Martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Fatema Zahra (PBUH)
Heartfelt condolences to you all on the anniversary of a very tragic day in Islamic history. Today the 3rd of the month of Jumadi al-Awwal is the day of departure from the mortal world of the noblest-ever lady who graced Planet Earth.
She was none other than Hazrat Fatema Zahra (Peace be upon her), the Immaculate Daughter of the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to mankind, Prophet Mohammad (Blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Following is a special feature in this regard.
The Prophet of Islam had only one daughter. Her mother was Hazrat Khadija (peace upon her), the Omm al-Momeneen or Mother of all True Believers, who as long as she lived was the one and only wife of the Prophet for 25 long years. Named Fatema (peace upon her), she was born following the Prophet’s Me’raj or ascension to the highest point in the heavens and then back to earth in a few moments. She was hardly five years, when her mother expired. The little orphaned girl looked after her father so devoutly that he used to call her “Omm-e Abiha”, which means Mother of her Own Father. This was the hardest time for the family because in the same year the Prophet’s beloved uncle and guardian, Abu Taleb, who was the protector of the message of Islam and fledgling Muslim community, also passed away. As a result, the hostility of the Quraish increased against the Prophet, making it difficult for him to preach the enlightening message of Islam. During this period, the little Fatema (peace upon her) used to dress the wounds sustained by her father due to the stones thrown on him by the pagan Arabs. She might have heard and seen that certain wretched women hurled dirt on her noble father. She might have learnt of the plans of the infidels to kill her father, but she was not at all frightened, since she had profound faith in God Almighty. On divine commandment, the Prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina in the dead of night, leaving his young and brave cousin Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) on his bed so that the infidels hovering around the abode of divine revelation, would be unable to detect his whereabouts.
Imam Ali (AS) stayed in Mecca for another 3 days to give back the deposits to the Meccan who had entrusted these to the Prophet for safe keeping. He then migrated to Medina, along with his mother Fatema bint Assad and the young daughter of the Prophet as well as some other ladies of the monotheist Bani Hashem clan. In the second year of the Prophet’s migration, Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her) was married by divine commandment to Imam Ali (AS). The two made an excellently virtuous pair, and gradually became the proud parents of two Infallible Sons, and two Impeccable Daughters. To be more precise, Imam Hasan (AS) was born in the 3rd year of Hijra, Imam Husain (AS) was born in the 4th year of Hijra, Hazrat Zainab (peace upon her) was born in the 6th year of Hijra, and Omme Kolthoum was born in the 7th year of Hijra. It was in the same house that the famous Verse of Purification, that is, ayah 33 of Surah al-Ahzaab was revealed to the Prophet when he assembled under his cloak, his daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons, and prayed to God Almighty. The ayah reads:
“Allah desires to keep away all uncleanliness from you Ahl al-Bayt and prserve you thoroughly purified.”
It was in the same house where this blessed family fasted for three days continuously without eating any food, since at the time of breaking the fast, a beggar, an orphan and a freed prisoner happened to knock on their door and asked for food. Ayahs 5 to 22 of Surah ad-Dahr testify to these facts. It was in the same house where every morning the Prophet used to salute his daughter and her household with the words “As-Salaamo Alaikum Ya Ahl-e Baytin Nubuwwah” Peace and blessings on the people of the Prophet’s Household.
There was so much respect in the heart of the Prophet for his only surviving child, daughter Fatema (peace upon her) that whenever she entered his presence, he would stand up to respect her. These acts of the Prophet were to show the companions that this house and its occupants have a special place in the way of Allah and that this status should be maintained after him. Unfortunately this was not done as the Prophet intended his companions to do. History tells us some very sad moments connected with this house. No sooner did her father leave the mortal world, her house was stormed by a roguish group of the Prophet’s companions with fire and crowbars, demanding that her husband, despite being the divinely-designated heir of the Prophet, give pledge of allegiance to the new regime that had usurped the right of political leadership of Imam Ali (AS). This was the first ever act of terrorism in the history of Islam. As a result, the noble lady was pinned between the blazing door of her and house and the wall, and suffered miscarriage – the stillborn Mohsin being the first martyr of the Ahl al-Bayt. Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her) was thus the first Mujahid in the history of Islam after the passing away of the Prophet who rose in defence of the fundamentals of the message entrusted to her father by God. She drew a permanent line between genuine Islam and hypocrisy.
Here is a part of her famous elegy addressed to the Prophet that provides us a glimpse of her sufferings at the hands of tyrants and terrorists who shamelessly called themselves Muslims.
Nonetheless, even in this state of agony, the Prophet’s daughter delivered a sermon in the mosque addressing the coup leaders of the new regime in Medina that till this day continues to provide guidelines for Muslims concerning the fundamentals of faith, including Towhid or Monotheism, Adl or Divine Justice, Ma’ad or the Day of Resurrection, Nubuwwat or Prophethood, and Wilaya or the God-given authority of her husband Imam Ali (AS). Her words fell on deaf ears and failed to jolt the conscience of the neo-Muslims who before paying lip service to Islam had spent almost their entire life in idol-worship and all other abominable crimes and sins of the Days of Ignorance.
Weren’t the companions of the Prophet aware of her prime position as the fulcrum of faith? Hadn’t they watched in amazement and admiration the veiled figure of the Immaculate Fatema accompany her father – along with her husband and two sons – to the memorable Mubahela with the Christians of Najran on revelation of ayah 61 or Surah Aal-e Imran, less than two years before the Prophet’s departure from the world? Did not they often hear from the Prophet the famous phrase “Fatema is a part of me; whoever displeases her has displeased me; and whoever displeases me, has indeed displeased God Almighty!”
Why did they displease such a paragon of virtue, whom God hails in the holy Qur’an as Kowsar or the Blessed Spring of Perpetual Abundance?
The answers are obvious. It was the love of the mortal world and greed for political power, even if it means disobeying God and the Prophet.
These calamities made her complain at the grave of the Prophet:
“Father! I remain bewildered and lonely; confused and lonesome. My voice is subdued. My back is broken. My life is disturbed…Surely, after you, (God’s) revelations, the place of Gabriel’s descent and Michael’s station have vanished. Father! Motives have changed and gates have been shut in my face.”
“Father! I will forever be sorrowful until we are reunited… Father! We became after you among the oppressed. Father! People shun us after you, after we were glorified by your presence…”
“Father! How gloomy are your meeting places (without your presence)! How pained I am for you, until I soon join you! How bereaved is Abu’l-Hasan (Imam Ali), the father of your two (grand)sons Hasan and Husain; your beloved one; he whom you brought up as a youth, and made your brother as a man; the most beloved of your companions to you; Abu’l-Hasan, who was the first to migrate and help you.”
Alas, on the 3rd of the month of Jamad al-Akher Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her) she attained martyred, about 95 days after the passing away of the Prophet. But before her death, she told her aggrieved husband:
“I ask you not to let anyone who did injustice to me to witness my funeral, for they certainly are enemies of mine, and the enemy of Allah’s Messenger. Also don’t give them the chance to pray over me, nor to any of their followers. Burry me at night when eyes are at rest and sight is put to sleep.”
Imam Ali (AS) carried out the wishes of his beloved wife in the dead of night, laying her to rest in an unmarked and still unknown grave in Medina, so that the shadow of those that had displeased her, would never fall upon it, nor would any future blasphemers, such as the Wahhabis of our times, would be able to desecrate it.
Thus, Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her), the Pride of the Virgin Mary and the Immortal Symbol of womanhood for all virtuous women for all time, departed from the mortal world, but values that she bequeathed to humanity eternally remain with us, inspiring the Daughters of Eve towards faith in God and moral perfection.
