Marital life of Fatima

[7][8] Fatima married Muhammad's cousin Ali in 1 or 2 AH (623-5 CE),[9][10] possibly after the Battle of Badr.

[11] There is evidence in Sunni and Shia sources that some of the companions, including Abu Bakr and Umar, had earlier asked for Fatima's hand in marriage but were turned down by Muhammad,[12][10][13] who said he was waiting for the moment fixed by destiny.

[10][5] When Muhammad put forward Ali's proposal to Fatima, she remained silent, which was understood as a tacit agreement.

[24][25] Among others, the Sunni al-Suyuti (d. 1505) ascribes to Muhammad, "God ordered me to marry Fatima to Ali.

[14][26] There is another version of this hadith in the canonical Sunni collection Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, in which Muhammad lauds Ali as the first in Islam, the most knowledgeable, and the most patient of the Muslim community.

[27] Nasr writes that the union of Fatima and Ali holds a special spiritual significance for Muslims for it is seen as the marriage between the "greatest saintly figures" surrounding Muhammad.

[10][30] Shia sources elaborate that Ali worked at various jobs while Fatima was responsible for domestic chores.

[35][13] However, al-Miswar ibn Makhrama, a companion who was nine when Muhammad died, appears to be the sole narrator of an alleged marriage proposal of Ali to Abu Jahl's daughter in Sunni sources.

[36] Buehler suggests that such Sunni traditions that place Ali in a negative light should be treated with caution as they mirror the political agenda of the time.

[10] In Shia sources, by contrast, Fatima is reported to have had a happy marital life, which continued until her death in 11 AH.