Reassessing D. S. Margoliouth’s Perspective on the Inheritance Dispute of Fatimah (RA) and the Position of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA)

Abstract

Margoliouth is considered one of the prominent orientalists. He has authored several books on Islam, one of which is The Early Development of Mohammedanism. In this book, he raises various allegations and questions against Islam and its sources, for example, the sequence of the surahs in the Qur’ān, the biography of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), the rules of warfare in Islam, and the Islamic tax system. Similarly, he levels an allegation against Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (R.A.), claiming that Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) deprived Hazrat Fatimah (R.A.) of her inheritance in order to take revenge for an insult his daughter had allegedly suffered a year earlier. However, he does not mention the details of that alleged insult. Since this opinion of Margoliouth could create misunderstandings regarding Abu Bakr R.A, it is important to examine his claim so that the real facts can be clarified. Margoliouth’s objection appears to be either based on a misunderstanding or deliberately presented in a misleading manner. Considering the depth of his study, it is unlikely that the facts were unknown to him. In this paper, the facts regarding this matter will be presented in the light of Islamic teachings, demonstrating that Margoliouth’s objection is unfounded.