LADY FATIMA ZAHRA'S
WILL TO IMAM ALI (A)
Imam Ali
(A) was surprised to find that his dear wife had left her bed and
had started doing the housework; he asked her about it and she replied:
"This is the last day of my life. I want
to wash my children's hair and clothes, because they will soon be
orphans, without a mother!!"
Imam Ali
(A) then asked her about the source of knowledge of this news
(the day of her departure). She (A) told him that she had
seen the Messenger of Allah in her dream and he had told her that she
was going to join him that night. She then asked Imam Ali (A) to
execute her will.
He
said:
"Instruct me to do anything you wish,
daughter of Allah's Messenger."
Ali (A) then asked everyone to
leave the house and he sat next to her.
Fatima
started:
"Cousin, you are not accustomed to me
being a False-teller, undevoted, or have I disobeyed you since I have
become your companion?"
Ali
said:
"Allah forbid!! You are more knowing of
Allah, more devoted, more pious, and more honorable and more fearing of
Allah than (to give me a reason) to reprimand you for disobeying me.
Surely it is very painful for me to be separated from you and to lose
you; but it is an inevitable destination. By Allah, you have renewed the
sorrow I have just encountered with the death of Allah's Messenger;
surely your death and departure will be a great calamity, but `to Allah
do we belong, and to Him shall we return.'
What a painful, bitter and sad calamity.
Surely this is a calamity for which there is not consolement, and a
disaster for which there is no compensation."
Then
they both cried and Imam Ali (A) embraced her head and said:
"Instruct me to do anything you wish; you
certainly will find me devoted and I will execute everything that you
command me to do. I shall also put your matters over mine."
She (A)
said:
"May Allah reward you with the best of
goodness. Cousin, firstly I ask you to marry after my death, my niece
Umamah; surely she will be to my children as I was. Besides, men cannot
do without women."
Fatima
(A) then added:
"I ask you not to let anyone who did
injustice to me to witness my funeral, for they certainly are enemies of
mine, and the enemy of Allah's Messenger. Also don't give them the
chance to pray over me, nor to any of their followers. Burry me at night
when eyes are rested and sight is put to sleep."
Commenting on Imam Ali's speech after Fatima's burial, the commentator
on Nahjul Balagha-English version-published by Ansariyan Publication,
p.347 - wrote:
"The treatment meted out to the daughter
of the Prophet after his death has been extremely painful and sad.
Although Sayyedah Fatima (A) did not live in this world more than a few
months after the death of the Prophet (S), yet even this short period
has a long tale of grief and woe (about her). In this connection, the
first scene that strikes the eyes in that the arrangements for the
funeral rites of the Prophet had not yet been made when the contest for
power started in the Saqifa of Bani Sa'eda. Naturally, their leaving the
body of the Prophet (without burial), must have injured Hadhrat Fatima's
grief-stricken heart to see that those who claimed love and attachment
(to the Prophet) during his life, became so engrossed in their
machinations for power that instead of consoling his only daughter, they
did not even know when the Prophet (S) was given funeral bath and when
he was buried; and the way they condoled her, was that crowded at her
house with material to set fire to it and tried to secure allegiance by
force with all the display of oppression, compulsion and violence. All
these excesses were with a view to so obliterate the prestigious
position of this house that it might not remain its lost prestige on any
occasion. With this aim in view, in order to crush her economic
position, her claim for (the estate of) Fadak was turned down by dubbing
it as false, the effect of which was that Hadhrat Fatima (A) made the
dying will that none of them should attend her funeral."
Fatima
Bint Muhammad was ready to meet her Lord. She bathed, than lay down in
her garment... She then instructed Asma Bint Umais to wait awhile and
then to call her name; if there was no answer, this would mean that she
(A) had departed towards her Lord.
Asma
waited awhile, then called Fatima's name... but there was no answer;
Asma
repeated the call:
"O daughter of the chosen Muhammad!
O daughter of the most honorable of them
whom women bore!
O daughter of the best of those who have
walked on gravel! O daughter of him who was at `A distance of but two
bow-lengths or (even) nearer"
(a Quranic verse, (53:9))
...There
is no answer... silence overwhelms the house ...Asma then proceeds
towards Fatima and finds her dead.
At that
point, Hassan and Hussain entered and asked:
"Where is our mother?"
Yet Asma
uttered not a word!
Hassan
and Hussain proceeded towards their mother and found her dead. At this,
Hussain turned towards Hassan and said:
"May Allah console you for our Mother!"
Imam Ali
(A) was at the Mosque. Hassan and Hussain went to the Mosque and broke
the news to their father. As soon as he (A) heard their words, he fell
unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he said:
"Who will console me now, daughter of
Muhammad? You used to console me, so who will take your place now?"
The
Hashimite women were then gathered to receive the news of the great
calamity... Yes, the calamity befell them once more, while the blood was
still flowing from the wound of losing the Prophet...
Medina
shakes...
Everyone
came to console Ali (A) and his two children... Allah is with you,
Zahra's children...
It was just yesterday that you were
inflicted with the death of
your great father-the Prophet of Allah-and your new calamity is not any
less than that one! But take patience, for this is the will of the
Mighty Lord. |