Martyrdomشہادت

Lady Fatima (pbuh) lived for ninety days or according to another narration, seventy-five days after the passing of the Prophet of Islam. During this period, no one ever saw her joyful. It is said that on the last day of her life, when she lay down on her simple bed, she slept for several hours. During that time, she heard her noble father in a dream saying: “O my dear daughter, come to me, for I long to meet you.” She replied, “I long greatly for your presence.” Then the Messenger of Allah said, “You will be with me tonight.” When Lady al-Zahra awoke from her sleep and opened her eyes, a sense of freshness and vitality returned to her. It was as though the best moment of her life came shortly before her death, because she felt joy at the thought that she would soon be freed from sorrows and worldly hardships and would meet her beloved father. At the same time, however, her heart burned with pain at the thought of leaving behind her most kind and compassionate husband a husband who, in a world filled with enemies and turmoil, had no true companion or confidant except Allah and Lady Fatima herself. In those severe circumstances, Lady Fatima al-Mardiyyah was his supporter, helper, and defender. If she were to depart from this world today, who would take her place? The matter of her young children also weighed heavily on her mind. Among her names is “Haniyah”, because she was exceedingly kind and compassionate toward her husband and children. And yet, she was about to be separated from those pieces of her heart. Still, she was content and accepting of Allah’s decree, and she met this separation with complete raza (contentment).

She was now close to death, yet her heart was torn apart by the malice, envy, corruption, and cruelty of spiteful people especially those who had entered the circle of faith in a hypocritical manner and then stabbed Islam in the back. That very Zahra, who was the embodiment of patience and forbearance, now longed for death and sat waiting in hope of meeting Allah. After the passing of her father, she did not experience a single moment of happiness. Rather, from the time the Messenger of Islam (pbuh) lay on his sickbed, she had seen demonic, human-like faces whose thoughts betrayed treachery faces that reflected intentions to trample upon the Prophet’s clear instructions regarding Ali ibn Abi Talib (pbuh) and to divert Islam from its rightful path. Her heart was weighed down by the fact that the Muslims did not raise their voices in support of the Prophet’s daughter and son-in-law. Now, lying on her sickbed, she was welcoming a death that came in defense of the Imam of her time, her husband, and her children. She was welcoming a death that posed a grave question to the Muslim community: how would they answer the cry of the Prophet “Say: I ask of you no reward for it except love for my near relatives” (Qur’an 42:23)? Yes while the inheritance that the Prophet left for the piece of his body was usurped; while the house of the Ahl al-Bayt was set on fire; while Lady Zahra was crushed between the door and the wall until it led to the martyrdom of her six-month-old unborn child, Muhsin. In that state of utter helplessness, she turned to her maidservant, Lady Fiddah, seeking refuge, and said: “O Fiddah, lift me up my Muhsin has been martyred.”

She lay upon her bed, welcoming a death that was coming at the hands of people who had heard with their own ears the words of the Prophet, who said: “Whoever harms Fatima has harmed me,” and that the displeasure of Lady Zahra is as the displeasure of Allah. Yet these were people whose eyes had been filled by the fleeting pleasures of this worldly life, and who had been ensnared by love of worldly rank and authority, to the point that it was as though they had forgotten their Lord altogether. They imagined themselves to be the captains of the affairs of the Muslims, while in reality the chains of disbelief still hung around their necks. Can it be possible that the Divine religion be entrusted to people who had been immersed in disbelief and idol worship, who had prostrated before idols made of stone and wood, and whose records of deeds were filled with all kinds of impurity and wrongdoing? Can it be that the religion of God be handed over to people in whose entire lives there was not even a trace of light? Even women behind veils would consider themselves more discerning than them. These were people who fled disgracefully from battlefields, who accused their Prophet of the most unjust matters, and who were ignorant of the teachings of the Qur’an as though they had never read the Qur’an at all.

She was preparing to welcome a death that felt as though the moment of separation from her noble husband and her beloved children had arrived. When she sensed that her strength to rise was fading, she nevertheless got up from her sickbed and began attending to the household chores. At that moment, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (pbuh), entered the house and asked her why she was exerting herself in this condition. Lady Fatima related her dream to him. Now the time had come for her to inform her noble husband of all those events that she had long kept within her heart and to convey her final wishes. Imam ‘Ali asked everyone to leave the room and remained alone with his compassionate life companion. Lady Fatima (pbuh) said: “O cousin, throughout my life you have never seen any falsehood or betrayal from me, nor have I ever opposed you in any matter.” He replied: “You are far more knowledgeable, God-fearing, and honorable than for me ever to reproach you for opposition. Separation from you will be extremely hard and painful for me, but what can be done no one can escape death. By Allah, with your departure the calamity of the Messenger of Allah will be revived for me once again. Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return. This is a tremendous calamity. There is no helper in this trial, and it is a grief that has no equal.” Lady Fatima then said: “I make this bequest to you: those who wronged me must not take part in my funeral. None of those people should ever perform the funeral prayer over me. Bury me in the middle of the night, when eyes are closed and people have fallen asleep.”

Some narrations indicate that at the time of her final moments, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam ‘Ali (pbuh), was not at home. Only Lady Asma’ was present. After Lady Fatima (pbuh) had departed from this world, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (pbuh) came into the house and said to Lady Asma’: “Our mother does not usually sleep at this hour.” She replied, “O sons of the Messenger of Allah, your mother has not fallen asleep she has departed from this world.” Upon hearing this, the children raised cries of grief and fell upon their mother’s bier, speaking to her in sorrow. Lady Asma’ then asked them to go and call the Commander of the Faithful from the mosque. When Imam ‘Ali arrived and sat beside his loyal life companion, he said: “After today, to whom shall I speak of the secrets of my heart?” Just as at the passing of the Messenger of Allah, once again the people of Madinah heard the sounds of weeping and lamentation. People waited in the hope of taking part in the funeral procession and offering the funeral prayer. However, the Commander of the Faithful delayed the burial procession so that her will might be carried out exactly as she had instructed.

When the people of Madinah had fallen asleep and silence spread everywhere, the Imam (peace be upon him) performed the ritual washing and shrouding of that frail body, bent like a crescent moon. He anointed her with the heavenly camphor that had been given by the Messenger of Allah. After completing these rites, the Commander of the Faithful called out to his children: “O Hasan (pbuh), O Husain (pbuh), O Zainab (pbuh), O Kulthum (pbuh) come and bid farewell to your mother, for the time of separation has arrived. After this, you will meet her again in Paradise.” The children, as though they had been waiting for this moment, hurried forward and threw themselves upon their mother’s bier. Slowly they began to weep, until their tears soaked her shroud. A grave was then prepared for Lady Zahra (pbuh) a grave whose location is unknown to anyone, and which will remain hidden until the appearance of Imam al-Mahdi (atfs). After burying that embodiment of virtues and merits, the Commander of the Faithful spoke: “O earth, I entrust you with what was given to you as a trust. This is the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). O Fatima (pbuh), I place you in the care of the One who is more worthy and deserving of you than I am, the One with whom Allah is pleased and with whom I too am pleased.”

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (pbuh), was passing through the most difficult and painful period of his life, for at the very beginning of his married life he had been deprived of the most precious treasure of his existence. In those sorrowful moments, Imam Ali (pbuh) stood by the grave, crumbling the soil in his hand, tears flowing from his eyes, and he spoke in this manner: “O Messenger of Allah (pbuh), peace be upon you. Peace be upon you from your daughter as well, and from the one who has come to visit you, who now rests peacefully in the grave beside your sacred presence the one whom Allah, the Exalted, chose to be the first to meet you. We endure this calamity with patience, for the separation between you and your beloved Lady Zahra (pbuh) has come to an end; yet our strength of endurance is being exhausted by the pain of separation from the Leader of the Women of the Worlds. Yes, there is no escape from submitting to the Divine decree, and that is why I say: ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return.’ Thus, the trust has been returned, the deposit that had been entrusted has been taken back, and Lady Fatima az-Zahra (pbuh) has been delivered from all sorrow and suffering.”

O Messenger of Allah (pbuh)! The blue sky and the dusty earth now appear utterly insignificant to me. My sorrows have become everlasting, and my nights will pass in wakefulness. Grief has made its home within my heart, until Allah, the Exalted, chooses for me the very same abode in which you reside. Intense sorrow has caused my heart to bleed, and I am afflicted with pains that surge and overflow. How swiftly Allah placed separation between us, and I complain of this only before the Divine Court. Soon your daughter will inform you that your community united against me. Ask her about the usurpation of Fadak, and question your daughter again and again so that the veil may be lifted. For there are griefs burning in her chest like fire griefs that she could not disclose to anyone in this world. Yet she will soon speak of them, and Allah will judge, for He is the best of all judges.

O Messenger of Allah (pbuh)! May Allah send peace upon you both. Peace be upon you from the one who bids farewell neither distressed nor resentful. If I depart from here, it is not out of impatience; and if I remain here, it is not because I doubt the promise Allah has made to those who are patient. Indeed, patience and forbearance are blessed and most beloved. Had it not been for the fear of the enemies launching an attack, I would have made my dwelling beside your grave, remaining here in serenity like one devoted to worship, and I would have continued to wail and lament like a mother mourning the death of her young son. Yes, O Prophet of Allah! Your daughter was buried in the darkness of the night before Allah; her right was taken from her by force, and she was clearly deprived of her inheritance though not much time had passed since your departure from this world, nor had your name faded from the hearts and minds of the people. Thus, O Messenger of Allah, my complaint is only before the Divine Court, and you are the best of those who console and bring comfort. Therefore, may blessings, peace, mercy, and benedictions from Allah, the Exalted, be upon you and upon Lady Fatima (pbuh).