Marriage made in heaven

Heartiest congratulations to you all on a very blessed occasion. Today is the auspicious anniversary of the joining of two noblest-ever persons in the holy bond of matrimony whose fruits have spread all over the globe for the guidance of humanity.

To be more precise, it is the day on which Prophet Mohammad (Blessings of God upon him and his progeny), performed the marriage of his Immaculate Daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (Peace be upon her) with his dear cousin, the Infallible Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (Peace be upon him). No we have a special feature in this regard as follows:

Today is the 1^st of the sacred month of Zi’l-Hijjah – so named because of the annual Hajj in this month, when pilgrims from all over the world converge in Mecca to circumambulate the holy Ka’ba (the Symbolic House of the Unseen but Omnipresent Creator), and to perform other rites that Prophet Abraham was commanded by God in antiquity to teach humanity. As the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger, Prophet Messenger, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny) revived the Abrahamic Hajj by cleansing it of the pollution of paganism – the dirty work of the deviated Arab tribes of the days of Jahiliyya or ignorance.

As a matter of fact, on this very day in 9 AH, when the Messenger of Mercy on revelation of the first few ayahs of Surah Towba had sent one of his companions called Abu Bakr to convey them to the people of Mecca, Archangel Gabriel descended with fresh instructions that God Almighty commands that either the Prophet should personally undertake the mission to the holy Ka’bar to clarify the rules of the Hajj pilgrimage, including the declaration of “bara’at min al-mushrikin” (which means disavowal of disbelievers), or should depute the one who is nearest to him.

Here a point needs to be clarified. To entertain the idea that the Prophet had erred or was ignorant of God’s Will is sheer blasphemy, since the holy Qur’an informs us in the opening ayahs of Surah Najm that the Prophet neither errs nor does he speaks by himself; whatever he says, it is revelation revealed. This means, that in view of the developments that would occur after the passing away of the Prophet of Peace, this was a Divine Plan to highlight certain figures, whether negative or positive, so that Muslims do not commit the blunder of following someone who had no legitimacy.

Thus, on receiving the urgent Divine Commandment, the Seal of Messengers immediately called his dear cousin, son-in-law, and divinely-designated heir, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) and asked him to discharge this duty at the holy Ka’ba by overtaking the man already sent and sending that person back to Medina. It is an undeniable fact, attested by exegetes of the Heavenly Scripture, and recorded in books of history and hadith, including that of our Sunni brethren, when Abu Bakr returned to Medina after handing over the mission to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS), he was told by the Prophet: “This was the decision of God Almighty.”

The rest is history. Imam Ali (AS) reached Mecca, where without fear of the infidels, he clarified the rules of the Hajj through practical demonstration, while performing the pilgrimage. For three days he continuously recited the opening ayahs of Surah Towba, and made it clear that neither the polytheists are allowed anymore to enter the sacred precincts of the Ka’ba, nor should anyone follow the freewheeling pagan practice of circumambulating the holy edifice naked and without clothes. As per the ayahs of the holy Qur’an, he also made clear the divine declaration of “bara’at min al-mushrikin” or Disavowal of Disbelievers – which obligation Iranian pilgrims have always performed during the Hajj pilgrimage despite the unexplained opposition of the pro US and pro Zionist Saudi regime.

Although an unquestionable proof of the Divinely-Derived legitimacy of Imam Ali (AS) to lead the Ummah after the Prophet, this declaration of God’s commandment was not the only merit for the only person that was born in the holy Ka’ba – the holiest spot on Planet Earth.

Every year the 1^st of Zi’l-Hijjah reminds us of a greater occasion for rejoicing. The first and foremost indication of Divine Authority on this day is undoubtedly the Prophet's solemnizing of the marriage of his only surviving offspring, daughter Fatema az-Zahra with his dear cousin, Imam Ali (peace upon them).

According to the Prophet's domestic servant, Anas bin Malek, after having rejected proposals for the hand of his daughter from some of his companions and wealthy Arabs, the Mercy unto Creation told his bashful young cousin: “God has commanded me to marry Fatema to you.”

Anas adds that the Seal of Divine Messengers sealed the blessed union with the words: “May Allah join you together, make you happy, bless you and bring many a good out of you.”   

Thus on this day in 2 AH, the blessed union of the most-infallible-ever couple took place in Medina, thereby giving the concept of the Qur’anic term of Ahl al-Bayt or Blessed Household, and their spotless purity, as vouchsafed by God in ayah 33 of Surah al-Ahzaab.

It was indeed a marriage-made-in-heaven, since no man was worthy of the hand of the Prophet's immaculate daughter, the noblest lady of all times. A famous hadith says, Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her) would have remained unmarried, if there was no Imam Ali (peace upon him). Following their marriage, these two exemplary figures started a simple life filled with kindness and spirituality. The fruit of this blessed union that guaranteed continuation of the Prophet's progeny were two noble sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain, and two virtuous daughters, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Omm Kulsoum (peace upon them).

The nuptials this day that were celebrated in the most modest manner with praises of God Almighty and without any extravagant dowry or bridal-money, serve as the all-time universal model for any Muslim couple anywhere in the world. Thus was planted the blessed tree of perpetual munificence, whose branches in the form of the Saadaat or honoured descendants of Imam Ali and Hazrat Fatema (peace upon them), have spread today all over the world.

This made-for-each-other pair are ancestors of the Infallible Imams, the last of whom is the eagerly awaited Redeemer of Mankind, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance to cleanse the world of all vestiges of corruption and oppression, and to fill it with the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice).

AS/ME