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08-04-2007, 04:07 PM
OUR LADY FATIMAH
[By Dr. Mohamed Elmasry]
If Mary, the mother of Jesus, is Christianity’s leading female saint,
Fatimah is surely her equal in Islam.
Apart from the Prophet Muhammad, no one in Islamic history receives more
love and adoration from Muslims than one woman, his daughter Fatimah.
Fatimah, the Prophet’s fifth child, grew up in a household filled with
love, kindness, and compassion. She was well taught by the living example
of her Prophet-father who brought God’s Final Testament - the Holy Qur’an
-- to humanity.
Sitena Fatimah -- Our Lady Fatima, as Muslims call her -- was a remarkable
lady indeed. She was not only a model daughter, wife and mother, but also a
strong and courageous defender of the values of justice and truth. As the
wife of Ali, Islam’s first Imam, Fatimah instilled into their twin sons,
Hassan and Hussein, the core principles she had been taught, especially to
stand up for justice no matter what the cost.
Whenever her father saw Fatimah approaching, he would welcome her by
standing up and kissing her; then he would gently take her by the hand and
sit her down next to him. She would do the same when the Prophet visited
her, leaping to her feet to welcome her father with a joyful kiss.
Fatimah was known for being both good and beautiful, qualities endowed by
her beautiful parents, Prophet Muhammed and his lovely wife Khadijah.
From them she was blessed with a purity of character that made her gentle,
kind and loving to all. It is no wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad’s
love for his treasured daughter went beyond any human measurement.
Fatimah’s place of love and esteem in her father’s heart was shared only
with her mother, his first wife Khadijah.
Sadly, Lady Fatimah passed away at a very young age, just short of her 30th
birthday. But she lived a very full life in her few years on earth and was
the only one of the Prophet’s children to outlive him.
She was born during the time when her father had been called by the
Almighty to carry His message to everyone. Thus she grew up witnessing
enemies trying to kill him and his followers. As a young girl, she found
herself nursing the wounded, attending to the dying, and looking after the
poor and needy. Matured by such experiences, she grew up fast. If she’d
wanted to, however, she could have insulated herself from the hardships of
others around her and lived in seclusion like a princess; but she was
taught that humans were created for a mission, the noble mission of giving
oneself for the betterment of all.
At age 18, Fatimah married her father’s cousin Ali, who was about 20. On
their wedding day the Prophet prayed for them; "O Lord, bless them both,
bless their house and bless their offspring."
Whenever the Prophet returned home after travelling, he would first visit
the mosque to offer up a thanksgiving prayer; next he would visit with
Fatimah, and only then would he return to his own house. He especially
enjoyed the times he spent with his grandsons, the twins Hassan and
Hussein; even when he was praying, giving a sermon, teaching, or holding
high-level meetings, he would often play with the boys and hug or kiss
them.
The Prophet once said: "The best women in the world are four: the Virgin
Mary, Aasiyaa the Pharaoh’s wife (who became a believer despite her
husband’s threats), Khadijah the Good -- Mother of the Believers -- and
Fatimah ..."
The early Muslims gave Sitena Fatimah the loving title of "az-Zahraa,"
which means "the Resplendent One," for to them her beaming face seemed to
radiate light. She was also called "al-Batul" because of her asceticism;
rather than spending all of her free hours enjoying herself in the company
of other women, much of her time was spent alone in prayer.
Before he went on his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet confided to
Fatimah: "Archangel Jibra’il (Gabriel) used to recite the whole Qur’an to
me once a year, but this year he has recited it twice. I cannot but think
that my time has come."
And on returning from his last pilgrimage the Prophet’s words came true,
for he did become seriously ill. He then called for Fatimah and when she
came to his bedside, he kissed her and whispered some words that made her
weep. Then he whispered to her again and this time Fatimah smiled. The
Prophet’s wife Aishah asked why her mood had suddenly been lifted and Lady
Fatimah explained: "My father told me first that he would meet his Lord
soon, so I cried. Then he said, 'Don't cry, for you will be the first of my
family to join me.' So I smiled."
Just six months after the death of her beloved Prophet-father, Sitena
Fatimah passed away from this earthly life and joined him, just as he had
told her.
(Dr. Mohamed Elmasry is national president of the Canadian Islamic
Congress. He can be reached at [email protected])
[By Dr. Mohamed Elmasry]
If Mary, the mother of Jesus, is Christianity’s leading female saint,
Fatimah is surely her equal in Islam.
Apart from the Prophet Muhammad, no one in Islamic history receives more
love and adoration from Muslims than one woman, his daughter Fatimah.
Fatimah, the Prophet’s fifth child, grew up in a household filled with
love, kindness, and compassion. She was well taught by the living example
of her Prophet-father who brought God’s Final Testament - the Holy Qur’an
-- to humanity.
Sitena Fatimah -- Our Lady Fatima, as Muslims call her -- was a remarkable
lady indeed. She was not only a model daughter, wife and mother, but also a
strong and courageous defender of the values of justice and truth. As the
wife of Ali, Islam’s first Imam, Fatimah instilled into their twin sons,
Hassan and Hussein, the core principles she had been taught, especially to
stand up for justice no matter what the cost.
Whenever her father saw Fatimah approaching, he would welcome her by
standing up and kissing her; then he would gently take her by the hand and
sit her down next to him. She would do the same when the Prophet visited
her, leaping to her feet to welcome her father with a joyful kiss.
Fatimah was known for being both good and beautiful, qualities endowed by
her beautiful parents, Prophet Muhammed and his lovely wife Khadijah.
From them she was blessed with a purity of character that made her gentle,
kind and loving to all. It is no wonder then that the Prophet Muhammad’s
love for his treasured daughter went beyond any human measurement.
Fatimah’s place of love and esteem in her father’s heart was shared only
with her mother, his first wife Khadijah.
Sadly, Lady Fatimah passed away at a very young age, just short of her 30th
birthday. But she lived a very full life in her few years on earth and was
the only one of the Prophet’s children to outlive him.
She was born during the time when her father had been called by the
Almighty to carry His message to everyone. Thus she grew up witnessing
enemies trying to kill him and his followers. As a young girl, she found
herself nursing the wounded, attending to the dying, and looking after the
poor and needy. Matured by such experiences, she grew up fast. If she’d
wanted to, however, she could have insulated herself from the hardships of
others around her and lived in seclusion like a princess; but she was
taught that humans were created for a mission, the noble mission of giving
oneself for the betterment of all.
At age 18, Fatimah married her father’s cousin Ali, who was about 20. On
their wedding day the Prophet prayed for them; "O Lord, bless them both,
bless their house and bless their offspring."
Whenever the Prophet returned home after travelling, he would first visit
the mosque to offer up a thanksgiving prayer; next he would visit with
Fatimah, and only then would he return to his own house. He especially
enjoyed the times he spent with his grandsons, the twins Hassan and
Hussein; even when he was praying, giving a sermon, teaching, or holding
high-level meetings, he would often play with the boys and hug or kiss
them.
The Prophet once said: "The best women in the world are four: the Virgin
Mary, Aasiyaa the Pharaoh’s wife (who became a believer despite her
husband’s threats), Khadijah the Good -- Mother of the Believers -- and
Fatimah ..."
The early Muslims gave Sitena Fatimah the loving title of "az-Zahraa,"
which means "the Resplendent One," for to them her beaming face seemed to
radiate light. She was also called "al-Batul" because of her asceticism;
rather than spending all of her free hours enjoying herself in the company
of other women, much of her time was spent alone in prayer.
Before he went on his Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet confided to
Fatimah: "Archangel Jibra’il (Gabriel) used to recite the whole Qur’an to
me once a year, but this year he has recited it twice. I cannot but think
that my time has come."
And on returning from his last pilgrimage the Prophet’s words came true,
for he did become seriously ill. He then called for Fatimah and when she
came to his bedside, he kissed her and whispered some words that made her
weep. Then he whispered to her again and this time Fatimah smiled. The
Prophet’s wife Aishah asked why her mood had suddenly been lifted and Lady
Fatimah explained: "My father told me first that he would meet his Lord
soon, so I cried. Then he said, 'Don't cry, for you will be the first of my
family to join me.' So I smiled."
Just six months after the death of her beloved Prophet-father, Sitena
Fatimah passed away from this earthly life and joined him, just as he had
told her.
(Dr. Mohamed Elmasry is national president of the Canadian Islamic
Congress. He can be reached at [email protected])