Fatima was born in the fifth year of Muhammad's Prophethood [PBUH]. Her father was the Holy Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] and her mother was Khadija. (Khadija was the first woman to become Muslim, and she truly believed in God and His Prophet. She was loyal and rich, and spent all her wealth for the progress of Islam.)
The Holy Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] loved his daughter, Fatima, very much and used to say about her, "Fatima is part of my body. Whoever troubles her troubles me, and whoever makes her happy makes me happy." At the beginning of her youth, Fatima married Ali.
She was the ideal lady of Islam and excelled all ladies in worship, manners and morals. For her husband, she was the best wife and for her children, she was the best mother.
She did the housework and took great pains and troubles upon herself to maintain and prepare the necessities of life.
She never made undeserving demands on her husband, Ali, nor caused him any hardship. Ali used to say, "By God, I never did anything in all my life which made Fatima unhappy or angry, and Fatima, too, never did anything which made me unhappy or angry."
Fatima had two sons, Hasan and Husayn, and two daughters, Zaynab and Umme Kulthum. The descendants of the Prophet are from the children of Holy Fatima. Our eleven Holy Imams are descendants of the lady Fatima (AS).
Fatima loved her children very much. She cultured them with Islamic morals, manners and etiquette and brought up her children to be the best. Fatima-peace be upon her soul-passed away on the 3rd of the month of Jamadi al-Thani, at the age of 18. Her body was entrusted to the earth in Medina, but the whereabouts of her grave are not known.
The Blessed Necklace
A pale and dusty old man came into the mosque. He was clad in rags. He went to the Prophet and in three short sentences explained his circumstances: "Oh Prophet of God, I am hungry, give me food.
"I am clothless, give me clothes. "I am without means, help me!" The Prophet (AS) told him, "I have nothing in hand. Go to my daughter's house. She will help you.
The house of Fatima was near and one of the Prophet's companions led the old man to it. The old man knocked at the door.
Who is it?" "I'm a hungry person, I'm clothless, I'm without means, be kind and generous to me, God will be kind and generous to you.
Fatima took from her neck the necklace given to her by her cousin and gave it to the old man saying. "Sell this necklace and spend the money. I hope that in the future you will be free of need." The poor man returned happily. The Prophet was still in the mosque. The old man showed the necklace and said, "Oh Prophet, your daughter, Fatima, gave me her necklace to sell."
One of the Prophet's friends, Ammar ibn Yasir, heard what the old man said and asked him what price he wanted. The old man said that he would sell it for enough food to satisfy his hunger, enough cloth to clothe his body, and enough money to get home. Ammar said, "I buy this necklace from you, "for a meal of bread and meat, "clothes of Yemenite cloth, "a four-footer' to take you home, "and, in addition, eight dinars of gold and 200 dirhams of silver."
Ammar then took the old man home and paid him the price of the necklace.
The old man ate the food, put on the clothes and went on his way satisfied and happy. Then Ammar put perfume on the necklace, wrapped it up in a piece of cloth and ordered his slave, "Go to the Prophet of God. I have given you and this necklace to him."
The slave went to the Prophet and delivered Ammar's message.
The Holy Prophet looked at the necklace and said, "And I have given you and the necklace to my daughter."
The slave went to Holy Fatima and told her what the Prophet had said and presented the necklace. Fatima thanked him and said, "And in the path of God, I have freed you. You are not a slave anymore!" That man, the slave, became very happy and with joy and surprise said, "What a blessed necklace!
"It satisfied hunger, "clothed the body. "bestowed means in place of helplessness, "mounted the walker, "freed the slave, "and finally returned to its owner!" The Holy Prophet of Islam and his followers strove hard to combat slavery and were continually freeing slaves, whatever the price.
Thus, in Islam, the freeing of slaves is counted amongst the highest acts of worship, and, in some circumstances, is even considered obligatory.
Source: WORLD COUNCIL OF SHIA CENTERS
