Chief of the Ladies of Paradise and this World
It is widely believed that on the twentieth day of Jamadi’ ul Akhir Prophet Muhammed (s) and Janabe Khadijah (s.a) welcomed their beloved daughter Fatima al-Zahra into this world. When Janabe Khadijah (s.a) was about to deliver Bibi Fatima (s.a) she asked the ladies of the Quraish to help her. They refused saying that they would not help her because she was Muhammad’s (s) wife. In the meantime, four heavenly ladies entered the house, their beauty and brilliance cannot be described.
One of the ladies said:
“I am your Mother Eve.”
The second said:
“I am Asiya Bint Muzahim.”
The third said:
“I am Kulsoom, Musa’s sister.”
The fourth said:
“I am Marium 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, with her finger raised.”
Janabe Fatima al-Zahra (s.a) inherited traits like generosity and benevolence from her great mother and divine and heavenly characteristics from her Holy father. Her names and titles all represent heavenly attributes and moral virtues; they include Siddiqa, Tahira, Zakkiyya, Zahra, Sayyadat al-Nisa al-Alamin, Khayr al-Nisa, Batool and so forth. The beautiful name given to her by the Holy Prophet (s) is Umm Abiha i.e “Mother of her father”, which indicates that in spite of her young age she was a spiritual haven and a great mental support to her father. Umm in Arabic also means ‘origin’ or ‘source of’ which would mean the origin and source of Nubuwwa (Prophethood) and Wilaya (Guardianship).
Janabe Fatima (s.a) was a kind, compassionate, loving and devoted wife to Imam Ali (a.s). It was in her Immaculate lap that the two eminent Imams, i.e., Imam al-Hasan (a.s) and Imam al-Hussain (a.s) were brought up; so also were our noble Bibis Janabe Zainab al-Kubra (s.a) and Janabe Umme Kulsoom (s.a). Janabe Fatima (s.a) was enlightened spiritually and intellectually and was the one who imparted the spirit of Islamic education to her children.
Janabe Fatimah (s.a) was one of the first to empower women by giving them employment in her farmlands of Fadak, thereby making them contributors to their family income. Janabe Fatima (s.a) was aware of whatever took place outside her home and would defend her own rights and those of her husband when they were threatened.
The Shahadat of Janabe Fatima al-Zahra (s.a)
Jamadi’ ul Akhir is also the month of the Shahadat of Janabe Fatima (s.a). She passed away just seventy-five to ninety-five days after the death of our Holy Prophet Muhammed (s).
The loss of her father and the events which followed made Janabe Fatima (s.a) extremely weary in body and soul. It was very painful for her to part from her holy father (s). Janabe Fatima (s.a) was suffering immensely from the various injustices shown to her and Imam Ali (a.s). Her lands of Fadak were taken away from her. The grievous injuries inflicted on her by the incident of the burning door of her house being pushed down on her caused the shahadat of her unborn child Hazrat Mohsin (a.s).
She spoke eloquently to those few who came to enquire about her health, words which were the laments and complaints of a bereaved and tyrannized lady and were also a warning to the Muslims against disunion and mischief that would be prevalent in the community in the future. Janabe Fatima’s (s.a) health rapidly deteriorated and she hastened to Paradise to join her beloved father by the pool of Kawthar.
Janabe Fatima (s.a) advised her dear husband to bury her body at night, and it was done as she wished. With tears in his eyes, Imam Ali (a.s) laid the body of his beloved wife secretly in her grave and without leaving a trace or sign filled it up with earth again, whispering the following lines distressfully. “My soul is imprisoned in my bitterly painful sighs and laments. I wish the bird of my soul would fly out of this cage and take my laments along. Verily, there’s no use in my life without your presence. My tears are flowing down because I fear for my life after you would last long (and I would keep on burning in separation from you)”. Then he took the hands of his dear children and returned to the sad house, from where Zahra (s.a) was gone forever.
“Praise and glory belong to the Lord who taught us to be grateful and decreed thankfulness as our duty. Allah is the Lord who existed before everything and will exist after everything. O Muslims! You have been advised not to abandon us and not to leave the children of your Prophet alone and to be faithful to his progeny.”
JANABE FATIMA AL-ZAHRA (s.a)
TEHMINEH RIZVI ALI
(Noida Expressway)
(For the month of Jamadi’ul Akhir)