Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a woman, but has several
crucial roles and in each role a real sample. She is a woman, the sample of
leadership and grandeur, the one, through fulfilling her roles, has managed to
give a practical face to some aspects of the Prophetic mission.
In achieving her role as a sample, she has got a heavy load
over her shoulders; the motherhood responsibility, caring the people, helping
the poor, administering justice in the society, looking after children, family
management, etc. Expressing all Fatimah’s aspects and roles needs a separate
and lengthy book, but whatever can be stated here in brief consists of:
1. Fatimah (peace be upon her) as a Muslim:
Before being the Prophet’s daughter, Ali’s wife or the
mother of eleven Imams, she is a Muslim, a worthy Muslim, and before being a
woman with different roles, she is Allah’s servant. She does not forget Him
even for a moment, and never neglect the heavy load of responsibility.
She is a Muslim, who achieves worship and from the other side,
fulfils family duties as well as social duties. And how active, energetic, and
successful she has been in dividing her time and facilities for achieving her
mission.
Her
nightly vigils , her worship, her essential social responsibilities, her
important political conflicts and campaigns to stand against injustice in the
society, her sense of confidence with Ali (peace be upon him), and her
teachings for women all and all were in Allah’s way and for His satisfaction.
2. As a Daughter:
Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a daughter, pure and clean,
duteous and obedient. Although she is her father’s dear, she reveres the Divine
position of her father. She calls him” Rasool Allah” that means the Messenger
of Allah, and when she is asked by father about the reason, she answers, “The
holy Qur’an addresses you as so.”
She
is a daughter full of affection so that she was called “Omme Abiha” that means
the mother of her father, because she was very kind towards her father like a
mother to her son.
While the enemy threw dust to the Prophet (peace be upon him
and his descendants), she cleansed them by his figure, caressed him as if this
is her mission to soothe to her father, have sympathy towards him, and delicate
her affection as a reaction against the people’s wrath and oppression.
3. As a Wife:
Unlike her sisters, she married a poor but illuminated man
in order to deconstruct the inner group marriage (the marriage of the people in
the same level), and more important is that in order to provide the family, she
worked along with her husband.
Despite all pains, Fatimah (peace be upon her) is satisfied
with herself, because she does some significant roles in and out of the house
through which she proves the importance of the women in the society.
She is Ali’s company in life struggles, his confidant and
his consultant in life affairs. She helps Ali (peace be upon him) to administer
his right.
She
is an ideal wife. Her love towards Ali (peace be upon him) is real; she loves
him for Allah’s sake and pleasure, and in this way, she never said any
discouraging word to Ali (peace be upon him) throughout her life.
4. As a Mother:
What kind of mother was she! A sample and unique. What kind
of children did she bring up! What kind of flowers did she produce in her
garden! All sincere and the real obedient to Allah. The children who devoted
themselves for the people and had the responsibility of serving the religious
laws and its revival.
She
educated the children, who were the defenders of Islam; the guards of the
sublime ideological values, and are stable in this way. One by his own peace
[Imam Hassan (A.S)] and the other by his bloody revolution [Imam Hussein (A.S)]
watered the Islam tree and made it grow.
Her daughters were well-reared and purposeful, zeineb and
Kolthum (A.S) continued the mission of Imam Hassan and Hussein (A.S). They
recorded the voice of Hussein in the day of Ashura, and in Kufa and Sham
(Damascus) and on the way made the people hear it. Hussein’s martyrdom is
completed by their efforts, and they were the loudspeakers of Hussein’s
movement.
5. As a House Manageress:
Although she was the apple of the Prophet’s eyes, and there
was no one nobler than her, she worked in the house and turned the mill so that
her hands had injured.
She had made the house a place of peace so that when there
were a lot of pressure on Ali (peace be upon him) due to sorrow, pains,
difficulties, and disorders, he resorted to the house, hoping that through
speaking to Fatima (peace be upon her), he could be tranquilized.
She kept the house clean, peaceful, and calm, and although
nothing is found for eating, it was overflowing with sincerity and love; her
purity and tenderness was the food of the household and made them satisfied.
At the night of her marriage, she went to Ali’s house along
with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants), the latter said to
her, “My daughter, whatever is related to the inner side of the house belongs
to you and whatever is related to out of the house belongs to Ali. Ali has the
responsibility of providing the house economic aspects, and you have the
responsibility of providing the peace and quietness of the house.”
6. As a Lady of the House:
In the house, there existed a lot of chores; on the other
hand, she was young, and had a number of children while each of them needed
care. Therefore, she must have a fellow-work but not a slave maid. she shared
the chores with her and lent a hand to her. Also, she was not as an aristocrat
to sit and order, but she always gave a hand to her; washed clothes, cleaned
the house, milled the wheat, etc.
Unlike the aristocrats, Fatimah (peace be upon her) did not
make the maid do everything and be the cause of the husband’s sensuality and
make up like doll.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) once said
to her, “My daughter, a maid is a human and must be treated as a man”. Her
treatment towards a maid signifies Fatimah’s justice that she regards the
equality with her maid in the house chores.
