Fatimah
Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, was born in Mecca, present-day Saudi Arabia, between 605 and 615 CE. As the youngest of Muhammad's children with his first wife, Khadijia, she played a pivotal role in the early Islamic community. Following her mother's death in 619 CE, Fatimah became a staunch supporter of her father's mission, known for her courage and compassion, even facing hostility on his behalf. In 624 CE, she married Ali, Muhammad's cousin, and together they had five children, including Hassan and Hussayn, who hold significant status within Islamic tradition. Fatimah's legacy is particularly important in Shia Islam, where she is seen as the mother of imams and a pivotal figure in the lineage of leadership. In contrast, Sunni beliefs uphold that leadership is not restricted to her descendants. Fatimah passed away shortly after her father's death in 632 or 633 CE, and her life continues to influence Islamic thought and sectarian divisions to this day, with her being revered across all Muslim communities for her piety and dedication.
Fatimah
Islamic spiritual leader
- Born: ca. 605
- Birthplace: Mecca, Arabia
- Died: 632/633
- Place of death: Medina, Arabia
Significance: Fatimah is the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, who founded Islam in the seventh century. His only child to survive to adulthood, Fatimah, is revered by Muslims around the world, particularly the Shia, who see her as the mother of their imams or spiritual leaders.
Background
Daughter of Islam’s founder Muhammad, Fatimah was born in Mecca, modern day Saudi Arabia, between c. 605 and 615. The Prophet Muhammad’s wife, Khadijia, was around fifteen years older than Muhammad and was twice previously widowed. Though Muhammad had other children, Fatimah created the main line of descendants.
While Fatimah was a child, her father began having the spiritual visions that helped him found the Muslim faith. Initially, the Meccans were angered by Muhammad’s religious teachings, but he eventually gathered a following that served as the core of the fledgling religion. In Mecca, prior to Muhammad’s revelations, the population supported traditional tribal beliefs that were polythetic. The Muslim faith Muhammad taught was a strictly monotheistic one.
Muhammad and Khadijia had six children, two sons, and four daughters, of which only Fatimah, the youngest, was able to produce heirs. According to Shia Muslim tradition, Fatimah is the only biological daughter of the Prophet, while his other daughters are the biological children of his wife’s previous husbands. Sunni Muslims, however, believe that all four daughters are Muhammad’s own.
Life’s Work
Khadijia died in 619, leaving Fatimah without a mother. After her mother’s death, Fatimah became a firm supporter of her father’s evangelization as the leader of the new Muslim religion. Various Islamic sources describe Fatimah as being her father’s great defender, even as a child. One story details how her father went to pray at the Kaba in Mecca, where people assaulted him by throwing animal entrails at him. Fatimah helped to clean her father up and scolded the people who had mistreated him.
In 622, Fatimah traveled with her father as he moved from Mecca to Medina, where in addition to being the spiritual leader of the Muslim community, he was also the political head of the city-state. While there, the Muslims under Muhammad did battle with the Meccans on three occasions; this strife ultimately concluded with a peace treaty that was signed in March 628. The treaty recognized Muslims’ power and granted them the ability to travel freely throughout Arabia. Although women did not participate in these battles, Fatimah became known for treating the wounded as a battlefield medic.
After she arrived with her father in Medina, Fatimah married Ali, a cousin of Muhammad’s, in 624. Although their first years as a married couple were spent in considerable poverty, they were devoted to one another. She also continued to support her father during the remaining years of his life. In March 632, Muhammad journeyed to Mecca with thousands of his followers on a pilgrimage. Shortly after he returned to Medina, he became ill. Fatimah nursed him until his death on June 8, 632.
Following Muhammad’s death, Abu Bakr, one of Muhammad’s followers, became caliph and head of the Muslim community. Fatimah’s husband, however, refused to submit to this new authority, who also resisted claims Fatimah made to property that she had been left by her father. Fatimah refused to speak to Abu Bakr and supported her husband’s assertion that, as the Prophet’s son-in-law, he was Muhammad’s rightful heir. Fatimah died some months after her father from unknown causes in either 632 or 633.
Impact
The division in modern Islam between Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims derives from the fact that Shiite Muslims believe that their imams derive their spiritual authority from being descendants of Muhammad through Fatimah’s children. Shiite Muslims believe all imams have either been appointed by the Prophet Muhammad or by God himself. They make up about 15 percent of the total Muslim population in the world. Most Muslims are Sunni, who believe that leadership in the community is not a birthright. Each group also has various subsects.
While all Muslims respect Fatimah as a pious woman who was extremely close to her father, she is venerated in Shiite traditions for being the wife of Ali, who is considered the first imam, as well as mother of a pair of sons who also became imams.
Personal Life
Fatimah and Ali had five children, including Hassan and Hussayn, who survived to adulthood and became imams. Their daughters, Zainab bint Ali and Umm e Kulthum bint Ali, and a third son, Moshin, died early.
Bibliography
Kahn, Syed Muhammad. “Fatimah bint Muhammad.” World History Encyclopedia, 11 Sept. 2020, www.worldhistory.org/Fatimah‗bint‗Muhammad/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
Meky, Shounaz. “Ramadan Profiles: Fatima Az-Zahra, A Life of Strength, Struggle and Virtue." Alarabiya News, 20 May 2020, english.alarabiya.net/features/2017/06/13/Ramadan-profiles-Fatima-Az-Zahra-a-life-of-strength-struggle-and-virtue-. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
“The Life of Muhammad.” Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet, PBS, www.pbs.org/muhammad/timeline‗html.shtml. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
“The Story of Hazrat Fatima (sa), Daughter of the Holy Prophet.” Al-Islam.org, www.al-islam.org/story-of-the-holy-kaaba-and-its-people-shabbar/story-hazrat-fatima-daughter-holy-prophet. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.