Each year the Imamiyyah Shiites\ncommemorate two historic-religious events: the tragedy of Ashura, martyrdom of\nImam Hussain (PBUH), and the tragic martyrdom of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra\n(PBUH). Indeed, it is our duty to put\nforth effort in keeping the memory of these events alive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps those not familiar with Shiite\nbeliefs may question the purpose of commemorating the tragic past events,\nthinking remembering these sad events will only cause further disunity within\nMuslim communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reply to this uncertainty we must\nsay that if the events we commemorate are merely for historic purposes, then\nmourning over them are not only unnecessary, but also utterly useless. However,\nwhat if remembering these events closely relate to religious beliefs? What if\nthese events actually had an impact in shaping people’s beliefs: beliefs that\ndirectly influenced their lives in both this world and the hereafter? And upon this we conclude that in fact it is\nobligatory on every truth-seeking and religious person to investigate the\nhistories of the two schools of thought in Islam. Each school of thought\nintroduced itself as religious references for the nation through either the\nconcept of caliphate or Imamat. In this regards, the Holy Quran says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Is He then\nWho guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not\ngo aright unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you; how do you\njudge?\u201d (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Studying the sayings and teachings of\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) shows that observing the rights of the Ahl\nal-Bayt (PBUT) holds an especially high status, and as a result showing\naffection and love towards the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) is one of the most obvious\nways of observing their rights. Insistent commandments of the Messenger of\nAllah (PBUH&HP) to observe the rights of the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) on one\nhand, and the frequent Ahadith which indicate the value in loving the Ahl\nal-Bayt (PBUT) on the other hand have caused Muslims to pay special attention\ntowards love and affection for the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT). In his last sayings,\nProphet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) continued emphasizing this tradition regarding\nthe Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) (2). In another statement, he has identified the best\nperson towards the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) as the best of the nation (3); and in the\nfamous Hadith of Thaqalayn, he has referred to the Holy Quran and the Ahl\nal-Bayt (PBUT) as two valuable, equal, and inseparable things, and has\ninsistently ordered the observation of both (4). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a Hadith frequently narrated by\nShia and Sunni sources, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) has said: “Fatimah\nis the master of all the women of the worlds” (5). And regarding her\nproximity towards Allah (SWT), he has said: “O Fatimah! Verily Allah\nbecomes wrathful for your anger, and is pleased at your pleasure” (6). His\nlove for Lady Fatimah (PBUH) was so much that he would repeatedly say:\n“Fatimah is a piece of my flesh” (7). Other sources have also\nintroduced a fuller version of the previous Hadith, adding that: “She is\nthe flesh of me which is in my chest, the light of my eyes, and the fruit of my\nheart” (8). Moreover, he had specifically ordered people to respect Lady\nFatimah (PBUH) and he presented this order through his behavior (9), sayings,\nand titles (10) he attributed to Lady Fatimah (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Scholars and historians unanimously\nagree that love towards Lady Fatimah (PBUH) is of the most obvious and\npractical ways in expressing love for the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT). In the commentary of verse 23 in chapter 42\nof the Holy Quran (11), both Sunni and Shia interpreters have induced that the\nterm family (Aal) in this verse refers to Lady Fatimah (PBUH) as one of its\nmembers (12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Considering the above statements, to\nsome the thought of Lady Fatimah (PBUH) being oppressed by the governors after\nthe death of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) may seem as a total\nmisconception. Yet, the facts can be easily found in authentic history books,\nauthored by Shia and Sunni historians, which narrate the incidents after the\ndeath of the Prophet (PBUH&HP). These recordings clearly indicate how Lady\nFatimah (PBUH) would express her constant state of suffering from the\noppressions induced upon her by the governors after the death of the Prophet\n(PBUH&HP): “I suffered so many tragedies that if they had hit bright\ndays, they would have turned into dark nights”. In another incident when\nUmm-Salama asked for her health, Lady Fatimah (PBUH) clearly complained about\nthe absence of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and the oppressions placed upon his\nrightful successor; and she named hypocrisy in religion and avenging the\nvictories of Imam Ali (PBUH) as causes for these incidents (13). A brief look\nat her fiery and doleful sermon in the mosque, in the presence of the Muhajirin\nand Ansar, clarifies how she condemns the deviations made by the ruler of the\ngovernment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And finally, upon seeing the\nindifference of people toward the oppressions of the government and toward the\ndeviations made in Islam, as a sign of objection she asked Imam Ali (PBUH) to\nperform her burial ceremony in secret, and for her grave to be hidden from the\npublic (14). Indeed this was an\nawakening call for people to ask:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Why\ndespite all the commandments and recommendations made about her, did the life\nof the only daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) end in such a\nmanner?” (15)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We pay our condolences to all lovers\nof the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) upon the martyrdom of the daughter of Messenger of\nAllah, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1- The Holy\nQuran (10, 35)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2- Majma’\nal-Zawa’id, vol. 9, p. 163- Sawa’iq al-Muhraqa, pp. 90 & 136<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3- Faid\nal-Ghadir, vol. 3, p. 497<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4- Sahih Muslim,\nvol. 7, p. 123, Published in Cairo in 1334 AH<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5- Fada’il\nal-Khamsa min Sihah Sittah, vol. 3- Ihqaq al-Haqq, vol. 10- Bihar al Anwar,\nvol. 43<\/p>\n\n\n\n
6- Dhakha’ir\nal-Uqba, p. 39- Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 3, p. 153- Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 522-\nBihar al-Anwar, vol. 43. p. 19<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7- Sahih Muslim,\nvol. 7, p. 140- Sahih Tirmadhi, vol. 2, p. 319- Mustadrak Haakim, vol. 3, p.\n153<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8- Bihar\nal-Anwar, vol. 43. pp. 24 & 80<\/p>\n\n\n\n
9- There are\nnumerous reports about the unique relationship between Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) and Lady Fatimah (PBUH): a relationship far deeper than a simple\nfather-daughter relation. Examples of such reports can be found in page 364 of\nManaqib. Ibn Maghazili narrates that after the revelation of verse 24 of\nchapter 24, Allah (SWT) ordered people to call the Prophet (PBUH&HP)\nrespectfully by his specified title of “messenger of Allah”. Lady\nFatimah (PBUH) would also call him with this title, when her father upon\nbending down to kiss her hand, requested that she continue calling him\n“Father” like before, for this was a word that he loved more, and for\nwhich Allah (SWT) was pleased with as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
10- The Prophet\n(PBUH&HP) himself chose the title “Umm Abiha” (the mother of his\nfather) for Lady Fatimah (PBUH), and this has been narrated by both Shia and\nSunni. See Kashf al-Ghummah, vol. 2, p. 88 and Al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 365\n(Published in Egypt)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
11- “Say: I\ndo not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
12- For example,\nZamakhshari says: “There is no doubt that the relation between Fatimah\n(PBUH), Ali (PBUH), Hassan (PBUH), Hussain (PBUH), and Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) was the firmest and closest of relations, and this certainty is\nlike the certainty about a frequent narration. Thus, it is appropriate to\nbelieve in them as the family of the Prophet (PBUT)”. (Tafsir of\nAl-Kashaf, under verse 23 of chapter 42)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
13- Bihar\nal-Anwar, vol. 43, pp. 156 & 157<\/p>\n\n\n\n
14- Bihar\nal-Anwar, vol. 43, pp. 192 & 193 & 214<\/p>\n\n\n\n
15- This excerpt\nwas written by consulting the following sources:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– “The\nWhistle of Guidance”, lecture series of Ayatullah Dhia Abadi, pamphlet\nnumber 28<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– “The life\nof Lady Fatimah al Zahra (PBUH) and her daughters”, Sayyid Hashim Rasouli\nMahallati<\/p>\n\n\n\n
– “Sadness\nfor ever; Why Shiites Mourn in Fatemyiah”, by Sayyid Mujtaba Mousawi Rad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keywords Keywords : Proof that Lady Fatimah (PBUH) was Oppressed, Order to\nrespect the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), The Reason\nfor Mourning, Order to respect Lady Fatimah (PBUH) by Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Each year the Imamiyyah Shiites commemorate two historic-religious events: the tragedy of Ashura, martyrdom of Imam Hussain (PBUH), and the tragic martyrdom of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (PBUH). Indeed, it is our duty to put forth effort in keeping the memory of these events alive. Perhaps those not familiar with Shiite beliefs may question the purpose […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[19463,19462,19465,17892,19464,19003,19236,18418],"class_list":["post-4091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2006-06-30","tag-a-question-for-the-future","tag-ashura","tag-imam-hussain","tag-imamiyyah","tag-judge","tag-lady-fatimah-al-zahra","tag-occasion-letters"],"yoast_head":"\n