there was consensus among Ahl al-Bayt, starting with 'Ali (&) and his sons after him, then the sons of al-'Abbh, in whose hands was left the charity of the Messenger of Allah (B). They did not think that they had the right to possess it; rather they spent it for the sake of AUah (&). Al-Quwhi said: "When 'Ali (&) became caliph, he did not change its status from the way it had been at the time of Ahu Bakr, 'Umar and 'Uthmk (may Allah be pleased with them).

He never tried to take possession of it or to take a share of it; rather he managed it in the way it had been managed before. Then it came under the control of Hasan ibn 'Ali, then Husayn ihn 'Ali, then 'Ali ihu al-Husayn, then alHusayn ihn al-Hasan, then Zayd ibn al-Hnsayn, then Ahdnllah ihn d-Husayn, then the Abbasids got control of it, according to what was stated by Abu Bakr al-Burqini in his sahih." They are senior figures of Ah1 alBayt (may Allah he pleased with them) and are held in high esteem by the Shia and their scholars. It is not narrated from any of them that they took possession of it or inherited it or passed it on as an inheritance. If what the Shia say is trne, then 'Ali (&) or another member of Ah1 al-Bayt would have kept it when they got control of it.86 'Ali ibn Abi Trilib at the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs Ibn Katheer said: 'The R%&s spoke about this issue on the basis of ignorance and spoke of something of which they had no knowledge. They rejected something without having real knowledge of it, and they tried to get involved in something that did not concern If they had understood the matter as it really was, they would have recognised the virtue of Abu Bakr (&) and accepted his explanation, which everyone should accept. But they are a domed group, cheap and vile, who adhere to ambiguous matters and ignore issues that are well-established with the leaders of Islam, namely the Companions, Tsbi'oon and scholars who are respected in all places and in all eras, may Allah (&) be pleased with them all and make them pleased."88