5 Aug 2025

     The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said, “Indeed, Fatimah is but a part of me, I am harmed by what harms her and I am uncomfortable by what makes her uncomfortable”. She is his beloved daughter, Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra. These words are not a mere declaration of love, but it is a testament of her status in Islam to the last day of this life. She is the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and the mother of believers, Lady Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her), and known by various titles, including Az-Zahra (the radiant), al-Siddiqa (the righteous), and Umm Abiha (mother of her father). Lady Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was given the title “Az-Zahra” (الزهراء) (the Radiant One) for several reasons. Her face would shine with light, and her piety, modesty, and closeness to Allah were seen as a source of spiritual illumination. She was the only one of his daughters to have male descendants who lived to adulthood. She is the wife of Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fourth Caliph. She is the mother of Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein.

   Lady Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was raised in Islam, and the Prophet (ﷺ) loved her deeply. His love for her was so great that whenever he returned from a journey, he would go first to the mosque, then visit Fatimah, and only afterward greet his other noble and pure wives. She (may Allah be pleased with her) was the most similar of all people to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in appearance and character. Whoever saw her was reminded of the Prophet (ﷺ). Lady ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
“I have not seen anyone who resembled the Prophet ﷺ more in demeanor, guidance, and conduct than Fatimah (may Allah honor her face). When she would enter upon him, he would stand up for her, take her by the hand, kiss her, and seat her in his place. And when he entered upon her, she would rise to greet him, take him by the hand, kiss him, and seat him in her place.”

Lady fatimah’s virtues

    One of the greatest virtues of Lady Fatimah is that the lineage of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is exclusively through her, for it is through her children that the Prophet’s (ﷺ) descendants will continue until the Day of Judgment. She gave birth to Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, the chiefs of the youths of the people of Paradise, Lady Zainab and Umm Kulthumm (may Allah be pleased with her). Narrated ‘Umar bin Abi Salamah – the step-son of the Prophet (ﷺ):

“When these Ayat were revealed to the Prophet (ﷺ): ‘Allah only wishes to remove the Rijs from you, O members of the family, and to purify you with a thorough purification…’ (إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا)
(33:33) in the home of Umm Salamah, he called for Fatimah, Hasan, Husain, and wrapped them in a cloak, and ‘Ali was behind him, so he wrapped him in the cloak, then he said: ‘O Allah! These are the people of my house, so remove the Rijs from them, and purify them with a thorough purification.’ So Umm Salamah said: ‘And am I with them O Messenger of Allah?’ He said: ‘You are in your place, and you are more virtuous to me.”
Lady Fatimah Az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her) was known for her deep compassion and tender care toward her beloved father, the Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ). From a young age, she stood by him during some of the most difficult moments of his mission. When he was insulted or physically harmed by the enemies of Islam in Makkah, it was Fatimah who would rush to his side, wiping the dust from his face and comforting him with gentle words and tears in her eyes. Abdallah b. Mas’ud said:
”While Allah’s messenger was praying at the Ka’ba and the company of Quraish were in the places where they sat, someone said, “Which of you will go to the sacrificial camel of the family of so and so, make for the contents of its stomach, its blood and the skin over the foetus then wait and put it on his shoulders when he prostrates himself?” The most wretched one among them then went off, and when he prostrated himself, he put it on his shoulders; and as the Prophet remained in prostration, they laughed to such an extent that they rolled against one another. Someone went to tell Fatima who came running, and the Prophet remained in prostration till she threw it off him, faced them and reviled them. Then when Allah’s messenger finished the prayer, he said three times, “0 God, deal with Quraish (it being his practice when he made supplication to make it three times and when he made a request to make it three times).”
She was a role model in every aspect of life. As a young girl, she would stay up at night to care for her father and share in his pain. As a wife, she looked after her husband, providing him with a home that offered peace and comfort during the storms of life. And as a mother, she raised her children to love Allah, virtue, and noble character. Thus, Al-Ḥasan, Al-Ḥusayn, and Zaynab (peace be upon them) became shining examples in the world of ethics and humanity. 

lady fatimah and the death of the prophet Muhammad

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, Mother of the Believers:

”We, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) were all sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) and none of us had left when Fatima came walking, and by Allah, her gait was very similar to that of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) .’ When he saw her, he welcomed her, saying, “Welcome, O my daughter!” Then he made her sit on his right or his left, confided something to her, whereupon she wept bitterly. When he noticed her sorrow, he confided something else to her for the second time, and she started laughing. Only I from among the Prophet’s wives said to her, “(O Fatima), Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) selected you from among us for the secret talk and still you weep?” When Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) got up (and went away), I asked her, “What did he confide to you?” She said, “I wouldn’t disclose the secrets of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)” But when he died I asked her, “I beseech you earnestly by what right I have on you, to tell me (that secret talk which the Prophet had with you)” She said, “As you ask me now, yes, (I will tell you).” She informed me, saying, “When he talked to me secretly the first time, he said that Gabriel used to review the Qur’an with him once every year. He added, ‘But this year he reviewed it with me twice, and therefore I think that my time of death has approached. So, be afraid of Allah, and be patient, for I am the best predecessor for you (in the Hereafter).’ ” Fatima added, “So I wept as you (`Aisha) witnessed. And when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw me in this sorrowful state, he confided the second secret to me saying, ‘O Fatima! Will you not be pleased that you will be chief of all the believing women (or chief of the women of this nation i.e. my followers?”)

lady fatimah’s death

    She passed away at the age of twenty-eight, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by 6 months. She was born while Quraysh was rebuilding the Kaʿbah. Narrated by Umm Jaʿfar: Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays: “I find it disgraceful what is done to women after death—that a cloth is merely thrown over her body, outlining her shape.” Asmāʾ replied: “O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, shall I not show you something I saw in Abyssinia?” She then brought some fresh palm branches, bent them into a frame (like a bier), and draped a cloth over it. Fatimah said: “How beautiful and modest this is! If I die, wash me—you and ʿAlī—and do not let anyone else enter upon me.” When Fatimah passed away, ʿAyishah came to enter (the room), but Asmāʾ said: “Do not enter.” Ayisha complained to Abu Bakr, who came and stood at the door and spoke to Asmāʾ. She said: “She (Fatimah) ordered me to do this.” He said: “Then do as she instructed you,” and he left. Ibn Abd al-Barr said: “She (Fatimah) was the first woman in Islam to have her funeral bier covered in that modest manner.” 

Her life was a continuous act of devotion—from caring for her father, to supporting her husband, to raising children who would become leaders of both character and courage. In every role she held—daughter, wife, mother, believer—she embodied the highest values of Islam. May we strive to reflect even a portion of her virtues in our lives, and may Allah grant us reunion with her in the gardens of Paradise.

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