Protecting the Children
Al-Zahra emphasized how important taking care of the children is. Often when someone passes away, people usurp the rights of the helpless children because of the lack of law protection, especially in our man-made law structure. Of course, taking care of the children involves making sure there is someone trustworthy when it comes to taking care of them. Also, if one can manage to secure their financial rights, one should do so.
The Oppressed Daughter of the Prophet
While Al-Zahra's words extend from her particular special case to any general case, there is one part that stands out - she had asked Imam Ali to do two things after he washes her purified body and finalizes the pre-burial actions: To bury her at night, and hide her grave.
Both requests have immediate implications related to the situation at that time and long-term implications that affect us to this very day. What is it that Lady Fatima wants us to learn and comprehend from these requests?
Studying history and the religion of Islam, one will immediately recognize the status of Lady Fatima as the Prophet's only daughter and the leader of women of all times. In addition to that, the books of history do not hide the fact that Lady Fatima's right to Fadak was usurped, that people burned her house, beat her with a whip and caused a rib of hers to break after being squeezed between the door and the wall, causing the miscarriage of her unborn son.
No matter how much historical facts are twisted to help glorify those who oppressed the daughter of the Prophet, the fact that she did not approve of them attending her funeral is enough for one to discern the truth. The mere knowledge that the daughter of the Prophet refused certain people to attend her funeral makes the academic researcher investigate those personalities. Her secret burial and hidden grave affirms how angry she was with those who oppressed her. It reflects the oppression brought upon her and as long as her grave is hidden, people will and must continue to question the events that took place after her father's death.
Our Duty
For all those who love Fatima, remember her grave is hidden, but she is not far. She attends gatherings held in the name of the Ahl-ul-Bayt. Let us carry her grave in our hearts and fulfil our responsibility of spreading the truth that the daughter of the Prophet of Islam and the leader of the women of the worlds, was, and still remains today, oppressed.
source : www.tebyan.net
