Nov 24
Death of Hazrat Fatima Zahra (RA)
Monday 3 Jumada Al Akhira, 1447
Nov 24
Monday 3 Jumada Al Akhira, 1447
Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, more commonly remembered as Fatima Al-Zahra (فَاطِمَة ٱلزَّهْرَاء), was the most beloved daughter of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. She was married to Hazrat Ali رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. She is among the four women who are guaranteed a place in paradise, the other three being her mother, Hazrat Khadija رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا, Hazrat Maryam, the mother of the Prophet Isa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ, and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh. She is also remembered as “Sayyidat an-Nisa al-Jannah” (the Mistress of the Women of Paradise). She is revered in the Muslim world for her piety, devotion to Islam, personal sacrifices and trials, which she gracefully faced throughout her life. She holds a significant status as a role model for Muslim women.
She died within a span of six months after the passing of her father, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. Her age at the time of death was around 27 years, according to the majority of historians. However, the Shia scholars are of the view that she was 18 years old at the time of her passing. It was the most sorrowful event of the earlier Islamic history. Her death at a very young age and that too only a few months after the passing of her beloved father, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ, left a deep impact on the Muslim community. The Muslim community in Medina suffered the demise of the Prophet as well as his beloved daughter in the same year. On the other hand, the circumstances under which she passed away triggered a sort of conflict over the actual cause of her death.
According to the Sunni traditions, the cause of her death was immense grief and sorrow due to the passing of the Prophet. According to Shia traditions, it was a result of the political tensions over the issue of succession and allegiance to the Caliph Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ. The Shia scholars believe that the injuries sustained by her during the alleged raid on the house led to her death.
Whatever, was the actual cause of her death was, the most tragic incident of her passing created a political and sectarian divide among the Muslim community of Medina, which even deepened over the years. Despite the political and sectarian conflict, she is equally revered throughout the Islamic World by both the followers of Shia and Sunni Islam.
Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا was the beloved daughter of the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. She was deeply attached to her father. At the time of the passing of her father, she was just in her 27th year of age. According to some traditions, her age at that time was around 17 years. Losing her most beloved father at a young age left a profound impact on her. She was deeply grieved.
The final days of Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا were therefore marked by profound grief and sorrow. On the other hand, she is believed to have suffered physically as a result of an alleged raid on her house. Despite these circumstances, she spent most of her time in praying, which shows her level of devotion to Allah سُبْحَانَهُۥ وَتَعَالَىٰ. However, the emotional loss in the shape of the passing of her father caught her in deep sorrow and grief. It is reported that after this incident, she was often found weeping, which left an adverse effect on her physical health. The alleged raid on her house, sustaining physical injuries to her, also worsened her health condition.
The Shia historians report that after the incident of the alleged raid on her house, she asked her family and husband Hazrat Ali رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, not to disclose her death and bury her secretly during the night. It is also reported in Shia accounts that she specifically instructed not to allow the Caliph Hazrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, to attend her funeral. However, Sunni scholars deny such occurrences. On the other hand, the fact of the matter is that she was buried secretly during the night, without disclosing the exact location of her grave. However, it is confirmed that she was buried somewhere in Jannat Al-Baqi Cemetery in Medina.
Her unwavering faith highlights her final days, her emotional attachment and enduring love for her father. She breathed her last with dignity, while expressing her desire to ensure her privacy and dignity even after her death.
She was buried secretly at night in the famous Al-Baqi Cemetery in Medina, commonly known as Jannat al-Baqi. The exact location of the grave of Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا is not known. It was kept secret by her family and husband Hazrat Ali رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ, as per her will.
The death of Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا is highly significant in the history of Islam, not only because she was the daughter of the Prophet, but also due to her exceptional personal characteristics, which included piety, patience, devotion to Islam, and selfless sacrifices.
Her death marked the end of an era in early Islamic history. Her close and emotional attachment to the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ was exemplary. She was closely attached to the life of the Prophet. That’s why, after the passing of the Prophet, she was overwhelmed by profound sorrow and grief. The Prophet gave her the title of “Sayyida tu an-Nisa al-Jannah”, the Mistress of the Women of Paradise.
Her death was seen as a personal loss to the family of the Prophet (Ahl-e-Bayt). The death of Hazrat Fatima رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا reinforced the sanctity and unique status of the Ahl al-Bayt. Despite the differences in historical accounts, as narrated by Shia and Sunni historians, all Muslims respect her as the most virtuous woman in Islam.
She passed away in 11 AH (632 CE), most probably on the 3rd of Jamadi as-Sani.
She was buried in Jannat Al-Baqi Cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia. The exact location of her grave is not known; it was kept secret by her family, according to her will.
She had two sons, Hazrat Hassan and Hazrat Hussayn رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا, and two daughters, Hazrat Zaynab and Hazrat Umm Kulsum رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُنَّ
He lived for around six months after the passing of her father, the Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى ٱللَّٰهُ عَلَيْهِۦ وَسَلَّمَ. According to some Shia historians, she lived only for around 75 to 95 days after the passing of the Prophet.