How soon winter destroyed the spring?

As soon as her blossoms stand

The earth and skies foundations’ will stay

“We die and go we know not where

Lay on God promises who will keep”‌

She has taught Man the secret path toward the Just

She planted the true oath in the earth that will last

The leaves whisper her thoughts and words

To the near and far lands over the universe

Zahra has such a vision of the world

As the world hardly understands and knows

In the withered field of life, where no farmer hopes for rain

Wisdom sold in the market, where her progeny is the Ahl al-Bayt

“Death seems that ends us, but is our true cure

To be no more sad, with no more pain or loss

When the slow moon climbs the night sky

When lights begin to twinkle from the rocks

Hide the rose in the dust for a newer world

To sail beyond the borders for His high purpose

Move earth and heaven and her heroic hearts

Let her sleep, she is the bright arch rainbow clouds”‌

The ever-silent unknown tomb is her immortal shrine

Her calm existence manifests the wisdom of God

She opens the peaceful clouds for faith and knowing Him

She fuels the flames upon the dark nights of human beings

Every eye is fixed on her door for salvation.

Smoke and the winds bear the brunt;

Whose house it is that is burnt?

Flames rise towards the sky.

And rises there in a shrill cry.

It is the house of the Prophet, and Zahra is inside,

See, how soon, how early changed the tide!

Some told: Zahra is there;

He told: So What? Why to care?

How soon they turned behind!

How soon their eyes turned blind!

The Prophet had introduced the dwellers of the House;

Hassan, Hussein, Zahra, and her spouse.

He said this repeatedly for months again, again;

To enter the House permission he had to obtain.

All saw and heard what the Prophet did and said,

All knew the honour and awe of the house he held.

It is the matter of yesterday not years

But today Zahra’s voice no one hears,

In those flames I see something different,

It is the glory of Zahra made the flames effulgent.

The flames show high and high diurnally forever

The greatness and glory of Zahra, impossible to deter.

These flames can never be extinguished,

They are burning in the graves of enemies distinguished.

They once leapt high now they creep deep;

Where the tyrants can escape from the tight keep?

Did they have to the Prophet any regard or respect

What a lie they attributed the Prophet.

They claimed the Prophet having had told:

We the group of Prophets heritage don’t hold.

Lo, he speaks against the Book he brought;

Why John to Zechariahs, Solomon & David the heritage sought?

To them permitted, to Zahra prohibited?

Under this false pretext FADAK they confiscated.

Went Zahra to the Mosque addressed the nation,

Her words are still valid and hold admonition.

Therein lies a charted guidance

She expresses her sorrow upon their return to ignorance.

She returned home, withdrew from public appearance.

Indeed, a pain to see one benefit,

After the death of the Prophet within minutes.

She collapsed in pain and in grief,

Death come to her as the only relief.

Her grave: unknown, her death: in confusion;

For the safety of her dead body this is a measure taken.

Could there be a tyranny of such extensive ground?

Why at all to the grief, to tears she must be bound?

What is the wrong let us trace

Then why the affront to her face?

Whoever hates Zahra, has dared a great sin

Because her love is the Faith’s pin.

Without a pin a disk is mute of voice,

In an unheard voice, of right or wrong there is no choice.

She makes the Will to be buried in night

Doesn’t this bring the tyrants to the sight?

In some degree or another, according to the grade of their submission, all the believing men and women receive some portion from the abundance given to the Holy Prophet; therefore, they are commanded to offer Salat regularly and sacrifice whatever they have in the cause of Allah whenever necessary. As indicated in verse 2 of this Surah: "Therefore pray to your Lord and make a sacrifice." If we analyze the two verbs of this verse, we will realize a deeper meaning is implied, one beyond merely praying or giving up the materials of this world. Rather, according to some exegetes, to perform Salat in the context of this verse means to send blessings upon the Prophet and his progeny in the form of Salawaat as an expression of Mowadda (reciprocal devotion) to the Ahl-ul-Bayt (peace be upon them). And the biggest sacrifice that was offered in gratitude of the grant of abundance was the sacrifice of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) in Karbala, as described in the words "Dhibh 'Adheem" (the Great Slaughter) (37:107). The Holy Prophet and his Ahl-ul-Bayt demonstrated the highest standard of devotion in prayers and in giving everything they had in the cause of Allah.

At the same time, it is implied in the last verse of this Surah that those who go against the Prophet and hurt him or deny the treasure of Kawthar personified in the immaculate character of Fatima, their progeny is cut off and is non-existent in Allah's eyes, even if the progeny exists physically.

Surely it is not a coincidence that we spend the months of Rabi al-Awwal and Rabi al-Thani commemorating the birth of the Holy Prophet and appreciating his pure autobiography to the point of realizing how much divine reward he deserves. Then we embark on the months of Jamadi al-Awwal and Jamadi al-Thaani to appreciate the bestowal of Kawthar as the divine gift to the Holy Prophet which is manifested in his daughter, the Lady of the Universe! It is not possible to value Kawthar without valuing Lady Fatima, and one cannot appreciate Lady Fatima without appreciating her father.

Lady Fatima is the one who preserved the light of prophethood, and she became the extension to the message of Islam via her sons – the Infallible Imams who kept the message on track according to the Sunnah of the Prophet. They sacrificed themselves in this path of truth, justice, and liberty. Lady Fatima left behind a great legacy which is passed on by her sons and grandsons who represent the closest and shortest route towards Divine proximity.

Do you know when Allah presented Lady Fatima to His Prophet? According to Shaikh Muhajir in volume 1 of his book Know that I am Fatima, this divine bestowal was granted to Prophet at the highest point of this universe as indicated in this verse: "Near the Lote-tree beyond which none may pass. Near it is the Garden of Abode. When that which covers covered the lote-tree. The eye did not turn aside, nor did it exceed the limit." (53:14-16) In fact, let us hear the words of the Prophet himself on the event of Ascension, when he describes how Lady Fatima was gifted to him: "When I experienced Ascension to the heavens, Jibra'il took my hands and made me enter Paradise and gave me some dates which I ate. At that night Fatima was gifted to me. Fatima is a human Hoori; whenever I yearned for the scent of Paradise, I smelled the fragrance of my daughter Fatima."

This extraordinary event urges us to reflect on this unique virtue of Lady Fatima, the only human being whose origin was created from the light of the best of creations – Prophet Muhammad – which was mixed with the clay or fruit of Paradise from the holiest of places where even Archangel Jibra'il is not permitted to cross! According to the Infallible Imams, Lady Fatima is the Hujjah (Proof) over the Imams themselves! Her origins were initiated in the highest abode which clearly implies that her status is also at a very high stage. From here we begin to understand the secret behind the Prophet's extraordinary care towards Lady Fatima. He used to rise from his seat out of respect for her, he would embrace her hands and he would say, "Welcome, Umme Abiha!" addressing her by the loving title of "Mother of Her Father".

 The association of Lady Fatima with Paradise further proves to us that whoever yearns for the pleasure of Paradise should please Lady Fatima, love her and be an obedient servant who follows her path and that of her purified sons! After all, if the Prophet himself yearns for Paradise through his daughter, then surely we should also seek salvation via Fatima – the manifestation of Kawthar!

Surah Kawthar is one of the shortest chapters in the Holy Qur’an, yet it is one of the richest ones too. It carries a fountain of knowledge for those who seek to extract its deeper meaning and wisdom. The interpreters of the Qur’an in the different schools of thought in Islam have intentionally presented a multitude of opinions regarding the identity of Kawthar to distance this virtue from its true owner, the Lady of Light (peace be upon her). The general context of this Surah conveys the meaning of Kawthar to refer to abundance in progeny and posterity. We find a wide array of ideas and key points in these regards presented in this Surah and they are all derived from one spring. It all points to the meaning that Kawthar refers to the "abundant good" which has no limit, as mentioned in the first verse: "We have given you Kawthar." (108:1)

This profound Surah which had been gifted to the Holy Prophet ends with the verse, "Surely your enemy is the one who shall be without posterity." (108:3) It is important to realize that the introductory and concluding verses of this Surah are related to each other and that this last verse reveals the identity of al-Kawthar, which has been gifted to the Prophet. Mir Pooya explains in his Qur’anic commentary that when the Holy Prophet's son, born to Khadija al-Kubra (peace be upon her), passed away, Amr ibn Aas and Hakam ibn Aas taunted the Holy Prophet by calling him Abtar (tail-less), one whose progeny has been cut off. This Surah was revealed to give glad tidings to the Holy Prophet that abundance of unbounded grace, of wisdom and knowledge, of mercy and goodness, of spiritual power and insight – in the highest of degrees – and of progeny has been given to him. Mir Pooya also says that this chapter guarantees abundance in every type of growth and profit to the Holy Prophet. The reality of this "abundance" cannot be encompassed or fathomed nor can it be given its most due right. It is a sincere grant from Allah to His beloved and chosen one, Prophet Muhammad. This should not be a surprise to us because, after all, Allah had previously stated in (93:5), "And soon will your Lord give you so that you shall be well pleased."

It is important to make a distinction here between the words of a creation and that of the Almighty Creator. When a creature says that "I will give" it is not the same as when the Creator says "I will give." The divine bestowal is much greater than our minds can encompass! So when Allah announces to His beloved Prophet that He will give him such that he will be pleased, then surely we can expect that divine grant to be something that is not materialistic or temporal or related to the mundane world. It is something that exceeds the boundaries of this life and existence! Upon hearing this verse, we as Muslims should anticipate and follow the pure autobiography of the Prophet to discover what that great grant which Muhammad received from Allah is. We can imagine the Prophet himself waiting anxiously to receive this divine gift which will make him ever pleased with his Lord. The answer to this question is answered in Surah Kawthar when Allah announces to the Prophet in front of everyone that "We have given you Kawthar." (108:1)

The dimensions of Lady Fatima's (A.S) character are very vast and can only be understood through deep and profound thought and study. Reading and researching about her spirituality, knowledge and political struggles and the other aspects of her life, will help us in reaching our goal.

According to both Shia and Sunni sources, some of her characteristics are as follows:

1- Her contentment to a simple life of small wealth and few facilities, while being able to have the best life possible.

2- Her donation and giving of things that she herself was fond of and liked.

3- Frequent worship and supplication at the peak of pureness in intention.

4- Her modesty and humility.

5- A role model in Islamic hijab and covering.

6- Her vast knowledge; a small example of it being her knowing all of the contents of the “Mus-haf Fatima”‌.

7- Her political and social struggles and efforts in defending Imam Ali’s (A.S) successorship to the Prophet (PBUH) after his demise.

Detailed Answer

Many books have been written and many words have been said regarding Lady Fatima's (A.S) high character and spiritual rank, yet if a thousand times more of these books were to be written by man (and his limited intellect), it would only be a drop of the sea of virtues that she truly bears.[1] In this article, we admit to our inability to be able to do so as well, but at the same time will try to do our best because it is much better than nothing.

The smartest intellects of the world are in astonishment of her knowledge, and in order to be able to even get close to it, there is no other choice but to go to the hadiths of the Ahl-ul-Bayt and see what they have to say about it. According to many authentic hadiths that have been narrated from the Imams, Lady Fatima (A.S) is the true essence of Laylatul-Qadr. That is because Laylatul-Qadr is the where the “silent”‌ Qur’an was revealed in, while Lady Fatima (A.S) is where eleven of the “speaking Qur'ans”‌ have been revealed and descended from (meaning that the imams are of her offspring).[2]

Her rank is so high that her anger is the anger of the Prophet (PBUH) and Allah (swt) as has been mentioned in a hadith by the Prophet (PBUH): “Fatima (A.S) is a part of me, whosoever pleases her, has pleased me, and whosoever pleases me, has pleased Allah (swt), and whosoever bothers her has bothered me, and whosoever bothers me has bothered Allah (swt). Also, Fatima (A.S) is the dearest of all people to me.”‌[3] In another hadith, the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) says: “Maryam (A.S) was the master of all of the women of her time, but my daughter Fatima (A.S) is the master of all women of the world from its beginning to its end.”‌[4] He also says: “An angel descended upon me and gave me glad tidings that Fatima (A.S) would be the master of all women of Paradise and the highest of all women.”‌[5] Hence, her superiority to Lady Maryam (A.S) and all other great women such as Asiyeh (the wife of the Pharaoh who was righteous) becomes manifest through these and other similar hadiths. Not only is she higher than women such as Lady Maryam (A.S) and Asiyeh, but they are honored to have served Lady Khadijah (Lady Fatima’s (A.S) mother) when she was delivering Lady Fatima (A.S). [6]

As for her virtues and high characteristics, she was content to a simple life of a small wealth and few facilities, while having the potential to be of a very good and well-off one. The proof for that is the fact that her father was a prophet of Allah (swt) and his Excellency owned the valuable if not priceless garden of Fadak that would give a good monthly income to its owner, which he had granted to his beloved daughter. [7] Her husband also had a good income from “the sweat of his brow”‌, therefore she had all the potential needed to live a comfortable and luxurious life. Yet, she would spend all of these incomes and wealth in the way of Allah (swt) through charity and helping the needy, thus living a hard life herself and was content about it.

To be continued

Notes:

[1] Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi, Jami az Zolale Kowsayr, vol. 1, pg. 24.

[2] Ibid, pg. 17.

[3] Sheykh Tusi, Amaliyy, vol. 1, pg.  24.

[4] Biharul-Anwar, vol. 43, hadith 20.

[5] Sheykh Tusi, Amaliyy, vol. 1, pg. 457; Dala’ilul-Imamah, pg. 8; Ghayatul-Maram, pg. 177; Biharul-Anwar, vol. 43, pg. 2.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Al-Kafi, vol.1, pg. 538, chapter of fey’ wal-anfal wa tafsirul-khums wa hududihi wa ma yajeb fih.

Another characteristic of Lady Fatima is her generosity and giving. The stories of her granting her wedding gown to a needy person on the night of her wedding and giving food to those who needed it for three consecutive nights (remaining hungry for those nights) when she and her family might have been the ones in need of it most (because they were fasting those three days and didn’t have any other food in the house to break their fasts with) are famous. The latter has been mentioned in surah Dahr (Insan) of the Qur’an.

Her worship is so vast, that it covers every second of her life; her behavior, her speaking, her looking, her efforts, even her breathing throughout the day and night were all worship.[1] Every night, after putting her children to sleep and running all of the remaining chores in the house, she would stand to prayer, to the extent that her blessed feet would become swollen.[2] 

One of the things that the Shia is proud of is the Sahifa or book of Fatima (A.S). Shias believe that this book has been given to Lady Fatima (A.S) through divine inspiration. [4]

The modesty and covering of Lady Fatima (A.S): Many different beautiful instances of Lady Fatimah’s (A.S) doings and sayings regarding hijab and covering have been reported that women need to follow. One day, the Prophet (PBUH) asked those present in the mosque: “What is the best way of living for women?”‌ Lady Fatima (A.S), answered through Salman (who had gone to Lady Fatima’s (A.S) house for an answer that he didn’t know): “It is best for women not to see non-mahram men and for non-mahram men not to see them either.”‌[5]

In the end, we will point to the most important trait that she must be followed in, which is the defending of imamate and wilayah. That is because she is the one who exhibited the best defense against imamate and wilayah after the death of the Prophet (PBUH). [6] She was well acquainted with the people of her time and knew that they didn’t deserve her guidance and also didn’t bear the courage to rise along with her against the situation that had come up after the Prophet’s (PBUH) death, yet she wanted to defame misguidance and unveil the truth for future generations. As she herself said: “I know that you are all pitiful and caught in the claws of despicableness. Not helping has taken over your whole existence and the cloud of unfaithfulness has shadowed over your hearts, what can I do? For I am burning inside and cannot hold my tongue from complaining.”‌[7]

Notes:

[1] Ihqaqul-Haqq, vol. 4, pg. 481.

[2] Biharul-Anwar, vol. 42, pg. 117.

[3] Ibid, vol. 43, pg. 12, hadith 6.

[4] From the will of Imam Khomeini, Sahifeye Nour, vol. 21, pg. 171. We are proud to have supplications from our imams that have also been named “the ascending Qur’an”‌ (signifying that they have no difference with “the descending Qur’an”‌ other than the fact that one is ascending to Allah (swt) from his best servants and the other is descending from Allah (swt)). We are proud to have the supplication of Munajat Sha’baniyyah of the Imams, the Dua’a Arafat of Imam Hussein (A.S), the Sahifah Sajjadiyyah of Imam Sadjad (A.S) and the Mus-haf of Fatima or the Sahifah of Fatima which was revealed unto her through divine inspiration.

[5] Wasa’elul-Shia, vol. 14, pp. 43 and 172; Biharul-Anwar, vol. 43, pg. 54.

[6] Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi, Jami az Zolale Kowsayr, pg. 145.

[7] Kashful-Ghummah, vol. 1, pg. 491; Al-Ihtijaj, pg. 102; Dala’ilul-Imamah, pg. 37.

[8] Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi, Jami az Zolale Kowsayr, pg. 149.

Protecting the Children

Al-Zahra emphasized how important taking care of the children is. Often when someone passes away, people usurp the rights of the helpless children because of the lack of law protection, especially in our man-made law structure. Of course, taking care of the children involves making sure there is someone trustworthy when it comes to taking care of them. Also, if one can manage to secure their financial rights, one should do so.

The Oppressed Daughter of the Prophet

While Al-Zahra's words extend from her particular special case to any general case, there is one part that stands out – she had asked Imam Ali to do two things after he washes her purified body and finalizes the pre-burial actions: To bury her at night, and hide her grave.

Both requests have immediate implications related to the situation at that time and long-term implications that affect us to this very day. What is it that Lady Fatima wants us to learn and comprehend from these requests?

Studying history and the religion of Islam, one will immediately recognize the status of Lady Fatima as the Prophet's only daughter and the leader of women of all times. In addition to that, the books of history do not hide the fact that Lady Fatima's right to Fadak was usurped, that people burned her house, beat her with a whip and caused a rib of hers to break after being squeezed between the door and the wall, causing the miscarriage of her unborn son.

Our Duty

For all those who love Fatima, remember her grave is hidden, but she is not far. She attends gatherings held in the name of the Ahl-ul-Bayt. Let us carry her grave in our hearts and fulfil our responsibility of spreading the truth that the daughter of the Prophet of Islam and the leader of the women of the worlds, was, and still remains today, oppressed.

Before Lady Fatima (peace be upon her) departed from this world, she asked Imam Ali (peace be upon him) to execute her will, in which lie many lessons and treasures of knowledge for us which we can all benefit from.

On the last day of her life, it is narrated that Al-Zahra said to Imam Ali: "You have not known me to be a liar or a traitor, and have I ever disobeyed you since we were together?" Imam Ali replied: "Allah forbid! You are more knowing of Allah, more devoted, more pious, and more honorable and more fearing of Allah than (to give me a reason) to reprimand you for disobeying me. Surely it is very painful for me to be separated from you and to lose you; but it is an inevitable destination. By Allah, you have renewed the sorrow I have just encountered with the death of Allah's Messenger; surely your death and departure will be a great calamity, but 'to Allah do we belong, and to Him shall we return.' What a painful, bitter and sad calamity. Surely this is a calamity for which there is not consolation, and a disaster for which there is no compensation. Instruct me to do anything you wish; you certainly will find me devoted and I will execute everything that you command me to do."

She then made two particular requests:

1. "I ask you to marry after my death, my niece Umamah; surely she will be to my children as I was. Besides, men cannot do without women."

2. "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. Bury me at night when eyes are rested and sight is put to sleep."

The Pitfalls of a Marriage

Al-Zahra eloquently summarized in her will the major pitfalls (from a wife's perspective) that can destroy a marriage, by pointing out the three main faults: Lying, betrayal and disobedience. These three faults encompass all other faults and one can be confident that if there was anything missing, she would have mentioned it.

Apart from the immediate and long-term direct effects, these faults are actually against the laws of Allah and will cause the marriage to suffer the indirect negative consequences (both materialistic and non-materialistic). With just a few words, Al-Zahra gave social, behavioral, and theological dimensions to her words.

Marriage of Widowers

We often hear the words, "I will stay true to my deceased wife and never marry again." Al-Zahra declared there is nothing wrong with a man marrying again after his wife passes away; in fact, she encouraged it. Her request for Imam Ali to marry again promotes the notion of marriage, highlighting its importance for both the family and the society. Her words naturally extend to widows re-marrying.

To be continued ...

Indeed, as Muslims of all denominations are unanimous, Fatima Zahra (A.S) is the most virtuous lady of all times. According to the works of such outstanding scholars amongst our Sunni brethren – such as Ahmad ibnHanbal, Tirmidhi, HakemNishabouri, Tabaranietc – she is the daughter at whose doorstep Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) used to salute every morning before the dawn prayers following revelation of the Verse of Purity, that is, verse 33 of Surah al-Ahzaab, which vouchsafes the pristine purity of the Ahl-ul-Bayt.

The narrators also agree that whenever the Prophet used to leave Medina, Fatima (A.S) was the last one he bade goodbye, and on return she was the first and foremost one to be greeted by him.It is an indisputable fact that the Prophet used to stand to his feet whenever she entered his presence. This was not the doting of a middle-aged father on his only surviving child, but the commandment of the Creator. In this regard, Ayesha – one of the several wives the Prophet had married in the last ten years of his life in Medina out of social necessity after the passing away in Mecca of his loyal wife of 25 long years, Fatima's (A.S) mother Khadijat-al-Kubra (A.S) – says:

In Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet is quoted as saying: “Fatima is a part of me, whoever displeases her has displeased me.

"But why would anyone displease such a paragon of virtue? 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 Fatima (A.S) accompany her father – along with her husband and two sons – to the memorable Mubahela with the Christians of Najran on revelation of verse 61 or Surah Aal-e Imran, less than two years before the Prophet's departure from the world? No one can deny these facts, but alas, no sooner did the Prophet pass away, things abruptly changed for his beloved daughter and her family. The political right of her husband, Imam Ali (A.S) was usurped at Saqifa Bani Sa'dah by a group greedy for rule of the Islamic state, which did not belong to them. Next, her own rights were seized including the patrimony of the Orchard of Fadak which the Prophet had given her in his lifetime, and whose income she spent for the upkeep of the poor and the destitute.

Matters worsened by the day. In order to defend not just her own rights or the rights of inheritance of Muslim women, but also the divinely-decreed right of Imam Ali (A.S), she delivered the memorable sermon in the court of the caliph and his clique – a flawlessly eloquent sermon that till this day continues to provide guidelines for Muslims concerning the fundamentals of faith, including Monotheism, Divine Justice, Prophet hood, Imamate, and Resurrection. Her words fell on deaf ears and failed to jolt the conscience of the neo-Muslims who had spent almost their entire life in idol-worship and all other abominable crimes and sins of the Days of Ignorance. The irony of Islamic history is that despite the testimony of the holy Qur’an in her favour and that of her husband and sons, as the barometers of true faith, the chief conspirator of the scandalous event of Saqifa Bani Sa’da, while battering the flaming door upon her, had threatened to burn the Ahl-ul-Bayt of the Prophet to death, if Imam Ali (A.S) doesn’t give oath of allegiance to his candidate for the caliphate. And when the injured Fatima (A.S) clung to the raiment of her husband as he was being dragged by the ruffians, with a rope around his neck, this rascal had ordered his slave Qunfudh to whip the hands of the Prophet’s daughter.

Fatima (A.S) was not lamenting her sufferings, or that of her husband and her children, although she knew by the Grace of God that the deviationist trend which had started at Saqifa Bani Sa'da while the Prophet was being laid to rest by his divinely-decreed vicegerent, Imam Ali (A.S), will one day see the rise of the charlatan Yazid to the caliphate and the tragedy of Karbala, where her household would be slaughtered mercilessly by those masquerading as Muslims. She was actually grief-stricken for the catastrophe befalling Islam, as had been the case with the messages of the past Prophets, for example, Moses and Jesus, whose teachings had been distorted into Judaism and Christianity. She thus left the world in the state of profound grief. Imam Ali (A.S) carried out the wishes of his beloved wife in the dead of night, at an unmarked and still unknown spot in Medina, so that the shadow of those that had displeased her, the Prophet and God, would never fall upon it, nor would any future blasphemers, such as the Wahhabis of our times, would be able to desecrate it.

"O Allah! Send blessings on Fatima the Truthful, the Spotlessly Pure, the Dearest of the Most Dearest (Person) to You, Your Prophet… whom You chose, favoured and gave preference over all women of the universe."

“O Father! So great was the magnitude of calamities upon me after you; had they befallen bright days they would have turned into dark nights.”‌

It is part of a moving elegy of a daughter at the grave of her father. Although in the prime of youth, she was bent and leaning on a staff, because of severe pain in her ribs. She was lamenting the rough treatment meted out to her by a roguish group of her father’s companions, who, not just seized her patrimony and deprived her husband of his political rights, but also battered upon her the blazing door of her house, as a result of which she suffered broken ribs and miscarriage. The stillborn Mohsen, thus became the first victim of the Prophet’s progeny to be martyred by those claiming to be Muslims. So grave were her sufferings that she was destined to live no more than 75 days – according to another account 95 days – after her father’s departure from the mortal world. Let us present to you some more passages of the moving elegy of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (A.S), whom God has hailed in the holy Qur’an as Kowsar or the Heavenly Fountain of Perpetual Abundance.

The mourner of the Prophet’s daughter, wherever they might be around the world, including the Prophet’s city Medina, from where her soul flew to the ethereal heavens, have no specific spot to visualize as her shrine, since Fatima Zahra (A.S) does not have a tomb. No one knows where exactly the noblest-ever lady was laid to rest, because she did not want even the shadow of her tormentors to fall on her grave. Here is part of her Last Will to her weeping husband, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (A.S), for whose divinely-decreed right of leadership of the ummah, she sacrificed her life:

Her words are indicative of the degree of harm she suffered at the hands of the neo Muslims, who despite their claim to be heirs of the political legacy of her father, totally disregarded the Prophet’s statement: “Fatima is a part of me; whoever hurts her has hurt me, and whoever hurts me, has indeed displeased God.”