THC Science

Fatimah bint Muhammad (20th of Jumada al-thani (606 AD) - 3rd of Jumada al-thani 11 AH (632 AD)), popularly known as Fatimah Zahra (Template:ArB), was a daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Most Sunni sources report that she was one of four daughters.^[1] Shi'as, however, maintain that she was Muhammad's only daughter (see Genealogy of Khadijah's Daughters). Modern descendants of Muhammad trace their lineage exclusively through Fatimah and her only husband Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first Shi'ah Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph), because she was the only child of Muhammad who had children that survived. Muhammad had no sons who reached adulthood.^[2]

Biography

File:Bibi Fatima (AS).jpg

The dates mentioned for the birth, marriage, and death of Fatima vary in different sources. Several Sunni sources mention her birth happening in the same year as the reconstruction of Kaaba (five years before Muhammad receiving the revelation), while most Shi'a sources mention five years after the declaration of the prophethood. Some sources have even mentioned her birth on at the same year of revelation. This places Fatima's birth sometime between 606 to 615 CE.^[3]

List of Shi'a titles for Fatima Zahra

When she attained the age of puberty, it became necessary for her to marry someone who would appreciate her status and the perfection and maturity of her virtues: someone who would know the real value and virtue of a human being. When she became eligible many men including Abu Bakr and Umar asked for her hand in marriage. But Muhammad said, "I am waiting for the revelation in this connection."

The revelation came and Fatima's husband was nominated. God ordered Muhammad, "Oh my prophet get the light (Noor) married to the light i.e., get Fatima married with Ali." When Ali ibn Abi Talib approached Muhammad to request the hand of Fatima in marriage, although he had nothing with him from the wealth of the world, yet he possessed a gem, which was the reflection of everything including piety and human nobility.

Muhammad having acceded to his request entered the house to ask Fatima about her opinion about it. He said to her "Oh daughter you know that Ali is the one who was the first ever faithful out of the lot. I had prayed to God, to give the best husband for you. Therefore, God has selected Ali as your husband, so what is your opinion?" Fatima remained silent. The father took her silence as the token of her being agreed and got her married with him.

After the aggregation of the tribe of Bani Hashim and the friends and relations by the order of Muhammad took place, he delivered a Khutba (religious speech), sermon, and got Fatima married to Ali over a dowry equivalent to four hundred Masqal Silver (one Masqal comes to nearly 3.45 grams).

A companion (Sahabi) stated, "The Islamic Prophet Muhammad got a sheep slaughtered and invited a few persons and made them witnesses upon the marriage.

After one month of the Nikah, in the 2nd Hijra on the marriage night, Muhammad held Fatima by her hand and handing her hand over to Ali and said, "Oh Ali, Fatima is the best wife for you." Thereafter, he addressed Fatima and said "Oh Fatima, Ali is a good husband for you." Then he said. "Now, both of you move towards your real home."

The women of Bani Hashim, Ansar, and Muhajireen, after taking their dinner, rode Fatima on the camel of Muhammad and took her along to Ali's house with great fervor. Ali and Fatima started living near Quba mosque at a distance of eight kilometers from Medina where Muhammad had stayed on migration from Mecca and had waited a week for Ali to join him.

After some time Ali came to the city and selected a house adjacent to the house of the Muhammad. Because Muhammad could not tolerate the separation of Ali and Fatima, since, it was a great shock for him. The house of Ali which was made of mud and date timber was exactly opposite to the window of Muhammad's house so that he could daily see them.

Death

Umar led a party of armed men against Ali's house in Medina and called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to Abu Bakr, who they had decided would take power in the meeting at Saqifah. Umar and Khalid ibn Walid threatened to burn the house down if they did not submit. They broke in, resulting in Fatimah's ribs being broken between the broken door and the wall, and she miscarrying an unborn son named Muhsin.

She died of her wounds on the 3rd of Jumada al-thani, 11th of Hijra.^[4]^[5]^[6] 1 2

Sunni Muslims reject this account and claim that Muhsin later died as a child.

She is buried in Jannatul Baqi.

Legacy

Welcome, welcome, Mother of all mothers of the world.
The city of Medina is full of flowers from the flower of Ahmad (Fatimah)(Alayhi Salaam),
Bring flowers because the flower of Ahmad has come,
The house of Mostafa is illuminated. Heaven and earth and the sky are full of light,
The whole universe, heaven and the skies were dark,
They became brilliant from the face of the mother of the seyyids.

Song to Fatimah, cited in Kalinock 2003

She was survived by two sons and two daughters:

Hasan ibn Ali, the second Shi`a Imam
Husayn ibn Ali, the third Shi`a Imam
Zaynab bint Ali
Umm Kulthum bint Ali. Sunni view that Umar's marriage to Umm Kulthum denotes this person, but Shi'ah strongly disagree.

Muslim views

After Khadijah, Muhammad's first wife, Muslims regard Fatima Zahra as the greatest woman that has lived, the leader of all women in Paradise, and a paragon of female virtue. She was the first wife of the first Shi'a Imam, the mother of the second and third, and the ancestor of all the succeeding Imams; indeed, the Fatimid dynasty is named after her^[7]

They also call her Al-Zahra, the Lady of Light. The khamsa, an amulet popularly believed to ward off evil and widely used in the Maghreb, represents the hand of Fatima.

Muslims regard her as a loving and devoted daughter, mother, and wife, a sincere Muslim, and an exemplar for Muslim women. It is believed that she was very close to Muhammad and her distinction from other women is mentioned in many of his Hadiths: "Fatima is a part of my flesh: whoever causes her to be upset, upsets me."^[8] Her children, his grandsons the second Shi'a Imam Hassan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali were very dear to him. Shi'a and Sunni Muslims generally agree on these basic facts, but give very different detailed accounts of her life.

Both Shi'a and Sunni honor her as a part of the Ahl al-Bayt, and agree on the Hadith of Fatimah's status.

Sunni view

According to Sunni historians, Fatima Zahra was the youngest of four daughters whom Khadijah bore to Muhammad. She died of natural causes, at the age of twenty-three or twenty-four, surviving her father by only a few months. Sunni historians do not accept the accounts of her injuries and miscarriage at the hands of Umar and his men. In the Sunni view, Fatimah shares the position of primary example to all women with her step-mother A'isha and her mother Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She was relegated as a lesser figure in terms of history and the hadith, as her position aligned her with Ali and she was considered too sectarian.^[9]

Shi'a view

According to Shi'a scholars, Fatima Zahra was Muhammad's only daughter.^[10]. She is held in highest of esteem, as being the single most ideal example for all women; in terms of her purity and the eventual death of her son, she is considered to be the Shi'as counterpart to the Christian Mary, mother of Jesus, in addition to Shi'a reverence of Virgin Mary.

Sufic view

According to the Sufi elect it is Fatimah Zahra, as the cosmic Virgin Mary, also known as Maryam al-Kubra, who manifested herself at Fatima in Portugal in 1917 as "Al Zahra" or the "Lady of Light". As Mary had once said: "My soul doth magnify the Lord". At Fatimah the Cosmic Mary thus "magnified" the Lord by bringing forth the "Sun of Fatimah", the "Light of Al Zahra": the Lamp of Allah. It is another of Muhammed's prophecies that came true here when he said: "No Mahdi but Jesus; the Son of Mary". It was the "Mary of Fatimah" who brought forth the "Star of the Crescent Moon"; the Son of Maryam al-Kubra. This figure is the Lamb of the Virgin; the Mahdi who bears the Name of "the Slain Lamb" Christ Jesus. Thus the "Mahdi" and the "Messiah" are one and the same.^[11]The facts about Mary and her slain son Jesus also surround Fatimah and her son Hussein's unjust death at the beginning of the foundation of the Islamic "world" Theocratic State. The similarities are therefore highly suggestive of "Mary/Fatimah" as the "Virgin daughter" and "the lamb slain from the foundation of the world" as "Jesus/Ali"; these being the prototypical "mythical" sacrifices for both religions: Christianity and Shi'a. Both Jesus and Ali died deaths of expediency for those who had decided to "take the Vineyard" for themselves.

References

^ * See for example:
Quran 33:59
Ibn Hisham's Sira, Vol. 1, p. 122 [1]
Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings, Vol. 2, p. 35 [2]
Ibn Kathir's Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihaya, Vo. 2, p. 359 [3]
* For Shi'a sources that mention other daughters of Muhammad, see:
Tusi's Tahthibul Ahkam, Vol. 8, p. 258 [4]
Shaikh Saduq's Khisal, p. 404 [5]
Kulayni's Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 555 [6]
Shaykh Mufid's Al-Muqanna'ah, p. 332 [7]
Himyari's Qurb Al-Isnad, p. 9 [8]
Papyrus scroll of Ibn Lahi'ah, referenced by G. Levi Della Vida-[R.G. Khoury]. "ʿUT̲H̲MĀN b.ʿAffān ." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [9]
* For views from Western scholarship see:
Veccia Vaglieri, L. "Fāṭima." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [10]
Watt, W. Montgomery. "K̲H̲adīd̲j̲a." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [11]
^ Armstrong, Karen (September 10, 1993). Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. HarperSanFrancisco; Reprint edition. 0062508865.
^ Parsa, Forough (فروغ پارسا). "Fatima Zahra Salaamullah Alayha in the works of Orientalists" (فاطمهٔ زهرا سلامالله علیها در آثار خاورشناسان), pp.8–14, Nashr-e Dānesh, Vol. 22, No. 1, Spring 2006. ISSN 0259-9090. In Persian.
^ Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha Volume III, page 351 11
^ Sharh Kushaiji Mubais Imamate, page 407 12
^ Sharhe Nahju'l-Balagha Volume III, page 351 13
^ Esposito, John; ed. Oxford History of Islam Oxford; 1999 ISBN 0-19-510799-3
^ Sahih Bukhari Translation, Vol. 5, Book 57, Number 111
^ Kassam-Hann, Zaya. "Transcendence and the Body: Fatimah as a Paradigmatic Model." Feminist Theology: The Journal of the Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology May 2002 Issue 30, p77, 17p
^ See Genealogy of Khadijah's Daughters for further discussions. and also see here
^ The Holy Grail: It's Origins, Secrets & Meaning Revealed, Malcolm Godwin, Penguin Books; 1994, ISBN 0-670-85128-0

External links

Sunni links:

A biography of Fatimah. — USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts
Sunni refutation of the Shi'a view — alinaam.org.za

Shi'a links:

Third Infallible Fatima (sa), Daughter Of The Holy Prophet (SAW) — alshiatalk.com
Baabeilm.org
Biography and picture gallery — karbala-najaf.org
Picture gallery and quotes — ezsoftech.com
Shia.org
"Sunni Traditions in praise of Syeda Fatima Zahra (AS)" — article at shianews.com

[sources-1] * See for example:
Quran 33:59
Ibn Hisham's Sira, Vol. 1, p. 122 [1]
Tabari's History of Prophets and Kings, Vol. 2, p. 35 [2]
Ibn Kathir's Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihaya, Vo. 2, p. 359 [3]
* For Shi'a sources that mention other daughters of Muhammad, see:
Tusi's Tahthibul Ahkam, Vol. 8, p. 258 [4]
Shaikh Saduq's Khisal, p. 404 [5]
Kulayni's Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, p. 555 [6]
Shaykh Mufid's Al-Muqanna'ah, p. 332 [7]
Himyari's Qurb Al-Isnad, p. 9 [8]
Papyrus scroll of Ibn Lahi'ah, referenced by G. Levi Della Vida-[R.G. Khoury]. "ʿUT̲H̲MĀN b.ʿAffān ." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [9]
* For views from Western scholarship see:
Veccia Vaglieri, L. "Fāṭima." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [10]
Watt, W. Montgomery. "K̲H̲adīd̲j̲a." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [11]

[Muhammad:_A_Biography_of_the_Prophet-2] Armstrong, Karen (September 10, 1993). Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet. HarperSanFrancisco; Reprint edition. 0062508865.

[parsa-3] Parsa, Forough (فروغ پارسا). "Fatima Zahra Salaamullah Alayha in the works of Orientalists" (فاطمهٔ زهرا سلامالله علیها در آثار خاورشناسان), pp.8–14, Nashr-e Dānesh, Vol. 22, No. 1, Spring 2006. ISSN 0259-9090. In Persian.

[4] Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha Volume III, page 351 11

[5] Sharh Kushaiji Mubais Imamate, page 407 12

[6] Sharhe Nahju'l-Balagha Volume III, page 351 13

[7] Esposito, John; ed. Oxford History of Islam Oxford; 1999 ISBN 0-19-510799-3

[8] Sahih Bukhari Translation, Vol. 5, Book 57, Number 111

[9] Kassam-Hann, Zaya. "Transcendence and the Body: Fatimah as a Paradigmatic Model." Feminist Theology: The Journal of the Britain & Ireland School of Feminist Theology May 2002 Issue 30, p77, 17p

[10] See Genealogy of Khadijah's Daughters for further discussions. and also see here

[11] The Holy Grail: It's Origins, Secrets & Meaning Revealed, Malcolm Godwin, Penguin Books; 1994, ISBN 0-670-85128-0

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-{{Islam}}
+{{Shia Islam}}
 {{otherpeople2|Fatima (name)}}
 '''Fatimah bint Muhammad''' (20th of [[Jumada al-thani]] (606 AD) - 3rd of Jumada al-thani 11 AH (632 AD)), popularly known as '''Fatimah Zahra''' ({{ArB|فاطمة الزهراء}}), was a daughter of the [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]].  Most [[Sunni]] sources report that she was one of four daughters.<ref name=sources>* See for example: <br /> [[Quran]] [http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/033.qmt.html#033.059 33:59] <br />[[Ibn Hisham]]'s [[Sira]], Vol. 1, p. 122 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m025/28/no2855.html] <br />[[Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari|Tabari]]'s ''History of Prophets and Kings'', Vol. 2, p. 35 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m024/28/no2810.html] <br /> [[Ibn Kathir]]'s ''Al-Bidayah Wa An-Nihaya'', Vo. 2, p. 359 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m024/28/no2827.html]<br />* For Shi'a sources that mention other daughters of Muhammad, see:<br />[[Tusi]]'s ''Tahthibul Ahkam'', Vol. 8, p. 258 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m012/10/no1022.html]<br /> [[Shaikh Saduq]]'s ''Khisal'', p. 404 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m012/09/no0999.html]<br /> [[Kulayni]]'s ''[[Usul al-Kafi|Al-Kafi]]'', Vol. 5, p. 555 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m012/09/no0983.html] <br /> [[Shaykh Mufid]]'s ''Al-Muqanna'ah'', p. 332 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m001/00/no0005.html] <br /> Himyari's ''Qurb Al-Isnad'', p. 9 [http://www.yasoob.com/books/htm1/m012/09/no0975.html] <br /> Papyrus scroll of Ibn Lahi'ah, referenced by G. Levi Della Vida-[R.G. Khoury]. "ʿUT̲H̲MĀN b.ʿAffān ." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-1315] <br />* For views from Western scholarship see: <br /> Veccia Vaglieri, L. "Fāṭima." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_COM-0217] <br /> Watt, W. Montgomery. "K̲H̲adīd̲j̲a." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2007. Brill Online. 03 April 2007 [http://www.brillonline.nl/subscriber/entry?entry=islam_SIM-4116]
- </ref>  [[Shi'as]] have different ideas about the number of Mohammad's daughter.<ref>[http://al-islam.org/khadija/23.htm Khadija and Muslim Historians]</ref><ref>[http://www.al-shia.com/html/eng/p.php?p=history&url=history1 The life of prophet]</ref> (see [[Genealogy of Khadijah's Daughters]]).  Modern descendants of Muhammad trace their lineage exclusively through Fatimah and her husband [[Ali ibn Abi Talib]] (the first Shi'ah Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph), because she was the only child of Muhammad who had children that survived.  Muhammad had no sons who reached adulthood.<ref name ="Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet">{{cite book|last = Armstrong|first = Karen|title = Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet|publisher = HarperSanFrancisco; Reprint edition|date=September 10, 1993|id = 0062508865}}</ref>
+ </ref>  [[Shi'as]], however, maintain that she was Muhammad's only daughter (see [[Genealogy of Khadijah's Daughters]]).  Modern descendants of Muhammad trace their lineage exclusively through Fatimah and her only husband Ali ibn Abi Talib (the first Shi'ah Imam and the fourth Sunni Caliph), because she was the only child of Muhammad who had children that survived.  Muhammad had no sons who reached adulthood.<ref name ="Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet">{{cite book|last = Armstrong|first = Karen|title = Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet|publisher = HarperSanFrancisco; Reprint edition|date=September 10, 1993|id = 0062508865}}</ref>
 ==Biography==
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 After some time Ali came to the city and selected a house adjacent to the house of the Muhammad. Because Muhammad could not tolerate the separation of Ali and Fatima, since, it was a great shock for him. The house of Ali which was made of mud and date timber was exactly opposite to the window of Muhammad's house so that he could daily see them.
+==Death==
-==Life of Fatimah after Mohammad==
 [[Image: Binte_Muhammad.jpg|right|100px]]
-When Abu Bakr become caliph some of the companions who disagreed with his caliphate gathered in Fatimah's house. [[Umar]] led a party of armed men against Ali's house in Medina and called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to [[Abu Bakr]]. Umar threatened to burn the house down if they did not submit. [[Wilferd Madelung]] has said
+[[Umar]] led a party of armed men against Ali's house in Medina and called for Ali and his men to come out and swear allegiance to [[Abu Bakr]], who they had decided would take power in the meeting at [[Saqifah]]. Umar and [[Khalid ibn Walid]] threatened to burn the house down if they did not submit. They broke in, resulting in Fatimah's ribs being broken between the broken door and the wall, and she miscarrying an unborn son named Muhsin.
-<blockquote>"[[Umar]] threatened to set the house on fire unless they came out and swore allegiance to Abu Bakr."<ref>Madelung (1996), p.43</ref></blockquote>
-There's disagreement between Shia and Sunni historians. Sunnis narrate that after he threatened the guys came out from Fatimah's house but Shias say he fulfilled his threat, although Fatimah stood behinde the door to prohibit his invasion. They broke in, resulting in Fatimah's ribs being broken between the broken door and the wall, and she miscarrying an unborn son named Muhsin.
-==Death==
 She died of her wounds on the 3rd of Jumada al-thani, 11th of Hijra.<ref>'''Sharh Nahju'l-Balagha''' Volume III, page 351 [http://www.duas.org/essay_ghadeer.htmVolume 11]</ref><ref>'''Sharh Kushaiji''' Mubais Imamate, page 407 [http://forum.mpacuk.org/archive/index.php?t-941.html 12]</ref><ref>'''Sharhe Nahju'l-Balagha''' Volume III, page 351 [http://www.duas.org/essay_ghadeer.htm 13]</ref> [http://www.answering-ansar.org/answers/burning_the_house/burning_the_house.pdf 1] [http://www.al-islam.org/peshawar/7.5.html 2]<br />
-[[Sunni]] Muslim reject this account and claim that Muhsin later died as a child, and that Fatimah died a natural death.
+[[Sunni]] Muslims reject this account and claim that Muhsin later died as a child.
 She is buried in [[Jannatul Baqi]].
@@ Line 111: / Line 105: @@
 * [[Disputes over Islamic historical dates]]
-==Notes==
+==References==
 <div class="references-small">
 <references/>
 </div>
-==References==
-* {{cite book | last=Madelung | first=Wilferd | authorlink=Wilferd Madelung | title=The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate | publisher=Cambridge University
-Press | year=1996 | id=ISBN 0521646960}}
 ==External links==