Born into greatness: Fatimah, heiress of the Prophet's teachings

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Her Esteemed Lineage

Fatimah, the illustrious progeny of the Messenger of Allah, and Khadijah bintu Khuwaylid , stands as the epitome of womanhood in her era. Hailing from the esteemed Quraysh tribe and the noble Hashemite lineage, she assumed the honoured mantle of being the mother of Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn.

Fatimah transmitted hadiths from her father, and among those who relayed these narrations were her esteemed son Al-Husayn, along with notable figures such as ^A'ishah, Ummu Salamah, Anas ibnu Malik , and others. Her teachings find their place within the six most reputable compilations of hadith.

The Prophet ﷺ held her in profound affection, bestowing upon her great honour, and confided in her with his secrets.

“إذا كانَ يَومُ القِيامةِ نَادَى مُنادٍ مِنْ وَراءِ الحُجُبِ يا أَهْلَ الجَمْعِ غُضُّوا أَبْصَارَكُم عن فَاطِمةَ بِنتِ محمدٍ حتى تمُر”

(‘idh a kana yawmu l-qiyamah, nad a munadin min wara’i l-hujub : y a ‘ahla l-jam^i ghu ddu ‘absarakum ^an Fatimah binti Muhammad hatta tamurra)

Her Birth

Fatimah entered the world either before or, according to some accounts, after her father's Prophetic mission began. She was the fourth daughter of the Messenger of Allah, born to Khadijah after Zaynab, Ruqayyah, and Ummu Kulthum.

Lady Fatimah, alongside ^Aliyy, Al-Hasan , and Al-Husayn, as well as the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him, are encompassed by the word of Allah in Suratu l-Ahzab (33).

﴿لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرجْسَ أَهْلَ البَيْتِ وَيُطَهرَكمْ تَطْهِيرا﴾

(liyudh-hiba ^ankumu r-rijsa ‘ahla l-bayti wayutahhirakum tat-hira) "

Which means: "to preserve you, family of the Prophet ﷺ, from disbelief and to purify you"

How the Messenger of Allah considered her

At-Tirmidhiyy and Al-Hakim recounted through 'Usamah ibnu Zayd , that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ declared:

"أحب أهلي إلي فاطمة"

(‘ahabbu ‘ahl i ‘ilayya Fatimah)

This means: "The one I love most among my family members is Fatimah . "

Al-Hakim relayed from ^A'ichah that she remarked, "I have never encountered anyone whose words and demeanour more closely resembled those of the Messenger of Allah than Fatimah. Whenever she visited him, he would rise to greet her, kiss her, extend a warm welcome, take her hand, and seat her beside him. Similarly, whenever the Messenger of Allah entered, she would rise to welcome him and kiss his hand."

In the two sahihs of Al-Bukhariyy and Muslim, the Messenger ﷺ said to him:

"يَا فَاطِمَةُ أَمَا تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّة"

(y a Fatimah, ‘am a tardayna ‘an takun i sayyidata niça’i hadhihi l-‘ummah)

This means "O Fatimah, are you not content to know that you are the foremost among the women of this community?"

And in the sahihof Al-Bukhariyy, the Messenger ﷺ said:

"فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَة مِنِّي فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي"

(Fatimah bad^atun minn i faman ‘aghdabah a ‘aghdabani)

This means: " Fatimah is a part of me. Whoever angers her will have angered me."

Fatimah and ^Aliyy

The Prophet ﷺ bestowed Fatimah in marriage upon ^Aliyy in the second year of the Hijrah, following the Battle of Badr . The Prophet ﷺ said to ^Aliyy, [relayed by At–Tabaraniyy ]

“أما ترضين أن زوجتك أقدمَ أمتي سلمًا وأكثرَهم علمًا وأحلمَهم حَلمًا”

(‘am a tardayna ‘an zawwajtuki ‘aqdama ‘ummat i silman wa’aktharahum ^ilman wa’ahlamahum hilman)

This means: "Are you not pleased that I have married you to one from my community who was among the first to embrace Islam, possessing the most knowledge and forbearance?"

In another narration, relayed by At–Tabaraniy he said,

“لقد زوجتك سعيدا في الدنيا وإنه في الآخرة لمن الصالحين”

(laqad zawwajtuki sa^idan fi d-duny a wa’innahu fi l-‘akhirati lamina s–salihin)

This means: "I have joined you with someone who finds joy in this world and will be counted among the righteous in the Hereafter."

He made a supplication for the two of them, saying:

“جمع الله بينكما وبارك في سيركما وأصلح بالكما”

(jama^a l-Lahu baynakum a wabaraka f i sayrikum a wa’aslaha balakuma)

This means: “May Allah unite you both, bless your path, and make your hearts righteous."

And in certain narrations, there is an additional statement which is:

“اللهم إني أُعيذها بك وذريتها من الشيطان الرجيم”

(Allahumma ‘inn i ‘u^idhuh a bika wadhurriyyatah a mina ch-chaytani r-rajim)

This means: "O Allah, I seek Your protection for her and her descendants from the accursed demon."

It has been authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ honoured Fatimah and her husband, as well as their two sons. He enveloped them in a garment and said:

“اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ أهْلُ بَيْتِي، اللَّهُمَّ فَأذْهِبْ عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْسَ، وَطَهِّرْهُم تَطْهِيْرا”

(Allahumma ha’ula’i ‘ahlu bayti, Allahumma fa’adh-hib ^anhumu r-rijsa watahhirhum tat-hira)

"O Allah, these are the members of my household. Cleanse them of impurities and purify them thoroughly.”

The lineage of the Prophet ﷺ ceased except through Fatimah. She bore Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, and Muhsin , and among her daughters were Ummu Kulthum, the wife of ^Umar ibnu l-Khattab, and Zaynab, the wife of ^Abdu l-Lah ibnu Ja^far , son of Ab u Talib.

Her humble Life with ^Aliyy

Our master ^ Aliyy reported that our lady Fatimah once approached the Prophet ﷺ, expressing her discomfort due to the marks left by the millstone on her hands, and beseeched him to assign her a servant. Failing to find him, she relayed her request to ^A'ichah . Upon the Prophet's return, ^A'ichah informed him. ^Aliyy recounted: "The Prophet ﷺ entered our dwelling while we lay reclined. I moved to rise, but he bid me to remain. Seating himself between us, I could sense the coolness of his feet upon my chest."

He said: [Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Al-Bayhaqi]

“أَلا أَدُلكُمَا عَلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمَا مِنْ خَادِم”

(Al a ‘adullukum a ^al a m a huwa khayrun lakum a min khadim)

"Shall I not direct you to something better for you than a servant? When you lie down, say 'Subhana l-Lah'thirty-three times, 'Al-hamdu lil-Lah' thirty-three times, and ' Allahu Akbar ' thirty-four times. This is better for you than a servant."

He imparted this wisdom to them because the Hereafter holds greater value and permanence. Some exegetes suggest that through these invocations, she acquired a strength that empowered her to attend to her needs more effectively than any servant ever could. Allah is Almighty; nothing renders Him powerless. Isn't it reported in a h adith as narrated by Ibnu Majah that during the days of Ad-Dajjal, famine will occur, yet the righteous will be satiated by the words "L a ‘ilaha ‘illa l-Lah, Allahu ‘akbar, subhana l-Lah, al-hamdu lil-Lah," serving as their sustenance!

Lady Fatimah, despite being the youngest of the Prophet's daughters, exemplified piety and God-fearingness among them. Her dedication to the worship of Allah surpassed that of her sisters, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, and Ummu Kulthum. Allah bestowed upon her descendants a blessing unparalleled in the annals of this community. He multiplied her progeny, the offspring of Al-Hasan and Al-Hussayn, adorning them with His divine grace. Among them are saints, both men and women, whose numbers are known only to Allah .

Her Exemplary Traits

“إذا كانَ يَومُ القِيامةِ نَادَى مُنادٍ مِنْ وَراءِ الحُجُبِ يا أَهْلَ الجَمْعِ غُضُّوا أَبْصَارَكُم عن فَاطِمةَ بِنتِ محمدٍ حتى تمُر”

(‘idh a kana yawmu l-qiyamah, nad a munadin min wara’i l-hujub : y a ‘ahla l-jam^i ghu ddu ‘absarakum ^an Fatimah binti Muhammad hatta tamurra)

"On the Day of Judgment, an angel will call out from behind the veils: 'O people of the gathering, lower your gazes for Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, is passing by,'" as reported by Al-Hakim .

This injunction pertains not to her close relatives, but they will nonetheless be able to see her. Only men will lower their gazes, while women will look upon her, signifying her esteemed status, may Allah be pleased with her. She is indeed the best woman of this community and a siddiqah, a truthful saint.

Al-Mounawiyy remarked, "This means that an angel will announce, unseen by the people: 'O you at this station, lower your gaze, do not look upon Fatimah as she passes and enters Paradise.'"

The circumstances surrounding her demise

Fatimah outlived her three sisters, all of whom passed away during the Prophet's lifetime. She herself departed from this world six months after the Prophet's demise, in the eleventh year of the Hijrah. As reported by ^A'ishah, Fatimah lived for six months following the Prophet's death and was interred during the night.

Even in her passing, Fatimah remained a figure of reverence and honour.