whereupon Umar ibn al-Khattāb met her (1) and burned (2) the document. She then called down upon him what Abū Lu’lu’ah later did to him. He also suspended the prescribed punishments of Allah (3), for he did not impose the prescribed punishment upon al-Mughīrah ibn Shuʿbah. He would give the wives of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—more from the public treasury than they ought to have received. He (4) would give Aishah and Hafsah ten thousand dirhams each year. He also altered Allah’s ruling concerning those banished (5) and had little knowledge of legal rulings.”

The response is that this is one of those lies whose falsity no scholar doubts (6). No scholar of hadith has ever mentioned it, nor is any chain of transmission known for it. Abū Bakr never issued a document granting Fadak to anyone—neither to Fātimah nor to anyone else (7)—and Fātimah never invoked harm upon Umar.

As for what Abū Lu’lu’ah did, it was a mark of divine favor for Umar—may Allah be pleased with him—and was greater than what Ibn Muljam did to Ali—may Allah be pleased with him—or what al-Husayn’s killers did to al-Husayn—may Allah be pleased with him. Abū Lu’lu’ah was an unbeliever who killed Umar as an unbeliever kills a believer, and such martyrdom is greater than the martyrdom of one killed by a Muslim. One slain by an unbeliever is of higher rank than one slain by Muslims (8). Moreover, Abū Lu’lu’ah’s killing of Umar occurred after Fātimah’s death by a period of