It is related that on the night when Fatimah was buried, forty (false) graves were made in the graveyard of al-Baqi’, and when the people were informed of the death of Fatimah, they hastened to al-Baqi’ and found forty fresh graves present. They did not find the grave of Fatimah and started weeping and wailing and reproached one another.
They said to one another, “The Prophet did not leave among you except one daughter and she passed away from the world and was buried, but you could not participate in her burial and funeral, nor can you recognize her grave!”
The elders of the community said, “Go and bring some believing women that they may come and exhume these graves so that we may find the grave of Fatimah. We may then pray upon her and visit her grave.”
When Imam ‘Ali was informed about their plan, he came out of his house in a rage wearing a yellow cloak which he would normally only wear during times of difficulty. He was in such rage that his eyes had turned red and the vein of his neck had swollen with blood! He was leaning upon his sword Dhulfiqar until he entered the graveyard of al-Baqi’ and warned the people about not exhuming the graves.
The people said to one another, “This is ‘Ali b. Abi Talib who has come in such a (mental) state that he swears that if even one stone is turned from upon these graves, he will kill all of you!”
At that moment ‘Umar, accompanied by a group of his adherents, met ‘Ali and said, “O Abal Hasan! What is this that you have done! We will indeed exhume the grave of Zahra and pray upon her!”
Imam ‘Ali grabbed him by his collar, twisted it, and threw him upon the ground. ‘Umar fell down and ‘Ali told him, “O son of the black Abyssinian! I left my right due to fear that men may leave the religion. But in case of the desecration of the grave of Fatimah, I swear by Allah in Whose Hands lies my life, if you do so, I will quench the thirst of the earth with your blood! Do not do it and save yourself!”
Abu Bakr came forward and said, “I request you, due to the right of the Prophet of Allah and by the right of the One who is upon the High Heavens, leave ‘Umar, we will not do that which displeases you.”
Hearing this, ‘Ali released ‘Umar and the people scattered away and resisted from desecrating the grave.
House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi