In continuation of the discussions on the greatest position of Lady Fatimah (a.s), we shall focus on other aspects of the topic in this article.
6. The Axis of Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S)
The Almighty God gave the glad tidings to Fatima (S.A) that 11 infallible Imams will emerge from her offspring. Thus, she was called ‘the Mother of the Imams’ and ‘the Mother of the Blossoms of Islam’ and ‘the Mother of the Light of the Imams’. It is therefore narrated from the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.A): “I am the tree and Fatima is its fruit-bearing and Ali is its pollen and Hasan and Husain are its fruits.”(1) Similarly, when Lady Fatima (S.A) delivered her eloquent sermon in the Masjidul-Nabi, Imam Ali (A.S) addressed her with the title of: “O the remaining of the Prophet-hood.”(2)
Most importantly, the holy Fatima was the bearer and the depository of the divine secret, i.e. Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance).
7. The Axis of Faith
The Lady Fatima (S.A) is the axis of faith. It is narrated from the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (A.S) that on the Day of Judgment “she will be the scale of measuring the deeds of our lovers and our enemies.”(3) Thus, she is the scale of measuring the lovers and the enemies of Ahlul-Bayt.
8. The Axis of the Sayyyeds
The holy Fatima was ‘al-Kouthar’ meaning abundant blessings. The generation of the last Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.W) has spread worldwide through his daughter Fatima. She is the mother of Millions of offspring of the Prophet from the lineage of Imam Ali, Imam Hasan, Imam Husain, Imam Redha, and Imam Kadhem (peace be upon them). They are related to the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.W) through Fatima.
9. The Axis of Intercession
The holy Fatima is the axis of intercession on the Day of Judgment to rescue the sinners from Hellfire. Indeed, she is called Fatima for Allah has safeguarded her and her followers from the Hell-fire. Numerous Prophetic sayings indicated that she is called Fatima for Allah has prevented her and her lovers and followers from the Hell-fire. (4) Jabir; the distinguished companion of the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.W) who lived long enough to visit Imam Baqir (A.S) asked the Imam to inform him of the status of his grandmother; lady Fatima (S.A). Part of the Hadith reads:
“On the Day of Judgment people will be ordered: Bend your heads down and lower your gaze for indeed this is Fatima proceeding to Paradise. She then will ask the Almighty: O my Lord! I would like my status to be known on this Day. Thus, the Almighty Allah addresses her: O daughter of My beloved! Look back and find whoever there is love in their heart for you or for any of your offspring to take their hands and enter them into Paradise.
It is on that Day that she will be as selective as a chicken selects the good seeds over the spoiled ones. Then the Almighty Allah will address those who loved the holy Fatima (S.A): Look back and find whoever loved you for the love of Fatima, whoever fed you for the love of Fatima, whoever clothed you for the love of Fatima, whoever offered you a drink for the love of Fatima… then take their hands and enter them into Paradise. Imam Baqir (A.S) then added: On that Day none will be left, save the one who has been doubtful (about the status of Fatima), or the one who has been Kafir or hypocrite.”(5)
10. The Axis of Granting Wishes
Although all the fourteen infallibles are the gates through whom the Almighty God grants our invocations, Lady Fatima has a pivotal role in the granting of our wishes. Even the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt when they invoked the Almighty, they asked Allah in the virtuous name of their mother Fatima. Thus, the name Fatima is again the central core of the recommended supplication for our needs.
“Allahuma inni asaloka be haqe fatimata wa abiha wa ba’leha wa baniha wa sirril musta’da’efi ha an to salle’a ala muhammadin wa ale muhammad. Wa an tafalla be ma anta ahlo wa an taqthia hawa`iji”
“O Allah verily I ask You by the right of Fatima and her father and her husband and her sons and the hidden secret entrusted in her (Imam Mahdi A.J) that You may Mohammad and his family and that You may do for me what You are anticipated to do and that You grant my requests.”
Mutual Affection
The affection between Fatima and her father was mutual. That means, as much as the holy Prophet of Islam loved his daughter Fatima, she also loved her father the Prophet. Thus, the demise of the Prophet of God did not have an enormous effect on Fatima. During the short time after the demise of her father, she cried so much that according to the words of Imam Sadiq (A.S) she became one of the five most weeping people in the history of mankind. Prophet Adam (A.S) after his fall wept so much that stains marks appeared on his cheeks.
Prophet Yaqoub (A.S) wept so much in the absence of his son Yusuf that he lost his eyesight. Prophet Yusuf in return also cried so much in missing his father that his fellow prisoners requested that he should cry either at night or day. Imam Sajjad (A.S) wept for the last thirty-five years of his life for the tragedy of Karbala and finally, the holy Fatima wept her life away in the absence of her father the holy Messenger of God. She wept so much that Imam Ali (A.S) had to build an isolated hut for her worshipping and weeping called ‘the House of Grieves’.
The weeping of Fatima however, was not only for the physical departure of the Messenger of God from this world, she wept also for the catastrophic deviation that occurred after the Prophet passed. Her weeping was in fact a cry in opposition to awaken the Islamic Ummah of the evil consequences of their wrongdoing. Fatima was fully aware that the deviation that occurred in Saqifeh would lead to the massacre of Karbala.
“As salamu alayk O you oppressed lady whose right has been usurped and her rib was broken, the one who was beaten, the lady who was truthful and martyred.”
The enemies of Islam and Ahlul-bait could not stand her opposition. According to al-Mas’oodi; the renowned historian, she witnessed the party of Abu Bakr forcing Imam Ali to pay allegiance to Abu Bakr whilst Imam Ali was refusing. (6)
Eventually, the enemies threatened to set the house of Fatima on fire should Ali continue to refuse allegiance. Umar ibn Khattab along with his men approached the house of Ahlul-bait. He threatened that should Ali still refuse he would burn the house down and the household. Omar was reminded that Fatima was also in that house, and his only reply was, “Even so…”
I would like to end my speech by narrating the tragic event of the martyrdom of the holy Lady Fatima (s.a); the part of the heart of the Prophet and the beloved mother of her father with her own heartbreaking description of the scene:
“they placed firewood at the gate of my house and then they brought fire and torched it to burn us all. I was standing behind the front door. I pleaded with them by the name of Allah and my father the Messenger of Allah to leave us alone or help us. But Omar grabbed the whip of Qunfuz; the slave of Abu Bakr and whipped my arm so hard that it bruised and marked like a bracelet.
He then kicked the door against me while I was pregnant, and I fell to the floor all the while the fire was blazing in front of me and its heat was burning my face. He then slapped me so hard on my face that my earring tore ear then I felt the pain of labour and lost my innocent baby. (7)
By: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei
NOTES:
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1. Ihqaqul-Haq, vol.9 p.157
2. Beharul-Anwar, vol.43 p.148
3. al-Kharazmi, Maqtalul-Husain, p.107
4. See Beharul-Anwar, vol.43 pp.4 -18
5. Beharul-Anwar, vol.8 p.51
6. Ithbatul-Wasiya p262
7. Baitul ahzan p97, al-Ehtejaj vol1 from p203, Sharh ibn Abil Haddid vol2 p21, The History of Tabari vol2 p234, Al Imamah & Al Siyasah vol1 p12, Morujo Thahab vol2 p302, Al Kafi vol8 p3
