The illness fatigued the Messenger’s daughter, and sadness exhausted her thin body. Sorrow
harmed her gentle, tortured heart, to the extent that death walked towards it, while she was in
the dawn and beauty of youth. Alas for the Prophet’s dear daughter and darling! Death quickly
approached her; it was time for her to meet her father, for whom she had impatiently longed.
When she came to know that death was close at hand, she summoned Imam Ali (a.s) and told him
about her will. She asked him to bury her body in the dark night, to prevent those who had
wronged her and denied her right from praying over her and standing by her grave, for they were
her and her father’s enemies as she said. Imam Ali went away while he was weeping. He
responded to the feelings of his sad soul which time filled with sorrow and sadness.
Fatima asked him to make her a coffin to conceal her sacred body, for the people used to put the
dead on a stretcher, that their bodies could be seen. She hated that and wanted none to look at
her. As a result she summoned Asma’, daughter of ‘Umays[2] and told her of what she wanted.
She made her a coffin
[1] Al‐Ya‘qubi, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 95.
[2] Asma’ was the daughter of Umays bin Sa‘eed bin al‐Harith al‐Khath‘ami. Her mother was the
daughter of Awf bin Zuhayr bin Kinana. She had become Muslim before Allah’s Apostle (a.s.) enter
al‐Arqam’s house in Mecca. She pledged allegiance (to the Prophet). She and her husband Ja‘far
bin Abi Talib migrated to the land of al‐Habasha (Abyssinai). She said: “O Allah’s Apostle, some
men pride themselves on me that I was not among the early emigrants.” So, he (a.s.) said:
“Rather, you emigrated twice: You emigrated to al‐Habasha, while we were in Mecca. Then you
emigrated after that.” She narrated sixty traditions from the Prophet (a.s.). Umar bin al‐Khattab
asked her to explain dreams. He assigned for her one thousand dirhams. When her husband was
martyred, Abu Bakr married her, and she born him the good one, Muhammed. When Abu Bakr
died, Imam Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, married
like that which she had seen in al‐Habasha to conceal her body. When Fatima looked at the coffin,
she smiled for the first time after the death of her father.[1]
On the last day of her life, she was happy and delighted, for she came to know that she would join
her father, who had given her good news of that she would be the first of his family to join him.
She washed her two sons and ordered them to go to visit the grave of their grandfather. They
went out while they were thinking of the affair. Did the illness exhaust their mother? Did the
illness harm her, and she was unable to go to the House of Sorrows? Or did she want to weep this
day in her house? How did she weep while the Sheikhs of Medina had prevented her from
weeping? They drowned in a sea of cares and a current of suspicions.
Fatima turned to Salma, daughter of ‘Umays,[2] who looked after her, and said to her: “Mother!”Yes, O dear one of Allah’s Apostle (a.s)!” retorted Salma.
“Bring me some water!” requested Fatima.
Salma fetched her some water, and she washed with it, and she was in a good condition. She said
to her: “Bring me my new garments!” Salma gave her the garments. Then Fatima said to her: “Put
my bed in the middle of the house!” Salma became astonished and tripped over the trains of her
gown. She did that to her. Fatima laid on her bed in the direction of qibla. Then she turned to
Salma and said to her: “I am dying now! I have purified myself! Therefore, let none uncover
me.”[3]
Fatima died at that time. On that day immortal in the world of sorrows, the most wonderful page
of virtue, purity, and chastity was folded. At her death <‐‐‐‐‐ her. She was the sister of Maymuna,
daughter of al‐Harith and wife of the Prophet (a.s.) and sister of Umm al‐Fadhl, the wife of al‐
Abbas. Her biography has been mentioned in the books: Usd al‐Ghaba, vol. 5, p. 395. Tahdhib al‐
Tahdhib, Al‐Isti‘ab, A‘lam al‐Nisa’. Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat.
[1] Al‐Hakim, Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 162.
[2] Salma, daughter of Umays, was the sister of Asma’. She was among the sisters concerning
whom Allah’s Apostle (a.s.) said: “The believing sisters!” She was the wife of Hamza bin ‘Abd al‐
Muttalib. This has been mentioned in the book Usd al‐Ghaba, vol. 5, p. 479.
[3] Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, vol. 8, p. 17. In the books Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal’s Musnad, vol. 6, p. 461,
and Dhakha’ir al‐Uqba, it has been mentioned that it was Umm Salama who witnessed the death
of Fatima, and not Salma, daughter of Umays.
the last one of the children of Allah’s Apostle departed from the world of existence. Al‐Hasan and
al‐Husayn returned home. They looked here and there, but they did not see their mother. They
hurried to Salma and asked her: “Salma, where is our mother?” Salma walked towards them while
she was shaking all over with fear. She was astonished, confused, and shedding tears. She said to
them: “O my masters, your mother has died! Tell your father about that!” Al‐Hasan and al‐Husayn
were about to die due to this terrible news. They hurried to the Mosque while they were crying.
Muslims received them and asked: “What has made you cry, O (grand)sons of Allah’s Apostle?
Perhaps you have looked at the standing place of your grandfather and cried due to yearning to
him?”
They answered with a sad voice: “Our mother Fatima has died.”
They moved the feelings of Muslims through this painful news and made pain hurt their hearts,for they missed the daughter of their Prophet and the most lovable of his children to him. They
did not keep her position nor did they give her her right. From all directions they hurried to Imam
Ali’s house, that they might be successful in escorting the Remnant of the Prophet, the Pure and
Holy Lady. They overcrowded in front of the Imam’s house. They felt remorse for their neglecting
the daughter of the Prophet (a.s) who was loyal to them in respect of their religion and their
world. Imam Ali asked Salman al‐Farisi to ask the people to go away. Salman went out and asked
them to leave. Then A’isha came and wanted to come into the Imam’s house. However Asma’
prevented her from that and said to her: “Fatima has entrusted me with that none shall come in
(and see her)!”[1]
The sad, bereaved Imam washed, shrouded, and prepared his pure wife. Then he summoned his
sons to bid farewell to her. They did that to her while they were crying and lamenting over her.
After the Imam had prepared his wife to burial, he waited for the last part of the night. When it
came, the Imam along with a group of his companions carried the Sacred Corpse to its final
resting‐place. Imam Ali (a.s) had not informed any of the people except a group of his special
companions according to her will.[2] He (a.s) dug a grave for her in
[1] Usd al‐Ghaba, vol. 5, p. 524. Kanz al‐‘Ummal, vol. 7, p. 113.
[2] This has been mentioned by those who explained al‐Bukhari’s book, vol. 8, p. 157. In al‐
Hakim’s Mustadrak, vol. 3, p. 162, it has been mentioned on the authority of ‘Aa’isha, who has
said: “Fatima, daughter of Allah’s Apostle (a.s.) was buried during the night, and it was Ali, peace
be on him, who buried her. Abu Bakr did not come to know of that until after she had been buried
and Ali prayed over her.” This tradition has been mentioned in the books: Ahmed, Musnad, vol. 1,
pp. 6‐9. Muslim, Saheeh, vol. 2, p. 72. Al‐Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 3, p. 202. Al‐Bayqahi, Sunan, vol. 6, p.
300. Al‐Tahawi, Mushkil al‐Aathar. The tradition has also been mentioned by Ibn Kuthayr in his al‐
Tarikh, vol. 5, p. 285. He has said in vol. 6, p. 333: “Fatima hated Abu Bakr throughout her
lifetime.” In his al‐Sirah al‐Halabiya, vol. 3, p. 390, al‐Waqidi has said: “We have established that
Ali, my Allah honor him, buried he (Fatima), my Allah be pleased with her, and prayed over her.
With him were al‐Abbas, and al‐Fadhl. They did not inform anyone of that.”
the cemetery of al‐Baqee‘, according to what has been said.[1] He put her into the grave and
poured earth upon her. When those who were with him went away, he sadly stood by the grave.
He addressed the Prophet and eulogized his daughter Fatima al‐Zahra’ with some words issued
from his heart full of pain and sorrow, saying: “O Prophet of Allah, peace be on you from me and
from your daughter who has come to you and who has hastened to meet you. O Prophet of Allah,
my patience about your chosen (daughter) has decreased, and my power of endurance has
weakened, except that I have ground for consolation in having endured the great hardship and
heart‐rending event of your separation. I laid you down in your grave when your last breath had
passed (when your head was) between my neck and chest. To Allah we belong and to Him is our
return. Now, the trust has been returned and what had been given is taken back. As to my grief, it knows no bounds, and as to my nights, they will remain with sleeplessness until Allah chooses for
me the house in which you are residing.Imam al‐Hasan listened to this sad speech of his father; so, severe pain befell him, and tiring sadness surrounded him. His sadness and sorrow doubled because he saw his affectionate mother
live in this world as flowers did. Death surprised her while she was in the bloom of youth. She was
carried in the coffin in the dark night. None of the Muslims escort her except a little group, while
she was the daughter of the Prophet (a.s), his darling, and the most lovable of his children to him.
Imam al‐Hasan faced the bitterness of such misfortunes while he was still a child; so, his heart
became a place of cares, sadness, and sorrows
Imam Ali inclines to Isolation
Hazrat Abu Bakr Passed away
Hazrat Umar Caliphate started
Hazrat Umar Shahdat (Nahjj al‐Balagha, vol. 1, p. 182.
Ibn ‘Asakir, Tarikh, vol. 4, p. 321. )
Hazrat Umar make Consultative Committee for electing Caliph ([1] Al‐Isti‘ab, vol. 3, p. 5.[2] Ibn Abi al‐Haddeed, Sharh Nahjj al‐Balagha, vol. 1, p. 185‐186. )
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 