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Fadak is the name of a piece of farming land around Medina that came under the ownership of the Holy Prophet after the peace treaty with the Jews of that area. Upon Allah’s command, the Holy Prophet gave this land to his daughter. After the passing of the Holy Prophet, the first caliph took Fadak from Lady Fatimah. Over the course of history, this land was given to the inheritors of Fatimah several times, but taken back.

==What is Fadak?==
Fadak is the name of a fertile piece of land belonging to the Jews and in it, there was a collection of orchards and lush greenery. Fadak is approximately 160 km from Mina. <ref name=":0">Mu’jam ‘al-Buldān, vol. 6, p. 342</ref>
When the people of Fadak heard that the Holy Prophet had besieged the people of Khaybar in the forts ‘Watih’ and ‘Sulalim’, they became scared and despatched their representative, alongside Muhayyisah ibn Masud (the messenger of the Holy Prophet), to serve the Holy Prophet. The Jews of Fadak requested that the Holy Prophet sign a peace treaty with them. With the acceptance of the Holy Prophet and the signing of the peace treaty, Fadak was considered the bounty of the Holy Prophet, because it was not conquered through fighting and, according to the 6th and 7th verses of Surah Hashr, any property that is obtained without fighting is called ‘fay’ and is considered the personal belonging of the Holy Prophet. <ref name=":1">‘Al-Sīraḧ ‘al-Nabawīyyaḧ, vol. 3, p. 352 and 368</ref> <ref name=":2">‘Al-Saqīfaḧ wa Fadak, p. 98</ref> <ref name=":3">Sharḥ Nahj ‘al-Balāghaḧ, vol. 1, p. 198</ref>

==Gifting of Fadak to Lady Fatimah Zahra==
After the Holy Prophet took possession of Fadak, verse 26 of Surah Isra was revealed unto him: “Give the relatives their [due] right, and the needy and the traveller [as well], but do not squander wastefully.” <ref name=":4">Translation by Ali Quli Qarai</ref> The Holy Prophet asked Gabriel: <blockquote>“Who are my relatives and what are their rights?”</blockquote> Gabriel replied: <blockquote>“She is Fatimah. The rights of Allah and the His Prophet is that you gift this to her.”</blockquote> After that, the Holy Prophet summoned Lady Fatimah and he wrote up the title-deed of Fadak for Her Holiness. This context of revelation referring to verse 26 of Surah Isra is well-known and can be seen in the Shiite and Sunni exegesis books. <ref name=":5">‘I’lām ‘al-Warā, vol. 1, p. 209</ref> <ref name=":6">Tafsīre Qummī, vol. 2, p. 18</ref> <ref name=":7">Majma’ ‘al-Bayān fī Tafsīr ‘al-Qur’ān, vol. 6, p. 634</ref> <ref name=":8">Tafsīr ‘al-‘Ayyāshī, vol. 2, p. 287</ref> <ref name=":9">Shawāhid ‘al-Tanzīl li Qawā’id ‘al-Tafḍīl, vol. 1, p. 438</ref> <ref name=":10">Tafsīr Nūr ‘al-Thaqalayn, vol. 3, p. 153</ref>

==Usurpation of Fadak==
After the events of Saqifah and the appointment of Abu Bakr as the first caliph after the Holy Prophet, he expelled Lady Fatimah’s workers from Fadak and took Fadak from Her Holiness in his first action after taking seat as the caliph.
In reply to Lady Fatimah’s protests, Abu Bakr replied: <blockquote>“I heard from the Holy Prophet that he said: “We, the Prophets, do not inherit.”” <ref name=":11">Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, vol. 8, p. 149</ref></blockquote> However, Lady Fatimah considered this narration to be fictitious and opposed to the explicit meaning of the Holy Quran. <ref name=":12">‘Al-‘Iḥtijāj, vol. 1, p. 131</ref> <ref name=":13">Tafsīr Nūr ‘al-Thaqalayn, vol. 3, p. 324</ref> This is because in verse 16 of Surah Naml, it has been revealed: “Solomon inherited from David...” <ref name=":4" /> This verse clearly indicates that the Prophets gave and received inheritance and, based on the views of a large number of Shiite and Sunni commentators, the intent by inheritance is property and finance. <ref name=":14">‘Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr ‘al-Qur’ān, vol. 15, p. 349</ref> <ref name=":15">‘Al-Tafsīr ‘al-Kabīr (Tafsīr ‘al-Qur’ān ‘al-Aẓīm), vol. 5, p. 9</ref>
Also, in verses 6 and 7 of Surah Maryam, Prophet Zakariyya requests Allah to grant him a son that may inherit from him and the House of Jacob: “So grant me from Yourself an heir who may inherit from me and inherit from the House of Jacob, and make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You]!’” <ref name=":4" /> <ref name=":16">Jāmi’ ‘al-Bayān fī Tafsīr ‘al-Qur’ān, vol. 16, p. 37</ref>
Fatimah brought Imam Ali and Umm Ayman as witnesses that Fadak was gifted to her by the Holy Prophet. Thus, Abu Bakr gave Fadak back to Lady Fatimah. However, after Lady Fatimah had left the presence of Abu Bakr, Umar saw her and took Abu Bakr’s letter from her by force and tore it. <ref name=":17">‘Al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 543</ref>

==Returning of Fadak to the Holy Prophet’s family over the course of history==
With due attention that Lady Fatimah’s ownership of Fadak is well-known throughout history and this claim, as well as the usurpation by Abu Bakr, has strong and sound proofs, this property was returned to the family of the Holy Prophet many times over the course of history; but the greed and excesses of the caliphs, as well as the fear of the power of the Ahl al-Bayt, resulted in the right of the Imams being encroached once again and it being forcibly taken from them.
As we read in history, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz returned Fadak back to the Alawites, but the caliph after him, Abu al-Abbas Saffah, usurped it.

When Mamun made his intent to turn Fadak over to the Ahl al-Bayt clear, opposition grew against him; so, the Caliph convened several meetings, comprised of knowledgeable individuals, to solve the issue regarding Fadak. The final conclusion of these meetings was this that Fadak belongs to Lady Fatimah and must be turned over to her inheritors. Subsequently, Mamun wrote to Qatham ibn Jafar, the governor of Medina, to return Fadak to the children of Lady Fatimah. <ref name=":18">Tārīkh Madīnaḧ Damishq, vol. 45, p. 178</ref> <ref name=":19">Mu’jam ‘al-Buldān, vol. 4, p. 240</ref>

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[[Category:History]]
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==References==
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