"...is not hesitant regarding the truth" (Al-Ahzab)—meaning He does not forsake its exposition. Anas said: The earliest revelation concerning this... When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) consummated his marriage with Zaynab bint Jahsh, upon becoming a bridegroom, he invited the people who partook of the repast. Then they departed, save for a group of lingering guests who remained seated in the dwelling, prolonging their stay. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood and departed, and she walked with him so that they might leave. The Prophet walked, and she walked beside him until he reached the threshold of Aisha’s chamber. Imagining that they had risen and departed, he returned with her. However, upon entering upon Zaynab, lo, they were seated and had not risen. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) turned back, and she returned with him until he reached Aisha’s chamber, supposing they had departed, but lo, they had departed. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) drew the curtain, and the veil of seclusion was lowered. Concerning them, Allah the Exalted revealed: "Indeed, that would trouble the Prophet, and he is shy of [dismissing] you; but Allah is not shy of the truth"—meaning, your departure is a right from which one ought not to shrink or abandon; rather, the distinction between what is right and otherwise must be made manifest. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) remarked: "Suffice it regarding the lingering guests that Allah did not brook them, and He stated: 'And when you have partaken of food, then disperse, and do not seek to linger for conversation. Indeed, that would trouble the Prophet' (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)."
The Issue of Defiance and Mutual Backing
Regarding how he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was faced by two of his spouses—Aisha and Hafsa (may Allah be pleased with them)—to the extent that they embroiled him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in a prohibition of the lawful out of a desire to please them and to tenderly reconcile their hearts regarding the concealment of a secret. Yet, they neither kept the secret nor offered sincere counsel. Grieved by this, he isolated himself from them for a month in the abode of Maria until Gabriel descended, bringing the resolution to this dilemma and accounting for its multiple causes.
It is narrated that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) secluded himself with Maria on the day belonging to Aisha. When Hafsa discovered this, Aisha said to her, "Behold, honey has been forbidden unto me!" And she gladdened her with the news that Abu Bakr and Umar would hold authority over the affairs of my nation after me. Thereupon, Hafsa divulged this to Aisha, failing to fulfill the Prophet’s request to keep his secret confidential, for they were close companions.
Before secluding himself with Maria on Hafsa’s day, he sought to please her and urged her to keep it secret; yet she kept it not, whereupon he divorced her, withdrew from his wives, and sojourned in Maria’s dwelling for twenty-nine nights until Gabriel descended.
(Marginal Note): Succor indeed rescued the distress when the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) parted from his daughter, declaring that no age shall equal her thereafter, and his grief persisted—27—alongside the zeal until he wedded her to...
...peace be upon her, and he said, "Take her back, for she is devout, constant in prayer, and verily she is among your wives in Paradise."
It is also narrated regarding the cause of this narrative that His noble prayer and peace be upon him drank honey in the dwelling of Zaynab bint Jahsh, whereupon Aisha and Hafsa conspired to say to him, "We perceive from you the odor of al-maghafir." They said this to him, knowing he disliked unpleasant odors, whereupon he forbade honey upon himself. This was the matter concerning which revelation descended in rebuke. Allah the Almighty, the Truest of Speakers, declared: "O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you"—meaning, from your right-hand possessions or from honey—from the words of Allah the Exalted in Surah At-Tahrim: "O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives?" That prohibition took place without divine permission, constituting a slip on his part (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), for none has the authority to forbid what Allah has made lawful. Then Allah the Almighty revealed: "And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful"—meaning He has forgiven your lapse and extended His mercy toward you, thus holding you blameless for it.
Thereafter, Allah revealed the solution to the difficulty that befell the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in seeking to satisfy his wives, given his vast compassion toward them to ensure that no harm, even in appearance, should befall any of them. Should any such thing occur, he would hasten to conciliate them, which inadvertently led him into the forbidden act of prohibiting the lawful. Thus, Allah the Exalted declared: "Allah has already ordained for you the absolution of your oaths"—meaning the prohibition of the lawful, for prohibiting the lawful is treated as an oath by us. The release from it, when initiated by us, is governed by what Allah has prescribed for us among the following rulings:
- By way of exception, which is to say immediately thereafter: "If Allah wills," so that one does not break the oath. It is derived from their saying "Halal is he who makes an exception in his oath."
- By Kaffarah (expiation) when the breach of oath becomes manifest. Expiation takes one of three forms:
- Feeding: Feeding ten needy individuals, providing them with lunch and dinner, or giving them the equivalent thereof—half a sa' for each person of wheat, or a full sa' of barley, or of dates for each person. According to Ash-Shafi'i, it is a mudd for every needy person.
- Clothing them: A garment that covers the nakedness of each individual among them.
- Freeing a slave: A believing or disbelieving slave. Allah the Exalted stated: "That is the expiation for your oaths when you have sworn. But guard your oaths." That is, when you determine them, intend them, and break them. Idle oaths (laghw) carry no penalty—they are oaths sworn based on a presumption, after which the swearer’s error becomes apparent. Thus, they blamed themselves for what they had sworn regarding the prohibition of pure things, imagining it to be an act of drawing closer to Allah, until their error became clear with the descent of the verse: "And eat and drink of what Allah has provided you—lawful and good." They asked, "How stands our faith?" So Allah revealed: "Allah does not impose blame upon you for what is unintentional in your oaths." Idle oaths, according to Ash-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him), refer to what passes over the tongue without...
...intent. According to Muqatil, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) emancipated a slave regarding the prohibition of Maria. According to Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah be pleased with him), he did not offer expiation because his past and future sins were forgiven; rather, this was legislation intended for the believers of his ummah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Then Allah the Exalted stated: "And Allah is your protector"—meaning your Master and Guardian—"and [He is] closer to you than yourselves," "and He is the All-Knowing" of what is best for you, thus legislating it for you, "the Wise" in what He permits and forbids. Then He, glorious and exalted is His majesty, stated: "And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement"—meaning the account concerning Maria, told to Hafsa—"and when she informed [another] of it"—disclosing it to Aisha—"and Allah made it known to him"—meaning He informed him of her disclosure of what he had entrusted her with concerning the story of Maria and others, upon the tongue of Gabriel, for he is the sincere friend from whom nothing is hidden. "He made known part of it and ignored a part"—it is narrated that he said to her regarding her disclosure of a part, which was the matter of the two elder caliphs after him, while ignoring the part concerning the prohibition of Maria: "Did I not tell you to keep it secret?" She was astonished at how knowledge of the disclosure had reached him, "And she said, 'Who told you this?' He said, 'I was informed by the All-Knowing, the Acquainted'"—with what is in the innermost consciences. She confessed to what she had done, saying, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I could not control myself with joy over the honor with which Allah distinguished my father." This is the nature of women concerning the secrets of men, whereas their secrets among themselves cannot remain hidden except from the All-Knowing, the Acquainted.
Then Allah the Exalted stated: "If you two [wives] repent to Allah, [it is because] your hearts have inclined [to what is wrong]"—meaning your hearts swerved away from fulfilling the duty of sincere devotion to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in loving what he loves and disliking what he dislikes, whereas the mandatory duty was absolute loyalty to him in keeping his secret and refraining from disclosing it, without defying his command. He addressed them both so that the rebuke might be more eloquent.
Then Allah the Exalted stated: "And if you cooperate against him"—meaning, if you assist one another in matters that displease and vex him by disclosing his secret in a flagrant and wicked manner, failing to uphold his right while yielding to the promptings of scheming and jealousy on his account—"then indeed Allah is his protector, and Gabriel and the righteous of the believers." The addition of His statement "and the angels, after that, are [his] assistants" serves to signal that Allah alone is the One who undertakes his victory against you by Himself, for He is his primary Protector, Gabriel is his second protector, and every single person who believes and performs righteous deeds is his third protector. Then He stated: "And the angels, after that, are [his] assistants"—meaning his fourth protector from among the angels, despite their vast numbers following the victory granted by Allah, alongside Gabriel and the righteous believers who support and aid him after those previously mentioned among the helpers of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).
Thus, how can the mutual backing of two women against one whose supporters are such be of any avail? The entire celestial realm and a portion of the terrestrial realm stand in one scale alongside the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), while in the opposing scale are two women! Hence Allah the Exalted declared concerning them: "Indeed, your guile is great"—for two women were placed in opposition to the entire...
...universe, upper and lower. This is what evokes astonishment, particularly for one who discovers the secrets of women and their immense guile; yet Allah has placed dominion over them in the hands of men. Thus, the Glorious said: "Men are the maintainers of women" and declared: "And for men is a degree over them"—arising from the compound deficiency that Allah has created within their nature, in accordance with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "I have seen no deficiencies of intellect and religion more robbing of the steadfastness of a wise man than you."
And when the backing of the angels formed part of Allah the Exalted's support for him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), He declared thereafter, as an affirmation of their support and an exaltation of their backing: "Perhaps his Lord, if he divorced you, will substitute for him wives better than you—submitting [to Allah], believing, devout, repentant, worshipping, traveling [or fasting], previously married and virgins." If you ask how substitutes could be better than them, while there are no women on the face of the earth better than the Mothers of the Believers? I answer: If the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) were to divorce them due to their troubling him, they would no longer remain steadfast upon that noble standing, whereas others possessing these descriptions would be better than them. And if you ask why the conjunctive particle was placed between previously married and virgins, to the exclusion of other traits, I answer: Because they are two mutually exclusive traits, unlike other characteristics. This final verse serves as a threat to the two women who backed one another against him: "And Allah guides whom He wills to a straight path. In His hand is all good, and to Him is the final destination, and He is over all things competent." He is my sufficiency, and an excellent Trustee, and there is no might nor power except by Allah.
Biography of Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt
Who is Ali? He is Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib. His lineage converges with that of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at Abd al-Muttalib in a primary convergence, for he is the closest grandfather common to both. Thus, he is the paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) by close kinship. He is of Hashimite lineage from Banu Abd Manaf, and his lineage converges with him a second time at their shared second grandfather, Hashim ibn Abd Manaf. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave him the kunya Abu Turab and Abu al-Hasan.
Who is Abd Manaf?
Abd Manaf is the supreme grandfather from whom the prophetic Household originates, possessing two wings: "The First," Banu Hashim, and the lineage therefrom is Hashimite;
...and "The Second," Banu al-Muttalib, and the lineage therefrom is Muttalibite.
Hashim and al-Muttalib were brothers, their father being Abd Manaf, who is the third grandfather of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). As for the Muttalibites, their number was extremely meager, nearly dying out. As for Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, his progeny remained abundant from many of his children. However, the overwhelming majority and massive prominence came from his two sons, Al-Abbas and Abu Talib, both of whom were Hashimites. This massive majority is what filled the world and sowed its seeds across Islamic regions in the earliest epoch—from the utmost boundaries of the world beyond the Oxus River among the Turkic regions in Central Asia, whose capital today is known as Tashkent in the Russian Republic, down to the final outpost in the lands of the Maghreb and Andalusia during the Islamic eras.
The Birth of Ali (may Allah be pleased with him)
Imam Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was born in Makkah al-Mukarrama when the age of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was 32 years from his noble birth, born to his mother Fatima bint Asad ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf; thus they were two scions of the Qurayshite House.
His Virtues (May Allah ennoble his face)
He embraced Islam as a youth, being the first among youths to embrace Islam due to his upbringing in the house of prophecy. That upbringing in the house of prophecy was the cause for safeguarding his face from what his people used to do in prostrating to the idols surrounding the Kaaba, within its hollow, and upon its roof. On account of that, he deserved the invocation of Muslims upon him: "May Allah ennoble his face." He is one of the ten promised Paradise, testified to regarding it upon the tongue of the Infallible (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), just as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bore witness to him in the brotherhood established between the Ansar and the Muhajirun. He (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) established brotherhood with him multiple times: once during the brotherhood forged when they were paired, and when he saw that no brother remained for him, he asked the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), saying, "Where is my brother?"—meaning from among the Ansar. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, "I am your brother." On another occasion, when he left him behind in Medina during his departure for the Expedition of Tabuk, Ali expressed his yearning for jihad and his joy at being in the army of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) comforted him by saying, "Are you not content that you are to me of the status of Aaron to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me?" This brotherhood...
...secondly between him and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) served as an affirmation of the first brotherhood.
He intermarried with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), wedding the eloquent mistress of the women of Paradise, Fatima az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her). He was the father of her two grandsons, the masters of the youth of the inhabitants of Paradise: Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein. He was the grandfather of His pure progeny, one of the scribes of revelation for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and one of those who memorized the entire Qur'an with all its modes of recitation. He used to present it to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) after reviewing it with Gabriel (peace be upon him) every year, and in the year the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away, he reviewed it with him twice.
Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) excelled with penetrating intelligence, a sound intellect, profound sagacity, eloquence of tongue, and supreme bravery in warfare. He possessed asceticism, piety, and deep jurisprudence in religion, to the extent that the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) bore witness to him in his saying: "I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate." The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) singled him out for the sciences of spiritual unveiling and what is termed divine knowledge, which he inherited through Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein. There emerged from him, upon the tongue of Ja'far as-Sadiq, prominent aspects of knowledge during his lifetime that astonished the people of his era, who recorded them from him. They remain extant among people to this day, just as he was preeminent in the sciences of legal verdicts among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). The Commander of the Faithful, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), used to resort to him in matters of jurisprudence, to the extent that he said in a crisis: "Had it not been for Ali, Umar would have perished."
He stepped forward for single combat on the Day of Badr, slaying his opponent Al-Walid ibn Utbah ibn Rabi'ah, who was one of the three chieftains of Quraysh. He requested single combat in the Battle of the Confederates, whereupon Amr ibn Abd Wud came out to him and he killed him, and he uprooted the gate of Khaybar—it is reported that forty men collaborated to pull it, while in another narration he used the door as a shield for himself. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) foretold that the conquest would be achieved by his hand, and bore witness that he loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him. Among his most renowned virtues is that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was granted permission by his Lord to emigrate, he appointed the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to remain in his house in Makkah for days to return trusts and depositories to their owners, and thereafter to follow him. He did so, sleeping in his bed (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) under the watchful eyes of the polytheists' spies, eagerly desiring to sacrifice his own life for the Prophet. He witnessed every battle with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) save Tabuk, and he sustained sixteen wounds on the Day of Uhud. In Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to Ali: "You are from me, and I am from you." Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) passed away while he was well-pleased with him."
Also on the authority of Abu Hazim Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Tomorrow I shall surely give the banner to a man through whose hands Allah will grant victory." He said: The people spent the night discussing among themselves which of them would be given it. When morning came, the people went early to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), each hoping to be given it. He asked: "Where is Ali ibn Abi Talib?" They replied, "He is suffering from his eyes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Send for him and bring him to me." When he was brought, he spat into his eyes and prayed for him, whereupon he was healed as though he had never suffered any affliction in his eyes. He then gave him the banner. Ali said, "O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight them until they become like us?" He replied, "Proceed at your steady pace until you descend into their territory, then invite them to Islam and inform them of what is obligatory upon them regarding the rights of Allah therein. For by Allah, that Allah guides through you a single man is better for you than possessing red camels."
And in it also, on the authority of Yazid ibn Abi Ubayd, on the authority of Salamah, he said: Ali had lagged behind the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) at Khaybar because he was suffering from an eye infection. He said, "Shall I lag behind the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)?" So Ali set out, caught up with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and on the evening of the night whose morning brought victory, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: "Tomorrow I shall give the banner—or take the banner—to a man whom Allah and His Messenger love," or he said, "who loves Allah and His Messenger, [and] through whom Allah will grant victory," or he said, "through whose hands Allah will grant victory." They wondered, "What of us regarding Ali and what we hope?" They said, "This is Ali." So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) gave him the banner, and victory was granted through his hands.
The Wedding of Fatima az-Zahra to the Abode of Ali
An-Nasa'i narrated with an authentic chain: A group of the Ansar said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), "If only you had Fatima!" So Ali entered upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to propose to her. He greeted him, and the Prophet asked, "What is the need of the son of Abu Talib?" He mentioned Fatima and proposed to marry her. He greeted him and the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, "Welcome and ease." He went out to the group of Ansar who were waiting for him, and they asked, "What is behind you?" He replied, "I see nothing other than that he said to me: Welcome and ease." They said, "Suffice you from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) one of the two: he has granted you family and granted you wide welcome." When, after a time, he married her, he said to him, "O Ali, a wedding feast is imperative." Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I have a ram," and a group of the Ansar gathered...
(Footnote):
(1) In the accusative case because it is the object of la'utayanna, but if it were the object of li-ya'khudhanna, it must be in the nominative case denoting agency.
...some sa' of millet. When the wedding night arrived, he said: "O Ali, do not initiate anything until you meet me." He called for water for the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who performed ablution with it, then poured it over Ali and Fatima (may Allah be pleased with them both).
He supplicated: "O Allah, bless them both, bless for them in their progeny..." In another narration, "bless their union." Al-tahrik means sexual intercourse. In another, "their two lion cubs," though it is said this is a textual error, for al-shibl linguistically means the lion's cub. Thus, this was an unveiling and revelation by him (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that she would give birth to the Al-Hasanayn, so he referred to them as two lion cubs, which indeed they were.
Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn Shadhan narrated: Gabriel came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, "Verily, Allah commands you to marry Fatima to Ali." The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) summoned a group of his companions and said: "Praise be to Allah, who is praised through His blessings..."—the renowned sermon—and he married Ali. At the end of it, he said, "May Allah unite their union, purify their progeny, and make their progeny the keys of mercy and the mines of wisdom, and the son of the bondwoman." When Ali attended, the Prophet smiled at him and said, "Verily, Allah has commanded me to marry you Fatima for four hundred mithqals of silver." Ali said, "I am content, O Messenger of Allah." Then he fell down prostrate in gratitude to Allah the Exalted. When he raised his head, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to him, "May Allah bless you both, bless you in [your union], and bring forth from you much goodness." Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated: By Allah, Allah brought forth from them much goodness, the greater part of which was brought forth by Abu al-Khayr al-Qazwini al-Hakimi. Contracting marriage in absentia is valid, for among his special characteristics (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is that he may attend uninvited, since he is closer to the believers than their own selves, or it may be that his proxy attended, or it might be an announcement to them of what he would do, and his statement "I am content" is a potential state of affairs regarding consent to the previous contract executed by his proxy, thus presenting a potential legal case.
Abu Dawud as-Sijistani narrated: Abu Bakr proposed to her, and he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) turned away from him. Then Umar proposed to her, and he turned away from him likewise. Then Ali approached, and they directed him to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He said, "What do you have?" He replied, "A stallion horse." The Prophet said, "You cannot do without it." He replied, "Then my shield." He said, "As for your shield, sell it and bring it to me." So he went and sold it for four hundred and eighty, placed it in his lap, and [the Prophet] grasped a handful from it and gave it to Bilal to purchase fragrance, and commanded them to prepare her. He had a bed made of woven fine sand, a leather pillow stuffed with palm fiber, and filled the house with abundant fine sand. He commanded Ummu Ayman to go to the daughter, and said to Ali, "Do not hasten until I come to you." He commanded Ummu Ayman to go to the daughter and said to Ummu Ayman, "Has my brother come to you?"
...and did you marry your daughter?" He said, "Yes." He entered upon Fatima, called for water, and brought a goblet containing water. He spat in it, then sprinkled it over her head and between her breasts, and said, "O Allah, I seek Your protection for her and her progeny from the accursed Satan."
Then he said to Ali, "Bring me water." He did as desired, filling the qi'b—meaning the large goblet—and brought it to him. He sprinkled some of it over my head and between my shoulders, and said, "O Allah, I seek Your protection for her and her progeny from the accursed Satan." Then he said, "Enter upon your wife in the name of Allah the Exalted and His blessing."
The blessing of his supplication (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) indeed manifested in their progeny, comprising those who passed and those who are yet to come. Had there been no other proof in the two verses save Imam Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein, they would suffice regarding the blessing of his supplication (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). He intends by the two verses the words of the Exalted: "Then come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars", and His saying: "Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification".
Shaykh al-Islam Hafiz Ibn Hajar stated in Lisan al-Mizan: The aforementioned report is transmitted via Anas, who said: While I was with the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), revelation came upon him. When it subsided from him, he said: "Verily, my Lord has commanded me to marry Fatima to Ali. Go forth and summon Abu Bakr and Umar, and name a group of the Muhajirun, and a matching number of the Ansar." When they took their seats, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) delivered a sermon, saying: "Praise be to Allah, who is praised through His blessings..." mentioning the sermon, the contract, the dowry, and mentioning glad tidings and supplication. It is reported by Ibn Asakir in his biographical notice. It is related concerning the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he said: "Verily, my daughter is named 'Fatima' because Allah has weaned her, her progeny, and those who love her from the Fire."
Abu Bakr al-Khwarizmi narrated concerning the reason for her marriage to Ali: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) emerged before them with his face shining like the disk of the full moon. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf asked him, whereupon he replied: "Glad tidings have come to me from my Lord concerning my brother, my paternal cousin, and my daughter: that Allah has wedded Ali to Fatima, and commanded Ridwan, the keeper of the Gardens, to shake the tree of Tuba. It bore certificates equal in number to the lovers of the House of the Prophet. Beneath each, He created maidens of light, and to every angel He gave a certificate. When the Day of Resurrection is established with its inhabitants, the angels will cry out among the creation: 'None remains who loves the House of the Prophet except that a certificate is delivered to him containing his deliverance from the Fire!' Thus, my brother, my paternal cousin, and my daughter became the deliverers of men and women from the Fire." She was also named Az-Zahra because she derived it from the brightness of the white, radiant gardens; and since flowers are the dwelling place of beautiful gardens, towering trees, and magnificent mansions,
...and in freshness and beauty were the finest of what a human desires in this worldly life, this name was derived from them due to the complete sensory and conceptual correspondence between them. For the beautiful flower has its dwelling in the elevated gardens, while Fatima az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her) has her dwelling in the House of Prophethood. The House of Prophethood is from Paradise, and Paradise in language means the blooming gardens adorned with their colors and the enchantment of their beauty, "wherein souls desire and eyes delight".
Her purity from the blood of menses and post-natal bleeding, and her spotlessness beyond what afflicted other women, served as a proof of this. Thus, she was the mistress of the women of the worlds in this world and the mistress of the women of the inhabitants of Paradise in the Paradise; and on account of that, she was known as the human Houris.
Biography of Fatima az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her)
She is Fatima az-Zahra, daughter of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), and she is the youngest of his daughters, as previously noted, born to her mother Khadijah bint Khuwaylid al-Asadiyyah. She was born six months before the revelation at the age of forty of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Makkah al-Mukarrama, and Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) consummated his marriage to her in Medina in the second year of the Hijrah, when she was 15 years of age. From her proceeded the progeny of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Her children were likely four: (1) Al-Hasan, (2) Al-Hussein, (3) Zaynab al-Kubra, and (4) Umm Kulthum al-Kubra, who was the one married by Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) while she was of young age, and she bore him his son Zayd. Her story regarding her marriage to Umar (may Allah be pleased with her) will follow. Fatima az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her) passed away six months after her father, in the blessed month of Ramadan in the eleventh year of the Hijrah, at the age of 24 years. The correct view is that she was buried in Al-Baqi', and a mosque was built over it, named the Mosque of Sorrows. It remained until the flood of Abdulaziz Al Saud removed it, along with a number of gold-adorned domes and shrines in the Two Holy Sanctuaries, leveling them to the earth out of fear that they might become objects of worship besides Allah. He acted correctly in this, for there is no path for the return of jahili idolatry to the Sacred Lands after Islam purified the entirety of the Arabian Peninsula from it. No exception was made from that for the Rawdah of the Noble Mosque, by order of the reforming religious scholars.
It is also said she was buried in her dwelling, and accordingly, she is within the Noble Mosque; and therefore...The statement is what supports this, and Allah knows best the true reality of the matter.
The scholars have explicitly stated that the duration of the revelation was 23 years, and Fatima az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her) lived through the span of the revelation, save that she preceded its commencement by six months and outlived its cessation by six months, thus completing twenty-four years of age in her lifespan.
The Two Shaykhs narrated on the authority of Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said to her: "Verily, Gabriel used to review the Qur'an with me once every year, but this year he has reviewed it with me twice. I view this as nothing other than the approach of my appointed time, and that you shall be the first of my household to join me. So fear Allah and be patient, for I am an excellent predecessor for you."
To be continued
Taher Ben Abdessalam El Lhioui Al-Wahhabi Al-Alami Al-Hassani
Foreword
Abdallah Guennoun
Digital Edition, Translation and Presentation
Jaafar El Lhioui
Northern Morocco Archive
See the previous chapter
Researcher, Editor, and Digital Activist
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