wikishia:Featured Article/2019/02

Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (a) (b. 8 BH/615 - d. 11/632) was the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (s) and Lady Khadija (a) and the wife of Imam Ali (a). She was staunchly against the decisions made during the event of Saqifa; she regarded the caliphate of the first caliph as illegitimate and, therefore, never paid allegiance to him. In defense of the right of Imam Ali (a) to caliphate and objecting to the Usurpation of Fadak, she delivered a speech that became famously known as the Fadakiyya sermon. After the demise of the Holy Prophet (s), Fatima (a) was injured when a group of the supporters of the first caliph attacked her home. As a result, she became very ill and, after a very short time, passed away on the Jumada II 3, 11/August 26, 632 in Medina. The blessed body of the Holy Prophet’s (a) daughter was, as she had requested, buried at night and in secret, and the location of her grave has remained unknown ever since. During the days surrounding the anniversary of Fatima's (a) martyrdom, known as the Fatimiyya Days, the Shi'a hold mourning ceremonies.

Fatima al-Zahra is one of the People of the Cloak and, in Twelver Shiite belief, one of the Fourteen Infallibles. The second and third Imams, as well as Lady Zaynab (a), were her children. Al-Zahra', al-Batul, Sayyidat Nisa' al-'Alamin and Umm Abiha are among her epithets. She was the only lady chosen by the Holy Prophet (a) to be part of the Mubahala with the Christians of Najran.

Some Qur'anic verses, such as al-Tathir Verse (the Purification Verse), al-Mawadda Verse (the Love Verse) and al-It'am Verse (the Feeding Verse), and many traditions, such as "Fatima is a part of me", were revealed or stated in relation to Lady Fatima (a) and her virtues. According to some of these traditions, the Holy Prophet (s) introduced Lady Fatima (a) as the most superior of the women of all Worlds and equated her anger with that of Allah. It was to her that the Holy Prophet (s) taught the dhikr (litany) that came to be known as the Tasbih of Lady Fatima (a).

After the demise of the Prophet (s), an angel would visit her and talk to her. The sayings of the angel were recorded by Imam Ali (a) in a book called the Mushaf of Fatima (a), which is currently in the possession of the Final Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (a).Read more...