Brief Biography of Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra’s life
Name, Title and Birth
Her name was “Fatimah’ and her title was “Az-Zahra and Batool. She was the
the youngest daughter of Allah’s Messenger and she was his most beloved daughter.
There is disagreement in regards to the year of her birth. Some people have
claimed that she was born when the Messenger of Allah was 41 years old
whilst others have claimed that she was born one year prior to the announcement
of prophethood.
Ibn Jawzi has written that she was born five years before the
announcement of prophethood when the construction of the Kaaba was ongoing.
Her Marriage
According to the famous narrations, Sayyidah Fatimah’s marriage with Sayyiduna
Ali (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) took place in 2 AH when she was eighteen years old. There are some narrations
in which it is claimed that she was fifteen and a half years old when the marriage
took place in 2 AH.
It is narrated by Nisaa’ii that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) and Sayyiduna
Omar (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) requested in the court of Rasoolullah to be permitted to marry
Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra (radiya Llahu ‘anha) but the Messenger of Allah did not accept their
proposal. Thereafter, Sayyiduna Ali (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) requested to be permitted to marry the
the youngest daughter of Allah’s Messenger and the beloved accepted the request
and performed the Nikah ceremony of Sayyidah Fatimah and Sayyiduna Ali.
The dowry in the marriage agreement was 400 Mithqaal of silver. (Al-Fataawa Ar-
Ridwiyyah Volume 5 Page 325)
Her Bridal Portion
As a bridal gift to his beloved daughter, the Master of creation gave a wooden
bed and a leather mattress that was filled with the leaves of date palm trees rather
than cotton. He also gave Sayyidah Fatimah (radiya Llahu ‘anhu) a bottle, musk, two grinds, and two
earthen water pots. (Seerat-us-Sahaabiyaat Page 100)
Prior to the marriage, Sayyiduna Ali resided in the house of Rasoolullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and
when there was a need for a new house after marriage, Sayyiduna Harithah Ibn
Nu’maan Al-Ansaari en gave one of his houses to Sayyiduna Ali.
When Sayyidah Fatimah moved to her new dwelling, the Messenger arrived at her home
and sought permission from the outside before entering the house. The beloved
Messenger ordered that water be placed in a utensil and when the water arrived,
he placed both his hands in the water and sprinkled the water upon the arms and
chest of Sayyiduna Ali (radiya Llahu ‘anhu). Thereafter, the beloved ones called Sayyidah Fatimah Az-
Zahra hele and sprinkled her similarly and told her that the best person in their
family was married to Sayyidah Fatimah. (Az-Zarqaani)
Her Domestic Lifestyle
In spite of being the daughter of the best of all creation
Sayyidah Fatimah teres
ran domestic affairs with her own hands. She would sweep the ground by herself,
she would grind the corn, etc. herself and she would fill water in the pot and carry
the water without any assistance which resulted in the development of spots on her
hands as well as corns on the skin of her body.
Once a maid and a servant were part
of the war booty. Nervously, Sayyidah Fatimah Dengan approached the Messenger of
Allah me and requested in his court that there was a need for a maid in her house
for assistance in domestic affairs and she showed him the spots on her hands. The
The messenger said to her that the orphans of Badr were more worthy than her of
possessing the maid and the servant. (Seerat-us-Sahaabiyaat) In another narration,
it is stated that when Sayyidah Fatimah Untuk requested domestic assistance,
Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra
the Messenger of Allah swore by Allah that he could not provide her with a
servant or a maid whilst the Ahl-us-Suffah were tying stones around their stomachs
due to the severity of hunger. (Barakaate-Aale Rasool)
Sayyidah Fatimah’s Virtues
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrate a Hadeeth in which the Messenger til said,
فاطمة بضعة مني فمن أغضبها فقد أغضبني
وفي بعضها، أنه قال: إنما فاطمة بضعة مني يؤذيني ما آذاه
“Fatimah is flesh from within me. Whosoever infuriates her has infuriated me.” In
a narration, he said, “Whatever displeases her, displeases me and whatever hurts
her hurts me.” (Mishkaah-tul-Masaabeeh Page 568)
Those who poisoned Imam Hasan and the people who martyred Imam Hussain
in the desert of Karbala hurt Sayyidah Fatimah and the Messenger of Allah
The one who offends the Messengers has offended Allah. Those who offend
Allah and His Messenger are accursed in this world and the next. It is the
statement of Allah,
( إن الذين يؤذون الله ورسوله لعنهم الله في الدنيا والآخرة وأعد لهم عذابا مهينا )
‘Those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this
world and in the hereafter and He has prepared for them a humiliating
punishment.’ (Al-Qur’an Surah 33:58)
The Messenger of Allah said,
فاطمة الزهراء، سيدة نساء أهل الجنة
“Fatimah is the mistress of Paradise’s women.” (Al-Bukhari Volume 1 Page 532)
It is narrated by Sayyiduna Ibn Abdil Birr that the Messenger
Fatimah,
said to Sayyidah
ألا ترضين ان تكوني سيدة نساء أهل الجنة، أو نساء أمتي
“My daughter, are you not pleased that you are the mistress of the universe’s
women?” Sayyidah Fatimah Pune asked her father,
صلى الله عليه وسلم انه قال: لفاطمة: يا بنية الا ترضين انك سيدة نساء العالمين، قالت: يا أبت فأين مريم، قال: تلك سيدة نساء عالمها
“My father, where is Mariam (in terms of status?)” The beloved of Allah replied
“She was the mistress of the women of her time.”
(Ash-Sharf-ul-Mu’abbad Page 54)
Allamah An-Nabhaani states that many scholars such as Shaykh Taqi’uddeen
As-Subki, Shaykh Jalaluddeen As-Suyuti, Shaykh Badruddeen Az-Zarkashi
and Shaykh Taqi’uddeen Al-Maqraiziona elaborate that Sayyidah Fatimah Az-
Zahra is the most virtuous woman in the universe and she is even more virtuous
than Sayyidah Mariam.
When Shaykh Ibn Abi Dawood was asked in regards to
the virtue of Sayyidah Fatimah in comparison to the virtue of Sayyidah Mariam,
the Shaykh replied that the Messenger of Allah mense has described Sayyidah Fatimah
as being a part of his body and the Shaykh could not describe anyone to be equal to
even a part of Rasoolullah.
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that Sayyiduna Ali said to the Holy
Messenger,
اینا احب اليك انا ام فاطمة؟
Which of us is more beloved to you, me or Fatimah?” The Messenger $ replied,
?
فاطمة احب الي منك وانت اعز علي منها
“Fatimah is more beloved to me than you and you are more respectable to me than
her.” (Ash-Shurf-ul-Mu’abbad Page 53)
Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub narrates that on the day of judgment a caller shaii call out
from the midst of the throne,
يا أهل الجمع نکسوا رؤسكم وغضوا أبصاركم حتى تمر فاطمة بنت محمد على
“O people of the congregation! Bow your heads and lower your gazes until Fatimah,
the daughter of Muhammad passes the bridge of Siraat.”
- فتمر مع سبعين الف جارية من الحور العين كمر البرق
“She shall pass (the bridge) in the company of seventy thousand maids from the
heavenly virgins (at an extremely fast pace) like the speed of lightning.” (Sawaa’iq
Muharraqah Page 116)
Imam Nisaa’ii narrates that the Messenger of Allah said,
ان ابنتي فاطمة حوراء ادمية لم تحض ولم تطمث
“
“Indeed my daughter, Fatimah, is a heavenly nymph in a human form. She has
never menstruated.” (Ash-Sharf-ul-Mu’abbad Page 54)
Imam Jalaluddin As-Suyuti writes in ‘Khasaa’is-ul-Kubraa’ that one of the
specialties of Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra is the fact that she never experienced
menstruation. When she would give birth to a child, the postpartum period (nifaas)
would only last a few minutes and thus she would not miss a Salaah. This is why
she was named ‘Az-Zahra.
placed
One day when Sayyidah Fatimah felt hungry, the Noble Prophet
his blessed hand on her chest. After that moment, Sayyidah Fatimah never
felt hunger. Another specialty of Sayyidah Fatimah is the fact that when the
time of her demise came, she bathed and advised that no one should expose her
Sayyiduna Ali, therefore, buried her without bathing her again. (Barakaate-
Aale Rasool Page 133)
Her Demise
The departure of Al-Mustafa Al-Kareem from this world was an extremely
traumatizing event in the life of Sayyidah Fatimah di. She had never been seen
laughing after that day. Six months after the demise of the mercy to all creation
Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra passed away during the night on Tuesday 3rd
Ramadhan 11 AH.
Her demise was the physical manifestation of our Master’s
prophecy as he had informed Sayyidah Fatimah ee that the first person to meet
him from his family would be her.
The funeral prayer (Janaazah) of Sayyidah Fatimah Rent was organized with extreme
care as it was normally the custom of the time to lead the hearse of women without
any covering just like men. Sayyidah Fatimah’s character was full of modesty and
she told the wife of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyidah Asmaa Bint Omais that the
way in which the funeral of women was led without any covering was displeasing
to her. Sayyidah Asmaa made a cradle for Sayyidah Fatimah which pleased
Sayyidah Fatimah een a lot. The commencement of covering the hearses of
women was with the Janaazah of Sayyidah Fatimah penting. The Janaazah of Sayyidah
Fatimah was led by Sayyiduna Ali or Sayyiduna Abbas within and the preferred view
is that she was buried in Jannah-tul-Baqee’. (Madaarij-un-Nubuwwah)
Her Children
Sayyidah Fatimah Az-Zahra was blessed with six children. Three of them
to the
were boys; Sayyiduna Imam Hasan, Sayyiduna Imam Hussain and Sayyiduna
Mohsin.
Her daughters were Sayyidah Umm Kulthum, Sayyidah Zaynab and Sayyidah
Ruqayyah. Sayyiduna Mohsin and Sayyidah Ruqayyah passed away in their
childhood.
Sayyidah Umm Kulthum married Sayyiduna Omar and they had a son
called Sayyiduna Zaid and a daughter named Sayyidah Ruqayyah. Sayyidah
Zaynab married Sayyiduna Abdullah Ibn Jaʼfar tekin. The lineage of the Holy
A prophet shall continue with the children of Sayyiduna Imam Hasan and Imam
Hussain. In other words, Imam Hasan’s and Imam Hussain’s descendants shall be
classed as the descendants of the Messenger.