Birthday of Hazrat Fatema al-Ma’soumah (PBUH)
Jul 25, 2017 04:07 UTC
Heartiest congratulations to you on a very special occasion. Today the 1st of Zil-Qa’dah is the birth anniversary of a very noble lady, who despite the passing of centuries remains an inspiration for all virtuous women.
No wonder the birthday of Hazrat Fatema al-Ma’soumah (peace upon her), the exemplary daughter of the Prophet’s 7th Infallible Heir, Imam Musa Kazem (PuH), is celebrated in the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Day of the Virtuous Daughters. Before we present you a special feature on this noble lady who rests in eternal peace in the Iranian city of Qom, here are ayahs 42 and 43 of Surah Aal-e Imran of the holy Qur’an to contemplate upon.
“And when the angels said, ‘O Mary, Allah has chosen you and purified you, and He has chosen you above the world’s women. O Mary, be obedient to your Lord, and prostrate and bow down with those who bow [in worship].”
What you heard and read were the words of God Almighty regarding the Virgin Mary (peace upon her) and her loft status in Islam. The mother of Prophet Jesus (PuH) needs no introduction. The Lord Most High has Himself vouchsafed her chastity, her purity of character, and her superiority over the rest of the women of the world of her times. Mary, however, remained a virgin since no man was worthy of her hand. She thus could not fulfill the role of a wife that is vital for complete perfection of a lady in order to serve as the most excellent model for the daughters of Eve for all time.
This is the reason Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), while expounding to his companions the revealed words of God on the exalted position of the Virgin Mary over the women of the world of her times, said:
“My daughter Fatema is Seyyedat-an-Nisa al-alameen, min al-awwalin wa’l-akherin (that is, the Noblest Lady of all time, from the beginning till the end).” This was not the expression of a doting father, since the holy Qur’an says in the opening ayahs of Surah Najm that the Prophet neither errs nor speaks by himself, and whatever he says is revelation revealed. Moreover, history has not presented a better example of the most Perfect Lady than Hazrat Fatema az-Zahra (peace upon her). God Almighty has hailed her in the holy Qur’an as “Kowthar” or the Perpetual Fountain of Abundant Munificence. God has also said in ayah 33 of Surah al-Ahzab regarding her, her father, her, husband Imam Ali and her sons Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them):
“Indeed Allah desires to repel all uncleanness from you Ahl al-Bayt and keep you thoroughly purified.”
As a daughter, as a wife, as a mother, and as a teacher for the women of her times, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her) remains the Paragon-Par-Excellence. After her, her two daughters, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Omm Kolthoum (peace upon them) rose to great heights as the most noble ladies of their times. This legacy continued amongst the Immaculate Daughters of her sons Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them). Both of them named their daughters in honour of the Prophet’s Immaculate Daughter. It is also worth noting that Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (PuH), has referred to his grandmother Fatema the daughter of Imam Hasan (PuH) as the Noblest Lady of her age – thus confirming the Divine words of the superiority over the rest of mankind of the chosen ones of God, whether male or female, especially the progeny of His Last and Greatest Messenger, as testified by ayahs 33 and 34 of Surah Aal-e Imran:
“Indeed Allah chose Adam and Noah, and the progeny of Abraham and the progeny of Imran above all the nations; some of them are descendants of the others, and Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
Interestingly, Imam Sadeq also gave tidings of another Noblest Lady, that is, his granddaughter, by saying:
“A lady from my progeny, by the name of Fatema will be buried in Qom; whoever visits her [shrine], will certainly be admitted to Paradise.”
The recorder of this narration says the 6th Imam gave these tidings before the birth of his son, Imam Musa al-Kazem (PuH), the father of Fatema al-Ma’soumah (peace upon her), whose birthday we are celebrating today on the 1st of Zil-Qa’dah, as the Day of Virtuous Daughters.
Since she was born in born in 173 AH, these tidings of her grandfather were made at least 45 years before her birth. This means her birth was awaited by the true followers of the Ahl al-Bayt.
She grew up to be the most virtuous lady of her times, acquiring knowledge and wisdom from her father and her elder brother, Imam Reza (PuH). She used to spend her days and nights in the worship of God, similar to the piety of the Mother of Jesus (PuH). At the same time, she was well versed in jurisprudential and theological matters. Like the Virgin Mary (peace upon her) she also did not marry, since no man of her times was worthy of her noble hand.
Time does not permit us to go into detail of her dynamic answers at the mere age of 6 years to the legal questions of a group of persons from distant Iran, who happened to knock on the 7th Imam’s door in Medina during his absence.
We suffice with two of her narrations here. The first is about the historic event of Ghadeer-Khom in 10 AH, when the Prophet on Divine Command proclaimed his dear cousin and son-in-law, Imam Ali (PuH) as vicegerent, while the second is on the Me’raj or the Prophet’s Ascension to the highest point in the heavens and back to Planet Earth in a fraction of a night.
Fatema al-Ma’soumah (peace upon her) narrates on the authority of her aunt of the same name, from Fatema the daughter of Imam Baqer (PuH), from Fatema the daughter of Imam Zain al-Abedin (PuH), from Fatema and Sakinah, the daughters of Imam Husain (PuH), from Omm Kolthoum the daughter of Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her), who, when the companions of the Prophet usurped the political leadership of the Islamic realm from her divinely-designated husband, Imam Ali (PuH), said in clear argumentation:
“Have you forgotten the words of the Prophet of God on the Day of Ghadeer- Khom, when he said: “For whomsoever I am Master, this Ali is his Master”, and also his words to Imam Ali (AS): “Your relationship to me is like the relationship of Aaron to Moses.”
With this same chain of authority of the narrators, Fatema al-Ma’soumah (peace upon her) quotes her illustrious ancestress Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her), as saying:
“I heard from my father, the Prophet, who said: ‘During my Me’raj, when I was escorted through Heaven, I saw a palace of white pearls, whose door was decorated with pearls and rubies, and on that door hung a curtain. I raised my head towards it and saw written on the door: “There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is the Guardian of the Ummah.” I then looked at the curtain and on which was written: “Ah, ah! Who is like the Shi’a of Ali?” I entered the palace, in it I saw a castle of red agate, which had a silver door, decorated with green topaz and on that door was hanging a curtain. I raised my head and saw written on that door: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Ali is the Successor of Mustafa.”
Our sincere salutations to Our Immaculate Lady of Qom, whose arrival in this Iranian city, while on journey to Khorasan to meet her brother, was destine to be her final halt, after her caravan was attacked by agents of the Abbasid regime near Saveh. She was welcomed with enthusiasm by the people of Qom, known for their devotion to the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). Divine providence decreed that after a brief 17-day sojourn in Qom, she should leave for her heavenly abode at the young age of 28, thus transforming this piece of land of the Iranian Plateau into a stairway to paradise. The title of Masuma was given to this noble lady by her brother, Imam Rezā (PuH), after her death.
Over the centuries, numerous miracles have taken place at the shrine of Lady Ma’soumah (peace upon her). Pilgrims come here for the blessing of the noble lady and receive their boons. Miraculous events are scrupulously recorded in a special office within the shrine and details of some of them are regularly published in issues of the shrine’s monthly newspaper, the Payām-e Āstān.
We end our programme with a passage from her Ziyarat-Nameh or standard form of salutation, which shows her high position in the Divine Court, and which reads:
“O Fatema! Intercede for me, so that I enter Heaven, for indeed you have a great status in the eyes of Allah!”
AS/ME
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