Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the youngest daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and his wife Khadijah. She grew up in the years when her father was calling Mecca to Islam, and she shared their hardships.
She was the wife of Ali ibn Abi Talib and the mother of al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Muslims everywhere love and honour her. This guide is about her faith, and what her journey can teach us today.
At a glance
- The youngest daughter of the Prophet (ﷺ) and Khadijah, born in Mecca.
- As a girl she stood up for her father when he was mocked at the Kaaba.
- The Prophet (ﷺ) said that she was a part of him.
- She and Ali lived simply, and he taught them words of remembrance for bedtime.
- The mother of al-Hasan and al-Husayn, the Prophet's (ﷺ) beloved grandsons.
- He told her she would be a leader of the women of Paradise.
- c. 605
Born in Mecca, the youngest daughter of Muhammad (ﷺ) and Khadijah. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- c. 610
The revelation begins. She grows up in a home of the first believers. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Mecca
She clears the filth that mockers threw on her father's back as he prayed at the Kaaba. Sahih al-Bukhari 240
- c. 619
Her mother, Khadijah, dies. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- After 622
In Medina she marries Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet's (ﷺ) cousin. Encyclopaedia Britannica
- c. 624–626
Her sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn are born. Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
- 632
In his last illness, her father tells her a secret that makes her weep, then laugh. Sahih al-Bukhari 3623
- 632
She dies in Medina, about six months after her father. Sahih al-Bukhari 4240Encyclopaedia Britannica
Dates are in the Common Era. Early dates are approximate.
A daughter in hard years
Fatimah was born in Mecca around the year 605. She was the youngest of the four daughters of Muhammad (ﷺ) and Khadijah. When she was about five, the revelation began, and her home became a home of the first believers. Encyclopaedia BritannicaEncyclopaedia Britannica
The leaders of Mecca mocked her father and hurt him. One day, as he prayed at the Kaaba, a group of them sat watching. One of them laid the dirty insides of a slaughtered camel on his back while he was bowed down in prostration. They laughed. The Prophet (ﷺ) stayed as he was, and no one dared to help him, until young Fatimah came and threw it off him. Sahih al-Bukhari 240
She lost her mother, Khadijah, while she was still young. Through all those years she stayed close to her father. Encyclopaedia Britannica
A part of the Prophet (ﷺ)
Fatimah was very like her father. Aisha said she had never seen anyone more like the Prophet (ﷺ) in the way she spoke. Even her walk was like his. Sunan Abi Dawud 5217Sahih al-Bukhari 3623
Whenever she came to see him, he stood up to welcome her, took her hand, kissed her, and sat her in his own place. When he came to her, she did the same for him. Sunan Abi Dawud 5217
The Prophet (ﷺ) said that Fatimah was a part of him, and that whoever angered her angered him. Sahih al-Bukhari 3714
A simple home full of remembrance
In Medina, Fatimah married Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet's (ﷺ) cousin. Their home was poor. She ground the grain herself with a stone hand mill until her hands were sore, and she went to ask her father for a servant. Encyclopaedia BritannicaSahih al-Bukhari 3705
That night he came to them and offered them something better than a servant. At bedtime they should say Subhan Allah (glory be to Allah (﷾)) thirty-three times, Alhamdulillah (all praise is for Allah (﷾)) thirty-three times, and Allahu akbar (Allah (﷾) is the greatest) thirty-four times. Muslims all over the world still say these words at the end of the day. Sahih al-Bukhari 3705
O ye who believe! Celebrate the praises of Allah, and do this often;
The mother of two beloved grandsons
Allah (﷾) blessed Fatimah and Ali with children, among them al-Hasan and al-Husayn. The Prophet (ﷺ) loved the two boys dearly. He called them his two sweet-smelling flowers in this world. Sahih al-Bukhari 3753
He also said that al-Hasan and al-Husayn are the leaders of the young men of Paradise. Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3768Al-Hasan ibn AliAl-Husayn ibn Ali
The secret, and the good news
In 632 the Prophet (ﷺ) fell ill. Fatimah came to him, and he welcomed her warmly and sat her beside him. He whispered something to her, and she wept. Then he whispered again, and she laughed. Aisha was there. She said she had never seen joy so close to sorrow. Sahih al-Bukhari 3623
Fatimah kept her father's secret while he lived. Afterwards she told it. He had said that his death was near, and that she would be the first of his family to follow him. That was why she wept. Then he asked whether she would not be pleased to be the leader of the women of Paradise. That was why she laughed. Sahih al-Bukhari 3623
As he lay ill, she grieved to see his pain. He told her that after that day her father would have no more distress. When he died, she mourned him with words of faith: he had answered the call of his Lord, and his home was the highest garden of Paradise. Sahih al-Bukhari 4462
Fatimah died in Medina about six months after her father, while still young. His words had come true: she was the first of his family to follow him. Sahih al-Bukhari 4240Encyclopaedia Britannica
What we can learn
Fatimah stood by the truth from girlhood, lived simply, and met sorrow with faith.
- Stand by the truth, even when you are young. A girl helped her father when grown men only laughed.
- Honour your parents. Father and daughter rose to welcome each other with love.
- Remembrance is better than a servant. A few words of praise at bedtime gave strength for hard work.
- A simple life can be a rich one. The home of the Prophet's (ﷺ) daughter was poor, yet full of faith.
- Meet grief with faith. She wept, and still her words were words of trust in Allah (﷾).