When Fatimah, the honorable daughter of the Holy Prophet (s.a) reached maturity

Ibn `Abbas reports: When Fatimah, the honorable daughter of the Holy Prophet (s.a) reached maturity, prominent suitors came to the Messenger of Allah, asking her hand in marriage, having the impression that their requests would be accepted but the Holy Prophet (s.a) rejected their requests, saying: I am waiting for Allah’s decree, for Fatimah’s marriage is on His decree.

أُكَفِّنُكِ بِقَميصي لِيَسْتُرَكِ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ، فَفَعَلْتُ. وَتَوَسَّدْتُ قَبْرَها لِتأْمَنَ مِنْ ضَغْطَةِ القَبْرِ. وَنَزَلَ عَلَيْها المَلَكانِ فَقالا لَهَا: مَنْ رَبُّكِ؟ فَقَالَتْ: اللهُ رَبِّي. فقالا لَهَا: مَنْ نَبِيُّكِ؟ فَقَالَتْ: مُحَمَّدٌ نَبِيِّي. فقالا: مَنْ إمَامُكِ؟ فَارْتَجَّ عَلَيْها، فَقُلْتُ: ابْنُكِ ابْنُكِ لاَ جَعْفَرُ وَلا عَقيلُ.

وَهُوَ أَوَّلُ هاشِمِيٍّ مِنْ هاشِمِيَّيْنِ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ وَلَدَهُ هاشِمٌ مَرَّتَيْنِ. وَأَبوهُ: أَبُو طالِبٍ عَبْدُ مَنافِ بْنِ عَبْدِ المُطَّلِبِ ـ شَيْبَةِ الحَمْدِ، وَعِنْدَهُ يَجْتَمِعُ نَسَبُهُ وَنَسَبُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ـ بْنِ هاشِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنافِ بْنِ قُصَيِّ بْنِ كِلابِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ لُؤَيِّ بْنِ غالِبِ بْنِ فِهْرِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ كِنانَةَ بْنِ خُزَيمَةَ بْنِ مُدْرِكَةَ بْنِ إلْياسَ بْنِ مُضَرَ بْنِ نَزارِ بْنِ مَعْدِ بْنِ عَدْنانَ بْنِ مُبْدِعِ بْنِ مَنيعِ بْنِ أَدَدَ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ يَشْجُبَ بْنِ يَعْرُبَ بْنِ الهُمَيْسَعِ بْنِ قَيْدارَ بْنِ إسْماعيلَ بْنِ إبْراهيمَ الخَليلِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

وَهُوَ ابْنُ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ لأَِبِيهِ وَأُمِّهِ، وَعَمَّاهُ حَمْزَةُ وَالعَبَّاسُ وَإخْوَتُهُ جَعْفَرٌ وَعَقيلٌ وَابْناهُ الحَسَنُ وَالحُسَينُ وَزَوْجَتُهُ سَيِّدَةُ نِساءِ العَالَمِينَ. فَهُوَ وَاسِطَةُ عَقْدِ الكَمالِ المَخْصوصِ عِنْدَ اللهِ بِالكَمالِ وَالإفْضالِ.

فِي تَزْويجِهِ بِفاطِمَةَ عَلَيْها السَّلامُ:

قَالَ ابنُ عَبَّاسٍ: كَانَتْ فَاطِمَةُ بِنْتُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ تُذْكَرُ فَلا يَذْكُرُها أحَدٌ لرَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ إلاَّ أعْرَضَ عَنْهُ وَقالَ: أتَوَقَّعُ الأَمْرَ مِن السَّماءِ. إنَّ أمْرَها إلَى اللهِ تَعالَى.

Sa`d ibn Mu`adh Ansari who knew this, said to `Ali ibn Abi-Talib: By God, the Messenger of Allah has no one in mind save you. `Ali answered: Marriage needs wealth which I have not! The Messenger of Allah too knows that I have no wealth! Sa`d said: I put you under an obligation to do so. `Ali said: What should I say to the Holy Prophet? Sa`d said: Say: I have come here to ask the hand of Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad in marriage. To this end, `Ali came to the presence of the Messenger of Allah but due to modesty, he had lowered his head and did not say anything. The Messenger of Allah said: O `Ali, I see a sign of request in your face. What is your request? `Ali said: Asking your daughter’s hand in marriage! The Holy Prophet (s.a) who looked happy and had a smile on his lips, said: I will accept it eagerly. On his return, `Ali told Sa`d the whole story. Sa`d said: The Messenger of Allah had accepted your request, for he keeps his promise and never breaks it.

On that night, the Messenger of Allah called Bilal, saying: I married my daughter to my cousin. I wish to hold a marriage banquet to set it as a tradition among my Ummah. Now, go to sheep-selling market, buy a sheep and five mudd of barley, and make a pot ready for cooking them. I will invite Muhajir and Ansar to this banquet. Bilal carried out what the Holy Prophet had ordered. A large group of people gathered in the Holy Prophet’s house, ate from the food yet no shortage was seen in it. Then, the Holy Prophet ordered Bilal to take the food to the houses of his wives and to say to them: Eat of this food, you and any woman who comes to you. Bilal carried out this order.[283]

Then, the Messenger of Allah attended the gathering of his wives, saying: I have married my daughter, Fatimah to my cousin. I intend to send her to him. She is your daughter, do whatever you can for her nuptial ceremony. The Holy Prophet’s wives who were overjoyed, perfumed and adorned Fatimah with their Jewels and took to her house the dowry which Salman and Bilal had prepared on the order of the Holy Prophet. A cloak of Khaybar, a jug, a ewer, a tub, curtain, a mattress of date fiber and a pillow were all that made up the dowry. Then, they informed the Holy Prophet to come. Seeing this scene and having tears on his cheeks, the Holy Prophet raised his hands in prayer and said: O Lord! Make this marriage auspicious to a couple most of whose vessels are made of clay.[284]

فَقالَ سَعدُ بنُ مُعاذٍ الأنصَارِيُّ لعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طالِبٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إنِّي وَاللهِ مَا أرَى النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ يُريدُ بِهَا غَيْرَكَ. فَقالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: مَا أنَا بِذِي دُنْياً يُلْتَمَسُ مَا عِنْدِي، وَقَدْ عَلِمَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ إنَّهُ مَا لي حَمْراءُ وَلا بَيْضاءُ. فَقالَ لَهُ سَعدٌ: أعْزِمُ عَلَيْكَ لَتَفْعَلُنَّ. فَقالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: مَاذا أَقولُ؟ قَالَ لَهُ: تَقولُ لَهُ: جِئْتُكَ خَاطِباً إلَى اللهِ تَعالَى وَإلَى رَسولِهِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ. فَانْطَلَقَ عَلِيٌّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَتَعَرَّضَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، فَقالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: كَأَنَّ لَكَ حاجَةً؟ قَالَ: أجَلْ. فَقالَ: هاتِ. فَقالَ: جِئْتُكَ خاطِباً إلَى اللهِ وَإلَى رَسُولِهِ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ مُحَمَّدٍ. فقَالَ رَسولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَرْحباً وَحُبَّاً. فَقالَ ذَلِكَ لِسَعْدٍ، فَقالَ: لَقَدْ أَنْكَحَكَ ابْنَتَهُ، إنَّهُ لاَ يُخْلفُ ولا يَكْذِبُ. فَدَعا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ تِلكَ اللَّيْلَةِ بِلالاً فَقالَ: إنِّي قَدْ زَوَّجْتُ فَاطِمَةَ ابْنَتِي بِابْنِ عَمِّي وَأنا أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَكُونَ مِنْ أَخْلاقِ أُمَّتِي الطَّعامُ عِنْدَ النِّكاحِ. إِذْهَبْ يَا بِلالُ إلَى الغَنَمِ فَخُذْ شَاةً وَخَمْسَةَ أمْدادِ شَعيرٍ فَاجْعَلْ قَصْعَةً فَلَعَلِّي أجْمَعُ عَلَيْها المُهاجِرِينَ وَالأنْصارِ. فَفَعَلَ ثُمَّ دَعا النَّاسَ فَأَكَلَ الجَميعُ. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا بِلالُ احْمِلْها إلَى أُمَّهاتِكَ. فَقُلْ لَهُنَّ كُلْنَ وَأَطْعِمْنَ مِنْ عَيْشِكُنَّ، فَفَعَلَ. ثُمَّ إنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ دَخَلَ عَلَى النِّساءِ وَقالَ: إنِّي قَدْ زَوَّجْتُ ابْنَتِي بِابْنِ عَمِّي، وَإنّي دافِعُها إلَيْهِ فَدُونَكُنَّ ابْنَتُكُنَّ. فَقُمْنَ إلَى الفَتاةِ فَعَلَّقْنَ عَلَيْها مِنْ حِلِيِّهِنَّ وَطَيَّبْنَها وَجَعَلْنَ فِي بَيْتِها فِراشاً حَشْوُهُ لِيفٌ وَوِسادَةً وَكِساءً خَيْبَريَّاً وَمَرْكناً وَجِراراً وَمُطَهِّرةً لِلْماءِ وَسِتْرَ صوفٍ رَقيقٍ.

وَكَانَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَدْ بَعَثَ سَلْمانَ وَبِلالاً لِيَشْتَرِيا لَهَا ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ. فَلَمَّا وُضِعَ بَينَ يَدَيْهِ بَكَى وَجَرَتْ دُموعُهُ ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إلَى السَّماءِ وَقالَ: اللَّهُمَّ بارِكْ لِقَوْمٍ جُلُّ آنِيَتِهِمُ الخَزَفُ.

The wives of the Messenger of Allah chose Ummu-Ayman as housekeeper to meet the needs of the bride.[285]

Then, the Messenger of Allah called Fatimah to come to his presence. When Fatimah’s eyes fell on her husband, `Ali, who was sitting beside her father, she started weeping. The Messenger of Allah who intended to put her hand in `Ali’s hand, while weeping said: My daughter, Fatimah! I did not marry you to `Ali on my own, rather, God on your behalf and Gabriel on `Ali’s behalf, arranged this marriage in heaven between you two.[286]

At that time, God Almighty commissioned the tree of Tuba to give away ornaments, robes, pearls and rubies and ordered the Paradisiacal women to get together and pick up heavenly ornaments, pearls and rubies. They obeyed Allah’s order, take pride in it till the Day of Judgment and offer those ornaments to one another, saying: These are all from the blessings of Fatimah.[287]

Verily, my daughter, I have married you to the best of my kinship. I married you to one who is a master in this world and will be a righteous man on the Day of Judgment. Putting Fatimah’s hand in `Ali’s hand, the Messenger of Allah said: Now, go to your house. May God Almighty brings about love between you and improve your affairs till I come to see you again. The bride and the bridegroom sat beside each other for a few moments while the Holy Prophet’s wives too were with them. Of course, there was a curtain between `Ali and them and Fatimah was sitting next to women.[288]

After the passage of a short time, the Messenger of Allah entered the bridal chamber. Seeing that the Holy Prophet had come, the women hurriedly left the house except Asma’ bint `Umays. As for the reason she stayed there, she said: When Khadijah was in the bed of death, she was weeping. I said to her: Why are you weeping at this time while you are one of the greatest women in world, the wife of the Messenger of Allah, and you were given the good tiding that you will go to paradise? Khadijah said: The reason I am weeping is that my daughter, Fatimah is very young and she will need someone to help her on her wedding night. I am afraid there will be no woman to help her! I said: O my lady, don’t worry, I promise to meet her needs on that night if I live long enough till then. So, when all women left the

وَاتَّخَذْنَ أمّ أيْمَنَ بَوَّابَهُ. ثُمَّ إنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ هَتَفَ بِفاطِمَةَ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْ زَوْجَها مَعَ رَسُول اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَكَتْ، فَأخَذَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ بِيَدِها وَيَدِ عَلِيٍّ، فَلَمَّا أرادَ أنْ يَجْعَلَ كَفَّها فِي كَفِّ عَلِيٍّ بَكَتْ. فَقالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ: مَا زَوَّجْتُكِ مِنْ نَفسِي، بَلِ اللهُ تَوَلَّى تَزْويجَكِ فِي السَّماءِ؛ كَانَ جَبْرَئيلُ خاطِباً وَاللهُ تَعالَى الوِلِيَّ، وَأَمَرَ شَجَرَةَ طوبَى فَحَمَلَتِ الحُلِيَّ وَالحُلَلَ وَالدُّرَّ وَالياقوتَ، ثُمَّ نَثَرَتْهُ، وَأَمَرَ الحورَ العِينَ فَاجْتَمَعْنَ فَلَقَطْنَ فَهُنَّ يَتَهادَيْنَهُ إلَى يَوْمِ القِيامَةِ وَيَقُلْنَ: هَذَا نِثارُ فَاطِمَةَ. وَقَدْ زَوَّجْتُكِ خَيْرَ أهْلي؛ لَقَدْ زَوَّجْتُكِ سَيِّداً فِي الدُّنْيَا وَسَيِّداً فِي الآخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ. وَأمْكَنَهُ مِنْ كَفِّها وَقالَ لَهُما: إذْهَبا إلَى بَيْتِكُما، جَمَعَ اللهُ بَيْنَكُما وَأصْلَحَ بالَكُما وَلا تُهيجَا شَيْئاً حَتَّى آتِيَكُما. فَامْتَثَلا حَتَّى جَلَسا مَجْلِسَهُما وَعِنْدَهُما أُمَّهاتُ المُؤْمِنينَ، وَبَيْنَهُنَّ وَبَيْنَ عَلِيٍّ حِجابٌ وَفاطِمَةُ مَعَ النِّساءِ. ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ فَدَخَلَ وَخَرَجَ النِّساءُ مُسْرِعاتٍ سِوى أسْماءَ بِنْتِ عُمَيْسٍ، وَكانَتْ قَدْ حَضَرَتْ وَفاةَ خَديجَةَ عَلَيْها السَّلامُ فَبَكَتْ فَقَالَتْ: أتَبْكينَ وَأَنْتِ سَيِّدَةُ نِساءِ العَالَمينَ وَأَنْتِ زَوْجَةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَمُبَشَّرَةٌ عَلى لِسانِهِ بِالجَنَّةِ. فَقَالَتْ: مَا لِهَذا بَكِيتُ، وَلَكِنَّ المَرْأَةَ لَيْلَةَ زَفافِها لاَ بُدَّ لَهَا مِنِ امْرَأَةٍ تُفْضي إلَيْها بِسِرِّها وَتَسْتَعينُ بِهَا عَلَى حَوائِجِهَا، وَفاطِمَةُ حَديثَةُ عَهْدٍ بِصِبا وَأَخافُ ألاّ يَكونَ لَهَا مَنْ يَتَوَلّى أُمورَها حينَئِذٍ. فَقُلْتُ: يَا سَيِّدتِي، لَكِ عَهْدُ اللهِ أنّي إنْ بَقيتُ إلَى ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ أنْ أقُومَ مَقامَكِ فِي هَذَا الأَمْرِ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةُ وَأمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ النِّساءَ بِالخُروجِ فَخَرَجْنَ وَبَقِيَتْ. فَلَمَّا أرادَ الخُروجَ

house, I stayed there. The Messenger of Allah who had ordered all women to leave the house, seeing my shadow said: Who are you? I said: I am Asma’ bint `Umays. He said: Did I not tell you to leave the house? I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah, but my staying here is not meant to disobey you, rather, I promised to Khadijah to stay with Fatimah on such a night and told him the whole story. Hearing this, the Messenger of Allah started weeping, prayed for me and said: I pray to God to safeguard you from Satan from four sides. Then, he said to me: Fill a tub of water and bring it here. I carried out his order. The Messenger of Allah filled his mouth with water and poured it back to the tub, raised his hands in prayer and said: O Lord! This bride and groom are from me and I am from them. Cleanse them of impurity in the same way you cleansed me of impurity.

Then, he called Fatimah, took a handful of water and sprinkled it on her face and breast. He took two handfuls of water and sprinkled them on her side and head! Then, he sprinkled some water on her body, repeated the same prayer and told Fatimah to drink a few draughts of it, to rinse her mouth with it and to perform ablution with it. The Messenger of Allah then asked for another tub and did the same with `Ali. After doing so, he left Fatimah’s house and on his way home, he repeatedly prayed for them not for anyone else.[289]

Ibn `Abbas reports: On the night Fatimah was sent to `Ali’s house, to honor this honorable Lady, the Messenger of Allah was in front of her, Gabriel on the right side, Michael on the left side, and seventy thousand angels were following her, glorifying the Lord till dawn. There are many Hadiths in this relation but this one is above all.[290]