Lady Fatima's Sermon to the Women of Medina

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Lady Fatima's Sermon to the Women of Medina
Other namesSermon of Visitation
SubjectLady Fatima's Sermon to the Women of Medina
Issued byLady Fatima (a)
NarratorImam 'Ali (a), Fatima bt. al-Imam al-Hasan (a), Fatima bt. al-Imam al-Hasan (a), Suwayd b. Ghafla
Shi'a sourcesMa'ani l-akhbar, al-Ihtijaj, Dala'il al-imama
Sunni sourcesBalaghat al-nisa', Sharh nahj al-balagha (by Ibn Abi l-Hadid)


Lady Fāṭīma's sermon addressed to the women of Medina, also known as the Sermon of Visitation, comprises her words of protest against the usurpation of the caliphate. Delivered during her illness, which eventually led to her martyrdom, this sermon is significant for its depiction of the state of the Muslim community following the demise of the Prophet (s), its warnings about the future of the Islamic society, and its eloquence and rhetorical power.

In the Sermon of Visitation, Lady Fatima (a) disavows the oath-breakers and rebukes the people for the blind following and betrayal of their covenant, painting a picture of their disloyalty. She addresses several key themes: analyzing the current state of affairs, predicting a grim future for the Muslim community, highlighting the characteristics of an ideal Alawi government, critiquing the intellectual weakness and discord among the people of Medina, emphasizing the public's responsibility in countering governmental corruption, and exposing the reality of Saqifa. In her sermon, she references several Quranic verses, including Qur'an 5: 80 regarding the consequences of following desires, Qur'an 7: 96, and Qur'an 39: 51, which rebuke those who fail to adhere to the truth, as well as Qur'an 10: 35, which highlights the qualities of those worthy of leadership.

Lady Fatima's sermon addressed to the women of the Muhajirun and Ansar has been cited in Shia and Sunni hadith collections through various chains of transmission. Religious scholars have also explained this sermon in works dedicated to Lady Fatima's life and in commentaries on her speeches.

Introduction and Significance

Lady Fatima's sermon addressed to the women of Medina, also known as the Sermon of Visitation, comprises words she delivered from her sickbed to the women who came to visit her during her final illness, which ultimately led to Toggle the table of contents her martyrdom.[1] There is no precise information about the number or identities of the visiting women. However, in Balaghat al-nisa[2] and Ibn Abi al-Hadid's commentary on Nahj al-Balagha,[3] it is mentioned that several women from Muhajirun and Ansar came to see her. Additionally, Tarikh al-Ya'qubi notes that the Prophet's wives and a group of women from the Quraysh were among those who visited her.[4]

Some researchers consider Fatima Zahra's speech to the women of Medina to possess remarkable eloquence, rhetoric, and profound content.[5] According to them, given Fatima's awareness of the developments in the nascent Islamic society, she employed various speech acts, such as assertive, emotional, and persuasive, to significantly impact her audience.[6] This text is also seen as evidence of her insight into the issues and dynamics prevailing in Medina at the time.[7]

Makarim Shirazi, a prominent Shia authority, describes this sermon as having a resonant and courageous tone, similar to the Sermon of Fadak, but with a more sorrowful undertone.[8] According to him, although Fatima (a) had suffered greatly and was bedridden due to injuries sustained during the attack on her home, she said nothing about her own condition in this sermon. Instead, she focused entirely on the usurpation of the caliphate, the cruelties done to 'Ali, and the future dangers of this significant deviation. This, he notes, reflects her selflessness and her state of contentment and submission to God.[9]

Background of the Sermon

In her final days (after the attack on her home), Fatima (a) fell gravely ill, and the women of the Muhajirun and Ansar came to visit her.[10] It has been suggested that the visiting women were sent by their husbands, who felt responsible for the unfortunate events that had occurred Fatima (a). By sending their wives, they sought to alleviate their guilt and appease their consciences.[11] Additionally, some believe that political motives played a role in this visit, aiming to mend relations between the Prophet's family and the ruling authority and to ease tensions in Medina.[12]

Contents of the Sermon

Main page: Text:Lady Fatima's Sermon to the Women of Medina

In her sermon during the visitation, Fatima (a) denounces the oath-breakers[13] and rebukes the people for their blind following, painting a picture of their disloyalty.[14] She addresses several key themes, including an analysis of the current circumstances, a prediction of a bleak future for Muslims, the characteristics of Alawi governance, intellectual weakness and divisions, the people's responsibility in confronting governmental corruption, and a depiction of the Saqifa faction.[15] In this sermon, she references several Quranic verses, such as Qur'an 5: 80 on the consequences of following desires, Qur'an 7: 96 and Qur'an 39: 51 criticizing the neglect of truth, and Qur'an 10: 35 on the qualities of those worthy of leadership.[16]

Rebuking the People

At the beginning of her sermon, Fatima Zahra (a) rebukes the Muhajirun and Ansar for being manipulated by the ruling faction[17] and for their silence and complicity in the face of the deviation. She laments how their once ironclad resolve had faltered and weakened during the Prophet's time.[18] Fatima (a) likens them to broken swords and shattered spears,[19] metaphors reflecting the intellectual weakness and disunity of the Muslim community in the face of events following the demise of the Prophet (s).[20] She holds the Muhajirun and Ansar responsible for the usurpation of the caliphate, as they succumbed to the prevailing atmosphere,[21] declaring that the disgrace of their actions would stain their legacy for all of history.[22]

Explaining the Reasons Why 'Ali Was Excluded from the Caliphate

In the second part of her sermon, Fatima (a) identifies the main motivation behind excluding Imam 'Ali (a) from the caliphate as his unwavering resolve and courage on the battlefield against the enemies of Islam, the pain inflicted by his sword, his indifference to death, his anger for the sake of God, and his refusal to compromise with the enemies of God.[23]

Characteristics of 'Ali's Governance

In a part of her sermon, Fatima (a) describes the kind of governance the people would have experienced if 'Ali had become their leader. Such a government would have been characterized by the separation of truth from falsehood, the prevention of tyranny by the remnants of the polytheists, the ruler's compassion and genuine concern for the well-being of Muslims, and guidance without violence. It would have quenched the thirst for justice from the fountain of truth, reflected the ruler's detachment from worldly possessions, distinguished the truthful from the deceitful, and brought blessings to the Islamic society through adherence to piety and divine guidance.[24]

Characterizing the Usurping Rulers

In the next part of her speech, Lady Fatima (a) expresses her astonishment at the actions of the Muslims. She questions why they turned to false friends, chose unworthy leaders, and committed so much injustice and tyranny.[25] Some suggest that her intention might have been to challenge the people's reasoning for abandoning a strong and trustworthy figure like Imam 'Ali (a) and the Ahl al-Bayt (a) in favor of others.[26] As she puts it, the people left the "head" and clung to the "tail", following the ignorant while forsaking the learned. They mistook their wrongdoing for righteousness. Fatima (a) regarded them as corrupt individuals who perceived their own corruption as virtuous.[27]

Predicting a Turbulent Future

The final part of Fatima's speech in this gathering is a warning about the consequences of wrong choices. She cautions the people about sharp swords, the rule of oppressive and bloodthirsty tyrants, widespread chaos, and a despotic government that would squander the wealth of the Muslims and scatter their communities.[28] According to Makarim Shirazi, Fatima's remarks may allude to the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties, figures such as Hajjaj b. Yusuf, and events like the tragedy of Harra.[29]

Reaction of the Muhajirun and Ansar to Fatima's Words

According to Suwayd b. Ghafla, after the women relayed Fatima's words to their husbands, a group of men came to her to apologize. They claimed that since they had pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr, they were religiously bound and could not break their pledge, excusing themselves from supporting the Ahl al-Bayt (a). Upon hearing their words, Fatima (a) responded: "Leave me and do not speak to me, for your apology is insincere.[30] You have no excuse for failing to defend the truth and will bear responsibility for the calamities that would unfold in the future."[31]

Sources of the Sermon

Lady Fatima's sermon delivered to the women of the Muhajirun and Ansar has been narrated by both infallible Imams and non-infallible transmitters in the works of Shia and Sunni scholars.[32] This sermon has been transmitted through multiple chains,[33] including:

Commentaries

Lady Fatima's sermon to the women of Medina has been discussed as an independent text and within the context of books about her life and commentaries on her sermons.

  • Malaki-yi Islam; Sharh-i khutba-yi Fadakiyya wa khutba-yi hadrat-i Zahra (a) dar jam'-i zanan-i Madina (The Queen of Islam; a commentary on Fadakiyya sermon and Lady Zahra's sermon among the women of Medina) by Mirza Khalil Kamara'i.[42]
  • Ranjnama-yi kawthar-i afarinish; Sharh-i khutba-yi duwwum, 'ayadat-i zanan-i Muhajir wa Ansar az hadrat-i Zahra (a) (Epistle of sorrow of the Kawthar of creation; a commentary on the second sermon, the visitation of women of Muhajirun and Ansar to Lady Zahra (a)) by Sayyid Mujtaba Burhani.
  • Sharh-i khutba-yi hadrat-i Zahra (a) wa majara-yi Fadak (a commentary on the sermon of Lady Zahra (a) and the event of Fadak) by Husayn 'Ali Muntaziri.[43] (a commentary on Fadakiyya and Visitation sermons).
  • Zahra bartarin banu-yi jahan (Zahra the most virtuous lady in the world) by Nasir Makarim Shirazi[44] (a commentary on Fadakiyya and Visitation sermons within historiography of Lady Fatima's life from birth to the Prophet's demise and beyond).
  • Sira wa sima-yi rayhana-yi payambar by 'Ali Karami Faridani[45] (a commentary on Lady Zahra's sermons within an account of her life and virtues in 22 sections)

Notes

  1. ↑ Ṭabrisī, al-Iḥtijāj, vol. 1, p. 108.
  2. ↑ Ibn Ṭayfūr, Balāghāt al-nisāʿ, p. 19.
  3. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ Nahj al-balāgha, vol. 16, p. 233.
  4. ↑ Yaʿqūbī, Tārīkh al-Yaʿqūbī, vol. 2, p. 115.
  5. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar, p. 734.
  6. ↑ Khuzaʿī, Taḥlīl-i khuṭba-yi ʿayādat-i Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 7- 8.
  7. ↑ Fattāḥīzāda, Asnād wa shurūḥ-i khuṭbahā-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 17- 18.
  8. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 211.
  9. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 212- 215.
  10. ↑ Khuzaʿī, Taḥlīl-i khuṭba-yi ʿayādat-i Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 16.
  11. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 734.
  12. ↑ Khuzaʿī, Taḥlīl-i khuṭba-yi ʿayādat-i Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 16.
  13. ↑ Pūrsayyidāqāʾī, Khuṭbahā-yi Fāṭima (a), p. 60.
  14. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 379.
  15. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 371; Dashtī, Farhang-i sukhanān-i Fāṭima-yi Zahrā (a), p. 90- 96; Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 737- 745.
  16. ↑ Pūrsayyidāqāʾī, Khuṭbahā-yi Fāṭima (a), p. 60.
  17. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 737.
  18. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 221.
  19. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 738.
  20. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 383- 384.
  21. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 385.
  22. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 222.
  23. ↑ Dashtī, Farhang-i sukhanān-i Fāṭima-yi Zahrā (a), p. 92; Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 393- 395.
  24. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 227- 228; Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 402- 410; Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 741.
  25. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 742- 743.
  26. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 414.
  27. ↑ Dashtī, Farhang-i sukhanān-i Fāṭima-yi Zahrā (a), p. 94- 95.
  28. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 744- 745; Dashtī, Farhang-i sukhanān-i Fāṭima-yi Zahrā (a), p. 95.
  29. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 238- 241.
  30. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 424- 426.
  31. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 748- 749.
  32. ↑ Fattāḥīzāda, Asnād wa shurūḥ-i khuṭbahā-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 18.
  33. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 215.
  34. ↑ Ṣadūq, Maʿānī al-akhbār, p. 354- 356.
  35. ↑ Ṭabarī, Dalāʾil al-imāma, p. 125.
  36. ↑ Ibn Ṭayfūr, Balāghāt al-nisāʿ, p. 19.
  37. ↑ Ibn Abī l-Ḥadīd, Sharḥ nahj al-balāgha, vol. 16, p. 233.
  38. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Al-Iḥtijāj, vol. 1, p. 108.
  39. ↑ Ḥillī, Khulāṣat al-aqwāl, p. 163.
  40. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 43, p. 159.
  41. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 376- 377.
  42. ↑ A look at the book "Malaki-yi Islam", a book explaining the sermons of Lady Fāṭīma Zahra (a).
  43. ↑ Muntaẓirī, Sharḥ-i khuṭba-yi Ḥaḍrat-i Zahrā (a), p. 371- 428.
  44. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Zahrā (a) bartarin bānū-yi jahān, p. 211- 247.
  45. ↑ Karamī, Sīra wa sīmā-yi rayḥāna-yi payāmbar (s), p. 733- 749.

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