The Hadis of Kessa

 

Jâber Ibn Abdollâh Ansâri I God rest his soul I recounted that:" One day, I heard this story from the daughter of our Prophet. She said:" One day, I was at home when my beloved father came to see me and said:" Greetings to you, o Fâtemeh! " I replied to him:" And to you. O beloved Father! " He said:" I feel somehow weak..."

"Dearest father, I entrust you to God, so that He takes all your weakness

away…"

He asked her:" Would you please bring me my Yemeni mantle and envelop

me in it...?"

Fâtemeh did as she was told, and enveloped her father in it.

She related:" As I was looking at my father’s sweet face, I saw that it glowed

with such a splendid Light that my gaze couldn't endure it after a while... "

Fâtemeh continued and said:" Slightly less than an hour had passed, when

Hassan, my first born, came in to the room and greeted me. I answered him

back and told him: " Greetings to you, my beloved! O, Thou, the apple of my eyes! O, the sunshine of my heart! "

My son Hassan said:" Mother, I smell a sweet fragrance here... Is it that my beloved grandfather has come to see us? "

" Yes, my son! He is envelopped in his mantle [ Abâ ]..."

Hassan went near the abâ, and after a respectful greeting to him, asked permission to join his grandfather under the mantle:" Will you permit me, O beloved grandfather to join you under your abâ...? "

The Messenger of God answered him most tenderly:" And greetings to you my beloved son! O, thou who shall be the Garden of my Fountain in Paradise, on the Day of judgment! Of course you may enter...! "

After another hour, my second born son Hosseyn, entered the room, and in response to his greetings, I said:" Greetings to you, o my beloved little one!

Thou, the sunshine of my eyes! "

He said:" I smell a wonderful fragrance in this room... Is my grandfather

here? "

I answered him:" Yes! He’s under the abâ, and your brother is also with him. "

He approached his grandfather and after his respectful greetings to him, he too asked permission to join them.

My father answered him most lovingly:" And greetings to you, my beloved son! O, thou who shall be the Interceder of my people [ Ummah ] on the Day of judgment! Of course you may join me and your brother! "

Suddenly, Hazratê Ali Ibn Abi Tâlêb [May God's Greetings reach him!] entered the room, and after asking me about my welfare, he announced:" What a beautiful fragrance I smell in here! It's as though my beloved brother and cousin, our venerable Prophet has entered in this room...! "

I answered him back and said:" Yes, you are right indeed. He is with our two sons under the abâ..."

At that moment, Ali went also near the abâ, and after a most respectful greetings to my father, asked permission to enter and join them.

The Prophet answered him back:" Greetings to you, O, my beloved brother!

Thou, who shall be my heir and successor, and who shall keep up the banner of

Islam! Of course you may join us! "

At last, it was Fâtemeh’s turn to ask permission to join her family under the

abâ. The Prophet replied:" Of course you may join us, my beloved daughter! "

When all of them were under the abâ, the Messenger of God took the hem of his abâ in his left hand, and raised his right hand in the sky and declared:

“O God! These, are from my Household, and those I love dearly and tenderly! These are from my own flesh and blood. Whatever that will make them upset, will also upset me, and whatever that shall be a burden to them, shall be my burden too... Whoever wants to challenge or oppose them has challenged or opposed me. And whoever is in peace with them and shows them his friendship, is in peace with me, and shows his friendship to me. Whoever shows them his enmity shows his enmity towards me. And at last, whoever loves them and is devoted to them, is loving me, and is devoted to me. They come from me, and I come from them...

O Merciful God! $end Thy Greetings, Favors, Bounty, Abundance, Grace

and Forgivness to me and to them, and purify them from any unholiness and

wickedness whatsoever! "

At that moment, God announced graciously:" O, Angels of mine! O, You who reside in the Heaven! I did not make the sky, I did not create Earth, I did not create the moon and the sun, I did not let the waters flow, unless for the love of these five persons who are under the abâ...! "

At that moment, the Archangel Gabriel said:" O, God! Wouldst Thou permit me to go on Earth, and be the sixth person under this abâ ? "

God granted His Archangel this wish, and said:" Thou mayest go. "

The Archangel Gabriel came down to Earth and said:" O, Messenger of God!

Greetings to you! thy God Almighty has sent His Greetings to thee. He commands that everybody should respect you, and He says:" I swear by My Magnificence and My Greatness, that I did not make the sky, did not create Earth, I did not create the moon and the sun,  I did not let the waters flow, unless for the love of these five persons who are under the abâ...! "

He then granted me the permission to join you, and be one of you. Now, would you permit me to join you, o Messenger of God? "

The Prophet replied to him:" Greetings to thee, o Gabriel! O, thou who art entrusted with the Divine Revelations! I gladly permit thee to join us..."

The Archangel Gabriel then said:" Merciful God has sent thee a Revelation, and has announced:" God's Will is that all unholiness and all sins be forever out of thy family, and that you become purified and holy and free of all sins! "

At that moment, Ali asked from the Prophet:" O Messenger of God! Does our

presence under this abâ, 'has some special meaning, or some sort of a privilege

in God's Eye? "

The Prophet answered him:" I swear to God, I swear to He, Who chose me as the Prophet, that the news of our gathering under this abâ, shall not remain unnoticed in all the earthly gatherings in which all the people who love us verily and all the Shiites who are devoted to us, are participating. And everybody who listens to this story shall receive a great Reward and Favour from me. Be certain that in these gatherings, there will be many Angels, and they will ceaselessly ask Forgiveness for all the people who are present there, until the end of the gathering. "

Hazratê Ali Ibn Abi Tâlêb said then:" I swear to God Almighty that we have been saved and reached Salvation, and that God's Grace has reached us! I also swear to the God of Ka’ba that all the Shiits in this world and in the Hereafter shall be saved and forgiven! "

Then my beloved father declared:" O Ali! I swear to The Merciful God who chose me rightfully and made me His Messenger, that whenever the news of this gathering is recounted in any worldly gathering held by people who are devoted to our Household, it shall bring blessings and solace to them. And if any Shiite is affected per chance by some misfortune or sorrow, it will be taken away from him whitin the shortest time, and whatever his wishes may be, it shall be fulfilled most rapidly, and God shall free these Shiites from any problem whatsoever! "

Ali replied:" Then I swear to God, that we have been saved and received verily God's Grace! I swear to the God of Ka’ba that all the Shiites will also be saved and shall receive God's Grace! "

I truly hope that this translation has helped many Muslims who cannot read Farsi or Arabic, to have a relatively better knowledge of Hazratê Fâtemeh 's biography, and to have learned of the tribulations and sorrows that this great Lady had to suffer at the hands of her enemies...

I truly hope and wish that it has been accepted from me, as the most humble servant of this sweet, adorable, heavenly Lady among all the ladies who reside in Paradise, as a little token of my love and devotion to her...

May God bless you all, and may Hazratê Fâtemeyeh Zahrâ intercede for you all!

May God help us make the spiritual bond between us and the Household of Hazratêê Mohammê Mostafâ [Peace be upon him and his family!] ever so stronger! Goodbye dearest reader, from wherever you are...

 

Salutations to Hazrat Fatima

 

Peace be upon you, Oh daughter of the Messenger of Allah!

Peace be upon you, Oh daughter of the possessor of outstanding merit

above all Prophets and messengers and angels !

 

Peace be upon you, Oh Leader of the Women of the Worlds.

Peace be upon you, Oh mother of Hassan and Hussein, the Leaders of the Youth of Paradise!

 

Peace be upon you, Oh most truthful and martyr.

 

Peace be upon you, who was pleased to resign to the will of Allah and Allah was pleased with you.

 

Peace be upon you, Oh possessor of outstanding merit of above others,

and the pure.

 

Peace be upon you, who is holy and guarded herself against sins!

 

Peace be upon you, who is knowledgably and an authority on traditions of the Prophet.

 

Peace be upon you, who was subjected to anger and oppression.

 

Peace be upon you, Oh Fatima, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, and May Allah have mercy on you and bless you.

 

Fatima Zahra (A.S.) on The Last Day

 

On the Day when the oppressed shall bite their hands (in fear); when the oppressors shall be gathered in humiliation and lowliness, remembering their disgraceful and shameful deeds:

Then every one of them shall review his file, which is packed with oppression against his chosen worshippers. On that Day shall every human, whatever color, creed, faith, and his deeds may be shall be gathered... no one will be left behind... even the fetus who was the victim of abortion shall come that Day to present his case...

Then the great personality of Lady Zahra (A.S.) shall become manifest to every soul...

Following are several narrations reported by Ahlul-Bayt (A.S.) regarding Fatima (A.S.) on the Last Day:

1. Hakim reported in Al-Mustadrak v.2, p.153 that Ali (P.B.U.H.) said:

"I heard the Prophet say:

"On the Day of Rising, a caller shall announce from beyond the veil: "O gathered people, lower your eyes so that Fatima, the Daughter of Muhammad, may pass."

This narration has also been reported by:

Ibn Al-Athir in Usd al-Ghaba v.5, p.523;

Ganji Shafiee in Kifayat At-Talib p. 212;

Dhahabi in Mizan al-Etedal v.2, p.18; and by

Hamwini in Yanabi' al-Mawaddah p.104, who added the following to it:

Ali (A.S.) reported that the Prophet said:

"On the Day of Rising, a caller shall call from the sole of the Throne:

"O people of Resurrection, cast your eyes down, so that Fatima Bint Muhammad may pass-while holding Al-Hussain's shirt, which will (still) be saturated with blood.' She will then embrace the leg of the Throne and say:

"O (Allah), You are the Omnipotent and Just; pass the judgment between me and those who killed my son." (The Prophet (P.B.U.H.) added): "Then He shall judge according to my Sunnah, by the Lord of Kaaba, Fatima will then say:

"O Allah! grant me intercedence for everyone who cried for his disaster; Allah will then grant her intercedence for them."

2. Abu Nu'aym in Dala'el al-Nobowwah, Ibn Hajar in al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, and others have reported that Abu Ayuoub Ansari said:

"The Messenger of Allah said: A caller shall call from the sole of the Throne: O gathered people, lower your heads and cast your eyes down so that Fatima Bint Muhammad may pass on the Path. ' He added: 'She then passes accompanied by seventy thousand Huri Al-Een, as if they were a flashing light."

3. Many Sunni Scholars have reported that Allah's Messenger stated that Lady Fatima Zahra shall arrive at the gathering place (while) riding Ghadha' or Gusua female camel.

4. Jaber Ibn Abdullah Ansari said:

"I said to Abu Ja'far (Al-Baqir (A.S.)): 'May I be your sacrifice son of Allah's Messenger; narrate to me a hadith in regard to the noble traits of your grandmother Fatima, so that if I report it to your Shiites (followers), they would rejoice at (hearing) it!'

Abu Ja'far (A.S.) said: 'My father told me that my grandfather reported that Allah's Messenger said:

"On the Day of Rising, Minbars of light shall be erected for the prophets and messengers, of which my Minbar shall be the highest among all Minbars on that day. Allah will then say: Deliver a speech,' so I will deliver a speech that none of the prophets or messengers have ever heard. Then for the successors (of prophets) shall be erected Minbars of light, and in the middle of these Minbars one shall be erected for my successor, Ali Ibn Abu Talib, which will be higher than all their Minbars. Allah will then say:

"Ali, deliver a speech.' So he will deliver a speech like no successor has ever heard before. Then for the children of the prophets and messengers shall be erected Minbars of light; among them shall be a Minber of light for my two sons, grandsons and the two flowers of my life (Al-Hassan and Al-Hussain). Then it shall be said to them: "Deliver speeches." So they will deliver two speeches like none of the children of the prophets and messengers have ever heard before!

"A caller-Gabriel-shall then call:

'Where is Fatima Bint Muhammad?'

She (A.S.) will rise..." (Until he said):

'Allah, the blessed and exalted is His Name, shall say:

'O people of the gathering; to whom does honor belong today?'

So Muhammad, Ali, Hassan and Al-Hussain (A.S.) will say:

'To Allah, The one, The Almighty

'Allah the Exalted will say:

"O people of the gathering: lower your heads and

cast your eyes down, for this is Fatima proceeding

towards Paradise.' Gabriel shall then bring her a female

camel from the female camels of Paradise; its sides shall be embellished, its muzzle with fresh pearls, and it shall have a saddle of coral. It shall kneel down in her presence; so she will ride it. Allah will then send 100, 000 angels to accompany her on her right side; and 100, 000 angels to accompany her on her left side; and 100, 000 angels to lift her onto their wings until they bring her to the gate of Paradise. When she is near the gate of Paradise, she will look to her side. Allah will then say:

"Daughter of My beloved, why did you look to your side after I gave the command that you enter my Paradise?"

She will say: "My Lord, I wished that my position would be realized on such a Day!"

Allah will say:

"Daughter of My beloved!

Go back and look for everyone in whose heart was love for you or for any of your progeny; take their hand and lead them into paradise!"

Abu Ja'far (A.S.) said: "By Allah; Jabir, she will pick her Shiites (followers) and those who love her just like a bird picks good seeds from bad seeds. So that when her Shiites are near the gate of Paradise, Allah will inspire their hearts to look to their sides; when they do--- Allah, The Almighty, will say:

My beloved ones, why did you look around when Fatima, the daughter of my beloved one, interceded for you?'

They will answer: 'Our Lord! We hoped that our position would be known on such a day!'

Allah will then say: 'My beloved ones, go back and look for everyone who loved you for your love for Fatima;

Look for everyone who fed you for the love of Fatima;

Look for everyone who clothed you for the love of Fatima;

Look for everyone who gave you a drink for the love of Fatima;

Look for everyone who prevented (Gheeba) backbiting from being done against you for the love of Fatima...

Take their hands and lead them into Paradise... "'

5. Ibn Abbas said: "I heard Amir Al-Mo'mineen, Ali (A.S.) say:

Once the Messenger of Allah entered the house of Fatima and found her in a sad mood. So he said: 'What has made you sad daughter?'

Fatima replied: 'Father, I remembered the gathering (Day), and people standing naked on the Day of Resurrection!'

He said: Daughter, surely it will be a great Day. But Gabriel informed me that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said that the first one upon whom the ground shall be split opened is me, then your husband, Ali Ibn Abu Talib (A.S.); then Allah shall send Gabriel accompanied by seventy thousand angels and he will erect on your grave seven domes of light, after which Israfil will bring you three garments of light and stand by your head and say to you:

"O Fatima Bint Muhammad, rise towards your gathering place."

"You (Fatima) shall then rise secure from fear and veiled (in privacy). Israfil will hand you the garments and you will wear them. Rafael will then bring you a female camel of light; its muzzle shall be made of fresh pearls and on it shall be a howdan of gold. You will ride it and Rafael shall lead it by its muzzle while seventy thousand angels holding the banners of glorification accompany you.

When the caravan hurries with you, seventy thousand Huris shall receive you rejoicing at seeing you; while every one of them will be holding a censer of light from which the fragrance of incense is spread without fire. They shall be wearing crowns of jewels embellished with green chrysolites."

6. Bihar v.10, on the authority of Amali (by Saduq) reports that Imam Baqir (A.S.) said:

"I heard Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari say: Allah's

Messenger said: "On the Day of Rising, My daughter,

Fatima, shall arrive riding a female camel from among

the camels of Paradise-to her right shall be seventy thousand

angels and to her left shall also be seventy thousand angels; Gabriel will be holding its muzzle and calling with the loudest of voices: 'Cast down your eyes so that Fatima Bint Muhammad may pass!"

"Then shall no prophet, messenger, truthful one, or martyr remain without casting their eyes down until Fatima passes... Then a call shall come from the side of Allah, the Exalted:

My beloved one and the daughter of my beloved one; ask Us and you shall be given (whatever you wish), and intercede, your intercedence shall be accepted. By my Honor and Exaltation, the oppression of no oppressor shall pass My (judgement) today.

She (Fatima) will then say:

"O Allah, My Master;

My progeny, My Shiites (followers), the Shiites of my progeny, those who love me and those who love my progeny."

She will then hear a call from Allah's side, may His Name be exalted:

"Where are Fatima's progeny, her Shiites, those who love her, and those who love her progeny?" They will then come forward, surrounded by angels of mercy, and Fatima will lead them into Paradise."

 

Glimpses Into The Family -Life Of Hazrat Fatima (SA) Part 3

 

 

The Personality of Hazrat Fatima (SA)

FATIMA (SA), the only daughter of the Prophet of Islam (SAW), was born in Mecca on 20th Jamadi ath Thani, 18 BH. The good and noble lady Hazrat Khadijah (SA) and the Apostle of Allah bestowed all their natural love, care and devotion on their lovable and only child Fatima (SA), who in her turn was extremely fond of her parents.

Fatima (SA) was very intelligent, accomplished and cheerful. She hadinherited the genius and wisdom, determination and will-power, the piety and sanctity, the generosity and benevolence, the devotion and worship of Allah as well as other great qualities like self-sacrifice and hospitality, forbearance and patience, and the knowledge and nobility of disposition from her illustrious father, both in words and deeds. Her generosity and compassion for the poor was such that no destitute or beggar ever returned from her door unattended.  

 As a daughter, she loved her parents so much that she won their love and regard to such an extent that the Prophet (SAW) used to rise whenever she came near him. As a wife, she was deeply devoted to her husband, Ali (AS) and had never asked him for anything in her whole life.     

As a mother, she cared for and brought up the most wonderful children who have left their marks in history that time will not be able to erase.

 

Fatima (SA) is acknowledged as "

Sayyidatu-n-Nisa"i"l-alamin" (the leader of all the women of the world for all times) because the Prophethood of Muhammad (SAW) would not have been everlasting without her. The Prophet (SAW) is the perfect example for men but could not be so for women. For all the Qur"anic verses revealed for women, Fatima (SA) has been the perfect model, who translated every Verse into action. In her lifetime, she was a complete woman, being daughter, wife and mother par excellence. ( M. H. Shakir, "A Brief History of the Fourteen Infallibles", published by World Organization for Islamic Services, Tehran)

 

Fatima (SA), the Manifestation of Kindness and Self-sacrifice

The Tradition (Hadith) related below is said to be responsible for the revelation of the following Qur"anic verses:

         

"...and prefer (them) before themselves, though poverty may afflict them." (59:9)

It is related that: One day a poor, hungry man came to the Prophet (SAW) to ask for some food. The Prophet (SAW) guided him to go to the homes of his wives and get something to eat. All of them had no food in their homes and thus could not offer the poor man anything. He returned to the Prophet (SAW) who then asked his companions, "who is going to invite this guest to his home"? Ali (AS) immediately offered to take the man as his guest and soon they proceeded towards Ali"s (AS) home. On reaching home, Ali (AS) informed his wife Fatima (SA) that they had a guest and also enquired as to what they had at home for food. Fatima (SA) said that they had just enough food to feed the children, but that they would give priority to the poor guest. Ali (AS) then offered to turn off the lamp in the house, asking Fatima (SA) to put the children to bed. Ali (AS) thought of making the home dark so that their guest would not notice that his hosts had very little food and get embarrassed. Ali (AS) accompanied the guest on the dinner mat but the guest did not notice that Ali (AS) had not eaten, since the house was dark.

The night passed by in this manner. The guest ate comfortably and the members of Fatima"s (SA) home slept hungry.

It has been confirmed by numerousexegetes of the Qur"an that the Qur"anic verse mentioned above refers to the incident that demonstrated the kindness and self-sacrifice of Fatima (SA) and her family.

Hazrat Ali (AS) is quoted to have said:

"Once we were sitting with the Prophet (SAW) of Islam when he asked: `What is the best thing for a woman?" No one could answer his question. I approached Fatima (SA) and discussed the issue with her and she immediately claimed to know the answer. According to her, the answer was:

"The best thing for a woman is that she is protected from the sight of strangers such that neither does she have to see them nor do they get to see her."

 

 I returned to the Prophet (SAW) and gave him the answer. He asked at once, "Who taught you this answer?" I told him that the answer had come from Fatima (SA). The Prophet (SAW) was delighted and said:

"Fatima (SA) is my flesh and blood."

Numerous Traditions (Ahadith) have been related regarding the personality, dignity and responsibility of women. One Prophetic Tradition relates that once the Prophet (SAW) asked one of his companions, "When are women closest to Allah?" Again no one could answer this question. Fatima (SA) finally answered, saying: "When they are in their home." According to exegetes, in all probability, this answer refers to a verse from the Qur"an that says:

"And stay in your home and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorant of yore..." (33:33)

 It needs to be emphasized here that although in the Qur"an, this verse is addressed directly to the Prophet"s (SAW) wives, but it is also applicable to all Muslim women. In the same Chapter "The Allies", Allah says:

  "O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, the Merciful." (33:59)

  The above verse has discussed the philosophy of Hijab (Islamic dress code) for women, as a kind of protection for them from being followed, teased, disrespected and from evil and lustful eyes.

 

Islam considers the protection of the dignity and character of women for their happiness and sincerity. However, here we need to clarify that Islam does not advocate that women should never be allowed to see the light of the day. In fact, when we study the life of Fatima (SA), we find that she was very active in her personal and social life. At the same time, she was so careful in safeguarding her dignity and self-respect that in spite of her activities, she never intermingled with any strangers.

 Not only has the presence of women not been prohibited in the areas of culture, politics, defense, etc. rather wherever necessary they are obliged to participate actively in these areas. For example, whenever the society requires the services of female doctors, nurses, teachers etc., the  women in that society are obliged (wajib) to obtain the necessary skills and qualifications.

The sermons of Fatima (SA) in the Prophet"s Mosque (Medina), her serving alongside Imam Ali (AS) in the Holy Wars (Jihad) and during their migration from Mecca to Medina and also the roles played by her great daughter Zainab (SA) in the Battle of Karbala, followed by her famous speeches in Kufa and Sham - all these reflect on the active and powerful roles played by these great Islamic personalities.

 Hazrat Fatima"s (SA) legacy to all the Muslim women of her ummah is purity of faith and character. Her vision for all Muslim women for all times to come is that they keep themselves chaste and pure like angels, as per Islamic values and ethics. One Prophetic Tradition says:

  "The alms (zakat) of the beauty of a woman is her dignity and chastity."

Thus, if a woman does not guard or protect her beauty and exhibits herself to strangers, neither does she attain salvation, nor does her husband experience peace of mind and spirit.

 It is to be remembered here that Islam regards women like a beautiful and delicate flower that needs to be protected from hardships and dangers. Moreover because only if a woman is well-protected and well-secure, can she offer happiness and peace to her family and home and in this way only would the society be safe, secure and progressive. May Allah guide all Muslim women to Fatima"s (SA) example - Ameen.

 

Glimpses Into The Family -Life Of Hazrat Fatima (SA) Part 2

 

Relationship with Children 2

Paying Attention to the Needs of Children

One of the most important factors for the mental and physical well-being of a child is nutrition and the other is hygiene. Thus providing for these needs of the child, guarantees his physical and psychological well-being for life. Many of the psychological and mental problems that surface in adulthood too, have their roots in unfulfilled childhood need and desires. Moreover, the mutual effects between the body and the spirit should never be taken for granted or neglected. There is no doubt that a sick body distresses the soul, while an unrestful soul causes physical disorders.

 History has recorded that time and again, Hazrat Fatima (SA) would go hungry in order to feed her children. It is said that once, because of scarcity of water, the Muslims of Medina were facing severe problems. Like any other mother, Fatima (SA) was concerned about her sons Hassanand Hussain (AS) and took them to her father, the Prophet (SAW). She expressed her concern to her father saying that she was worried since her children were small and couldn"t bear the thirst. Seeing Fatima distressed, the Prophet (SAW) put his tongue into the mouths of his two grandsons. This immediately soothed Fatima (SA) and relieved her of her concern as well as satiated the extreme thirst of the two children. (Manaqibe Ibn-e Shahr Asheeb, vol. 3, p. 394)

 Fatima (SA) loved her children so deeply andwas so full of compassion that towards the end of her life, she was very worried about her small children. Her main worry was that these children would be deprived of a mother"s love which no one else could probably be able to compensate for. Foreseeing the plight of her motherless children, Fatima (SA) suggested that her  husband Imam Ali (AS) married someone who would take care of her children, after her demise. (Ibid., p. 362)

 

As we all know, Fatima (SA) was deeply-grieved after the demise of her father and it is said that a large part of her pain was because her children were deprived of the love and care of the Prophet (SAW) and their grandfather. Sometimes she would talk to them with a painful heart, saying:

"Where has your grandfather who loved you so dearly gone? The grandfather who showered you with love and affection and carried you on his shoulders. Where has your grandfather who was the kindest to you, gone? He wouldn't even allow you to walk on the ground and would carry you in his arms. Alas, I'll never see you all on his shoulders again!" (Ibid.; Biharul-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 181)

Play & Activity

Although Islam emerged from an ignorant society, lacking in civilized culture, however the Message of the Prophet (SAW) and his Traditions that were forwarded through him and the Infallibles (AS) are suitable for the people of all cultures and civilizations, at any period of time, since Islam deals directly with the common innate nature of man.

 

Play and activity for children had a very special and important place  in the methods of child-upbringing of Fatima (SA). Physical and mental activity and stimulation are so important for the healthy overall growth of a child that even adults should involve themselves wholeheartedly in these activities, in order to enthuse and encourage the child.

 

 During childhood, play is the best way in which a child relates with his environment and leads to the surfacing of the latent aptitudes of the child. At the same time, it has very positive effects on the physicaldevelopment of the child. Keeping these factors in mind, play and activity should never be neglected by parents or by the child.

 It has been recorded that the Prophet (SAW) often involved himself wholeheartedly in play with his grandchildren. This shows that one of the very important tools of good parenting and positive upbringing of children is play and activity. Imam Ali (AS) and Fatima (SA) gave great attention to this childhood need and this was one of the secrets of the health and freshness of theirchildren.

It has also been found that in homes where children do not have an environment where they can play and express themselves, the effects of such an environment are very negative on the children.

Fatima (SA) involved herself actively in play with her children, always attentive and alert to the fact that her words and actions would play a very determining role on the development of the characters and personalities of her children. This teaches us the importance of using healthy language and expressions in dealing with children. Hazrat Fatima (SA) used play as a very important tool in developing the bodies and souls of her children as well as enthused and inspired them into greatness and bravery through these entertaining activities.

It has been recorded that while playing with Imam Hassan (AS), Hazrat Fatima (SA) would swing him, reciting poems like:

   "My Hassan, grow up to be like your father and do away with oppression on the way of the Truth. Worship Allah Who Bestows upon us countless blessings and never befriend oppressors."

While play with Imam Hussain (AS), she would recite:

 "You look just like my father (the Prophet) - you don"t look like your father (Ali)."

 It is said that when Imam Ali (AS) heard these playful poems between Hazrat Fatima and her children, he would smile indulgently.

 Our main purpose in glimpsing into the personal family-life of Fatima (SA) is to learn from her flawless and divinely inspired approaches in her inter-relationships within her immediate family as wellas in society. We can see very clearly through studying her relationship with her father as well as her children that in spite of all the hardships, problems and pains this great family suffered at the hands of the cruel, ignorant people of their times, within of the family, always they shared very warm, affectionate and joyful times.

In the same way that the Prophet (SAW) used to put aside all his pains and concerns while he was with his beloved daughter Hazrat Fatima (SA), Fatima (SA) and Ali (AS) too,always made time to pay due attention to the different needs of their children. All of these very scientific methods played a very major role in bringing up their children as the bravest and most powerful people in human history. It is also important to note the importance of timing in child-upbringing because as we all know, Hazrat Fatima (SA) had a very few years with her children, but these were the most crucial years that shape a child"s personality. She played her role as a mother most perfectly and efficiently, leaving behind for the world a legacy of great and powerful heroes like Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS) and Hazrat Zainab (SA) who in times to come, shook up the roots of oppression and tyranny.

 Thus far, we have gained invaluable insights into the importance and benefits of healthy inter-family relations through studying the life of Hazrat Fatima (SA) and her role as a daughter and a mother. Continuing on this topic, in our following issue, we shall look into the personality of this great lady and her social relationships - insha"Allah.

 

Hazrat Fatimah’s Outlook

 

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is the student of Islamic school. She was brought up in revelation house and under the supervision of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants), and even when she married Ali (peace be upon him), she had a close contact with her father. Her view towards the world and its aspects is the view of Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants). It is as if she has derived all her views from the Prophet’s.

In the Islamic school, she was Ali’s classmate. They have got the same views. She was developed under the protection of the Islamic Ideology, taught by the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants).

It seems difficult to express and study all aspects of Fatimah’s outlook, but whatever based on her practice, her speech, her view, can be stated includes:

1. Her View on the World:

Fatimah’s view on the world is that it is a farm for cultivation. Its facts and appearance are interconnected, and it has been created by a Creator.

We must love the world, but not absorb in it; it is a means and not an end. Therefore, approaching the end, one must use the means but not attach himself to it. According to Fatimah (peace be upon her), the world deserves love, but not attachment.

The world is the scene of action. It is the field of struggle and effort. The world is a means to make us reach to the otherworldly felicity.

2. Her View on Wealth:

Fatima (peace be upon her) wants property and wealth but not for acquiring value and credit. She wants it for providing her life and protecting her honor.

Those who think of money as an end and seek for it all days and nights, in fact, they have got a complex, and are misleading between means and end. Whatever is achieved in life is not limited to eating, drinking, and wearing. Therefore, we’d better do our utmost to gain wealth but dedicate the rest to our end after satisfying our needs. Fatimah (peace be upon her) never limited herself to wealth and did not think of it as the end, because according to her view, the abundant wealth in man’s hand can bring Allah’s pleasure and His affection if he knows how to use it.

The best wealth is her inner richness and generosity, the hand that pays sincerely will receive Allah’s pleasure, instead, and Fatima (peace be upon her) had got such an spirit.

3. Her View on Happiness:

Her view on happiness and felicity is different from others. She doesn’t see happiness in a doll’s life, luxury, beauty, materialism, decoration, make-up, etc. because these factors cannot solve man’s problems and prepare the ground for inner peace and tranquillity. They are considered as worldly things and can be lost through the passage of time and as a result, involve man in a heart-rending regret.

Any love and adherence to them are wrong, because they will swallow us in themselves and make us forget our real end and ourselves.

The feeling of happiness under the protection of wealth, position, and property is a plot and a deceit, a plot for the decline of our character, and a deceit for keeping us negligent of our development and perfection process. Therefore, we must have another view of happiness. Fatimah (peace be upon her) sees happiness in the eternal moments in which man finds himself in the way of Allah; the time that he fulfills Allah’s orders, and obeys the Divine verdicts.

Happiness is in freedom from all bonds and limitations, having captured our minds, and not in pleasure and fruition. Fatimah (peace be upon her) never spends her lifetime for happiness with the same misconception of ordinary people, and she is more rational to dissipate her life for reaching to pleasure and fruition.

Fortunately, Ali (peace be upon him), as her husband, is also not a person to provide pleasure with negative concept for her, because he deserves a great value and credit for his life and wife.

4. Her View on Mankind:

She is a responsible and duteous being. She is responsible to develop her character and elevate her soul, and tries to achieve her aims and responsibility, and exalt right perfection of mankind, come to people rescue, make progress, and make the people progress.

According to Fatima (peace be upon her), man is more exalted than he passes his life in the way of his passion as a means for a shameful life. Therefore, she tried to elevate her soul.

She was exposed to different exams during her life, in good and bad conditions, misery and happiness, pains and pleasure. She must endeavour to show herself as she really is and endeavour as she must be.

5. Her View on Death:

She has got another view of death. She thinks of it as a means of transfer from this world to the next as well as a door to happiness and prosperity.

She knows that everything in this world is temporary, even its light, its darkness, its pleasure, and its groan. The time when death arrives and Doomsday occurs, everything will be clear; the people are called to account, and man is put in “Dar Ul-Gharar”‌; the place of stability.

She is not frightened of death. And at the time of the Prophet’s death when he sees Fatima’s great love towards himself, he feels he must console her only; therefore, he puts his head into her ears and says, “You are the first person that will join me after my departure”‌. And then, Fatima (peace be upon her) not only does not get sad, but also happy. Yes, the news of death is joyful for her, because she knows that there is prosperity, comfort, and glory to those who have achieved good deeds in this world. She knows that even death for criminals is a bless due to the fact that it prevents them from more crimes and keeps them away from the abyss of adversity.

 

Hazrat Fatima (A.S), the Sample of Deconstruction

 

The role of Fatimah (peace be upon her) in women’s revival was fabulous. She is the sample of deconstruction of the misleading customs, which were prevalent among the people in the society and had captured their hearts.

She was the practical sample of laws, through which the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) managed to apply the Islamic principles and programs.

Like the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants), Fatimah (peace be upon her) tried to instruct the parents how to revere and love their daughters. While the people buried their daughters alive, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) kissed Fatimah (peace be upon her) and said,”‌ daughter is Allah’s gift.”‌ When she was a child, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) sat her on his knees, and through this action wanted the people to take lesson.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) should show the high position of women and how they should be viewed in Islamic ideology through her method. Kissing Fatimah’s hand is the symbol of campaign and rebellion against the society viewpoint. It is a revolution against burying girls alive, teaches us indirectly that women as the gift of Allah must be revered and not heated.

The girls and women at her era were not believed, and even they were forced to work hard in the farms. They were not considered as kin; they were deprived from inheritance, retaliation was completely fulfilled for them, etc. A woman having some daughters and no son was considered as barren.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) through having Fatimah (peace be upon her) proved that having no son does not mean barrenness as the short sighted think. On the contrary, she can be the source of abundant felicity for her own family and relatives.

She was the sample of deconstructing the wrong marriage customs. In that age, the rich just married to the rich, but she deconstructed this custom and married to Ali (peace be upon him), her cousin who was poor and by selling his chain mail had managed to provide the marriage costs.

In fact, if there existed no Fatimah (peace be upon her), how these false customs were deconstructed, and how the real practical samples in the Prophetic mission were achieved?

If there existed no Fatimah, how the complexes, disgrace, irregularity, making the women’s souls weak, were removed?

 

The Mystery of Hazrat Fatimah’s Grandeur and Eternity

 

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is grand and eternal on the account that she has been united with Allah. She has absorbed herself in His.

She is greater than the great, because she is acquainted with Allah, who is the greatest, and she is eternal forever until Doomsday, because she is acquainted with the Eternal.

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a woman, whose grandeur cannot be inserted in expression and words, because we cannot analyze the infinite with our finite conception. When she is called “Sedigheh”‌ [truthful], it is different from the Sedigheh, applied to others; all her members of body and thought are truthful. It is impossible to describe her grandeur through writing, speaking, and hearing, because all her attributes are in full and infinity. Her faith, her morals, devotion, soul elevation, grandeur, knowledge all are in utmost perfection.

Satisfaction and obedience of Allah:

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is Allah’s real follower, and her exalted purpose and ambition are to satisfy Him and seeks for a way to achieve to this end without any shadow of doubt.

This is Fatimah’s viewpoint that Allah has superiority over all things and everyone. Thus, she has accepted His bondage of servitude. She is seeking for Allah and His satisfaction in her speech, action, and all her life. This is pride that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) knows her satisfaction His satisfaction and her way as the way of God, the Almighty.

Fatimah (peace be upon her) as a measure:

Scales is an instrument for measuring and the facts are assessed by it. In materialism, for measuring goods, volume, weight, and a period of time, the special measuring instruments are utilized. In spirituality, measuring is possible through samples and symbols.

For instance, the level of somebody’s understanding is measured through comparison with an intelligent person; the level of somebody’s piety is measured through comparison with a pious person; the level of somebody’s intelligence and talent is measured through comparison with a talented and bright person; and the level of somebody’s generosity and humanity is measured through comparison with a generous person.

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a complete measure for evaluating the ladies’ deeds, and according to the infallible, “she is measure”‌. Fatimah’s spirit power, unique courage, elevated thoughts, and excellent dispositions are all and all measures and samples. Her chastity, piety, faith, nobility, honor, housekeeping, rearing the children, abstinence from sublunary luxury, material and spiritual aspects and even her death are all measures for us.

In the history of the women world, we do not know a woman like her to be the measure and sample. All Fatimah’s attributes make her more adorned than others and give a distinguished face to her.

Fatimah (A.S), the Cause of Continuation of the Prophetic Mission:

It is her clean and pure womb that can be the source of grace and the origin of light and the originator of eleven clean offspring, who are the Prophet’s successors and continuance of the Prophetic mission from generation to generation.

It was not haphazard that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) knew Fatimah’s wrath his wrath and her torment or satisfaction his torment or satisfaction. He said, “those, who make Fatimah (peace be upon her) happy, have made me happy, and those who tease her, have in fact teased me.”‌

Yes, she was the continuance of the Prophetic mission, and made any kind of endeavour to promote the Islamic teachings along with Ali (peace be upon him). As a trustful trustee, she went to the companions’ houses at night and delivered them an ultimatum. She explained them that Ali is with right, and right is with Ali (peace be upon him), and if they do not adapt it, they must answer back to Allah. She wanted the people to know that what a big crime they would commit if they negate Ali’s (A.S) right and what undesired future they would expect.

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is the continuance of the Prophetic mission. She is Ali’s witness and assistance. She confirms his speeches, and tried to prove his claims, and in this way, she is not afraid of the door stroke, causing damages on her body, and as a result miscarriage. Even the enemy’s whips cannot stop her from defending Ali; the martyrdom and death in Allah’s way cannot prevent her from continuing the Prophetic mission.

She is the continuance of the Prophetic mission, because she has managed to rear a generation that were the preservers of the religion the Karbala mission that was the continuance of the Prophetic mission.

She is the continuance of the Prophetic mission, because Imamate, the continuation of Prophethood, belongs to her generation, and Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance), who will defend Fatimah’s purpose will rise to revive Islam.

How did this way of Prophetic mission continue and what happened to her offspring, who were the followers of the Prophet and Ali (peace be upon him)? Prison, torture, homelessness, banishment, stroke of sword, poison, separation from dynasty and children were some of the hardships they suffered in the way to achieve their holy end.

 

Let’s know Hazrat Fatimah’s Honor and grand dignity

 

Fatimah (peace be upon her) has endowed with honor and grand dignity; the honor no one could achieve it as Fatimah (peace be upon her) did. Expressing all her aspects of her character is not feasible; therefore, some points are stated:

1. She is Allah’s beloved:

She is the pure servant of Allah, and is always in worship and contact with Him in order to give her servanthood superiority over her other positions, so that no luxury, effort, or attachments could prevent her from fulfilling her conscious duty. As that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) appreciated her and praised her position was due to the fact that she was pious and in contact with Allah, and not because she was the Prophet’s daughter.

Fatimah’s generosity, thought, and efforts are all for Allah’s pleasure. Fatimah (peace be upon her) is so dissolved in the Divine grandeur and majesty that she devotes all her things in His way: her position, her rank, her silver bracelet, her wedding dress, the screen of her house, etc. In this case, shouldn’t she be the dear of Allah?

2. She is the Prophet’s dear:

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) knows her as a part of his body and soul, as he says,

بضعة منه و روحة اللذی بین جنبیه

In the age of Ignorance and the hard times of his Prophethood, she was as a mother to her father in Mecca. She cleansed the thorns and dust that the people had thrown over the head of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) with her little hands and soothed him. Sometimes, she would cry for his loneliness and caressed for his beaten body.

She was her father’s consular at the time of Hijra, she was so dear for him in Medina that Ayesheh stated, “There was no one dearer than Fatimah (peace be upon her) to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants); he attended her house every day and asked about her mood repeatedly. When he was setting for trips, Fatimah (peace be upon her) was the last one, visited at the time of departure by him, and at the time of arrival, Fatimah (peace be upon her) was the first one, visited”‌.

Owing to her dignity and action, purity and sincerity, she reached to a rank that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) stated, “ ابوهافداها ”‌ [May his father be sacrificed to her].

Once, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) saw Ali and Fatimah (peace be upon them), grinding wheat. He asked, “who gives her place to me to turn the mill?”‌ Ali said to Fatimah (A.S), “rise, ‘cause you are tired?”‌ and then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) sat on her place and continued her job.

Even on his point of death, she was closest to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants). The Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) whispered in her ear, “Dear Fatimah, sit beside me, and recite Qur’an”‌. Yes, the whispers and Qur’an recitation of Fatima (peace be upon her) could sooth the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants).

3. She is Ali’s wife:

As stated before, if there was no Fatimah (peace be upon her), there would be no one deserving to be her husband. Her marriage was determined by the Word of Revelation. She was a wife, kind and the perfect symbol ofلتسکنو ایها ; confidant with her husband…

She never shattered her family estate under the pretext of ornament and did not make the life bitter for her husband for the false worldly allure.

They had a house, apparently made of clay; a house, void of ornaments, but full of purity, sincerity, faith, piety, and chastity. Their dishes consisted of wooden and earthen bowls, but their soul bowls were full of grandeur and overfilled with cordiality and affection.

 

? Why Fatimah

 

Her stances were stances for the right, and her sorrow was the sorrow for the issue (Islam), and her joy was the joy of the message; the depth of Islam was manifested in the depth of her personality and she amassed within herself all the Islamic human virtues, since being the Doyenne of the Women of the World implied that she should be at the highest level, spiritually and morally.

This is why we are intensely interested in Fatimah al-Zahra' (s.a) because when we remember her we remember the message and her role, and remember Islam and the dynamic issues in which Fatimah (s.a) was a central figure; hence we feel that she is with us in all of our concerns and that she is alive among us. There are people in history who finish when they die, because their existence is encapsulated in the span of their lives; there are others who remain alive as long as life exists, and who continue as long as their message continues and as long as there are people who are open to their message. Fatimah (s.a) is placed at the pinnacle of these people, since you cannot mention the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) without mentioning her. She was his product and the spirit inside his body; and you cannot mention Ali (a.s) without mentioning her as she was his companion in life and suffering; and you cannot mention Imam Hassan, Imam Hussein and Zainab (s.a) without mentioning her as she was the secret of purity in their childhood and of their personalities throughout their lives.

This is the secret of Fatimah (s.a) that obliges us to keep her in our minds and our hearts as a message and thought, not just the cause of tears. We cannot but open up to her with our tears, but more important than that is to open ourselves to her message because she lived all her tears and all her life for the Message and never for one moment lived it for herself.

This is the secret of all the members of Ahl-ul- Bayt (a.s): they lived for the whole of Islam and gave their lives for Islam and the Message.

Not an inflation of the past

Talking about Fatimah (s.a) involves no unwarranted inflation of history. Besides, with her virtues, she represents the living present and a bright future. We have seen her in her motherhood as the greatest of mothers, and we have seen the cruelty imposed by that role on her weak body, but she withstood all this with an open mind and with patience. Then we saw her fulfilling her different missionary responsibilities when she stirred up the conscience of the nation, and presented the greatest lesson in how to deal with the circumstances following the death of the Prophet (PBUH). She held that stance which has proved itself over time and stayed valid to the present, and will ever be.

Studying the experience of Fatimah (s.a) is not a reversion to the past, and hence a diminution of ourselves within those limitations, but rather a question of trying to draw lessons from a pioneering experience by an infallible personality - an experience which has never been confined to the past but one which shall ever be current and renewed.

A role model for both sexes

When we present Fatimah (s.a) as a role model, we are not talking about women only. We present her as a role model for both men and women because she is a constituent element of Islam and the Muslim people as a whole, not just of women - even if there was a big role as woman in her life.

Muslim women can take a lot from Fatimah (s.a) when they know how to spend their time valuably and how to open themselves up, with all their powers, to knowledge, spirituality and dynamic attitude, according to their abilities.

Love versus allegiance

Love for the great personalities and individuals with a mission are not only an emotion but a stance. This is the difference between being a loving person and being a proponent follower: allegiance is a stance while love is emotion. It is natural that the situation must live the emotion and move by it, but it should move beyond it to open up to the whole of the message through opening up to the bearers of the message, who represent its legitimacy.

Yes! The value of what Ahl-ul- Bayt (a.s) say and do is that it represents the whole legitimacy. When a person takes words of knowledge or rulings, or follows a line of conduct which can be right or wrong, he will be puzzled as to the legitimacy of what he has seen or heard; but if he depends on infallible examples who have been purified from abominable acts, then there can be no place for falsehood, and no place for injustice. He will have taken the truth from a pure fountain, in which nothing can muddy its purity.

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: 'My hadith is the hadith of my father, and my father's is that of my grandfather, and my grandfather's is that of Imam Hussein, and Imam Hussein's is that of Imam Hassan, and Imam Hassan's is that of the Commander of the Faithful, and the Commander of the Faithfull's is that of the Messenger of Allah, and the Messenger of Allah's is the word of Allah the Great and Almighty.'