Fatima (SA) in the Words of the Prophet (PBUH)

Statements by Ayatullah Sayyid Mujtaba Nur Mufidi in His Advanced Jurisprudence (Kharij Fiqh) Lecture on the Occasion of the Oppressive Martyrdom Anniversary of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA)

What expressions has the Noble Prophet of Islam (PBUH) used regarding Fatima al-Zahra (SA)? These expressions alone demonstrate the high status and stature of Fatima al-Zahra (SA).

“بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي” (Bida’tun minni)

These expressions appear in various narrations, several of which are recorded in Sunni tradition collections as well: “Bida’tun minni”—a part of me; “Sha’ratun minni”—a strand of my hair. The continuation beneath these expressions is almost identical:

“مَنْ آذَاهَا فَقَدْ آذَانِي وَمَنْ آذَانِي فَقَدْ آذَى اللَّهَ”
“Whoever causes her distress has caused me distress, and whoever causes me distress has caused Allah distress.”

Other expressions include: “Nur ‘ayni”—the light of my eye; “Thamaratu fu’adi”—the fruit of my heart; “Bahjatu qalbi”—the delight of my heart. In certain narrations, alongside Fatima al-Zahra (SA), her husband and children are also referenced: “And her two sons and her husband”;

“ابْنَاهَا ثَمَرَةُ فُؤَادِي وَبَعْلُهَا نُورُ بَصَرِي”
“Her two sons are the fruit of my heart, and her husband is the light of my sight.”

This is exceedingly important. The Prophet (PBUH)—with all his grandeur and stature as the noblest of Allah’s creation, the most brought-near of human beings to the threshold of Almighty God, whose every word is uttered with precise calculation—expresses words bearing neither a trace of exaggeration or hyperbole, nor, God forbid, mixed with untruth and falsehood; neither exaggeration, nor mere politeness (Ta’arof), nor falsehood, nor protocol.

Such a personality—who is the foremost figure after God in the realm of contingent existence, the first, superior, and most perfect of beings in this world within the domain of contingent creation—states: “Fatima (SA) is a part of me, a strand of my hair, the light of my eye, the fruit of my heart.” Each of these expressions points to a specific aspect and dimension.

When he states that she is a part of him, and that whoever causes her distress has caused him distress, he is equating Fatima al-Zahra (SA) with his own self. This was not merely due to the relation of fatherhood—that naturally, by virtue of being human, the Prophet (PBUH) had children and a spouse. Rather, when he singles out from among his relatives a noble lady who is the origin of the Imamate of eleven Imams for the guidance of humanity, it is nothing other than pointing out the destination, orientation, and path.

He wishes to proclaim to all that she is the role model to whom everyone must adhere; the path to human salvation is their path. If Fatima al-Zahra (SA) is a part of the Prophet (PBUH), a strand of his hair, and the fruit of his heart, this signifies that she is a manifestation of the Divine Names, a light from the Divine Lights—one that manifests and reveals the Divine Names and Attributes.

The grandeur of the personality of Fatima al-Zahra (SA) is beyond our comprehension. How fortunate we are that such a lady is and must be the role model in our lives, and what a tragedy it would be if, God forbid, we were to distance ourselves and grow detached from such an asset and role model. To the extent of our ability, we must familiarize both ourselves and others with this reality.