Zindagani Fatima Zahra (a) (book)

Zindagani Fatima Zahra (a) (book)

Author	Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi
Original title	زندگانی فاطمه زهرا سلام الله علیها
Language	Persian
Series	1 vol.
Subject	Biography of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (a)
Published	1360 sh/1981-2

Zindagānī Fāṭima Zahrā (literally: the life of Fatima al-Zahra) is a book in Persian written by Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi (d. 2008) concerning Fatima (a). The book is an account of the life of the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (s), in which events and analyses are also provided. Shahidi begins with the lifetime of the Prophet (s) and finishes with the martyrdom of Fatima al-Zahra (a) and its subsequent events. Daftar-i Nashr-i Farhang-i Islami has repeatedly published the book and its summary.

Author

Main article: Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi

Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi (1297 sh/1918-9 -1386 sh/2008) was a historiographer, translator, Persian language and literature researcher, and a professor at the Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences of the University of Tehran. He was a prominent student of 'Ali Akbar Dihkhuda and Badi' al-Zaman Furuzanfar at the University of Tehran. Before that, he had studied at the Seminary of Qom and Seminary of Najaf, where he attended the lectures of Ayatollah Burujirdi and Ayatollah al-Khu'i. He had allegedly obtained the degree of ijtihad.

Author's Remark

Shahidi introduces the Quranic verse, "We relate to you their account in truth." He characterizes the book as an account of the life story of the greatest lady in Islam, Fatima al-Zahra (a). The author believes that the book contains not only a personal life story but also instructive points.

He considers his own work as an analysis of several surprising events that took place centuries earlier. However, if the protagonists of the events are put aside, we will see that the same events have taken place throughout history and even in our own time around the corners of the world. Although the times and places in which these events took place are far from us, their effects have not only aged but still remain fresh. In the end, Shahidi emphasizes that after reading the book, readers will find that his remarks are in no way exaggerated.

Contents

Sayyid Ja'far Shahidi cites over seventy Shia and Sunni sources in this book. The book is not structured into chapters, but its content proceeds from the lifetime of the Prophet of Islam (s) to the martyrdom of Fatima al-Zahra (a). He concerns himself with other issues as well. Here are some sections of the book:

• What are those events?

• The Arabian Desert

• Lady Khadija (a)

• The name and titles of the daughter of the Prophet (s)

• From the marriage proposal to Fatima al-Zahra's move in her husband's house

• al-Zahra's life in her husband's house

• The birth of Imam al-Hasan (a) and the Battle of Uhud

• Fatima al-Zahra (a), the master of all ladies in all the worlds

• Has there ever been a feud between Fatima and her husband?

• The worship of the Prophet's daughter

• Fadak at the Prophet's disposal being handed over to al-Zahra

• The Conquest of Mecca

• The Farewell Hajj

• The Prophet's demise

• Attack on the Prophet's house

• Usurpation of Fadak by the government

• The refuge of justice seekers

• Abu Bakr's response to the Prophet's daughter

• Was Fatima (a) ill before the Prophet's demise?

• Fatima's instructive words in her deathbed

• On the threshold of the divine kingdom

• The burial of Fatima al-Zahra (a)

• The grave of the Prophet's daughter

• A lesson for history

• Selections of poems by Arab Shiite poets

• The Prophet's daughter in Persian poetry

• Children of Fatima (a)

• The last station of the caravan

Summary and Publications

Daftar-i Nashr-i Farhang-i Islami Publications published the full version of the book in 1360 sh/1981-2. Zindagani Fatima Zahra has been repeatedly reprinted throughout the years. In 1394 sh/2015-6, it was reprinted for the 60th time. A summary of the book has also been published and repeatedly reprinted.