She is the youngest and most beloved daughter of the four daughters Rasûlullah (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) had with Hadrat Khadîja-tul-Kubrâ. She is the second one of the Ahl al-Bayt. She was born 13 years before the Hegira in Mecca. She was white and very beautiful. She was the wife of Hadrat Alî and the mother-in-law of Hadrat ‘Umar. She lived for another six months after our Prophet and passed away on the third day of Ramadân ash-sharîf of hijrî 11 (AD 632) at Medîna al-munawwara.

Hadrat Fâtima honoured the world on the year Rasûl al-akram (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was informed of His Prophethood. Hadrat Fâtima was ten years old when her mother passed away.

After Rasûl ‘alaihis-salâm made hegira (migrated) to Medîna al-munawwara by the order of Allahu ta’âlâ, He sent Zayd ibn Hâritha and Abû Râfî to Mecca to bring His wife Sawda and His daughters Hadrat Umm Gulthum and Hadrat Fâtima. He gave them 500 dirhams silver and two camels. Zayd and Abû Râfî went to Mecca. They brought Hadrat Rasûlullah’s daughters Umm Gulthum and Fâtima-tuz-Zahrâ, Sawda, Umm Ayman, Zayd’s wife, and his son Usâma to Medîna.  

Our Master, the Prophet married Hadrat Fâtima to Hadrat Alî on the second year of the Hegira. At the time, Hadrat Alî was twenty-five years old, and Hadrat Fâtima was fifteen years old. Hadrat Fâtima’s siblings didn’t have children, and when they did, they died as babies. Rasûlullah’s lineage continued only through Hadrat Fâtima’s sons, Hadrat Hasan and Husayn. Hadrat Fâtima had three sons named Hasan, Husayn, Muhsin and two daughters named Umm Gulthum and Zaynab. Muhsin died at a young age. Zaynab married Abdullah ibn Ja’far Tayyâr and had Alî and Umm Gulthum and grandchildren. Those are called “Sharîf al-Ja’farî”.

Hadrat Fâtima is the most precious of women after Hadrat Maryam (Mary, mother of Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm). She is a great example to all people with her intelligence, wisdom, beauty, zuhd (not being interested in the world), taqwâ (refraining from harâms) and beautiful ethics.

Since her face was very white and luminous, she was called Zahrâ. She was called Batul, very pure, for how she was beyond everyone in zuhd and not being fond of worldly things. She was praised in âyat al-karîma and hadîth ash-sharîfs.

Loving the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet causes going to âkhirat with îmân and attaining salvation on one’s last breath. Sarwar al-âlam (‘alaihis-salâm) said in a hadîth ash-sharîf, “My Ahl al-Bayt are like Nûh ‘alaihis-salâm’s Ark. Those who follow them will reach salvation. The rest will perish.”

It was said in a hadîth ash-sharîf, “My Rabb commanded me to give my daughter Fâtima to Alî. Allahu ta’âlâ created every Prophet’s lineage through himself, but created mine through Alî (radiy-Allahu ‘anh).”

On the day Rasûlullah (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) gave His daughter Fâtima-tuz-Zahrâ (radiy-Allahu ta’âlâ ‘anh) to Alî, He said,  “I gave the best of the women to the best of the men.”

It was said in the hadîth ash-sharîf reported by Hâkim and narrated by Abû Hurayra, “I love Fâtima more than Alî, and Alî is more precious to me than Fâtima.”

Since Fâtima-tuz-Zahrâ’s (radiy-Allahu ‘anhâ) mother Khadîja-tul-Kubrâ (radiy-Allahu ‘anhâ) passed away when she was little, Rasûlullah (‘alaihis-salâm) kept her by His side until she reached puberty. He raised her the best way possible and educated her. One day, Hadrat Fâtima had came to the presence of Rasûl al-akram (‘alaihis-salâm) for a service. When Rasûlullah saw His blessed daughter, He realized that she had reached the marriageable age.

Umm Salama and Salmân (radiy-Allahu ‘anh) narrate: When Hadrat Fâtima reached puberty, many people from Quraysh asked for her hand in marriage. Rasûl ‘alaihis-salâm didn’t accept anyone’s offers and said, “Her matter is tied to the command of Haqq ta’âlâ.” She got married in the second year of the Hegira.

Rasûlullah gave her to Hadrat Alî and said, “Your wife is a good wife.” He said to Hadrat Fâtima,            “Your husband is a good husband.” He entrusted the two of them to Haqq ta’âlâ. Then, holding the two sides of the door with His blessed hands, He prayed for them to be blessed and left.

Our Master, the Prophet said about Hadrat Fâtima, “Fâtima is a part from me. The one who hurts her hurts me.”

In the hadîth ash-sharîf narrated by Abdullah ibn Abbâs (radiy-Allahu ‘anh), Rasûlullah (‘alaihis-salâm) said, “I am the scales of ilm (knowledge). Alî is the salvers of this scale, Hasan and Husayn are its string, Fâtima is the iron that the salvers are attached to, and the Khalîfas that come after me are its vertical iron. With this scale, they will weigh the deeds of our friends.”

It was said in a hadîth ash-sharîf, “If Alî weren’t created, there would be no one suitable for Fâtima.” Again, it was said in a hadîth ash-sharîf, “O Alî! Allahu ta’âlâ made Fâtîma your wife. He made the earth her mahr (in Islâm, the mahr comprises of things like gold, silver, banknotes, or any kind of property or any kind of benefit that is given by a man to the woman he is to marry). Whoever walks on this earth hating you, that walk of his is harâm.”

Anas ibn Mâlik (radiy-Allahu ‘anh) reported: Rasûlullah (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said in a hadîth ash-sharîf, “On the day of qiyâmat (doomsday), while people are hungry, thirsty and naked, us four people will be on mounts. I will ride on my mount Buraq. Sâlih (‘alaihis-salâm) will be on His camel. Fatîma will ride my camel named Asbâ. Alî ibn Abî Tâlib will ride one of the camels of Jannah.”

Abû Bakr as-Siddîq (radiy-Allahu ‘anh) reported, “Allahu ta’âlâ said, ‘O Jannah! I will adorn your four corners with four people. One of them is Muhammad (‘alaihis-salâm), the superior of the Prophets; one is Alî, the superior of those who fear Allah. The third is Fâtima-tuz-Zahrâ, the superior of women. And on the fourth corner, Hasan and Husayn, the superiors of the pure.’”

The virtues and excellence of the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet are numerous. They are too many to count. Human power is not sufficient to describe or praise them. Their value and superiority can only be understood through âyat al-karîmas.

Imâm al-Shâfi’î explaines it beautifully. He says, “O Ahl al-Bayt of Rasûlullah! Allahu ta’âlâ commands loving you in the Qur’ân al-karîm. The fact that the namâz of those who do not pray to you in namâz is not accepted shows your value and high rank. How great is your glory that Allahu ta’âlâ greets you in the Qur’ân al-karîm! Loving the Ahl al-Bayt is fard to every Muslim. It causes passing away with îmân.”

Fâtima radiy-Allahu ‘anhâ visited Hadrat Hamza’s grave every year and fixed and repaired it.

Hadrat Fâtima never smiled after the demise of Rasûlullah. She burned with the fire of separation and waited for the time our Master, Rasûlullah gave the glad tidings of. She fasted during the day and performed ibâdats during the night.

When the time of her demise was near, she said, “I feel so embarrassed thinking about how when I die, I will be taken out among men without a screen.”  Back then, taking women out of the coffin while shrouded without a screen was the custom. When Asma bint Umayr (radiy-Allahu ‘anha) told her, “When I was in Abyssinia, I saw people weaving palm branches like tents,” Hadrat Fâtima said, “Make it in front of me so that I can see.”  Asma made it; Hadrat Fâtima was very pleased with it and prayed for her. She told her, “When I die, you shall wash me; Alî shall be there, too. No one else shall come inside.” Because of this, Hadrat Alî didn’t invite anyone to her funeral. They performed the janâza namâz with Hadrat Abbâs and a few people from the Ahl al-Bayt and buried her at night.

Hadrat Fâtima passed away six months after the demise of Rasûlullah on Tuesday, the third day of Ramadân ash-sharîf between evening and night before any of the Ahl al-Bayt passed away.  She was twenty-five years old when she passed away.

Our Master, the Prophet said about Hadrat Fâtima:

“After Maryam, Fâtima is the sayyida, the master of the women of Jannah.”

“I resemble a tree. Fâtima is the body of this. Alî is its branches. Hasan and Husayn are its fruit.”

“My daughter Fâtima protected her virtue. For that, Allah made her and her lineage harâm to the fire.”

“O Alî! Care for Fâtima’s feelings. She is a piece from me.  Treat her well. If you sadden her, you will have saddened me.”

Râwîs (narrators) reported that Hadrat Fâtima narrated many hadîth ash-sharîfs. Here is some of them:

“My daughter Fâtima, listen carefully, wouldn’t you wish to be the leader of all the Muslim women or the women of the ummat of Muhammad?”

“A person who continues reading Sûrahs Hadîd, Wâqi’a and Rahmân will be mentioned as ‘the habitant of the Jannah of Firdaws’ on earth and in the skies.”

“My daughter Fâtima, as Allahu ta’âlâ won’t torment you, verily, He won’t torment your children, either.”

“There is such a time in Friday that if a Muslim person prayed for something from Janâb al-Haqq at that time, Allahu ta’âlâ, Rabb of the universe, would accept his prayer and give him his wish.”

Ilâhî! For the sake of Fâtima’s child,

Make my last word, kalima at-tawhid!

Whether you accept or refuse this prayer of mine,

I have clang on to that Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt.

Its meaning: “O my Rabb! For the sake of Hadrat Fâtima (radiy-Allahu ‘anhâ) and her sons, grant us salvation on our last breath! Grant us to cling on to the Ahl al-Bayt of Rasûlullah (sall-Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam), whether you accept or refuse our prayers!”