اَلْحَمْدُ للّٰهِ رَبِّ العَالَمِيْنَ وَالصَّلاَةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلىَ اَشْرَفِ اْللأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِيْنَ سَيِّدِناَ وَمَوْلٰنَا مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى اٰلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ اَجْمَعِيْنَ، اَمَّا بَعْدُ.
Who does not want to do favors and help people when possible? If the poor person is an oppressed person who needs to be taken care of, we can forget about even our own needs and fulfill that person's wishes. We will not eat but feed him; we will not wear new clothes but make him wear. We do all of the favors that we can. Ali’s blessed mother, Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assadرضي الله عنه, had such a spirit. Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه had the burden of a big family with her husband Abu Talib. Abu Talib was a well-known and respected person of Quraysh but he was a poor person who hardly made ends meet. When his father, Abdul Muttalib, died, his beloved nephew, Muhammad, was entrusted to him.
The material upbringing of this precious orphan, who was eight years old, was under the responsibility of his uncle but he needed the compassion of a mother and a loving heart more. Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه did her best so as not to make this blessing child feel that he was motherless.
Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه fed and clothed him before her own children; she combed his hair before her own children. What is more, she acted as if she was his real mother. Thus, Rasulullahﷺ lived with his uncle and aunt and under their protection until he got married.
When Rasulullahﷺ was assigned the duty of prophethood, he was inflicted unbelievable tortures by the polytheists. This situation distressed Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assadرضي الله عنه, very much and made her sad. Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنهprotected him with Abu Talib and did her best to make him forget the pain. Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه became a Muslim after a while. The Messenger of Allah became very glad when Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه, whom he liked as if she were his own mother, became a Muslim and forgot about his pains.
Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “When Fatimeh Bint Ased -mother of Ali Ibn Abi Talib- passed away, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- came in and sat by her head and said: ‘My Mother, may Allah have mercy on you! Indeed, you have been a mother to me after (the death) of my mother. Many times you went hungry in order to feed me, denied yourself good clothes to clothe me, and denied yourself delicacies to present them to me, and you did that seeking the pleasure of Allah and the reward in the Hereafter.’
The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- then ordered that she should be washed three times, and poured water with camphor (kafoor) by his own hand. He then took off his outer shirt and dressed her in it, and shrouded her with a cloak over it.
The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- then called Usameh Ibn Zaid, Abu Ayoob Al-Ansari, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, and a black slave to dig her grave. When they reached the sepulcher (lehd), the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- dug it with his own hands and removed the sand with his own hands. When he was done, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- went in and lied inside, and said: ‘Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away, while He is Ever-Living and never does death come to Him. O Allah, forgive my mother, Fatimeh Bint Ased, keep her firm during the questioning, make spacious her grave, by the blessing and right of Your Prophet and the Prophets before me, for verily You are the Most Merciful.
Motherhood in Islam:
عن أبي أمامة رضي الله عنه، قال: ( أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وَسلَّمَ امْرَأَةٌ مَعَهَا صَبِيَّانِ لَهَا، قَدْ حَمَلَتْ أَحَدَهُمَا وَهِيَ تَقُودُ الْآخَرَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ صلى الله عليه وَسلَّمَ: « حَامِلَاتٌ، وَالِدَاتٌ، رَحِيمَاتٌ، لَوْلَا مَا يَأْتِينَ إِلَى أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ دَخَلَ مُصَلِّيَاتُهُنَّ الْجَنَّةَ»). رواهُ ابن ماجه والحاكم والطبراني وأحمد.
Narrated Abu Umameh -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “A woman came to the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- with two of her children, carrying one and leading the other. So the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- said: ‘They [Muslim women] carry children (in their womb), give birth to them, and are compassionate to them. With the exception of ill treatment of their husbands, those among them who perform Prayer (the five Daily Prayers) would enter Paradise.’” Related by Ibn Majeh, Al-Hakim, At-Teberani and Ahmad.[1]
قال الصنعاني في التنوير شرح الجامع الصغير: ( “حاملات، والدات، مرضعات، رحيمات بأولادهن (في رواية الطبراني)”: هذه الصفات الأربع لموصوف محذوف أي النساء، وساق الصفات على الترتيب وقوعا. أي يحملن الأولاد في بطونهن بأنواع من التعب، ويلدنهم ثانيا كذلك، ويرحمنهم ثالثا. وذكر هذه الصفات لما فيها من الأجر بتحمل مشاقها.
“لولا ما يأتين إلى أزواجهن”: أي من الأذى وكفران عشرته، ويدل على عظم حق الزوج، لأن هذه الصفات يتلاشى أجرها بالنظر إلى عصيان الزوج.
“دخل مصلياتهن الجنة”: في إفهامه أن غير مصلياتهن لا يدخلنها، وهو وارد على منهج الزجر والتهويل والتخويف، وإلا فكل من مات على الإسلام لا بد أن يدخلها أو لا يدخلنها حتى يطهرن بالنار إن لم يعف عنهن). انتهى.
As-Sen’ani mentioned in his book “At-Tenweer Sherh Al-Jami’ As-Segheer” (The Enlightenment, Commentary on the Small Collection of Hadiths): “
‘Carry children, give birth to them, nurse them, and are compassionate to them’: These are four characteristics of Muslim women, and the characteristics are in order of occurrence. Thus, they first bear their child in their womb enduring the hardship associated with it, then they give birth to their child, and then they treat their child with compassion. The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- mentioned these characteristics to state the great reward in enduring these hardships.
‘Except ill treatment of their husbands’: Meaning, by harming the husband or being ungrateful to him. This indicates the great rights of the husband, for all the aforementioned characteristics are voided by disobeying the husband.
‘Those among them who perform Prayer (the five Daily Prayers) would enter Paradise’: This indicates that those women who do not perform the Prayer (five daily prayers) would not enter Paradise. This is given as an admonition, forewarning, and reprimand; otherwise anyone who dies on Islam will enter Paradise eventually, even if they had to be punished in Hell for a sin that was not forgiven.”
هي فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم بن عبد مناف بن قصي القرشية الهاشمية، تزوجها أبو طالب عم النبي صلَّى الله عليه وسلم، فولدت له ستة أبناء: طالب وعقيل وجعفر الطيار وعلي بن أبي طالب وأم هانئ وجمانة وريطة.
وأمها : فاطمة بنت قيس بن هرم بن رواحة بن حُجْر بن عبد بن بغيض بن عامر بن لؤي ، وهي ابنة عم زائدة بن الأصم بن هرم بن رواحة جد خديجة بنت خويلد بن أسد بن عبد العزى بن قصي زوج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، من قبل أمها.
She is Fatimeh Bint Ased, Ibn Hashim, Ibn ‘Abdi Munaf, Ibn Quseyy. She is from the tribe of Qureish, the Sect of Bani Hashim. Fatimeh Bint Ased was married to Abu Talib (Uncle of the Prophet), and had had six children with him: Talib, ‘Aqeel, Je’fer At-Teyyar, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Umm Hani’, Jumaneh, and Reeteh.
Her mother is: Fatimeh Bint Qais, Ibn Herim, Ibn Rewaheh, Ibn Hujr, Ibn ‘Abd, Ibn Begheedh, Ibn ‘Aamir, Ibn Lu’ey; and she was cousin to Za’ideh Ibn Al-Asemm Ibn Herim Ibn Rawaheh, the grandfather of Khedijeh Bint Khuweilid Ibn Ased Ibn Abdil-Uzza Ibn Quseyy (wife of the Prophet) from the her mother’s side.
أسلمت بعد وفاة أبي طالب، وهاجرت وماتت بالمدينة. وكانت من أبرِّ الناس برسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلَّم. قال ابن سعد: كانت امرأة صالحة، وكان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلَّم يزورها ويقيل في بيتها.
Fatimeh Bint Ased embraced Islam after the death of her husband Abu Talib. She then migrated to Al-Medineh and died there. She used to treat the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- with the utmost degree of motherly affection.
Ibn Sa’d said: “Fatimeh Bint Ased was a righteous women, and the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- used to visit her and would take a nap in her house
Fatimeh Bint Ased’s Love for the Prophet and Giving Preference to Him:
عن عبد الله بن محمد بن عمر بن علي بن أبي طالب، عن أبيه: ( أنَّ النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كفن فاطمة بنت أسد في قميصه، وقال: لم نلق بعد أبي طالب أبر بي منها). أخرجه ابن أبي عاصم.
Narrated Abdul-Allah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Omar Ibn Ali Ibn Abi Talib, narrated his father said: “The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- shrouded Fatimeh Bint Ased after her death in his own shirt, and said: ‘No one had been more kind to me than she except Abu Talib[2].’ ” Related by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim.
—
وعن ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما، قال: ( لما ماتت فاطمة أم علي بن أبي طالب، خلع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قميصه وألبسها إياه، واضطجع في قبرها، فلما سوي عليها التراب، قال بعضهم: يا رسول الله رأيناك صنعت شيئاً لم تصنعه بأحد؟ فقال: ”ألبستها قميصي لتلبس من ثياب الجنة، واضطجعت معها في قبرها أخفف عنها من ضغطة القبر، إنها كانت من أحسن خلق الله إلي صنيعاً بعد أبي طالب”. رواه الطبراني.
Narrated Ibn Abbas -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “When Fatimeh Bint Ased passed away, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- took off his shirt, shrouded her with it, and then lied down in her grave. When she was buried, some of the Companions asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah, you did something we have never seen you doing with anyone else before?’ He replied: ‘I have clothed her in my shirt, so that she would be clothed from the clothes of Paradise; and I have lied down in her grave so that the squeeze of the grave would be lessened for her. Indeed, no one had been more kind to me than she except Abu Talib (his uncle).’ ” Related by At-Teberani. [3]
Fatimeh Bint Ased’s Love for the Family of the Prophet and Offering them her Help:
عن أبي البختري، عن علي، قال: ( قلت لأمي فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم: اكفي فاطمة بنت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سقاية الماء والذهاب في الحاجة، وتكفيك خدمة الداخل الطحن والعجن). رواه الطبراني.
Narrated Abu Al-Bukhturi, narrated Ali Ibn Abi Talib said: “I said to my mother Fatimeh Bint Ased Ibn Hashim: Suffice Fatimeh, daughter of the Prophet, the necessities of bringing water and going out, and she will suffice you the necessities of household chores like grinding and making the dough.” Related by At-Teberani. [4]
The Prophet honoring Fatimeh Bint Ased by Calling her, “My Mother”, and His Repayment:
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: ( لما ماتت فاطمة بنت أسد بن هاشم أم علي رضي الله عنهما، دخل عليها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فجلس عند رأسها فقال: ”رحمك الله يا أمي، كنت أمي بعد أمي، تجوعين وتشبعيني، وتعرين وتكسيني، وتمنعين نفسك طيباً وتطعميني، تريدين بذلك وجه الله والدار الآخرة”. ثم أمر أن تغسل ثلاثاً فلما بلغ الماء الذي فيه الكافور سكبه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده، ثم خلع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قميصه فألبسها إياه، وكفنها ببرد فوقه، ثم دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أسامة بن زيد وأبا أيوب الأنصاري وعمر بن الخطاب وغلاماً أسود يحفرون، فحفروا قبرها، فلما بلغوا اللحد حفره رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بيده وأخرج ترابه بيده، فلما فرغ دخل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاضطجع فيه فقال: ”الله الذي يحيي ويميت، وهو حي لا يموت، اغفر لأمي فاطمة بنت أسد، ولقنها حجتها، ووسِّع عليها مدخلها بحق نبيك والأنبياء الذين من قبلي فإنك أرحم الراحمين”. وكبر عليها أربعاً، وأدخلوها اللحد هو والعباس وأبو بكر الصديق رضي الله عنهم). رواه الطبراني.
Narrated Anas Ibn Malik -may Allah be pleased with him- said: “When Fatimeh Bint Ased -mother of Ali Ibn Abi Talib- passed away, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- came in and sat by her head and said: ‘My Mother, may Allah have mercy on you! Indeed, you have been a mother to me after (the death) of my mother. Many times you went hungry in order to feed me, denied yourself good clothes to clothe me, and denied yourself delicacies to present them to me, and you did that seeking the pleasure of Allah and the reward in the Hereafter.’
The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- then ordered that she should be washed three times, and poured water with camphor (kafoor) by his own hand. He then took off his outer shirt and dressed her in it, and shrouded her with a cloak over it.
The Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- then called Usamah Ibn Zaid, Abu Ayoob Al-Ansari, Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, and a black slave to dig her grave. When they reached the sepulcher (lehd), the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- dug it with his own hands and removed the sand with his own hands. When he was done, the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- went in and lied inside, and said: ‘Allah is the One who gives life and takes it away, while He is Ever-Living and never does death come to Him. O Allah, forgive my mother, Fatimeh Bint Ased, keep her firm during the questioning, make spacious her grave, by the blessing and right of Your Prophet and the Prophets before me, for verily You are the Most Merciful.’
The Prophet -prayer, and peace be upon him- then performed the funeral prayer upon her, making four takbir. He then placed her inside the grave with the help of Al-Abbas and Abu-Bakr As-Siddeeq -may Allah be pleased with them.” Related by At-Tabarani. [5]
Righteous Nurturing and Righteous Progeny:
Fatimeh Bint Ased is the mother of Jafarr Al-Tayyar and Ali Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them. Some of their merits include:
قال الذهبي في سير أعلام النبلاء: ( جعفر بن أبي طالب، السيد الشهيد، الكبير الشأن، علم المجاهدين أبو عبد الله، ابن عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، عبد مناف بن عبد المطلب بن هاشم بن عبد مناف بن قصي الهاشمي، أخو علي بن أبي طالب، وهو أسن من علي بعشر سنين .
هاجر الهجرتين، وهاجر من الحبشة إلى المدينة، فوافى المسلمين وهم على خيبر إثر أخذها، فأقام بالمدينة أشهرا، ثم أمَّره رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم على جيش غزوة مُؤْتَة بناحية الكرك، فاستشهد. وقد سر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كثيرا بقدومه، وحزن – والله- لوفاته.
وعن أبي هريرة مرفوعا: “رأيت جعفرا له جناحان في الجنة”.
وعن الشعبي، قال: ( لما رجع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من خيبر تلقاه جعفر، فالتزمه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقبَّل بين عينيه، وقال: “ما أدري بأيهما أنا أفرح: بقدوم جعفر، أم بفتح خيبر”). انتهى باختصار.
Al-Dzahabi related in his book Siyer A’lam An-Nubela’ (Biographies of the Masters of the Nobles): “Ja’far Ibn Abi Talib, Abu Abdul-Allah, Ibn ‘Abdi Munaf, Ibn Abdil-Muttelib, Ibn Hashim, Ibn ‘Abdi Munaf, Ibn Quseyy, from the tribe of Qureish, the sect of Bani Hashim. Je’fer Ibn Abi Talib is a noble martyr, an esteemed personality, the banner of the fighters, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him, and the elder brother of Ali Ibn Abi Talib by ten years.
Je’fer Ibn Abi Talib migrated twice, first to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and from there to Al-Medineh. He reached Al-Medineh soon after the conquest of Kheiber. He stayed in Al-Medineh for a couple of months, then the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- appointed him as (second) commander of the army of the Battle of Mu’teh to Al-Kerk (now Jordan), where he was martyred. The Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- was delighted when Je’fer returned, and felt great sadness over his loss.
Narrated Abu Huraireh that the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- said: “I saw Je’fer with two wings in Paradise [he lost both arms in battle]”.
Al-She’bi said: ‘When the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- returned from Kheiber, Je’fer received him (having just come back from Abyssinia). So the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- embraced him, kissed between his eyes and said: `I do not know which of the two makes me feel happier: Je’fer’s return or the conquest of Khaibar.` ’”
ومما ورد في مناقب علي بن أبي طالب، ما رواه ابن جرير، عن سعد بن أبي وقاص رضي الله عنه، قال: ـ
( سمعتُ رسول الله صَلّى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّم يقولُ لعلي ثلاث خصال لأن يكون لي واحدة منها أحب إلي من الدنيا وما فيها، سمعتُهُ يقول: « أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي»، وسمعتُهُ يقول: « لَأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ غَداً رَجُلًا يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ويحبه اللهُ ورسولُهُ ليس بفرار»، وسمعتُه يقول: « مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَعَلِيٌّ مَوْلاهُ»). رواه ابن ماجه. ـ
Some of the virtues of Ali Ibn Abi Talib are related by Ibn Jarir: Narrated Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas -may Allay be pleased with him- said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah -prayer and peace be upon him- mention three merits for Ali Ibn Talib, having one of them is more liked to me than the whole world. I heard the Prophet -prayer and peace be upon him- say (to Ali): ‘You are to me like Prophet Haroon (Aaron) was to Prophet Moses, but there will be no prophet after me.’ I also heard him say: ‘I will give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and is loved by Allah and His Messenger. He never runs away from the battlefield.’ And I heard him say: ‘If I am a person’s close companion (mawla), then Ali is also that person’s close companion.’” Related by Ibn Majeh.
Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه attained the honor of becoming a muhajir when she migrated to Madinah. However, what made her happier was the fact that she became the mother-in-law of the Prophet's beloved daughter, Saydatuna Fatimah Az Zahraرضي الله عنه, whom he described as "a part of me". Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه regarded it a great honor. Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه did her best so as not to distress Saydatuna Fatimah Az Zahraرضي الله عنه,. They shared the tasks at home. They did their tasks in the best way and helped each other. They set an example of how a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law should treat each other. They are getting on very well rejoiced both the Messenger of Allah and Sayyidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib رضي الله عنه..
The Prophet showed her gratitude and duty of loyalty to Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assadرضي الله عنه, whenever it was possible. He frequently visited her, asked about her health and helped her. He did more than what a son would to his mother. He addressed her "mum" and mentioned her by saying "mum".
Four years passed after the Prophet migrated to Madinah. The Prophet, whose face always smiled, was sad one day. He expressed the reason for his sadness as follows:
“My mum passed away today.”
This blessed woman was Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه, who took care of the Prophet in her house, who was among the first ones who believed in him, and who left her hometown when migration to Madinah started because she could not put up with being away from him.
The Prophet took off his shirt and wanted it to be used as her shroud. He himself led her janazah prayer. Then, her dead body was placed in the grave. The grave was big. The Prophet also entered the grave. He lay there for a while. Then, he came out. Tears were coming from his eyes. The tears fell onto the grave. This attitude of the Prophet represented his closeness to her. It was also a compliment to her. For, the grave that the Prophet's body touched would be a garden of Paradise.
The Companions asked the Prophet about his attitude toward her: “O Messenger of Allah! We have not seen you taking care of anybody else like this?”
The Prophet answered them as follows:
“She was my mother. She fed me before her own children. She combed my hair and put rose oil on me first though her own children were dirty and dusty.
She was my mother. I have not met anybody who took care of me more than her after my uncle Abu Talib. I put my own garment on her so that she will be clothed in garments of Paradise. I lay down in her grave for a while so that life in the grave will be easy for her."
After the soil was thrown on the dead body of Saydatuna Fatimah Ibn Assad رضي الله عنه, the Messenger of Allah prayed as follows for his beloved mother:
"O Mum! May Allah show mercy on you and reward you with goodness. You treated me like a mother after my own mother. You fed me while you yourself went hungry. You gave me new clothes though you yourself did not have new clothes. You gave me the best food without eating it yourself. You did this for the sake of Allah and the hereafter.
Allah gives both life and death. O Allah! Forgive my mother, Fatima bint Assad and widen her grave! O Allah! The Most Merciful of all who have mercy! Accept my prayer for my sake and for the sake of Your previous prophets!”
After a while, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) smiled and gave the people who were there the following glad tiding:
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[1] Usdu'l-Ghaba, 5: 517; Mustadrak, 3: 108; Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 4137; Tabaqat, 8: 222.
Author:
[1] Weak narration.
[2] Abu Talib was the Prophet’s uncle, and Fatimeh Bint Ased was Abu Talib’s wife, and mother of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Abu Talib took care of the Prophet after Amineh Bint Wehb or mother of the Prophet died, and Fatimeh Bint Ased treated him like her own son. Abu Talib also used to protect the Prophet from the harm of the tribe of Qureish.
[3] Al-Heithemi said: “This hadith was related by At-Teberani in Al-Awset, and one of the narrators is Se’dan Ibn Al-Weleed who is unknown, but the rest of the narrators are authentic.”
[4] Al-Heithemi said: “This hadith was related by authentic narrators.”
[5] Weak narration.
