When the final moments of the life of the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him and his family) drew near, the dust of sorrow settled upon the house of Fatimah (peace be upon her). In those days of loneliness, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) was her only support and the keeper of her secrets. He was the one who had to bear the heavy burden of the instructions after the Prophet’s ascension, and who remained, throughout those trying moments, the guardian of the sanctity of Wilayah.
A Father’s Grief for His Daughter’s Oppression
The final moments of the Prophet’s life (peace be upon him and his family) were accompanied by a heart-rending sorrow for the future of his noble daughter. This narration relates the conversation of a compassionate father with his daughter about the hardships to come and the glad tidings of meeting again in the proximity of God.
When the hour of the Prophet’s martyrdom (peace be upon him and his family) approached, he wept so much that his blessed beard became wet. His companions asked: “O Messenger of God, why are you weeping?” The Prophet replied: “I weep for my progeny and children, and for the injustices that the oppressors of my nation will inflict upon them after me. It is as though I see my daughter Fatimah (peace be upon her) being wronged after me, crying out ‘O Father!’ for help, yet none of my nation comes to her aid.”
When these words reached Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), she began to weep. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Do not weep, my dear daughter.” Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) answered: “Father, I do not weep for the injustices I will witness after you, but for the separation from you.” At that moment, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) gave her glad tidings: “O daughter of Muhammad, rejoice, for among my Ahl al-Bayt you will be the first to join me.” [1]
The Dream of Reunion in Paradise
The true dream of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) unveiled a great truth: the promise of reunion with her father (peace be upon him and his family). It moved her, in her final hours, to share the secrets of her heart, and the manner of her humble farewell, with her faithful husband, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him).
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “When the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) departed this world, he left nothing behind as a legacy except the ‘Thaqalayn’, namely his Itrah and Ahl al-Bayt. In his final moments, he whispered to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her): ‘Among my Ahl al-Bayt, you will be the first to join me.'”
Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said: “A few days after the passing of my noble father, I was between sleep and wakefulness when I saw my father in a dream. When I saw him, I could not restrain myself and said to him: ‘Father, revelation and tidings from the heavens have been cut off from us.'”
“As I was saying this, I suddenly saw several rows of angels, with two angels at the head of them, come to me. They took me and carried me up toward the heavens. When I raised my head, I saw before me magnificent palaces, with countless gardens and streams. Behind each palace stood another palace, and behind each garden another garden. Suddenly, I saw maidens coming toward me from among those palaces.”
“They were giving one another glad tidings with joy and excitement, smiling as they looked at me, and saying: ‘Welcome to the one for whom Paradise was created, and for whose father’s sake we were created!’ The angels continued to carry me upward.”
“They brought me into a dwelling that itself contained many palaces, and in each palace were chambers that no human eye had ever seen. Upon the couches there lay spreads of sundus and istabraq (precious silks), and coverlets of every kind of colorful silk and brocade were laid over them. Vessels of gold and silver were there, and tables laden with food of every variety and color.”
“In that Paradise flowed a river whiter than milk and more fragrant than the finest musk. I asked: ‘Whose house is this, and what is this river?’ They replied: ‘This is al-Firdaws al-A’la, above which there is no higher paradise. This house belongs to your father, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), together with the prophets who are with him and those whom God loves.’ I asked: ‘And what is this river?’ They said: ‘This is the Kawthar that God promised your noble father.’ I asked: ‘Where is my father?’ They said: ‘He is coming to you right now.'”
“Just then, palaces appeared before me that were whiter and more luminous than the previous ones, and their carpets were finer than the carpets of the earlier palaces. I saw a carpet spread over a throne, and the carpets there were even more beautiful. At last I reached a throne upon which my father, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), was seated, with a company present in his presence. As soon as my father saw me, he embraced me, kissed me between my eyes, and said: ‘Welcome, my daughter!’ Then he seated me beside him and said: ‘My beloved, do you see what blessings God has prepared for you, and into what blissful and glorious station you will enter?’ He then showed me luminous palaces filled with adornments and garments of every color, and added: ‘This is the dwelling of you, your husband, your two sons, and those who love you all. Rejoice, for in a few days you will join me.’ After this meeting, my heart began to race, and an indescribable longing filled my whole being. Frightened by the grandeur of the event, I awoke from my sleep.”
The instructions of Fatimah (peace be upon her)
In the final moments of Lady Fatimah’s life (peace be upon her), in a heavenly conversation with the angels, she shared the secrets of her farewell with Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) alone. This narration describes the moment when the Lady hastened serenely to meet her Lord.
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) related: ‘When Fatimah (peace be upon her) awoke from her sleep, she called me. I went to her and asked: “What has happened?” She told me the story of her dream and took a pledge from me that when she passed away, I would inform no one except Umm Salamah (the wife of the Messenger of God), Umm Ayman, and Fiddah, and, among the men, none but her two sons, Abdullah ibn Abbas, Salman al-Farsi, Ammar ibn Yasir, al-Miqdad, Abu Dhar, and Hudhayfah.'”
“Fatimah (peace be upon her) said to me: ‘I permit you to look upon my body after my passing. With the help of these women, wash me, bury me by night, and do not let anyone learn of my burial place.'”
“When that appointed night arrived, and the Compassionate Lord honored Fatimah (peace be upon her) by taking her soul, I heard her say: ‘And upon you be peace!’ Then she said to me: ‘O cousin, this is Gabriel, who greets me and says: “This is the beloved of God’s beloved and the fruit of his heart. God sends you His greetings and says that today you will enter Jannat al-Ma’wa.”‘ He gave me this glad tiding and departed.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) continued: “A second time I heard Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) say: ‘And upon you be peace!’ Then she said: ‘O cousin, this is Michael, who gives me glad tidings just as Gabriel did.'”
“A third time, Fatimah (peace be upon her) said: ‘And upon you be peace!’ Then she opened her eyes wide and said to me: ‘O cousin, by God, this is the truth. This is Azrael, who has spread his wings in the east and the west. My father had described him to me.'”
“Then we heard Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) say: ‘And upon you be peace, O taker of souls! Take my soul swiftly, so that there may be no more suffering.'”
“After that, we heard her say: ‘My Lord, I am coming to You, not to the Fire!’ Then she closed her eyes and stretched out her hands and feet, as though Fatimah had never been alive.” [2]
References
[1] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 157
[2] Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 207
