Five years after Rasoolollaah[1] started his mission in Makkah, Jabra’eel the angel revelation descended upon him in Abtah, a Makkah suburb, while he was among some of his followers, saying:
((O Mohammad! The cAli (one of Allaah’s names), the Highest, sends you greetings, and orders you to isolate yourself from Khadeejah for forty days.)).
Obeying Allaah’s command, he did not return home to his wife Khadeejah that night, and spent the next forty days in his uncle Aboo Taalib’s[2] home; fasting every day, and worshiping every night.
On completion of the forty-day period, Jabra’eel once again descended upon Rasoolollaah(SAA)[3] saying:
((O Mohammad! The cAli, the Highest sends you greetings, and orders you to prepare yourself for his gift.
Soon after, other angels descended carrying some Heavenly produce on a plate, and put it before him. Jabra’eel said: O Mohammad! Your Lord orders you to break your today’s fast with these fruits.)).
Ameer al-Mo’meneen(AS)[4] narrates:
((Whenever Rasoolollaah wanted to break his fast, he ordered me to open the door and let in anyone who wanted to break his fast. But on that night he ordered me to sit at the door, and not permit anyone to enter, saying:
O son of Aboo Taalib! This food is forbidden to anyone but me[5].)).
After eating, when Rasoolollaah stood to pray as usual, Jabra’eel told him:
((Salaat is forbidden to you at this time, until you go to Khadeejah. The Almighty Allaah has indeed taken upon Himself to create for you in this night an excellent progeny. Thus he went to Khadeejah’s home.)).
According to many ahaadeeth[6], Rasoolollaah had one hundred and twenty macaarij[7]/[8], and at least one of them was near the end of this forty-day period; when he ate some Heavenly produce, before approaching Khadeejah.
A series of questions arises when a person reaches this part of Rasoolollaah’s life; why forty days of isolation from his wife Khadeejah, during which he had to fast the days and worship the nights?! And why eat Heavenly food, after which he was prohibited from worshiping and ordered to meet with Khadeejah?!…
Forty days of fasting and worshiping in isolation from Khadeejah was a further preparation for something very important. Numerous Bakri ahaadeeth clearly state that the semen that produced Faatimah was extracted from Heavenly food, eaten by Rasoolollaah in Heaven and on earth, shortly before he approached his wife Khadeejah[9].
What strengthens these narrations further is the fact that her staunchest enemies such as her murderer, cOmar(LA)[10], and cAa’eshah(LAa)[11] narrated many of them.
One such hadeeth[12] narrated from cAa’eshah is as follows:
((I frequently saw Rasoolollaah kiss Faatimah; so one day I said: O Rasoolollaah! I see you do something I had not seen you do before.
So he told me: O Homayraa’![13] Indeed, on the night during which I was taken to the sky, I entered Heaven and I stood by its most beautiful tree, with the whitest leaves, and the most delicious fruit. So I took from its fruit and ate…
And when I descended to the earth, I approached Khadeejah; and she became pregnant with Faatimah from that produce.
So whenever I yearn for the scent of Heaven, I smell the scent of Faatimah. O Homayraa’! Verily, Faatimah is not like the human women[14].)).
cAa’eshah also narrates:
((Whenever Rasoolollaah returned from his journeys, he went to Faatimah, kissed her throat and said: From her I smell the scent of Heaven[15].)).
As Faatimah was a product of Heaven, according to Bakri narrations, her pregnancy was also extraordinary. It was accompanied by many karaamaat[16], one of which was that she talked to her mother whilst in her womb.
Besides the Moslem accounts of this great karaamah[17] that repeatedly happened during the pregnancy, Bakri references also provide many convincing statements, such as:
((After Khadeejah became pregnant with Faatimah, Rasoolollaah came and heard her talking. He asked her: Whom are you talking to?
Khadeejah: The fetus in my womb talks to me and amuses me[18].
Rasoolollaah: O Khadeejah! This is Jabra’eel telling me that it is a female, and that she is a pure and blessed child; and that the Almighty Allaah will indeed create my lineage through her, and will choose from my lineage a number of a’emmah appointing them as His kholafaa’ on His earth after the completion of His revelation[19].)).
Bakri scholars also narrate from Khadeejah who said:
((When I became pregnant with Faatimah, it was an easy pregnancy; and she talked to me from my womb[20].)).
Bakri scholars also narrate:
((When Idolaters asked Rasoolollaah to cut the moon in half for them, during Khadeejah’s pregnancy with Faatimah, Khadeejah said:
What a failure for the person who accuses Mohammad of lying, when he is the greatest Messenger from my Lord.
Suddenly Faatimah said from her womb: O Mother! do not worry and do not be afraid; Allaah is indeed with my father[21].)).
The birth of Faatimah also accompanied many supernatural events, just as the births of her father, husband and the a’emmah from her lineage accompanied similar karaamaat and mocjezaat[22]/[23].
At that time, in the fifth year of Rasoolollaah’s mission, Idolaters had already taken a strong and often violent stance against Moslems. This harsh stance equally affected Khadeejah despite her being the richest Arab woman when she married Rasoolollaah.
In fact the Idolaters’ hatred of Khadeejah was more intense than of many other Moslems, as her social and economic position obliged her to marry one of the most prominent Idolater leaders, many of whom had asked for her hand in marriage, and join with them in their confrontational stance against the Moslems. But instead, she had turned them down and married Rasoolollaah; and on top of that, she had spent and continued to spend her wealth in the cause of propagating Islam and strengthening the Moslems. Therefore her former friends and peers had broken all ties with her, and ignored her kind attempts to show them the right path.
As the time of giving birth to Faatimah approached, she sent for them once again to come to her, hoping that they will see a mocjezah[24] at the time of birth that will convince them of the truth. But as before they returned her messengers with ugly words.
Moments before giving birth, four Godly women descended from Heaven along with many angels, to take part in delivering that Heavenly creature.
Moslem scholars are not alone in reporting this extraordinary event; many Bakri scholars report similar narrations, such as:
((Moments before giving birth to Faatimah, four women entered Khadeejah’s room with such a beauty and light that words cannot describe.
One of them told her: I am your mother Hawwaa’[25]; another said: I am cAa’eshah bint Mozaahim; another said: I am Kolthoom, sister of Moses; and the forth said: I am Maryam[26] bint cEmraan, mother of Jesus. We have come here to deliver Faatimah.
After she was born she fell on the ground to perform sojood[27], raising and extending her forefinger to show one[28].)).
Since Faatimah was created from the produce of Heaven, even by her enemies’ testimony, she is therefore a Human Houri. Thus no other person can be compared to her as she is not just human, and others are not partly houries.
Bakri scholars in their hadeeth references narrate from Rasoolollaah who often said:
((Faatimah is a human houri[29].)).
The newly born child who was created from Heavenly fruit, who repeatedly talked to her mother whilst in her womb, who was delivered by saints who descended from Heaven, had to be named by her Creator, Allaah.
Bakri scholars narrate from Rasoolollaah who said:
((Allaah indeed named her Faatimah, because He forbade her and those who love her to the fire of Hell[30].)).
Bakri scholars also narrate from Rasoolollaah who said:
((The Almighty Allaah most assuredly forbade Faatimah, her children, and those who love them to the fire of Hell. And for that reason she was called Faatimah[31].)).
According to Moslem scholars, Faatimah was born on the 20th of Jomaadaa al-Thaaneyah, 5 years after the start of Rasoolollaah’s mission; therefore she was eighteen years old when she was killed by cOmar 11 years after the Hejrah.
However some Bakri scholars insist that she was born five years before the start of Rasoolollaah’s mission, adding ten years to her age, which puts her death at the age of 28.
Obviously this is just another attempt to hide her greatness. Otherwise, for example, in what way can they explain how an eighteen year old woman, who had not been educated by human teachers, could give those public speeches at the very peak of eloquence that remains unmatched and unchallenged throughout the centuries, without admitting the fact that she was directly taught by Allaah; enabling her to combine Islamic theology, law, Qor’aanic sciences, politics, literature... in one stunning speech, in such a way sending shockwaves through the foundations of the Bakri rule, causing it to violently tremble forever.
And how can they elucidate her death at that age without mentioning that their leaders Aboo Bakr and cOmar were forced to resolve to violence when they ran out of reason in front of an eighteen-year-old woman; marching three hundred vicious ruffians to her home in an attempt to silence her, setting her house on fire, crushing her between the door and the wall, penetrating her chest with a hot nail, breaking her ribs, lashing her, causing the miscarriage of her son Mohassin(AS)[32]… and ultimately killing her.
This Bakri attempt to increase her age causes a number of contradictions, one of which is when Aboo Bakr and cOmar consecutively asked Rasoolollaah for Faatimah’s hand in marriage, he refused their requests by saying she is very young[33]; and everyone agrees that these requests were made shortly before Ameer al-Mo’meneen’s request for her hand in marriage which was eight years before her martyrdom.
So how could Rasoolollaah say that a twenty year old woman is very young for marriage, especially at a time when boys and girls in Arabia married at a much younger age due to their early and fast physical and mental growth?! And especially when he encouraged parents to help their sons and daughter to marry at a young age?!
At the young age of five, Faatimah was to wear the mourning dress when her mother, the loyal Qorashi[34] woman, answered the call of her Lord and parted this world, on 10 Ramadaan in the tenth year of Rasoolollaah’s mission, after years of suffering much hardship at the hands of the despicable Idolater tyrants.
And the short period between her death and the death of Aboo Taalib, Rasoolollaah’s uncle, was the reason for calling that year “the year of grief.”
It has been narrated that before her death, Khadeejah made a number of requests from Rasoolollaah, amongst which was:
((And the third request O Rasoolollaah! I will make it to my daughter Faatimah, and she will tell you.
When he left her room, she called Faatimah, telling her: O my darling, and the delight of my eye! Tell your father that my mother says: I am afraid of the grave, and I want you to shroud me in the robe that you always wear when receiving revelation.
So Faatimah went to Rasoolollaah conveying her mother’s message.
He then sent her his robe with Faatimah, which made her extremely happy.
After she died, Rasoolollaah carried out the religious preparations before her burial himself, and when he wanted to shroud her with that special robe, Jabra’eel the angel of revelation descended telling him:
Allaah sends you His greetings and says: O Mohammad! We will provide Khadeejah’s shroud, as she gave in our cause what she owned[35].)).
Thus, Rasoolollaah first shrouded her with his robe, and on top of that he covered her with the Heavenly shroud.
Although she was a young child, but history records heartrending accounts of when Faatimah took brave stances against the Idolaters in the defense of her father.
She would clean him when they threw rubbish on him; she would treat his wounds when they injured him; she would defend him when they accused him; she would answer them when they insulted him.
At around one years of age, she was sent with her father and his followers and their families to the desert outside Makkah, where they remained under Idolater siege for three years, in an attempt to force them to renounce their god and religion and worship useless idols.
Idolaters reported that during the three-year siege, they often heard children crying at night from the other side of the mountain, from sickness and hunger.
At around eight years of age, Faatimah and the rest of Rasoolollaah’s family migrated to Madinah, guided by Ameer al-Mo’meneen, three days after Rasoolollaah had left Makkah, to escape Idolater suppression.
In Madinah, despite her young age, she had a very active role in educating women who had been mistreated and ignored by the Arabs, teaching them literacy and Islam.
In the second year after the Hejrah[36], she was among the few women who left Madinah for the Ohod Mountain, where Moslems had defended their city against an overwhelming Idolater attack and suffered great losses. There she once again treated her father’s familiar wounds.
[1] Messenger of Allaah; a title exclusively given to Prophet Mohammad by Allaah.
[2] Father of Ameer al-Mo’meneen.
[3] Sallallaah cAlayh wa Aalih, Allaah’s Blessings be upon him and his descendants.
[4] cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.
[5] Montahaa al-AAmaal (Arabic translation) / Qommi = vol. 1, page 256.
[6] Plural of hadeeth: a narration from one of the Fourteen Macsoomeen.
[7] Macaarij plural of mecraaj = Rasoolollaah’s voyage through the skies.
[8] For more detailed information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 60.
[9] Besides the large number of Moslem narrations on the subject, many Bakri ahaadeeth can also be found in their prominent references such as:
al-Dorr al-Manthoor / al-Soyooti. Dorar al-Semtayn / al-Zarandi. Lesaan al-Meezaan / al-cAsqalaani. Maqtal al-Hosayn / al-Khaarazmi. Meezaan al-Ectedaal / al-Dhahabi. Taareekh Baghdaad / al-Baghdaadi. Talkhees al-Mostadrak / al-Dhahabi. Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa / al-Tabari. Yanaabeec al-Mawaddah / al-Qandoozi.
[10] Lacnatollaah cAlayh, may Allaah distance him from His Blessings and Mercy.
[11] Lacnatollaah cAlayha, may Allaah distance her from His Blessings and Mercy.
[12] A narration from one of the Fourteen Macsoomeen. Plural ahaadeeth.
[13] A name by which the Prophet sometimes called cAa’eshah.
[14] Faraa’ed al-Semtayn / al-Hamoo’i = vol. 2, page 61. Lesaan al-Meezaan / al-cAsqalaani = vol. 1, page 134; vol. 5, page 160. Majmac al-Zawaa’ed / al-Haythami = vol. 9, page 202. al-Majrooheen / al-Bosti = vol. 2, pages 29 and 30. Meezaan al-Ectedaal / al-Dhahabi = vol. 1, page 212; vol. 4, page 220. al-Mocjam al-Kabeer / al-Tabaraani = vol. 22, page 400. Taareekh Baghdaad / al-Baghdaadi = vol. 5, page 87.
[15] Yanaabeec al-Mawaddah / al-Qandoozi.
[16] Plural of karaamah.
[17] A supernatural action, etc. performed by or for a Godly person, but not as part of a challenge and not to prove that he or she is a Godly person. Plural karaamaat.
[18] Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa / al-Tabari.
[19] Tajheez al-Jaysh / al-Dehlawi.
[20] Nozhat al-Majaalis = vol. 2, page 227.
[21] al-Rawd al-Faa’eq / al-Mesri = page 214.
[22] Mocjezaat plural of mocjezah: a supernatural action, etc. performed by or for a Godly person to show others the right path.
[23] For more information, see: Rasoolollaah, the Messenger of Allaah / by the author = page 29.
[24] A supernatural action, etc. performed by or for a Godly person to show others the right path. Plural mocjezaat.
[25] Also Eve.
[26] Also Mary.
[27] A particular position in salaat in which the forehead, the palms, the knees and the toes of both feet are placed on the ground. Sojood is also performed on its own—not as part of a salaat—for a number of reasons, some of which are mandatory whereas others are recommended.
[28] Mokhtasar Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa / al-Tabari = page 72.
[29] Taareekh Baghdaad / al-Baghdaadi = vol. 12, page 331. al-Rawd al-Faa’eq / al-Mesri = page 214. al-Fawaa’ed al-Majmoocah / al-Shawkaani = page 392. Mokhtasar Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa= page 47.
[30] Mokhtasar Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa / al-Tabari = page 47. Taareekh Baghdaad / al-Baghdaadi = vol. 12, page 331. al-Fawaa’ed al-Majmoocah / al-Shawkaani = page 392.
[31] Kanz al-cOmmaal / al-Hendi = vol. 12, page 109. Mokhtasar Dhakhaa’er al-cOqbaa / al-Tabari = page 47. Mokhtasar al-Mahaasin al-Mojtamicah = page 182.
[32] cAlayhes Salaam, peace be upon him.
[33] According to some Bakri narrations Rasoolollaah refused their requests by saying: She is very young; but according to other Bakri narrations he refused their requests by turning his back to them without saying anything.
[34] A member of the Qoraysh, the largest Arab tribe in the world.
[35] Faatimah al-Zahraa’ min Qabl al-Meelaad elaa Bacd al-Estesh-haad / al-Haashimi = page 22.
[36] Rasoolollaah’s migration from Makkah to Madinah in the thirteenth year of his mission. Moslems start their lunar calendar from the year of the Hejrah.