A Brief History of az-Zahra"s Life
Birth
Fatimah, the only daughter of the Holy Prophet of Islam, was born in Mecca on 20th jumada "th-
thaniyah 8 B.H. The good and noble lady Khadijah and the Apostle Of Allah bestowed all their
natural love, care and devotion on their lovable and only child Fatimah, who in her turn was
extremely fond of her parents.
Character
The Princess of the House of the Prophet, was very intelligent, accomplished and cheerful. Her
sermons, poems and sayings serve, as an index to her strength of character and nobility of
mind.Her virtues gained her the title "Our Lady of Light". She was tall, slender and endowed with
great beauty, which caused her to be called " az-Zahra" " (the Lady of Light). She was called az-
Zahra" also because her light used to shine among those in heaven.
Marriage
After arriving in Medina, she was married to "Ali, in the first year after Hijrah, and she gave birth
to three sons and two daughters.Her children, Hasan, Husayn, Zaynab and Umm Kulthum are well-
known for their piety, goodness and generosity. Their strength of character and actions changed
the course of history.
The Holy Prophet said, "Fatimah is a piece of my heart". He would go out to receive his daughter
whenever she came from her husband"s house. Every morning on his way to the Mosque, he
would pass by Fatimah"s house and say, "as-Salamu "alaykum ya ahli bayti "n-nubuwwah wa
ma"dani "r-risalah" (peace be on you O the Household of Prophethood and the Source of
Messengership).
The Best Woman
Fatimah is famous and acknowledged as the "Sayyidatu nisa"i "l-"alamin" (Leader of all the
women of the world for all times) because the Prophethood of Muhammad would not have been
everlasting without her. The Prophet is the perfect example for men, but could not be so for
women. For all the verses revealed in the Holy Qur"an for women, Fatimah is the perfect model,
who translated every verse into action. In her lifetime, she was a complete woman,being Daughter,
Wife and Mother at the same time.As a daughter, she loved her parents so much, that she won
their love and regard to such an extent that the Holy Prophet used to rise, whenever she came
near him.As a wife, she was very devoted. she never asked "Ali for anything in her whole life.As a
mother, she cared for and brought up wonderful children; they have left their marks on the face of
the world, which time will not be able to eraze.
Death
The death of the Apostle, affected her very much and she was very sad and grief-striken and
wept her heart out crying all the time.The tragedy of her father"s death was too much for the good,
gentle and sensitive lady and she breathed her last on 14th jumada "l-ula 11 A.H.,exactly seventy-
five days after the death of her father, the Holy Prophet of Islam.Fatimah died in the prime of her
life at the age of eighteen, and no till today knows where is her grave.
