In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Mawaddah Association is pleased
to present to you
Portraits from the Lives of the Female Companions
by Dr. Abdur Rahman Ra'fat Al-Basha,
may Allah have mercy on him.
Fatima Az-Zahra',
may Allah be pleased with her.
The Life Story of Fatima Az-Zahra'
A radiant chapter from the biography of the Great Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and a magnificent portrayal of life within the noble household of prophecy,
and a splendid example of the noble Companions.
Fatima Az-Zahra', may Allah be pleased with her, was born
in the year the Ka'bah was built,
five years before the Prophetic mission.
As for her mother, she was the noble Razan,
who combined sound intellect with noble lineage,
and possessed virtuous character,
and abundant wealth.
She was known in the pre-Islamic era as "At-Tahirah" (the Pure),
and was considered the foremost lady of Quraysh.
She believed in the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when people disbelieved,
and affirmed him when people denied him,
and supported him with her wealth when people deprived him.
Allah had blessed this dignified lady with a beautiful face,
along with the excellent character He bestowed upon her,
noble lineage,
and considerable wealth.
This is the mother of Fatima Az-Zahra'.
As for her father, he is the master of the Messengers,
the Seal of the Prophets,
and the Imam of the God-fearing.
How noble is this noble lineage as a lineage!
And how great is this mighty father as a father!
Fatima Az-Zahra' was the youngest of her parents' children,
and the youngest child is nurtured amidst tenderness and affection,
and grows up surrounded by care and love.
Therefore, Fatima was the beloved flower of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He would be pleased if she was pleased,
and displeased if she was displeased.
However, the parents' affection
did not prevent them from nurturing their cherished daughter,
and preparing her to bear responsibilities.
It is narrated that she would manage her household affairs alone,
with no one assisting her on most days.
And that she would tend to her father's wounds, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, during the Battle of Uhud.
When Az-Zahra' reached womanhood,
many eyes turned towards her.
Among those who proposed to her were Abu Bakr and Umar,
but the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, politely declined them,
as if he intended to reserve her for Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
In the eighth year of Hijrah,
Ali ibn Abi Talib proposed to Fatima Az-Zahra'.
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, quickly responded to his request.
Ali prostrated in gratitude to Allah.
When he raised his head from his prostration,
the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said to him,
"May Allah bless you both and be upon you,
and make your union blessed,
and bring forth from you much good."
The marriage contract of Fatima Az-Zahra' to Ali ibn Abi Talib was witnessed by
Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman,
and Talhah and Az-Zubayr from the Emigrants,
and a similar number from the Ansar.
When the people had taken their seats,
the Messenger, peace be upon him, said,
"Praise be to Allah, praised for His blessings,
worshipped by His power.
Indeed, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has made kinship by marriage a subsequent lineage,
a binding obligation,
a just decree,
and a comprehensive good,
or a thorn in the wombs,
and a duty upon mankind.
So Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said:
“And He it is Who hath created man from water, and hath appointed for him kindred by blood and kindred by marriage; for thy Lord is ever Powerful.” (25:54)
"And it is He who has created man from water, and has made him [of] relationship by blood and marriage. And ever is your Lord competent." (Qur'an 25:54)
And your Lord is Ever Competent.
"I bear witness to you that I have married Fatima to Ali,"
"for 400 dirhams of silver,"
"if Ali is pleased with this, according to the established Sunnah,"
"and the obligatory duty."
So Allah united them,
blessed them,
and made their offspring pure.
I say this and seek forgiveness from Allah, the Almighty.
And the foremost lady of the Muslims was escorted
to her husband's home,
and she had no dowry except a simple bed,
a leather pillow stuffed with palm fiber,
a leather basin,
a waterskin, a sieve,
a drinking horn, and a cup,
a perfume flask, and two jars.
The noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
could not bear Fatima's distance from him,
so he resolved to move her to his vicinity.
The homes of Harithah ibn An-Nu'man were adjacent to his.
So he came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and said, "I have heard that you wish to move Fatima closer to you.
These are my homes,
and they are the closest homes of Banu An-Najjar to you.
Indeed, I and my wealth belong to Allah and His Messenger.
By Allah, O Messenger of Allah,
the wealth you take from me
is more beloved to me than that which you leave."
So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,
"You have spoken the truth. May Allah bless you."
Then he moved Fatima to his vicinity,
and housed her in one of the homes of Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him.
And from the time Az-Zahra' settled near her father,
he would visit her home every morning.
When the dawn call to prayer sounded,
he would hold the doorframe of her house and say,
"Peace be upon you, O People of the House, and may Allah purify you."
And the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
when he returned from a journey,
would begin with the mosque, praying two rak'ahs,
then he would proceed to Fatima's house,
and stay with her for a long time,
then he would visit the homes of his wives.
It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Qays
that the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
went out on a journey once,
and Ali ibn Abi Talib was with him.
Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her,
made two bracelets, a necklace, and two earrings in their absence,
and hung a curtain on the door of the house,
in anticipation of her father and husband's arrival.
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, arrived,
he entered her home.
His Companions stood at the door, unsure
whether to stay or leave,
due to his prolonged stay with her.
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, emerged,
and anger was visible on his face.
He then sat on the pulpit.
At that moment, Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, realized
that he was displeased because of what he saw of the bracelets, necklace, earrings, and curtain.
So she removed her earrings, necklace, and bracelets,
and took down the curtain,
and sent them to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
And she said to the one who carried them,
"Tell the Messenger,
'Your daughter sends you her greetings,
and tells you to spend this in the cause of Allah.'"
When it reached him, he said,
"I have done so. May her father be sacrificed for her.
This world is not for Muhammad nor for the family of Muhammad.
If this world were worth even the wing of a mosquito in the sight of Allah,
He would not give a disbeliever a sip of water from it."
Then, Fatima Az-Zahra's household
soon became blessed with righteous offspring.
The noble parents were blessed with Hasan, Husayn, and Muhsin,
and Zaynab and Umm Kulthum.
The joy of the noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was immense for them.
It is narrated that when Hasan was born,
his parents named him Harb.
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came and said,
"Show me my son.
What did you name him?"
They said, "Harb."
He said, "Rather, he is Hasan."
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would dote on Fatima's children,
find solace in them, play with them, and carry them.
And sometimes one of them would ride on his shoulder while he prayed,
and he would be gentle in his prayer,
prolonging his prostration,
so as not to dislodge him from his perch.
It was his custom, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to spend the night at Fatima's house
from time to time,
and to personally attend to the service of her children while they and their parents sat by.
One night, he heard Hasan asking for water.
So he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, went to a waterskin,
and began to pour it into a cup.
Husayn extended his hand to take the water,
but he withheld it from him and began with Hasan.
So Fatima said,
"It seems he is more beloved to you."
He replied, peace be upon him,
"He asked for water first."
And Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her,
when she entered upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
he would take her hand, welcome her,
and seat her in his place.
And when he entered upon her,
she would rise for him, welcome him,
take his hand, and kiss it.
She entered upon him during his final illness, the one in which he passed away.
He whispered something to her, and she wept.
Then he whispered something else to her, and she laughed.
Aisha witnessed this,
and thought to herself,
"I used to think this woman had a special status over other women,
but she is just like them.
While she was weeping, she was laughing."
When the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed away,
she asked her about that.
She whispered to me, informing me that he was dead.
So I wept.
Then she whispered to me that I would be the first of my family to join him.
So I laughed.
And Fatimah did not remain long after the passing of her father, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
She joined him after a few months.
It is said she remained six, or three, or two months.
This is according to differing narrations.
So in Ramadan of the 11th year of Hijrah,
Fatimah al-Zahra answered the call of her Lord,
and rejoiced in joining her father.
And when her death approached,
she took charge of washing herself with her own hands.
And she said to her companion, Asma bint Umays,
after I have washed myself as well as one can wash,
"O my mother [a term of endearment, not literal mother],
bring me the new clothes."
So she put them on, then said:
"I have washed myself.
So let no one uncover my shroud."
Then she smiled.
She had not smiled since the passing of her father,
except for the moment she departed this life.
May Allah have mercy on the fragrant flower of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
with vast mercy.
For she was wedded to Ali in Ramadan,
and she was wedded to Paradise in Ramadan as well.
Fatimah al-Zahra, may Allah be pleased with her,
is the fragrant flower of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.