Abu Bakr’s drive to deprive Lady Fatima az-Zahra (sa) of her property had another underlying motive. Had Abu Bakr admitted Fatima’s (sa) words in regard to Fadak as undisputable facts, she could also claim her husband’s right to leadership, which would force Abu Bakr to hand it back to ‘Ali (as).
Ibn Abil-Hadid said: I asked ‘Ali Ibn Fareqi, a distinguished teacher of Madrassa-Gharbia, Baghdad: “Was Fatima truthful in making the claim (regarding Fadak)?”
He answered: “Yes!”
I said: “Did Abu Bakr know that she [Fatima az-Zahra (sa)] was a truthful woman?”
Again he answered: “Yes.”
I then asked: “Then why did the Caliph not give that which she [(as)] was entitled to back to her?”
At that moment the teacher smiled, and said with great dignity:
“If he had accepted her word on that day and had returned Fadak to her on account of her being a truthful woman and without asking for any witnesses, she could very well use this position for the benefit of her husband on the following day and say:
`My husband, ‘Ali is entitled to the Caliphate,’ and then the Caliph would have been obliged to surrender the Caliphate to ‘Ali on account of his having acknowledged her to be a truthful woman. However, in order to obviate any such claim, or, dispute, he deprived her of her undisputed right!”