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Top 10 Interesting Facts about Fatimah bint Muhammad

She lived between 605/15–632 CE and was the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his wife Khadija. Fatima’s husband was Ali, the fourth of the Rashidun Caliphs and the first Shia Imam. Fatima’s sons were Hasan and Husayn, the second and third Shia Imams, respectively.

The Muslim faith compares her to Mary the mother of Jesus in particular in Shia Islam. Muhammad is said to have regarded her as the best of women and the dearest person to him. 

She is often viewed as an ultimate archetype for Muslim women and an example of compassion, generosity, and enduring suffering.

 It is through Fatima that Muhammad’s family line has survived to this date. Her name and her epithets remain popular choices for Muslim girls.

When Muhammad died in 632, Fatima and her husband Ali refused to acknowledge the authority of the first caliph, Abu Bakr. The couple and their supporters held that Ali was the rightful successor of Muhammad, possibly referring to his announcement at the Ghadir Khumm.

However, controversy surrounds Fatima’s death within six months of Muhammad’s. Sunni Islam holds that Fatima died from grief. 

Shia Islam, however, records that Fatima’s miscarriage may have caused her death. There is a belief that the direct result of her may have been the cause of her injuries during a raid on her house to subdue Ali, ordered by Abu Bakr.

It is believed that Fatima’s dying wish was that the caliph should not attend her funeral. She was buried secretly at night and her exact burial place remains uncertain.

1. She was Prayerful

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Her most common epithet is al-Zahra meaning the one that shines, the radiant, which encodes her piety and regularity in prayer.

This epithet is believed by the Shia to be a reference to her primordial creation from light that continues to radiate throughout the creation. 

The Shia Ibn Babawahy writes that, whenever Fatima prayed, her light shone for the inhabitants of the heavens as starlight shines for the inhabitants of the earth.

2. She had other Titles

Other titles of her in Shia are al-á¹¢iddiqa meaning the righteous,  al-Tahira,  al-Mubaraka meaning the blessed, and al-Mansura meaning helped by God. Another Shia title is al-Muḥadditha, in view of the reports that angels spoke to Fatima on multiple occasions, similar to Mary, mother of Jesus.

3. Mistress of the Women of Paradise

Fatima is also recognized as Sayyidat Nisa’ al-Janna which is the mistress of the women of paradise and Sayyidat Nisa’ al-Alamin which stands for the mistress of the women of the worlds in Shia and Sunni collections of hadith.

They also included the canonical Sunni Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

4. Interesting Young Age

Fatima grew up in Mecca while Muhammad and his few followers suffered the ill-treatment of disbelievers.

On one occasion, she rushed to help Muhammad when filth was thrown over him at the instigation of Abu Lahab, Muhammad’s uncle, and a polytheist.

Fatima lost her mother Khadija in childhood. When Khadija died, it is said that Gabriel descended upon Muhammad with a message to console Fatima.

5. She was Married to Ali

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Fatima married her father’s cousin Ali in Medina around 1 or 2 AH (623-5 CE), possibly after the Battle of Badr.

There is Sunni and Shia evidence that some of the companions, including Abu Bakr and Umar, had earlier asked for Fatima’s hand in marriage but were turned down by Muhammad, who said he was waiting for the moment fixed by destiny. 

It is also said that Ali was reticent to ask Muhammad to marry Fatima on the account of his poverty.

6. The Father Proposed on Behalf of Ali

When Muhammad put forward Ali’s proposal to Fatima, she remained silent, which was understood as a tacit agreement. 

On the basis of this report, a woman’s consent in marriage has always been necessary for Islamic law. Muhammad also suggested that Ali sell his shield to pay for the bridal gift (mahr).

7. Her Father Performed the Wedding Celebrations

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Muhammad performed the wedding ceremony, and they prepared an austere wedding feast with gifts from other Muslims. Later the couple moved into a house next to Muhammad’s quarters in Medina. Their marriage lasted about ten years until Fatima’s death.

8. She Donated Her Wedding Gown

Fatima was very kind and generous. This was well noted by Shia sources who recorded that Fatima donated her wedding gown on her wedding night. This was very fascinating!

9. Interesting Fatima saw Muhammad Seized

On another occasion, Fatimah was with the Prophet as he made; tawaf around the Kabah. A Quraysh mob gathered around him. They seized him and tried to strangle him with his own clothes.

Fatimah screamed and shouted for help. Abu Bakr rushed to the scene and managed to free the Prophet.

While he was doing so, he pleaded: “Would you kill a man who says, ‘My Lord is God?'” Far from giving up, the mob turned on Abu Bakr and began beating him until blood flowed from his head and face.

10. Fatima Fasted together with her Family

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To this arid valley, Muhammad and the clans of Banu Hashim and al-Muttalib were forced to retire with limited supplies of food.

Fatimah was one of the youngest members of the clans -just about twelve years old – and had to undergo months of hardship and suffering.

The wailing of hungry children and women in the valley could be heard from Makkah. The Quraysh allowed no food and contact with the Muslims whose hardship was only relieved somewhat during the season of pilgrimage.

The boycott lasted for three years. When it was lifted, the Prophet had to face even more trials and difficulties. All this was witnessed by Fatima as a child.