Hadhrat Fatima bint Asad (May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Hadhrat Fatima bint Asad

(May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Hadhrat Fatima bint Asad (May Allah be well pleased with her) is one of the greatest women of Islam.  She is the granddaughter of Hashim bin Abde Munaf, the niece and daughter-in-law of Hadhrat ‘Abdul Muttalib and the wife of Hadhrat Abu Talib.  Thus, she is the aunt of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and the mother of Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him), Hadhrat Ja’afar (May Allah be well pleased with him) and the mother-in-law of Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her).

 

It is said about her that she displayed great character and high morals from a young age.  Her father was the step-brother of Hadhrat ‘Abdul Muttalib.  Hadhrat ‘Abdul Muttalib selected her to be his daughter-in-law.  She had 4 sons and 3 daughters.  Her sons are Talib, Hadhrat Aqeel, Hadhrat Ja’afar and Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with them).  Her daughters are Umm Haani (May Allah be well pleased with her), Jamaana and Rabtah.  ‘Allama Ibn ‘Abdul Barr has written that she was also a great poetess.

 

She embraced Islam in the early days of Islam.  She and her husband, Hadhrat Abu Talib, helped and supported the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) when almost everyone else was against Him.  Her son Hadhrat Ja’afar (May Allah be well pleased with him) and his wife emigrated to Abyssinia to protect their faith.  Hadhrat Fatima bint Asad (May Allah be well pleased with her) patiently bore this separation from her son and her daughter-in-law.  When the clan of Hashim was boycotted and imprisoned in the Gorge of Abu Talib, Hadhrat Fatima bint Asad (May Allah be well pleased with her) remained steadfast like a mountain.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) loved her a lot.  He would often visit her and would rest in her house.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) expressed her affection for Himself and mentioned her other virtues many times.

 

When Muslims were ordered to emigrate to Madina, she also emigrated.  A few years after emigration of Madina, she passed away in the lifetime of the Prophet Himself.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was grieved by her death.  He immediately went to her house, stood at her head and said:  O my mother!  May Allah have Mercy on you.  You were My mother after My mother.  You would remain hungry and feed Me.  You yourself would need clothes, but would clothe Me.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) then ordered Hadhrat Usama bin Zaid and Hadhrat Abu Ayyub Ansari (May Allah be well pleased with them) to dig a grave for her in Jannatul Baq’ee.  When the upper part of the grave was dug, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) Himself participated in the digging. 

 

He took off His own tunic to be used as a funeral shroud for her.  He even entered the grave and lay down in it (to make it blessed).  When people expressed their astonishment at this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  After Abu Talib, nobody has been more supporting of me than her.  I granted her My tunic so that she may get a robe in paradise and I lay down in her grave so that the difficulties of the grave are eased for her.

 

When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) got out of the grave, tears were flowing down His blessed cheeks.