The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra

The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra14%

The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra Author:
Translator: Abdullah al-Shahin
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
Category: Fatima al-Zahra
ISBN: 964-438-817-8

The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra
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The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra

The Life Of Fatima Az-Zahra

Author:
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
ISBN: 964-438-817-8
English

Notice:

This book has been corrected once again as promised.


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Electing Imam Ali for the Islamic Caliphate

Fatima (a.s.) witnessed all the events that took place after the conquest of Mecca. She saw people groups by groups embrace Islam which prevailed over the Arabic East and other areas in the world. However, the most wonderful thing that she saw was the entering of the people of Quraysh into Islam unwillingly and submissively. They were low and mean then whereas they had tried their best to put out the light of Islam and do away with the messenger of Allah. They left no way of terror and violence against the Prophet (a.s.). They led great armies and parties to fight him until Allah made him defeat them all and afflict them with lowness and meanness. Then, the Prophet (a.s.) purified the House of Allah (the Kaaba) from the idols and then the call of “allahu akbar ” rose high in all sides of the Inviolable Mosque and the rule of the Qur'an prevailed in the land that was a stage for the superstitions and bad traditions of the era of ignorance.

This period was the most important one in Fatima’s life where she saw her father after his great victory caring for something very important concerning the welfare of his nation that would save the nation from deviation and going astray. This thing was the appointment of the leader after him.

The caliphate after the Prophet (a.s.) was the most important position in Islam because it was the continuity of the Prophet’s rule and the continuity of his Sharia. Because the Prophet (a.s.) paid great attention to the matter of caliphate, he said, ‘He, who dies while he does not know the imam of his time, will die as an unbeliever.’

The Prophet (a.s.) was very careful of his nation’s affairs. He was very kind and loving to his people. Therefore, he suffered disasters and calamities in order to reform his nation and make it the first in civilization and progress. Was it reasonable that he would leave his nation as a victim for his enemies or to be tossed about by the waves?

It was not true at all that the Prophet (a.s.) had ignored the matter of caliphate and given vent to anarchy after him. This contradicted the goal of his mission which was to spread Islam and its high ideals and great morals among all peoples.

If the Prophet (a.s.) ignored the matter of the rule after him, this would lead to the destruction of the social pillars which Islam had built and the destruction of the general life of Muslims. The crises and misfortunes that the nation faced throughout its ages were, undoubtedly, the result of keeping the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) away from the caliphate. It was the political avidities and the greediness of authority that prevented from fulfilling the Prophet’s recommendations and wills concerning his family.

Anyhow, the nation suffered and is still suffering much because of separating the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) from the rule. Muhammad al-Keilani says,

‘The people disputed on the position of caliphate in a way that was unequalled in other nations. They committed for the sake of that what we ourselves refrain from nowadays. And consequently, many souls were ruined, towns were destroyed, villages were torn down, houses were burnt, women were made widows, children were made orphans, and great masses of Muslims were killed.’[303]

Allah had sent the Prophet (a.s.) as mercy for mankind. Hence, would he leave his nation in anarchy after him without choosing a leader to lead it after his death? Let us see who that leader was!

The Prophet nominates Ali

The caliphate was not to be determined due to desires and fancies because it was from the fatal matters of the nation and on it all the nation’s goals and affairs depended.

The certain thing due to the scientific studies and the serious pondering on the Prophet’s conducts and the sources of the Islamic history make it clear that the Prophet (a.s.) had nominated Imam Ali (a.s.) for the caliphate and made him the imam of Muslims after him. Many true mutawatir[304] traditions confirmed this fact. The Prophet (a.s.), on many occasions, praised Imam Ali (a.s.) and showed his high position. Once, he said that Imam Ali (a.s.) was the gate of his town of knowledge, another once he said that Imam Ali (a.s.) was with the truth and the truth was with him, third, Ali was with the Qur'an and the Qur'an was with Ali, and that he was to the Prophet (a.s.) as Aaron was to Moses. All these facts were proved on the day of al-Ghadeer when the Prophet (a.s.) gathered the Muslims and announced the caliphate, emirate, and guardianship of Imam Ali (a.s.) over the Muslims, and then the Prophet’s companions and his wives paid homage to the Imam. Umar bin al-Khattab congratulated him saying, ‘Congratulations O son of Abi Talib! You have become my guardian and the guardian of every believing man and believing woman.’ The homage to Imam Ali (a.s.) on the day of al-Ghadeer was a part of the mission of Islam and whoever denied it was not reasonable.

Why the Prophet nominated Ali?

Many people ask that why the Prophet (a.s.) had nominated Imam Ali (a.s.) for the caliphate and preferred him to all his cousins and companions. We give the answer by the following points:

1. Allah the Almighty had ordered his messenger to appoint Imam Ali (a.s.) a caliph after him and take the homage of Muslims to him on the day of Ghadeer Khum. Allah had revealed to his messenger this verse, (O Messenger, deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people. 5:67 ). After this warning, the Prophet (a.s.) gathered the hajjis, who were coming back from the hajj, in the desert of Ghadeer Khum and declared to them what Allah had ordered him to do. He announced to them that Imam Ali (a.s.) would be, according to Allah’s decree, the general leader over the Muslim community, and so all Muslims paid allegiance to him as we have mentioned before.

2. The Prophet (a.s.) had compared the prophethood to the caliphate when he invited his family to faith and to believe in his mission saying to them, ‘Which of you supports me to be the caliph after me?’ No one responded to him except Imam Ali (a.s.) who was too young then. The Prophet (a.s.) put his hand on Ali’s neck and addressed his family saying, ‘This is my brother and caliph (successor). You have to listen to and obey him.’ The Prophet’s care for the caliphate did not come at the last days of his life, but it was since the beginning of his mission.

3. The Prophet (a.s.) looked thoughtfully at his family and companions and he did not find anyone who was worthy of this position after him except Imam Ali (a.s.) who believed the Prophet (a.s.), believed in his mission, and understood his values and goals. The Prophet (a.s.) himself had educated Imam Ali (a.s.) and fed him with the deep faith in Allah, the ideals of Islam, and the noble values. It is completely untrue to say that the Prophet (a.s.) had chosen Ali bin Abi Talib for the position of caliphate just because he was the closest one to him and the father of his two grandsons, because the matter of prophethood is too far above that.

The Prophet (a.s.) had chosen Imam Ali (a.s.) as the general leader over his nation because Imam Ali (a.s.) had had qualifications and abilities that no one else had ever had.

A. Imam Ali (a.s.) was the most knowledgeable among all the Prophet’s companions and the most aware of the rulings and the affairs of the religion especially in judgment. The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Ali is the best judge of you all.’ Umar said, ‘Were it not for Ali’s existence, Umar would perish.’ There was no one at all equal to him in judgment. We have mentioned some examples of his judgments in “the Encyclopedia of Ameerul Mo'minin” under the title of “the

Imam’s judgment (is) from the treasures of the Islamic intellect”.

As the Imam was the most aware of all Muslims in the rulings of judgment, he was also the most aware in the political and administrative affairs besides the systems of government. Imam Ali’s document of instructions to Malik al-Ashtar was a clear proof on that. This political document is a full constitution that no other constitution whether in Islam or other than Islam is like it in its comprehensiveness. In this document, Imam Ali (a.s.) deals with the government’s duties towards the subjects and its responsibility for protecting them from poverty, oppression, and persecution. He also determines the duties of rulers, statesmen, and officials and the qualifications that they must have such as fitness, loyalty, and awareness of the affairs that they would undertake, besides that they should have high morals and manners and be pious and bound by their religion especially toward the wealth of the state. This document has many other important points showing the depth of Imam Ali’s policy.

Moreover, his letters to his governors and officials are a source of intelligent policies and they show that he was too expert in the political affairs. As Imam Ali (a.s.) was the most expert in the Political affairs, he was also the most aware of all Muslims in the other branches of knowledge such as theology, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, jurisprudence, linguistics, and others.

Prof. Abbas Mahmud al-Aqqad says, ‘He (Imam Ali) opened many doors in knowledge that were more than thirty sciences. With these huge treasures of knowledge that the Imam had, how would the Prophet (a.s.) not choose him for the position of caliphate which was the most sensitive position in the Muslim society and which the dignity, independence, and safety of his nation depended on?’

The infinite scientific powers that the imam had make reason determine with no any doubt that he was to be nominated for the caliphate other than anyone else. Allah says, (Say: Are those who know and those who do not know alike? 39:9) It is nonsense to say that it is possible to prefer the good one to the better one as some people believe, because it contradicts the Islamic values which make it obligatory to prefer the knowledgeable people to others and regard their high position and rank. Of course, keeping knowledgeable people away from their real position is aggression against knowledge and full destruction to the values of the nation.

B. Imam Ali (a.s.) was the bravest and the most courageous one at all. His unique courage had astonished the all. He had said, ‘If all the Arabs gathered together to fight me, I would not run away from them.’ Islam had succeeded by his sword and based on his jihad. He was the man of the memorable situations and famous days; the battles of Badr, Hunayn, and al-Ahzab when he harvested the heads of the polytheists, destroyed their notables, and filled the houses of the tribes of Quraysh, that declared war against Allah and His messenger, with sorrow and mourning.

Every sedition ever rose against Islam was put out by Imam Ali (a.s.). The Prophet (a.s.) preferred him to all his companions and family, and entrusted him with the general leadership of his armies. He entered no war unless he was the victor. It was he who subjugated the Jews and conquered their firm forts.

Courage is from the fundamental characteristics that a leader of a nation must have. It is natural that if a leader is weak and coward, the nation will face many crises that a weak leader cannot stand against. Courage existed, physically and morally, in Imam Ali (a.s.), and this was one the reasons that made the Prophet (a.s.) choose no other than him for the leadership of the nation. Imam Ali (a.s.), due to his unequaled courage and his other unique virtues, had been chosen (by Allah) for the leadership of the nation even if (supposedly) there was no text from the Prophet (a.s.) on choosing him for this position.

C. One of the most important and most distinguished features that a leader of a nation must have is self-denial and altruism. A leader must prefer the interest of the nation to everything else and must preserve its wealth. This feature was the most prominent one in Imam Ali’s personality. When he assumed the leadership of the nation, he was ascetic towards all pleasures of life and he denied all enjoyments. All historians agreed on that he spared neither for himself nor for his family any of the worldly pleasures. He was very careful in the state wealth. He did spend nothing from that wealth on himself or his family. He ruled the people with utmost justice and equity, and regarded all the citizens equal in rights and duties.

Definitely, the Arabic East and any elsewhere had never known a just ruler like Imam Ali (a.s.) in his self denial, altruism, and not using the authority for personal interests and political purposes.

D. And from the prominent features in Imam Ali’s personality was his perfect piety and devotedness to Allah. He was the head of monotheists and the imam of the pious. He said, ‘By Allah, if I am given the seven continents with all what there is under their horizons in order to disobey Allah in an ant that I plunder from it a crust of barley, I will never do.’

Due to the consensus of the nation, Imam Ali (a.s.) was the greatest propagandist to Allah after his brother and cousin Prophet Muhammad (a.s.). When Umar bin al-Khattab was killed, Abdurrahman bin Ouf insisted on Imam Ali (a.s.) to accept the caliphate on condition that he would rule the nation according to the policy of Umar and Abu Bakr, but Imam Ali (a.s.) refused and insisted on that he would rule according to the Book of Allah, the Sunna of His prophet, and his own opinion. If he was eager to authority, he definitely would accept this position and then he would rule as he liked, and if Abdurrahman objected to him, he could imprison or exile him.

Humanity, in all its history, did not see a ruler like Imam Ali (a.s.) in piety, truthfulness, and fairness away from all kinds of favoritism. He spared no effort in applying pure justice among all people and not to hear the moan of any wronged, deprived, or poor one.

After all that, would the Prophet (a.s.) nominate other than the imam for the caliphate and guardianship after him? And if we accept the principle of kinship which the Muhajireen adopted in the conference of al-Saqeefa, then Imam Ali (a.s.) was worthier of the Prophet (a.s.) than anyone else because he was his cousin, son-in-law, and the father of his two grandsons.

(Sedeo) says, ‘If the principle of heredity was acknowledged, it would be for the benefit of Ali since the beginning, and the keeping to it would prevent the crises and disputes that sank Islam into blood. The husband of Fatima had the right of heredity as a legal heir of the Prophet (a.s.) and had the right of election.’[305]

Impartial pondering determines with no doubt that the Prophet (a.s.) had declared the imamate of Imam Ali (a.s.) and appointed him as the leader for his nation not according to the principle of heredity, kinship, or any other consideration, but because of Ali’s high personality, perfection, and unequalled virtues. It is not true to say that the Prophet (a.s.) had ignored the matter of caliphate and left it undetermined. This was too far from the Prophet (a.s.) who was very careful for the happiness and development of his nation and to keep it safe from deviation and declination.

The Signs of the Departure to Allah

The signs of the departure to the better world appeared to the leader and teacher who had made fountains of knowledge and wisdom flow in the earth. Signs came one after the other showing that he would soon leave to his Lord. The following are some of those signs:

1. The Qur'an was recited for the Prophet (a.s.) (by Gabriel) twice in the last days of his life and he felt from that that he was going to die soon.[306] He announced that among people. He said to his daughter Fatima (a.s.), ‘Gabriel was used to recited the Qur'an to me once a year, but this year he recited it to me twice. I do not see in that except that my death is soon.’[307]

2. The following Verses were revealed to him then, (Surely you shall die and they (too) shall surely die. Then, surely on the day of resurrection you will contend one with another before your Lord. 39:30-31 ). This verse was as information to him of his death. After that, some Muslims heard him saying, ‘I wish I knew when that shall be.’[308]

3. The sura ofan-Nasr (110) was revealed to him. He kept silent between the Takbir and the Recitation (in prayer) and said, ‘Glory be to Allah and with praising Him. I ask Allah for forgiveness and I turn to Him in repentance.’

Muslims were astonished and terrified. They asked him about the reason, and he said to them, ‘I was consoled for my self.’[309]

The Farewell Hajj

It was certain to the Prophet (a.s.) that he soon would die, and so he thought that he would farewell the Kaaba and make plans to keep his nation safe from deviating from the right path. He perfumed his last hajj, which was called “the farewell hajj”, in the tenth year of hijra, and announced before the Muslims, who had come to perform the hajj, that his meeting with them in that year would be the last one. He said, ‘I do not know! I may not meet you after this year in this situation at all.’

He began instructing Muslims with what would assure to them happiness and development. He said, ‘O people, I have left among you the two weighty things; the Book of Allah and my progeny.’

The first support in building the Muslim society and keeping it safe is the Book of Allah that falsehood does not come to it from before it nor from behind it, and the second one is the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) who are the centers of knowledge and faith in Islam. These two supports are the bases of success for the nation.

The general conference

When the Prophet (a.s.) had finished the rituals of the hajj, he held a general conference at the well of Zamzam. He made a speech and ordered Rabee’ah bin Umayya bin Khalaf to announce his (the Prophet) speech loudly to people. He said, ‘O Rabee’ah, say: O people, the messenger of Allah says to you: you may not meet me in such a situation after now.

O people, do you know which country this is? Do you know which month this is? Do you know which day this is?’

People said, ‘Yes! This is the inviolable country, the inviolable month, and the inviolable day.’

Then the Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Allah has prohibited for you your bloods and your properties (to kill each other and to extort each other’s properties) like the inviolability of your this country, your this month, and your this day. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’

Then he said, ‘Every blood (that was shed) in the pre-Islamic era is put under my foot, and the first blood that I put under my foot is the blood of Adam bin Rabee’ah bin al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’

Then he said, ‘Every usury in the pre-Islamic era is put under my foot, and the first usury that I put under my foot is the usury of al-Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’

Then he said, ‘O people, postponement (of the sacred month) is only an excess in disbelief whereby those who disbelieve are misled; they allow it one year and forbid it (another) year, that they may make up the number of the months which Allah hath hallowed…

I recommend you to be kind to women for they are deposits with you. They are weak. You have taken them by the deposit of Allah, and married them by the Book of Allah. You have rights on them and they have rights on you. They have a right on you that you provide them with clothes and sustenance, and you have a right on them that they should not betray you with anyone in your beds, and not permit anyone into your houses except with your knowledge and permission. If they commit something of that, then you do not to sleep with them and you beat them but not violently. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’

Then he said, ‘I recommend you to be kind to what your hands possess (servants). Feed them with what you (yourselves) eat and clothe them with what you (yourselves) wear…Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘O Allah bear witness.’

Then he said, ‘A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. He should not cheat, betray, or backbite him. His blood (killing) is not lawful to him, nor anything of his property except by his permission willingly. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

The Prophet (a.s.) kept on his precious speech that was full of Islamic morals, manners, and rulings. He ended his speech saying, ‘Do not turn back after me unbelievers leading people astray and subjugating one another. I have left among you what if you keep to, you shall not go astray; the Book of Allah and my progeny, my family. Have I informed?’

They said, ‘Yes.’

He said, ‘O Allah, bear witness.’

Then he said to them, ‘You are responsible. Let the present of you inform the absent!’[310]

The Conference of Ghadeer Khum

When the Prophet (a.s.) performed his last hajj, he (with the Muslims) began his journey back to Medina. When he (and the Muslims) arrived in Ghadeer Khum, Gabriel came down to him carrying with him a very important message from the Heaven. It was to appoint Ameerul Mo'minin Ali bin Abi Talib a caliph over the Muslims (after the Prophet) and to announce that openly. The message of the Heaven was revealed in this verse, (O Messenger! deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lor, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people. 5:76 ).[311]

The Prophet (a.s.) determined to fulfill the will of Allah. He stopped at the desert and ordered the caravans of the hajjis to do the same. It was a very hot summer day that men put the ends of their abas under their legs to guard against hot. When Muslims, who were about one hundred thousands or more as historians says, gathered together, the Prophet (a.s.) began making a speech before them. First, he explained to them what he suffered for the sake of their guidance and to save them from the superstitions of the age of ignorance into a safe, noble life. Then, he said,

‘See how you will obey me through (being loyal to) the two weighty things.’

Some one cried out, ‘O messenger of Allah, what are the two weighty things?’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘The major weighty thing is the Book of Allah; its one end is in the hand of Allah and the other end is in your hands. Keep to it and do not deviate. The other is the minor weighty thing. It is my progeny. Kind Gabriel told me that they (the Book of Allah and the progeny) will not separate until they will come to me at the pond (in the Paradise), and I prayed my Lord to do that for them. Do not antecede them that you may perish, and do not lag behind them that you may perish…’

Then, the Prophet (a.s.) took Imam Ali’s hand and announced his guardianship over the Muslims and appointed him a general leader over the nation. He raised Imam Ali’s hand until the white of their (the Prophet and Imam Ali) armpits appeared and he addressed the Muslims loudly;

‘O people, who is worthier of the believers than themselves?’

They all said, ‘Allah and His messenger are more aware.’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Allah is my guardian and I am the guardian of the believers, and I am worthier of them than themselves. Whoever I am his guardian Ali is to be his guardian.’

He repeated that three or four times and then said, ‘O Allah, favor whoever follows him, be an enemy to whoever opposes him, love whoever loves him, hate whoever hates him, support whoever supports him, let down whoever betrays him, and turn the truth with him wherever he turns. Let the present inform the absent…’

After the Prophet’s speech, Muslims came to Imam Ali (a.s.) congratulating and paying homage to him. The Prophet (a.s.) ordered his wives to pay homage to Imam Ali (a.s.) and they did. Umar shook

hand with the imam and said to him, ‘Congratulations O son of Abi Talib! You have become my guardian and the guardian of every believing man and believing woman.’[312]

On that eternal day, this verse was revealed to the Prophet (a.s.), (This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion. 5:3 ).[313]

The religion was perfected and the great favor was completed by announcing the guardianship of Imam Ali (a.s.), the pioneer of the truth and justice in Islam. The Prophet (a.s.) built the cornerstone of keeping his nation safe from deviation and declination by appointing Imam Ali (a.s.) a leader, educator, and instructor for the nation. The allegiance to Imam Ali (a.s.) on the Day of al-Ghadeer was a part from the mission of Islam and a pillar from the pillars of the religion that whoever denies it denies Islam as Allama al-Ala’ili says.

Fatima’s Characteristics

Fatima az-Zahra’ (a.s.) was different from all women in her high qualities and noble characteristics that took her to the highest rank of virtue and perfection. She was an example of her father’s morals and mentality. She resembled him in his deep faith in Allah the Almighty, asceticism, and refraining from pleasures of this life. Here, we talk about some of Fatima’s characteristics:

Infallibility

Fatima (a.s) was infallible, and this is an indisputable fact. Allah had purified her from every sin and every defect, and endowed her with all virtues to make her an example for all the women of the world. She was an ideal example in faith, worship, chastity, purity, charity, and kindness to the poor and the deprived.

Proofs on her infallibility

1. The verse of purification; Allah has said, (Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying. 33:33 ).

The People of the House (the Ahlul Bayt) were Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn (a.s.).[55]

The verse clearly proves the infallibility and purity of these persons from every sin and vices. Allah had chosen these people to be examples for His people and guides to His obedience and pleasedness. It is impossible for Allah to give sinners or guilty people this gift.

Infallibility, in its concept, definitely would not be far from the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) who were the centers of knowledge and wisdom in Islam. For forty years, I have researched and written books on them, but I could find a slip neither in their sayings nor in their doings. Even their enemies, who were full of grudge against them, did not mention any fault or any bit of deviation about them.

Imam Ali (a.s.) says, ‘By Allah, if I am given the seven districts with all that under their skies to disobey Allah in a bran of a grain of barley that I deprive it of a mouth of a locust, I will never do.’

This far extent of piety in the imams is the very infallibility that the Shia believe to be in their imams. Anyhow, Fatima (a.s) was one of the fourteen infallible members of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

2. The Prophet (a.s.) made all his nation, through his repeated sayings, know that Fatima (a.s) was a part from him, and that whatever pleased her would please him and whatever displeased her would displease him. That she was a part from the Prophet (a.s.) means that she was infallible since the Prophet (a.s.) was infallible.

3. The true traditions that were transmitted from the Prophet (a.s.) confirmed that Allah would be pleased for the pleasure of Fatima (a.s) and would be displeased for her displeasure. These traditions mean that Fatima (a.s) had reached a degree of faith and piety that would take her to the same rank of the infallible prophets who sincerely obeyed Allah and knew Him as He was.

4. The Prophet (a.s.) compared his progeny to the Book of Allah as in the mutawatir (successive) tradition of “ath-Thaqalayn”, and since the Book of Allah is infallible from any falseness, so are the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.); otherwise, the Prophet (a.s.) would not compare them to the Book of Allah. Fatima (a.s) was at the head of the pure progeny of the Prophet (a.s.) and was the mother of all the infallible imams (except Imam Ali) whom Allah had purified from all uncleanness.

Charity to the poor

Fatima (a.s) was charitable and too kind to the poor and the deprived. She, her husband, and her two sons were meant by these Qur’anic verses, (And they give food out of love for Him to the poor, the orphan, and the captive. We only feed you for Allah’s sake; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks. 76:8-9 ).

Fatima (a.s) milled wheat and barley for her poor neighbors who were unable to do that. She carried water to her weak neighbors who could not get water.

On the night of her wedding, Fatima (a.s) had a new dress on. When she knew that a young woman from the Ansar[56] could not find a dress to put on, she took off the dress of her wedding and gave it to that young woman. Fatima (a.s) turned away from every material pleasure and preferred the satisfaction of Allah to everything. Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said,

‘Once, the messenger of Allah (a.s.) led us in offering the Asr (afternoon) Prayer, and when he offered the nafila (a supererogatory prayer), he sat in the qibla and people sat around him. A very old man came complaining of hunger and saying, ‘O prophet of Allah, I am hungry. Feed me! And I am naked (have no clothes). Clothe me!’

The Prophet (a.s.) asked the old man to go to the house of his (the Prophet) daughter Fatima (a.s). The old nomad man went to Fatima’s house and from behind the door he greeted her and said, ‘O daughter of Muhammad, I am naked and hungry. Would you please comfort me, may Allah have mercy on you?’

Fatima (a.s) herself was in neediness, and she found nothing to give to the man except a sheepskin that her sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn slept on. The old man did not like it and he gave it back to her. Then, Fatima (a.s) took a necklace, which was a present from her cousin Fatima bint Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, off her neck and gave it to the man.

The old man took the necklace and went back to the Prophet (a.s.) saying to him, ‘Fatima gave me this necklace and said to me, ‘Sell it! May Allah recompense you with good for it.’

The Prophet (a.s.) cried and said, ‘And how does Allah not recompense you with good for it while the daughter of Muhammad, the principal of the daughters of Adam, has given it to you?’

Ammar bin Yasir asked the Prophet (a.s.), ‘O messenger of Allah, do you permit me to buy this necklace?’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Buy it, Ammar! If the human beings and the jinn participate in it, Allah will not punish them with Fire.’

Ammar said, ‘O Sheikh (old man), how much is the necklace?’

The old man said, ‘I sell it for a meal of bread and meat, a Yemeni garment that I cover my private parts and offer prayer for my Lord with, and a dinar that takes me to my family.’

Ammar said to him, ‘I give you twenty dinars, two hundred dirhams, a Yemeni garment, my camel to take you to your family, and a meal of wheat bread and meat.’

The old man said, ‘O man, how generous you are!’ He left delightedly saying, ‘O Allah, there is no god but You. O Allah, give Fatima what no eye has ever seen and no ear has ever heard of.’

Ammar perfumed the necklace with musk, enveloped it in Yemeni garment, and gave it one of his slaves saying to him, ‘Take this necklace to the messenger of Allah (a.s.) and you will be his.’

When the slave took the necklace to the Prophet (a.s.), the Prophet (a.s.) asked him to take it to Fatima (a.s) who took it and set the slave free. The slave smiled. Fatima (a.s) asked him what made him smile and he said,

‘What made me smile was the great blessing of this necklace. It satiated a hungry one, clothed a naked one, made a poor one rich, freed a slave, and then returned to its owner.’[57]

Asceticism

Fatima (a.s) led an ascetical life, and lived in satisfaction away from the worldly pleasures like her father the Prophet (a.s.) and her husband Imam Ali (a.s.) who had divorced this world and been abstinent from its pleasures.

When these verses (And surely Hell is the promised place of them all. It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them.15, 43-44 ) were revealed to the Prophet (a.s.), he cried too much and his companions cried for his crying though they did not know why he cried. One of the companions went to Fatima (a.s) who was milling barley and reciting, (and whatever is with Allah is better and more lasting. 28:60 ). He greeted and told her about the crying of her father. She wrapped herself with a ragged cloak that was sewed with palm-tree leaves and went to the meeting of her father. When Salman saw her, he said, ‘How sorrowful! The daughters of Caesar and Khosrau are in sarcenet while the daughter of the messenger of Allah wears a ragged wool cloak.’

Fatima (a.s) came to the Prophet (a.s.) and told him what Salman said, and then she said, ‘By Him Who has sent you with the truth, I and Ali since five years have nothing but a sheepskin. We give food on it to our camel in the day and in the night we sleep on it, and our pillow is from leather filled with palm-tree fibers.’ Then she asked her father about the reason of his crying and he told her about the revelation of those verses. She said, Woe and woe unto whoever enters Fire.’[58]

Anas bin Malik said, ‘Once, Fatima came to the Prophet (a.s.) and said, ‘O messenger of Allah, I and ibn Abi Talib (Imam Ali) have no bed except a sheepskin. We sleep on it, and give food to our camel on it in the day.’

The Prophet (a.s.) said to her, ‘My daughter, be patient! Moses son of Imran lived with his wife for ten years and she had no bed except an aba.’[59]

Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari said, ‘Once, the Prophet (a.s.) saw his daughter Fatima in a ragged garment while milling with her hand and suckling her child. His eyes shed tears and he said, ‘O my daughter, bear the bitterness of this life for the sake of the sweetness of the afterlife…’

She declared her satisfaction by saying, ‘Praise be to Allah for His favors and thanks to Him for His blessings…’[60]

Fatima (a.s) lived a very simple life with no pleasures or any kind of luxury. In her conducts, she showed the real picture of Islam and gave Muslim woman lessons of satisfaction with what Allah had determined for man.

Fatima (a.s) abstained from all desires of life in food, clothes, and others and she turned sincerely to Allah and preferred pleasing Him to everything else.

Chastity and veiling

Fatima (a.s) was the highest example in chastity, honor, and veiling for all Muslim women.

Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Once, a blind man asked permission to visit Fatima (a.s), but she asked him to stay behind a screen. The messenger of Allah (a.s.) asked Fatima (a.s), ‘Why did you screen him though he is blind and could not see you?’

She said, ‘He could not see me, but I could see him.’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘I witness that you are a part from me.’[61]

Once, Imam Ali (a.s.) asked Fatima (a.s), ‘When is woman closer to her Lord?’

She said, ‘When she keeps to her house…’

Imam Ali (a.s.) offered her answer to the Prophet (a.s.) who said, ‘She is true. Fatima is a part from me.’[62]

Veil is beauty and honor for woman. Whenever woman adorns herself with chastity, she will be in a highest position and most honorable rank besides gaining admiration of the all. But if woman is unveiled and unchaste, she will be worthless in the society and no one will appreciate her. The veil and chastity of Fatima (a.s) is a high example that every woman who wants to live regardable and honorable in the society.

Deep faith

Definitely, no one can suspect the unequaled faith and worship of Fatima (a.s). She spent most of her days and nights in worshipping.

Imam al-Hasan (a.s.) said, ‘Some night, I saw my mother Fatima (a.s) in her mihrab bow and prostrate (offer prayers) until the light of morning appeared. I heard her praying Allah for the believing men and the believing women and mentioning them by the name. She prayed Allah for them too much, but without praying for herself. I said to her, ‘Why do you not pray Allah for yourself mother?’

She said, ‘O my son, the neighbor (first) and then the house…’[63]

Al-Hasan al-Basri said about Fatima (a.s), ‘No one in the umma worshipped Allah more than Fatima (a.s). She offered prayers in the night until her feet swelled.’[64]

It was transmitted from Fatima (a.s) her saying, ‘Whoever raises his true worship to Allah, Allah will send down to him the best of his benefit.’[65]

Fatima (a.s) assigned the last hours of the day of Fridays for Allah the Almighty. In the last ten days of Ramadan, Fatima (a.s) spent all the night in worshipping and supplicating, and she encouraged all those in her house to spend the night in worshipping and supplicating. Her feet swelled because of her long standing before Allah the Almighty.[66]

Devotedness

Fatima (a.s) devoted herself to Allah and resorted to Him totally in all of her affairs. This was clear in her du’as.

Her du’a on turning to Allah

Fatima (a.s) often supplicated Allah with this du’a,

“O Allah, by Your knowing of the unseen and Your power over the creation, make me live if You know that life is better to me, and make me die if You know that death is better to me.

O Allah, I ask You for loyalty, and for the fear of You in pleasure and in anger, and for economy in wealth and poverty.

O Allah, I ask You for incessant bliss, and ask You for ceaseless delight, and ask You for satisfaction with fate, and ask You for a good life after death, and ask You for the looking at Your Face, and the eagerness to Your meeting without a harming distress or a dark sedition.

O Allah, adorn us with adornment of faith, and make us guided and guides, O You the Lord of the worlds!”[67]

Her du’a on resorting to Allah

She recited in this du’a,

“O Allah, make me satisfied with what You have given to me, honor me and give me good health as long as You make me live, forgive me and have mercy on me when You make me die.

O Allah, do not afflict me with asking for what You have not determined for me, and whatever You have determined for me make it easy and accessible.

O Allah, reward my parents for me and whoever has done me a favor with the best of reward.

O Allah, take me to what You have created me for, do not make me busy with what You have already secured to me, do not punish me while I ask You to forgive me, and do not deprive me while I beg You.

O Allah, make me humble to myself, make Your standing great to me, and inspire me with Your obedience and the doing of what pleases You and avoiding what displeases You, O You the most Merciful of the merciful.”[68]

Her du’a of tasbih[69]

Fatima (a.s) recited in this du’a,

“Glory be to Him Who has shone with might and power.

 Glory be to Him Who has hidden in seven heavens that no eye can see.

Glory be to Him Who has lowered creatures with death and honored Himself with life.

Glory be to Him Who remains and everything else perishes.

Glory be to Him Who has chosen praise to Himself and accepted it.

Glory be to the Ever-living, the Omniscient.

Glory be to the Forbearing, the Honorable.

Glory be to the Most High, the Great.

Glory be to Allah and by His praise.”[70]

Her du’a on an important thing

Fatima (a.s) supplicated Allah with du’a for relieving griefs and fulfilling needs:

“By Yaseen and the Wise Qur'an, and by Taha and the Great Qur'an, O You, Who is able to fulfill all needs of requesters, Who know what is there inside conscience, O You Who cheer up the distressed, Who relieve the grieved, O You Who is merciful to the old, Who nourish infants, O You Who do not need expression, have blessings on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad!”[71]

Her du’a for making things easy

“O Allah the Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Great Throne, our Lord and the Lord of everything, the Revealer of the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur'an, the Splitter of grains and stones, I seek Your protection from everything that You will pull down.

You are the First that nothing was before You, and You are the Last that nothing will be after You. You are the Evident that there is nothing above You, and You are the Hidden One that there is nothing below You. Pay for me the debt and save me from poverty!”[72]

Her du’a for healing

“In the name of Allah the Light, in the name of Allah the light of Light, in the name of Allah a light on light, in the name of Allah Who is the Manager of affairs, in the name of Allah Who has created the light from the light, praise be to Allah Who has created the light from the light, and sent down the light on the mountain in a recorded Book, in a spread parchment, in a determined measure, on a happy prophet.

Praise be to Allah Who is with glory mentioned, with pride is known, for better or for worse is thanked, (O Allah) and have blessing on our master Muhammad and on his pure progeny!”[73]

Her du’a in morning and evening

“O You the Ever-living, the Eternal, by Your mercy I ask for help; so help me and do not let me be deceived by my self for a twinkle of an eye at all, and repair all my affairs!”[74]

Her du’a at sleeping

“Praise be to Allah the Sufficer, glory be to Allah the Highest. Allah is sufficient to me and enough. What Allah wills he fulfils. Allah hears whoever calls upon Him. There is no escape from Allah, and no shelter beyond Allah. (Surely I rely on Allah, my Lord and your Lord; there is no living creature but He holds it by its forelock; surely my Lord is on the right path. 11:56 ). (Praise be to Allah, Who has not taken unto Himself a son, and Who has no partner in the Sovereignty, nor has He any protecting friend through dependence. And magnify Him with all magnificence. 17:111 ).”[75]

Fatima (a.s) supplicated Allah on every day of the week with a special du’a. The following are her du’as of the week days:

Her du’a of Saturday

“O Allah, open to us the treasures of Your mercy, and give us, O Allah, a mercy that You torture us after it neither in this life nor in the afterlife, give us from Your wide favor a halal (lawful), good livelihood, do not make us in neediness, do not make us need other than You, make us more grateful to You, and make us more in need to You and satisfied and abstinent with You than any other than You.

O Allah, enrich us in this life. O Allah, we seek Your protection from turning Your face away from us in a case where we look forward to You in it!

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and give us what You like, and make it strength to us in what You like, O You the Most Merciful of the merciful!”

Her du’a on Sunday

“O Allah, make the first of my this day prosperity, the middle of it, righteousness, and the last of it success!

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and make us from those who turn to You and You receive them, and rely on You and You satisfy them, and beg You and You are Merciful to them…”

Her du’a on Monday

“O Allah, I ask You for strength in worshipping You, insight in Your Book, and understanding in Your commands.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and do not make the Qur'an barren with us, the straight path crooked, and Muhammad (blessings of Allah be on him and on his progeny) averting from us!”

Her du’a on Tuesday

“O Allah, make the inadvertence of people as a mention to us, and make their mention as gratitude to us, and make the good we say by our tongues as a true intention in our hearts.

O Allah, Your forgiveness is greater than our sins, and Your mercy is more hopeful than our deeds.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and lead us rightly to the good deeds and right doings…”

Her du’a on Wednesday

“O Allah, guard us by Your eye that does not sleep, by Your shelter that is beyond reach, and by Your great attributes. O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and his progeny, and keep for us what if other than You keeps, it will be lost, and cover for us what if other than You covers, it will be exposed, and make all that obedient to us, for You are the Hearing of du’a, Near, Responder…”

Her du’a on Thursday

“O Allah, I ask You for guidance, piety, chastity, and the doing of what You like and please.

O Allah, I ask You from Your might for our weakness, from Your richness for our poverty, and from Your patience and knowledge for our ignorance.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and assist us in thanking, mentioning, obeying, and worshipping You by Your mercy, O You the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

Her du’a on Friday

“O Allah, make us the nearest of those who come near to You, the best of those who turn to You, and the most successful of those who ask and supplicate You.

O Allah, make us from those who as if they see You until the Day of Resurrection when they will meet You, and do not make us die except on Your satisfaction.

O Allah, make us from those who are sincere to You in their deeds, and the most beloved to You from among all Your people.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and forgive us with definite forgiveness that we do not commit an error after it, nor do we engage in a sin or an offence.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad with growing, continuous, pure, successive, recurrent blessing by Your mercy, O You the Most Merciful of the merciful.”[76]

You can easily see in these du’as the essence of Islam and the true faith in Allah that Fatima (a.s) had.

Her amulet

Fatima (a.s) sought the protection of Allah through this amulet that was written in it:

“In the name of Allah, O You the Ever-living, the Eternal, by Your mercy I ask for help; so help me and do not let me be deceived by my self for a twinkle of an eye at all, and repair all my affairs!”[77]

Tasbih of Fatima (a.s)

After every prayer Fatima (a.s) offered, she recited the tasbih that the Prophet (a.s.) had taught her only. Ameerul Mo'minin Imam Ali (a.s.) said,

“Fatima was the most beloved one to her father. The quern had affected her hands. She carried water with the skin until it affected her neck. She swept the house until her clothes became dusty. She set fire under the cooking pot until her clothes darkened with smoke. She suffered some harm because of that. One day, we heard that some slaves were brought to the Prophet (a.s.). I said to Fatima, ‘You could go to your father asking him for a servant to help you.’ She went to her father but found him busy. She felt shy to ask him and then she came back. On the second day, the Prophet (a.s.) came to Fatima’s house and asked her why she had come to him the day before, but she felt shy to tell him. I said, ‘By Allah, I shall tell you O messenger of Allah. She milled with the quern until her hands were affected, carried water with the skin until her neck was affected, swept the house until her clothes became dusty, and set fire under the cooking pot until her clothes darkened. We were informed that some slaves or servants were brought to you, and so I said to her to ask you for a servant.’

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘Shall I tell you about what is better than what you ask me for? When you go to bed, you recite thirty-four takbirs, thirty-three tasbihs, and thirty-three tahmids.[78] This is better for you than a servant.”[79]

The Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) paid too much attention to this tasbih. They taught it to their sons and daughters as an educational method and spiritual nourishment. Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘We teach our children the memorizing of this tasbih and reciting it after prayer and at sleeping.’

Reciting this tasbih is a kind of glorification of Allah. Fatima (a.s) loyally practiced this tasbih and heartily kept on it since the moment when her father had taught it to her. She went to the tomb of her uncle, the eternal martyr Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib, took a handful of soil from his tomb, and made the beads of her rosary by which she practiced this tasbih called as the “tasbih of Fatima”. Muslims imitated her in taking rosaries to glorify Allah with. When Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) was martyred, the Shia made their rosaries from the soil of Kerbala where the imam was buried to practice with them the “tasbih of Fatima”. They also made, and still make, from the soil of Kerbala small dried pieces to prostrate on them in the prayers. Many traditions were transmitted from the infallible imams about the preference of this soil.

Fatima’s worship

The happiest times Fatima (a.s) had were the times when she communicated with her Lord in prayer. When she offered the prayer, her heart traveled high to the Divine Sphere, and her body shook out of the fear of her Lord.

After each prayer, Fatima (a.s) devotedly supplicated her Lord with some du’as. The following are some of those du’as:

Her du’a after the Dhuhr (noon) Prayer

When Fatima (a.s) finished the Dhuhr Prayer, she recited this du’a,

“Glory be to the Glorious, High, Sublime One. Glory be to the One of the great honor. Glory be to the One of the eternal, superior sovereignty.

Praise be to Allah by Whose blessing I have reached what I have had of the knowledge of Him, the doing for Him, the turning to Him, and the obeying of His command, and praise be to Allah Who has made me not deny anything of His Book, and not confused in anything of His affair, and praise be to Allah Who has guided me to His religion, and not made me worship anything else than Him.

O Allah, I ask You for the saying and the doing of repentants, the rescue and reward of mujahidin, the faith and reliance of believers, ease at death, and security at reckoning.

O Allah, make death the best absentee I am waiting for, and the best visitor that visits me, and endow me at the coming of death, at its attacking, at its pangs, and when the soul comes down from between the clavicles, and when it reaches the throat, and at my leaving this world, and at that moment when I have no power over any good or harm to myself, nor distress or ease, (endow me) with a mercy from Your mercy, and a share from Your contentment, and a good tiding from Your honor, before You take my life and make the Angel of Death dominate over my soul, with a good tiding from You!

O my Lord, there is no one other than You that pleases by it (mercy and good tiding) my bosom, satisfies my soul, delights my eye, makes my face beams with joy, my complexion shine, my heart feel safe, and all my body rejoice at it that all those who see me from Your creation and hear about me from Your people envy me it. You make by it the agonies of death easy for me, relieve me from its grief, alleviate its severity, save me from its trouble, take away from me its grief and regret, keep me from its sorrow and sedition, protect me from its evil and the evil of that which comes to its (death) people, and endow me by it with its good and the good of that which comes with it and the good of that which will come after it.

And then if You make me die and take my soul, make my soul among the successful souls, and my spirit among the good spirits, and my body among the purified bodies, and make my deeds among the accepted deeds, and then grant me in my grave in the earth, and the place of my shield where my flesh is entombed, and my bone is buried, and I am left alone helplessly exiled by the land and deserted by people, and when I miss Your mercy, and need my good deeds, and meet what I have done for my afterlife and done in the days of my life, (grant me) a success from Your mercy, and a gleam from Your light, and a confirmation from Your honor with the firm word in this worldly life and in the hereafter, You cause the unjust to go astray and do what You pleases. Then bless my resurrection and reckoning when the ground is split to me and people abandon me, the cry befalls me, the gust frightens me, and You resurrect me after death and send me for reckoning. Send with me, O my Lord, a light from Your mercy moving before me and on my right hand to reassure me with it, make my heart steadfast (with it), show my excuse, honor my face, confirm my speech, declare my proof, take me to the firm handhold of Your mercy, and put me in the high rank of Your paradise, and grant me the companionship of Muhammad Your slave and messenger in the highest rank of the Paradise, and its best virtue, best gift, and most successful aspiration with those upon whom You have bestowed favors from among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and a goodly company are they.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad the last of the prophets, and on all the prophets and the messengers, and all the angels, and on his good, pure progeny, and on all the imams of guidance; Amen, O Lord of the worlds.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad as You have guided us by him, have blessing on Muhammad as You have had mercy on us by him, have blessing on Muhammad as You have preferred us by him, have blessing on Muhammad as You have honored us by him, have blessing on Muhammad as you have enlightened us by him, and have blessing on Muhammad as You have saved us from a brink of an abyss of Fire.

O Allah, honor his face, exalt his rank, make his authority prevail, perfect his light, make his scales heavy, confirm his proof, grant him until he is pleased, make him get to the high degree and means in the Paradise, take him to the praised position that You have promised him, make him the best of prophets and messengers to You in rank and means, make us follow him, give us to drink from his cup, make us get to his pond, resurrect us in his company, make us die on his religion, make us follow his paths, and carry out his Sunna being not abased, regretful, doubtful, or apostate.

O You, that Your door is opened for Your suppliants, and Your screen is raised for those who hope for You, O You, the Coverer of bad things, and Healer of wounded hearts, do not expose me in the stand of the (Day of) Resurrection with sins, and do not turn Your honored face away from me from among people.

O You, the aim of the distressed poor, and the Healer of broken bones, forgive me my great sins and what expose my inners, clean my heart from the burden of errors, and grant me with good preparedness for the coming of death.

O You the Most Generous of the generous, and the utmost hope of the begging ones, You are my Lord; You have opened to me the door of supplication and repentance, so do not close before me the door of acceptance and responding, and save me by Your mercy from Fire, put me up in the abodes of the Gardens, make me cling to the firmest handhold, make my end a happy one, and make me live with peace.

O Most Gracious, Most Perfect, Most Glorious, Most Lofty, do not let an enemy or envier rejoice at my misfortune, and do not let an oppressive ruler overpower me nor a mutinous devil, by Your mercy O the Most Merciful of the merciful, and there is no power save in Allah, the Most High, the Most Great, and may Allah have blessing and peace on Muhammad and his progeny.”[80]

Her du’a after the Asr Prayer

After the Asr (afternoon) Prayer, Fatima (a.s.) supplicated Allah with the following du’a:

“Glory be to Him Who is aware of what the hearts (minds) obtain! Glory be to Him who knows the exact count of sins! Glory be to Him Who nothing in the earth or in the heaven is unknown to him! Praise be to Allah Who has not made me ungrateful to His blessings, nor a denier to His favor. All good is from Him and He is the most fittest for it! Praise be to Him for His irrefutable authority over all that He has created from those who obey and do not obey Him. If He shows mercy, it is from His favor, and if He punishes, it is for what people themselves have committed, and Allah wills no injustice to His creatures.

Praise be to Allah the most high in place, of most exalted erection, of strongest pillars, of most glorious authority, most greatest position, of clear proof, the Beneficent, the Merciful, the Giver, the Benefactor.

Praise be to Allah Who has hidden from every creature that sees Him by the truth of Deity, and the power of Oneness; so sights cannot comprehend Him, nor can news include Him. No measurement can measure Him, and no mind can imagine Him because He is the Almighty Sovereign.

O Allah, verily You see my place, hear my speech, know of my affairs, know what there is inside my soul, and nothing of my affairs is hidden to You. I have come to You offering my request, asking You for my need, beseeching You for my demand, and asking You due to poverty and neediness, meanness and distress, and misery and wretchedness.

You are the Lord Who is Generous of forgiveness; You can find another than me to punish him, but I cannot find another than You to forgive me. You can do without my punishment, but I cannot do without Your mercy. I beg You by my need to You and Your doing without me, and by Your power over me and my weakness before You to make my this supplication receive a response from You, and my this standing receive a mercy from You, and my this request receive a success. (O my Lord) whatever difficulty I fear, make it easy to me, and whatever failure I fear, afford it to me, and whoever from all the creatures intends evil to me, defeat him; Amen O the Most Merciful of the merciful. (O my Lord) make easy to me what I fear its severity, and relieve me from what I fear its distress, and make easy to me what I fear its hardship, Amen O the Lord of the Worlds!

O Allah, take self-deceit, hypocrisy, haughtiness, oppression, envy, weakness, doubtfulness, faintness, illnesses, diseases, treason, cunning, trickery, calamity, and corruption off my hearing and sight, and guide me to what You like and please, O the Most Merciful of the merciful.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad and forgive my sin, cover my defect, calm down my fear, relieve my distress, suffice my poverty, make easy my need, pardon my slip, gather me with my family, and save me from all what may distress me; what is unknown to me, known to me, and all what I fear from You, O the Most Merciful of the merciful!

O Allah, I have entrusted my affairs to You, delivered my back to You, and handed over my self to You with all what I have committed against it out of fear and desire, and You are the Generous One that do not let down hope and do not disappoint supplication, so I ask You by the right of Your friend Abraham, and Your speaker (with) Moses, and Your soul Jesus, and Your choice and prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) not to keep Your Face away from me until You accept my repentance and forgive my errors, O the Most Merciful of the merciful!

O Allah, make my revenge on him who has oppressed me and give victory on him who has feuded me. O Allah, do not make my trial be in my faith, and do not make the worldly life be my foremost interest or the end of my knowledge!

O Allah, better my faith which is the protection of my affairs, and better my life in which my living is, and better my afterlife in which my resurrection will be there, and make life to me a growth in every good, and make death a relief to me from every evil!

O Allah, You are the Most Pardoner and You love pardoning, so pardon me!

O Allah, make me live if You know that life is better to me, and make me die if death is better to me. I ask for (granting me) fearing You in absence and presence, and fairness at anger and satisfaction, and I ask You for (making me practice) economy in poverty and wealth, and I ask You for a bliss that does not cease, and delight that does not stop, and I ask You for satisfaction after (Your) judgment, and I ask You for the pleasure of the looking at Your Face.

O Allah, I ask You to guide me to my best affairs, and seek Your protection from the evil of my soul. O Allah, I have done wrong and been unjust to myself, so forgive me for that no one forgives sins except You. O Allah, I ask You to hasten Your hale to me, give me patience toward Your trial, and take me out of this life to Your mercy.

O Allah, I ask You, Your angels, the carriers of Your Throne, and all there is in the heavens and the earth to witness that You are Allah and there is no god but You alone with no partner, and that Muhammad is Your slave and messenger. O You, Who had been before the existence of anything, Who are the Creator of everything, and Who will exist after when there will be nothing existing.

And I ask You that praise is to You that there is no god but You, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

O Allah, to Your mercy I have raised my sight, and to Your bounty I have stretched my hand, so do not prevent me while I am begging You, and do not punish me while I am asking You to forgive me. O Allah, forgive me for You are aware of me, and do not punish me for You are powerful over me by Your mercy, O the Most Merciful of the merciful.

O Allah, the One of the vast mercy and the availing, exalting, and purifying prayer, bless the best one of Your people to You, the most beloved one of them to You, and the most prominent of them to You; Muhammad, Your slave and messenger, who has been preferred with the virtues of (being) the means, with the noblest, most perfect, most exalted, greatest, and the best blessings that You have ever blessed a messenger of You and a trustee with Your revelation by.

O Allah, as You have closed (ended) by him (Prophet Muhammad) blindness, and opened by him guidance, make the methods of his ways brilliance to us, and the proofs of his authority as means to us by which we come to You.

O Allah, praise be to You inasmuch as the seven heavens and their layers, and inasmuch as the seven earths and what there is between them, and inasmuch as the Throne of our Generous Lord and the scales of our Forgiving Lord, and inasmuch as the words of our Mighty Lord, and inasmuch as the Paradise and the Fire, and inasmuch as the number of soil, water, and all what is seen and what is not seen.

O Allah, make Your blessings, benediction, favor, forgiveness, mercy, pleasedness, peace, remembrance, light, honor, bounty, and good on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad as You had benediction, blessing, and mercy on Abraham and the progeny of Abraham, You are Praised, Glorious.

O Allah, give Muhammad the great means and the most benefic of Your reward in the end until You honor him on the Day of Resurrection, O the Lord of guidance.

O Allah, have blessing on Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, and on all of Your angels, prophets, and messengers. Peace be on Gabriel, Michael, Israfel, the carriers of the Throne, Your Archangels, the noble recorders (angels), the close angels, and peace be on all of Your angels.

Peace be on our father Adam and our mother Eve, and peace be on all the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and peace be on all the messengers, and praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds, and there is no power save in Allah, the Most High, the Most Great.”[81]

Her supplication after the Maghrib (sunset) Prayer

“Praise be to Allah Who sayers cannot come at His praise, and praise be to Allah Who counters cannot count His bounties, and praise be to Allah Who strivers cannot perform what He deserves.

There is no god but Allah, the First and the Last, and there is no god but Allah the Apparent and the Hidden, and there is no god but Allah the Giver of life and the Maker of death.

Allah is Most Great of Might, and Allah is Most Great of Everlastingness.

Praise be to Allah Who knowers cannot come at His knowledge nor do the ignorant disparage His patience, nor can praisers come at His praise, nor can depicters depict His features, nor can creatures well describe Him.

Praise be to Allah, the Possessor of Dominion and Kingdom, of Might and Invincibility, of Honor and Glory, of Majesty and Magnificence, of Dignity and Beauty, of Power and Might, of Might and Strength, of Bounty and Dominance, of Favor and Influence, of Justice and Truth, of Creation and Exaltedness, of Sublimity and Grandeur, of Virtue and Wisdom, of Richness and Generosity, of Giving and Preventing, of Patience and Knowledge, of Irrefutable Argument, Ample Bounty, good, beautiful praise, gracious blessings, the King of the Life and the Afterlife, of the Paradise and the Fire and what there is in them, was He blessed and exalted.

Praise be to Allah Who knows the secrets of the unseen, and is aware of what hearts earn. There is no escape or runaway from Him.

Praise be to Allah the Lofty in His dominion, the Glorious in His place, the Predominant in His Kingdom, the Powerful in His seizing, the High above His Throne, the Aware of His creation, the Doer of whatever He wills by His knowledge. Praise be to Allah by Whose words the firmamental heavens have been erected, the plain earths have been fixed, the firm mountains have been set upright, the pollinating winds have been blown, the clouds have moved in the sphere of the sky, the seas have restrained at their boundaries, the hearts have been afraid of Him, and lords have submitted to his deity. Blessed You are, O the Counter of rain drops and tree leaves, and the Reviver of dead bodies for Resurrection.

Glory be to You the Lord of Glory and Honor for whatever You do to the poor stranger when he comes to You resorting, calling for help, and for whatever You do to him who lodges in Your yard, looks forward to Your content, and resorts to You, and he kneels before You complaining to You of what is not unknown to You. O my Lord, let my chance in my supplication not be deprivation, and my share in what I hope from You not be disappointment!

O You Who had existed, is existing, and will exist as He has still been over every soul with what it has earned. O You Who has made the days of life to elapse, its months to change, and its years to turn while You are Everlasting that neither do times wear You out, nor do ages change You.

O You Whom each day with You is new and each sustenance with You is ready for the weak, the strong, and the severe. You have divided sustenance between the creatures and equaled the ant with the sparrow.

O Allah, if residing narrows to people, we seek Your protection from the narrowness of residence. O Allah, if the Day of Resurrection is prolonged to criminals, shorten that day to us as (the period) between a prayer and another. O Allah, if the sun becomes close to the skulls and there is between it and the skulls a measure of one mile and its heat is increased to the heat of ten years, we ask You to shade us with clouds, and erect for us pulpits and chairs to sit on and people get free in the place, Amen O the Lord of the Worlds.

I ask You, O Allah, by these praises to forgive me, pardon me, dress me with hale in my body, and safety in my religion.

I ask You and I am sure of Your response to my request, and I call upon You and I know of Your listening to my call, so listen to my supplication and do not end my hope, do not repel my praising, and do not disappoint my supplication. I am in need of Your content and I am poor to Your forgiving. I ask You and I am not desperate of Your mercy, and I call upon You and I am not safe from Your wrath.

O my Lord, respond to me and favor me with Your pardon, and make me die while I am Muslim, and join me to the righteous. O my Lord, do not prevent Your favor from reaching me O All Gracious, and do not entrust me to my self forlornly, O All Compassionate.

O my Lord, extend mercy, at the separation of lovers, to my dying, and at the quiet of the grave to my loneliness, and at the wild of (the day of) Resurrection to my forlornness, and before You standing for reckoning to my destitution.

O my Lord, I ask You to rescue me from Fire, so rescue me! O my Lord, I seek Your protection from Fire, so protect me! O my Lord, I resort to You from Fire, so take me away (from it)! O my Lord, I seek Your mercy out of my distress, so have mercy on me! O my Lord, I ask You to forgive me what I have been ignorant of, so forgive me! O my Lord, supplication has taken me forth for the need to You, so do not disappoint me, O You the Generous One of favors, charity, and pardoning!

O my Lord, Beneficent, Merciful, respond to my call from among the suppliants to You, and pity, from among the weepers, my tear, and make in the meeting with You, on the day when I leave this world, my relief, and cover among the dead, O the Great Hoped One, my defect, and pity me at the going alone to my hole (grave), You are my hope, the place of need, and the Knower of what I want in directing my request.

O the Provider of needs, provide my need! To You is the complaint and You are the Helper and the Hoped One. I escape to You from sins, so receive me, and I resort from Your justice

to Your forgiveness, so apprehend me, and I resort to Your pardon from Your punishment, so protect me, and I hope Your mercy against Your punition, so save me, and I want the closeness to You by Islam, so approach me (to You), and from the great horror keep me safe, and in the shadow of Your Throne shade me, and two portions of Your mercy grant to me, and from this world safe protect me, and from darkness to light take me out, and on the Day of Resurrection honor me and with easy reckoning reckon with me, and do not expose me with my hidden defects, and against Your trials make me patient, and as You had kept impurity and unchastity away from Yousuf (Joseph), keep it away from me, and whatever I cannot bear do not burden me with, and to the Abode of Peace guide me, and by the Qur'an benefit me, and by the true saying fix me, and from the cursed Satan save me, and by Your power, might, and dominance protect me, and by Your patience, knowledge, and vast mercy deliver me, and in Your Garden of Paradise house me, and with the looking at Your face endow me, and to Your prophet Muhammad join me, and from devils, their followers, and from the evil of every evildoer rescue me!

O Allah, and my enemies and whoever intends evil against me if they come by land, coward their brave, scatter their gathering, blunt their weapons, hamstring their mounts, afflict them with storms and thunderbolts forever until You put them into Fire, degrade them from their forts, and make us dominate over them, Amen O the Lord of the Worlds.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad with a blessing with which bear witness the first ones of the righteous, the master of the messengers, the last of the prophets, the leader of good, and the key of mercy.

O Allah, the Lord of the Inviolable House and the inviolable month, the Lord of the Sacred Monument, the Lord of the Pillar and the Temple (of Abraham), and the Lord of consecration and the breaking of consecration, send to the soul of Muhammad from us the greeting and peace.

Peace be on you O messenger of Allah. Peace be on you O the trustee of Allah. Peace be on You O Muhammad son of Abdullah. Peace be on you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. He is, as You have described him, to the believers most kind and merciful.

O Allah, give him (Muhammad) the best of what he has asked You for, and the best of what You have been prayed for him, and the best of what is prayed for him until the Day of Resurrection, Amen O the Lord of the Worlds.”[82]

Her supplication after the Isha (evening) Prayer

Glory be to Him that everything is humble to His greatness. Glory be to Him that everything is low to His glory. Glory be to Him that everything submits to His command and dominance. Glory be to Him that all affairs with their reins are subdued to Him.

Praise be to Allah Who does not forget whoever remembers Him. Praise be to Allah that whoever calls upon Him is not disappointed. Praise be to Allah Who suffices whoever relies on Him.

Praise be to Allah the Raiser of the heaven, the Leveler of the earth, the Blocker of seas, the Piler of mountains, the Creator of living beings, the Maker of trees, the Splitter of springs of the ground, the Manager of affairs, the Driver of clouds, the Guider of winds, water, and fire from the bottoms of the earth rising in the space, and the Downer of hot and cold, by Whose blessing good deeds are completed, and by thanking Him increases are deserved, and by Whose command the heavens have been established, and by Whose glory mountains have stabilized, beasts in the deserts and birds in nests are glorifying.

Praise be to Allah the Highest of ranks, the Revealer of signs, the Great in blessings, the Coverer of defects, the Accepter of good deeds, the Pardoner of errors, the Reliever of distresses, the Giver of blessings, the Responder to prayers, the Reviver of the dead, and the god of whatever in the earth and the heavens.

Praise be to Allah for every praise and remembrance, every thanking and patience, every prayer and zakat, every reverence and worship, every happiness and blessing, every increase and mercy, every bounty, honor, and obligation, every joy and distress, every grief and ease, every calamity and affliction, every ease and difficulty, every wealth and poverty, and in any case and at any occasion and time, and in any abode, resort, and residence.

O Allah, I am resorting to You, so shelter me, and I am seeking Your

protection, so protect me, and asking for Your assistance, so assist me, and calling for Your help, so help me, and praying You, so respond to me, and asking You for forgiveness, so forgive me, seeking Your victory, so render victory to me, and asking You for guidance, so guide me, and relying on You alone, so suffice me, and seeking refuge with You, so house me, and clinking to Your covenant, so save me, and depending on You, so suffice me, and make me in Your protection, guard, refuge, shelter, watch, security, sanctum, safety, under Your shadow, and under Your wing.

(O Allah) make on me a protective shield from You, and make Your guard, watch, security, and protection from behind and before me, and on my right, my left, from above, under, and around me so that no one from the creatures can reach me with evil and harm. There is no god but You. You are the All-Gracious, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Lord of Glory and Honor.

O Allah, suffice me against the envy of enviers, the wronging of wrongdoers, the plotting of plotters, the cunning of cunning ones, the tricks of trickers, the assassination of assassinators, the backbiting of backbiters, the injustice of the unjust, the oppression of oppressors, the aggression of aggressors, the despise of despisers, the frowning of frowners, the attack of attackers, the stinginess of the stingy, the unfairness of the unfair, the erring of the erring ones, the slander of slanderers, the talebearing of talebearers, the magic of magicians, devils, and Satan, and the oppression of rulers, and the evil of all people.

O Allah, I ask You by Your retained, good, pure name by which the heavens and the earth have been set, to which darkness has shone and the angels have glorified, and from which hearts are afraid, and necks have submitted, and by which You have revived the dead, (I ask You) to forgive me every error I have committed in the darkness of night and in the light of day intendedly or inattentively, secretly or openly, and to endow me with certainty, guidance, light, knowledge, and understanding so that I fulfill Your Book, follow what You have made lawful, refrain from what You have made unlawful, carry out Your obligations, and fulfill the Sunna of Your Prophet Muhammad.

O Allah, join me to the righteous of those who had passed away, make me from the righteous of those who have remained, and end my deeds with the best of them, You are Forgiving, Merciful.

O Allah, if my age ends, the days of my life elapses, and it is inevitable for me to meet You, I ask You O Most Kind to give me from the Paradise an abode that the first ones and the last ones envy me it.

O Allah, accept my praising, and pity my beseeching and my confession against myself, for I have made You hear my voice from among the suppliants, and my devotion among the devotees, my praising among the speakers, and my glorifications among the praisers, and You are the Responder to the distressed, the Assistant of those who ask for assistance, the Helper of the desirous, the Resort of the runners away, the Succorer of the believers, and the Pardoner of sinners, and may Allah have blessings on the bringer of good tidings and the warner, and the shining lantern (Prophet Muhammad), and on all the angels and the prophets.

O Allah, the Expander of the expanded things, the Creator of the high (heavens), the Molder of hearts on their natures; the happy and unhappy ones, make the noblest of Your blessings, the greatest of Your benedictions, and the most honorable of Your greetings on Muhammad Your slave, messenger, and trustee over Your revelation, the undertaker of Your authority, the defender of Your sanctum, the announcer of Your command, the declarer of Your signs, and the fulfiller of Your vow.

O Allah, grant him (Muhammad) for every virtue of his virtues, attribute of his attributes, state of his states, and a position of his positions in which You have seen Muhammad a helper to You, patient with Your bitter trials, an enemy to whoever has feuded You, a supporter to whoever has supported You, faraway from what You have hated, and a caller for what You have liked, (grant him) with favors from Your reward, and special gifts from Your gifts and preference by which You honor his affair and exalt his rank with the achievers of Your justice and the defenders of Your sanctum, until no sublimity, splendor, mercy, and glory remain but You grant to Muhammad, and take him to the highest of ranks and most exalted of positions, Amen O the Lord of the worlds.

O Allah, I entrust You with my religion, soul, and all Your bounties on me. O Allah, make me in Your protection, security, glory, and guard. Glorious is the resorter to You, sublime is Your praise, sanctified are Your attributes, and there is no god but You. Sufficient to me You are in prosperity and misfortune, ease and distress, and Most Excellent is He Whom we rely on.

O our Lord, on You we have relied, to You we have turned, and to You is the returning. O our Lord, do not make us a lure to those who have disbelieved, and forgive us, You are the Mighty, Wise.

O our Lord, turn away from us the punishment of hell, surely the punishment thereof is a lasting anguish. Surely, it is an evil abode, and an evil place to rest in. Our lord, decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of deciders.

Our Lord, we have believed; therefore, forgive us our sins, and remit from us our evil deeds, and make us die with the righteous. Our Lord, and grant us what You have promised us by Your messengers, and disgrace us not on the day of resurrection; surely You do not fail to perform the promise.

Our Lord, do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not lay on us a burden as You did lay on those before us. Our Lord, do not impose upon us that which we have not the strength to bear, and pardon us and grant us protection and have mercy on us, You are our Patron, so help us against the unbelieving people.

Our Lord, grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire, and may Allah have blessing and peace on our master Muhammad the Prophet and on his pure progeny.”[83]


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