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Fatimah Zahra: Role-Model of a Muslim Woman By: Prof. M.S. TAJAR

There is a controversy over what really is the role of a Muslim woman or Muslimah, in the society? Is it conservative, like what the Taliban of Pakistan and Afghanistan are displaying, or the Saudi Arabian traditional role for women? Or is it like those Iranian Muslim women who in 1970s were in the streets of Tehran, and other cities of Iran, in forefront of their male counterparts, till they achieved the spectacular Islamic Revolution, in 1979. The same question arises about the role of the Muslim women in the Arab spring of the 2011 in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria and other Arab societies. Fatimah is the answer. No Muslim, male or female, and regardless of his sectarian orientations, can deny the absolute supremacy of Fatimah Zahra, in the Islamic society, past and present. It is so obvious that after every obligatory daily prayer, all the Muslims, recite another prayer called Zikr or more specifically called Tasbihat of Fatimah Zahra. (Meaning those prayers known as Fatimah Zahras daily practices). These prayers were first revealed by Allah (S.W.T.) to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) to practice, and also to teach the Muslims to practice them, too. Then the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) upon the order of Allah (S.W.T.) dedicated this special prayer to Blessed Fatimah Zahra, and even called them as: Tasbihat of Fatimah Zahra (Ref. Muslim Daily Prayers). No other person has such an honor to have an Islamic act of worship named after him/her except the Blessed Fatimah Zahra. This goes to show the level of greatness of this lady, so much so that her practices and her lifestyle, become an exemplary act for the rest of the Muslims, especially the women folk, since she was the best example of a Muslim women (Muslimah) as his father, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) was the best example for all Muslims, as attested by the Holy Quran, itself. (See: Chapter 33 Verse 21). Fatimah is Part of Me, Says the Prophet Another interesting point to consider, with regard to Fatimah Zahras great personality, as a role model for the Muslim women, is the well known Hadith or saying by the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) that goes this way: Fatimah is part of me, anyone who hurts her, has actually hurt me! (All major books of Hadith). Now, the simplest interpretation of this Hadith is that the Blessed Fatimah Zahra is the daughter of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) which is very obvious, that any child is actually a part of his own parents. But, I believe that this statement wants to express a much deeper meaning and that is: The Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) actually wants to inform the Muslims of his own time and up to the end of his world that,

the Blessed Fatimah Zahra is actually a part and parcel of the entire acceptance of the Holy Prophet, as our Prophet. Now, considering the prayer called Tasbihat of Fatimah as an Islamic devotional practice, we can better understand the entire concept of Blessed Fatimah, being a part of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) What Kind of Role Model was The Blessed Fatimah? Again, before going into the study of Blessed Fatimah Zahra, being a Role Model for the Righteous Muslim women (Muslimah/ Muminah), I, should mention this religious fact that, according to the Muslim beliefs and traditions, there are four women in the world, which are chosen by Allah (S.W.T.) as the Best. They are, as follows: 1.)Blessed Aasiah, the believing wife of the unbelieving Pharaoh of Egypt (see: the Holy Quran, Chapter 66 Verse 11). 2.)Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the Great Prophet Eisa or Jesus(see: the Holy Quran, Chapter 3 Verse 42). 3.)Blessed Khadija El-Kubra, the first wife of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) and his first follower and supporter (she is also the mother of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, the only living child of the Holy Prophet Mohammad). 4.)And the last, but the best of these four women of faith is none, but the Blessed Fatimah Zahra. This adds another credential to the greatness of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, as a Muslim womans Role Model, as far as the Islamic Faith is concerned. Blessed Fatimah Zahras Example When we are looking at the Blessed Fatimah Zahras life, as a Muslim womans Role Model, we have to consider her life, both in spiritual aspect, as well as in the family roles that she had, and more interestingly her social and political role in the early developments of the Islamic movement---this portion is often unknown or less known, not only to the non-Muslims, but even to the majority of the Muslims, especially the Sunni majority. The Blessed Fatimah Zahras short life of 18 years only, is very long, as far as the great tragedies and triumphs, achievements and losses, victories and violence against her, and her family is concerned. No wonder, the great Iranian sociologist and Islamologist of the 1960/70s, the well-known Professor of the Tehran University, and the Revolutionary intellectual giant of the contemporary Iran, Dr. Ali Shari-ati, explained Blessed Fatimahs family this way: The House of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra was little in size, but it is greater than the entire Islamic history in surprise!

So, this kind of a house, and its great matriarch cannot be explained so easily, not only in this short essay of mine, but even in one book or even several books. Rather it needs many generations and many more qualified essayists to complete this great task. But then, a witty Persian poem solves our problem by saying: You may not be able to carry the entire water in the ocean, but you can still take that much which will serve your need! And since our purpose is to find the perfect Role Model for a Muslim woman, today, and we have found her to be the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, now we can zero in on the important aspects of her short life, that sheds light on how she lived, and how a Muslim woman should live, in order to become like the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, if not totally, then at least partially! Blessed Fatimahs Short Life She was born on 20th of Jumadi Ath-tani (the sixth month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar) in the year eight before Hijra (B.H. equivalent to 614 A.D.) and she was murdered, during a political violence that took place, immediately after the death of her father, the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). She was only 18 years old at the time of her tragic and violent death. She was married to Imam Ali, the cousin, and the earliest companion of the Holy Prophet. They had four children together, two boys called Hassan and Husain, and two girls, by the names of Zainab and Umm Kulthum; the fifth child, a baby boy, was also murdered in the womb of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra during that violent attack at her. (This boy was already pre-named by the Holy Prophet, to be called Mohsen). The details of her tragic death needs another essay, but here we try to study only the socio-political as well as the family life of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra. Her Family Life She married very early, as it was the tradition of those days. (Look at the Biblical marriages of the ancient time, and you will get a better picture of those traditional life styles). What is very remarkable about her family life is that she was a 100% wife and lover to her husband and a 100% mother to her four children, and an excellent home manager, as well. (This aspect of her life needs much more detailed explanations and study, to be learnt and followed by the women, wives, and mothers and daughters of Islam). She did not neglect any of these roles, at the expense of the others. But, before I forget, she had also asked her father for a domestic helper by the name of Fid-dhah, who would share in the house chores, with the Blessed Fatimah Zahra. Educational, Social and Political Life I would like to concentrate more on those aspects of the life of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, which are almost unknown to many Muslims, especially to the Muslim women, who need it the most in order to understand her personality better and to follow her as a role-model.

1.) Education: Its very interesting to note that in those days, even the Kings and the Queens of the Superpowers of Persia and Rome were often illiterates, and they would depend on their ministers for reading or writing a decree. Yet, in the heart of the dessert of Arabia, a Prophet like Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) announced that: Seeking knowledge is an obligation for all Muslims (male or female)! Seek knowledge from cradle to grave! Seek knowledge even if you have to travel to China! (the end of the Earth, as far as the Arabia was concerned) and so on. Yes, this kind of announcements made the Muslim men and women rush to seek knowledge; And the result was the explosion of the Islamic Sciences all over the world; Although some Islamic sciences were based on the earlier Greek, Roman, Chinese, Indian and Persian Sciences and Education. Yet, as far as we are now concerned, in this article, the most fascinating part of this educational dynamism of the Islamic civilization was the womens education in Islam, as emphasized by the Holy Qur'an, and the teachings of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). And here comes the Role Model-ness of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, as the First Daughter to the Supreme leader of the Islamic state-- the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). The Blessed Fatimah Zahra was the first woman collector of the Holy Quran, as she also had her own commentaries and explanations of the various aspects of the Holy Book of Islam. Her collection is known in the Islamic history as the Mus-haf of Fatimah or the collection of Fatimah Zahra (that some people mistook as a different version of the Holy Quran, which it is not! But rather it is the same Quranic verses when they were freshly revealed to the Holy Prophet Mohammad in the house of the Prophet. The only thing that the Blessed Fatimah did was to ask the interpretations and further explanations about those verses of the Holy Quran, from her father, the Holy Prophet, and she made a commentary), long before any other Muslim, man or woman, could write about the Holy Quran! And thats the greatest educational-cum-religious role model-ness of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra for the righteous women of Islam! After Khadija, Fatimah Became the Mother Before the Blessed Fatimah Zahra married Imam Ali, and when she was still in the house of her father, i.e. the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), she was taking good care of the House of the Prophet. When her mother, Blessed Khadija (the first and only wife of the Holy Prophet until her death) passed away, the Holy Prophets care fell on the young shoulders of the Blessed Fatimah. She was so efficient in running the House of Revelation, and taking good care of the Holy Prophet, that the Prophet gave her the honorific title of Umme Abiha! meaning the mother to her father! And in those days, when the Arabs would not even care about girls, and they would rather bury them alive upon their births (as it is still practiced in China, India, etc.) the Holy Prophet would Kiss the little hands of the Blessed Fatimah (which brings us to the Hand of Fatimah symbol in the North African Muslim countries and even in Spain and Portugal. These, plus the city of Fatimah in Portugal from where the Our Lady of Fatimah comes plus the famous historic city of Madinat Zahra in Spain, etc.).

Not only that, but also the Holy Prophet used to stand up, as a sign of respect, whenever the Blessed Fatimah Zahra would enter a place. And finally, another sign of the Blessed Fatimahs greatness is that, in a male dominated society like Arabia, where only the males could carry the name of the family (as it is in our 21st century, as well) the family name of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) was continued, not through a male child, but rather through the Blessed Fatimah Zahra. (What an honor, as the first case in the history of Arabia). Today, millions of Muslims around the world consider themselves honored by belonging to the family of the Holy Prophet, all through the lineage of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, and her husband, Imam Ali (A.S.). Here are a few of those descendants, past and present: 1.)Imam Hassan Al-Mujtaba and his descendants; 2.)Imam Husain Al-Shahid and his descendants; 3.)The Fatimy Dynasty of Egypt and North Africa, who established the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, which is 1000 years old! (Note: The name Al-Azhar was taken from Zahra, the second name of the Blessed Fatimah, the grandmother of that Muslim Dynasty). 4.)Sharif Makhdum, the first Muslim missionary who introduced Islam in Southeast Asia and particularly in the Philippines (also the Sharifs Alawi, Kabunsuan, Zainul Abidin, etc.). 5.)Sharif Husain of Makkah, the ruler in Mecca and Medina, before the oppressive Saudi family grabbed power in the Arabian Peninsula in 1930s. 6.)Several Dynasties in North Africa and the Middle East, including the Royal Families of Morocco, Jordan and before them, in Algeria, Tunisia, etc. 7.)Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeini of Iran, the father of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the greatest and the most influential personality, both religiously and politically as well as socially, in the past 1000 years of the Islamic history. 8.)And countless other religious and spiritual leaders in the Muslim world, today, including Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah of Lebanon, and many others in the Muslim world, from Iraq, Iran, India, and as far as Indonesia , Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines. No wonder, another name of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra was Al-Kawthar (the ever increasing one) which comes from the title of the smallest chapter of the Holy Quran (Chapter 108) in which Allah has promised the Holy Prophet Mohammad that he will have great descendants (just like Gods Promise to Abraham in the Old Testament). Fatimah Zahras Social and Political Legacy

Fatimah Zahras social and political legacy in Islam has been tremendous, indeed, and it is still playing a great role in the Islamic society, today. During the lifetime of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.), the way Fatimah Zahra lived, as a loyal daughter to the Holy Prophet, that brought her the title of Umme Abiha or the Mother to her Father as well as her exemplary role as a wife to the greatest Muslim personality after the Holy Prophet, i.e. Imam Ali, was a totally new role for the Muslim women in Arabia, and beyond. Fatimah Zahras own educational and intellectual activities, especially in the Arabian Society of the 7th century was absolutely Revolutionary for the women of her time and even today. The best example of that was her excellent job as a writer, commentator and collector of the Holy Quranthe first woman to do so in the Islamic history. The Role of Fatimah after the Holy Prophet Immediately after the death of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), the political and the religious role of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra started to demonstrate itself in the socio-political aspect of Islam, as well as in its religious and spiritual fieldsconsidering the fact that in Islam, there is no separation of the Church and the State (even in the Western world, that claims to believe in this separation, we can see that the Queen Elizabeth II of England is both the head of state, as well as the head of the Church of England). But, Fatimah Zahras great personality and her closeness with the Holy Prophet and the fact that she was one of the four chosen women in the Islamic faith, plus the extraordinary position that the Holy Prophet gave her, by naming an Islamic prayer after her (Tasbihat Fatimah Zahra, that Muslims practice everyday) and calling her The Lady of All Women of Heaven (Sayyidato Nisaa Ahlil Jannah) and the sayings that: Anyone who angers Fatimah has angered me and anyone who angers me, has angered Allah! and many other great statements by the Holy Prophet himself about the extraordinary personality of Fatimah Zahra, made her very special among the Muslim community, and her every word or action became very powerful and influential in the Islamic Ummah, forever! The Islamic Leadership: Caliphate or Imamate After the passing away of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), the immediate question was: Who will succeed him? The Muslims were divided on that issue, as they are divided today, after 1400 years of the History of Islam. The Blessed Fatimah Zahra, being not only the first daughter but also a great confident of the Holy Prophet, and his closest follower, from his own family (The Ahlul Bayt, see the Holy Quran 33:33) put her in the strongest position of authority as the Arbitress of this issue of succession to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) and no other Muslim, past or present have been so important factor in the judgment over this issue. Fatimah believed in Imamate Fatimah Zahra, who had observed the life of the Holy Prophet in their blessed Household, knew better than anyone else, that the Holy Prophet had appointed Imam Ali, as per the order of Allah (S.W.T.) and the traditions

of the other Prophets, before (Jesus, Moses, Abraham, etc.) who had appointed their own successors. (See: Holy Quran, Chapter 3 Verse 33-34) Here are some Islamic rules about the Holy Prophets succession as follows: 1.)The Holy Prophet said Ali, you are to me as Aaron was to Moses (successor) except the fact that there is no Prophet after me (Ali was an Imam, not a Prophet). 2.)In Ghadeer Khum, during the last trip to hajj by the Holy Prophet, he announced, upon the order of Allah, this statement: To whom I was Maula (Master/Leader) to him this Ali is Maula! 3.)Also in the first Call to Islam by the Holy Prophet (Dawah Zil Ashirah, as per the command of Allah Himself, see the Holy Quran, Chapter 26 Verse 214) he was also ordered to announce to everybody in that meeting that Anyone, from among you, my relatives (no other Muslims, yet) who shall accept me first, today, shall be my assistant, my vezier and my successor, after me! And all Muslims know that in that gathering of the relatives, only a young man, who was just 14 years old, stood up and pledged his unshaken loyalty to Islam and to the Holy Prophet Mohammadthat young man was Ali! Based on this facts, and many other Islamic principles and traditions, the Blessed Fatimah and the entire Ahlul Bayt (the Household of the Holy Prophet) as well as several other closest disciples of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.), like Salman, Abu Dar, Miqdad, Ammar Yasser, believed in the institution of Imamate, headed by Imam Ali, as the only true successor to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.). Some Political Chiefs Opposed On the other hand, there were some tribal leaders of Arabia, both Mohajirs (migrants from Mecca) as well as Ansar (the Medina tribal leaders) who believed that it was their right to succeed the Holy Prophet, after his death. This lead to many disputes among the elders, until the Meccan faction lead by Abu Bakar and Omar won the political argument. The Blessed Fatimah Zahra was the most crucial factor in this issue, and she stood firm on her belief that the Islamic Leadership as Islam itself is Allahs Choice, not the people' desire (see Holy Quran, Chapter3 Verse 154). This steadfastness of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra and her family (The Ahlul Bayt) and their followers, angered those political figures and the tribal elders of Arabia, (those remnants of the old system of Jahiliyyah, or the Age of Ignorance). This lead them to storm the Household of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.), burn its gate, and to crush the Lady Fatimah (The Lady of the Women of Heaven) in which she was badly wounded, lost her baby in a miscarriage, and she died of her wounds and the trauma, just 60 days after her father, the Holy Prophet Mohammad! The blessed Fatimah Zahra was just 18 years old at the time of her untimely death! And she

paid the ultimate price for defending the Islamic principle of Imamate, against the wishes of the Political personalities of that age, or Khalifate as we know it today. The Spiritual and Political Role of Fatimah, Today The tragic death of the innocent lady, Fatimah Zahra, divided the Muslim society of that day into to groups; 1.) The followers of Imamate, (The Shiah) and 2.) The supporters of the Caliphate, (The Sunni). This division in the Islamic world still exists, today. And from her Innocent Death (see: Holy Quran, Chapter 81 Verse 8) even today we can understand very well, which is the genuine Islam, as taught by the Holy Prophet Mohammad, and his Blessed Ahlul Bayt, as exemplified by the Blessed Fatimah Zahra and which one is the hypocritical power grabbing element in the early Islamic society, that was ready to kill and burn and loot, even the noblest and holiest Household i.e. that of the Holy Prophet, in order to gain power and rule, and the rest as they say is History. Before ending this piece about the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, I would like to quote two greatest contemporary Muslim Scholars. One is Dr. Ali Shari-ati of Iran and the other is Dr. Mohammad Iqbal, the founding father of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, its national Poet and the Poet of the East. The late Dr. Ali Shari-ati of Iran, who was a sociologist graduate of the world famous Sourborn University of Paris said: I wanted to say Fatimah is the daughter of the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) but I saw it is not enough to describe her. Or to say that she was the wife of Imam Ali, or the mother of Imam Hassan and Hossain, but those were not all that she is, so I decided to announce that: Fatimah is Fatimah! (See the book entitled: Fatimah is Fatimah By the late Dr. Ali Shari-ati of Tehran University). Dr. Moahammad Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan, in one of his beautiful Persian poems, describes the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, this way: While Virgin Mary is Respectable because of the great Prophet Jesus A.S., yet Fatimah Zahra is respectable for three reasons: 1.)She is the First Daughter to the Holy Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.) 2.)She is the wife to the first Believer and the first Imam---Imam Ali A.S. 3.)She is also mother to the Holy Imams Al-Hassan and Al-Hossain. (See Dr. Mohammad Iqbal of Pakistan, The Collections/ Divan in Persian). We hope that those two scholars descriptions added more light to our brief study of the life of the Blessed Fatimah Zahra, and her being a good Role-Model for the Muslim women of today.