CHAPTER 1
A Baby Girl is Born
Many years ago, in the land of Arabia, whenever a baby girl was born, the news was met with disappointment and disdain.
“It’s a baby girl,” muttered the nurse, with her face bent low towards the ground, trying not to face the expectant dad.
“Oh no!”, cried the father out loud in exasperation. “This is a catastrophe! Everyone will mock me and make fun of me!” “It’s all YOUR fault!’
Bellowed the man, pointing an accusatory finger at his exhausted wife and refusing to look at the wailing baby.
The Arabs would wish and pray for a son. A son to carry their name forward. A son who they could show off to the other tribes as their pride and glory.
And if it was a girl, then the angered fathers would not hesitate an instant to get rid of her.
They would do the unthinkable! They would not give the baby girls milk to drink and let them starve to death! Or they would bury their daughters alive!
Yes, you heard that right. They turned into heartless beasts if they became fathers to a girl.
Yet, somewhere else, not too far away, in the same land, in a small and humble dwelling, an unusual sight could be seen. Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her) had just had her fourth baby girl.
She gazed adoringly at her and saw the striking resemblance with the baby’s father, Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
The news reached Muhammad (Peace be upon him). His beloved wife had just given birth to a lovely baby girl!
Lo and behold! He rushed home, anxious to take his bundle of joy in his arms.
Muhammmad’s (Peace be upon him) face lit up with a smile as bright as the shiniest star. He (Peace be upon him) just couldn’t get enough of his daughter’s radiant beauty.
“Oh Khadija, she is a pleasant soul, she is a blessed soul,” and gazing into her shining face, he named her Fatima, (May Allah be pleased with her).
CHAPTER 2
The Unexpected Event
Fatima, (May Allah be pleased with her) heard the knock on the door. It’s father, she thought to herself in excited anticipation.
Running to the door, she beamed at the sight of her father. Grabbing his hand she welcomed him with a smile, looking forward to spending a time full of love, care and fun with him.
Fatima’s father was not only her best friend but she also looked like her father.
Fatima, (May Allah be pleased with her) was therefore, no ordinary child. How could she be? She was growing up in the shadow of Muhammad, (Peace be upon him), and Khadija, (May Allah be pleased with her)
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was held in highly respected by the Arabs, he was called As Sadiq and Al Ameen – The truthful and The Trustworthy. They were surely not ordinary people.
And then, they were met with a most extraordinary event.
Angel Jibraeel came down with Allah’s message to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) when he was spending time alone in the Cave of Hira.
Allah had chosen him to be the last and final Prophet for the whole mankind!
“Cover me, cover me. I fear that something has happened to me,” said Muhammad, (Peace be upon him) trembling in fear, when he reached back home after the encounter with Angel Jibraeel.
Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her) rushed to cover her beloved husband with a blanket.
Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) scrambled around with her mother, eager to help and comfort her distressed parents. Their obvious discomfort was a disturbing sight for her.
“Never. Allah will never let anything bad happen to you, you keep good relations with family, you help the poor and needy and bear hardships in the path of truth,” whispered Khadija, (May Allah be pleased with her) trying to calm down her husband.
The scene was somber. Fatima’s beloved father was visibly shaken by some event. She was watching in concerned bewilderment.
What is happening? What is troubling my father? She thought to herself. What can I do to help? Little did she know, this was just the beginning…
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stood tall and confident on the top of Mount Safa, as he made this announcement at the command of Allah Almighty.
“O people of Quraish, save yourselves from the fire of hell, O Banu Hashim, save yourselves from the fire of hell, O Banu Abdul Muttalib, save yourselves from the fire of hell, For I am not the master of your gain and loss. O Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, ask for whatever you want from my wealth, but save yourself from Hell. I have no power to protect you from Allah.”
Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) heard her name being called out. Her heart responded to the special call being made to her. She would do everything in her power to save herself from the fire of hell, she vowed submissively.
A hush spread over the crowd that had gathered to hear what As Sadiq had to say.
“Well, that was unexpected,” A man in the crowd thought to himself, looking around to see the expressions on his fellow tribesmen’s faces. “What is wrong with Mohammad? May you be cursed! Is this what you have brought us here for?”
Spluttered Abu Lahab, with smoke coming from his ears, eyes bulging like a triggered bull.
Even though Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) was in awe of her father’s courage and declaration of truth, the rest of the crowd wasn’t.
They hurled taunts and cursed him and it broke little Fatima’s heart to see what his father had to go through.
CHAPTER 3
Um-e-Abiha - Mother of Her Father
“Look at Muhammad (Peace be upon him) praying to his one and only God.”
“He has some nerve to be out here.”
The ignorant idol worshippers uttered, their words laced with scorn and arrogance.
“The Kaaba is ours!” “He should go home!”
“Imagine he accused our gods Laat, Uzzah and Manaat to be made of stones.”
“Imagine he said they are lifeless!”
They said, shaking their heads in disbelief.
They were sitting as a gang, eyeing Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), as he prostrated in front of his Lord, near the Kaaba. Abu Jahl was there too, his blood boiling, his fellow idol worshippers’ taunts adding fuel to the fire of his hatred.
“Is there anyone who will bring the guts of a camel and place it on Muhammad’s back while he prostrates? He dared them.
“I will do it!” Exclaimed Utbah. Utbah was Mohammad’s cousin but despised Mohammad (peace be upon him).
Yes! He thought to himself. This is my chance to prove to the men how brave and courageous I am. The others only speak, I am a man of actions!
In a pace spirited by the evils of the world, he rushed to grab hold of the filth and dumped it on Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) blessed back.
The Kaaba and its holy surroundings resonated with raucous laughter of the damned men.
Ibn Masud was watching from nearby, but he felt as if he had gone into a shock watching such a disgusting act.
The next instant he saw someone come rushing towards the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was not any of the broad muscled Arab men.
It was Fatima! (May Allah be pleased with her) Blinded by tears of fury and grief, Fatima scraped off the dirt, not stopping for a minute, until the filth was removed.
Back home, Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) washed and cleaned Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) clothes, but couldn’t stop herself from crying.
This was her father, her dearest, most precious father. How dare they! The audacity!
Muhammad (peace be upon him) comforted his daughter, energized by her protective warmth and love. “Little daughter, weep not. Allah will protect your father.”
Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) was lost in troubled thoughts.
It had not been long since Muhammad (peace be upon him) had been preaching the word of Allah to the Meccan society.
She had more than once witnessed her father return home with dust on his clothes, only to help her mother brush it off.
When they would try to leave the house, there would be garbage and thorns scattered at their door.
She had thought her heart would break when Abu Lahab had dared to throw stones at him(peace be upon him) .
But this. This was unimaginable. She loved her father more than anyone and she knew even he loved her the most. She felt her father’s pain as if it was directly inflicted on her.
And when she thought nothing could be worse than how it was, rumors of plots to kill Muhammad (peace be upon him) started to circulate in the sandy environs of Makkah.
“O father, the people are plotting against you,” she wept, overcome by a flood of emotions.
“Do not worry my little daughter. By Allah, Allah protects your father.”
CHAPTER 4
The Test of Faith
A group of Arab idol worshippers had gathered at Abu Talib’s house.
Abu Talib was Mohammad’s (peace be upon him) uncle who loved him and protected him from the cruelties of the other family and tribe members.
Head of Pagans
“Abu Talib! We hold you in utmost respect. But enough is enough!”
“Your nephew says our gods are powerless, he says they cannot do anything for anyone! What is this mumbo jumbo?”
Idol Worshipper
“And people are actually believing him!”
“Even Hamzah and Umar bin Al Khattab, have fallen prey to the magic of his mesmerising words.”
“You better hand over your nephew or we will kill him!”, yelled the head of pagans.
The idol worshippers complained and threatened him. However, Abu Talib refused to succumb to such threats, in fact, he collected his tribesmen and asked them to pledge to protect Muhammad (peace be upon him).
“Protect him?” “Ha! I am his enemy, not his guard!” thundered Abu Lahab, damning himself further than he already was.
The evil minded conspirators got together and came up with a devilish plan. They decided to pressure the people by carrying out a total social boycott of the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib tribes.
The idol worshippers worked up a pact and hung it over the Kaaba.
“No marriages, No business transactions,
No congregation, No peace deals, No greetings and salutations!” The men of the Quraish tribe chanted in arrogance and hatred induced voices. The deal was clear cut and ruthless.
Unless, Muhammad, peace be upon him, stopped spreading the message of Allah, or Abu Talib handed him over to the idol worshippers.
The Muslims were left with no choice but to take refuge in the narrow valley of Sheeb Abi Talib, where the days were as hot as a scorching iron rod and nights were as cold as a frosty blizzard.
“So is it true that Baghid bin Amir’s hand has been paralyzed?” Asked a woman, her voice feebled by her empty stomach.
“It’s true. He put this dreadful pact in writing, Allah has punished him!” Said another, struggling to keep her voice from coming out as a croak. When was the last time I had clean water to drink? she thought to herself in grief.
Fatima, (May Allah be pleased with her) heard the women talk but it could do nothing to ease her suffering. She felt an agonising pang of hunger for the upteenth time. It was as if someone was twisting the insides of her stomach till she could take it no more.
She heard someone cry, another one groan. Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) let her tired eyes go over the surroundings.
She saw her beloved father, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and her precious mother, Khadija, (May Allah be pleased with her).
She saw her sisters, her family, her clan. But they were not together for some celebration. They had one thing in common. They were all being punished for one deed.
Muhammad, (Peace be upon him) needed the support of his family more than ever. And her mother, Khadija, (May Allah be pleased with her). She was so sick. Fatima would stay up all night to take care of her sick mother.
How could Fatima worry her father? How could she think about her own self? How could she forget the enormity of the mission Allah had entrusted her father with?
“Three years have passed and this cruelty is no where close to ending”, he reflected “These are our brothers, they are dying of hunger while we are sitting and watching?” Hisham was overcome by guilt.
He decided he would take action and talk to his fellow tribesmen. He begged the Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) cousin, Zuhayr bin abd abi Umayyah to open his eyes and have mercy on innocent people, stuck in the valley for years.
He convinced him to speak to other men of power and influence. “O people of Makkah, shall we eat and drink while Banu Hashim die of hunger?” He implored, encouraging feelings of brotherhood and empathy.
“By God I will not rest until the cruel and unjust pact is torn to pieces!” Exclaimed Zuhayr, unable to control his emotions and realising how wrong they had been.
“What is this!? Your behaviour is extremely suspicious. I will not have it!” “If any one dares to touch the document, I shall break that hand!” Thundered Abu Jahal. Yet, his threats were futile and empty.
Allah had a plan of His own. The written document of the treacherous boycott was found eaten by termites, while only Allah’s name remained intact, untouched.
It was time for Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to be rewarded for his sacrifices. It was time for Khadija (May Allah be pleased with her) to be rewarded for her loyalty and patience. It was time for Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) followers to be rewarded for their patience and trust in Allah.
It was time for Fatima (May Allah be pleased with her) to emerge victorious from the valley of Sheeb Abi Talib in the ultimate test of her faith and loyalty to her father (peace be upon him).
End of Part 1
Written By:
Mahrukh Nida Ahsan
References:
The Sealed Nectar - Safiur Rahman Al Mubarakpuri
When the Moon Split - Safiur Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri
Our Liege Lady Fatima The Resplendent - Al Habib Muhammad Ibn Abd ar Rahman as Saqlain al Husayni
100 Stories of Hazrat Fatima - Maulana Muhammad Uvais Sarwar
