Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA)
Chief of the Women of Paradise, Earth And Ummah
The only Daughter of the Holy Prophet (SAW) the Wife of Imam Ali (AS) and the mother of Hassan (AS) Hussain(AS), Mohsin(AS) Zainab(SA), Umm-e-Kulsoom (SA),
Name: - Fatima
Titles: - Az-Zahra, Razia, Marziya, Sadiqa, Bizat-ul-Rasool, Muhidisa, Tahira, Mubaraka, Zaqia and Umm-e-Abiha
Kunyat: - Umm-ul-Aimma
Born: - Friday 20th of Jamadi-ul-Akhar in Mecca Jumada ath-Thaani in the fifth year after the declaration of the prophet - hood (615 AD).
Father's Name: - Holy Prophet Muhammad Ibn-e-Abdulla (SAW)
Mother's Name: - Khadija bint-e-Khuwailid
Died: - 13th Jamadi-ul-Awwal or 3rd Jamadi ath-Thaani (two riuayats) at Medina at the age of 18 years (due to injury inflicted upon her through force of a falling door by a Hypocrite).
Buried: - The desecrated cemetery of Jannatul Baqi at Medina.
Background
Syeda Fatima Zahra (SA), was the only daughter of the Holy Prophet and Hazrat Khadija. The circumstances of her birth are described by Hadrat Khadija as follow: At the time of the birth of Hadrat Fatimah, I sent for my neighbouring 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 Khadija! I am Sarah, the mother of Ishaq, and the other three are, Maryam the mother of Isa, Asiyah the daughter of Muzahim, and Umm-e- kulthum, the sister of Musa. We have all been commanded by Allah 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 Hazrat Fatimah (SA) were only for five years, after which Hazrat Khadija (SA) left for her heavenly home. Hereafter the Holy Prophet brought her up.
Syeda Fatima Zahra (SA) was born five years after the declaration of the Prophethood, some Ullamas argue Syeda Fatima Zahra (SA) was born five years before, they also argue that there could not have been a twenty year gap between the Nikaah of Bibi Khadija (SA) and the birth of Syeda Fatima Zahra (SA), due to the fact that Bibi Khadija (SA) had already given birth to Hazrat Qasim before the declaration of the Prophethood and he died at the age of two. Hazrat Abdulla was also born before the declaration of Prophethood He also died as an infant.
Syeda Fatima Zahra is the only daughter of the holy Prophet (SAW) and Bibi Khadija (SA). Zainab, Umm-e-Kulthum and Rukeya were the daughter of Bibi Khadija’s (SA) sister Haala who was married to Abu-ul-Hind, when Haala died Bibi Khadija (SA) took on the responsibility of Her nieces Zainab, Umm-e-Kulthum and Rukeya’s welfare and upbringing.
When Bibi Khadija (SA) married the Holy Prophet of Allah Mohammad (SAW) the girls were referred to as the daughters of Mohammed (SAW) and Bibi Khadija (SA), in reality they were orphans or foster children. Zainab, Kulthum and Rukeya are not the daughters of the Holy Prophet (SA) and Bibi Khadija (SA).
Prophet Mohammed (SAW) was married at the age of twenty five, fifteen years before the declaration of the Prophethood, for the first five years they did not have any children. Zainab, Kulthum and Rukeya were married before the declaration of the Prophethood to Atbah, Ateebah sons of Abu Lahb and Abu-ul Aas bin Rab. Bearing all these facts in mind one can not believe that within ten years of marriage three daughters are born as well as married off, one also has to take in to account the births of Qasim and Abdulla.
For instance even if we accept Zainab, Kulthum and Rukeya to be the daughters of the Holy Prophet (SAW) they still can never gain the status of Syeda Fatima Zahra (SA), because they were married to kufars, and they can not be eligible to be Zul-Noorain
Marriage
When Fatimah (SA) come of age, there come forward a number of aspirants to ask for her hand in marriage. The Holy Prophet was awaiting the Divine order in this respect, till Imam Ali (AS) approached him and asked for Her hand in marriage. The Holy Prophet (SAW) come to Hadrat Fatimah (SA) and asked, "My daughter! Do you consent to be wedded to ` Ali, as I am so commanded by Allah? "Hazrat 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 (SAW) stood up reciting ` Allahu Akbar' (Allah is most great).
Fatima’s (SAW) silence is her acceptance." On Friday, 1st Dhul-Hajj 2 AH, the marriage ceremony took place. All the Muhajirun (Emigrants) and Ansar (Helpers) of Medina assembled in the mosque while Imam Ali (AS) was seated before the Holy Prophet (SAW) with all the ceremonious modesty of a bridegroom. They Holy Prophet (SAW) first recited an eloquent sermon and they announced: I have been commanded by Allah to get Fatima (SA) wedded to Ali (AS), and so I do hereby solemnize the matrimony between Ali (AS) and Fatima (SA) on a dower of four hundred mithqal of silver.
Then he asked Imam Ali (SA) "Do you consent to it, O Ali (AS)?” Yes, I do, O Holy Prophet (SAW) of Allah! "Replied Imam Ali (AS). Then the Holy Prophet (SA) raised his hands to pray thus O Allah! 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 Hasan (SA) Imam Hussain (AS), Syeda Zainab (SA) and Syeda Umm-e Kulthum (SA), 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
Hazrat Fatima (AS) 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 (SAW), both in words and deeds. “I often witnessed my mother, "says Imam Husayn (AS), “absorbed in prayer 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 (SAW) during his lifetime gave Hadrat Fatima (AS) 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 (SAW) 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 (SAW), with the deprivement of the rightful claim of leadership of Her husband Imam Ali (AS), 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 stricken 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(SAW). A couplet of the elegy, with particular reference to her woeful plight, she expressed thus: O my Father!(SAW) 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 Fatima (SA) did not survive more than seventy-five day after the demise of Her Father (SAW). She breathed her last on the 13th Jumada Al-Awwal 11 AH. Before Her demise She bequeathed the following as Her will to Imam 'Ali (AS) 1. O Ali (AS), you will personally perform my funeral rites. 2. Those that have displeased Me should not be allowed to attend My funeral. 3 .My corpse should be carried to the graveyard at right. Thus Imam (AS) compliance with Her will, performed all the funeral rites and accompanied exclusively by Her relatives and sons carried Her at night to Jannat-ul Baqi, where she was laid to rest and Her wishes fulfilled.
Fatima (SA), the only Daughter of the Holy Prophet (SAW) of Islam, was born I Mecca on 20th Jumada Ath-Thaani 18 BH. The good and noble Lady Khadija (SA) and the Apostle of Allah bestowed all their natural love, care and devotion on their lovable and only child Fatima (SA) who in Her turn was extremely kind to Her parents and fulfilled all Her duties. Fatima Zahra (SA) was declared by Allah as Syeda-Tun-Nisa-Al-Alameen(SA)
Syeda-Tun-Nisa-Hazehil-Ummat