The Fourth Chapter: The Great Lady Fatima al-Zahra
Good qualities of Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) are not in a small collection contrary to that of an ordinary human which is limited. If we logically and pragmatically look we will see that humankind is beholden and mortgaged to her and this is not extravagant; it is a reality. The same applies to the people in respect to Islam, the holy Quran and the teachings by the prophets and the last prophet (s) in particular. It has always been like that in the history up until today and the brightness of Islam and idealism of Fatimat Zahra (S.A) will daily become more apparent and the people will experience it. Our task for the time being is to cling to that clan. Of course, it is so difficult to cling ourselves to that clan of prophecy and for instance belong to them and be known to belong to their mastership. In some texts of pilgrimage there is this phrase that we read (we are well known for your brotherhood and love); they put on us these two tasks (brotherhood and love). This is the plenty plus of goodness which Almighty Allah prophesized to the holy prophet in the Qur’anic chapter of Alkauthar by saying (indeed we have granted you plenty plus (of good things))
which its paraphrase is Fatimat Zahra (A.S), the daughter of prophetMuhamad (s). And indeed she is a fountain of all kinds of goodness that it daily pumps out the teachings of the prophetic religion to entire people and creatures.Some people attempted to cover and keep this reality hidden but they goofed; (but Allah is the one who completes his light even though non-believers dislike it
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Therefore we must shorten the distance between us and this center of light and come nearer to it by which the result will be becoming bright. We ought to become bright by good deeds and love of Ahlu Bayt and not solely by love; that good deeds are the love and mastership and good beliefs themselves, these three things dictate to us the task work and demand these good deeds from us. We should therefore cling to this clan by our own deeds. It should not be taken as simple as just being a bark of the door of Imam Ali (A.S), no. it should not be by name and said (Saliman is from us Ahlu Bayt
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while he is not acting accordingly to what is required, no. We the community of shia and the followers of Ahlu Bayt (A.S) have an expectation from these magnanimous people to regard us their incidentals andpeople who are around them. Our hearts like Ahlu Bayt (A.S) to regard us as such but this is not simple as such. This does not happen by a claim only; good deeds, pardon, self-sacrifice, attempting to be like them and having good habits as theirs is highly recommended in this case.
Can you recall when this magnanimous person possessed all the virtues she had? At what point of their life did the refulgence display itself from her to the viewers?It was in their short life time; at an age of 18 years, 20 years and 25 years old due to the different reports. All thesevirtues do not come easily; (you wereexamined( FatimatuZahra) by the God who created you,before being createdand after that exams hefound you a patient one
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God had examinedFatima al-Zahra, the more disinfected and chosen one. The exams of Allah are done by enumeration of man’s deeds and by the holy Qur’an; whatever He grants, it is by calculation and the holy book. He, the God,knows her pardon, self-sacrifice, knowledge and her sacrifice according to the goals of His; that it is why He made her a center of His credentials.5/10/1370
I (the Iranian supreme leader) read in the traditions that the radiance o Fatima al-Zahra(A.S) is so brighten for eyes of the angels. It is so bright for them. Then how should weuse this radiance? We ought to use this bright star for finding the path that is rightful one towards Allah and which she passed through and got to excellent and high different degrees. If you see that Allah has made her nature be transcendent it is due to a reason that Almighty Allah knew that this creature will pass His exams; (Allah, your creator,examined you before creating you and He found you by that exams a persevering one); this is the issue. Therefore, even when Allah become so kindness to her it is for a reason that He knows she will be successful in every examination she will be granted; otherwise there were many people of good nature. Did all managed to pass through? This part of life of Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) is immediate that we require for our own rescue. There is a tradition from a Shiite route that the holy prophet (s) said: (O Fatima! Work (accordingly to laws of God) as Iam of no use for you in front of Allah
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; that means “O my dear! O my Fatima! I cannot make you wealthy before Allah”. You have to work for your own sake. And this is what exactly happened as Fatima(S.A) worked throughout her life for her own sake.
And look now how did she live! As a young girl and before being married she behaved in such a way that she was given a nickname (mother of her father)
. Bythat time the holy prophet, mercy for people from Allah and light, a bringer of new world and a grandleader of global revolution - a revolution that should remain till forever- was busy hanging the flag of Islam. Then it is not unworthy and vile to call her mother of her father. This nick name came into usage for her due to her excellent services she delivered, works and her diligence. She was always besides her father in Mecca in Abu Talebi’s valley- with all that difficulties- and even after her mother’s death, Khadijah (S.A), where the prophet was left alone, she was there beside her father making him steadfast and unshakable. The prophet was so astonished and sorrowful by two deaths of Khadijah and her paternal uncle, Abu Talib. By their absence shortly heart ofthe holy prophet broke and he felt loneliness. But Fatima al-Zahra( s.a) in that days stood up and by her small short hands removedthe dust of pain from the face of the holy prophet. She was a mother of her father; an entertainer of the prophet. This nick name was then put upon her due to these.3/ 9/ 1373
Honorable Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) at an age of six was seven years old (as there is difference in reporting. there are many different reports surrounding her birthday in history) and this was when the issue of the valley of Abu Talib took place. This was a difficult piece of time in the early days of Islam; it was a beginning of the prophetic call of the prophet (s) manifestly. Gradually the people of Mecca (more especially the youth and the slaves)were coming towards the prophet and were embracing Islam whilethe big people ofidolaters (for example Abu Lahab , Abu Jahli and others) thought of a way to exile the prophet and allhis aides andfollowers out ofMecca; and this is what they exactly accomplished. Great number of them whom equaled tens of families and households including the prophet himself and his kinsfolk and Abu Talib himself were all deported out of Mecca. They went out of Mecca but the question was “where to go?”Coincidentally Abu Talib had a land some kilometers near Mecca between some mountains; its name was ‘valley of Abu Talib ’. Sir Abu Talib told the group to go there. Now imagine how did they lived; the weather there was so blistering during the day and so cold during the night; this tells us that they experienced non- tolerable weather. They settled at this place for three years.They felt famine and hunger, they suffered, and they felt the pain, only God knows. This time was one of the difficult eras for the prophet (s). The prophet by that time his responsibility was not only being a leader by the meaning of managing and leading the society; but he was required also to defend these victims of pains.
As you all know very well that when the situation is good people become so happy and satisfied with the leadership and they say “bravo! God may forgive the sins of those in power. They brought us to a good situation and environment. But when problems come in , they all doubt of their own government and they say “ look now! They brought us to these calamities; we never wanted to experience these! Of course their firm beliefs still worked; at the end all the calamities clang to the shoulders of the prophet. And during the same era Sir Abu Talib who was the patron and protector of the prophet and his hope, and Madame Khadijah the biger, as she was a great spiritual help of him they all died within one week! What a painful event! The prophet was really left alone.
I really don’t know if you have ever been a leader of a huge group for you to understand what really the responsibility of a huge group is!? Really in such circumstances a person becomes hopeless. Now look at what Fatima al-Zahra did in such circumstances. When a person looks at the history should also look at these events; unfortunately they have never opened a topic for these issues. Fatima al-Zahra (.s) was like a mother, consultant, and a nurse to the prophet (s). This is where they called her ‘mother of her father’. This is connected to that time; the time she was a daughter of six or seven years old. Of course daughters in Arabs’ environments and in hot environments grow faster physically and spiritually; for an example a daughter of 10 years of that environments equals to a daughter of 12 years of other environments of nowadays. This was a feel of responsibility by Fatima al-Zahra(S.A). Can’t it be a model for a girl, and peripherally feel responsible for responsibility and feel the liveliness? And use that great stock and capital (liveliness) which is within her for cleaning the dust of tiff and pain from the face of her 50 years old aging father for example. Can’t this be a role model for the youth?This is very paramount.7/2/1377
There was this prophet in this world who raised his daughter, and who came after and kiss the hands of his daughter! Kissing the hands of FatimatuZahra (S.A) by the prophet should not be regarded as emotional one, no. This is very wrong and rudeness if we think it was because she was his daughtertherefore he liked her and kissed her. Is it possible for a person of such excellence, justice and wisdom like the prophet himself to bend down and kiss the hands of her daughter? The answer is “no” this was another case and it had a special meaningratherthan emotion ; This meant that this young daughter, this woman when she died at age of18 years or 25 ( according to thedifference in narrations and reports ) had already reached the climax of personalroyaltyand was an extraordinary person. This is the way how Islam views a woman.4/10/1370
However spiritual position of this magnanimous person is also higher in cognition to her position of jihad, her mutational position and her public position. Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) was a female person and more especially a young daughter. But in spiritual grounds she was a great reality, a very bright divine light, a righteous person, a unique and chosen person. She was a person whom the holy prophet described her to Imam Ali (A.S) and said: (o Ali! you are a leader of this nation and my successor for them after my death, you will be their guider towards paradise. And I see my daughter Fatima on the day of resurrection riding a camel made of light while at her right hand side, left, in front of her, behind her each part surrounded by seventy thousand angels and she is busy guiding female believers towards the door of paradise).This means that in hereafter The Believers’ Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
(a) shall be guiding the male believers and Fatima al-Zahra the female ones towards the door of paradise of Allah. She is rightness and level mate ofthe Believers’ Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
. She was the one who stood in the presbyteryof worship , thousands of adducing angels towards God, were talking to her and were greetingto herand saluting her and were saying the same words that were said to Mary before by the angelsthey were saying : (o Fatima ! God has chosen you, and has purified you from all kind of abomination and has also lifted you to a higher level over all women of the world). This is the spiritual position of Fatima al-Zahra(A.S).
She was a daughterand more specifically at age of infancy who attained a spiritual position that(according to some narrations)enhanced angels to come and talk to her and reveal some realities to her. She was among a group of unique people apart from the prophets to whom angels descend and talk and tell them some realities. This spiritual position, a wide site and a higher surface of the earth, is in front of all women of the world.And it is where Fatima al-Zahra is standing and talking to the entire women of the globe, calling and encouraging them to pass through this rightful path.
Those who attempted(be it during time of ignorance and or in 20 centuries)tounderestimate a woman and make her belong to worldly trappingsand introduce her as manifest adornments and that she belong to a fashion of clothes,attire and gold, jewelryand make them believe that they are a capital for luxuries of life and that this is their duty , their logic is like ice andsnowthat wear out and dissolveby heat of sun of spiritual position of Fatima al-Zahra(A.S) .Islam introduces Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) as a progenitor and a role model for a woman. Her manifest life , jihad and Strenuous effort , knowledge and eloquence, her sacrificeand ways of treatinghusband ,hermotherhood and ways of being a wife , her departure and presence in all political and military fields, mutational fields and her professionalism in all aspectswas forcing great men to respect her. This is her being a spiritual position, bowing and prostration, presbytery of worship and orison,folder and a supplication , hypostasis royalty,bright spiritual element andfriend of the same level and time and analogous of The Believers’ Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
(a) and the prophet(s). This is a description of a woman. This is the role model for a womanthat Islam wants to m show.26/10/1367
In life time of Fatima al-Zahra there is a point that we ought to look into. Of course we are not going deeper describing her spiritual positions as we are really incapable of doing that.Really, God and those who are like her spiritually are capable of knowing climax of spirituality and perfection of such group of Godly servants. That is why Fatima al-Zahra was recognized by Ali (a) and her respected father and also by her infallible progeny. People of that time and the time after and we as well in this time cannot assess her spiritual brightness and twinkling. The spiritual bright light cannot be seen by all eyes of people and our weak short sighted eyes are incapable of seeing such bright humanity display and show.Hence we are not heading to describe spirituality of Fatima al-Zahra(S.A); butthere is an importantpoint in herordinary lifetimewhich is betweenher combination ofbeing a Muslimwoman in herbehaviorand actions towards her husband and children, her accomplishment of house chores on the other hand, and betweenbeinga tirelessworkerin dealing with important political events afterthe death of the holy prophetMuhammad (s)and she could come to the mosque and have a speech and defend Islam , a true hard worker , and on the other part of the coin tirelessand patient one.This alsoapplies to a third aspect; she was submissive and worshiper in the presbytery of worship even during a caliginous night for the sake of Allah. She was like ancient divine aides, who were in touch with God spiritually and were worshiping.
These three aspects when amalgamated together we come up with a bright point of life time of Fatima al-Zahra(S.A).This magnanimous person never separated these three aspects from each other. There are some people who think that someone who is busy worshiping is unable of being a politician. While others guess that a female politician, who is active in field of jihad for Allah, cannot fulfill her house chores and her motherhood and wife assignments and also be a dame. And if being a male, he cannot be a houseboy, shopkeeper or a houseboy. They think there is incongruity between theseaspects, while islam views these to be a server o each other.1368 / 9 /2
Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) is unique and professional in political angles, public and also in jehad angles; to an extent that all mutational and professional politician women of the world can take lessons and learn from her. She was a woman born in a family where the parents were in field of great non-forgettable and global revolution. She tasted the difficulties ofher father’s reversal in Mecca while she is an infant, was among those who were taken to the valley of Abu Talib,she feltthe hunger and tizzy there and many different kinds of difficulties of her father’s global revolution there. After that, she got married to a man who his entire life time was utilized for jehad for the sake of Allah. And, nearly 12 years of their family, any half of or every year went to battle field her husband never and this great and self-sacrifice woman had never accomplished any necessary work for her striver husband and a soldier and usual warlord. Therefore, life of Fatimaal-Zahra (S.A) even though she did not live many years more than 20 years, but her life in connection to jehad and campaign and her effort and mutational work, patience, learning, many different things, speeches and defending the prophecy and imamate and Islamic system, it is an ocean of effort and duty which at the end can be described and referred to as martyrdom.This is jehad life of Fatima al-Zahra that is extremely mogul and extraordinary, andtruly is an unprecedentedonewhichwillremain a bright and unique point in these our days and days to come.6/10/1368
She was also a great sapient in terms of knowledge. Her speech of complaint she made in the Mosque of Medina after her father’s death is a special one which Sir Majlisiy, a so learned Islamic scholar, described it as a necessary one to be translated by those who know eloquence and fluency. It is so fullofmeanings and correspondentlyto beauty of art; it is similar to Nahjul balaghah.Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) went to themosque,stood in front of the people and with no delay spokeeloquently for about an hour.25/9/1371.
Some of us can understand how great her speech it is.An 18,20 or 25 aged daughter (due to difference of birthday in narrations and reports) went to the mosque while in pain and in Islamic vile in front of such dense population and made a speech that remains in the history.
Arabs were also better known for their good memory. One member could compose a poem of 80 couplets and sing it at a meeting, after the meeting10 people could write the poem.These remaining poems we see today are remained by this method.These poems were being read in the locations andrecorded. These speeches and anecdotes were mostly by this way and method.The people sat down and wrote and kept them and they remained until today.Non-worthy and gratis words never remain in history, not every spoken and written words remain in history.There were so many poems recited, speeches made, themes presented, but they never remained as others and no one regards them.Therefore whatever remains in the center of history for almost 1400 years, and people salute and respect it, it displays its greatness.This is a role model for a young woman.7/ 2/1377
Life of Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) is full of works and muss, perfection and Excellency of spirituality in all angles.Her young husband was always in battle fields; but she was just like a counselor where people go for counseling.She was an assistant to her father. She managed her life by exalted integrity; she raised up her children perfectly for instance Hassan and Hussein and Zainab; she perfectly served her husband, Ali and she as well perfectly made her father happy!She never allowed worldly enjoyments and integrities which motivate young ladies and women to mislead her and remove her from her spiritual way.
Her worship is an example of worship for us and others. Hassan Basariy one of the greatest and so pious worshipers comments on this and he says:“she worshiped God to an extent that one day her legs became swollen”
.Her first born, Imam Hassan, Mujtaba, says: “night of Friday my mother stood for worship until the sun rose“. And he continues in some narrations and says “she always wished the best for male believers and female ones, and for Islamic community for general issues.When daylight came I said this to my mother: “o my mother! Why coudn’t you ask Allah things for yourself as you have for others”? I have seen that you have not done that, from night until sunrise only for others why?” Then she replied his questions and said: “o my son, first the neighbor, then ourselves”
This is the prominent spirituality. Her deeds and jihad in different aspects is a sample; for example in defending Islam, imamate, and mastership, supporting the prophet, serving the greatest warlord of Islam who was her husband,the Believers’ Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
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The Believers’ Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
said this about Fatima al-Zahra(S.A):“shenever astonished and disappointed me and she never alsorejected my order and rusle
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.Fatima al-Zahra(S.A) even though she was a great and a highly considerable spiritually, but when it came to family issuesshe was just a wife and a ladyand nothingbeyond that.; just like as Islam wants.
All her worship, eloquence andfluency,wisdom and knowledge,jihad and campaign, herbehavior as a young lady, her behavior as a mother, herbenefaction towards needy ones; when theholyprophet told a needy old man : “ go and knock on thedoorthe Believers' Leader and Chief(Amir al-Mumineen)
’shouse and beg yourdemandfrom him”; Fatima al-Zahra(S.A)went into her house and tooka skin sheeton which her Hassan and Hussein had been sleeping and it was functioned as a mat and which she only had in her house and gave to him and told him that: “take this and sell it then after use the money”.This personage with all good aspects was Fatima.She is a role model.She isrole model for Islamic lady.
An Islamicwomanshouldwork hard in knowledge fields;ingrounds of making oneself perfect spiritually and ethically, in fields of jihad and struggle(Jihad and struggle of any kind ) should be in front line; she should remain the sameand never tolerate worldly enjoyments and trappings;her modesty andinfallibility and purity should be higher to an extent thatby them she should bedefended and protected from eyesofothersthan her husband. And when it becomes to the family issues, she should try to entertain and make her husband and children culm; she should be a source of calmness and peace at the family; she should benevolently and with words of good points and with loving words bring up her children; so that people with no ganglion, people with good essence, spiritually healthy, should be raised and brought up by her and, bear ladies and gentlemen and characters of the community and society.A mother is a better maker than other makers. Greatest scientists can innovate very sophisticated electronic equipment, for example a missile that passes many kilometers and heating machines; but they never have such a significance of producing such a highly characterized person.It is only the mother capable of that. Therefore, she is a role model for an Islamic lady.25/ 9/1371
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Author: Seyed Ali Khamenei
