Question:

Did Imam Ali (a.) marry his daughter to Umar?

Answer:

Mu’awiyah Ibn Ammar reported that he asked Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “What about a woman whose husband died? Does she count her waiting time in her house or wherever she wants?” He said: “Much sooner where she would like. When Umar died, Ali (a.) came to Umm Kulthum. Then he brought her to his house.” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, Volume 6 Page 115 Hadith 1]

حميد بن زياد، عن ابن سماعة، عن محمد بن زياد، عن عبد الله بن سنان، ومعاوية ابن عمار، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: سألته عن المرأة المتوفى عنها زوجها أتعتد في بيتها أو حيث شاءت؟ قال: بل حيث شاءت، إن عليا عليه السلام لما توفي عمر أتى أم كلثوم فانطلق بها إلى بيته

Ibn Al-Qaddah reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) said: “Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Ali (a.) and Zaid, the son of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, died at the same hour. One does not know who died before whom. Therefore, neither one inherited the other and one prayed for both of them.” [Wasa’il-ush-Shi’ah of Al-Hurr Al-Amili, Volume 26 Page 314 Hadith 1]

محمد بن الحسن باسناده عن محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى، عن جعفر بن محمد القمي عن ابن القداح عن جعفر عن أبيه عليهما السلام قال: ماتت أم كلثوم بنت علي عليه السلام وابنها زيد بن عمر بن الخطاب في ساعة واحدة لا يدرى أيهما هلك قبل فلم يورث أحدهما من الاخر وصلى عليهما جميعا

[1.] Contradiction to the traditions:

Muhammad Ibn Abdillah reported that he asked Imam Ar-Rida (a.): “How should we act when two reports contradict each other?” Imam Ar-Rida (a.) replied: “If you encounter two reports that contradict each other, see which of the two contradicts to those who are not among our followers, and accept it and see which of the two agrees with their reports and let it go!” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 2 Page 235 Hadith 19]

وبهذا الإسناد عن البرقي، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن عبد الله قال: قلت للرضا عليه السلام: كيف نصنع بالخبرين المختلفين؟ فقال: إذا ورد عليكم حديثان مختلفان فانظروا ما يخالف منهما العامة فخذوه، وانظروا ما يوافق أخبارهم فدعوه

Umar Ibn Udhainah reported that he said to Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “People are giving us the argument that the commander of the believers (a.) married his daughter Umm Kulthum to Umar.” He was leaning against something and then sat down. He said: “Do you think that the Commander of the Believers (a.) married his daughter to Umar? Those people who claim this are neither guided by the right way nor are they reasonable.” Then he struck his hand and said: “Praise be to Allah, no, by Allah, was Ali, the Commander of the Believers (a.), unable to prevent it between him and her? They have lied! What they say is not the case.” [Al-Anwar-un-Nu’maniyyah of Al-Jaza’iri, Volume 1 Page 65]

عن نعمة الله بن محمد بن عبد الله عن علي بن عبد الحميد عن محمد بن محمد بن النعمان عن عمر بن أذينة أنه قال لأبي عبد الله الصادق عليه السلام: إن الناس يحتجون علينا أن أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام زوج فلانا (عمر) ابنته أم كلثوم وكان عليه الصلاة والسلام متكيا فجلس وقال: أتقبلون أن عليا عليه السلام أنكح فلانا (عمر) ابنته؟ إن قوما يزعمون ذلك ما يهتدون إلى سواء السبيل ولا الرشاد. ثم صفق يده وقال: سبحان الله ما والله ما كان أمير المؤمنين عليه الصلاة والسلام يقدر أن يحول بينه وبينها؟ كذبوا لم يكن ما قالوا

[2.] In accordance with the reports of the innovators:

Amr Ibn Dinar reported that Abu Ja’far said: “Umar asked Ali (a.) for the hand of his daughter, but he said: “She is still small.” Therefore, they said to Umar: “He wants to deny her to you through this.” Then he talked with him and Ali (a.) said: “I am sending her to you. If you are satisfied, then she is your wife.” Then he sent her to him. Umar came to her and exposed her thigh. Thereupon she said: “Put your hand down! If you were not the commander of the faithful, I would cut off your head.” [Al-Musannaf of Abd-ur-Razzaq, Hadith 10352]

عبد الرزاق عن بن عيينة عن عمرو بن دينار عن أبي جعفر قال خطب عمر إلى علي ابنته فقال إنها صغيرة فقيل لعمر إنما يريد بذلك منعها قال فكلمه فقال علي أبعث بها إليك فإن رضيتَ فهي امرأتك قال فبعث بها إليه قال فذهب عمر فكشف عن ساقها فقالت أرسل فلولا أنك أمير المؤمنين لصككت عنقك

Az-Zubair Ibn Bakkar reported that Ali (a.) said to Umar: “I am sending her to you. If you are satisfied, then I give her to you as a wife.” He sent her to him with a cloak and said to her: “Tell him that this is the cloak I told you about.” When she told Umar, he said to her: “Tell him that I am content. God be pleased with you.” And he put his hand on her thigh and exposed it. Then she said to him: “You are doing this? If you were not the commander of the believers, I would break your nose!” Then she went out until she came to her father and informed him. She said: “You have sent me to a corrupt old man!” He said: “Do not be hasty, my daughter, for he is your husband.” Then Umar went to a meeting with the emigrants.” [As-Silsilat-us-Sahihah of Al-Albani, Hadith 2036]

عن الزبير بن بكار أن عليا قال لعمر: أنا أبعثها إليك فإن رضيت فقد زوجتكها فبعثها إليه ببرد وقال لها: قولي له: هذا البرد الذي قلت لك فقالت ذلك لعمر فقال لها: قولي له قد رضيته رضي الله عنك ووضع يده على ساقها فكشفها فقالت له: أتفعل هذا؟ ! لولا أنك أمير المؤمنين لكسرت أنفك! ثم خرجت حتى جاءت أباها فأخبرته الخبر وقالت: بعثتني إلى شيخ سوء! فقال: مهلا يا بنية فإنه زوجك فجاء عمر إلى مجلس المهاجرين

Ali Ibn Rabah reported that Uqbah Ibn Amir Al-Juhani said: “Ali (a.) stood up and ordered his daughter, whom he had from Fatimah (a.), to adorn herself. Then he sent her to Umar and when he saw her, he came to her and grabbed her thigh. He said: “Tell your father that I am content. When the young girl came to her father, he said to her: “What did the commander of the believers tell you?” She said: “He called for me and pressed his lips against me. When I got up, he reached for my thigh and said: “Tell your father that I am content.” Then he married her to him and she bore him Zaid, the son of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab and he lived until he grew up to be a man and then died.” [Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khatib Al-Baghdadi, Volume 3 Page 68]

روى الخطيب البغدادي عن موسى بن علي بن رباح اللخمي عن أبيه عن عقبة بن عامر الجهني قال: فقام علي فأمر بابنته من فاطمة فزينت ثم بعث بها إلى أمير المؤمنين عمر فلما رآها قام إليها فأخذ بساقها وقال قولي لأبيك قد رضيت قد رضيت قد رضيت فلما جاءت الجارية إلى أبيها قال لها ما قال لك أمير المؤمنين قالت دعاني وقبلني فلما قمت أخذ بساقي وقال قولي لأبيك قد رضيت فأنكحها إياه فولدت له زيد بن عمر بن الخطاب فعاش حتى كان رجلا ثم مات

Comment:

According to the instructions of the people of the house (a.), we are leaving off the report that agrees with the innovators. So there was no marriage between Umar and Umm Kulthum (a.).