The Life of Imam Al-hasan Al-mujtaba

Chapter Vi : At the Time of the Two Caliphs

part 2

She looked at them and showed her hidden sorrow, saying: “I have hated your world and delighted to depart from you. I will meet Allah and his Apostle carrying sorrows caused by you. That is because my right has not been kept, nor has the protection for me been respected, nor has the inheritance been accepted, nor has the sacredness been regarded.”[^1] A wife of the Prophet’s visited her and said: “O daughter of Allah’s Apostle, let us take part in washing you!” However, Fatima refused that and said: “Do you want to say in respect of me as you had said in respect of my mother? I am in no need of your presence.”

To the Most High Comrade

The illness fatigued the Messenger’s daughter, and sadness exhausted her thin body. Sorrow harmed her gentle, tortured heart, to the extent that death walked towards it, while she was in the dawn and beauty of youth. Alas for the Prophet’s dear daughter and darling! Death quickly approached her; it was time for her to meet her father, for whom she had impatiently longed. When she came to know that death was close at hand, she summoned Imam Ali (a.s) and told him about her will. She asked him to bury her body in the dark night, to prevent those who had wronged her and denied her right from praying over her and standing by her grave, for they were her and her father’s enemies as she said. Imam Ali went away while he was weeping. He responded to the feelings of his sad soul which time filled with sorrow and sadness.

Fatima asked him to make her a coffin to conceal her sacred body, for the people used to put the dead on a stretcher, that their bodies could be seen. She hated that and wanted none to look at her. As a result she summoned Asma’, daughter of ‘Umays[^2] and told her of what she wanted. She made her a coffin

[^1] Al-Ya‘qubi, Tarikh, vol. 2, p. 95.

[^2] Asma’ was the daughter of Umays bin Sa‘eed bin al-Harith al-Khath‘ami. Her mother was the daughter of Awf bin Zuhayr bin Kinana. She had become Muslim before Allah’s Apostle (a.s.) enter al-Arqam’s house in Mecca. She pledged allegiance (to the Prophet). She and her husband Ja‘far bin Abi Talib migrated to the land of al-Habasha (Abyssinai). She said: “O Allah’s Apostle, some men pride themselves on me that I was not among the early emigrants.” So, he (a.s.) said: “Rather, you emigrated twice: You emigrated to al-Habasha, while we were in Mecca. Then you emigrated after that.” She narrated sixty traditions from the Prophet (a.s.). Umar bin al-Khattab asked her to explain dreams. He assigned for her one thousand dirhams. When her husband was martyred, Abu Bakr married her, and she born him the good one, Muhammed. When Abu Bakr died, Imam Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him, married

like that which she had seen in al-Habasha to conceal her body. When Fatima looked at the coffin, she smiled for the first time after the death of her father.[^1]

On the last day of her life, she was happy and delighted, for she came to know that she would join her father, who had given her good news of that she would be the first of his family to join him. She washed her two sons and ordered them to go to visit the grave of their grandfather. They went out while they were thinking of the affair. Did the illness exhaust their mother? Did the illness harm her, and she was unable to go to the House of Sorrows? Or did she want to weep this day in her house? How did she weep while the Sheikhs of Medina had prevented her from weeping? They drowned in a sea of cares and a current of suspicions.

Fatima turned to Salma, daughter of ‘Umays,[^2] who looked after her, and said to her: “Mother!” “Yes, O dear one of Allah’s Apostle (a.s)!” retorted Salma.

“Bring me some water!” requested Fatima.

Salma fetched her some water, and she washed with it, and she was in a good condition. She said to her: “Bring me my new garments!” Salma gave her the garments. Then Fatima said to her: “Put my bed in the middle of the house!” Salma became astonished and tripped over the trains of her gown. She did that to her. Fatima laid on her bed in the direction of qibla. Then she turned to Salma and said to her: “I am dying now! I have purified myself! Therefore, let none uncover me.”[^3]

Fatima died at that time. On that day immortal in the world of sorrows, the most wonderful page of virtue, purity, and chastity was folded. At her death