Ch 4 — Women from Muslim History / The Example Set by Hazrat Fatimah
Women In Islam — Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
Badges mark quoted or attributed material (Qur'an, hadith, another author, an opposing view). Unbadged passages are Maulana Wahiduddin Khan's own words.
Hazrat Fatimah was the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. She was born to Hazrat Khadijah in 605 CE, before the Hijrah. She passed away in 632 CE in Madinah, six months after the demise of the Prophet Muhammad. She was married to Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib when she was 18 years old. According to authentic narrations, Hazrat Fatimah had four children: Hasan, Husain, Zainab, and Umm Kulthum. Hazrat Fatimah has narrated Eighteen Hadith traditions. p. 122
Hazrat Fatimah’s life was a life of hardship and struggle. She once asked the Prophet Muhammad for a servant, to which he replied, “Shall I not tell you of something better for you than a servant?” Then he taught her the famous ‘Tasbih’: SubhanAllah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, Allahu Akbar 34 times. This became known as “Tasbih Fatimah.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6318) Hazrat Fatimah not only spent her entire life following this advice of the Prophet of Islam herself, but as she shared this advice with others, it also became a regular practice for women and men in the Muslim community. In this way, Hazrat Fatimah set an important example for the Muslim community. p. 122original + quote
The example set by Hazrat Fatimah is that the value of spiritual gifts is much more than material ones and that we should accept what is given to us with contentment and gratitude rather than insisting on our desires. p. 122
This incident teaches women (and men) that prayer, not material gifts, is the greatest treasure in this world. Hazrat Fatimah’s example establishes that one should live a life of prayer in all circumstances rather than living in demands and complaints. p. 122