This is the story of one of the greatest women of this world.

Her name is Fatimah, also known as Az-Zahra’a – meaning ‘the radiant’. She was the fifth child and fourth daughter to Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Khadija the daughter of Khuwaylid. Her father was known throughout Makkah as the “honest and trustworthy” and her mother as “the pure”.

She was born in Makkah when the people of Quraysh were rebuilding the Ka’aba. That was five years before Muhammad was given the task of teaching and spreading the message of Islam. Fatimah grew up with three older sisters: Zaynab, Ruqaya, and Um Kalthum. Her older brother Qasim died at a young age. In addition, her father’s cousin Ali (who as several years older than Fatimah) joined them in their household as part of Muhammad’s wish to ease the burden of expense on Ali’s father, Abu Talib, who was very poor.

Fatimah grew up happily under the care of her father, mother, and siblings. She was very fortunate to be alive, actually. This was because she lived in Makkah at a time in which women were looked down on and not valued at all. In fact, most people buried their newborn girls alive because they were ashamed of them. But Muhammad, peace be upon him, did no such thing. He had four girls and loved them all very much.

Early Islam

When Muhammad was visited by the Angel Gabriel and given the task of all prophets before him - calling people to believe in One God – he first told his wife Khadija of the meeting. Khadija supported her husband from the start, for she sensed earlier when she first saw him that there was something different about him. She was the first person to accept Islam, closely followed by her daughters. Ali was the first young boy to enter Islam. The first man to accept Islam was the Prophet’s best friend, Abu Bakr.

Fatimah was five years old at that time. She grew up with Islam from the start. In addition, during her trips following her father around – she witnessed some of the brutality of Quraysh on the Messenger of Allah. Muhammad, peace be upon him, was praying by the Ka’aba once when a group of mischief makers arranged to have one of them throw entrails of an animal on him as he bowed down. Seeing this, Fatimah ran quickly to remove the filth from her father’s back, upset and yelling at the crowd of laughing men. Their laughter didn’t last, though, when the heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, pray loudly: “O Allah, it is for you to deal with Quraysh…” and then he named each and every man in the now shocked crowd. They all knew that prayers in Makkah were answered.

The Boycott

Another thing the young Fatimah experienced after her father was given the task of preaching Islam was the boycott. Quraysh placed this boycott on all the Muslims in Makkah for three years. All Muslims were allowed no food or contact with others. They were years of hardship and suffering. Fatimah lived through it and was sixteen by the time the boycott was lifted, but her mother, Khadija the Pure, passed away. After a time of grief and sadness, Fatimah focused on matters at hand and devoted herself to looking after her father. She give him the support that the now absent Khadija used to give, may Allah be pleased with her. She was so concerned about his welfare she was then given the laqab (nickname) “the Mother of her Father”.

Hijrah (Immigration) to Madinah

When her father, peace be upon him, was commanded by Allah to immigrate to Madinah, Fatimah did not go with him due to safety reasons. However she soon followed his tracks along with others making their way to Madinah.

Her Marriage

By the time she was eighteen, many people proposed for her hand in marriage. They all wished to be related to the Prophet, peace be upon him. None were successful, the Prophet, peace be upon him, had politely turned them away. It was suggested to Ali that he go to propose, but he said he did not have much to offer. “The Prophet loves you,” he was told. And it was true, for Ali had a special place in the prophet’s heart.

Now, Ali was a very gifted speaker, however, he said, may Allah be pleased with him, that when he went to visit the Prophet, peace be upon him to ask for Fatimah’s hand in marriage, he was tongue-tied and didn’t know what to say. The prophet, peace be upon him, asked if he had perhaps come to ask for Fatimah’s hand in marriage? And then Ali said, “Yes.” So the prophet, peace be upon him, asked him if he had a dowry for her, and Ali said, “No.” The prophet, peace be upon him then reminded him of a shield that Ali had, which was worth four dirhams. And that was her dowry.

Next, the Prophet, peace be upon him presented Ali’s proposal to Fatimah, who was too shy to speak and the Prophet understood that she accepted. Fatimah and Ali were wed, may Allah be pleased with them both.

Allah blessed the couple with two sons known as Al-Hassan and Al-Hussayn. Later on, two daughters followed, named Zaynab and Um Kulthum. The prophet peace be upon him loved his grandchildren so much and could always be seen entertaining and playing with them.

The Status of Lady Fatimah

Fatimah went through a great deal of events but the most important was her father’s death. When she was by his side as he was dying, he called her and whispered something in her ear. Fatimah cried when she heard what he said. Then he whispered another thing and she laughed. Aishah, the prophet’s wife, may Allah be pleased with, asked Fatimah what the prophet had told her that had made her cry and laugh? But Fatimah kept it a secret until after the Messenger of Allah passed away.

What made her cry was when he said that he would soon meet his Lord. And what made her laugh was, him saying, peace be upon him, “Are you not pleased that you are one of the preeminent women in the world?”.

It is also narrated that the prophet, peace be upon him, when returning from a trip would always stop at the Masjid to pray and then visit his daughter Fatimah before heading to his home. And if he was leaving a place, he would spend time with her then leave. Fatimah held a great place in the heart of Muhammad peace be upon him. She is an exemplary women and the status she has earned is not because she is related to the prophet: but because of her character.