The time after the martyrdom of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) began a heart-rending chapter in the lives of the Ahl al-Bayt. Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), enduring deep wounds, thought with a heart full of sorrow of her eternal reunion with him. In those difficult days, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was her only confidant and loyal companion. Those days reached their peak of bitterness with the shattering sound of the adhan and its effect on the wounded heart of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her).
Days of Mourning
In the depths of her loneliness and the grief of separation from her father, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) would whisper of the Messenger of Allah’s (peace be upon him and his family) boundless love for her sons, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon them both).
After the martyrdom of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) always kept a headband tied around her blessed head because of the intensity of her pain and sorrow. In her separation from her father, she was extremely frail, her spirit broken-winged, her heart filled with grief and her eyes brimming with tears, and she burned with longing. The memory of the moments when her father used to visit her kindled the flames of this fire in her heart all the more. At times she would look at Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Hussain (peace be upon them both), who sat beside her, and say:
“Where is that father who honored you so dearly, carried you on his shoulders, and whose love for you surpassed everyone’s? He would not let you walk on the ground. Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return. By Allah, your grandfather, the beloved of my soul, has departed from us, and I will never again see him open this door for us, lift you onto his shoulders, and shower you with his constant affection.” [1]
Bilal’s Unfinished Adhan
The sound of Bilal’s adhan reminded Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) of the days when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was present, a voice that, each time, burned the Lady’s broken heart all the more. This heart-wrenching farewell to an adhan left half-finished is the sorrowful tale of days when Medina was left alone, without its master.
After the passing of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), hearing the adhan of his muezzin revived memories of the days of his presence for his honored daughter. The narration before you tells of Bilal’s farewell to the adhan and its deep effect on the beloved person of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).
After the martyrdom of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Bilal al-Habashi refused to give the adhan, saying: “After the Prophet, I will give the adhan for no one.” Then one day Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said: “I would like to hear the adhan of my father’s muezzin.” When these words reached Bilal, he began giving the adhan. When Bilal said “Allahu Akbar” twice, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) remembered the days of her father, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and wept bitterly.
When Bilal reached the words “I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) cried out and fainted. Those present, seeing this, thought she had passed away and said to Bilal in alarm: “Stop the adhan and say no more! Fatimah (peace be upon her), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, has died.” After witnessing this heart-rending scene, Bilal stopped the adhan and left it unfinished.
When Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) regained consciousness, she said to Bilal: “Complete the adhan!” But Bilal declined, and said respectfully: “O leader of the women! I fear that hearing the adhan will bring grief and suffering over you again and leave you distraught.” In this way, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) excused him from continuing the adhan. [2]
The Wound Made Fresh Again
With the Prophet’s ascension (peace be upon him and his family), a wound settled on the hearts of the Ahl al-Bayt, and its only consolation was the beloved person of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her). But now Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), on the verge of parting from the one remaining legacy of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), speaks of the wound of separation from the Prophet being made fresh once more and of the beginning of a great calamity.
Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), who was suffering greatly from severe injuries, passed away on her sickbed after forty days. When she realized that the final moments of her life had come, she summoned Umm Ayman and Asma bint Umays, and also sent someone to fetch Amir al-Muminin Ali (peace be upon him). When Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) came to her bedside, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said:
“O cousin, I feel that the time of my death has come; I have no doubt that I am drawing nearer to my father with every moment. I will now tell you what is in my heart and what I bequeath.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) sat beside her in deep sorrow, sent out everyone who was in the house, and said: “O daughter of the Messenger of Allah, bequeath whatever you wish.”
Then Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), with a candor rooted in truth, said:
“O cousin! You know well that I have never lied, and from the day I became your companion, I have never opposed you.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) replied in a shaken state:
“Allah forbid! You are purer than that, and more knowing of Allah, more God-fearing, and more honored than that I should suppose any fault arose from you in these years. Your separation is very heavy and heart-rending for me, but alas, there is no escaping destiny. By Allah, with your martyrdom the wound of separation from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is revived for me once more, and this calamity is a very great sorrow. But what can be done, for we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return; a grief for which there is no relief, and nothing can make up for it.”
After these words, the two noble figures wept for an hour. Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) held Lady Fatimah’s (peace be upon her) blessed head to his chest and said:
“Bequeath whatever you wish, for I will carry it out without delay, and I will prefer your command over my own wish.” [3]
References
[1] Rawdat al-Wa’izin, vol. 1, p. 150
[2] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 157
[3] Rawdat al-Wa’izin, vol. 1, p. 150
