Moral Virtues Of Lady Fatimah (A.S)
part 1
Note: Some persons die leaving no traces. Others leave an impact during their lifetime and are put into oblivion after their death. Others are influential throughout the time. Some people have a physical presence in history and they continue to live through their descendants, grandchildren, mausoleums, and such art works as those of Michael Angelo which are immortal in the west. Others are immortal by their behavior. In religious literature, we call this immortal behavior tradition. Still there are people who leave behind a heritage of spirituality and knowledge. Jesus Christ (A.S) and Aristotle are two examples respectively.
To sum it up, some personalities have such an aptitude as to survive in history in one of the three dimensions we have just discussed. Nevertheless, Lady Fatimah, the daughter of the Holy Prophet, has gathered all the three dimensions in herself.
Physically, Lady Fatimah (A.S) has fifty million descendants. The Imams and the righteous men are her offspring. There is no woman who has had such a tangible presence in history.
In terms of mausoleums, it is something strange with Fatimah that when such famous personalities as Sa`di, Hafiz, Avicenna, Shah Jahan and Nur Jahan in Taj Mahal have a physical presence though lacking a shrine, she continues to exist physically. This is really a paradox.
Fatimah’s physical presence is highlighted when we know that the Fatimid Dynasty founded a ruling system in Africa in her name. The immortal epic of Nasir Khosrow Alawi, ‘I am a Fatimid’ reflects the same physical presence.
The al-Azhar University, the most famous scientific-religious center of Sunni Muslims in Egypt, was founded by the Fatimid rulers in commemoration of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’.
In terms of knowledge, Lady Fatimah has had a dynamic presence too. Sulayman Kittani, a Lebanese Christian writer, Louis Massigngon, a French Orientalist, and professor Henry Corban are some of the famous personalities who have written books on the heritage of knowledge which Lady Fatimah has left behind.
As for model behavior in history, we should say that a young woman who did not live more than eighteen years left behind such tradition of behavior about which Imam al-Mahdi has said:
وَفِي إبْنَةِ رَسُولِ اللهِ لِي أسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ.
There is a model for me in the daughter of Allah’s Messenger.
Sociologists believe that the reason behind crisis of the young generation in the third world is absence of behavior model. In this relation, Lady Fatimah serves as a model for all the youths, for she has a genuine personality with a halo of sanctity around her. What follows is a perspective of moral virtues and behavior of Lady Fatimah followed by the viewpoints of famous people.
Enduring Hardships
Imam al-Sadiq has reported: One day, the Holy Prophet entered Fatimah’s house and found her wearing a coarse dress, grinding flour with her own hands, and breastfeeding her son. Seeing this situation, his eyes were full of tears. Turning to her, he said, “O my honorable daughter! Endure the hardships of this world so as to attain the sweetness of the Hereafter.” Fatimah answered, “I praise Allah for His blessings and thank Him for His favor.” At this time, the following verse was revealed:
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَى (5)
And soon will your Lord give you so that you shall be well pleased. (93:5)
Charity
One day, Salman the Persian went to the door of Fatimah’s house to carry out the Holy Prophet’s order of preparing food for a newly Muslim Arab. Hearing Salman’s request, Fatimah said, “I swear by Allah that Hassan and Hussein went to sleep with empty stomach. Nevertheless, I would not reject a good deed especially that it has turned to my house. Salman, take this dress of mine to Simon the Jew and buy it for three kilos of dates and three kilos of barley!”
Salman took the dress to Simon and told him the story. Simon’s eyes became tearful, saying, “This piety in this world is what (Prophet) Moses had foreseen in the Torah. Therefore, I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.”
After converting to Islam, he gave three kilos of dates and barley to Salman who took it to Fatimah. She ground the barley with her own hands, baked it and gave it to Salman. He said, “O daughter of Allah’s Messenger! Take some of this for Hassan and Hussein.” Fatimah answered, “I will not take anything from what I have given away in the way of Allah.”
Source:
maaref-foundation.com
Other Links:
Hazrat Fatimah (A.S), the Islam’s Martyr
Who is Zahra?
