Marriage made in Heaven

Heartiest felicitations to you all on a very auspicious day. Today is the 1st of the Islamic month of Zil-Hijjah, the month in which the Hajj pilgrimage is observed every year, but the day has special significance in the annals of Islamic history because of a memorable occasion whose blessed branches brought Islam to fruition and whose continue to nourish believers throughout the globe in every age and place.

Yes, friends, it is the day on which a lasting union between two very virtuous persons of all time was solemnized by the Almighty’s Last and Greatest Messenger to all mankind, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny). To be precise, it is the day when the noblest-ever lady, the Prophet’s Immaculate Daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her), was married on the commandment of God to the noblest-ever person after the Prophet, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS). Before we present you an exclusive feature in this regard, let us listen to ayah 21 of Surah Roum of the holy Qur’an, where God Almighty says:

“And of His signs is that He created for you spouses from amongst yourselves that you may take comfort in them, and He ordained affection and mercy between you. There are indeed signs in that for a people who reflect.”

As is evident by the wordings of this ayahs, God has decreed marriage as the formal bond of affection and love between a man and a woman to help build a virtuous family unit, which in turn would result in laying the foundations of a sound and healthy society. It is the most revered institution in Islam, and in the words of the Prophet of Islam: “No foundation has been built in Islam more loved by Allah than marriage."

The Prophet himself set the perfect precedent in this regard, years before the formal declaration of his mission, when he accepted the offer of marriage with the most virtuous lady of his times, the monotheist Khadija bin Khuwailed, known as Tahera or the Pure, for refusing to marry any person until she came across her distant cousin, the poor but honest and ethically-upright orphaned son of Abdullah and Amena bint Wahb.

In view of the wealth of the Omm al-Momineen, or Mother of all True Believers – a title given by God – the marriage was celebrated with daily feasts to feed the whole city of Mecca for over a month. The two made a perfect pair, although they lost their two sons Qassem and Abdullah to the cold hands of death in infancy. In that childless status they took under their care, the Prophet’s dearest little cousin, Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), who later in life would say in one of his famous sermons recorded in the book Nahj al-Balagha:

 “You know that due to my close relationship, and the special rank I enjoyed with the Messenger of Allah, I have a distinguished position with him. He took me in his lap when I was a baby. He often kept me embraced to his heart. He used to make me sleep next to him. We used to be so close to each other that I felt the warmth of his body and smelled his fragrance. I followed him step by step as a baby camel follows its mother. He used to place a fresh code of behaviour before me daily and instruct me to follow it. Every year he would stay in the Cave of Hera. Nobody would be with him but me… The house of Islam was made up of the Messenger of Allah, Lady Khadija al-Kubra (SA) and me… I used to see the light of revelation and smell the fragrance of prophethood."

God Almighty, a few years after commanding the Best of Creation to formally announce his universal mission of Islam, granted the couple a radiant daughter, Fatema az-Zahra (peace upon her) – the Kowthar or Spring of Virtuous Abundance mentioned in the holy Qur’an, to ensure perpetuity for the progeny of Prophet and Hazrat Khadija (peace upon them).

She was conceived of the Apple of Paradise that the Prophet was given to eat during his “Me’raj” or Ascension to the highest point in the heavens and back to Planet Earth in a fraction of a night. While still a child, the One and Only Daughter of the Seal of Messengers, lost her mother, whose proverbial wealth had been spent to the last “dirham” by the Prophet, with her permission, to feed, clothe and shelter the persecuted Muslim community of Mecca.

In Medina, following her father’s migration from Mecca, the immaculate girl came of age. Soon suitors approached the Prophet for her hand, but how could he marry to any Tom, Dick and Harry of Arabia the Seyyedat-an-nisa al-alameen min al-awwaleen wa’l-akhereen or the Noblest Lady of all times?

An impeccable lady needs an impeccable gentleman for the blessed union of marriage in order to avoid a disaster. This was this reason, Mary, the mother of the Prophet Jesus (peace upon her) stayed a virgin throughout her life.

The Prophet of Islam was waiting for Divine Commandment and thus turned away all suitors, even his senior companions, who accustomed to the customs of Jahiliyya in which they had spent the greater part of their idolatrous life, had sent proposals for marriage to him, with an eye on future developments to legitimize their claims to his political legacy when the need arises.

Soon the Word from the heavens came. Archangel Gabriel descended, saying:

"O Prophet of Allah, the Almighty has chosen you and made you the most respected and superior among His creatures, and has selected Ali as your brother. He the Almigty, deecreed the Nikah of your daughter, Fatema, His most obedient servant, with His other most obedient servant Ali, on the 4^th Heaven, where He ordered all His angels to gather, dressed in the ornaments of heaven. He then filled the 4^th heaven with celestial light and ordered Adam, the Father of mankind, to recite sermon to begin the Nikah ceremony. After the sermon, Allah ordered the Angel Raheel, who has been bestowed with the most eloquent voice, to recite Hamd. He then informed me that He has performed the Nikah of His servant Fatema (peace upon her) with His other chosen servant Imam Ali, and that I should spread this news among the angels. I acted accordingly and made all the angels testify the event. Allah then ordered me to write this event in the silken cloth of paradise and present it to you."

Accordingly, Prophet Mohammad (blessings of God upon him and his progeny), following the proposal for marriage from Imam Ali (AS), happily solemnized the marriage of his only daughter with him; thus planting the blessed tree of perpetual munificence, which flowered with the birth of the Impeccable sons, Imam Hasan and Imam Husain (peace upon them), and the Infallible Imams of the offspring of the Martyr of Karbala.

As a mother, the Lady of Light gave to the society four immaculate children – two sons and two daughters – all of whom carved out immortal niches in the history of mankind through their faith, patience, prudence, piety, valour, wisdom, forbearance and sacrifices, the peak of which is the heartrending tragedy of Karbala. If her elder son, Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS) had relinquished the rule of a vast realm for the sake of preservation of the values of Islam, her younger son, Imam Husain (AS) gave his lifeblood in defence of all humanitarian values. Her daughters too excelled in the social arena, as is evident by the epoch-making sermons of Hazrat Zainab (peace upon her) in Kufa and Damascus and the role this dynamic lady played in the aftermath of the tragedy of Karbala to immortalize and universalize the message of her martyred brother. Her younger daughter, Hazrat Omm Kolsoum (peace upon her) also played a unique role during the journey of the caravan of captives from Karbala, to Kufa, to Damascus and to Medina. Thus, the anniversary of the blessed marriage of Imam Ali and Hazrat Fatema (peace upon them) and their role in building the model family of emulation for all Muslims, serves as the lasting lessons for all sections of the ummah in every age, era, and place, in safeguarding faith and virtue within the framework of a virtuous household in addition to carrying out duties in society whenever the situation required.

In honour of the marriage of Hazrat Zahra and Imam Ali (peace upon them), the Islamic Republic of Iran every year marks the 1^st of Zil-Hijjah as “Marriage and Family Day” in order to encourage couples to follow the example of the most virtuous-ever husband-and-wife pair.

After marriage, the couple normally plans the division of works and household chores. In view of the physical differences between males and females, Islam has introduced different roles for men and women, in harmony with their respective natures. Proper division of work is creates balance in family life. The handling of responsibilities by the pair thus builds mutual trust and surrounds them with an aura of love and affection that is so essential for raising sound and healthy children. In view of this, Islam has entrusted the husband, who is physically stronger than his delicate spouse, with the task of earning money for the household through different means including outdoor duties that require strength and endurance. It is here that the exemplary life of our divinely-appointed leaders shows us the way. Once Imam Ali and Hazrat Fatema (peace upon them) concerning housework sought the opinion of the Prophet, who said that indoor jobs should be handled by the wife while outdoor duties is the responsibility of the husband. Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her) got happy and said: I am very pleased that the Prophet saved me from work that is related to men or causes frequent association with men.

This is further proof of the fact that in Islam, in harmony with the system of creation, has allocated both men and women certain duties and responsibilities that are in line with their nature and physical characteristics.

Islam emphasizes that spiritual aspects of doing housework, and has offered the couple incentives by speaking of the rewards reserved for the husband and wife for carrying out their respective responsibilities. When a woman feels that her work is a kind of worship she will definitely strive to win the content of the Loving Creator, rather than feeling tired of bored of her duties. Moreover, in order to ease the burden of housework for women and to create affection between the couple, Islam has encouraged men to help their wives in housework as well. There are many instances when Imam Ali used to help Hazrat Fatema (peace upon them) in the housework, in addition to his outdoor duties. The Prophet’s 6th Infallible Heir, Imam Ja’far Sadeq (AS) says: The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (AS) used to procure water and firewood, while Hazrat Fatema Zahra (peace upon her) would grind flour and bake bread. In Islam, unlike other creeds and cultures, regards men and women as equal human beings, and it does not prevent women from playing social roles. The history of Islam presents numerous instances of the role played by virtuous women in society – roles that did not hinder the wife’s main responsibility in the family. A woman’s work in the society usually has certain problems and sometimes it endangers her health and spirit. Yet we find in Islamic teachings and the history of Islam, how virtuous ladies dauntlessly carried out such work whenever the situation required, without neglecting their household chores.

To sum up, Imam Ali (AS) used to remark: “By Allah, I never angered Fatema or forced her to do something, nor did she ever anger or disobey me. In fact, whenever I looked at her, all gloom would be removed from my heart.”

AS/ME