Fatimah (a): The Comprehensive Exemplar

Fatimah (a): The Comprehensive Exemplar

Was Fatimah al-Zahraʾ (a) a sectarian necessity contrived by the circumstances of the emergence of Shiʿism at a late time[1], as some Orientalists claim[2]?

Or is she a necessity of the extension of the Mission throughout history, required by the divine will in order to spread guidance to human beings, as is the vision of the Mission for the correct understanding of Allah’s messages?

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That evident fabrication claimed by some Orientalists—even though it is devoid of any content or proof, since the inner conscience belies it and the agreement of the generality of Muslims on the standing of al-Zahraʾ (a) in Islam and on her merit refutes it—nevertheless sheds light on the intellectual crime that the Orientalists used to commit in order to distort Shiʿism, whose historical events and doctrinal system prove that it extends back to the dawn of the messages.

On the other hand, this fabrication opens the door to investigating the reality of our vision of the role of woman in history, represented in the righteous female exemplars, at whose head is our lady and mistress Fatimah al-Zahraʾ, the Mistress of the Women of the Worlds.

In order to clarify this matter, the discussion must first turn to the basis of the sending of the messengers and people’s need for them.

The Need for the Righteous Messengers (Exemplars):

If we want to know the need for the prophets and messengers, we must know what their basic function was.

The principal task of Allah’s prophets (a) is: activating the innate nature (fiṭra), removing what has rusted over it, and setting in motion the inner system that Allah has deposited in human beings. The Commander of the Faithful ʿAli (a) says: (that they might exact from them the covenant of His fiṭra, remind them of His forgotten blessings, establish the proof against them by preaching, and unearth for them the buried treasures of the intellects)[3].

For that reason Allah, Glorified is He, appointed for humanity prophets and successors throughout history and across the different ages, to guide them to the paths of the self’s rectitude and to make them see the factors of journeying toward human perfection.

The Exalted said: “Certainly We raised an apostle in every nation [to preach:] ‘Worship Allah, and shun fake deities.’ Among them were some whom Allah guided, and among them were some who deserved to be in error. So travel over the land and observe how was the fate of the deniers.” (Qurʾan 16:36)[4].

So the messengers, the prophets and the successors (a) were the exemplars whom He, Glorified is He, commanded His servants to follow, to emulate their guidance and to trace their footsteps, across the times and the ages, so that the proof against all creatures might be complete.

The Exalted said: “They are the ones whom Allah has guided. So follow their guidance. Say, ‘I do not ask you any recompense for it. It is just an admonition for all the nations.’” (Qurʾan 6:90)[5] .

For guidance needs a human representation moving on the earth; through following this example the journey of guidance for human beings is completed. That is what we call the exemplar.

Al-Zahraʾ (a), the Extension of the Mission and the Perfect Exemplar

Female exemplars have been, since the dawn of the messages, a standing proof—alongside many of the prophets and messengers—against all human beings, male and female, and a historical constant that is renewed in its figures with the renewal of the great divine Message.

So it is no wonder if we say that woman is a partner of the divine messages, for (when Allah wanted to save the Children of Israel, He revealed to Moses’ mother, ‘Nurse him,’ so woman was the beginning of Moses; and when Allah wanted once again to save the Children of Israel from deviations, He created Mary, and the mother of Mary—the wife of Imran—who dedicated in consecration what was in her belly to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He; and how Allah honored Mary in that our Lord would send down her provision to her while she was in the sanctuary)[6].

Al-Zahraʾ (a) was the extension of the Mission for the movement of woman in history, and the perfect model not only for woman; rather, she is also an integrated model of the righteous exemplar, for (..in the report: None of the women attained perfection except four: Mary, Asiya, Fatimah and Khadija, the wife of the Prophet (s), in this world and the Hereafter...)[7].

This does not mean restricting righteousness to these women; rather, it restricts the perfect ones among the righteous women. For the joining of the name of Fatimah (a) with the mistresses of women points to a continuous historical movement of woman toward perfection and her attainment of the degrees of human perfection; for Allah, Glorified is He, chooses whomever He wishes from His apostles, and selects from His “righteous” servants whomever He wills. The Exalted said: “And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women.” (Qurʾan 3:42)[8].

And He, Glorified is He, said in the Verse of Purification, in which Fatimah (a) is included: “Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.” (Qurʾan 33:33)[9].

For (from ʿAmra, who said: I heard Umm Salama say: This verse was revealed in my house: “Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.” (Qurʾan 33:33). She said: And in the house were seven: Gabriel, Michael, the Messenger of Allah (s), ʿAli, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn, may the blessings of Allah be upon them....)[10].

Fatimah (a), the Mine of the Message:

From this narration it becomes clear that it—the Verse of Purification—was revealed concerning the People of the Cloak specifically, whom He, Glorified and Exalted is He, made known on the tongue of Gabriel (a); and He began with the mention of Fatimah (a) in Hadith al-Kisaʾ:

(Allah, Almighty, said: O My angels, and O inhabitants of My heavens! I have not created a built sky, nor an outspread earth, nor a luminous moon, nor a shining sun, nor a revolving orbit, nor a flowing sea, nor a sailing ship, except out of love for these five who are under the cloak.

Then the Trustworthy Gabriel said: O Lord! And who is under the cloak?

He, Almighty, said: They are the Household of Prophethood and the mine of the Message; they are Fatimah, her father, her husband and her sons...)[11].

Fatimah (a) was the pole, the axis, and the name around which the “appellations” revolved, as though she shared in each one of them, may the peace of Allah be upon them, through the pronoun referring back to her: “they are Fatimah, her father, her husband and her sons.” So He began with her, attributed them to her and identified them by their relation to her; and just as He began with her, He also ended with her, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon her and upon them all.

Fatimah (a), the Greater Mary:

Mary (a) was a sign among the signs of purity, chastity, perfection and assent to Allah; for that reason her mention in the Qurʾan is manifest. The Truth, Glorified is He, devoted an entire sura to her, and she is mentioned 32 times in different verses, not to mention the verses in which she is implied. This great standing of which the Noble Qurʾan spoke is nothing but a miniature model of the greater model, which is Fatimah (a). If Mary was a truthful one, then Fatimah (a) is the Greatest Truthful One; every quality with which Mary (a) was characterized, Fatimah (a) exceeded her in it, except what was particular to Mary (a) in the birth of Jesus (a). And (the Prophet swore repeatedly with solemn oaths, and said concerning Fatimah al-Zahraʾ (a): “By Allah, she is the Greater Mary” [12].

Fatimah (a), the Protection of Creatures from the Fire

The righteous exemplar, through the light, radiance and guidance with which it shines, protects people from the slippery slopes of caprice; and the stronger the attachment and the following, the wider the range of influence in the life of the individual and of the community. From al-Baqir (a), who said: (Indeed, the companions of Muhammad (s) said: O Messenger of Allah, we fear hypocrisy for ourselves. He said: So he said: And why do you fear that? They said: When we are with you and you remind us and stir our longing, we become fearful, forget this world and renounce it, until it is as though we behold the Hereafter, Paradise and the Fire while we are with you; but when we leave you, enter these houses, smell the children and see the dependents and the family, we almost turn away from the state we were in with you, until it is as though we were not upon anything? Do you then fear for us that this may be hypocrisy? So the Messenger of Allah (s) said to them: No; indeed these are Satan’s steps, so he makes you desire this world. By Allah, if you were to persist in the state in which you have described yourselves, the angels would shake hands with you and you would walk on water)[13].

The Prophetic hadith shows the effect that following the example of the messengers and the chosen ones leaves, and how sustaining the spiritual and material connection with the righteous exemplar purifies the spirit, polishes insight and sharpens resolve to attain the degrees of perfection, until it reaches advanced ranks of acquired infallibility; and this is what realizes part of the meaning of being screened and protected from the Fire.

Perhaps this is one of the meanings of the weaning from the Fire which the Most Noble Messenger (s) mentioned; for it has been narrated from him (s) that when he asked Gabriel (a): (And why was she named al-Mansura in heaven and Fatimah on earth? He said: Because she weans her Shiʿa from the Fire and her enemies from her love, and in heaven she is al-Mansura, and that is His saying, the Exalted: “and on that day the faithful will rejoice at Allah’s help. He helps whomever He wishes” (Qurʾan 30:4–5)[14] .

The Knowledge of al-Zahraʾ (a) and the Comprehensive Exemplar

The Pure Truthful One, Fatimah al-Zahraʾ (a), has multiple roles, for she shines with the lights of guidance in all aspects of life. She is an exemplar for the daughter who is dutiful to her father, since she is the mother of her father; she is an exemplar for the good wife who is obedient to her husband; and she is an exemplar for the nurturing, compassionate mother. Thus, whichever of her aspects you touch upon, she is the most perfect model in it; and perhaps what unites all of that is her knowledge (a).

We recite in her ziyarah (a): (Peace be upon you, O you who are spoken to, the knowing one). When we mention the knowledge of Fatimah (a), we are speaking only of the mine of the Message, the light of Prophethood and the niche of knowledge; and (in Tafsir Furat, from him—al-Sadiq—(a), he said: “as it were a glittering star” (Qurʾan 24:35): Fatimah among the women of the worlds; “lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western”: he said: neither Jewish nor Christian; “whose oil almost lights up”: knowledge almost springs forth from her (a) )[15].

By this it becomes clear that all the stances of her life spring from this knowledge; is not infallibility a kind of knowledge?

So let us reflect on His saying, the Exalted: “Were it not for Allah’s grace and His mercy on you, a group of them were bent on leading you astray; but they do not mislead anyone except themselves, and they cannot do you any harm. Allah has sent down to you the Book and wisdom, and He has taught you what you did not know, and great is Allah’s grace upon you.” (Qurʾan 4:113)[16].

Sayed al-Tabatabaʾi says in the exegesis of this verse: (The apparent meaning of the verse is that the thing by which infallibility is realized is a kind of knowledge that prevents its possessor from becoming involved in sin and error; in other words, a knowledge that prevents straying,..).

He also adds:

(Just as all the other moral traits, such as courage, chastity and generosity, are each a firmly rooted cognitive form that necessitates the realization of its effects and prevents involvement in its opposites—the effects of cowardice and recklessness, apathy and greed, stinginess and extravagance. And beneficial knowledge and far-reaching wisdom..)[17].

So deficiencies, too, occur only because of a deficiency in knowledge, and they reveal some defect in commitment to this knowledge; and this is supported by His saying, the Exalted: “Only those of Allah’s servants having knowledge fear Him. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-forgiving.” (Qurʾan 35:28)[18].

The difference between the infallible one and others lies in the support of Allah, Glorified is He, for him and His directing him aright, so that He nullifies whatever Satan interjects of insinuations and suppositions, and Allah makes His signs firm in the hearts of His prophets, His successors and His chosen ones; and that is because of the perfections and faith-based knowledge they have attained.

For the meaning to become clearer, let us reflect on the story of Joseph (a), and how Allah turned away the stratagem of Zulaykha from him, and infallibility reached him for deliverance not only from indecency but from any evil that could have encircled him in that incident, for he had seen “the proof of his Lord.” The Exalted said: “She certainly made for him; and he would have made for her [too] had he not beheld the proof of his Lord. So it was, that We might turn away from him all evil and indecency. He was indeed one of Our dedicated servants.” (Qurʾan 12:24)[19].

His Eminence the religious authority (marjaʿ) Grand Ayatollah al-Modarresi says in the exegesis of this verse: (( The question remains: What did Joseph see that he transcended all his human inclinations and refrained from committing the sin, or from any conduct other than fleeing, such as striking her to repel her from himself? In other words: What is the proof of his Lord?.

First: the proof is authority, and what is meant by it is the cause that yields certainty because of its dominance over hearts, like a miracle. The Exalted said: “These shall be two proofs from your Lord to Pharaoh and his elite” (Qurʾan 28:32)[20] .

And He said: “O mankind! Certainly, a proof has come to you from your Lord” (Qurʾan 4:174)[21].

And He said: “What! Is there a god besides Allah? Say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are truthful.’” (Qurʾan 27:64)[22].

And it is: (the certain argument that reveals the truth and leaves no doubt for a doubter), in the expression of Tafsir al-Mizan))[23].

So when we speak of Fatimah and her knowledge, we are speaking of the mine of infallibility and its root, from which the branches of purity and the Imamate branch out. The source of her knowledge springs from the heights of revelation and Prophethood and descends to her (a); and how could it not, when she is “the one spoken to,” “the knowing one.”

The Sermon of al-Zahraʾ (a), the Dazzling Sign of Her Knowledge

(ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Hasan (a) narrated, with his chain of transmission from his forefathers (a), that when Abu Bakr resolved to deny Fatimah (a) Fadak, and that reached her, she wound her head-covering around her head, wrapped herself in her outer cloak, and came forward amid a group of her attendants and the women of her people, treading on the hems of her garments, her gait not falling short of the gait of the Messenger of Allah (s), until she entered upon Abu Bakr while he was amid a gathering of the Muhajirun, the Ansar and others. A sheet was hung before her, and she sat down. Then she let out a moan at which the people burst into tears, and the assembly shook. Then she paused for a moment, until, when the sobbing of the people had subsided and their agitation had calmed, she opened her speech with the praise of Allah, extolling Him, and invoking blessings upon the Messenger of Allah; whereupon the people returned to their weeping, and when they held back, she resumed her speech)[24].

The Fadak Sermon of the Truthful One al-Zahraʾ (a) was a wondrous sign among the signs of her knowledge and her rhetorical ability (a). In its form, it proves her oratorical capability and her influence over the masses, and the contraction and expansion in the discourse and its arrangement, together with an added measure of persuasion and delight for the listener, despite the grief, sorrow and anguish that seethe within the discourse. The rhetorical purposes in the sections of the sermon were many, and they varied with a variety that rarely comes together in a single address; and with all that, it pours into one single outlet: laying bare the deviation and the coup movement after the Messenger of Allah (s).

In terms of content, she (a) was uttering revelation delivered in installments, its meanings harmonious and its themes arranged in order, and she was setting down an integrated, sequential and consistent system of precise scholarly themes and deep discussions in doctrine, monotheism, argumentation, jurisprudence, and the objectives of legislation and its wisdom. She likewise displays her knowledge of the centers of power and influence in the Umma, of the groups of Muslims, their political formation and their roles in the stage of building the Islamic state. She documented the violations that were perpetrated after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (s), and she (a) informed the people of her knowledge of the treachery that had permeated the Umma, while she was aware of the extent of the impact her sermon would have on them and the historical range it would take: (Indeed, I have said what I have said with full knowledge on my part of the forsaking that has permeated you and the treachery your hearts have taken as their inner garment; but it is the overflowing of the soul, the venting of rage, the weakness of the spear, the outpouring of the breasts, and the presenting of the proof).

The sermon of al-Zahraʾ (a) is an important scholarly, historical and literary document for every seeker of the truth, every student of knowledge and every aspirant to wisdom.

So Fatimah al-Zahraʾ (a) is the heart in the chain of the truthful ones, and she is a sun in the system of the planets. She is the extension of the Mission of Allah’s prophets, His successors and His chosen ones; she is the mine of the Message and the treasury of the divine secrets. By this she deserved to be the root from which the pure boughs branch out; and how could it not be, when she is the exemplar of the truthful ones, the daughter of the Seal of the Prophets, the wife of the Commander of the Faithful and the mother of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and from her descended the chain of the Infallibles.

The virtues of al-Zahraʾ (a) and her honor are not stars and medals without backing, or form without content; nor are they flashy words; rather, they are manifest signs, each of which confirms the others.

The priorities of following the comprehensive exemplar are to cross over into the journey of discovery, so that we first learn (about her): who Fatimah (a) is, what she is and how she is; and then we become qualified for the journey of emulation and of learning (from her); and between this and that lie distances as long as the lifespan of divine enablement.

Muhammad Hasan Al Ibrahim

13 /4/2012