Lady Fatimah (popularly referred to as Lady al-Masumah) is one of the descendants of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and a sister of the eighth Shia Imam, Imam Ali al-Rida (peace be upon him). She is a famous and highly-respected lady by the infallible Imams and their adherents [Shia].
Her Birth and Lineage
According to some reports, Lady Fatimah was born in the holy city of Medina on Dhul al-Qa’da 1, 173 AH (corresponding to March 22, 790). Her father is the seventh Shia Imam, Imam Musa al-Kazim (peace be upon him). Her mother is mentioned to be Lady Najma Khatun, who is also the mother of the eighth Shia Imam, Imam Ali al-Rida (peace be upon him).
Her Titles
Lady Fatimah had several titles to her honour including al-Birra (the righteous one), al-Ḥamīda (the praised one), al-Taqiyya (the pious one), al-Rashida (the mature one), al-Raḍiyya (the contented one), al-Sayyida (the leader), al-Marḍiyyah (the one with whom God is pleased), al-Ṭāhira (the pure one), al-Naqiyya (the pure one), Ṣiddiqa (the truthful one), and Ukht al-Rida (the sister of al-Rida). However, her most famous title is al-Ma’sumah (the Infallible lady), which was derived from a saying of the eighth Imam, Imam Ali al-Rida (peace be upon him), when he said: “Whoever visits (the Shrine of) al-Masumah in Qom, it is as if he has visited me” (Maḥallātī, Rayāḥīn al-sharīʿa, vol. 5, p. 35).
Her Noble Status
Without any doubt, Lady Masumah is not among the Infallible Prophet’s Household (Ahl al-Bayt) but she is a respectable and highly honoured personality from among the descendants of the Prophet. It is said that from among the children of Imam al-Kazim (PBUH), none except Imam al-Rida (PBUH) was at the level of Lady al-Ma’sumah. According to Shaykh Abbas Qummi, he believes that Lady Ma’sumah is the most virtuous and respected lady among the daughters of Musa ibn Ja’far (PBUH). [Qummī, Muntahā l-āmāl fī tawārīkh al-Nabī wa al-Āl, p. 378]
Similarly, due to her faith and virtuousness, Lady Ma’sumah reached such a noble position that the Infallible Imam (PBUH) gave her the title of Ma’sumah (an infallible), and as a result of her immense worship and abstemiousness, she acquired the status of intercession. That is, she has the honour to intercede on behalf of the believers on the Day of Resurrection. In a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH), his Eminence was quoted to have said even before her birth: “There will pass away in Qom a lady of my descendants known as Fatima, by whose intercession our Shi’as will enter the Heaven.”
It is also mentioned in some hadiths that whoever pays visitation to Lady Fatimah Masumah, Paradise is incumbent upon such a person, this status is attained by her after the fourteen Infallible ones (peace be upon them). Imam Riḍa (PBUH) said: “Whoever visits her (does her ziyarat) acknowledging her right, is entitled to Paradise.”
Likewise, the rewards of her visitation are similar to that of the visitation of the Infallible Imams. In the book titled Kāmil al Ziyarah, the eighth Shia Imam, Imam Rida (PBUH) was quoted to have said: “Whoever does the ziyarat [visitation] of Ma’sumah in Qum, it is as if he/she has done my ziyarat [visitation].”
In Twelver Shia, Lady Ma’sumah is considered and revered as the “embodiment of the feminine virtues”, where she is recognized for piety and religious scholarship, and often compared to Holy Lady Fatimah the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.
Her Arrival in Qom
After Imam Ali al-Rida (PBUH) was summoned to relocate from Medina to Tus (the present-day Mashhad) by an Abbasid caliph, Ma’mun, Lady Ma’sumah decided to reunite with his brother. It is pertinent to mention that she prepared herself for the long journey after she received a letter from her brother in that regard.
In 201 AH/816, Lady Masumah therefore left Medina and headed towards Iran in a caravan of her relatives. According to a report, when the caravan reached Saveh, a city near Qom, they had a bloody confrontation with the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt (PBUH) which resulted in the martyrdom of all her brothers and nephews. When she saw the bloody scene, she became ill. Thereafter, she ordered her servant to take her to the city of Qom.
According to another historical report, it is mentioned that when the news of her illness reached Banu Sa’d, they decided to go to her and request her to come to Qom. Musa ibn Khazraj, a companion to Imam al-Rida (PBUH), was the first to do so. He went to the caravan and invited her to his house. In some later history books, the date of her arrival to Qom is recorded as Rabi al-Awwal 23, 200 AH/October 31, 815.
Lady Fatimah al-Ma’sumah settled in this house for seventeen days, spending her time worshipping and praying. Today, the sanctuary where she prayed in the house of Musa ibn Khazraj in Qom is a famous site known as Sittiyya or Bayt al-Nur (the House of Light).
Some later historical accounts mentioned that Lady Fatimah al-Ma’sumah passed away on Rabi’ al-Thani 10, 201/November 5, 816 when she was 28 years old. An honourable funeral was therefore held for her by the Shias and her sacred body was buried in a garden owned by Musa ibn Khazraj which is known as Babilan (the current shrine).
