In this part of the article titled “The Historic Fadak Sermon of Fatima”, we shall discuss other sections of the sermon.
Concentration Upon the Philosophy and Aim of Divine Ordinances
Faith has been set so as to cleanse you of polytheism; ṣalat (prayers) are prescribed to keep you away from pride, zakat (charity) has been prescribed to purify ones’ self and results in the increase of sustenance (1).
Sawm (fasting) has been prescribed so that genuineness may be reinforced; hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) has been prescribed to establish the religion; justice is prescribed to establish proper harmony in the hearts;
The obligation to obey us (the Ahlul Bayt) has been prescribed to set up order in the community, and our authority (imamah) has been prescribed to save the people from differences.
Jihad (struggle) is the honour of Islam and a humiliation for the people of polytheism and hypocrisy; patience has been made a medium for recompense to be bestowed;(2) enjoining good has been prescribed for the general welfare (of the society); righteousness with one’s parents is a safeguard against His (Allah’s) wrath; kindness with one’s relatives is a medium of increasing one’s age and results in an increase of friends and relations.
Retribution has been prescribed so that people’s lives may be safe-guarded (3); fulfillment of vows leads to forgiveness (4); consideration of accuracy in measurement in weighing commodities saves one from loss.
Prohibition of intoxicants has been prescribed so that humanity may remain away from filth (5); the prohibition of defaming (of adultery) has been prescribed so as to keep oneself away from the curse of Allah (6).
Robbery has been prohibited so that the hands may be pure; and polytheism has been prohibited so that sincerity may be established in Allah’s Divinity. Thus, fear Allah as you should, and (see that) you die not but as Muslims (7). Obey Allah with regards to His orders and prohibitions for surely only those of His servants are conscious of Allah who are endowed with knowledge (8).
The Decisiveness of the Prophet in Strengthening the Path of Guidance
O people! Know that I am Fatima and my father was Muhammad. I say and I will repeat this again and again and I do not utter any falsehood, and whatever I do shall not be wrong. Indeed an Apostle from among yourselves has come to you, grievous to him is your falling into distress, (he is) solicitous regarding your welfare, towards the faithful (he is) compassionate, (and) merciful (9).
If you look and understand, you will find that this Apostle is my father and not the father of any one of your women; he is the brother of my cousin (Imam Ali) and not the brother of any one of your men and how fortunate is the one related to him (the Prophet).
The Prophet proclaimed the message and prevented the people from ignorance and polytheism and worked at opposing the customs of the polytheists. He broke their backs while their breath was entrapped in their chests. He called to the way of his Lord with wisdom and kind exhortation (10).
He broke the idols and crushed the heads (of rebellion) of the polytheists until they were eradicated and took to flight. Then, the darkness of the night passed and it dawned and the truth became manifest in its true form. When the leader of the religion (the Prophet) spoke, foam gushed forth from the mouths of the polytheists and they became silent; the degraded group of the hypocrites was annihilated and pledges between disbelief and animosity broke.
You all started uttering words of sincerity (Monotheism) and you were among a group consisting of illuminated countenances and fasting ones – those whom Allah intended to keep off from them uncleanliness and purify them with a thorough purification. (11) Indeed, you were on the brink of the pit of the hell-fire (12).
You were a community that was (considered just) – a medium who would quench the thirst of others and were a tool in the hands of the avaricious. You were similar to the place were hasty men come to take the fire (for their own benefit) and were being trampled under the feet while at that time, your state was such that you would drink water from the wayside gutter and your food was the unclean hides (of animals) or leaves. You were the humiliated and degraded ones from among the masses, fearing that people may carry you away by force!(13)
Thus Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, delivered you through the medium of my father Muhammad, while you attained this deliverance after he (the Prophet) had to face numerous difficulties and fight with the stubborn polytheists, the beasts among the ʿArabs and after that with the People of the Book (the Christians and the Jews).
Role of Imam Ali in the Defense of Islam
Whenever the polytheists kindled the fire of wars, Allah would put it out; and when the adherents of Satan would manifest themselves or the beastly ones among the polytheists opened their mouths of envy, he (the Prophet) would dispatch his brother (Imam ʿAli) towards them.
He (Imam ʿAli) would crush them and extinguish the blaze of their fire with his sword and he (Imam ʿAli) bore extreme brutality in the way of Allah and strove to obey the commands of Allah. He was the nearest to the Prophet of Allah and the master of the friends of Allah.
He was always ready to serve the creations (of Allah), looking over the welfare of the people, endeavoring and toiling (in this way) and he was not affected with the censure of any censurer (14). While you were living a life of pleasure and peace, and were far away from the severity of battle, (you were in) enjoyment and security.
Then you waited that we, the Ahlul-Bayt, may be engulfed in severity of trails and waited to hear this news and in the heat of the battle, you retreated and fled from the battlefield!
To be continued!
NOTES:
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1. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Take alms out of their wealth (O Prophet), you would cleanse them and purify them thereby.” Sūratul Tawbah (9): 103
2. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Verily, only the patient ones will be paid their recompense without any account.” Sūratul Zumar (39): 10
3. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “And for you there is (security of) life in retribution, O you people of understanding, so that you may guard yourself (against evil).” Sūratul Baqarah (2): 179
4. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “They who fulfill their vows, and fear the day the woe of which stretches far and wide” Sūratul Dahr (76): 7
5. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Intoxicants and games of chance, (dedication of) stones (i.e. idols) and (divination by) arrows, are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork.” Sūratul Māʾidah (5): 90
6. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Verily they who accuse protected believing women, unaware (of the crime), shall be accursed in this world and in the hereafter.” Sūratul Nūr (24): 23.
7. Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah Āle ʿImrān (3): 102.
8. Noble Qurʾān, Sūratul Fāṭir (35): 28.
9. Noble Qurʾān, Sūratul Tawbah (9): 128.
10. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “And call you unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and kindly exhortation and dispute with them in a manner which is the best.” Sūratul Naḥl (16): 125.
11. efer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Verily Allāh intends but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanliness O people of the House, and purify you (with) a thorough purification.” Sūratul Aḥzāb (33): 33.
12. Noble Qurʾān, Sūrah Āle ʿImrān (3): 103.
13. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “And remember when you were few and deemed weak in the Earth, fearing that people may carry you away by force, but He strengthened you with His aide and provided you with the good things (of sustenance) that you may give thanks” Sūratul Anfāl (8): 26.
14. Refer to the Qurʾānic verse, “Soon will Allāh bring (forward) a people, them He loves and they love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the infidels, striving hard in Allāh’s way, and they fear not the censure of any censurer. This is the Grace of Allāh, He gives it to whomsoever He desires” Sūratul Māʾidah (5): 54.
