Sayyidah Fatima az-Zahrah bint Muhammed al-Mustafa (r.a)

 

Sayyidah Fatima az-Zahrah bint Muhammed al-Mustafa (r.a)


"Do you realize whose biography you are to write about?" I asked my
pen
before it touched the pages of my notebook. "No," it replied.
Whispering in its ear, I said, "You are to write about the precious
beloved, the
obedient daughter. You are to write about the one who embodied
perseverance in her struggles, the blessed truthful one, the one who
was
content with her lord and whose lord was content with her. You are
to write
about the possessor of the eloquent tongue, the one who's heart was
filled with the love for paradise, the daughter of the greatest man,
he
upon whom Allah revealed the Qur'an. You are to write about the one
nicknamed "mother of her father," the righteous ascetic.

Hearing this good news, my pen danced out of utter ecstasy and
elation,
for Allah had granted it permission to write about this righteous
woman. Moments afterwards, fear overtook the burdened pen as it
began to
realize the magnitude of the responsibility delegated to it. Turning
to
its Lord in humbleness and gratitude, my pen prostrated onto the pad
requesting inspiration and truthfulness in every letter it would
write. As
the ink began to flow through its tip, the following words were
recorded:


All praise belongs to Allah, and may salutations and benedictions be
upon you, O Messenger of Allah, and upon your sweet daughter and
family,
and upon those who love them for Allah.

This blessed girl, Fatimah al-Zahrah ("the blossoming flower") (AS),
was born in the sanctified city of Mecca, in the home of "the mother
of
all believers," Khadijah Al-Kubra ("the Prominent") (RA), five years
before the revelation and in a time of immense Divine success and
good
fortune.

The time of her birth coincided with an event that would have led
the
Quraysh into a major civil war had it not been for the wise judgment
of
her father, the trustworthy one named Muhammad (SS). After the
rebuilding of the holy Ka'bah, the tribes of Mecca had differed
amongst
themselves as to which tribe would have the privilege of placing the
sacred
Black Stone in its rightful place.



After much debate and many threats of a possible war, the tribes had
finally come to an agreement. They would leave it to the first man
who
entered upon them to decide who would be the one to lift the sacred
Black
Stone. Allah decreed that Muhammad (SS) be the chosen one--he (SS)
was
to judge between the tribes. Endowed by Allah (AJ) with the gift of
sagaciousness and wisdom, he said to the rivaling tribes, "bring me
a
piece of cloth." Placing the Black Stone in the middle of the cloth,
he
told each tribe to take hold of a corner. Together, they all carried
the
stone over to the Ka'bah. Muhammad (SS) then lifted the sacred Black
Stone with his blessed hands and placed it in the corner of the
Ka'bah,
thus pleasing the differing tribes with his prudent judgment.

Upon returning home to his gracious wife Khadijah (RA), he (SS)
found
waiting for him the illuminated face of the most magnificent child
ever
to walk the face of the earth. It was the face of the one who most
resembled him. Her white complexion mixed with a tinge of redness
glistened
in contrast to her jet-black hair. Gazing upon "a fragment of his
essence," Muhammad (SS) took her up into his arms with love and
affection
and said to his companion in life (Khadijah (RA)), "O Khadijah, she
is
like a gentle breeze full of blessing, and indeed Allah Ta'ala will
make
my progeny through her."

Sayyidah Fatimah (AS) was reared in the house of prophethood along
with
her three older sisters: Sayyidah Zaynab (AS), Sayyidah Ruqayyah
(AS),
and Sayyidah Umm Kulthum (AS). Among the other inhabitants of this
ethereal household was Imam Ali ibn abi Talib (KW) (the cousin of
the
Messenger of Allah), Zaid ibn al Haritha (RA) (the then adopted son
of the
Messenger of Allah), and Umm Ayman (RA) (the slave girl of Aminah,
the
mother of Muhammad (SS)).

Sayyidah Fatimah (AS) was raised and educated upon prophetic morals
and
etiquette, for the one who raised her was the one who said about
himself, "My Lord has trained and cultivated me, and indeed He has
perfected
my training."

Indeed, she was instructed by the one who's character was the
Qur'an,
and the one who Allah (AJ) said about him, "And indeed you are upon
great and noble character." Sayyidah Fatimah (AS) absorbed the
prophetic
qualities of truthfulness, sanctity, integrity, compassion,
abstinence,
steadfastness, and scrupulousness; she came to live the meanings of
contentedness, humility, and altruism, and was one who always
preferred
silence.

Growing up witnessing the incessant worship of her father day and
night, secluding himself in the cave of Hira', and seeing her
mother's
unwavering support of her husband left a lasting imprint on Sayyidah
Fatimah's soul. And as her three older sisters were maturing,
marrying and
eventually all moving away from home, little Fatimah (AS) was left
to help
her mother in her every effort to prepare the Best of Creation to
receive the revelations from Heaven.

The decree of Allah had arrived, and the custodian of the Heavens
Jibril (AS) began to descend upon the greatest of Allah's creation
with
revelations from above. He commanded the Prophet (SS) to proclaim
the
Message of the Most Merciful, to give the good news, and to warn the
creation—a heavy burden, no doubt. No sooner did the Messenger (SS)
begin
spreading the word and inviting the people to Islam than did
afflictions of
all kinds beseige him from every direction. Yet he endured it with
trust in Allah and a certainty that Allah would never leave him to
his
oppressors. He stayed up long into the nights praying for his people
and
inviting them to the best of ways, and indeed he fulfilled his duty
(SS)!

His life companion and soul mate, Khadijah (RA) was a constant
support
who consoled him during a time in which mental and physical harms of
all sorts rained on him because of her deeply rooted love for the
Messenger (SS). With her gentle words of encouragement, full
financial
support, and her ever-flowing affection, she did all she could to
alleviate
his burden and selflessly aided him in trying to attain his lofty
goal.
Each passing day would bring with it a new wave of persecution and
adversity until they were economically sanctioned and cut off from
their
tribe.



The little girl Al-Zahra (AS) endured days of hunger during this
severe, trying period. She wept along with those who wept. She
underwent the
painful experience of witnessing the various tribulations that
poured
down upon her father, her mother, and all those who proclaimed the
statement of La Ilaha Illa Allah. Saddened and pained at what she
saw, she
stood firm, showing patience, gratitude, and resolve in helping her
mother fight off the oppression, all while aiding the Messenger of
Allah
(SS) and bringing comfort to his heart.

The afflictions would not let up, but would pound harder and harder
on
her gentle, little heart, each taking its toll, until the time
arrived
for her to bid farewell to one of her greatest supports. Signs of
fatigue and illness were becoming apparent on the face of one of the
pillars
of this blessed family, her mother and best friend Khadijah (RA). As
she neared her appointed time, Sayyidah Khadijah (RA) looked at
Fatimah
(AS) and said, "O Fatimah, you are a fragment of your father's
essence.
I will leave him to your care."

Thereafter, her pure soul traveled back to the Originator, leaving
behind a sadness that gripped the hearts of her beloved and left her
husband and daughter tearful. This year of immense loss was called
by the
Messenger of Allah (SS) himself, "The year of grief." In this year,
the
Messenger (SS) lost his uncle Abu Talib, along with the mother of
his
daughters and sons, his soul mate, Khadijah Al-Kubra (RA). At this
point,
the responsibility of upholding the house of prophethood in its
entirety fell on the shoulders of Sayyidah Fatimah (AS).

Devoting herself to serving her father and expending every ounce of
energy she possessed, she became an obedient daughter, a sincere
friend,
and as compassionate to the Messenger of Allah (SS) as a mother, to
the
point that he nicknamed her "mother of her father." Her precious
heart
wept out of sorrow and pain as she saw her father (SS) return home
on
several occasions with blood stained clothes and signs of weariness
on
his ennobled face.



Out of fear and love for her father (SS), she would accompany him
every
place he went. She would accompany him to the Ka'bah, and she would
be
of those who attended the secret gatherings of the first believers,
those willing to sacrifice their souls for him (SS) and his message
of La
Ilaha Illa Allah.

Her whole essence was shaken when she witnessed the disbelievers,
out
of mockery, pour upon the head and back of her father (SS) filth and
entrails of dead sheep as he prostrated to Allah (AJ) at the holy
Ka'bah.
In a state of shock, she quickly ran and lifted the entrails off his
head and back with her two little hands, brushing away the signs of
filth
on the Prophet (SS). All the while, she pleaded with Allah to
protect
her father (SS) from the harm of their oppressors.

She once witnessed a band of Quraysh gather around her father (SS),
then beat and choking him with his own clothes until his breath was
nearly
cut off. She called out for help and assistance, and her cry was
heard
by Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (RA). He frantically came running and freed
the
Messenger of Allah (SS) from their grasps while saying, "Do you kill
a
man only because he says `Allah is my Lord!'" Turning their
attention to
Abu Bakr (RA), the group beat him relentlessly until he lost
consciousness and his facial features were no longer recognizable.
And in the
background of all this, here is this little child, witnessing these
atrocities while maturing towards adolescence, bearing the burdens
that even
grown men cannot bear.

The time now came for the migration from Mecca. Allah (AJ) commanded
the Messenger of Allah (SS) to migrate with his companion al-Siddiq
to
the City of Light, the city of Madinah. Alone without her father,
Fatimah
(AS) counted the days of her stay in Mecca and longed for the day
she
would once again be reunited with her father. After a few weeks, she
found herself entering her father's house in the city of Madinah and
finally able to breathe again.

When Fatimah (AS) reached the age of eighteen, suitors began to
approach the Messenger of Allah (SS) requesting her hand, each
desiring the
honor and privilege of marrying into his family (SS).

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was the first to present himself to the Messenger
of
Allah (SS). Upon hearing the request, the Messenger of Allah (SS)
looked away and did not respond. Then came Umar (RA) asking for her
hand in
marriage. Likewise, the Messenger (SS) did not respond. News of
these
events spread amongst the Muslims, so no one else approached the
Messenger (SS) regarding this issue, except for Sayyidana Ali (KW).
He felt
deep inside himself that the Messenger of Allah (SS) was reserving
his
daughter Fatimah (AS) for him.

After mustering up the courage, he headed towards the house of the
Messenger of Allah (SS) and knocked at his door. The Messenger of
Mercy
(SS) said (to the servant) "Open the door for the one knocking, for
indeed
he loves Allah and the Messenger. He is my brother, and is the most
beloved of creation to me. Indeed, he is Ali ibn abi Talib."
Entering the
room in silence and sitting between the hands of the Messenger of
Allah
(SS), Sayyidina Ali (KW) lowered his head out of humility. The
Messenger (SS) addressed him saying, "O Ali, you have come for a
specific
reason, what is it?" He replied, "O Messenger of Allah, you know of
my
kinship with you, and that you are my intercessor in this life and
the next.
I have come to seek the hand of your daughter Fatimah in marriage.
Will
you grant me that, O Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger (SS)
replied,
"O Ali, indeed Fatimah is yours, and you are hers, for Allah has
commanded me to marry her to you."

Sayyidina Ali (KW) sold his body armor to Sayyidna Uthman ibn Affan
(RA) for 400 Dirhams and used the money as Fatimah's (AS) dowry.
Later
Sayyidina Uthman (RA) returned the body armor to Sayyidina Ali as a
wedding gift.

They now proceeded to prepare their future home, the home of the
family
of light and worship. They began by laying the ground of their
blessed
home with sand. They then purchased a leather pillow filled with
luffa;
during the cold winter months they would flip the pillow inside out
and
face the warm wool outward, and during the hot summer months they
would
flip it back, leather side out, making it more bearable in the
incessant Meccan heat.

It was upon this pillow which rested the head of "the door to the
city
of knowledge" (Sayyidnah Ali (KW), as he was nicknamed by the
Messenger
of Allah (SS)), and the head of the greatest woman in all creation,
Sayyidinah Fatimah (AS). They also purchased a pot of clay to cook
their
food in and bought a blanket for themselves. When they covered their
heads with the blanket, their feet would be left uncovered, and when
they
covered their feet, their heads would be exposed. And these were the
humble beginnings of this noble family.

Upon entering their abode for the first time, Sayyida Fatimah wept,
remembering that her mother was not with her on this joyous day. The
newlyweds entered and sat next to each other awaiting the arrival of
the
Messenger of Allah (SS), for he told Sayyidnah Ali (KW), "Do not
approach
your wife until I come to you." When he (SS) arrived, he ordered for
a
jug of water to be brought to him. He (SS) read into the water and
sprinkled some of it on the face and chest of both Sayyidinah
Fatimah and
her husband. He then supplicated for them saying, "O Allah, make my
progeny through Ali and Fatimah a guided progeny. O Allah, they are
indeed
the most beloved of creation to my heart, so love them too, and
bless
their progeny, and make for them a protection from You. I seek
refuge in
You for them and their offspring from the accursed devil." Turning
to
Ali (KW), the Messenger (SS) said, "You may go to your wife, may
Allah
bless you, and the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you, O
people of
the family." Bidding farewell to the new couple, the Messenger (SS)
left the coolness of his eyes and the love of his heart, Sayyidah
Fatimah, in the care and responsibility of the one who most deserved
her,
Sayyidinah Ali (KW). Walking to the house of his wife Aisha (RA),
the
Messenger (SS) continued making supplication for them saying, "O
Allah,
unite between their efforts and hearts, and make them and their
progeny
from the inheritors of the Garden."

No sooner was the couple alone except that Sayyida Fatimah began
weeping and sobbing. "What makes you weep, O Fatimah? What makes you
weep, O
daughter of the Messenger of Allah? Are you not pleased with me as a
husband?" Sayyidina Ali (KW) asked in a gentle tone. "How can I not
be
pleased with you, and you are Ali," replied Fatimah. "But I thought
about
my happiness and tranquility now, being in your company, and how
there
will be a day when I will enter my grave without company like this".

These were the thoughts of Sayyidah Fatimah (AS) on her wedding
night!
She thought about her grave, the abode of loneliness and darkness!
Softening up to her, Sayyidina Ali (KW) said, "If you like, we can
stay up
and spend the night in worship of Allah."

This is how the righteous couple spent the first night of their
marriage: in the worship of Allah. " Forsaking their beds of rest"
(Qur'an
32:16) is how they spent their wedding night! For now, let us leave
this
couple spending time in secluded company of the Most
Merciful while we send salutations and benedictions upon the one to
whom Allah revealed the Qur'an.

May fragrant and blessed salutations be upon you, O Messenger of
Allah.
And may salutations be upon your virtuous daughter, possessor of the
heart filled with faith. And upon her chivalrous husband, and all
the
family of the Messenger (SS), those who outstripped the stations of
excellence.
Writer: Shaykhya Umm Hussein Sidky