Faatimah’s wish to be buried secretly at night

Faatimah prepares for death

^cAli and Faatimah just before her death

Faatimah in her last minutes

Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar want to attend Faatimah’s burial ceremonies

Faatimah’s burial ceremonies

^cAli on Faatimah’s grave

Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar attempt to exhume Faatimah’s body!!

^cAa’eshah and Faatimah’s death

SAYYEDAT NESAA’ AL-^cAALAMEEN’S MARTYRDOM

Faatimah’s wish to be buried secretly at night

Moslem scholars narrate that before her death, Faatimah^(AaS)[1] said to ^cAli^(AS)[2]:

((O cousin! I see myself nearing death, and know that I will shortly join my father; and I want to tell you about things in my heart.

Ali: Tell me what you like O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! And he sat near her head, and told everyone else to leave the room.

Then she said: O cousin! You have never known me to be a liar nor treacherous, and I have not disagreed with you since you have been with me.

Ali: God forbid. You are more learned, by Allaah, and better, and more pious and nobler, and more God-fearing to commit reproachable acts. And your separation from me and your loss, is indeed hard for me; but it is something unavoidable. By Allaah, you surely renewed the calamity of Rasoolollaah’s death for me, and your death and your loss is definitely received very painfully. So “Surely we are Allaah’s and to Him we shall surely return[3]”. A calamity, how painful, and how hurtful, and how bitter and how sorrowful. This is a loss that has no consolation, and it is a disaster that has no end.

Then they cried for a while, and the Imaam held her head to his chest and said: Entrust me with your will, for surely you will find me loyal; I will carry out all your orders, and choose your wish over mine.

Faatimah: May Allaah reward you for [what you have done for] me the best reward…

O cousin! I ask you not to allow those who did me injustice come to my funeral, for surely they are my enemies and the enemies of Rasoolollaah; and that you do not allow any one of them or their followers to perform the Deceased Prayer on me; and that you burry me at night, when the eyes rest and go to sleep[4].)).

Many Bakri scholars also record in their references various ahaadeeth, narrated through different chains of narrators, that Faatimah stipulated in her will to ^cAli not to let Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar take part in her funeral. These ahaadeeth also state that Faatimah was buried at night without their knowledge; or that ^cAli buried her at night and did not inform Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar; or that she was secretly buried at night[5].

One instance of such Bakri narrations is the following:

((Faatimah stipulated in her will to be buried at night, and her wish was carried out. And therefore the exact place of her grave is secret and not known.

Some people think that she was buried in her home, and some people think that she was buried in the Baqee^c[6], and others think that she was buried in the mosque…[7])).

Faatimah prepares for death

Bakri scholars narrate:

((Faatimah said to Asmaa’ bint ^cOmays (her student, and Aboo Bakr’s wife): I hate what is done with the body of a dead woman—they spread a cloth over her, and it shows her body.

Asmaa’: O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! Do you want me to show you what I had seen in Ethiopia? Then she asked for some fresh palm branches striped of their leaves, she curved them and covered them with a cloth.

Faatimah said: How great and nice this is! It dose not distinguish a woman from a man! So when I die, you and ^cAli wash me; and do not let anyone else enter the house.

And when she died, ^cAa’eshah wanted to enter, but Asmaa told her: Do not come in.

So she went to Aboo Bakr, complaining: This Khath^cami[8] woman stands between us and Rasoolollaah’s daughter, and she has made for her something like a bride’s howdah.

Aboo Bakr came and stood at the door, and said: O Asmaa’! what made you stop the Prophet’s wives from entering Faatimah’s home?! And why have you made a bride’s howdah for her?!

Asmaa’: She ordered me not to let anyone inside. And when she was alive, I showed her this, and she ordered me to make one for her[9].)).

Bakri scholars also narrate a most important and remarkable hadeeth from Salmaa, one of Faatimah’s students, without actually realizing its significance:

((In her illness, one morning Faatimah woke up in the best state we had ever seen her during her infirmity; and when ^cAli ibn Abi Taalib went out, she said: O woman! Pour some water for me to perform a ghosl[10]. Thus she performed the best ghosl I had ever seen her perform.

She then said: Give me my new clothes, so I gave them to her.

She then came to the room, and said: Spread my mattress in the middle of the room; and she lied down, putting her right hand under her right cheek, facing the Qeblah (direction of the Ka^cbah).

She then said: O woman! I will shortly die. No one should uncover me, and no one should perform the Ghosl of the Deceased[11] on me.

So she died where she was lying, and I told ^cAli what she had ordered me, and he said: By Allaah! No one will uncover her. He then carried her and buried her without performing the ghosl on her[12].)).

This is a very extraordinary hadeeth that the Bakris have narrated in some of their most respected references without appreciating its implications. It clearly shows that Faatimah died a martyr’s death.

Only a martyr—who has been killed in the way of Allaah—is exempt from the mandatory Ghosl of the Deceased. And only a martyr is exempt from the mandatory enshrouding in the Kafan[13].

Faatimah asks not to be washed and not to be uncovered (it is necessary to take off a deceased’s clothes before the shrouding); and ^cAli does not object to her wishes as contrary to Islamic law. This can only mean that she died a martyr’s death.

And there is no contradiction between this hadeeth and the hadeeth that says she asked ^cAli to wash her, and it is quite possible to put them together.

Here, she tells Salmaa that no one should wash her or uncover her, to tell her and the world through her Bakri enemies, that she died a martyr’s death. And ^cAli does not object to her wish for the very same reason.

But for the same reason for which her father asked ^cAli to wash him, even though he died a martyr’s death, she also asked to be washed.

This theatrical method of broadcasting was commonly used, and its instances in the holy hadeeth are countless. And this is just another example of its effectiveness, which has efficiently fooled these censor-happy Bakris into transmitting it through their most respected works such as Mosnad / Ahmad.

^cAli and Faatimah just before her death

It has been narrated from Feddah who said:

((Ameer al-Mo’meneen performed his noon salaat [in the mosque] and was about to return home, when some women came to him crying.

So he asked them: What has happened?! Why do I see you with such changed faces?!

They said: O Ameer al-Mo’meneen! catch up with your cousin Zahraa’ (Faatimah), and we do not think that you will reach her in time!

Ameer al-Mo’meneen hurried home, and saw her lying, in great agony. He threw down his robe from his shoulders, and his turban from his head, and took her head and put it in his lap, calling her: O Zahraa’! But she did not speak.

He called her again: O daughter of him who carried the Zakaat in his robe and gave it to the poor! But she did not speak.

He called her again: O daughter of him who led the angels in salaat in the sky! But she did speak.

He called her again: O Faatimah! Speak to me, for surely it is I your cousin ^cAli ibn Abi Taalib.

So she opened her eyes to his face, looked at him and cried; and he also cried.

He asked her: What are you feeling? It is I your cousin ^cAli ibn Abi Taalib.

Faatimah: O cousin! I feel the death that is unavoidable…

O cousin! If you marry after me, allow a day and night for your wife, and allow a day and night for my two sons. O Abaa al-Hasan! they will shortly become two broken orphans. Yesterday they lost their grandfather, and today they will lose their mother; so woe unto the nation that kills them and hates them. She then composed a poem:

“Cry for me O Best Guide! and shed tears, for surely this is the day of separation.

O husband of Batool! (Faatimah) I entrust you with the sons, for surely they have became allies of yearning.

Cry for me, and cry for the orphans; and do not forget the slain of the enemies in the Taff (Karbala) of Iraq.”

I saw my beloved Rasoolollaah in a dream, and he said: Come to me O daughter! for surely I yearn for you.

And I said to him: By Allaah, indeed I yearn to meet you even more.

So he said: You are with me tonight. And he is truthful in what he promises.

By the time you recite the Yaaseen (the 36^th soorah), I will have died. So wash me without uncovering my body; and perform the Deceased Prayer on me along with the closest family members, secretly not openly; and hide my grave; and do not allow those who did me injustice attend my funeral[14].)).

It has also been narrated:

((Before her death, Faatimah cried. So Ameer al-Mo’meneen asked her: O my Lady! What makes you cry?

Faatimah: I cry for what you will encounter after my death.

Ali: Do not cry; by Allaah, that is so small to me in Allaah’s cause[15].)).

Faatimah in her last minutes

Asmaa’ bint ^cOmays talks about the last minutes of Faatimah just before her death, she narrates:

((Then she (Faatimah) told me: …Leave [the room] and wait [outside] for a while, because I want to talk to my Lord, the Great, the Almighty.

So I left and heard her talking to her Lord, so I entered the room [quietly] without her knowing, and saw her with her hands raised to the sky, saying: O Allaah! I ask You in Mohammad the Mostafa’s name, and his yearning for me; and in my husband ^cAli the Mortadaa’s name, and his grief for me; and in Hasan the Mojtaba’s name, and his crying for me; and in Hosayn the Martyr’s name, and his sorrow for me; and in my daughters’ names, and their heartbreak for me; that You have Mercy upon the sinners of the followers of Mohammad, and take them to Heaven. You are indeed the Most Noble, and the Most Merciful[16].)).

Faatimah dies

Asmaa’ bint ^cOmays narrates:

((Faatimah told me: Wait for a while and then call me. If I answer you so be it, and if not, then it means that I have joined my father.

So Asmaa’ waited for a while, and she called her, but Faatimah did not respond. Then Asmaa’ said: O daughter of Mohammad the Mostafa! O daughter of the best person ever born! O daughter of the best person ever to walk the earth! O daughter of him who “was at a distance of two bows’ length or (even) closer[17]”. But she did not respond to her calls. So Asmaa’ removed the cloth from Faatimah’s face to find that she had left this world. So she fell on her kissing her, saying: O Faatimah! when you see your father Rasoolollaah convey to him my greetings…

As she left the room, Hasan and Hosayn entered the house and asked her: Where is our mother?

She remained silent; so they entered that room and saw her lying. Hosayn moved her and found her dead. So he said: O brother! May Allaah reward you for [losing] the mother.

Then Hasan fell on her kissing her, saying: O mother! Talk to me before my soul leaves my body. And Hosayn fell on her feat kissing them, saying: O mother! I am your son Hosayn; talk to me before my heart stops and I die.

Asmaa’ then told them: Go to your father ^cAli and inform him of your mother’s death. Thus they left their home, screaming: O Mohammad! O Ahmad! Today we relive your death, as our mother has died. Then they gave ^cAli the news in the mosque, and he lost consciousness and fell on his face. Water was poured on him until he regained consciousness; then he repeated over and over: Who is the consolation after you O daughter of Mohammad?! You used to be my consolation, so who shall be the consolation after you?![18])).

Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar want to attend Faatimah’s burial ceremonies

Moslems narrate from ^cAmmaar ibn Yaasir, who said:

((…And he (^cAbbaas, ^cAli’s uncle) sent his messenger to ^cAli and told him: Tell ^cAli, O nephew! Your uncle sends you greetings, and says: I was unexpectedly overtaken by sorrow for the illness of the beloved of Rasoolollaah and the delight of his eye and my eyes, Faatimah. And I think she is the first of us to join Rasoolollaah…

So if she died, gather the Mohaajireen and the Ansaar so that they gain the reward of attending her burial ceremonies.

While I was there, ^cAli said to his messenger: Convey my greetings to my uncle, and tell him: May your compassion never cease; I have heard your advice, and your opinion has its respect.

Indeed, Faatimah the Daughter of Rasoolollaah remains oppressed; and her right remains usurped; and her inheritance remains withheld; and Rasoolollaah’s wishes about her were not carried out… And Allaah is All-Sufficient as a judge and Avenger from the oppressors.

And I ask you O uncle! to permit me to disregard your advice, as she has indeed stipulated in her will to me to conduct her burial ceremonies in secret[19].)).

It has also been narrated:

((When Faatimah died, Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar came to ^cAli to console him!! and to say: O Abaa al-Hasan! Do not precede us in the Prayer [of the Deceased] on the Daughter of Rasoolollaah!![20])).

Faatimah’s burial ceremonies

Both Bakri and Moslem scholars narrate that all of Faatimah’s burial ceremonies were conducted secretly at night, with the presence of only a few men and women who were close relatives or loyal followers.

And finally, the only daughter of Rasoolollaah[21], the last Messenger and the ruler of nine countries in today’s geography, was laid to rest in a way not suitable for even the least important and unknown person of that day: at night, in secrecy, in an unmarked grave!!…

All of this, to prevent Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar from participating in and leading the ceremonies in an attempt to cover up the cause of her death and what they had done to her. Therefore Faatimah preferred to have an unmarked grave, so that as long as her grave remains unknown, her enemies remain exposed; and so that the unprejudiced hearts know that Rasoolollaah’s only daughter was beaten to death, and her life was brought to an end at the young age of eighteen by Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar.

Moslems narrate from Ameer al-Mo’meneen[22] who responded when asked about the reason for which Faatimah was buried at night:

((Indeed she was angry with a group of people, and did not like their presence during her burial ceremonies.

And it is forbidden for those who follow them to participate in the burial ceremonies of any of her children[23].)).

Moslems also narrate:

((When Faatimah died, all the people of Madinah screamed, and the Bani Haashim women gathered in her home, screaming: O my Lady! O Daughter of Rasoolollaah! And the men came to ^cAli who was sitting with Hasan and Hosayn and were all crying.

So people gathered, shedding tears and waiting for the funeral ceremonies to start.

Aboo Dharr came out and said: Leave; there has been a delay in the ceremonies, and it will not be tonight. Thus the people left.

Later when the eyes calmed, and a part of the night passed, ^cAli, Hasan, Hosayn, ^cAmmaar, Meqdaad, ^cAqeel, Zobayr, Aboo Dharr, Salmaan, Boraydah and some of the Bani Haashim brought her out, performed the Prayer of the Deceased and buried her under the darkness of the night.

Then, ^cAli made some fake graves, so that her grave cannot be distinguished; and he leveled her grave with the ground and flattened the dirt on and around it in a way that it could not be recognized[24].)).

^cAli on Faatimah’s grave

Bakri and Moslem scholars narrate:

((When Faatimah died, ^cAli composed the following poem:

My soul is the captive of my sighs, I wish it left [my body] along with the sighs.

There is nothing good in life after you [r death], and indeed I weep fearing that my life becomes long.

And when he shook the dust off his hand after burring Faatimah, a new wave of grief erupted inside him, and while tears streamed down his cheeks he turned his face towards Rasoolollaah’s grave and said:

Peace be upon you O Rasoolollaah! from me, and from your daughter who just descended to your proximity, and who joined you so soon.

O Rasoolollaah! my patience in the absence of your true friend has reduced, and my endurance has thinned; except that your great separation and grave calamity (Rasoolollaah’s death) is my only consolation, for surely I was the one who laid you in your grave, and between my throat and my chest your soul left your body; “Surely we are Allaah’s and to Him we shall surely return[25]”.

The deposit[26] has surely been returned, and the pledge has been taken back!

As for my sorrow, it is eternal; and as for my night, it is sleepless; until Allaah chooses for me your home in which you reside.

And your daughter shall inform you of your nation assisting each other in her oppression; so ply her with questions, and ask her about it (for surely numerous burnings are agitating in her chest about which she could not find a way to speak[27]).

And peace be upon you O Rasoolollaah from one who says farewell, who is neither bored nor hateful. So if I leave, it is not because of weariness; and if I stay, it is not because I doubt what Allaah has promised the patient.

(And patience is more favorable and more graceful. And if it were not for the dominance of the usurpers over us, I would have certainly stayed next to your grave; and I would have surely wailed the wailing of a woman bereaved of her son, because of the graveness of the disaster.

So in the eyes of Allaah, your daughter is secretly buried?!! And her right is forcefully usurped?!! And her inheritance is openly withheld?!![28]) [29])).

Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar attempt to exhume Faatimah’s body!!

Understanding the meaning and the consequences of ^cAli’s actions, Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar wanted to exhume Faatimah’s body to perform the Prayer of the Deceased on her.

Only days before, when they assassinated her father Rasoolollaah^(SAA)[30], they also did not participate in his burial ceremonies. But this time, their absence would cost them much more.

Therefore they had to some how compensate. But how?! It has been narrated:

((In the morning, Aboo Bakr and ^cOmar and the people came [to ^cAli’s home], wanting to perform the Prayer of the Deceased on Faatimah. Meqdaad came forward and said: Indeed, we buried Faatimah last night.

^cOmar looked at Aboo Bakr and said: Did I not tell you that they would do it.

^cAbbaas said: Indeed, she had stipulated in her will that you do not pray on her.

Omar: You Bani Haashim never forget your old jealousy of us!! Indeed all of this grudge in your hearts will never fade away!! By Allaah, I have decided to exhume her body and pray on her.

Ali said: By Allaah, if you crave after that O son of Sahhaak! I will return to you your right arm[31]. If I unsheathe my sword, I will not return it to its sheath before killing you[32].

So ^cOmar broke down and stayed silent, knowing that ^cAli always honors his oath[33].)).

It has also been narrated:

((When Meqdaad told ^cOmar that they had buried Faatimah in the previous night, ^cOmar started to beat him.

Then Meqdaad said: Indeed, the Daughter of Rasoolollaah went from this world, while blood was coming out of her back and her side as a result of your beating her with the sword and the whip[34].)).

It has also been narrated:

((When the Moslems heard about her burial, they came to Baqee^c and found forty new graves. So they could not distinguish her grave from the others.

Thus they came to a boil, some of them blaming the others saying: Your Prophet did not leave among you but one daughter, and she dies and gets shrouded in the Kafan, and you do not attend her burial ceremonies, and do not know the place of her grave!!

The leaders said: Bring some Moslem women to dig up these graves, and find her body, so that we can pray on her and visit her grave.

When Ameer al-Mo’meneen heard the news, he came out of his home angry, his eyes had turned red, and his jugular veins had become swollen, wearing his yellow Qabaa’[35] which he only wore in very hard battles, leaning on his sword Dhol-Faqaar. He entered the Baqee^c, and the people said: This is ^cAli in the way you see him; he swears to Allaah that if a single stone on any of these graves are moved, he will put the sword to the last of us.

Then ^cOmar, accompanied by his men, came to ^cAli and said: What is with you O Abaa al-Hasan! By Allaah, I will most certainly exhume her body and will surely pray on her!!

So ^cAli grabbed him by his clothes, shook him and hit him to the ground, saying: O son of Sahhaak! As for my right, I am not pursuing it fearing that people turn back from their religion; but as for Faatimah’s grave, so by Him in Whose hand is ^cAli’s life, if you and your men seek to dig it up, I will most definitely irrigate the earth from your blood.

Aboo Bakr took ^cAli and said: O Abaa al-Hasan! I plead with you in Rasoolollaah’s name and in Allaah’s name to let go off ^cOmar, for surely we will not do anything you hate.

Thus ^cAli released ^cOmar, and the people dispersed and did not repeat that[36].)).

^cAa’eshah and Faatimah’s death

Ibn Abi al-Hadeed, the famous Bakri scholar, narrates from his teacher Aboo Ya^cqoob:

((…And since Rasoolollaah’s death, until Faatimah’s death, ^cAli and Faatimah repeatedly received hurtful news from ^cAa’eshah; but despite the great pain and anger they remained patient.

And ^cAli and Faatimah were let down and vanquished; and Fadak was usurped; and although Faatimah argued several times for its return, but it was not returned. And regarding that, she heard many hurtful things from ^cAa’eshah.

And when she died, all of Rasoolollaah’s wives came to console Bani Haashim, except ^cAa’eshah who did not come and pretended illness; and ^cAli heard something from her indicating her happiness [for Faatimah’s death]!![37])).