Hazrat Fatima Zahra (SA) was born in Mecca on Friday the 20th of Jamadi al-Thani, five years after the divine appointment of Prophet Mohammad (S) as the last Messenger to Mankind.
Upbringing
Fatima (SA) was brought up and educated in the family of the Prophet (S) and took advantage of and a share of the knowledge and wisdom of the Prophet (S). She heard the recitation of the Holy Quran from the Prophet (S) and learnt it by heart, and became occupied with the idea and concept of self-training and becoming a complete and real human.
She loved her honorable father and the Holy Quran extremely. She took advantage of and a portion of the blessings of her father's existence. These were the perfections due to which the Prophet (S) loved her to the extreme.
Once his wife Aisha asked him, “Do you love Fatima Zahra (SA) so much that when she arrives you get up from your place to give respect to her and kiss her hands and make her sit next to yourself?"
He replied, “Oh Aisha! If you come to know why I love Fatima (SA) so much, you shall also love her.”
He considered her part and parcel of his life and used to say repeatedly, “Fatima (SA) is a piece of me, whosoever troubles her, he has troubled me, and whoever pleases her has pleased me.” One day, the Prophet (S) of Islam said, “Oh Fatima (SA), God becomes pleased on your being pleased and becomes furious due to your unhappiness and displeasure.”
The father-daughter relationship
The love between the father and daughter was not a one-way process. Indeed, Fatima (SA) loved her father immensely, like he loved her. When Hazrat Khadijah (SA) died, she was not more than six years of age. After the death of her mother, she always looked after the comfort of her father at home. Fatima (SA) was a daughter who constantly and steadily followed the footsteps of her father. The streets and Masjid al-Haram of Mecca were full of those who teased, insulted, and tortured the Prophet (S). Whenever her noble father returned home in an injured condition, she would wash the blood off his sacred face and dress his wounds and encourage him with her sweet conversation.
At such times, her father was a stranger in his own land and among his own people, and was all alone and secluded, and lonely among all those who spoke the same language.
Moreover, he was all alone during his struggle against ignorance and idolatry and he carried the heavy responsibility of preaching all by himself.
At that time, it was only Fatima (SA) who pleased and consoled the heart of her father with her sincere love and affection. By accepting the prophethood of her father, she strengthened his hopes. That is the reason why the Prophet used to say, “May your father sacrifice his life for you.” He would call her the “mother of her father” because she was like a mother for her father.
Marriage
When she attained the age of maturity, it became necessary for her to marry. But she needed a person who could be her match, and would appreciate her status and perfection and maturity of virtues, and would know the real value and virtue of a human being. This is the very aim of Islam, which, as a result, strengthens the marital relationship.
The husband of Fatima (SA) was nominated. God ordered the Prophet (S): "Oh my prophet, get the light (Noor) married to the light, i.e., get Fatima (SA) married with Ali (AS)."
When Ali (AS) approached the Prophet (S) to request the hand of Fatima (SA) in marriage, although he had nothing with him from the wealth of the world, yet he possessed a gem, which was the reflection of everything, including piety and human nobility.
The Prophet (S), having acceded to his request, entered the house to ask Fatima (SA) her opinion on the matter. He said to her: "Oh daughter, you know fully well that Ali (AS) is the one who was the first ever faithful out of the lot. I had prayed to God to provide the best husband for you. Therefore, God has selected Ali (AS) for your husband, so what is your opinion?"
Fatima (SA) remained silent. Her father took her silence as a sign of her agreement and decided to marry her to Ali (AS).
The marriage ceremony
After the gathering of the tribe of Bani Hashim and the friends and relations on the order of the Prophet (S) took place, he delivered a Khutba (sermon) and married Fatima (SA) to Ali (AS) with a dowry equivalent to four hundred masqals of silver. One masqal is nearly 3.45 grams.
Ali (AS) selected a house adjacent to the house of the Prophet (S) because the Prophet (S) could not tolerate separation from Ali (AS) and Fatima (SA). The house of Ali (AS), which was made of mud and date timber, was exactly opposite the window of the house of the Prophet (S) so that he could see them every day.
This was the same house of the Ahl al-Bait of purity and piety which was praised by the Holy Quran and was far from every kind of impurity (sins). The house wherein Ali (AS) was the father, Fatima (SA) the mother and Zeinab, Kulthum, Hassan, and Hussein (AS) were the children. This home is a memorial for all the races of every age.
Blessed relationship
Fatima (SA) had grown up along with Ali (AS) and regarded Ali (AS) as the best husband and the faithful companion and follower of her father. Fate had joined these two saintly persons in such a special way, which did not have any example in that period of darkness and ignorance.
Fatima (SA) knew that although Ali (AS) did not possess anything of the wealth of the world, he had the great treasure of self-sacrifice and devotion, of which he had given proof to fulfill the aspirations of her father. She was aware that all of the youth of her husband was spent defending Islam and in jihad. He did not think about anything except service to Islam and its welfare.
Fatima (SA) never thought that because she was the daughter of a prophet and leader, therefore, she had to have maidservants at her home. Nay, instead she performed all the domestic work with her own hands, like grinding the wheat with a millstone, baking bread, and looking after the children. But, leaving aside everything, she would only think about God. She was always in search of a life of giving and radiant education.
Fatima (SA) was a tree that could only take root and grow in the shade of revelation and bear the fruits of freedom and justice in its deep shadow. This is the very root and origin of the tree of purity.
An exemplary family
The lives of Ali (AS) and Fatima (SA) are a school of thought for future generations so that the people may learn a lesson from them. They had such coordination that when Ali (AS) had free time from work outside the house, he used to lend a helping hand to Fatima (SA). On the other hand, the daughter of the Prophet (S) also always tried to keep Ali (AS) happy. Both led lives full of such love and affection that they never called each other by their names. Rather, whenever Ali (AS) called her he addressed her as "Daughter of the Prophet” and Fatima (SA) would address him as "Amir al-Momineen" (the Commander of the Faithful).
They never neglected the upbringing of their children. They always gave their response with love and affection. They loved their children so much that they never got angry with them or rebuked them and never said anything to them which could annoy them or cause them sorrow.
The fruit of the marriage
In the fourth year of the Hijra, the first son was born to Fatima (SA), who was named Hassan (AS). The birth of this child saved the Prophet (S) from the torture of the enemies and the sorrow of the separation of friends. He happily and joyfully visited the house of Fatima (SA) and took Imam Hassan (AS) into his lap and recited azan (the call to prayer) in his ears.
One year after the birth of Imam Hassan (AS), Imam Hussein (AS) was born.
One year after the birth of Imam Hussein (AS), a female baby was born, who was named Zeinab (SA), and after another year, another female baby was born who was named Kulthum (SA).
The superiority of Fatima (SA)
No one has the right in Islam to bury a dead body in the mosque. Masjid al-Haram in Mecca is the most important of all mosques, being the qibla (direction of prayer) of all the mosques of the world.
A lady named Hajar is buried there. God has ordered all human beings to visit Mecca and perform the circumambulation of her grave. But the status of Fatima (SA) is much higher and more sublime than the lady who has been laid to rest in the Ka’ba.
Fatima (SA) at her father's deathbed
The Prophet (S) was on his deathbed. His head was in the lap of Ali (AS) and Fatima (SA) was weeping holding the hand of her father. Suddenly, the Prophet (S) opened his eyes, and when he saw her weeping, he said: "Oh daughter! Recite the Holy Quran for me." Fatima (SA) recited a few verses from the Holy Quran. The Prophet (S), by asking his dear daughter to recite the verses, intended to hear her voice in the last moments of his life. No sooner had the Prophet (S) passed away but the house turned into a house of mourning. The delicate heart of Fatima (SA) was deeply affected by her father's death.
Death
In the last months of her life, Fatima (SA) made efforts to set a proper foundation for the caliphate.
After the death of the Prophet (S), Fatima (SA) mourned much. It became difficult for her to live. She became fed up with the world and day by day became keen and restless for death.
Till at last, on Monday the 3rd of Jamadi al-Thani, in the 11th year of the Hijra, she bade farewell to her children and husband and passed away. She died in the same year as her father had died.
At the time of her demise, Imam Hassan (AS) was 7 years of age, Imam Hussain (AS) was 6 years old, Zeinab (SA) was 5 years old, and Kulthum (SA) was 3 years old. God knows how painful was the separation from Fatima (SA) for her children and husband.
When her time of death approached, she asked her maidservant to bring her water to take a bath and new clothes because the time to meet her father was at hand. The maidservant brought her the water and she put on new clothes after taking a bath and lied down upon the bed facing the Ka’ba. After a short while, her eyes closed and her lips became silent and motionless and she proceeded toward paradise.
Imam Ali (AS), as per her last will, bathed her and buried her in the darkness of night. Her grave was kept secret and its exact location is still unknown.
The testament and will of Fatima (SA) made it clear to the people of those days and all to come that the daughter of the Prophet (S) was subjected to oppression. Fatima (SA) remained unhappy and troubled by those oppressors up to her death.
After Fatima (SA) passed away, Ali (AS) and the children became secluded and lonely. Ali (AS) sat by her grave and repeated a few sentences in a low voice and then facing the grave of the Prophet (S), he said: "Oh Prophet of God! I am returning to you that one which you had entrusted to me. O Lord! Ask Fatima (SA) what happened to us. She will tell you all about it."
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