The close servants of God have always embodied the purest human virtues, among which compassion and affectionate mercy stand foremost. The Noble Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) consistently manifested these qualities throughout his blessed life, bestowing the deepest expressions of paternal love and tenderness upon Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her).
Kissing the Hands of Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
Al-Hakim al-Nishaburi, the eminent Sunni scholar, narrates on the authority of Aishah:
“I did not see anyone more similar to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) in manner of speech than Fatimah (peace be upon her). Whenever Fatimah entered upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), he would welcome her, rise to greet her, take her hand and kiss it, and seat her in his own place.”
Authenticity of the Narration
Al-Hakim al-Nishaburi states regarding the chain of transmission of this narration:
“This is a hadith that is authentic according to the criteria of the two shaikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim), although they did not include it in their collections.”
Al-Dhahabi, one of the foremost Sunni scholars of hadith criticism and biographical evaluation, likewise affirms the authenticity of this narration in his marginal notes.
A Part of the Messenger of God
Al-Bukhari, among the greatest scholars and hadith authorities of Sunni Islam, reports in his collection—considered by Sunnis the most authentic book after the Holy Quran—that the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said:
“Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a part of me; whoever angers her has angered me.”
The Daughter Who Was the Heart and Soul of the Prophet
Ibn al-Sabbagh al-Maliki, a prominent Sunni scholar, narrates:
“One day, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) took the hands of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) and said: ‘Whoever does not know her, let him now know her; and whoever does not know who she is, let him know that she is Fatimah, my daughter, a part of me. She is my heart, and she is my soul between my two sides. Whoever harms her has harmed me, and whoever harms me has harmed God.’”
This body of narrations collectively reflects the unparalleled spiritual, emotional, and moral bond between the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and his noble daughter, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), and underscores her unique station in Islam.
