Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a): Difference between revisions

Fatima had many suitors including many famous [[Companions of the Prophet (s)]] such as [[Abu Bakr]], [['Umar]], [['Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf]], etc. But the Prophet rejected them giving an excuse that Fatima is very young. Furthermore, some of [[Muhajirun]] proposed her from the Prophet (s); but he told them: “God is responsible for her marriage and no one else. I am waiting for God’s decision for her [Marriage].” (When Imam Ali (a) proposed, he said: “O Ali! Various men has mentioned her but whenever I told her I saw expressions of dislike on her face; but let me go to her [and ask her].” When the Prophet entered the house Fatima took his clack and sandals and brought him water to wash his face and hand, then the Prophet said: “O, Fatima! you know the kinship, the merits and the antecedence in Islam of Ali. Besides, I asked God to marry you to the best person and the most favorite one to Him. Ali has just mentioned your name [for marriage], so what do you say? She stayed silent and did not move her head. When the Prophet did not see expression of dislike on her face, he stood up saying “Allah Akbar! Her silence is her acceptance.” Then Gabriel came to the Prophet and said, “Marry her to Ali b. Abi Talib. God has chosen her for him and him for her.”)

However, when Imam Ali proposed, he accepted his proposal immediately. Later, he told Fatima, “I have married you to the first Muslim from this nation.”

===Becoming the Prophets’ Neighbor===

Being away from Fatima, his beloved daughter who had kept the memory of Khadija alive, was very difficult for the Prophet (s). So, few days after the marriage, he thought of accommodating them in his house. Since preparing a separated house for them was hard, he decided to accommodate them in his own house. However, it was not possible either; as his house was small and ‘A’isha and Suda (his wives) lived with him in the house. When Harithat b. Nu’man, one of his companions, knew that; he gave one of his houses that was near to the Prophet’s house to Imam Ali (a) and Fatima (s).

She had 4 children by Ali (a). Two sons, Hasan and Husayn, and two daughters, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum. There is no doubt among historians about the existence of these 4 children.

Imam al-Hasan (a) was born on Ramadan 15, 3 (February 22, 625) and Imam al-Husayn (a) was born in Sha’ban 3, 4 (January 11, 626).

Some Shi’a biographers and Sunni scholars have named another son named Muhassan, for her. Baladhuri (d. 279/892) writes, “Fatima gave birth to Hasan, Husayn and Muhassan. Muhassan died in his childhood.” He also reports, “When Muhassan was born, the Prophet (s) asked Fatima: what did you name him? She siad: Harb. He said: his name in Muhassan.” Also Ali b. Ahmad b. Sa’id al-Andulusi (b. 384/994 d. 456/1064) the author of Jamhart ansab al-‘Arab, writes: “Muhassan died in childhood.” However,  Mus’ab al-Zubayri (d. 236/851), who lived before Baladhuri and al-Andulusi, and authored  Nasab al-Quraysh, did not mention anything about Muhassan.

Main entry: Mushin b. Ali

Shaykh al-Mufid counts Imam Ali’s children from Fatima as follow: “Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab al-Kubra and Zaynab al-Sughra, whose kuniya is Umm Kulthum.” Toward the end of the same chapter he adds “some Shi’a said that after the Prophet (s), Fatima had a miscarriage of a boy called Muhsin.” It has been narrated in Shi’a hadiths and some Sunni sources that she had the miscarriage during the events happened to her after the Prophet’s demise.