Fatima: The Perfect Role Model

Amongst the fourteen infallibles, it was necessary for one of them to be a woman as if all of them were men, then all of the advice, recommendations and teachings which we see directed towards the women of the community – things such as how to take care of ones’ spouse, how to maintain the home, how to take care of the children, the style and function of the hijab, how to modestly maneuver within society, patience and submission to God in the face of challenges and the hundreds of other teachings would have been mere words which were spoken and simple theological discussion to be studied. It is possible that women of all ages would have said to themselves: “If there was at least one infallible woman from amongst all of these people that God sent for guidance, a woman who knew what we as women go through, how we feel and how our emotions are formulated, then all of these pieces of advice we have been given and responsibilities which have been put on our shoulders would not have been there – as these men just don’t understand us!”

Lesson 2; Death part 1 of 5

One of the fearsome stages of the Hereafter is the grave, which calls out daily: “I am the abode of loneliness, I am the house of terror, I am the home of worms”.

 

Terror of the Grave

It is quoted in Man La Yahzaruhul Faqih, that when a dead body is brought for burial, it should not be buried immediately. For there is no doubt that the terror of the grave horrifies the dead person, and he seeks refuge from Allah's wrath. The dead body should be laid to rest for sometime far from the grave, so that it prepares itself, and gets accustomed to it. Again one should stop and then take it to the grave. Allamah Majlisi while commenting on the above, says that even though the spirit is separated from the body, it is still maintains relation with it, and remains somewhat attached to it. The darkness & loneliness, questioning by ‘Munkir & Nakeer’, Squeezing in the grave (Fishar), and the chastisement in hell are some of the frightful stages. Hence it is necessary for man to take lessons from a dead man's state, and reflect upon it, because one day he himself will have to pass through these stages. Yunus narrates that one day he asked Imam Moosa-al-Kazim (A.S.) that, “Whenever I think about the door of a house, the house becomes narrow in my sight, why is it so”? Imam (A.S.) replied, “It is so because whenever you take a dead body for burial, you should lay it to rest for sometime near the grave, so that the dead person may ready itself to enter there in, and collect strength to answer the questions of ‘Munkir’ & Nakeer’”.

Bara bin Azib, one of the companions (Ashab) of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) says that one day I was in the presence of the Prophet, when we saw a group of people gathered. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) asked them as to why they had gathered? They replied that they had gathered to dig a grave. As soon as the Prophet heard the name of the grave, he hurried towards it and sat on one side of the grave. I sat on the other side facing him so as to get a clear view of what he did. I saw that the Prophet (S.A.W.S) started weeping bitterly so much so that his face became wet, then he looked at us and said, “O my brothers! Prepare yourselves for this house”.

Shaikh Bahai says that at times he saw many kings and rulers regretting their sins and wailing over their lives while dying. The Shaikh asked one such person who was about to die as to what was the reason for such regret. The dying king replied, “What do you have to say about the person who is proceeding for a journey without having gathered any provisions for it, and devoid of a helpful companion. He is stopped on the way in a horrifying grave, to be produced later before the Almighty Ruler, without having any goodness in store”.

Allamah Qutubuddin Rawandi says, that after the death of Hazrat Maryam (A.S.), her son Prophet Isa (A.S.) called her, “O mother! Please speak to me, and tell me whether you are desirous of returning back to this world”. Hazrat Maryam (A.S.) answered, “Yes, I desire to return back, so that during the cold winter nights I could recite Namaz, and during the hot summer days I could fast. O my dear! Verily the way to the hereafter is very difficult.”

It is narrated that when the last moments of Hazrat Fatema (A.S.) neared, She called Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) and said, “When I die, you bathe me, shroud me, pray Namaz over my dead body, and bury me. When you do so, sit near my grave for sometime and recite the Holy Qur'an, and pray for my forgiveness. For verily after death the dead person relies totally on the prayers (dua's) and affection of the living ones”.

When Hazrat Fatema binte Asad (the mother of Hazrat Ali) died, Amirul Mo'meneen (A.S.) came weeping to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) and gave Him the new of her death. The Prophet was grieved and said, “My mother has died”. History bears witness that she had brought up the Prophet affectionately like a mother. The Prophet (S.A.W.S) gave her his own gown for the shroud (Kafan), and Himself lay in the grave for sometime before burying her. After burying her, he stood near the grave and called out: “Your son, your son, not Aqeel, nor Ja'far”. People were surprised and asked him the reason for uttering these words. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) replied that, “One day we were discussing about Qayamat, and I said that on that day people will be come out of their graves in a state of nakedness. My aunt (Fatema binte Asad) started crying, so I assured her that I would give her my own gown for shroud, so she would not have to face that humiliation. She was scared of the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr) , so I lay myself in her grave so as to save her from this too. After burying her, Munkir & Nakeer came to question her. They asked her about her Lord, she replied that Almighty Allah was her Lord. Then they asked her about Prophet hood (Nabuwwah), she bore testimony that I was Allah's Apostle. But when they questioned her about her Imam, she was a bit confused. Hence I called out to her that “Your son, your son, not Aqeel nor Ja'far (but Ali)”. Fatema binte Asad was a distinguished lady, who had the honor of giving birth to a son like Ali (A.S.), and herself remaining in the Ka'bah for three days as Allah's guest. She was the second woman who accepted the Prophet hood of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) the first being Hazrat Khadija (A.S.) even then she was fearful of the hereafter and wept. And we being sinful have forgotten our end, and do not take account of our deeds, but are averse to the terror of the hereafter.

Sayyed ibne Tawoos relates from the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) that he said that the first night is the most fearful and difficult for the dead person, hence give Sadqa for his safety. If you do not have to give anything as ‘Sadqa’ then recite two unit (Rak'at) Namaz: In the first Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite twice Surah-at-Tawheed, and in the second Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times Surah-at-Takasur. After finishing the Namaz recite the following dua:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وابْعَثَ ثَوابَها اِلى قَبْرِ ذِلِكَ المَيِّتِ فُلان بن فُلان.

(here take the name of the dead man)

Allah will immediately send one thousand Angels to the grave of the dead person with attires of Paradise, and expand his grave till Qayamat. And for the one who recites this Namaz, Allah will offer him great rewards and exalt his position forty times.

The other Namaz to be recited on the first night of burial is as follows: Two Rak'at Namaz is to be recited, in the first Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite once Ayatal Kursi, and in the second Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite ten times surah-al-Qadr. After finishing Namaz say:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ وآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وابْعَثَ ثَوابَها اِلى قَبْرِ فُلان

(here take the name of the deceased person).

My teacher Allamah Mirza Husain Noori (may Allah exalt his position) quotes in his book Darus Salaam from his teacher Haj Fath Ali Sultanabadi that he said: It was my routine that whenever I heard about the death of follower (Shi'ah) of Ahlulbait (A.S.), whether known or unknown to me, I recited (the above stated) Namaz, and this was not known to anyone else except myself. One day I met one of my friends who told me that the previous night he saw in a dream a Shi'ah who had died some days ago. May friend asked him as to how his state was. He replied that he was in deep trouble facing the consequences of his deeds, till one so and so (he took my name) person recited Namaz for him. He said that, “May Allah bless his father, he rescued me from severe chastisement”. My friend asked me regarding the Namaz and I had to tell him.

 

Those deeds which are beneficial for warding off fear of the Grave.

One of them is performing Ruku' with entire recitation. Imam Mohammad-al-Baqir (A.S.) says, that a person reciting entire recitation of Ruku' in Namaz will be saved from the fear of the grave. And one who recites.

لا إلهَ إلاّ اللهُ المَلِكُ الحَقُّ المُبينُ

100 times daily, will be saved from anxiety in the grave, will become prosperous  and the doors of Paradise will be opened for him. It is also related that the person who recites Surah-al-Yaseen before going to bed, and the following Namaz (Namaze Laylatur Raghaib), he will be saved from the terror of the grave. The first night of the month of Rajab is known as Laylatur Raghaib.

The Holy Prophet Mohammad (S.A.W.S.) used to fast on the first Thursday of the month of Rajab, and between Maghrib and Isha Prayers recite twelve Rak'at Namaz (in si sets of two units) as under:

In every Rak'at after Surah-al-Hamd recite three times Surah-al-Qadr and twelve times Surah-an-Naas. After Salaam recite seventy times:

اَللّهُمَّ صَلِّ على مُحَمَّدٍ النَّبيِّ الأمِّي وَعلى آلِهِ

Then go into prostration (Sajdah) and say seventy times:

سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبَّ المَلائِكَةِ والرُّوحِ

Then sit erect and say seventy times:

رَبِّ اغْفِرْ وَارْحَمْ وَتَجاوَزْ عَمَّا تَعْلَمُ إنَّكَ أنْتَ العَليُّ الأعْظَمُ

Then again go into Sajdah and say seventy times:

سُبُّوحٌ قُدُّوسٌ رَبَّ المَلائِكَةِ والرُّوحِ

It has been related that a person who fasts for twelve days in the month of Sha'ban, Allah will send seventy thousand Angels daily to his grave. And if a person visits an ailing man, Allah appoints an Angel for him who accompanies him in his grave till Qayamat.

Abu Sa'eed Khudri says, that he heard the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S) telling Amirul Mo'mineen Ali (A.S.), “O Ali! Give glad tidings to your Shi'ahs that their death will be eased, and they will be saved from the terror of the grave and Qayamat”.

Narrowness of. and Squeeze in the Grave (Fishare Qabr).

This event is so horrifying, that it makes a person shiver with fright in this very world. Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) says: “O the servants of Allah! The state in the grave of a person whose sins are not forgiven is more horrifying than death it self. Fear it's (grave's) narrowness, it's squeezing, it's imprisonment  and it's loneliness. Verily the grave calls out daily: I am the house of loneliness, of terror and worms. Grave is like a garden of Paradise for a good doer, while it is like a dungeon of hell for the evil doer. Allah tells His enemies that He will send ninety nine serpents in their graves, who will tear their flesh and smash their bones, and this punishment will continue till the outbreak of Qayamat. If one of the serpents exhales towards this earth, all plants and trees will be destroyed. O servants of Allah! Your souls are tender, and your bodies delicate, you cannot confront any ordinary serpent of this world, how then will you face them”. It is related that Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) used to get up daily in the middle of the night and call out in a loud voice so that everyone in the house could hear, and would say:

اللّهُمَّ أعِنِّي عَلى حَوْلِ المُطَّلَعِ وَوَسِّعْ على ضِيقِ المَضْجَعِ وَارْزُقْني ما قَبلَ المَوتِ وارْزُقني خَيرَ ما بَعدَ المَوتِ.

One of his (A.S.)'s Supplication (Du'a) is also stated:

اللّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لي في المَوتِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على سَكَراتِ المَوتِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على غَمِّ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على ضَيْقِ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ أعِنّي على وَحْشَةِ القَبْرِ اللّهُمَّ زَوِّجْني مَنَ الحُورِ العِينِ.

 

Fadak Lecture 2

Record and upload audio >>

Lecture on Fadak, who took Fadak? To whom did it belong, and really, does a Prophet has no inheritor? All that and much more discussed in the brief first lecture regarding the issue of Fadak. This is in Urdu, and I hope you benefit from the knowledge...

Fadak Lecture 1

Audio and voice recording >>

Lecture on Fadak, who took Fadak? To whom did it belong, and really, does a Prophet has no inheritor? All that and much more discussed in the brief first lecture regarding the issue of Fadak. This is in Urdu, and I hope you benefit from the knowledge...

“Fāṭimiyyah is ʿĀshūrāʾ”

In one of his writings, Grand Ayatullah Shaykh Lutfullah Safi Gulpaygani elucidated upon some issues in regards to the personality of Sayyidah Zahrā, peace be upon her. In speaking about commemorating the [days] of Fāṭimiyyah , he stated that, “…in every religious event and at every opportunity [which we are given], we must speak about her standpoints, life, her traits of asceticism, worship [of God], and her knowledge…”

Fāṭimiyyah refers to the annual programs which are held throughout the Muslim world to commemorate the martyrdom of Fāṭima Zahrā, peace be upon her, the only daughter of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family. As there are numerous dates in history on when she left this world and no one knows for sure on which day she died, the scholars have deemed that it is best to remember her on the two most well-known dates – 75 days after the death of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family, and 95 days after the death of the Messenger of God, peace be upon him and his family.

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 6

The second point which must be mentioned is that in many of the
verses of the QurÁn we see that humanity on a whole has been
condemned – for example:

Indeed man has been created covetous: anxious when an ill befalls him and grudging when good comes his way.

In another place in the QurÁn we read:

إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ ظَلُومً۬ا جَهُولاً۬ 

Indeed he (the human being) is most unjust and senseless.

In yet another place in the QurÁn we read that the human being is one whose rejection of the bounties of God is transparent and apparent for everyone to see: 

إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَكَفُورٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ

Man is indeed a manifest ingrate.

In one more place, the human being has been considered as a creation that anytime a blessing reaches him, he goes into a state of rebellion: 

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطۡغَىٰٓ (٦) أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓ (٧)

Indeed man becomes rebellious, when he considers himself without need.

There are many more such verses as well in the QurÁn. 

Without a doubt the human being is not, within his nature, to be a 

manifest ingrate, nor is he most unfair and senseless, nor is he rebellious.

Rather, apparently what is meant here is that these verses are talking 

about human beings who have – willingly – not gone under the training 

and nurturing of the Divinely appointed leaders, and just like plants, 

allow themselves to grow on their own. They do not have a guide, nor 

do they have anyone to help them wake up from their spiritual slumber, 

and thus they are caught up in their own whims and desires. 

It is for this reason that in the QurÁn there is praise for those people 

who possess God-consciousness and submit to the orders of AllÁh, and 

principally [the existence of] humanity themselves have been introduced 

as the ultimate purpose behind the creation of the universe: 

Certainly We have honored the Children of Adam, and carried them over land and sea, and provided them with all the good things, and given them an advantage over many of those whom We have created with a complete preference.

When we speak about the female gender as well, we see that the same
rules apply (as mentioned above in these verses of the QurÁn).
Amongst women, there are those who are noble such that it is even
difficult to find men who have reached their caliber; but the opposite of
this is also true that there are many women who have gone astray and
are the source of many of the societal evils.


By keeping this introduction in mind, let us now begin the
interpretation and clarification of the sermon mentioned (about the
“deficiencies in women”) and at the end of our discussion, we will bring
up some final points in this regards.

Lesson 1; Death part 3 of 5

Friendship with death:

It is of utmost importance that man should hold death dear and consider it an opportunity of meeting with his Almighty, and not hate it and consider it as evil, but should take lessons from it. He should ask forgiveness from Allah for his sins and tame the rebellious self (nafs). When the call of his Lord comes, he should welcome it with open arms accepting it to be a blessing from Allah. He should be contented with the decree (Qadr) of Allah. He should also rejoice that shortly he would be taken to the presence of Ahlulbait (A.S.) and meet his deceased companions and other believer brothers. He should also not be disheartened by the delay in death but should consider it as an opportunity afforded by Allah to him to repent. This delay would give him a chance to gather provisions useful for his journey to the other world, for the journey is tiresome and full of dangerous valleys & difficult paths.

 

Relating to the removal of the Spirit and its hardships (Sakarat):

“And the stupor of death will come in truth, that is what you were trying of escape”. (Surah-al-Qaf : 19). This stage is full of difficulties & troubles. On one hand a man feels pain, his tongue turns motionless, his bodily components cease to function, while on the other hand weeping & wailing of relatives, grief of their separation  orphanation of children, and the sorrow of leaving behind hardly earned wealth and enormous property for others to feast upon. The wealth which was sometimes gathered by usurpation or through illicit means. The dying man remembers his sins and regrets, but alas, the time (to repent) has passed and accounts closed. Amirul Mo'meneen (A.S.) says, “He (the dying person) regrets over his wealth which he gathered bearing hardships, and now he is being separated from it, leaving it to be feasted upon by his inheritors. His hard earned wealth is left for the use of others.” The dying person feels scared, for he is about to enter an unknown & unexplored world, and is all the more frighted when he witnesses those things which are totally new to him. The Holy Qur'an says, “Certainly you were heedless of it, but now we have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp”. (Surah-al-Qaf: 22) He feels the presence of Angels around him and wonders about what is in store for him. It has been narrated in traditions (Ahadees) that at the time of death, the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) and the Holy Aimmah (A.S.) come near the head of the dying person, who is able to see them. It is narrated in third volume of ‘Bihar-al-Anwar’ that once Imam Ali-ar-Reza (A.S.) went to meet one of his companions (sahabi) who was about to die. He looked towards the Imam (A.S.) and said, “I see the radiant faces of your Grand father (the Holy Prophet), Your Father the Commander of the faithful), Your Mother (Hazrat Fatema), and the other Imams in Your Ancestry. I also see your luminous face along with them”. It is a fact that every dying man has a glimpse of the Aimmah (A.S.), according to his love for and knowledge of them. For a believer mo'min) their sight is a blessing from Allah, and for a hypocrite (munafiq) and disbeliever it is a sign of Allah's wrath. In the Salutation (Ziarat) of Amirul Mo'meneen Ali (A.S.) we utter these words:

السَّلامُ على نِعْمَةِ اللهِ على الأبْرارِ ونَقْمَةِ اللهِ على الجَبَّارِ

The dying man is confused, because on one hand satan (shaitaan) with his companions tries hard to spoil his faith (Eeman), and on the other hand the thought of the arrival of the Angel of death makes him all the more puzzled. He wonders as to in what state would he (the Angel of death) come and how would his spirit be removed. The Commander of the faithful Ali (A.S.) says, “And when the signs of death approaches, he knows not what will befall him.”

Shaikh Kulaini narrates from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) who said that once Hazrat Ali (A.S.) was suffering from the ailment of the eye. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) came to inquire about his health. He saw that Ali (A.S.) was in intense pain and was restless because of it. The Prophet asked him, “Is this anxiety the outcome of the ailment”? Hazrat Ali (A.S.) replied that, “I had never witnessed such a pain before”. The Holy Prophet (to console him) said, “O Ali! when the Angel of death comes to take the spirit of the disbeliever,he brings along with him a club of fire, by which he removes his spirit and the flames of hell scream at the dying man”. The Commander of the faithful sat upright and said, “O Prophet! Please explain to me the tradition (hadees), for I do not fell the pain anymore. Will the spirit of anyone from among your ummat be removed in the same manner”? The Holy Prophet replied, “Yes, three types of persons from among my ummat too will be subjected to this punishment (1) An oppressive (Zalim) ruler, (2) Those who unjustly usurp the rights of orphans, and (3) The bearer of false witness”.

Man due to difficulty or ease during death also sees the effects of his good or bad deeds which he committed. There are also some who turn apostates during death due to some of their bad deeds. “Then evil was the end of those who did evil, because they rejected the communications of Allah and used to mock them”. (Surah-ar-Room : 10) It has also been narrated that during death (sakarat) or afterwards, the following persons should not be near the dying man: a woman in menses (Haiz) or Istahaza (irregular period), and a polluted (Junoob) person, because the Blessed Angels go away and the dying man falls in trouble. Shaikh Sadooq in his book ‘Ilalush Sharaye’ quotes Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) as saying, that woman in menses (Haiz) or a polluted person (Junoob) should not remain near the dying person, because the Angels feel disgusted because of it and go away.

In the book ‘Darus Salaam’, the great scholar Sayyed Murtaza Najafi quotes: Once an extreme epidemic broke in Iraq and Arabia. I was seated in the courtyard of the Shrine of the Commander of the faithful Ali (A.S.) with a distinguished Scholar (Aalim) Sayyed Mohammad Baqir Qazwini. He was distributing work for serving the effected people among us, when we saw a youth who was standing in the last rank and was struggling to come near the Sayyed, but could not do so because of immense crowd. Suddenly he started wailing aloud, the Sayyed looked at him and told me to inquire the matter from him. I went to him and asked him the reason for weeping. He replied, “I desire that if I die in the epidemic, the Sayyed should recite the Prayer (Namaze Mayyit) over my dead body individually and not combined as he does (due to many deaths in the epidemic). I returned to the Sayyed and narrated the matter to him. He promised to fulfill his desire. Next day we saw an infant child who came crying to us. When we inquired of him he answered that he was the son of the youth who had come us yesterday with a desire. He told us that he had become the victim of epidemic and was about to die, and he was desirous of meeting the Sayyed. Some of us accompanied Sayyed Mohammad Baqir to meet the dying man. On the way we met a pious man who was coming out of his house. When he saw us he saluted us, and asked us, as to where we were going. We answered that we were going to visit a believer who was in his last moments. With permission he accompanied us in order to share the reward (sawab). When we came to the house, Sayyed Mohammad Baqir entered the room first, then one after the other we entered there in. The dying man was pleased and signaled us to sit. As soon as the pious man who had met us on the way entered, the dying man’s color changed. His face turned pale and in rage signaled him to go away. He became restless as if some trouble had befallen him. We were all the more surprised when we learnt that the dying man did not even know him, whom we could assume to be his enemy. The man excused himself and went out but returned back after sometime. This time when he entered, the dying person was pleased and welcomed him. After sometime we took permission to leave. On the way we asked the pious man the reason for the sudden change in the attitude of the dying man. He replied that he was in the state of pollution (Junoob), and was leaving his house with the intention of performing ceremonial bath (Ghusle janabat) in the public bath. He met us on the way, and not wanting to miss the opportunity of performing this noble task accompanied us. He said that when he first entered the house and saw the dying man's restlessness, he understood and left. To make himself sure he returned back after having performed the ceremonial bath (Ghusle Janabat). He concluded that the dying man had come to know about his impurity because the blessed Angels had left him and he felt immense pain. (Khazeenatul Jawaher)

 

Those deeds whose performance eases death:

Shaikh Sadooq quotes from Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) that he said, “If a person wishes that his last moments should be easy, he should maintain cordial relations with his kith & kin, and be kind to his parents. Whoever does so, death will be eased, and he will never fall prey to misfortunes in his lifetime”.

It is narrated that once the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) went to see a youth who was in his last moments. He told him to recite Kalamae Tawheed (There is no God but Allah), but they youth could not utter it because his tongue had turned speechless. The Prophet repeated his order but with no awail. He repeated it twice but the youth could not answer. The Prophet turned towards a woman who was sat near the youth's head and asked her if she was his mother. She replied in the affirmative. He then asked her if she was unhappy with her son. She answered that she was certainly unhappy, but would forgive him if the Prophet commanded her to do so. The Prophet told her to forgive him. As soon as she forgave, the youth's speech returned and he recited the ‘Kalema’. The Prophet asked him as to what he saw. He answered that he saw an ugly looking man who had held him by the neck, and was trying to strangle him. The Prophet told him to recite the following:

يا مَنْ يَقْبَلُ اليَسيرَ وَيَعْفُو عَنِ الكَثيرِ اقْبَلْ مِنّي اليَسيرَ وَاعْفُ عَنّي الكَثيرَ إنَّكَ أنْتَ الغَفورُ الرَّحيمُ.

When he did so, the Prophet asked him as to what he saw now. He answered that he saw that a handsome man had come to his rescue while the ugly man had turned back. The Prophet ordered him to recite the above du'a again and after having done so asked him what he saw. He replied that the ugly man had left, and the handsome youth was there by his side comforting him. He uttered these words and breathed his last. The above narration should be understood well, and lesson should be learnt that parents's displeasure becomes the reason for anguish in death. Even after being a companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet, and the Prophet being present besides him, the youth could not recite the ‘kalema’ and was in agony till his mother forgave him.

Imam Ja'far-as-Sadiq (A.S.) says, “For a person who gives clothes to his brother believer during the summer or in winter, it is incumbent upon Allah to present the dress of Paradise to him, make his end easy, and save him from the narrowness of the grave.” The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.S.) says, “A person who offers to eat something sweet to his brother believer, the pangs of death will be easy on him”.

Why Shia reject the Ahadith narrated by Bibi Ayesha?

Lengthy but very informative

By: Allamah Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi
Reference: Al-Muraja'at

1) Here lies the fountainhead of the will; here lies the battle-ground of explicit texts; here lies the annihilation of the khums, inheritance, and creed; here lies the cause of sedition; here lies the reason of discord; here lies the root of dissension...[1] While fighting the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (A.S.), Bibi Ayesha toured the lands, leading a huge army in order to usurp his government and put an end to his rule.
What happened has happened; I am no narrator of that; So have good thoughts, and do not ask who, when or what.
To argue in support of denying the will to `Ali using Ayesha’s own statement, the most bitter of his enemies that she was, is an attempt not expected at all from any fair­minded person. And that was not the only incident that demonstrated her animosity towards `Ali (as). Denying the will to `Ali is much less significant than the Lesser Camel Battle[2] and the Greater Camel Battle in which evil intentions surfaced and the curtain removed. Likewise, Bibi Ayesha’s attitude was manifest even before going out to fight him, the man who was her own wali, and her Prophet's wasi, till the news of his death reached her, whereupon she prostrated to thank God (for his martyrdom) and composed these lines:[3] She laid down her rod, happy and pleased, Her heart joyful, her mind eased; As a traveller arrives home, of burdens relieved; Never say `Ayesha, by Ali's death, was grieved.
If you desire, I may quote for you of her hadith what proves to you that she was in remote error. Bibi Ayesha has said: "When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, became seriously sick, he went out dragging his feet, reclining on two persons; one of them was `Abbas ibn `Abdul­Muttalib and another man."[4] The narrator of this hadith comments adding: "I informed `Abdullah ibn `Abbas about what `Ayesha had said, and he responded to me saying, `Do you know the name of the man whom `Ayesha did not name?' I said: `no.' Ibn `Abbas said: `He was `Ali ibn Abu Talib.'" The narrator continues to say that `Ayesha does not wish `Ali any good.[5]
If she did not wish any good to a man with whom the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, walked, how could she then be expected to feel good about mentioning the will which contains a great deal of good for `Ali? On page 113, Vol. 6, of his Musnad, Imam Ahmed quotes `Ata' ibn Yasar saying: "A man came and spoke ill of both `Ali and `Ammar to `Ayesha who responded by saying, `As regarding `Ali, I have nothing to say to defend him; but concerning `Ammar, I have heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, say that whenever `Ammar had to opt between two options, he always chose the most reasonable of them.'"
Have you noticed that?! The mother of the believers warns about plotting against `Ammar due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, "Whenever `Ammar had to opt between two options, he always chose the most reasonable of them," while refraining from warning against plotting to harm `Ali who is the brother and successor of the Prophet, his Aaron and confidant, the most just among his nation, the foremost to believe in his message, the one whose merits are the most...! As if she is not aware of his status in the eyes of Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, or his position in the heart of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, or his status in Islam, his great efforts for its promotion, and his handsome contributions. As if she never heard anything in the Book of Allah nor the Sunnah of His Messenger (pbuh) in his praise, so that she would place him at par with `Ammar!
By Allah, my mind is perplexed when I consider her statement: "I have seen the Prophet (pbuh), while on my chest, ordering a wash-bowl to be brought to him; I hardly noticed how fast he collapsed and died; so, how could he have made a will to `Ali?" I do not know which aspect of her statement I should criticize, being scrutinized as a whole from various angles. I wonder how anyone can presume that since his death took place the way she described, he could not have left a will. Did she think that a will is valid only at the time of death?! No, but it is the excuse of one who is fighting the irrefutable truth, whoever he or she may be, while Allah has said in His Glorious Book, addressing His revered Messenger (pbuh), "It is prescribed unto you when death approaches someone to leave something good, a will (Qur'an, 2:180 and 5:106)." Did the mother of the believers ever see him, peace be upon him and his progeny, going against the instructions of the Book of Allah or ignoring its injunctions? God forbid. She saw him following its guidance, adhering to its verses, rushing to obey its bidding and forbidding, reaching the ultimate end of adherence to all its injunctions. There is no doubt in my mind that she must have heard him saying: "No believer who knows that he is leaving something behind him should sleep even two nights without having his will written,"[6] or something in this meaning, for his instructions regarding the writing of wills have undoubtedly come from him. It does not fit him or any other Prophet, blessings of Allah be upon all of them, to bid something without doing it himself, or forbid something while doing the opposite thereof; Allah is above selecting such individuals for conveying His message.
As regarding what Muslim and others have quoted `Ayesha saying: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) left neither a dinar nor a dirham, neither a male nor a female camel, nor did he leave any will," it is just like its previous "hadith." Yet it is not correct to assume that what she meant was that he (pbuh) did not leave any will at all, but rather that he did not have possessions which required a will, for, indeed, he did not leave much of this world's wares, the most ascetic person that he was. He joined his Lord, the Exalted and the Sublime, leaving a few outstanding debts,[7] and a few items, in addition to things entrusted to him by other people which required a will [regarding who they belonged to. He also left of his own possessions something that would help defray his debts, and the fulfillment of his promises, with a remnant that required being handed over to his heir. The proof for that is what Fatima al­Zahra', peace be upon her, rightfully demanded of her father's inheritance.[8]
2) The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, left things which demanded a will, things which no other human being ever left. Suffices you that he left the upright religion of Allah, while still at the beginning of its growth and early inception, and that by itself demanded an heir more than did gold or silver, a house or a real estate, lands or cattle. The entire nation became his orphans and widows, seeking refuge with his successor to take his place to fare with them and manage their religious and secular affairs. It is impossible that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, should have entrusted Allah's religion, while still in its cradle, to inclinations and presumptions, or left the protection of its legislation to personal motives and interests, without a successor to look after religious as well as secular affairs, someone upon whom he could rely to represent him before the public. He is above leaving his orphans, who inhabited spacious lands, like frightened cattle in a rainy winter night, without anyone to look after them. He is above abandoning the will especially after having received instructions in its regard from his Lord and thus strongly commanded his nation to do so. Reason does not listen to the claim that no will was made, even if such a claim comes from a highly respected person.
At the dawn of the Islamic era, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, made a will to `Ali (as) even before his mission was publicized in Mecca, immediately following the revelation of the verse saying: "And warn your near kin (26:214)," as we explained in Letter 20. He continued repeating his will time and over again, emphasizing it through many covenants to which we had referred. When he finally wished, while in his last hours, may I sacrifice my parents for his own sake, to write his will to `Ali (as) to emphasize his previous verbal covenants, and to back his previous verbal statements in this regard, he, peace be upon him and his progeny, said: "Bring me some writing material so that I may write for you something to protect you against straying," but they disputed, while no dispute is permitted in the presence of a Prophet, and said: "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) is delirious."[9] It was then that he (pbuh) realized, after they had made such a statement, that no trace would remain of his intended order, if implemented, other than dissension; therefore, he told them to clear his room, feeling satisfied with the verbal covenants which he had made to `Ali (as).
In spite of all this, however, he made three recommendations at the time of his death: that they should select `Ali as his successor; that they should turn the polytheists out of the Arabian peninsula; and that they should reward the envoys in the same way he (pbuh) used to reward them. But the dictates of politics at that time did not permit the traditionists to narrate his first will, claiming that they had forgotten it. Al­Bukhari, at the conclusion of the hadith containing the charge that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was delirious, said verbatim: "And his (pbuh) will at the time of his death contained three instructions: to turn the polytheists out of the Arabian peninsula, to reward the envoys in the same way which he used to reward them..., and the third one was forgotten."[10] This is how Muslim puts it in his Sahih, and so do all other authors of sunan and musnads.
3) The claim of the mothers of believers that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, joined his Lord while being on her chest is opposed by the authenticated tradition stating that he (pbuh) joined the Supreme Companion while being on the chest of his brother and friend (wali) `Ali ibn Abu Talib (as), according to all consecutively reported sahihs from the Imams of the purified progeny which are supported by Sunni sahihs, as is well­known to researchers, Wassalam.

Bibi Ayesha Yielding to Sentiment
1) You have stated, while dealing with the first issue, that it is well­known from the lady's life­style that she does not yield to emotion, and that she does not seek any special interest. Please free your own self from the shackles of convention and sentimentality and carefully and studiously research her method of dealing with those whom she liked, as well as with those whom she did not like, for there you will see sentimentality most manifestly. Do not forget her dealing with `Uthman ibn `Affan by word and deed,[11] her secret and public schemes against `Ali, Fatima, al­Hasan and al­Husayn (as), and her behaviour towards other mothers of the believers; nay, even with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, himself; for in these there is a great deal of manifestations of her sentiments and interest­seeking.
Suffices you for a proof what we, proving how sentimentality tempts some people into misbehaving, have cited regarding the masters of conspiracy and purgery, out of animosity towards Lady Mary [the Copt, consort of the Prophet] and her son Ibrahim, peace be upon him, till Allah, the Almighty and the Exalted One, cleared them of such unjust accusations at the hands of the Commander of the Faithful (as), in a manner that is tangible and clear:[12] "And Allah turned the spiteful disbelievers back empty­handed (Qur'an, 33:25)." If you desire, I may recount more proofs and state the fact that, following her own sentiments, she once said to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, "It seems as if you reek of the odor of maghafir [odorous tiny flowers],"[13] so that he might not taste some honey at the house of the mother of believers Zainab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her. If a trivial reason like this permits her to address the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, in such a manner, how can she be relied upon when she denies that he (pbuh) left a will for `Ali (as)? Do not also forget her yielding to sentiment when Asma' bint al­Nu`man was wedded to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny. She said to her: "When the Prophet (pbuh) weds a woman, he likes to hear her say: `I seek refuge with Allah against you,'"[14] aiming thereby to turn the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, against his wedding altogether and make him hate the poor woman, as if she allowed herself to attribute statements to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, as long as such statements served her own purpose, even when her purpose was petty or prohibitive. Once he, peace be upon him and his progeny, asked her to see how a particular woman was doing, and she informed him of the opposite of what she had observed, seeking her own self­interest.[15] Once she complained about him, peace be upon him and his progeny, to her father, succumbing again to her sentiments, saying, "Do not now be biased,"[16] whereupon her father slapped her so hard that her clothes became soaked with her blood. Once, having felt angry with him (pbuh), she said: "... and you claim to be Allah's Messenger...,"[17] in addition to many such incidents the narrative of which would require a much larger space, and what we have quoted here must suffice.
2) You have said, while commenting on the second point, that Sunnis do not subscribe to what is called rationally pleasant or unpleasant, etc. I think of you as being above making such a statement which is reminiscent of sophists who deny even concrete facts. Among our deeds are those of whose goodness we are quite sure, and they are praiseworthy and rewardable due to their own merits, such as charity and fairness, since we know what they are, while there are others with whose ugliness we also are familiar, and they demand repudiation and punishment because of their own evil, such as injustice and aggression, since they are what they are. The wise know that there is a need that necessitates such judgments, and the wise are as certain regarding these matters as they are certain that the single is half the pair. Simple common sense always determines the distinction between your treatment of someone who is good to you and of someone who is not. Reason determines the goodness of the first person's treatment to you and its being praiseworthy by you, as well as the ugliness of the second and its being worthy of renunciation and punishment. Whoever doubts this is a rebel against his own reason.
Had the goodness or the evil of what we have mentioned here been matters of the legislative code, then they would not have been adopted and implemented by those who denied all divine codes such as atheists and secular rulers. In spite of their denial of religion, the latter still condone equity and goodness, determining thereupon their praise and rewards, without doubting at all the ugliness of injustice or aggression, nor the necessity to denounce such deeds and to punish their doers. Their criterion in their judgment is nothing other than reason; so, talk no more about those who belittle reason and conscience, nor of those who deny what all wise men know, ruling in the contrary of what the human nature dictates, the nature which Allah, the Praised One, has created and embedded within His servants. He has enabled them thereby to realize facts that are discernable by their faculty of reason, just as He made them able to recognize matters through their senses and feelings. Their nature, then, demands that they should be able to rationally judge equity and the like as good, and injustice and its peers as ugly, just as being able to distinguish through the sense of taste between the sweetness of honey and the bitterness of colocynth [citrullus colocynthis], and through their sense of smell can they distinguish between the fragrance of musk [chenopodium botrys] and the stink of cadaver, and through their sense of touch can they distinguish between what is soft and what is rough, and through their faculty of seeing can they tell the difference between a pleasant and an ugly view, and through their faculty of hearing can they tell the difference between the music of the pipe and the braying of a donkey. Such is the nature which Allah has created: "He created people in such a way; indeed, there is no way anyone can change His creation; this is the straight religion, though most people do not know (30:30)."
The Ash`aris desired to exaggerate the power of faith in the legislative system and the attitude towards a total submission to its judgment; therefore, they denied the judgment of the wise, saying that there is no judgment other than what is legislated. Thus did they become oblivious of the absolute rational theory stating that "Whatever a wise person decides should be the decision of the legislator," and heedless of the fact that they by doing so in fact left no excuse for their own selves, thus discarding any criterion whereby they might ascertain a legislative code or discard it altogether. This is so due to the fact that to arrive at such a conclusion through legislative proofs is like running in a circle, and no pretext can be applied therewith. Had there been no authority for reason, implementing tradition or consecutively reported hadith would have been rejected. Nay! Had there been no intellect, nobody would have worshipped Allah nor come to know Him. Expounding in this subject has been recorded in a library containing works of our renown scholars.
3) As regarding the claim of the mother of the believers that the Prophet, peace be upon him and his progeny, died on her chest, it is a claim which we reject based upon sahihs sequentially reported by members of the purified progeny (as). Refer to what others have stated as quoted by Ibn Sa`d. He quotes `Ali (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, during his ailment [preceding his demise], said: `Fetch me my brother,' so I came to him and he asked me to come closer, and so did I; thereupon, he reclined on me. He continued reclining on me thus and talking to me, so much so that some of his saliva fell on me, then the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, breathed his last;" as stated on page 51, Part Two, Vol. 2, of the author's Tabaqat, in a section about those who said that the Messenger of Allah died in `Ali's lap. It is hadith number 1107 on page 55, Vol. 4, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Abu Na`im in his Hilyat al-Awliya', Abu Ahmed al­Fardi in his Naskh, and many other authors of books of traditions have all quoted `Ali (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, taught me," meaning during that sickness, "a thousand doors each one of which leads to a thousand others." It is hadith number 6009 quoted at the end of page 392, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Whenever `Umer ibn al­Khattab was asked about anything regarding these matters, he would say nothing other than: "Ask `Ali, since he is the one who can handle it."
Jabir ibn `Abdullah al­Ansari is quoted saying that Ka`b al­Ahbar once asked `Umer: "What were the last words of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny?" `Umer answered: "Ask `Ali." Ka`b did so, and `Ali (as) said: "I let the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, recline his head on my flanks till he finally uttered: `Prayers! [i.e. uphold prayers] Prayers!" Ka`b said: "This, indeed, is the call of all prophets, and for this purpose are they sent." Then Ka`b asked `Umer who gave the ceremonial funeral bath to the Prophet's corpse, and his answer was again: "Ask `Ali." When Ka`b asked `Ali (as), `Ali answered that it was he who did so, as stated by Ibn Sa`d on page 51, Part Two, Vol. 2, of Tabaqat, and it is hadith 1106 in Kanz al-`Ummal quoted on page 55, Vol. 4. Ibn `Abbas was asked once: "Have you seen when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, died, if his head was on anyone's lap?" He answered: "He died reclining on `Ali's chest." It was said to him that `Urwah narrates a tradition from `Ayesha saying that he (pbuh) died reclining on her chest, and Ibn `Abbas denied it, asking the person who put the question forth: "Do you believe it?! By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, died reclining his head on `Ali's chest, and Ali is the one who gave him his bath," as quoted by Ibn Sa`d on the same page mentioned above, and it is hadith number 1108 of the ones enumerated in Kanz al-`Ummal, page 55, Vol. 4. Ibn Sa`d cites Imam Abu Muhammad `Ali ibn al­Husayn Zainul­`Abidin (as) saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, breathed his last while his head was in `Ali's lap," as quoted by Ibn Sa`d on page 51.
Traditions documenting this subject are consecutively reported from all Imams of the purified progeny (as). Many of those who opted to deviate from their path admit that, too, so much so that Ibn Sa`d has quoted al­Sha`bi saying: "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, passed away while his head was in `Ali's lap; and it was `Ali who gave him his [funeral] bath," as mentioned on the page referred to above in Al­Tabaqat. The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, used to declare the same publicly; therefore, you may refer to his statement in one of his sermons where he says: "Custodians of the hadith among the companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, know very well that I never hesitated to implement the commandments of Allah, nor lagged in discharging the orders of His Messenger, not even for one hour. I, by the Grace of Allah, on many occasions risked my own life defending his, when even heroes retreated and feet slowed down, and he (pbuh) breathed his last while his head rested on my chest, and even his saliva fell on my hand, whereupon I rubbed it on my face. I took care of washing his corpse, the angels assisting me, and the house and its courtyards became full of the noise of angels descending and ascending..., and I never ceased hearing their prayers unto him, till we buried him; so, who is more worthy of him alive or dead than I?" as stated at the conclusion of page 196, Vol. 2, of Nahjul Balaghah, and on page 590, Vol. 2, of Ibn al­Hadid's Sharh Nahjul Balaghah.
So is his soliloquy when he, peace be upon him, was burying the Mistress of all Women, peace be upon her. He said: "Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah, from me and from your daughter who has come now to be your neighbour, rushing to reunite with you... My patience, O Messenger of Allah, about the death of your chosen one has run out, and my consolation has waned and withered. Deep, indeed, is my grief for being separated from you, and great is the calamity, while the extent of your grief is a source for consolation, for I laid you to sleep in the tomb of your grave, after your soul had parted from your body that was resting on my chest; therefore, we are God's, and unto Him is our return," up to the end of his statement which is stated at the end of page 207, Vol. 2, of Nahjul Balaghah, and on page 590, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by Ibn Abul Hadid.
Umm Salamah has also narrated an authentic hadith saying: "By the One by Whom alone do I swear, `Ali was the closest to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) upon his death. We [she and Ali] visited him one afternoon, and he happily and repeatedly said: `Ali has come! `Ali has come!' Fatima (as) inquired whether `Ali had been sent on an errand. Later on, `Ali came again, and I thought that probably he needed to have some privacy with the Prophet (pbuh); so, we came out and sat at the door. I was closer to the door. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) bent his head over `Ali and started talking to him confidentially, addressing him affectionately, till he passed away; so, `Ali was the last person to be with him before his death."[18]
Abdullah ibn `Umer narrates the following: "During his sickness, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, asked that his brother be fetched; so, Abu Bakr came in, but he turned away from him and reiterated his request. This time `Uthman was brought in, but he turned away from him, too. Then `Ali was called in his presence. The Prophet (pbuh) covered him with his own robe and reclined on him. When he came out of his room, people asked him what the Prophet (pbuh) had said, and he answered: `He taught me a thousand subjects each one of which leads to a thousand others.'"[19]
You know that this hadith portrays a behaviour typical of prophets, while the other one portrays a man ruled by his lust. If a shepherd dies on his wife's chest, between her chin and navel, or on her thigh..., having laxed in looking after his herd, he would surely be labelled as wreckless and irresponsible. May Allah forgive the mother of the believers. I wish that she, while denying `Ali such a will, had attributed the denial to her father, whom she thinks is more worthy of such a will, but her father was already in the army raised by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his progeny, under his own honourable patronage; he was in Usamah's army which was then camping at Jurf. Anyhow, the claim that he (pbuh) died in her lap is attributed to nobody other than `Ayesha, whereas the claim of his demise, may I sacrifice my parents for his sake, is narrated through `Ali (as), Ibn `Abbas, Umm Salamah, `Abdullah ibn `Umer, al­Sha`bi, `Ali ibn al­Husayn (as), and all Imams of the progeny of Muhammad (as), thus making it more reliable and more fit of the personality of the Messenger of God (pbuh).
4) Had `Ayesha's hadith been disproved by Umm Salamah alone, the latter's hadith would have been preferred over hers for many reasons besides the ones mentioned above, Wassalam.

References:
[1] This agrees with Sunni books of traditions; so, refer to al-Bukhari's Sahih, his chapter on the households of the Prophet's wives, his treatise on holy wars and traditions, page 125, Vol. 2, and you will find the details.
[2] The dissension of the Lesser Camel Battle took place in Basra five days before the end of Rabi`ul-Thani, 36 A.H., before the arrival of the Commander of the Faithful (as) there, when the city was attacked by the mother of believers [`Ayesha] accompanied by Talhah and al-Zubayr. `Ali's governor of Basra then was `Uthman ibn Hanif al-Ansari. Forty supporters of `Ali (as) were killed at its mosque, and seventy others elsewhere. `Uthman ibn Hanif, who was one of the most respectful sahabah, was taken captive, and his captors wanted to kill him but feared revenge from his brother Suhayl and the rest of the Ansar; so, they shaved his beard, moustache, eyebrows, and head; they beat him, imprisoned him, then they expelled him from Basra. They were fought by Hakim ibn Jablah, with a group of his tribe `Abd Qays, of whom he was chief. Hakim was a man of wisdom, discretion, and prestige, and he was followed by a group of Banu Rabi`a who refused to cease fighting till each and every one of them was martyrded, including Hakim, in addition to his most honourable son, his brave brother, and Basra fell in the hands of the invading army. When `Ali (as) came, he had to face `Ayesha's army, and so did the Greater Camel Battle take place. The details of both battles are preserved in books of history written by Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Athir, and in many others.
[3] As quoted by trustworthy chroniclers such as Abul-Faraj al-Asfahani at the conclusion of his discussion of `Ali in his book Maqatil al-Talibiyyin.
[4] As quoted by al-Bukhari about her in his section on the Prophet's (pbuh) sickness and demise, page 62, Vol. 3, of his Sahih.
[5] This statement in particular, i.e. Ibn `Abbas saying that `Ayesha does not wish him any good, is left out by al-Bukhari who stops his quotation at its preceding statements, following his customary habit in such situations, but many authors of books of tradition have quoted it through their authentic reporters. Consider what Ibn Sa`d records on page 29, Section Two, Vol. 2, of his Tabaqat, where he cites a chain of narrators including Ahmed ibn al-Hajjaj, `Abdullah ibn Mubarak, Younus, Mu`ammar, al-Zuhri, `Ubaydullah ibn Atbah ibn Mas`ud, whose sources end with Ibn `Abbas. Reporters of this hadith are considered trustworthy according to the consensus of scholars.
[6] As quoted by al-Bukhari at the beginning of his treatise on wills in his Sahih, page 83, Vol. 2. It is also quoted by Muslim in his section on the record of the [Prophet's] will, page 10, Vol. 2, of his Sahih.
[7] Mu`ammar quotes Qatadah saying that `Ali (as) had taken care, on behalf of the Prophet (pbuh), of certain matters after his demise, most of which was a debt estimated at five hundred thousand dirhams; so, refer to this hadith on page 60, Vol. 4, of Kanz al-`Ummal, and it is hadith number 1170 among the ones which he narrates.
[8] As quoted by al-Bukhari at the and of his chapter on Khaybar's campaign in his Sahih, page 37, Vol. 2.
[9] This is quoted verbatim by Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Bukhari in his section on generosity towards envoys in his book Al-Jihad wal-Siyar, page 118, Vol. 2, of his Sahih.
[10] Refer to it in the chapter dealing with rewarding the emissaries on page 118, Vol. 2, of Al-Jihad wal-Siyar.
[11] Refer to page 77, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by the Mu`tazilite scholar, and pages 457 and its succeeding pages of the same volume, and you will find her conduct towards `Uthman, `Ali and Fatima depicting sentimentality in its most manifest forms.
[12] Whoever wishes to be familiar with the details of this calamity must research the biography of Lady Mary [or Mariyya, the Copt, wife of the Prophet, pbuh], peace be upon her, on page 39, Vol. 4, of al-Hakim's Al-Mustadrak, or to his Talkhis by al-Thahbi.
[13] From what al-Bukhari has quoted in his explanation of Surat al-Tahrim in his Sahih, page 136, Vol. 3; so, refer to it and be amazed. There are several ahadith quoted from `Umer stating that the two women who conspired against the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) were `Ayesha and Hafsa. There is a lengthy hadith dealing with this issue.
[14] As quoted by al-Hakim in his biography of Asma' in his Sahih Al-Mustadrak, page 37, Vol. 4, and is quoted by Ibn Sa`d who discusses her biography on page 104, Vol. 8, of his Tabaqat, and the incident is very well known. It is narrated in the biography of Asma' by both authors of Isti`ab and Al-Isabah, and it is quoted by Ibn Jarir and others.
[15] The details of this incident are preserved in the books of traditions and history; so, refer to page 294, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal, or page 115, Vol. 8, of Ibn Sa`d's Tabaqat, where he also states the biography of Sharaf daughter of Khalifah.
[16] This issue is quoted by the authors of books of tradition and history; so, refer to hadith number 1020 of the ones narrated in Kanz al-`Ummal, page 116, Vol. 7, and it is quoted by al-Ghazali in the third section of his treatise on marriage on page 35, Vol. 2, of Ihya'ul-`Ulum. It is also quoted in section 94 of his book Mukashafatul Qulub, at the conclusion of page 238.
[17] As quoted by al-Ghazali in both sections of the books cited above.
[18] This hadith is quoted by al-Hakim at the beginning of page 139, Vol. 3, of his authentic Al-Mustadrak, succeeded by his comment: "This hadith is authentic, but they [Bukhari and Muslim] did not publish it." Al-Thahbi, too, has admitted its authenticity when he quoted it in his Talkhis al-Mustadrak. It is also quoted by Ibn Abu Shaybah in his Sunan, and it is hadith number 6096, page 400, Vol. 6, in Kanz al-`Ummal.
[19] This is quoted by Abu Ya`li through a chain of narrators including Kamil ibn Talha, Ibn Lahi`ah, Hay ibn `Abdul-Maghafiri, Abu `Abdul-Rahman al-Habli, ending with `Abdullah ibn `Umer. It is quoted by Abu Na`im in his Hilyat al-Awliya', by Abu Ahmed al-Fardi in his own version as stated on page 392, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. Al-Tabrani, in his book Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, has stated that when the Ta'if campaign was underway, the Prophet (pbuh) took his time in confiding with `Ali, so much so that when Abu Bakr passed by them, he said: "O Messenger of Allah! Your confidential talk with `Ali has lasted for quite some time." He (pbuh) said: "It is not I who has confided in him; it is Allah..." This is hadith number 6075, page 399, Vol. 6, of Kanz al-`Ummal. He often used to sit with `Ali (as) and confide in him. Once `Ayesha entered and found them engaged in a confidential conversation. Said she: "O `Ali! I spend one day out of nine [in the company of my husband]; so, why don't you, son of Abu Talib, leave me alone on that day?" The Prophet's face immediately showed the redness of anger. Refer to this incident at the beginning of page 78, Vol. 2, of Sharh Nahjul Balaghah by al-Hamidi.

Women in Glance - Wording of Imam Ali (as) Part 3 [Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi]

Therefore, in order for us to truly understand the status and character                        
of women in Nahjul BalÁgha, we need to refer to the Qur’an and then 
understand the position of women in Nahjul BalÁgha vis-à-vis what is 
contained in the Qur’an. 
Without a doubt, historical events have a great deal of influence on 
one’s speech and if we don’t keep in mind the history behind the words 
of Imam Ali , then the message behind his words would be lost. 
Thus, the description and analysis of women he has given in his 
sermons must be read and understood in the light of specific historical 
events which were taking place that he was forced to speak about.
The sermon which will be reviewed shortly has been attributed to the 
Commander of the Faithful and we are told that it was delivered after 
the Battle of Jamal – a war which flung open the doors of tribulations 
and calamities amongst the Muslims and a war in which Muslims took 
up the sword against fellow Muslims and in which countless people lost 
their lives. 
It was due to the sentiments and feelings which the famous wife of the 
Prophet, Àyesha had against Imam Ali that initiated this war and one in which a number of prominent companions of the Prophet – 
who for some strange reason had a deep-seeded hatred for Ali and 
were seeking power over the community, encouraged and joined hands with Àyesha.

Àyesha’s status - being that she was one of the wives of the Messenger 
of Allah and was given the title of ‘Mother of the Believers’ was 
well-known to the masses and it is this same status that she enjoyed that 
also had a tremendous impact on the general community in many 
instances including the launch of this major war. 

Through this sermon, Imam Ali wished to destroy this perceived 
status which the people had for Àyesha and thus we see in his 
statement that she is stripped of any perceived privileges and is brought 
back to her level of being just like the other women of her time so that 
the people would realize that this blind following of her led to nothing 
other than what transpired in this war. This would also bring people to 
question why she herself did not heed the advice and the direct orders 
of Allah i for the wives of the Prophet to stay in their homes and 
to not be so open in the main-stream society! 

Fatima's grief after the Prophet and her declaration to Umm Salamah

Fatima's grief after the Prophet and her declaration to Umm Salamah

Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi


ما زالت بعد أبيها معصبة الرأس باكية العين، محترقة القلب
“After the death of the Prophet (S), she continually wore the scarf of mourning on her head, possessing crying eyes and a burning heart.” [Al Manaqib, vol. 3 pg. 362]

The sweet period of the Lady of Islam's life quickly came to an end with the death of the Holy Prophet of Islam (even though throughout her lifetime there was no real sweet period, because there were the constant pressures, wars, and plots of the enemies against Islam and the Prophet of Islam (s.w.a.), taking away her spiritual peace).


With the death of the prophet, new storms of complicated critical events blew up.
The hatred and grudges of Badr, khaibar and Honain that were during the prophet’s time hidden beneath the ashes became visible.

The sects of the “Hypocrites” went to action to take their revenge of Islam and also from the Prophet’s family. Fatimah Zahra (s.a.) was in the center of this circle, of which the poisonous arrows of the enemy flew at her from every direction

Her separation from her father; the sad, tormenting innocence of her husband Ali (a.s.); the plots of the enemy against Islam, and the worry of Fatimah (s.a.) for the future of the Muslims and the Quranic heritage, all joined together, severely straining her pure heart.

Fatimah (s.a.) doesn’t wish to cause Ali (commander of the Faithful) greater grief by relating to him her sadness, because he had already received a severe blow by these unpleasant circumstances and misdeeds created by the people.


For this very reason she would go to the grave of the Prophet (S) and tell him of her grief. And she speaks heart - rendering words that burn our inner soul just like burning embers:
يا أبتاه بقيت و الهةً و حيرانةً فريدة، قد انخمد صوتي و انقطع ظهري و تنغص عيشي
“Father dear, after you, I feel lonely. I have remained perplexed and deprived, my mouth is inclined to silence, and my back is broken, and the wholesome water of life has become bitter to my taste.” [Al Manaqib vol.3 pg. 362]

And, sometimes she would say:
قُل للمُغيّبِ تَحتَ أطباقِ الثّرى ** انْ كُنتَ تَسمَعُ صَرخَتي وَ نِدائيا
صُبّتْ عَليَّ مَصائِبٌ لَوْ أنَّها ** صُبّتْ عَلى الايَّامِ صِرنَ لَيَالِيا
“The person who smells the pure soil of the grave of Prophet (S), it is only fair that until the end of his life he should smell no other perfume. After you, O’ father, so much suffering has fallen upon me that, if they were to fall upon bright Jays, they would turn into dark, gloomy nights.”

Why does Fatimah (s.a.) shed tears in this way?
Why is she so restless?
Why is she as wild rue on fire, without stability?
Why?!


The answer to these whys must be heard from her own words.


Umm Salamah says:
“When I went to see the Lady of Islam Fatimah (s.a.) after the death of the prophet, and asked her how she was, in reply these meaningful sentences were spoken by her:
أصبحت بين كمد و كرب
فقد النبىِّ و ظلم الوصي
هُتكَ و الله حجابه...
ولكنها أحقاد بدرية
وثارات أحدية
كانت عليها قلوب النفاق مكتمنة
Why are you asking me how I am Umm Salamah, when I am caught in the middle of much sadness and suffering? On the one hand I have lost my father, the Prophet (S) and on the other hand (I see with my own eyes that) there has been injustice done to his successor, (Ali ibn Abi Talib).
I swear to God that they have torn the curtain of his inviolability (reverence).
But I know that these are the grudges of Badr and the revenges of Uhud, that were hidden in the hearts of the hypocrites (non-believers).” [Manaqib Ibn Shahr Ashoob; vol. 2 pg. 225]

All of her defences of the boundaries of the holiness of everything noble and her support of Ali (s.a.) right during this time of pain and suffering are not hidden from anyone.


Even though her life after the Prophet of Islam was as brief as she had begged God to be, being not more than two or three months before she rushed to the Holy Presence of God and met her father. However, in this Period of time she didn’t omit any self-sacrificing, generous effort in Ali’s right or for the defence of Islam.

“Peace be upon you, O’ daughter of the Messenger of God.”


Ayatullah Makarem Shirazi; The world’s most outstanding Lady: Fatima az-Zahra’