(Fatimah (AS

birth

Her birth:

Fatimah (AS) was born on 20th of Jamadi-ala-Thani, five years after the appointment of the Prophet (PBUH), in Mecca. When she was born, she started talking with divine power and announced that: There is no god except Allah, my father is the messenger of Allah and the master of the prophets, my husband is the master of successors and my two sons are the master of grandchildrena. Most of the Shia and some of the Sonny commentators such as Fakhr-e-Razi express that the first verse of Kothar Surah refers to Fatimah (AS) and have known her as Kothar (extreme blessing) and the reason for maintenance and spread of [the] Prophet,s progeny. The last verse of Kothar Surah proves this as Allah tells the Prophet (PBUH): aœYour enemy will be without progenya.

 

Birth of Janabe Fatima - Zahra (Peace be on her).

This Great Lady was the only daughter of the Holy Prophet (saww) and Hazrat Khadijah. She was born in Makkah on Friday, 20th Jamdi-ul-Akhar in the 5th year after the declaration of Prophethood (615 AD).

She was married to the great personality, the 1st Imam, Imam Ali (as). The marriage ceremony took place on Friday, 1st Zilhajj 2 AH.

As a daughter, she loved her parents very much. As a wife, she was very devoted. As a mother, she cared for and brought up wonderful children that they have left marks on the face of the world.

On Fasting She Said:
Imam Sadiq (as) says on the authority of his forefathers that J. Zahra (as) had said that: "The man who is observing a fast would not gain anything, when his tongue, ears, and limbs are not safe from sin." 

House hold affairs:
In the whole world, there was only one house that was free from impurities and that house was of Imam Ali (as) and J. Zahra (as). She being the leader of all the women of the world, she was the torch bearer of the ideals and character of woman hood. 

J Zahra (as) never used to take household duties as a chore for a woman. In the performance of domestic duties, she had faced many obstacles and hardships.

The Infallible daughter of the Holy Prophet (saww) was conscious of her responsibilities and aware that a wife could shape the direction of her husband's activities. Her thinking was that the home is the place of refuge. A place of peace for a man, when he comes back tired from his struggles and dealings with the outside world. A place to re-strengthen his energy and also to gain in him fresh confidence and determination, so that he could be able to tackle his duties.

Imam Musa Al Kadhim (as) says: "The crusade of a woman is to have concern and regard for the husband."

Extracts of J. Zahra's (as) Sermon:
Praise be to Allah, I am thankful to Him for the capabilities that He has given me.

I bear witness that there is no God but Allah who is without a parallel and no one is His partner. This is a call, the essence of which is love and purity. That Allah who cannot be seen with our eyes; our tongue is unable to state His praise. He created all without any earlier precedent.

I bear witness that my father, Messenger of Allah was the slave of Allah and His messenger. He was chosen before he was sent. He was awarded this position before his coming into being.

'O servants of Allah, you are responsible to His "Orders and Prohibitions". His religion and His Revelation. You are, the representative of Allah! and a preacher from His side! And the protector of Allah's right is in your midst [Ali] He who protected the one who brought the testament of Allah to you.

Whatever I am telling, its beginning and its end is the same. I do not indulge into contradictory talk. Whatever, I am telling is stark truth. I do not practise any wrong.

When Allah chose from the dwell of messengers His Messenger (saww), He selected for him the honored place of chosen ones. No sooner than it was done, the discord and envy that was in the hearts, manifested amongst you. The veil of religion was turned up. Those who have lost the correct path, started opening their mouths.

Unknown persons started to show off. Slogans in the interest of falsity were raised, and a conspiracy spread in the society.

The Devil came out of his hole and called you to his side, because he found you waiting for his call and be fooled. He invited you to stay and ignited the fire of anger, the reflection of which became apparent on your face.

This was the reason that you marked somebody's camel apart from your own, and you entered into somebody's river side. You started searching for what was not yours. Finally you started usurping the Government when not many days had passed since the demise of the Prophet (saww). Our woes and wounds were still bleeding, and even the Prophet (saww) was not buried, that you advanced an excuse saying that "A mischief has been averted".

Can there be any greater mischief than the one that has overtaken you. Yes of course hell has taken them in its folds.

This action was not expected from you, What are you doing? Where are you going? When the book of Allah is present in your midst everything in that is glittering and all its signs are fully clear as a Crystal. Its prohibition are apparent and clear, and all orders graphically clear, but you have put them behind your back. Have you turned your face from them? Or you are aiming at something else? Alas! it's to be highly regretted that tyrants have adopted dirty ways, instead of taking up a Qur'anic path.

You have suddenly flared up the fire of mischief, and fanned its flames. You have assented to the talk of the Satan, who was misleading you. You have started to extinguish the light of the Religion of Allah and started obliterating the traditions of the Prophet (saww), and in the pretext of the froth of fermenting milk, you have silently sipped it all.

You were bent on confining the family and progeny of the Prophet (saww) in a corner. We preferred to observe patience, but with sword hanging on our neck and a spear waiting to make a thrust in our chest. 

How wonderful it is that you think that the Almighty Allah has not granted us the right of inheritance, and that we will not get the inheritance of the Prophet (saww). Are you following the rules of the Age of illiteracy. For believers, no decision is better than the decision of Allah.

Are you ignorant of these problems? Yes, you are fully aware of them. The fact is clear as a sun. You know that I am the daughter of the Prophet (saww). 

O' Muslim brethren! Is my inheritance going to be snatched by force? O' son of Qahafa answer me, does Qur'an say that you get your fathers' inheritance and I should not get my fathers' inheritance. Have you purposely disowned the Book of Allah; and have cast it behind your back. Whereas Qur'an says: Sulaiman got his father's (inheritance); Dawood got his fathers'. Regarding Yahya bin Zakariyya He said, "O' Allah: grant me a son, who could be my Successor and of the progeny of Yaqoob."

Have you formed an idea that I will not get my parents inheritance?

Did Allah, reveal a special verse for you, striking out my father from its purview, or you say two persons professing the same religion did not have the right to inherit each other's (property). Is mine and my father's religion not one?

Or do you treat an average follower of Qur'an better than my father and cousin. If it is that case, take my inheritance like a saddled camel waiting to be taken advantage of. Ride it. BUT bear in mind that I will meet you on the day of rising and will put up my demand. 

What an excellent day it would be when Allah will adorn the seat of Justice and Mohammed Mustafa (saww) would be a plaintiff.

 

Fatima Zahra's Birth

The clear disagreement on Fatima's birth date is surprising. Some scholars state that she was born five years after revelation; while others say that she was born two or three years before that; and still others claim that she was born five years before revelation. It should be noted that the first statement was narrated from the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A) a group of Sunni scholars also favor the same viewpoint. On the other hand, Sunni scholars and narrators alone speak of the second date.  
  
 

The following are narrations, which have been cited concerning the date of Fatima Zahra's birth:  
  
 

1. Kafi (Kulayni):  
  
 

"She was born five years after (the beginning of) Prophethood, and three years after Ascension to heaven. When the Prophet died, Fatima was eighteen years old...." 
  
 

2. Al-Manaqib (Ibn Shahr Ashub):  
 

"Fatima was born five years after (the beginning of) Prophethood and three years after Ascension, namely on the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani. She lived eight years in Mecca with her father, and then she immigrated..."  
  
 

3. Al-Bihar: Imam Baqir (A) said:  
 

"Fatima Bint Muhammad was born five years after the (first) revelation to Allah's Messenger. She died when she was eighteen years and seventy-five days old."  
  
 

4. Rawdhat al-Waedin:  
  
 

"Fatima was born five years after the (first) revelation to the Prophet...."  
  
 

5. Iqbal al-Aamal: Sheikh Mufeed in his book Hadaiq Ar-Ryadh, said:  
  
 

"The 20th of Jamadi al-Thani was the birthday of Fatima Zahra during the second year after (the first) revealation."  
  
 

6. Misbah al-Kaf'ami:  
  
 

"Although it has been said that she was born five years after (the first) revelation, (Fatima) was born on Friday the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani, two years after revelation."  
  
 

7. Misbahain:  
  
 

"Friday the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani, two years after revelation, was the birthday of Fatima, as was cited by some narrations. It has been mentioned in a narration that she was born five years after revelation. The Sunnis narrate that she was born five years before revelation."  
  
 

8. Dala'el al-Imamah, on the authority of Imam Sadiq (A): 

"Fatima was born on the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani, forty five years after the Prophet was born...etc." [1] 
  
 

The above-mentioned statements are a selection of narrations from the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A) and the old Shiite scholars (may Allah bless their souls) declaring that Fatima Zahra's birth took place after revelation. Contrary to this, the Sunni scholars have stated:  
  
 

1. Ma'refat As-Sahabah by Abu Nu'eym:  
 

"Fatima was the youngest of Allah's Messenger's daughters. She was born while Quraish was building Kaaba."  
  
 

2. Maqatil At-Talibin by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani:  
  
 

"Fatima's birth took place before revelation, during the time that Quraish was building Kaaba."  
  
 

3. Ibn al-Athir in al-Muhktar Fi Manaqib al-Akhiar.  
  
 

4. Tabari in Dhakhaer al-Uqbi.  
 

5. Suyuti in Ath-Thughour al-Basimah.  
 

Perhaps more research would reveal that the Sunnis adopted this viewpoint in most of their books.  
  
 

After briefly examining the above-mentioned narrations and in view of the fact that neither Ascension nor Revelation took place before the beginning of Prophethood, it becomes clear that Lady Fatima Zahra's birth was after revelation. Therefore, the falsity of the traditions, which claim that she was born five years prior to the first revelation, becomes obvious.  
  
 

There are two motives which can be cited for those who made such false claims: The first is to refute the prophetic traditions which reveal the story of heavenly food and that Fatima was born from sperm produced from an apple that came from paradise.  
 

The second is to prove that Fatima Zahra was unattractive to the point that she became eighteen years old before anyone asked to marry her.  
  
 

(More light will be shed on this subject when we elaborate on Fatima's marriage.)  
  
 

Nevertheless, Tabari in Dhakhaer al-Uqbi, Asfuri Shafe'i in Nuzhat al-Majalis and Qanduzi in Yanabea al-Mawaddah narrated that Khadija (A) said: 

"... Then, when (Fatima's) delivery came near, I sent for the Quraishan midwives who refused to help me because of Muhammad (S). During childbirth, four ladies whose beauty and brilliance were indescribable entered the house'. 

One of them said: 

"I am your Mother Eve"

The second said:  
  
 

"I am Umme Kulthum, Musa's sister" 
 

The third said:  
  
 

"I am Mariam, and we have come to help you." 
  
 

Here is the same narration but in a different manner: 

'When Khadija was about to deliver, she sent for the Quraishan women to help her give birth to her child. They refused and said: 'We will not help you; for you became Muhammad's wife.'

In the meantime, four women entered the house; their beauty and brilliance cannot be described.One of them said: 

'I am your Mother Eve.'

The second said: 

`I am Asiya Bint Muzahim.'

The third said: 

'I am Kulthum, Musa's sister.'

The fourth said: 

"I am Mariam Bint Imran, (Isa's mother). We have come to deliver your child. "

Fatima was then born. 

"When Fatima fell on the ground, she was in a prostrating position, raising her finger." 
  
 

Furthermore, the detailed narration was mentioned by al-Mufaddal Ibn Amr on the authority of Imam Sadiq (A) in v.1 of Al-Bihar by Al-Majlisi.  
  
 

In addition to what we have already mentioned about Fatima's birth, Ibn Asaker in At-Tarikh al-Kabir said: 

"Khadija gave her children to other women for nursing; but when Fatima was born, Khadija herself nursed her."

Thiswas also stated by Ibn Kathir in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah.  
 

References:

The above mentioned narrations were recorded in Bihar: v.10.

Khadija Daughter of Khuwaylid Wife of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

INTRODUCTION:

If you wish to research the life of this great lady, and if you do not have al-Majlisi's voluminous [110 Vol.] encyclopedia titled Bihar al-Anwar, the best references are: al-Sayyuti's Tarikh al Khulafa, Abul-Faraj al-Isfahani's Aghani, Ibn Hisham's Seera, Muhammad ibn Ishaq's Seerat Rasool-Allah, and Tarikh al-rusul wal muluk by Abu Ja`far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (839-923 A.D.). Of all these books, only al-Tabari's Tarikh is being translated (by more than one translator and in several volumes) into English. One publisher of Tabari's Tarikh is the press of the State University of New York (SUNY). This article has utilized a number of Arabic and English references, and it is written especially for those who appreciate history, our great teacher, be they Muslims or non-Muslims, and who aspire to learn from it.

"Islam did not rise except through Ali's sword and Khadija's wealth," a saying goes. Khadija al-Kubra daughter of Khuwaylid ibn (son of) Asad ibn Abdul-`Uzza ibn Qusayy belonged to the clan of Banu Hashim of the tribe of Banu Asad. She was a distant cousin of her husband the Messenger of Allah Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, Allah's peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. Qusayy, then, is the ancestor of all clans belonging to Quraysh. According to some historians, Quraysh's real name was Fahr, and he was son of Malik son of Madar son of Kananah son of Khuzaimah son of Mudrikah son of Ilyas son of Mazar son of Nazar son of Ma`ad son of Adnan son of Isma`eel (Ishmael) son of Ibrahim (Abraham) son of Sam son of Noah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon the prophets from among his ancestors. According to a number of sources, Khadija was born in 565 A.D. and died one year before the Hijra (migration of the Holy Prophet and his followers from Mecca to Medina) in 623 A.D. at the age of 58, but some historians say that she lived to be 65. Khadija's mother, who died around 575 A.D., was Fatima daughter of Za'ida ibn al-Asam of Banu `Amir ibn Luayy ibn Ghalib, also a distant relative of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Khadija's father, who died around 585 A.D., belonged to the Abd al-`Uzza clan of the tribe of Quraysh and, like many other Qurayshis, was a merchant, a successful businessman whose vast wealth and business talents were inherited by Khadija and whom the latter succeeded in faring with the family's vast wealth. It is said that when Quraysh's trade caravans gathered to embark upon their lengthy and arduous journey either to Syria during the summer or to Yemen during the winter, Khadija's caravan equalled the caravans of all other traders of Quraysh put together.

Although the society in which Khadija was born was a terribly male chauvinistic one, Khadija earned two titles: Ameerat-Quraysh, Princess of Quraysh, and al-Tahira, the Pure One, due to her impeccable personality and virtuous character, not to mention her honorable descent. She used to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and even provide for the marriage of those of her kin who could not otherwise have had means to marry.

By 585 A.D., Khadija was left an orphan. Despite that, and after having married twice- and twice lost her husband to the ravaging wars with which Arabia was afflicted- she had no mind to marry a third time though she was sought for marriage by many honorable and highly respected men of the Arabian peninsula throughout which she was quite famous due to her business dealings. She simply hated the thought of being widowed for a third time. Her first husband was Abu (father of) Halah Hind ibn Zarah who belonged to Banu `Adiyy, and the second was Ateeq ibn `Aaith. Both men belonged to Banu Makhzoom. By her first husband, she gave birth to a son who was named after his father Hind and who came to be one of the greatest sahabah (companions of the Holy Prophet). He participated in both battles of Badr and Uhud, and he is also famous for describing the Prophet's physique; he was martyred during the Battle of the Camel in which he fought on the side of Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), although some historians say that he died in Basrah. All biography accounts describe Hind as an outspoken orator, a man of righteousness and generosity, and one who took extreme caution while quoting the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Besides him, Khadija gave birth by Abu Halah to two other sons: al-Tahir, and, of course, Halah, who is not very well known to historians despite the fact that his father is nicknamed after him.

Who were Khadija's children by her second husband? This is another controversy that revolves round the other daughters or step-daughters of the Prophet (pbuh) besides Fatima (as). These daughters, chronologically arranged, are: Zainab, Ruqayya, and Ummu Kulthoom. Some historians say that these were Khadija's daughters by her second husband, whereas others insist they were her daughters by Muhammad (pbuh). The first view is held by Sayyid Safdar Husayn in his book The Early History of Islam wherein he bases his conclusion on the contents of al-Sayyuti's famous work Tarikh al-khulafa wal muluk (history of the caliphs and kings). We hope some of our Muslim sisters who read this text will be tempted to research this subject. Here is a brief account of Khadija's daughters:

Zainab, their oldest, was born before the prophetic mission and was married to Abul-`As ibn al-Rabee`. She had accepted Islam before her husband, and she participated in the migration from Mecca to Medina. She died early in 8 A.H. and was buried in Jannatul Baqee` where her grave can still be seen defying the passage of time. Ruqayya and Ummu Kulthoom married two of Abu Lahab's sons. Abu Lahab, one of the Prophet's uncles, stubbornly and openly rejected his nephew's preaching; therefore, he was condemned in the Mecci Chapter 111 of the Holy Qur'an, a chapter named after him. Having come to know about such a condemnation, he became furious and said to his sons, "There shall be no kinship between you and me unless you part with these daughters of Muhammad," whereupon they divorced them instantly. Ruqayya married the third caliph `Uthman ibn `Affan and migrated with him to Ethiopia in 615 A.D., five years after the inception of the prophetic mission, accompanied by no more than nine others. That was the first of two such migrations. After coming back home, she died in Medina in 2 A.H. and was buried at Jannatul Baqee`. `Uthman then married her sister Ummu Kulthoom in Rabi` al-Awwal of the next (third) Hijri year. Ummu Kulthoom lived with her husband for about six years before dying in 9 A.H., leaving no children.

One particular quality in Khadija was quite interesting, probably more so than any of her other qualities mentioned above: she, unlike her people, never believed in nor worshipped idols. There was a very small number of Christians and Jews in Mecca, and a fairly large number of Jews in Medina. Waraqah ibn Nawfal, one of Khadija's cousins, had embraced Christianity and was a pious monk who believed in the Unity of the Almighty, just as all early Christians did, that is, before the concept of the Trinity crept into the Christian faith, widening the theological differences among the believers in Christ (as). He reportedly had translated the Bible from Hebrew into Arabic. His likes could be counted on the fingers of one hand during those days in the entire populous metropolis of Mecca, or Becca, or Ummul-Qura (the mother town), a major commercial center at the crossroads of trade caravans linking Arabia with India, Persia, China, and Byzantium, a city that had its own Red Sea port at Shu`ayba. Most importantly, Mecca housed the Ka`ba, the cubic "House of God" which has always been sought for pilgrimage and which used to be circled by naked polytheist "pilgrims" who kept their idols, numbering 360 small and big, male and female, inside it and on its roof-top. Among those idols was one for Abraham and another for Ishmael, each carrying divine arrows in his hands. Hubal, a huge idol in the shape of a man, was given as a gift by the Moabites of Syria to the tribesmen of Khuza`ah, and it was Mecca's chief idol. Two other idols of significance were those of the Lat, a grey granite image which was the deity of Thaqif in nearby Taif, and the Uzza, also a block of granite about twenty feet long. These were regarded as the wives of the Almighty... Each tribe had its own idol, and the wealthy bought and kept a number of idols at home. The institute of pilgrimage was already there; it simply was not being observed properly, and so was the belief in Allah Whom the Arabs regarded as their Supreme deity. Besides Paganism, other "religions" in Arabia included star worship and fetishism.

The Jews of Medina had migrated from Palestine and settled there waiting for the coming of a new Prophet from the seed of Abraham (as) in whom they said they intended to believe and to be the foremost in following, something which unfortunately did not materialize; on the contrary, they joined ranks with the Pagans to fight the spread of Islam. Only a handful of them embraced Islam, including one man who was a neighbor of Muhammad (pbuh); he lived in the same alley in Mecca where Khadija's house stood; his wife, also Jewish, used to collect dry thorny bushes from the desert just to throw them in the Prophet's way.

Since Khadija did not travel with her trade caravans, she had always had to rely on someone else to act as her agent to trade on her behalf and to receive an agreed upon commission in return. In 595 A.D., Khadija needed an agent to trade in her merchandise going to Syria, and it was then that a number of agents whom she knew before and trusted, as well as some of her own relatives, particularly Abu Talib, suggested to her to employ her distant cousin Muhammad ibn Abdullah (pbuh) who, by then, had earned the honoring titles of al-Sadiq, the truthful, and al-Amin, the trustworthy. Muhammad (pbuh) did not have any practical business experience, but he had twice accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on his trade trips and keenly observed how he traded, bartered, bought and sold and conducted business; after all, the people of Quraysh were famous for their involvement in trade more than in any other profession. It was not uncommon to hire an agent who did not have a prior experience; so, Khadija decided to give Muhammad (pbuh) a chance. He was only 25 years old. Khadija sent Muhammad (pbuh) word through Khazimah ibn Hakim, one of her relatives, offering him twice as much commission as she usually offered her agents to trade on her behalf. She also gave him one of her servants, Maysarah, who was young, brilliant, and talented, to assist him and be his bookkeeper. She also trusted Maysarah's account regarding her new employee's conduct, an account which was most glaring, indeed one which encouraged her to abandon her insistence never to marry again.

Before embarking upon his first trip as a businessman representing Khadija, Muhammad (pbuh) met with his uncles for last minute briefings and consultations, then he set out on the desert road passing through Wadi al-Qura, Midian, and Diyar Thamud, places with which he was familiar because of having been there at the age of twelve in the company of his uncle Abu Talib. He continued the lengthy journey till he reached Busra (or Bostra) on the highway to the ancient city of Damascus after about a month. It was then the capital of Hawran, one of the southeastern portions of the province of Damascus situated north of the Balqa'. To scholars of classic literature, Hawran is known by its Greek name Auranitis, and it is described in detail by Yaqut al-Hamawi, Abul-Faraj al-Isfahani, and others. Arab trade caravans used to go there quite often and even beyond it to Damascus and Gaza, and few made it all the way to Mediterranean shores to unload their precious cargoes of Chinese paper and silk textiles bound for Europe.

What items did Muhammad (pbuh) carry with him to Busra, and what items did he buy from there? Meccans were not known to be skilled craftsmen, nor did they excel in any profession besides trade, but young Muhammad (pbuh) might have carried with him a cargo of hides, raisins, perfumes, dried dates, light weight woven items, probably silver bars, and most likely some herbs. He bought what he was instructed by his employer to buy: these items may have included manufactured goods, clothes, a few luxury items to sell to wealthy Meccans, and maybe some household goods. Gold and silver currency accepted in Mecca included Roman, Persian, and Indian coins, for Arabs during those times, including those who were much more sophisticated than the ones among whom Muhammad (pbuh) grew up such as the Arabs of the southern part of Arabia (Yemen, Hadramout, etc.), did not have a currency of their own; so, barter was more common than cash. The first Arab Islamic currency, by the way, was struck in Damascus by the Umayyad ruler Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan (697-698 A.D.) in 78 A.H., 36 years after the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty (661-750).

The time Muhammad (pbuh) stayed in Busra was no more than a couple of months during which he met many Christians and Jews and noticed the theological differences among the major Christian sects that led to the disassociation of the Copts, the Syrian (Chaldean) Nestorian, and the Armenian Christians from the main churches of Antioch (Antakiya), Rome, and Egyptian Alexandria. Such dissensions and differences of theological viewpoints provided Muhammad (pbuh) with plenty of food for thought; he contemplated upon them a great deal. He was seen once by Nestor the monk sitting in the shade of a tree as caravans entered the outskirts of Busra, not far from the monk's small monastery. "Who is the man beneath that tree?" inquired Nestor of Maysarah. "A man of Quraysh," Maysarah answered, adding, "of the people [the Hashemites] who have guardianship of the Sanctuary." "None other than a Prophet is sitting beneath that tree," said Nestor who had observed some of the signs indicative of Prophethood: two angels (or, according to other reports, two small clouds) were shading Muhammad (pbuh) from the oppressive heat of the sun. "Is there a glow, a slight redness, around his eyes that never parts with him?" Nestor asked Maysarah. When the latter answered in the affirmative, Nestor said, "He most surely is the very last Prophet; congratulations to whoever believes in him."

One of Muhammad's observations when he was in that Syrian city was the historical fact that a feud was brewing between the Persian and Roman empires, each vying for hegemony over Arabia's fertile crescent. Indeed, such an observation was quite accurate, for after only a few years, a war broke out between the then mightiest nations on earth that ended with the Romans losing it, as the Holy Qur'an tells us in Chapter 30 (The Romans), which was revealed in 7 A.H./615-16 A.D., only a few months after the fall of Jerusalem to the Persians, just to win in a successive one. Only four years prior to that date, the Persians had scored a sweeping victory over the Christians, spreading their control over Aleppo, Antioch, and even Damascus. Muhammad (pbuh) was concerned about either of these two empires extending its control over the land inhabited by Muhammad's Pagan fiercely independent Pagan people. The loss of Jerusalem, birthplace of Christ Jesus son of Mary (as), was a heavy blow to the prestige of Christianity. Most Persians were then following Zoroastrianism, a creed introduced in the 6th century before Christ by Zoroaster (628-551 B.C.), also known as Zarathustra, whose adherents are described as worshippers of the "pyre," the holy fire. "Persia," hence, meant "the land of the worshippers of the pyre, the sacred fire." Modern day Iran used to be known as "Aryana," land of the Aryan nations and tribes. Not only Iranians, but also Kurds, and even Germans, prided in being Aryans, (Caucasian) Nordics or speakers of an Indo-European dialect. Some Persians had converted to Christianity as we know from Salman al-Farisi who was one such adherent till he fell in captivity, sold in Mecca and freed to be one of the most renown and cherished sahabis and narrators of hadith in Islamic history, so much so that the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) said, "Salman is one of us, we Ahl al-Bayt (People of the Household of Prophethood)."

The war referred to above was between the then Byzantine (Eastern Roman) emperor Heraclius (575 - 641 A.D.) and the Persian king Khusrau (Khosrow) Parwiz (Parviz) or Chosroes II (d. 628 A.D.). It was one of many wars in which those mighty nations were embroiled and which continued for many centuries. Yet the hands of Divine Providence were already busy paving the path for Islam: the collision between both empires paved the way for the ultimate destruction of the ancient Persian empire and in Islam setting root in that important part of the world. Moreover, Muhammad's (and, naturally, Khadija's) offspring came to marry ladies who were born and raised at Persian as well as Roman palaces. Imam Husain ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), Muhammad's grandson and our Third Holy Imam, married the daughter of the last Persian emperor Jazdagird (Yazdegerd) III son of Shahryar and grandson of this same Khusrau II. Jazdagerd ruled Persia from 632-651 A.D. and lost the Battle of Qadisiyyah to the Muslim forces in 636, thus ending the rule of the Sassanians. Having been defeated, he fled for Media in northwestern Iran, homeland of Persian Mede tribesmen, and from there to Merv, an ancient Central Asian city near modern day Mary in Turkmenistan (until very recently one of the republics of the Soviet Union), where he was killed by a miller. The slain emperor left two daughters who, during their attempt to escape, following the murder of their father, were caught and sold as slaves. One of them, Shah-Zenan, ended up marrying our Third Holy Imam Husain ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), whereas her sister married the renown scholar and acclaimed muhaddith (traditionist) Muhammad son of the first Muslim caliph Abu Bakr. Shah-Zenan was awarded a royal treatment and was given a new name in her own Persian mother tongue: Shahr Banu, which means "mistress of the ladies of the city." The marriage between her and Imam Husain (as) produced our Fourth Holy Imam (Zainul-Abidin, or al-Sajjad) Ali ibn al-Husain ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (as).

The profits Khadija reaped from that trip were twice as much as she had anticipated. Maysarah was more fascinated by Muhammad (pbuh) than by anything related to the trip. Muhammad (pbuh), on the other hand, brought back his impressions about what he had seen and heard, impressions which he related to his mistress. You see, those trade caravans were the only links contemporary Arabs had with their outside world: they brought them the news of what was going on beyond their drought-ridden and famine-stricken desert and sand dunes.

Waraqah ibn Nawfal, like Bahirah, the monk who had seen and spoken to Muhammad (pbuh) when Muhammad (pbuh) was a lad, adhered to the Nestorian Christian sect. He heard the accounts about the personality and conduct of young Muhammad (pbuh) from both his cousin Khadija and her servant Maysarah, an account which caused him to meditate for a good while and think about what he had heard. Raising his head, he said to Khadija, "Such manners are fit only for the messengers of God. Who knows? Maybe this young man is destined to be one of them." This statement was confirmed a few years later, and Waraqah was the very first man who identified Muhammad (pbuh) as the Messenger of Allah immediately after Muhammad (pbuh) received the first revelation at Hira cave.

The trip's measure of success encouraged Khadija to employ Muhammad (pbuh) again on the winter trip to southern Arabia, i.e. Yemen, the land that introduced the coffee beans to the rest of the world, the land where the renown Ma'rib irrigation dam was engineered, the land of Saba' and the renown Balqees, the Arabian Queen of Sheba (Saba') of Himyar, who married King Solomon (Sulayman the wise, peace be upon him), in 975 B.C. (after the completion of the construction of the famous Solomon's Temple [1]), the land of natives skilled in gold, silver and other metal handicrafts, not to mention their ingenuity in the textile industry and domestic furniture..., and it may even be the land that gave Arabic its first written script which, as some believe, was modelled after written Amheric, then the official language in Ethiopia and its colonies. Yemen, at that time, was being ruled by an Ethiopian regent. This time Khadija offered Muhammad (pbuh) three times the usual commission. Unfortunately, historians do not tell us much about this second trip except that it was equally profitable to both employer and employee. Some historians do not mention this trip at all.

Khadija was by then convinced that she had finally found a man who was worthy of her, so much so that she initiated the marriage proposal herself. Muhammad (pbuh) sat to detail all the business transactions in which he became involved on her behalf, but the wealthy and beautiful lady of Quraysh was thinking more about her distant cousin than about those transactions. She simply fell in love with Muhammad (pbuh) just as the daughter of the Arabian prophet Shu`ayb had fallen in love with then fugitive prophet Moses (as). Muhammad (pbuh) was of medium stature, inclined to slimness, with a large head, broad shoulders and the rest of his body perfectly proportioned. His hair and beard were thick and black, not altogether straight but slightly curled. His hair reached midway between the lobes of his ears and shoulders, and his beard was of a length to match. He had a noble breadth of forehead and the ovals of his large eyes were wide, with exceptionally long lashes and extensive brows, slightly arched but not joined. His eyes were said to have been black, but other accounts say they were brown, or light brown. His nose was aquiline and his mouth was finely shaped. Although he let his beard grow, he never allowed the hair of his moustache to protrude over his upper lip. His skin was white but tanned by the sun. And there was a light on his face, a glow, the same light that had shone from his father, but it was more, much more powerful, and it was especially apparent on his broad forehead and in his eyes which were remarkably luminous.

By the time he was gone, Khadija sought the advice of a friend of hers named Nufaysa daughter of Umayyah. The latter offered to approach him on her behalf and, if possible, arrange a marriage between them. Nufaysa came to Muhammad (pbuh) and asked him why he had not married yet. "I have no means to marry," he answered. "But if you were given the means," she said, "and if you were bidden to an alliance where there is beauty and wealth and nobility and abundance, would you not then consent?" "Who is she?!" he excitedly inquired. "Khadija," said Nufaysa. "And how could such a marriage be mine?!" he asked. "Leave that to me!" was her answer. "For my part," he said, "I am willing." Nufaysa returned with these glad tidings to Khadija who then sent word to Muhammad (pbuh) asking him to come to her. When he came, she said to him: 

O son of my uncle! I love you for your kinship with me, and for that you are ever in the center, not being a partisan among the people for this or for that. And I love you for your trustworthiness, and for the beauty of your character and the truth of your speech.

Then she offered herself in marriage to him, and they agreed that he should speak to his uncles and she would speak to her uncle `Amr son of Asad, since her father had died. It was Hamzah, despite being relatively young, whom the Hashemites delegated to represent them on this marriage occasion, since he was most closely related to them through the clan of Asad; his sister Safiyya had just married Khadija's brother `Awwam. It was Abu Talib, Muhammad's uncle, who delivered the marriage sermon saying, 

All praise is due to Allah Who has made us the progeny of Ibrahim (Abraham), the seed of Isma`eel (Ishmael), the descendants of Ma`ad, the substance of Mudar, and Who made us the custodians of His House and the servants of its sacred precincts, making for us a House sought for pilgrimage and a shrine of security, and He also gave us authority over the people. This nephew of mine Muhammad (pbuh) cannot be compared with any other man: if you compare his wealth with that of others, you will not find him a man of wealth, for wealth is a vanishing shadow and a fickle thing. Muhammad (pbuh) is a man whose lineage you all know, and he has sought Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid for marriage, offering her such-and-such of the dower of my own wealth.

Nawfal then stood and said, 

All praise is due to Allah Who has made us just as you have mentioned and preferred us over those whom you have indicated, for we, indeed, are the masters of Arabs and their leaders, and you all are worthy of this (bond of marriage). The tribe (Quraysh) does not deny any of your merits, nor does anyone else dispute your lofty status and prestige. And we, furthermore, wish to be joined to your rope; so, bear witness to my words, O people of Quraysh! I have given Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid in marriage to Muhammad ibn Abdullah for the dower of four hundred dinars.

Then Nawfal paused, whereupon Abu Talib said to him, "I wished her uncle had joined you (in making this statement)." Hearing that, Khadija's uncle stood and said, "Bear witness, O men of Quraysh, that I have given Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid in marriage to Muhammad ibn Abdullah."

These details and more are recorded in Ibn Hisham's Seera. After his marriage, Muhammad (pbuh) moved from his uncle's house to live with his wife in her house which stood at the smiths' market, an alley branching out of metropolitan Mecca's long main bazaar, behind the mas`a, the place where the pilgrims perform the seven circles during the hajj or `umra. In that house Fatima (as) was born and the revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) many times. This house, as well as the one in which the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) was born (which stood approximately 50 meters northwards), were both demolished by the ignorant and fanatical Wahhabi rulers of Saudi Arabia last year (1413 A.H./1993 A.D.) and turned into public bathrooms. The grave sites of many family members and companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) were all demolished by the same Wahhabis in 1343 A.H./1924 A.D. against the wish and despite the denunciation of the adherents of all other Muslim sects and schools of thought world-wide.

The marriage was a very happy one, and it produced a lady who was one of the four perfect women in all the history of mankind: Fatima daughter of Muhammad (pbuh). Before her, Qasim and Abdullah were born, but they both died at infancy.

By the time Khadija got married, she was quite a wealthy lady, so wealthy that she felt no need to keep trading and increasing her wealth; instead, she decided to retire and enjoy a comfortable life with her husband who, on his part, preferred an ascetic life to that of money making. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had no desire to accumulate wealth; that was not the purpose for which he, peace and blessings of Allah upon him and his progeny, was created. He was created to be savior of mankind from the darkness of ignorance, idol worship, polytheism, misery, poverty, injustice, oppression, and immorality. He very much loved to meditate, though his meditation deepened his grief at seeing his society sunk so low in immorality, lawlessness, and the absence of any sort of protection for those who were weak and oppressed. Khadija's period of happiness lasted no more than 15 years after which her husband, now the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), started his mission to invite people to the Oneness of God, to equality between men and women, and to an end to the evils of the day. Muhammad (pbuh) was forty years old when the first verses of the Holy Qur'an were revealed to him. They were the first verses of Surat al-Alaq (chapter 96), and they were revealed during the month of Ramadan 13 years before the Hijra, at the cave of Hira in Jabal al-Noor (the mountain of light), his favorite place for isolation and meditation, a place which is now visited by many pilgrims. Muhammad (pbuh) went back home heavy-hearted, profoundly perplexed, deeply impressed by the sight of arch-angel Gabriel and by the depth of meaning implied in those beautiful words: 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful 
Proclaim (or read)! In the Name of your Lord and Cherisher who created (everything). (He) created man of a (mere) clot of congealed blood. Proclaim! And your Lord is the Most Bountiful Who taught (the use of) the pen, Who taught man that which he knew not... (Qur'an, 96:1-5)

He felt feverish, so he asked to be wrapped and, once he felt better, he narrated what he had seen and heard to his faithful and supportive wife. "By Allah," Khadija said, "Allah shall never subject you to any indignity..., for you always maintain your ties with those of your kin, and you are always generous in giving; you are diligent, and you seek what others regard as unattainable; you cool the eyes of your guest, and you lend your support to those who seek justice and redress. Stay firm, O cousin, for by Allah I know that He will not deal with you except most beautifully, and I testify that you are the awaited Prophet in this nation, and your time, if Allah wills, has come." After a short while, Khadija told her husband about the prediction of the Syrian monk Buhayra regarding Muhammad's Prophethood, and about her dialogue with both her servant Maysarah, who had informed her of what Bahirah (or Buhayrah) had said, and with her cousin Waraqah ibn Nawfal. She then accompanied her husband to Waraqah's house to narrate the whole incident. "Let me hear it in your own words," Nawfal said to Muhammad (pbuh), adding, "O noble master!" Having heard the Prophet's words, Nawfal took his time to select his words very carefully; he said, "By Allah, this is the prediction which had been conveyed to Moses (as) and with which the Children of Israel are familiar! [Moses] had said: `O how I wish I could be present when Muhammad (pbuh) is delegated with Prophethood to support his mission and to assist him!'"

It was only natural for Khadija to receive her share of the harassment meted to him by none other than those who, not long ago, used to call him al-Sadiq, al-Amin. Khadija did not hesitate to embrace Islam at all, knowing that her husband could not have put forth any false claim. Yahya ibn `Afeef is quoted saying that he once came, during the period of jahiliyya (before the advent of Islam), to Mecca to be hosted by al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, one of the Prophet's uncles mentioned above. "When the sun started rising," says he, "I saw a man who came out of a place not far from us, faced the Ka`ba and started performing his prayers. He hardly started before being joined by a young boy who stood on his right side, then by a woman who stood behind them. When he bowed down, the young boy and the woman bowed, and when he stood up straight, they, too, did likewise. When he prostrated, they, too, prostrated." Then he expressed his amazement at that, saying to al-Abbas: "This is quite strange, O Abbas!" "Is it, really?" retorted al-Abbas. "Do you know who he is?" al-Abbas asked his guest who answered in the negative. "He is Muhammad ibn Abdullah, my nephew. Do you know who the young boy is?" asked he again. "No, indeed," answered the guest. "He is Ali son of Abu Talib. Do you know who the woman is?" The answer came again in the negative, to which al-Abbas said, "She is Khadija daughter of Khuwaylid, my nephew's wife." This incident is included in the books of both Imam Ahmad and al-Tirmithi, each detailing it in his own Sahih. And she bore patiently in the face of persecution to which her revered husband and his small band of believers were exposed at the hands of the polytheists and aristocrats of Quraysh, sacrificing her vast wealth to promote Islam, seeking Allah's Pleasure.

Among Khadija's merits was her being one of the four most perfect of all women of mankind, the other three being: Fatima daughter of Muhammad (pbuh), Maryam bint `Umran (Mary daughter of Amram), mother of Christ (as) and niece of prophet Zakariyya and Ishba (Elizabeth), and `Asiya daughter of Muzahim, wife of Pharaoh. Prophet Zakariyya, as the reader knows, was the father of Yahya (John the Baptist), the latter being only a few months older than prophet Jesus (as). The Prophet of Islam (pbuh) used to talk about Khadija quite often after her demise, so much so that his youngest wife, `Ayesha daughter of Abu Bakr, felt extremely jealous and said to him, "... But she was only an old woman with red eyes, and Allah has compensated you with a better and younger wife (meaning herself)." This caused him (pbuh) to be very indignant, and he said, "No, indeed; He has not compensated me with someone better than her. She believed in me when all others disbelieved; she held me truthful when others called me a liar; she sheltered me when others abandoned me; she comforted me when others shunned me; and Allah granted me children by her while depriving me of children by other women." Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Abu Hatim, al-Dulabi, al-Tabari, and many others, all quote `Ayesha saying: "One day, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) mentioned Khadija affectionately, so I was carried away by jealousy and said about her what I should not have said. It was then that his face changed color in a way I never saw it change except when he (pbuh) was receiving revelation, so I realized what I had done and felt overwhelmed by regret to the extent that I could not help uttering these words: `O Lord! If You remove the anger of Your Messenger right now, I pledge not to ever speak ill of her as long as I live.' Having seen that, he forgave me and narrated to me some of her merits." Both Muslim and Bukhari indicate in their respective Sahih books that among Khadija's merits was the fact that the Lord of Dignity ordered Jibraeel (Gabriel), peace be upon him, to convey His regards to her. Gabriel said to Muhammad (pbuh): "O Muhammad! Khadija is bringing you a bowl of food; when she comes to you, tell her that her Lord greets her, and convey my greeting, too, to her." When he (pbuh) did so, she said: "Allah is the Peace, and He is the source of all peace, and upon Gabriel be peace." Khadija died of an attack of fever on the tenth or eleventh day of the month of Ramadan, ten years after the start of the Prophetic mission (in the year 619 A.D.), 24 years after her marriage with Muhammad (pbuh), and she was buried at Hajun in the outskirts of Mecca. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) dug her grave and buried her... Funeral prayers (salat al janaza) had not yet been mandated in Islam. It is reported that by the time she died, her entire wealth had already been spent to promote Islam; she left not a single gold dinar nor a single silver dirham, nor anything more or less... 

O soul that are at rest! Return to your Lord,
well-pleased (with Him),well-pleasing (Him),
so enter among My servants, and enter into My garden.
(Qur'an, 89:27-30) 

 

Her father and mother:

As we said, her father was Mohammad“bin-Abdullah (PBUH)-the Great Prophet (PBUH)of Islam, the last prophet and the best creature. Her mother was Khadijeh-bent-Khuavlid, one of the richest women of Ghoraish, who spent all her wealth on propagating Islam and did not even have a shroud when she died. She was so famous for her chastity that people called her Tahereh (pure) before Islam. She was the first woman who converted to Islam.

Fatima (AS) after Prophet,s (PBUH) Death:

   Fatimah (AS) was mournful after Prophetas (PBUH) death. Not only had she lost her father, but also the best creature and seal of the prophets. The one who had high moral virtues and was said to have good humor by Allah and the one by whom revelation ended. Moreover, his successoras right was usurped and Islam was getting out of its correct way. Fatimah (AS) never hid her sorrow. Sometimes she went to Prophetas (PBUH) shrine and mourned there and sometimes to the shrines of Ohod martyrs and Hamzeh (AS), Prophetas (PBUH) uncle. Even when women of Medinah asked the reason of her sorrow, she clearly noticed the death of Prophet (PBUH) and usurpation His successoras right.

   It hadnat passed much long from Prophetas death that his recommendation and conveying Allahas command on Ghadir, introducing Ali as Muslimas ruler was forgotten and they gathered in a placed named Saghifah and chose one as their ruler and began to get people swear allegiance. Therefore some of the Muslim gathered in Fatimahas house showing their objection to usurpation of governorship and ignoring Allahas command appointing Ali as Muslimas ruler. When Abubakr, who was chosen only by the people gathering in Saghifah got aware of this meeting, he sent Omar to Fatimahas (AS) house in order to bring Imame Ali (AS) and the others to the mosque for swearing allegiance by force. So, Omar and some others went there carrying some fire. When he arrived there, Fatimah (AS) came behind the door and asked the reason for his coming. Omar answered to take Imame Ali (AS) and the others to mosque for swearing allegiance Fatimah (AS) prohibited them not to do this and reproached them. Therefore some of the people following Omar dispersed. At this time Omar threatened to put the house with all the people inside in fire knowing that Fatimah (AS) is inside. Then, some of the objectors exited the house and Omar fought them and broke some of their swords. But still Imame Ali (AS), Fatimah (AS) and their children were inside. Then Omar ordered some firewood and put the door in fire and entered the house by force and inspected the house with his followers and then carried Imame Ali (AS) by dragging, reluctantly, by force to the mosque. During these happenings, Fatimah (AS) was injured a lot and experienced great hardship but she didnat calm down and went to the mosque because of her duty to defend her Imame of time and addressed Omar and Abubakr and the others and cautioned them of Allahas anger and punishment, but they continued what they were doing.

   Fatima (AS) was also oppressed on Fadak after the Prophetas (PBUH) death. Fadak is a village 165 kilometers from Medina, which has productive soil and a spring and lots of date palms. Fadak belonged to Jewish and they granted it to the Prophet (PBUH) without any wars. So it was of œAnfal, which belongs to Allah and Prophet (PBUH) as the holy Quran says. After the verse œgive your family their rights came down the Prophet (PBUH) granted Fadak to Fatima (AS) as Allah had ordered. Imame Ali (AS) and Fatimah (AS) had some agents in Fadak who worked there and sent the income for Fatimah (AS) after harvest. She gave the agentsa salary first and divided the remaining among the poor, although her living was as simple as possible. They sometimes granted their daily food and slept hungry, but considered the poor first and this was sincerely for Allah (as mentioned in the beginning of Dahr Surah). After the death of the Prophet (PBUH), Abubakr imputed a narrative to the Prophet (PBUH) saying that prophets bequeath nothing, and claimed that Prophetas inheritance belonged to all Muslims. Fatima (AS) defended her right in two ways. First she introduced some people witnessing that Prophet (PBUH) had granted Fadak to her when He was alive, and so Fadak was not an inheritance. Then, she made a resplendent speech containing deep meanings about Monotheism, Prophecy and Imamah, in Prophetas mosque. She proved invalidity of Abubakras claim in this extremely eloquent and clear speech. She asked Abubakr: œWhy do you contradict the holy Quran? and then mentioned some Quran verses naming Soleyman (AS) as Davoodas (AS) heir or saying that Zakaria (AS) asked Allah for a heir of himself and Yaghoobas family. Therefore, assuming that Prophet (PBUH) hadnat granted Fadak to Fatimah (AS) when he was alive, it belonged to Fatima (AS) after His death and the claim that prophets bequeath nothing and imputing it to the Prophet (PBUH) is against the truth according to her proof. Because it is impossible that the Prophet (PBUH) talks in contravention with Allahas sayings, as Allah has insisted on this fact in the holy Quran many times. However, Fadak wasnat returned to its real owner and was usurped. We should notice that Fatimahas (AS) speech and her proof was so clear that nobody was doubtful and many of the denier had accepted it inwardly. Its reason is that Omar, the second caliph, returned Fadak to Imame Ali (AS) and Fatimahas children after Islamic conquest was expanded and the government didnat need Fadakas income. But it was again usurped when Othman was caliph.

 

Fatimah (AS) at home:

Fatimah (AS), with all her virtues, was a good wife for Imam Ali (AS). It has been narrated that Imame Alias (AS) sadness and grief removed whenever he looked at Fatimah (AS). She never asked him for something that he couldnat afford. It is worthy to find out their matrimonial relation from Imame Alias (AS) words as he named Fatimah (AS) the best woman and proud of her and said: I swear to Allah that I never made her angry and never ordered her to do something she didnat like and she also never made me angry  and never disobeyed me.

 

Fatimahas (AS) illness and visiting her:

   Finally, Fatimah (AS) became sick as she was injured terribly in the attack to her home. Sometimes she got up with pains and did the housework, or sometimes went to Prophetas shrine or to Hamzehas and other Ohod martyrsa shrine with her children and told out her grievances there. On one of these days the emigrantsa (Mohajer) and helpersa (Ansar) wives, who were informed of her illness, visited Fatimah (AS). In this visit Fatimah (AS) expressed her dissatisfaction with usurping caliphate and commentated the people who kept quiet about ignoring their divine orders and Prophetas (PBUH) command about Imame Ali (AS) and cautioned them of the result of this happenings and Islamas deviation from its right path and mentioned the blessing which could have been given to them as a result of accomplish of their religious orders and obeying Prophetas (PBUH) real successor.

   It was in these days that Omar and Abubakr went to visit Fatimah (AS). Although Fatimah (AS) rejected them and didnat let them in at first, they finally came to her bed. Then, Fatimah (AS) reminded them Prophetas (PBUH) statement: Anyone who makes Fatimah (AS) angry has made me angry and one who pleases her has pleased me. They confirmed that Prophet (PBUH) had said such a thing. Then, she called Allah and angels to witness that they (Abubakr and Omar) had made her angry and never pleased her and she would certainly complain to the Prophet (PBUH) of them.

Her dignity & knowledge:

Although Fatimah (AS) is not an Imame, but her dignity and position among the Muslims and specially Shiahs is higher and being Imame Alias (AS) wife certifies this. To understand how knowledgeable she was, it is worthy to read Fadakieh sermon, in which she says firm sentences on Monotheism, declares her knowing of Prophet (PBUH) and explains Imamah briefly. This sermon, including her argumentation from the holy Quran and expressing the reason for establishing religious laws, proves her knowledge to be  revelational (a part of the sermon will come at the end of this article). Another reason to prove her high knowledge from Islam history is that some woman and even some men of Medina came to ask her about their religious problems.

Fatimaas (AS) magnificence in Prophetas (PBUH) words:

   Prophet (PBUH) praised Fatimah (AS) frequently.  He said: Her father is sacrificed for her a lot and sometimes bended and kissed her hand. He bid farewell to her as the last person before going to a journey and visited her first after returning. Most of the narrators and Muslim of all schools with any belief have narrated this Prophetic statement: Fatimah (AS) is apart of me. Anyone who annoys her has annoyed me. On the other hand, the holy Quran states that Prophet (PBUH) never says something with carnal desire and all his sayings are revelational, so we obtain that this praising Fatima (AS) has a reason beyond emotions of a father and daughter. Prophet (PBUH) pointed out this fact himself and told the cavilers: Allah has ordered me to act like that. Or said: I savor smell of heaven from her.

   From another aspect, if we consider the Prophetic narratives and the holy Quran together, we will find our that anyone who annoys Prophet (PBUH) will have a painful chastisement, as the verse: Anyone who annoys Prophet (PBUH), will be away of Allahas compassion and will have a debasing chastisement. So, it is declared that Fatimahas (AS) consent and satisfaction is  Allahas consent and satisfaction and her anger is Allahas anger, saying precisely, she is the symbol of Allahas consent and anger, because it is impossible that someone does something annoying Fatimah and so annoys Prophet and deserves divine punishment, but Allah is pleased with him. Another point that is obtained considering this narrative and verses of the holy Quran is that Fatima (AS) is satisfied and becomes consent only by passing the truth way and she becomes angry only for deviating from the truth way, and carnal desires and emotions are not determinant in her consent and anger, because that would be against Allahas justice to punish someone on oneas desires or emotions.

 

Infallibility:

To prove her infallibility and her immunity of sins and even mistakes and faults, it is sufficient to refer to Tathir verse. To avoid elongation, we only mention that her infallibility is proved as Prophet (PBUH) and other Imamesa and advise you to see the related article.

 

Her sayings:

Fatimah (AS) has left many sayings. Some of them are narrated directly from her which indicate her great knowledge and high position. Some others are narrated by the Prophet (PBUH) which indicates their close relationship and her high understanding and intelligence. We mention two of the directly narrated sayings here briefly:

          1-If someone sends his pure prayer up to Allah, Allah will send down best welfare to him.

          2-Allah has obligated faith to make you clean of polytheism, saying prayers to make you clean of haughtiness, alms to make your spirits clear and increase your sustenance, fasting to maintain your sincerity, Hadj to stand your religion, justice to strengthen your hearts, obeying us for your community's order and comfort, our governing to prevent separation, Jihad for Islam's splendor, patience to help you get eligible for reward, calling people to goodness for everybody's welfare, being generous to parents to avoid his anger, union of kindred to increase the population, retaliation to save bloods, vowing to be exposed to Allah's forgiveness, has made bankruptcy the result of using short weights, and has forbidden drinking wine to keep you away from uncleanness, Ghazf (false accusation of intercourse) to avoid imprecation and curse and stealing for remaining chaste. Allah has forbidden polytheism so that people be sincere in their obedience to Allah .So "Fear Allah as much as He deserves be pious and don't die other than you are Muslim." Obey Allah in his obligations and prohibited things, because" Only aware people fear Allah".

Her marriage:

Fatimah (AS) had many suitors. Omar and Abubakr asked for her hand in marriage. The Prophet (PBUH) replied: œAllah has her authorityœ. Anas-bin-Malek says that Othman and Abd-al-Rahman-bin-Ouf did the same and volunteered to pay a high marriage portion. At that time, Gabriel descended to Prophet (PBUH) and said: Mohammad (PBUH)! Allah sends regards and orders: Marry Fatimah (AS) to Ali (AS). Imame Ali (AS) asked for Fatima,s (AS) hand in marriage and Prophet (PBUH) agreed on this marriage according to divine will. It is mentioned in the narratives that He said: If Ali (AS) didn,t exist, there would be no mate for Fatimah (AS).Fatimah (AS) had a little marriage portion (against the pre-Islamic traditions that dignitaries had high marriage portion, in fact Fatima,s (AS) marriage portion was beyond money and she had high spiritual marriage portion as Prophet (PBUH) has said). They had 5 children: Hassan (AS), Hosain (AS), Zeinab (AS), Om-al-Kolthum and Mohsen (AS) (who miscarried in the happenings after Prophet,s (PBUH) death). Imame Hassan (AS) and Imame Hosain (AS), who are trained by such mother, are of the 12 Imames and the other 9 (except Imame Ali (AS) and Imame Hassan (AS)) are of Imame Husain,s (AS) progeny and are related to Prophet (PBUH) by Fatimah (AS) (like Jesus (AS) who is related to Abraham (AS) by his mother and this is mentioned in the holy Quran). So we call her Om-al-A,emmah (Mother of Imames).Zeinab, her older daughter, was a learned and chaste and pious woman. She declared Imame Husain,s (AS) rising after him so property that people opposed Yazid,s oppressions several times and many risings shaped up and Yazid,s throne was to be overthrown. We can obtain that she never quit worshipping even during the worst conditions and this was based on her knowing of Allah. Om-al-Kolthum, also trained by Fatimah (AS), was an honorable, wise and eloquent woman who was with Zeinab (as) after Ashoora and had a principle role in awaking people.

 

GLORIOUS HOUSE

The companions of the Prophet (s.a.w.) competed with one another to win the hand of Fatimah Al-Zahra' (a.s.), his only surviving child. They all knew the great status and high position she enjoyed in Islam. She was part of the Chosen Prophet (s.a.w.), his beloved daughter, and the chief of Women of the World.

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) turned down all his companions' offers to marry Fatimah (a.s.).
One day Imam Ali (a.s.) was told of some of the companions' proposals. He heard of the Messenger's objection to her marriage to any of his companions. He felt a desire to go to the Messenger (s.a.w.) and ask for his daughter's hand.

Before Imam Ali's (a.s.) call on the Prophet (s.a.w.), to tell him of his desire, Jibril (a.s.) had informed the Messenger (s.a.w.) of the command of Allah, the Exalted and High, to marry Fatimah to Ali (a.s.).
The Divine command, as related by the Holy Revelation, was:

"...O Muhammad! Allah, the Most High, sends His greeting to you, and says to you: "I have certainly married Fatimah, your daughter, to Ali bin Abi-Talib in heaven. So marry her to him on the earth."(1)

Imam Ali (a.s.) knocked on the door of the room of Um Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) was inside. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) told him to come in. Imam Ali (a.s.) seated himself next to the Messenger (s.a.w.) who said to him:

"I see that you have come on business. Tell me about it. Unburden your soul. Any of your requests are granted..."

Imam Ali (a.s.) told his dear leader that he desired Fatimah's hand. On hearing this, the Prophet's face lit up. He went to Al-Zahra' (a.s.) to tell her of Ali's request. By doing so, be set an eternal Islamic concept that marriage should be based on mutual consent and agreement, so that the future family would be built on cooperation, love and peace.
The Messenger of Allah said to his daughter:

"Ali bin Abi-Talib is known to you, in his closeness (to us), his merits and profession of Islam...he talked about you. What do you say?"

Fatimah al-Zahra' (a.s.) was too shy to say a word. Silence fell on the room and lingered.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) kept looking at her countenance. Satisfaction and consent were clearly drawn on it. Presently, he went out, repeating from the depths of his pure heart: "Allah is great! Her silence signals her consent!"

As soon as he returned to Imam Ali (a.s.), the Prophet (s.a.w.) asked him: "Do you have anything with which I marry you (to Fatimah)?" Once more, the Messenger (s.a.w.) established an Islamic rule for his ummah throughout its generations which stipulates that the man should import the dowry to his women as the first sign of maintainance, and of his responsibility of managing the affairs of the family.

Imam Ali had nothing beside his sword, a camel for watering his field, and his coat of mail. He told the Prophet (s.a.w.) of it. The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

"As for your sword, you cannot do without it; with it you strive in the way of Allah and fight the enemies of Allah. With your camel you water your date-palms and on it bring water to your family. When you travel you carry luggage on it."

He ordered Imam Ali (a.s.) not to sell his sword and camel but allowed him to sell his coat of mail which was given to him by the Prophet (s.a.w.), to protect him from the strikes of the enemies.
Imam Ali (a.s.) sold his coat of mail and brought the money to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) to buy the bride's trousseau.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) delivered the money to Bilal, Salman and Um-Salamah. They were assigned with the task of buying the needed furniture, perfumes, and clothes. They bought good, simple things. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) wanted to inform the Muslims of Al-Zahra's betrothal to Ali (a.s.). He gathered some of his companions to witness the ceremony of the blessed contract of marriage. He addressed them in the following words:

"Praise be to Allah, Who is praised through His favors, worshipped through His power, obeyed through His authority. He is the One feared, due to His trials and punishment, Whose order is executed in His heavens and earth. He created the creatures by His power, distinguished them with His laws, strengthened them with His religion, and honored them with His Messenger, Muhammad. Allah, may His name be blessed, and His greatness be high, made marriage an attached lineage and an ordained duty by which He solidified family ties and drew people together. He, the Mighty, says:

"And He it is Who has created man from the water then He has made for him blood-relationship and marriage relationship and your Lord is powerful."

Holy Qur'an (25:54)

"Allah's command certainly is excuted as His decree. And His decree is obeyed as it is His will. Every decree is issued at a certain time, and every time has a duration, and every duration is fixed. Allah confirms or abrogates what He pleases. His is the Eternal Book. Allah, the Most High, ordered me to marry Fatimah, the daughter of Khadijah, to Ali bin Abi-Talib. Bear witness that I have married him (to Fatimah) with a dowry of four hundred mithqals (unit of weight equal to about 5 grams) of silver. That is, if Ali bin Abi-Talib agrees to that."

Then he called for a dish of dates. It was placed in front of the gathering.
"Partake of it," the Prophet (s.a.w.) ordered, and they ate. All were eating when Imam Ali (a.s.) entered. The Prophet (s.a.w.) smiled. Then he said: "Allah has ordered me to give to you Fatimah, in marriage with a dowry of four hundred mithqals of silver if you agree to it."

"I agree to it, O Messenger of Allah," Ali replied.

Anas said: "The Prophet said: 'May Allah strengthen the bond that connects you, make your grandfather happy, bless you, and cause you to produce much good."

"By Allah", Anas said, "He caused them to produce much good."(2)

Before one month had slipped by after the ceremony of the contract of marriage, Aqeel bin Abi-Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, contacted his brother, Imam Ali (a.s.), urging him to consummate the marriage.
"Why do you not?" he asked. "Ask the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) to bring her (to your house), so that your happiness, by your union, will be completed."
They agreed to approach the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) on the matter. But before doing anything, they met with Um Ayman Barakah, the daughter of Tha'labah, a respected woman and consulted her. She suggested that she would talk about it to the mothers of the faithful (Prophet's wives), who would, in turn, talk to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).

The women met with the Prophet (s.a.w.). Um-Salamah, on behalf of them, explained the matter to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).He sent for Ali. When he came, the Prophet asked him:
"Do you want your wife to be brought to your house?" 
"Yes," the Imam replied.

"With pleasure," the Messenger (s.a.w.) agreed. Then the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) asked Imam Ali (a.s.) to make a feast for the faithful. The wives of the Prophet (s.a.w.) themselves cooked the food. The guests enjoyed it.

Then the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) ordered Um-Salamah and the rest of his wives to take Fatimah to her new house. A procession presently started off led by the Prophet (s.a.w.) chanting "There is no god but Allah," and "Allah is great." 
The wives of the Prophet (s.a.w.) recited some verses from the Holy Qur'an in honor of the occasion.

After the wedding ceremony, the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) came to congratulate Imam Ali (a.s.). He said to him:

"May Allah bless you on account of the daughter of the Messenger of Allah." He took a bowl of water, recited some Qur'anic verses over it, and ordered Imam Ali and Al-Zahra' (a.s.) to drink from it. Then he sprinkled a bit of it on their heads and faces and held his hands up in prayer.

"O Lord ! They are the most beloved of the creatures to me. Bless their offspring, and protect them. I command them and their descendants into Your protection from the accursed Satan."

Thus glory dwelt in the most honored house. The school of Imamate was built in the shade of the revelation and the message. It was made under the care of Allah, in the light of His Shari'ah and His righteous path. These ceremonies speak volumes of Islam's simpleness and easiness. It is Islam that responds to the needs of the spirit and the body It doesn't flee in the face of human nature. It is harmonious with life, and the status quo, with no pretention, imposition or injustice.
On the strength of this, one could easily judge that the Prophetic sunnah retains a lofty position regarding Islam's teaching. The sunnah has a great role in organizing the conduct and ties of the individual, the family and the whole community.

Fatimah bint Muhammad

Fatimah was the fifth child of Muhammad and Khadijah. She was born at a time when her noble father had begun to spend long periods in the solitude of mountains around Makkah, meditating and reflecting on the great mysteries of creation.

This was the time, before the Bithah, when her eldest sister Zaynab was married to her cousin, al-Aas ibn ar Rabiah. Then followed the marriage of her two other sisters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum, to the sons of Abu Lahab, a paternal uncle of the Prophet. Both Abu Lahab and his wife Umm Jamil turned out to be flaming enemies of the Prophet from the very beginning of his public mission.

The little Fatimah thus saw her sisters leave home one after the other to live with their husbands. She was too young to understand the meaning of marriage and the reasons why her sisters had to leave home. She loved them dearly and was sad and lonely when they left. It is said that a certain silence and painful sadness came over her then.

Of course, even after the marriage of her sisters, she was not alone in the house of her parents. Barakah, the maid-servant of Aminah, the Prophet's mother, who had been with the Prophet since his birth, Zayd ibn Harithah, and Ali, the young son of Abu Talib were all part of Muhammad's household at this time. And of course there was her loving mother, the lady Khadijah.

In her mother and in Barakah, Fatimah found a great deal of solace and comfort in Ali, who was about two years older than she, she found a "brother" and a friend who somehow took the place of her own brother al-Qasim who had died in his infancy. Her other brother Abdullah, known as the Good and the Pure, who was born after her, also died in his infancy. However in none of the people in her father's household did Fatimah find the carefree joy and happiness which she enjoyed with her sisters. She was an unusually sensitive child for her age.

When she was five, she heard that her father had become Rasul Allah, the Messenger of God. His first task was to convey the good news of Islam to his family and close relations. They were to worship God Almighty alone. Her mother, who was a tower of strength and support, explained to Fatimah what her father had to do. From this time on, she became more closely attached to him and felt a deep and abiding love for him. Often she would be at Iris side walking through the narrow streets and alleys of Makkah, visiting the Kabah or attending secret gatherings off, the early Muslims who had accepted Islam and pledged allegiance to the Prophet.

One day, when she was not yet ten, she accompanied her father to the Masjid al-Haram. He stood in the place known as al-Hijr facing the Kabah and began to pray. Fatimah stood at his side. A group of Quraysh, by no means well-disposed to the Prophet, gathered about him. They included Abu Jahl ibn Hisham, the Prophet's uncle, Uqbah ibn Abi Muayt, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and Shaybah and Utbah, sons of Rabi'ah. Menacingly, the group went up to the Prophet and Abu Jahl, the ringleader, asked:

"Which of you can bring the entrails of a slaughtered animal and throw it on Muhammad?"

Uqbah ibn Abi Muayt, one of the vilest of the lot, volunteered and hurried off. He returned with the obnoxious filth and threw it on the shoulders of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, while he was still prostrating. Abdullah ibn Masud, a companion of the Prophet, was present but he was powerless to do or say anything.

Imagine the feelings of Fatimah as she saw her father being treated in this fashion. What could she, a girl not ten years old, do? She went up to her father and removed the offensive matter and then stood firmly and angrily before the group of Quraysh thugs and lashed out against them. Not a single word did they say to her. The noble Prophet raised his head on completion of the prostration and went on to complete the Salat. He then said: "O Lord, may you punish the Quraysh!" and repeated this imprecation three times. Then he continued:

"May You punish Utbah, Uqbah, Abu Jahl and Shaybah." (These whom he named were all killed many years later at the Battle of Badr)

On another occasion, Fatimah was with the Prophet as he made; tawaf around the Kabah. A Quraysh mob gathered around him. They seized him and tried to strangle him with his own clothes. Fatimah screamed and shouted for help. Abu Bakr rushed to the scene and managed to free the Prophet. While he was doing so, he pleaded: "Would you kill a man who says, 'My Lord is God?'" Far from giving up, the mob turned on Abu Bakr and began beating him until blood flowed from his head and face.

Such scenes of vicious opposition and harassment against her father and the early Muslims were witnessed by the young Fatimah. She did not meekly stand aside but joined in the struggle in defence of her father and his noble mission. She was still a young girl and instead of the cheerful romping, the gaiety and liveliness which children of her age are and should normally be accustomed to, Fatimah had to witness and participate in such ordeals.

Of course, she was not alone in this. The whole of the Prophet's family suffered from the violent and mindless Quraysh. Her sisters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum also suffered. They were living at this time in the very nest of hatred and intrigue against the Prophet. Their husbands were Utbah and Utaybah, sons of Abu Lahab and Umm Jamil. Umm Jamil was known to be a hard and harsh woman who had a sharp and evil tongue. It was mainly because of her that Khadijah was not pleased with the marriages of her daughters to Umm Jamil's sons in the first place. It must have been painful for Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum to be living in the household of such inveterate enemies who not only joined but led the campaign against their father.

As a mark of disgrace to Muhammad and his family, Utbah and Utaybah were prevailed upon by their parents to divorce their wives. This was part of the process of ostracizing the Prophet totally. The Prophet in fact welcomed his daughters back to his home with joy, happiness and relief.

Fatimah, no doubt, must have been happy to be with her sisters once again. They all wished that their eldest sister, Zaynab, would also be divorced by her husband. In fact, the Quraysh brought pressure on Abu-l Aas to do so but he refused. When the Quraysh leaders came up to him and promised him the richest and most beautiful woman as a wife should he divorce Zaynab, he replied:

"I love my wife deeply and passionately and I have a great and high esteem for her father even though I have not entered the religion of Islam."

Both Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum were happy to be back with their loving parents and to be rid of the unbearable mental torture to which they had been subjected in the house of Umm Jamil. Shortly afterwards, Ruqayyah married again, to the young and shy Uthman ibn Allan who was among the first to have accepted Islam. They both left for Abyssinia among the first muhajirin who sought refuge in that land and stayed there for several years. Fatimah was not to see Ruqayyah again until after their mother had died.

The persecution of the Prophet, his family and his followers continued and even became worse after the migration of the first Muslims to Abyssinia. In about the seventh year of his mission, the Prophet and his family were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in a rugged little valley enclosed by hills on all sides and defile, which could only be entered from Makkah by a narrow path.

To this arid valley, Muhammad and the clans of Banu Hashim and al-Muttalib were forced to retire with limited supplies of food. Fatimah was one of the youngest members of the clans -just about twelve years old - and had to undergo months of hardship and suffering. The wailing of hungry children and women in the valley could be heard from Makkah. The Quraysh allowed no food and contact with the Muslims whose hardship was only relieved somewhat during the season of pilgrimage. The boycott lasted for three years. When it was lifted, the Prophet had to face even more trials and difficulties. Khadijah, the faithful and loving, died shortly afterwards. With her death, the Prophet and his family lost one of the greatest sources of comfort and strength which had sustained them through the difficult period. The year in which the noble Khadijah, and later Abu Talib, died is known as the Year of Sadness. Fatimah, now a young lady, was greatly distressed by her mother's death. She wept bitterly and for some time was so grief-striken that her health deteriorated. It was even feared she might die of grief.

Although her older sister, Umm Kulthum, stayed in the same household, Fatimah realized that she now had a greater responsibility with the passing away of her mother. She felt that she had to give even greater support to her father. With loving tenderness, she devoted herself to looking after his needs. So concerned was she for his welfare that she came to be called "Umm Abi-ha the mother of her father". She also provided him with solace and comfort during times of trial, difficulty and crisis.

Often the trials were too much for her. Once, about this time, an insolent mob heaped dust and earth upon his gracious head. As he entered his home, Fatimah wept profusely as she wiped the dust from her father's head.

"Do not cry, my daughter," he said, "for God shall protect your father." The Prophet had a special love for Fatimah. He once said: "Whoever pleased Fatimah has indeed pleased God and whoever has caused her to be angry has indeed angered God. Fatimah is a part of me. Whatever pleases her pleases me and whatever angers her angers me."

He also said: "The best women in all the world are four: the Virgin Mary, Aasiyaa the wife of Pharoah, Khadijah Mother of the Believers, and Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad." Fatimah thus acquired a place of love and esteem in the Prophet's heart that was only occupied by his wife Khadijah.

Fatimah, may God be pleased with her, was given the title of "az-Zahraa" which means "the Resplendent One". That was because of her beaming face which seemed to radiate light. It is said that when she stood for Prayer, the mihrab would reflect the light of her countenance. She was also called "al-Batul" because of her asceticism. Instead of spending her time in the company of women, much of her time would be spent in Salat, in reading the Quran and in other acts of ibadah.

Fatimah had a strong resemblance to her father, the Messenger of God. Aishah, the wife of the Prophet, said of her: "I have not seen any one of God's creation resemble the Messenger of God more in speech, conversation and manner of sitting than Fatimah, may God be pleased with her. When the Prophet saw her approaching, he would welcome her, stand up and kiss her, take her by the hand and sit her down in the place where he was sitting." She would do the same when the Prophet came to her. She would stand up and welcome him with joy and kiss him.

Fatimah's fine manners and gentle speech were part of her lovely and endearing personality. She was especially kind to poor and indigent folk and would often give all the food she had to those in need even if she herself remained hungry. She had no craving for the ornaments of this world nor the luxury and comforts of life. She lived simply, although on occasion as we shall see circumstances seemed to be too much and too difficult for her.

She inherited from her father a persuasive eloquence that was rooted in wisdom. When she spoke, people would often be moved to tears. She had the ability and the sincerity to stir the emotions, move people to tears and fill their hearts with praise and gratitude to God for His grace and His inestimable bounties.

Fatimah migrated to Madinah a few weeks after the Prophet did. She went with Zayd ibn Harithah who was sent by the Prophet back to Makkah to bring the rest of his family. The party included Fatimah and Umm Kulthum, Sawdah, the Prophet's wife, Zayd's wife Barakah and her son Usamah. Travelling with the group also were Abdullah the son of Abu Bakr who accompanied his mother and his sisters, Aishah and Asma.

In Madinah, Fatimah lived with her father in the simple dwelling he had built adjoining the mosque. In the second year after the Hijrah, she received proposals of marriage through her father, two of which were turned down. Then Ali, the son of Abu Talib, plucked up courage and went to the Prophet to ask for her hand in marriage. In the presence of the Prophet, however, Ali became over-awed and tongue-tied. He stared at the ground and could not say anything. The Prophet then asked: "Why have you come? Do you need something?" Ali still could not speak and then the Prophet suggested: "Perhaps you have come to propose marriage to Fatimah."

"Yes," replied Ali. At this, according to one report, the Prophet said simply: "Marhaban wa ahlan - Welcome into the family," and this was taken by Ali and a group of Ansar who were waiting outside for him as indicating the Prophet's approval. Another report indicated that the Prophet approved and went on to ask Ali if he had anything to give as mahr. Ali replied that he didn't. The Prophet reminded him that he had a shield which could be sold.

Ali sold the shield to Uthman for four hundred dirhams and as he was hurrying back to the Prophet to hand over the sum as mahr, Uthman stopped him and said:

"I am returning your shield to you as a present from me on your marriage to Fatimah." Fatimah and Ali were thus married most probably at the beginning of the second year after the Hijrah. She was about nineteen years old at the time and Ali was about twenty one. The Prophet himself performed the marriage ceremony. At the walimah, the guests were served with dates, figs and hais ( a mixture of dates and butter fat). A leading member of the Ansar donated a ram and others made offerings of grain. All Madinah rejoiced.

On her marriage, the Prophet is said to have presented Fatimah and Ali with a wooden bed intertwined with palm leaves, a velvet coverlet, a leather cushion filled with palm fibre, a sheepskin, a pot, a waterskin and a quern for grinding grain.

Fatimah left the home of her beloved father for the first time to begin life with her husband. The Prophet was clearly anxious on her account and sent Barakah with her should she be in need of any help. And no doubt Barakah was a source of comfort and solace to her. The Prophet prayed for them:

"O Lord, bless them both, bless their house and bless their offspring." In Ali's humble dwelling, there was only a sheepskin for a bed. In the morning after the wedding night, the Prophet went to Ali's house and knocked on the door.

Barakah came out and the Prophet said to her: "O Umm Ayman, call my brother for me."

"Your brother? That's the one who married your daughter?" asked Barakah somewhat incredulously as if to say: Why should the Prophet call Ali his "brother"? (He referred to Ali as his brother because just as pairs of Muslims were joined in brotherhood after the Hijrah, so the Prophet and Ali were linked as "brothers".)

The Prophet repeated what he had said in a louder voice. Ali came and the Prophet made a du'a, invoking the blessings of God on him. Then he asked for Fatimah. She came almost cringing with a mixture of awe and shyness and the Prophet said to her:

"I have married you to the dearest of my family to me." In this way, he sought to reassure her. She was not starting life with a complete stranger but with one who had grown up in the same household, who was among the first to become a Muslim at a tender age, who was known for his courage, bravery and virtue, and whom the Prophet described as his "brother in this world and the hereafter".

Fatimah's life with Ali was as simple and frugal as it was in her father's household. In fact, so far as material comforts were concerned, it was a life of hardship and deprivation. Throughout their life together, Ali remained poor because he did not set great store by material wealth. Fatimah was the only one of her sisters who was not married to a wealthy man.

In fact, it could be said that Fatimah's life with Ali was even more rigorous than life in her father's home. At least before marriage, there were always a number of ready helping hands in the Prophet's household. But now she had to cope virtually on her own. To relieve their extreme poverty, Ali worked as a drawer and carrier of water and she as a grinder of corn. One day she said to Ali: "I have ground until my hands are blistered."

"I have drawn water until I have pains in my chest," said Ali and went on to suggest to Fatimah: "God has given your father some captives of war, so go and ask him to give you a servant."

Reluctantly, she went to the Prophet who said: "What has brought you here, my little daughter?" "I came to give you greetings of peace," she said, for in awe of him she could not bring herself to ask what she had intended.

"What did you do?" asked Ali when she returned alone.

"I was ashamed to ask him," she said. So the two of them went together but the Prophet felt they were less in need than others.

"I will not give to you," he said, "and let the Ahl as-Suffah (poor Muslims who stayed in the mosque) be tormented with hunger. I have not enough for their keep..."

Ali and Fatimah returned home feeling somewhat dejected but that night, after they had gone to bed, they heard the voice of the Prophet asking permission to enter. Welcoming him, they both rose to their feet, but he told them:

"Stay where you are," and sat down beside them. "Shall I not tell you of something better than that which you asked of me?" he asked and when they said yes he said: "Words which Jibril taught me, that you should say "Subhaan Allah- Glory be to God" ten times after every Prayer, and ten times "AI hamdu lillah - Praise be to God," and ten times "Allahu Akbar - God is Great." And that when you go to bed you should say them thirty-three times each."

Ali used to say in later years: "I have never once failed to say them since the Messenger of God taught them to us."

There are many reports of the hard and difficult times which Fatimah had to face. Often there was no food in her house. Once the Prophet was hungry. He went to one after another of his wives' apartments but there was no food. He then went to Fatimah's house and she had no food either. When he eventually got some food, he sent two loaves and a piece of meat to Fatimah. At another time, he went to the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari and from the food he was given, he saved some for her. Fatimah also knew that the Prophet was without food for long periods and she in turn would take food to him when she could. Once she took a piece of barley bread and he, said to her: "This is the first food your father has eaten for three days."

Through these acts of kindness she showed how much she loved her father; and he loved her, really loved her in return.

Once he returned from a journey outside Madinah. He went to the mosque first of all and prayed two rakats as was his custom. Then, as he often did, he went to Fatimah's house before going to his wives. Fatimah welcomed him and kissed his face, his mouth and his eyes and cried. "Why do you cry?" the Prophet asked. "I see you, O Rasul Allah," she said, "Your color is pale and sallow and your clothes have become worn and shabby." "O Fatimah," the Prophet replied tenderly, "don't cry for Allah has sent your father with a mission which He would cause to affect every house on the face of the earth whether it be in towns, villages or tents (in the desert) bringing either glory or humiliation until this mission is fulfilled just as night (inevitably) comes." With such comments Fatimah was often taken from the harsh realities of daily life to get a glimpse of the vast and far-reaching vistas opened up by the mission entrusted to her noble father.

Fatimah eventually returned to live in a house close to that of the Prophet. The place was donated by an Ansari who knew that the Prophet would rejoice in having his daughter as his neighbor. Together they shared in the joys and the triumphs, the sorrows and the hardships of the crowded and momentous Madinah days and years.

In the middle of the second year after the Hijrah, her sister Ruqayyah fell ill with fever and measles. This was shortly before the great campaign of Badr. Uthman, her husband, stayed by her bedside and missed the campaign. Ruqayyah died just before her father returned. On his return to Madinah, one of the first acts of the Prophet was to visit her grave.

Fatimah went with him. This was the first bereavement they had suffered within their closest family since the death of Khadijah. Fatimah was greatly distressed by the loss of her sister. The tears poured from her eyes as she sat beside her father at the edge of the grave, and he comforted her and sought to dry her tears with the corner of his cloak.

The Prophet had previously spoken against lamentations for the dead, but this had lead to a misunderstanding, and when they returned from the cemetery the voice of Umar was heard raised in anger against the women who were weeping for the martyrs of Badr and for Ruqayyah.

"Umar, let them weep," he said and then added: "What comes from the heart and from the eye, that is from God and His mercy, but what comes from the hand and from the tongue, that is from Satan." By the hand he meant the beating of breasts and the smiting of cheeks, and by the tongue he meant the loud clamor in which women often joined as a mark of public sympathy.

Uthman later married the other daughter of the Prophet, Umm Kulthum, and on this account came to be known as Dhu-n Nurayn - Possessor of the Two Lights.

The bereavement which the family suffered by the death of Ruqayyah was followed by happiness when to the great joy of all the believers Fatimah gave birth to a boy in Ramadan of the third year after the Hijrah. The Prophet spoke the words of the Adhan into the ear of the new-born babe and called him al-Hasan which means the Beautiful One.

One year later, she gave birth to another son who was called al-Husayn, which means "little Hasan" or the little beautiful one. Fatimah would often bring her two sons to see their grandfather who was exceedingly fond of them. Later he would take them to the Mosque and they would climb onto his back when he prostrated. He did the same with his little granddaughter Umamah, the daughter of Zaynab.

In the eighth year after the Hijrah, Fatimah gave birth to a third child, a girl whom she named after her eldest sister Zaynab who had died shortly before her birth. This Zaynab was to grow up and become famous as the "Heroine of Karbala". Fatimah's fourth child was born in the year after the Hijrah. The child was also a girl and Fatimah named her Umm Kulthum after her sister who had died the year before after an illness.

It was only through Fatimah that the progeny of the Prophet was perpetuated. All the Prophet's male children had died in their infancy and the two children of Zaynab named Ali and Umamah died young. Ruqayyah's child Abdullah also died when he was not yet two years old. This is an added reason for the reverence which is accorded to Fatimah.

Although Fatimah was so often busy with pregnancies and giving birth and rearing children, she took as much part as she could in the affairs of the growing Muslim community of Madinah. Before her marriage, she acted as a sort of hostess to the poor and destitute Ahl as-Suffah. As soon as the Battle of Uhud was over, she went with other women to the battlefield and wept over the dead martyrs and took time to dress her father's wounds. At the Battle of the Ditch, she played a major supportive role together with other women in preparing food during the long and difficult siege. In her camp, she led the Muslim women in prayer and on that place there stands a mosque named Masjid Fatimah, one of seven mosques where the Muslims stood guard and performed their devotions.

Fatimah also accompanied the Prophet when he made Umrah in the sixth year after the Hijrah after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. In the following year, she and her sister Umm Kulthum, were among the mighty throng of Muslims who took part with the Prophet in the liberation of Makkah. It is said that on this occasion, both Fatimah and Umm Kulthum visited the home of their mother Khadijah and recalled memories of their childhood and memories of jihad, of long struggles in the early years of the Prophet's mission.

In Ramadan of the tenth year just before he went on his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet confided to Fatimah, as a secret not yet to be told to others:

"Jibril recited the Quran to me and I to him once every year, but this year he has recited it with me twice. I cannot but think that my time has come."

On his return from the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet did become seriously ill. His final days were spent in the apartment of his wife Aishah. When Fatimah came to visit him, Aishah would leave father and daughter together.

One day he summoned Fatimah. When she came, he kissed her and whispered some words in her ear. She wept. Then again he whispered in her ear and she smiled. Aishah saw and asked:

"You cry and you laugh at the same time, Fatimah? What did the Messenger of God say to you?" Fatimah replied:

"He first told me that he would meet his Lord after a short while and so I cried. Then he said to me: 'Don't cry for you will be the first of my household to join me.' So I laughed."

Not long afterwards the noble Prophet passed away. Fatimah was grief-striken and she would often be seen weeping profusely. One of the companions noted that he did not see Fatimah, may God be pleased with her, laugh after the death of her father.

One morning, early in the month of Ramadan, just less than five month after her noble father had passed away, Fatimah woke up looking unusually happy and full of mirth. In the afternoon of that day, it is said that she called Salma bint Umays who was looking after her. She asked for some water and had a bath. She then put on new clothes and perfumed herself. She then asked Salma to put her bed in the courtyard of the house. With her face looking to the heavens above, she asked for her husband Ali.

He was taken aback when he saw her lying in the middle of the courtyard and asked her what was wrong. She smiled and said: "I have an appointment today with the Messenger of God."

Ali cried and she tried to console him. She told him to look after their sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn and advised that she should be buried without ceremony. She gazed upwards again, then closed her eyes and surrendered her soul to the Mighty Creator.

She, Fatimah the Resplendent One, was just twenty nine years old.

 

Martyrdom

It was third of Jamadi-al-Thani, year eleven after Hijrah. Fatimah (AS) asked some water and washed her body and performed ablution with it. Then she wore a new cloth and lied in bed and put her hand under her cheek and said: œI will die now. And then she was martyred as a result of hard blows and injuries. At that time, she was only 18 (according to common words) and she had been alive only 95 days after Prophetas death (according to common words).

   She passed away being angry with Abubakr and Omar as Sonnyas most reliable books and Shiahas greatest books mention. She didnat talk to them at the ending of her life and naturally Abubakras regret about attacking Fatimahas (AS) home when he was dying was useless.

Moral virtues

Fatimah (AS) had high moral virtues and her life is full of spiritual behavior. We explain two of them below noticing that these are only a very little part of her moral virtues:

          1. Jaber-bin-Abdullah-al-Ansari, the Prophet,s (PBUH) companion, says that a poor emigrant (Mohajer) came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked for help. The Prophet (PBUH) answered: œI do not have anything. Go to my daughter whose house is beside mine. Then Bilal, the Prophet (PBUH),s muezzin, guided him. He went to Fatimah,s (AS) house and said: œPeace be on you, O! The family of the Prophet (PBUH) and asked for help. When Fatimah (AS) got aware of his poverty, although she and her father and husband did not have anything to eat for 3 days, she brought out the necklace which Hamzeh,s (AS) son -her cousin- had presented her and told the man: œTake this and sell it. I hope that Allah gives you better than this. The man took the necklace and went to the Prophet (PBUH) and described what had happened. The Prophet (PBUH) cried and prayed for him. Ammar-e-Yaser (the Prophet,s (PBUH) companion) stood up and after getting permission, bought the necklace instead of giving him food, cloth, an animal and cost of traveling. The Prophet (PBUH) asked the man: œAre you satisfied? The man felt ashamed and thanked. Ammar put the necklace in a Yemeni cloth and perfumed it and dedicated it to the Prophet (PBUH) with his slave. The slave came to the Prophet (PBUH) and told the story. The Prophet (PBUH) offered the necklace and the slave to Fatimah (AS). The slave came to Fatimah (AS). She took the necklace and let the slave free. He smiled and when he was asked for the reason, he answered: œWhat a blessed necklace! It fed a hungry, covered a naked, made a pedestrian have an animal, made someone free from want, let a slave free and finally returned to its owner.

          2. Prophet (PBUH) bought Fatimah (AS) a new dress for her marriage ceremony and she owned a patchy dress. A poor man came to her house and asked for a used cloth. Fatimah (AS) decided to give him the old dress as he had asked but remembered the verse: œYou never attain to righteousness until you spend out of what you like. So she gave him the new dress.

 

Why Fatimah (as)?

Her stances were stances for the right, and her sorrow was the sorrow for the issue (Islam), and her joy was the joy of the message; the depth of Islam was manifested in the depth of her personality and she amassed within herself all the Islamic human virtues, since being the Doyenne of the Women of the World implied that she should be at the highest level, spiritually and morally.

This is why we are intensely interested in Fatimah al-Zahra' (as) because when we remember her we remember the message and her role, and remember Islam and the dynamic issues in which Fatimah (as) was a central figure; hence we feel that she is with us in all of our concerns and that she is alive among us. There are people in history who finish when they die, because their existence is encapsulated in the span of their lives; there are others who remain alive as long as life exists, and who continue as long as their message continues and as long as there are people who are open to their message. Fatimah (as) is placed at the pinnacle of these people, since you cannot mention the Messenger of Allah (sawa) without mentioning her. She was his product and the spirit inside his body; and you cannot mention Ali (as) without mentioning her as she was his companion in life and suffering; and you cannot mention al-Hasan, al-Husain and Zaynab (as) without mentioning her as she was the secret of purity in their childhood and of their personalities throughout their lives.

This is the secret of Fatimah (as) that obliges us to keep her in our minds and our hearts as a message and thought, not just the cause of tears. We cannot but open up to her with our tears, but more important than that is to open ourselves to her message because she lived all her tears and all her life for the Message and never for one moment lived it for herself. This is the secret of all the members of Ahlul Bayt (as): they lived for the whole of Islam and gave their lives for Islam and the Message.

Not an inflation of the past

Talking about Fatimah (as) involves no unwarranted inflation of history. Besides, with her virtues, she represents the living present and a bright future. We have seen her in her motherhood as the greatest of mothers, and we have seen the cruelty imposed by that role on her weak body, but she withstood all this with an open mind and with patience. Then we saw her fulfilling her different missionary responsibilities when she stirred up the conscience of the nation, and presented the greatest lesson in how to deal with the circumstances following the death of the Prophet (sawa). She held that stance which has proved itself over time and stayed valid to the present, and will ever be.

Studying the experience of Fatimah (as) is not a reversion to the past, and hence a diminution of ourselves within those limitations, but rather a question of trying to draw lessons from a pioneering experience by an infallible personality - an experience which has never been confined to the past but one which shall ever be current and renewed.

A role model for both sexes

When we present Fatimah (as) as a role model, we are not talking about women only. We present her as a role model for both men and women because she is a constituent element of Islam and the Muslim people as a whole, not just of women - even if there was a big role as woman in her life. Muslim women can take a lot from Fatimah (as) when they know how to spend their time valuably and how to open themselves up, with all their powers, to knowledge, spirituality and dynamic attitude, according to their abilities.

Love versus allegiance

Love for the great personalities and individuals with a mission is not only an emotion but a stance. This is the difference between being a loving person and being a proponent follower: allegiance is a stance while love is emotion. It is natural that the situation must live the emotion and move by it, but it should move beyond it to open up to the whole of the message through opening up to the bearers of the message, who represent its legitimacy.

Yes! The value of what Ahlul Bayt (as) say and do is that it represents the whole legitimacy. When a person takes words of knowledge or rulings, or follows a line of conduct which can be right or wrong, he will be puzzled as to the legitimacy of what he has seen or heard; but if he depends on infallible examples who have been purified from abominable acts, then there can be no place for falsehood, and no place for injustice. He will have taken the truth from a pure fountain, in which nothing can muddy its purity. Imam al-Sadiq (as) said: 'My hadith is the hadith of my father, and my father's is that of my grandfather, and my grandfather's is that of al-Husain, and al-Husain's is that of al-Hasan, and al-Hasan's is that of the Commander of the Faithful, and the Commander of the Faithful's is that of the Messenger of Allah, and the Messenger of Allah's is the word of Allah the Great and Almighty.'

His eminence and Fatimah's virtues

When I started my life, Lady al-Zahra (as) was in my mind and heart and life. Before I was twenty, in al-Najaf, Iraq, I wrote a poem on the anniversary of the death of Fatimah (as). I talked about her in lectures, interviews, dialogues and poems - the talk of spiritual passion and intellectual love and heartfelt sanctification.... I spoke of every one of her virtues, merits and spiritual meanings, and then extended that to analysing her words, amongst which was her famous sermon, because I always believed that we had to know Fatimah (as) to the full - her spirit, heart, thought and attitude, so that she would become for us 'the pioneer who would not fail his folks' and the role model whom we should imitate and follow in our Islamic lives, men and women together.

 

Names, titles & nicknames

Names, Titles & Nicknames:

Her name is Fatimah (AS) and her other names are: Zahra, Seddigheh, Tahereh, Mobarakeh, Batool, Razieh and Marzieh. The word Fatimah means separated and she is named Fatimah (AS) because her followers are separated from the Hell because of her. Zahra means luminous and Imame Sadegh (AS) (the sixth Imame) said: œWhen Fatimah (AS) prayed, she shined for the heavens as the stars shine for people on earth. Sedsigheh means someone who says nothing except the truth. Tahereh means pure and clean, Mobarakeh means full of favor and blessing Batool means separated from uncleanness and Razieh means satisfied with Allah,s fate and destiny and Marzieh means laudable. We can name Ensieh (heavenly lady), Hanieh (sympathetic), Shahideh (martyr), Afifeh (chaste), Sabereh (patient), Alemeh (learned), Mazloomeh (oppressed), Masoomeh (infallible), OM“al-Hassan (mother of Hassan (AS)), OM-al-Husain (mother of Husain (AS)), Om-al-A,emmeh (mother of Imames) and Omm-e-Abiha as her titles. OM-e-Abiha means mother of her father and Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) has given her this title and this shows that Fatimah (AS) treated Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) as his mother. This fact was proved throughout the history as she cured her father during the wars and when she was at home and many other cases.

 

Hadhrat Fatima Al-Zahra

Name:Fatimah 
Title: az- Zahra' [The shining one].
Agnomen: Ummu 'l-A'immah.
Father's name: Muhammad ibn 'Abdillah.
Mother's name: khadijah bint khuwaylid.
Birth: Born in Mecca of Friday, 20th jumad A-thaaniyah in the fifth year after the declaration of the prophet-hood (615 AD).
Death: Died at the age of 18 in Medina on 14th Jumad al-ula 11 AH (632 AD); buried in the graveyard called Jannatul-Baqi in Medina.

Hadhrat Fatima Az-Zahra - was the only daughter of the Holy Prophet and Hadhrat khadijah. the circumstances of her birth are described by Hadhrat khadijah as follows: At the time of the birth of Hadrat Fatimah, I sent for my neighboring qurayshite women to assist me. They flatly refused, saying that I had betrayed them by supporting Muhammad. I was perturbed for a while, when, to my great surprise, I sighted four strange tall women with halos around them, approaching me. Finding me dismayed, one of them addressed me thus, "O Khadijah! I am Sarah, the mother of Is'haq, and the other three are, Mary the mother of Christ, Asiyah the daughter of Muzahim, and Umm kulthum, the sister of Moses. We have all been commanded by God to put our nursing knowledge at your disposal." saying this, all of them sat around me and rendered the services of midwifery till my daughter Fatimah was born. The motherly blessings and affection received by Hadrat Fatimah were only for five years, after which Hadrat Khadijah left for her heavenly home . Hereafter the Holy Prophet brought her up.

Marriage - When Fatimah come of age, there come forward a number of aspirants to ask for her hand in marriage among them was Umar Bin Khattab. The Holy prophet was awaiting the Divine order in this respect, till Our Master Imam Ali approached him and asked for her hand in marriage. The Holy Prophet come to Hadhrat Fatimah and asked, "My daughter ! Do you consent to be wedded to Ali, as I am so commanded by Allah?" Hadrat Fatimah thereupon bowed her head in modesty. Umm Salamah narrates: "The face of Fatimah bloomed with joy and her silence was so suggestive and conspicuous that the Holy Prophet stood up reciting  Allahu Akbar (Allah is most great)"

Fatimah's silence is her acceptance - On Friday, 1st. dhi'l - hijjah 2 A H, the marriage ceremony took place. All the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and Ansar (Helpers) of Medina assembled in the mosque while Imam Ali [a.s] was seated before the Holy Prophet with all the ceremonious modesty of a bridegroom. they Holy Prophet first recited an eloquent sermon and them announced: "I have been commanded by Allah to get Fatimah wedded to Ali, and so I do hereby solemnize the matrimony between Ali and Fatimah on a dower of four hundred mithqal of silver." Then he asked Imam ` Ali, "Do you consent to it, O Ali ?" Yes, I do , O Holy Prophet of Allah!" replied Imam Ali. Then the Holy Prophet raised his hands to pray thus O my god ! bless both of them , sanctify their progeny and grant them the keys of The beneficence, Thy treasures of wisdom and Thy genius; and let them be a source of blessing and peace to my ummah. Her children; Imam Hassan, Imam Hussayn, zaynab and um kultun, are well known for their piety, goodness and generosity.Their strength of character and action changed the course of history and fortified Islam which otherwise would have been lost to mankind.

Her Ethical Attributes - Hardrat Fatimah inherited the genius and wisdom, the determination and will - power, the piety and sanctity, the generosity and benevolence, the devotion and worship of Allah, the self - sacrifice and hospitality, the forbearance and patience, and the knowledge and nobility of disposition of her illustrious father , both in words and deeds. " I often witnessed my mother, "says Imam Husayn, " absorbed in preayer from dusk to down. "Her generosity and compassion for the poor was such that no destitute or beggar ever returned from her door unattended.

The Property of Fadak - The Holy Prophet during his lifetime gave Hadrat Fatimah a gift of very extensive from land , known as Fadak , which was documented in her name as her absolute property. The death of the Holy Prophet affected her very much and she was very sad and grief - stricken and wept her heart out crying all the time . she was confronted, after the demise of her father, with the deprivement of the rightful claim of leadership of her husband Imam ` Ali , and the usurpation of her inheritance, the Fadak. Throughout her life, she never spoke to those who had oppressed her and deprived her of her rightful claims. She requested that her oppressors should be kept away even from attending her funeral. Her ill - wishers even resorted to physical violence. Once the door of her house was pushed on her , and the child she was carrying was hurt and the baby - boy was still born. Her house was set on fire. Having been molested and strichen with grief, which crossed all limits of forbearance and endurance , she expressed her sorrows in and elegy composed by herself to mourn her father the Holy Prophet. A couplet of the elegy, with particular reference to her woeful plight, she expressed thus: O my father ! after your death I was subjected to such tortures and tyranny that if they had been inflicted on the `Day' , it would have turned into ` Night'.

Death -Hadrat Fatimah did not survive more than seventy-five day after the demise of her father. she breathed her last on the 14th jumada'l - ula 11 AH. Before her demise she bequeathed the following as her will to Imam Ali [a.s]: 

1] O Ali, you will personally perform my funeral rites. 

2] Those who have displeased my should not be allowed to attend my funeral. 

3] My corpse should be carried to the graveyard at right. 

Thus Imam compliance with her will , performed all the funeral rites and accompanied exclusively by her relatives and sons carried her at night to Jannatu l-Baqi, where she was laid to rest and her wishes fulfilled.

The Holy Prophet said: "whoever injures (bodily or sentimentally ) Fatimah, injures me ; and whoever injures me injures Allah; and whoever injures Allah practices unbelief. O Fatimah ! If your wrath is incurred, it incurs the wrath of Allah; and if you are happy, it makes Allah happy too."

M.H. shakir writes:

Fatimah, the only daughter of the Holy prophet of Islam, was born I Mecca on 20 Th. Jumada ' th - thaniyah 18 BH. The good and noble lady Khadijah and the apostle of Allah bestowed all their natural love, care and devotion on their lovable and only child Fatimah, who in her turn was extremely fond of her parents. The princess of the House of the Prophet, was very intelligent, accomplished and cheerful. Her sermons, poems and sayings serve, as an index to her strength of character and nobility of mind. Her virtues gained her the title " Our Lady of light. she was tall, slender and endowed with great beauty, which caused her to be called " az - Zahra' " (the Lady of Light). she was called az - Zahra' because her light used to shine among those in Heaven. After arriving in Medina, she was married to ` Ali , in the first year hijrah, and she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Her children, Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab and umm kul-thum. are well - known for their piety , goodness and generosity Their strength of chracter and actions changed the course of history. The Holy Prophet said, " Fatimah is a peace of my heart". He would go out to receive his doughtier whenever she come from her husband's house.

Every morning on his way to the Mosque, he would pass by Fatimah's house and say:

"as-salamu alaykum ya ahlul-Bayti-nubuwwah wa ma'dani 'r - risala " (peace be on you O the Household of prophet hood and the source of Messengership)  

Fatimah is famous and acknowledged as the "sayyidatu 'N-nisa'i Al-alamin" (Leader of all the women of the world for all times ) because the Prophethood of Muhammad would not have been everlasting without her. The Prophet is the perfect example for men, but could not be so for women. For all the verses revealed in the Holy Qur'an for women, Fatimah is the perfect model, who translated every year into action. In her lifetime, she was a complete woman, being Daughter, wife and Mother at the some time.

Muhammad during his lifetime, gave Fatimah a gift of very extensive farm lands, famous as Fadak, which were documented in her name, as her absolute personal property. An heiress to the remainder of her mother`s wealth, a princess who was the only daughter of the holy prophet who was also a ruler, a lady whose husband was the conqueror of Arab tribes and second only to her father in and position, Fatimah could have led a luxurious life. But in spite of her wealth and possessions, she worked, dressed, ate and lived very simply.

she was very generous; and none who come to her door, went away empty handed. Many times she gave away her all and herself went without food. As a daughter, she loved her parents so much, that she won their love and regard to such and extent that the Holy prophet used to rise, whenever she come near him As a wife, she was very devoted.

She never asked Ali for anything in her whole life. As a mother , she cared for and brought up wonderful children; they have lift their marks on the face of the world , which time will not be able to eraze. The death of the Apostle, affected her very much and she was very sad and grief striken and wept her heart out crying all the time. unfortunately, after the death of the prophet, the office of Caliphate confiscated her famous land of Fadak and gave it to the state. 

Death - Fatimah was pushed behind the door when they attacked the house of Ali and took him to force him accept the caliphate of Abu Baker, so that the child, she was carrying was hurt.

Her house was set on fire by the Government. The tragedy of her father's death and the unkindness of her father's followers, were too much for the good , gently and sensitive lady and she breathed her last on 14 Th. Jumada ` l - ula 11 AH, exactly seventy - five days after the death of her father, the Holy prophet of Islam. Fatimah died in the prime of her life at the age of eighteen, and was buried in jannatu'l-Baqi in Medina al-Munawwarah.

May Allah bestow peace and benedictions upon our Lady, Fatima azZahra and may Allah's curse be on those who oppressed her, those that belonged to the wretched pedigree.

.

 

Performing her ablutions and burying her:

   When people of Medina realized Fatimahas (AS) martyrdom, they gathered in front of her house and waited for the burying ceremony. But it was announced that the ceremony was delayed. At night, when all people were asleep, Imame Ali (AS) started to wash Fatimahas (AS) body and shroud her, in absence of the people, who had oppressed her greatly, according to her will. When ablutions was finished, he told Imame Hassan (AS) and Imame Hosain (AS) (Who were only two little children at that time) to call some of Prophetas (PBUH) real companions whom Fatimah (AS) was satisfied with, to participate in the burying ceremony. (They were not more than 7 as it has been narrated). After they arrived; he said prayers and then buried her while his children were sad and were secretly crying for losing their other. When the burying ceremony ended, he turned to Prophetas (PBUH) shrine and said:

   "Regards to you, O! the messenger of Allah! From me and your daughter, who has reposed besides you, and has joined you within a little time. O Prophet (PBUH)! I have lost my patience in separation from your beloved and I have lost my self-control. We are from Allah and will return to him. Your daughter will inform you how she was oppressed by your community. Ask her what has happened, because it hasn't passed a lot and you haven't been forgotten yet."

   Today, after passing many years, still her shrine is hidden and nobody knows where it is located. Muslims, and specially Shiahs, wait for

Imame Mahdias

(AJ) reappearance. He is the Savior and is the eleventh child of Fatimahas (AS) progeny. She will show us his mother's shrine and will eradicate oppression in the world.