A Critical Assessment of Umm Kulthum’s Marriage to Umar

Summary of the Book

The discussion was about Umm Kulthum‘s marriage to Umar. The story was narrated from the most famous books authored by Sunni scholars. In this study, we unveiled the most hidden aspects of the story carefully examining the chains of the narrations, their significations, the narrators and their goals. The truth of the matter was explained and substantiated and the controversies came to an end.

Assuming that Hazrat Zahra (a.s.) had a daughter by the name of Umm Kulthum and that marriage in Islam takes place only when the formula of marriage contract is recited, therefore, based on the few narrations mentioned in Kulayni‘s Al-Kafi, we can conclude that:

Umar asked Ali (a.s.) for Umm Kulthum‘s hand in marriage and the Imam (a.s.) made the excuse that she was too young and that she was engaged to her cousin. After Umar‘s repeated proposal, frequenting and resorting to threat to intimidate the Commander of the Faithful, (a.s.) and Bani Hashemi, the Imam left the matter to be decided by his uncle Abbas; the marriage took place in the sense that only a marriage contract was concluded without Ali (a.s.) and his daughter consenting to it.

That was why no sooner Umar died than Ali (a.s.) returned his daughter to his house. Hence, what has been narrated in some Sunni books about the girl dressing up and going to Umar under the pretext of handing over a piece of garment is baseless and undocumented scientifically. The same is the case with the report about Umm Kulthum‘s death occurring simultaneously with the death of her child from Umar.

The conclusion is that this incident cannot be used to cover up Umar‘s conduct towards the household of the Prophet (S) during Lady Zahra‘s lifetime. Likewise, they cannot use this story to argue that the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, peace be upon him, was in good and friendly terms with Umar.