Al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a) was very ascetic, and by asceticism (zuhd) here, we mean ‘renunciation of a thing, abandoning it and having no inclination towards it.’ As a person’s desire for the Hereafter increases, his asceticism also increases and as the Hereafter becomes greater in his eyes, the world becomes more insignificant to him. Similarly, when a person’s intellect, knowledge, and faith in Allah increases, his [feelings of] contempt and disdain for the pleasures of this world increase.

Do you see how small children play and enjoy themselves, or cry and quarrel with one another for toys of no value, but when they become intellectually mature, they distance themselves from the very same toys and consider it demeaning to act in a childish manner, taking it to be beneath their dignity and something that would disparage their character. All this is because of their development and their transformation from immature children to mature and intelligent adults.

In the same way, the close friends of Allah (awliya’) look at the provisions of this world with disdain and their hearts are never inclined towards this world and what it contains. They do not love this world for the sake of this world. Rather, they love this world for the sake of the Hereafter. They only desire to remain in this world So, that they can worship Allah, and their only reason for wanting wealth is So, that they can give charity in the way of Allah to fill the stomachs of the hungry, clothe the bodies of the unclothed and to assist the needy and destitute.

After understanding this, it is easy to comprehend the basis of asceticism in the eyes of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a), as she knew the reality of this transient life and that of the true life of the Hereafter. It is therefore not surprising that she was content with very little of the worldly provisions and chose for herself the excellent qualities of generosity and selflessness. Worldly wealth was considered insignificant by her, and she hated opulence and extravagance.

She was, after all, the daughter of the most ascetic of ascetics, and her life was always surrounded by asceticism. She was the first person to follow in the footsteps of her father, the great ascetic Prophet (S). Even her married life was filled with contentment and austerity, for her husband, Imam Ali (‘a), was the first person to follow the Prophet in his asceticism and no other individual is noted in the history of Islam to have been more ascetic than Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a).1

He was the one who addressed gold and silver with the words: “O yellow one and O white one, deceive someone else [as I will not fall for your deception]!” At one time Ali (‘a) instructed that a thousand coins be given to one of the [needy] Bedouins. The representative asked, “[a thousand coins] of gold or silver?” Ali replied, “In my eyes they are both like [valueless] rocks, So, give him that which will benefit him more.” We have given more details about this matter in our book: Ali - from the Cradle to the Grave, and only mention it here in passing, to show the asceticism of Ali (‘a) as we discuss the asceticism of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra.

We have already cited some of the traditions that show her asceticism and generosity in the way of Allah, which led to the revelation of Surah Hal Ata as well as other similar examples. Let us now look at the traditions that further demonstrate the same trait [of asceticism]:

In the book Bisharat al-Mustafa, [it is narrated] from Imam al-Sadiq, narrating from his father (‘a) who narrated from Jabir Ibn Abdillah al-Ansari [who said]: “The Prophet (S) led us in the ‘Asr prayer, and when he finished, he remained seated as the people surrounded him. At that moment, a frail old man from among the desert Arabs, wearing tattered clothes, slowly approached. The Prophet (S) stood up to welcome him and asked about his health. The old man replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah, I am hungry So, feed me, I am unclothed So, clothe me, I am poor So, be generous with me.’

The Prophet replied, ‘I do not have anything to give to you, but the one who points towards goodness is like its doer [so I shall point you towards the one who will assist you]. Go to the house of the one who loves Allah and His Prophet, and who is loved by Allah and His Prophet. Go to the house of Fatimah.’

Fatimah’s house was adjacent to the house of the Prophet (S). The Prophet (S) told Bilal, ‘O Bilal, take him to the house of Fatimah.’ So, the Bedouin went with Bilal and when they came to the door of Fatimah, he shouted in his loudest voice, ‘Peace be with you, O household of prophethood, the frequenting place of angels and the place where Jibra’il, the trusted spirit, descends with revelation from the Lord of the Worlds!’ Fatimah responded, ‘And upon you be peace. Who are you?’ He said, ‘An old man from the Bedouins. I had approached your father, the Master of Humanity, seeking relief from my hardship as I am, O daughter of Muhammad, unclothed and hungry, So, please assist me, may Allah have mercy upon you.’

This was at a time when Fatimah, Ali, and the Prophet (S) had not eaten for three days, and the Prophet (S) was aware about their condition. Fatimah took the sheep-hide that al-Hasan and al-Husayn used to sleep on and gave it to him saying, ‘Take this. May Allah grant you something better than this as well.’ The Bedouin said, ‘O daughter of Muhammad, I complained to you of hunger, and you gave me a sheep-hide? What will I do with it and how will it alleviate my hunger?’ When she heard this, Fatimah removed the necklace she was wearing, that had been gifted to her by the daughter of Hamzah Ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and gave it to the Bedouin saying, ‘Take this and sell it, may Allah exchange it with something better for you.’

The Bedouin took the necklace and went to the Masjid of the Prophet (S). The Messenger of Allah was sitting with his companions, So, he said to him, ‘O Prophet of Allah, your daughter Fatimah has given me this necklace saying, “Sell it; may Allah grant you respite.’” The Prophet (S) wept and then said, ‘How can Allah not grant you respite when Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, the Mistress of all daughters of Adam, has given this to you!’

At that moment, ‘Ammar Ibn Yasir (may Allah have mercy upon him) stood up and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you permit me to buy this necklace?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Buy it O ‘Ammar, for if all the earthly and heavenly creatures were to be your partners in purchasing it, Allah would never chastise them with fire.’ ‘Ammar asked the Bedouin, ‘How much will you sell the necklace for?’ He said, ‘For a satiating meal of bread and meat, a Yemeni cloak with which I can clothe myself and in which I can pray to my Lord, and enough money to enable me to reach my family.’

Since ‘Ammar had sold his share of the booty of Khaybar that the Prophet (S) had given to him, he said [to the Bedouin], ‘I will give you twenty gold coins, a hundred silver coins, a Yemeni cloak and my horse which you can use to take you back to your family, along with a satiating meal of bread and meat.’ The man said, ‘How generous you are with your wealth!’ ‘Ammar went with him and gave him all that he had promised.

The Bedouin returned to the Prophet (S) and the Messenger of Allah said to him, ‘Are you sated and clothed?’ He replied, ‘Yes, and I am now wealthy, may my parents be your ransom.’ ‘Then repay Fatimah for what she has done [by praying for her],’ he (S) said. The Bedouin said, ‘O Allah, You are the Lord whom we did not bring into being, and there is no Lord whom we worship other than You. You are the one who sustains us from all directions. O Allah, give Fatimah that which no eye has seen, and no ear has heard…’

‘Ammar took the necklace, perfumed it with musk and covered it with a Yemeni cloak. He had a slave called Sahm whom he had bought with his share of the booty of Khaybar. He gave the necklace to the slave saying, ‘Take this necklace and give it to the Prophet of Allah (S) and yourself along with it.’ The slave took the necklace and came to the Messenger of Allah (S), giving him ‘Ammar’s message.

The Prophet said, ‘Go to Fatimah and give her the necklace and yourself along with it.’ The slave went to her with the necklace and told her what the Prophet (S) had said, So, Fatimah took the necklace and freed the slave. The slave began to laugh, So, she asked him, ‘What has made you laugh?’ He replied, ‘I am laughing out of amazement at the greatness of this necklace. It fed a hungry man, clothed an unclothed man, enriched a poor man, freed a slave and returned to its owner!’”2

It is narrated in al-Bihar from the Tafsir of Furat Ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, who said: “One day Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) was hungry So, he said, ‘O Fatimah, do you have any food [in the house]?’ She replied, ‘No, by the One who has honoured my father with prophethood and honoured you with vicegerency, we have no food. In fact, we have had nothing to eat for the past two days, and that which I gave you to eat was from my share and the share of our two sons al-Hasan and al-Husayn.’ Ali said, ‘O Fatimah, why did you not inform me about this [earlier] So, that I could have something about it?’ She said, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, I feel ashamed in front of my Lord to put a burden on you that is difficult for you to bear.’

Ali Ibn Abi Talib went out of the house trusting that Allah would provide. He took a loan of one dinar in order to buy some provisions for his family. On his way, he met Miqdad Ibn al-Aswad. It was a very hot day and Miqdad was suffering from the heat, So, when Ali Ibn Abi Talib (‘a) saw his state, he asked, ‘O Miqdad, what has caused you to come out at such an hour?’ He replied, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, leave me as I am and do not ask about my state!’ Ali (‘a) said, ‘O brother, I would not feel right to leave you without knowing about your state.’ Miqdad replied, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, I beseech you for the sake of Allah, let me be on my way and do not ask me about my state!’

He (‘a) responded, ‘O brother, it does not behove you to hide your state from me.’ Miqdad said, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, if you insist [I will tell you]. By the One who has honoured Muhammad with prophethood and honoured you with vicegerency, nothing has distressed me thus but my struggle [for sustenance], for I have left my family in a state of severe hunger, and when I hear my family crying out of hunger, I cannot bear it. That is why I have left my home at this hour. This is my state and my story!’

Ali’s eyes were filled with tears when he heard this, until [even] his beard became wet. He said to Miqdad, ‘I swear by the One upon whom you swore, nothing has caused me distress but the same thing which has caused you distress. I have taken a loan of one dinar, and I give it to you, preferring you over myself.’

Saying this, he gave the dinar to Miqdad and turned back. He entered the Prophet’s Masjid and prayed the Dhuhr, ‘Asr and Maghrib prayers. After the Prophet had led the Maghrib prayer, he came to Ali Ibn Abi Talib, who was seated in the first row, and tapped him with his leg. Ali stood up and followed the Prophet (S) until they came to one of the doors of the masjid. After exchanging greetings, the Prophet asked him, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, do you have anything to eat for dinner So, that we can come and have a meal with you?’ He lowered his head and remained silent, unable to reply to the Prophet (S) out of shame.

The Prophet (S) knew all about the affair of the dinar - from whom he had taken the loan and whom he had given it to. Allah had revealed to the Prophet (S) that he was to have dinner at the house of Ali Ibn Abi Talib on that night. So, when he saw his silence, he (S) said, ‘O Aba al-Hasan, why do you not say anything? Neither do you reply in the negative and leave nor do you reply in the affirmative and invite me to join you?’

He replied bashfully and respectfully, ‘Please do join us!’ The Prophet (S) took Ali’s hand and they proceeded towards the house of Fatimah. When they entered, she was sitting on her prayer mat having just completed her prayer, and behind her was a pot with smoke rising from it.

When she heard the Prophet’s voice, she stood up and greeted him. He was the dearest person to her heart. He (S) replied to her greeting and patted her head gently with his hand saying, ‘How are you, my daughter?’ She replied, ‘Fine.’ He (S) said, ‘Serve us dinner, May Allah have mercy upon you.’ So, she took the pot and placed it in front of the Prophet (S) and Ali Ibn Abi Talib…

Ali asked, ‘O Fatimah, where did you get this food? I have never seen food of this colour, nor have I smelt such an aroma or tasted such delicious food before?’ The Prophet (S) placed his blessed palm between Ali’s shoulders and tapped him saying, ‘O Ali, this is the recompense for your dinar and the reward that has come from Allah for your dinar. Indeed, Allah provides for whomever He wishes without any reckoning.’

After this, the Prophet (S) began to cry, with tears flowing on his cheeks. He (S) said, ‘Praise be to Allah, who has not let you leave this world before He has rewarded you. He has made you, O Ali, follow the path of Zakariyya and has made you, O Fatimah, follow the way of Maryam, daughter of ‘Imran. Whenever Zakariyya visited her in the prayer niche (mihrab), he would find that she had food.’”3

Fatimah Al-Zahra And Worship

Worship has two meanings, a general meaning, and a specific meaning. The general meaning of worship is every act that brings a person closer to Allah, the Glorified, including good intentions, kind words, righteous deeds, praiseworthy traits etc. The specific meaning of worship is prayer, fasting, going for pilgrimage, giving charity and all the prescribed actions that we know of.

The true meaning of worship, in its complete sense, was manifested in the life of al-Sayyida al-Tahirah Fatimah (‘a). Her entire life was [spent in] worship, from the beginning right up to the very end. From her carrying water to the houses of the poor and the destitute, to her feeding [the hungry] and exhibiting selflessness, teaching [other women] the rules of Islam, bearing the responsibility of housework, leading an abstemious and simple life, being a good wife and defending the rights of her husband, and [bearing patiently] all the hardships and pain that she underwent after the death of her father, the Prophet of Allah (S); all of this - and all that you have read So, far and will read after this about her life – all of it was sincere worship that was done to attain the pleasure of Allah, the Glorified, in addition to her prayers, invocations, whispered supplications etc.

Ibn ‘Abbas relates about the verse:

كَانُوا قَلِيلًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ مَا يَهْجَعُونَ

“They used to sleep a little during the night” (51:17).

وَبِالْأَسْحَارِ هُمْ يَسْتَغْفِرُونَ

“And at dawn would plead for forgiveness” (51:18).

That it was revealed about Ali Ibn Abi Talib, Fatimah, al-Hasan and al-Husayn.4 Some of the other narrations related to this include:

1. It is narrated from Imam al-Hasan (‘a) that: “I saw my mother Fatimah (‘a) standing in her mihrab on a Thursday night, and she continued praying, bowing and prostrating, until dawn. I heard her supplicating for the believing men and women, mentioning their names and earnestly praying for them, while not asking the Almighty for anything for herself. So, I said, ‘O mother, why don’t you pray for yourself like you pray for others?’ She replied, ‘My son, [think about] the neighbour first and then yourself.’”5

2. The Holy Prophet (S) said: “My daughter Fatimah is the Mistress of all Women of the Worlds, from first to last, and she is part of me. She is the light of my eyes and the apple of my heart. She is the soul that is inside me. She is a houri in human form. When she stands before her Lord (the Almighty) in her mihrab, her light shines for the angels in the heavens just as the light of the stars shine for the people on earth. Allah, the Almighty, says to His angels: ‘O My angels look at My servant Fatimah, the mistress of all My female servants, standing in front of Me, trembling out of fear of Me. She has come to me with complete sincerity and I make you witnesses to My decree that her followers (shi’ah) will be safe from the fire [of Hell] …’”6

3. In the book ‘Uddat al-Da’i of Ibn Fahd al-Hilli, it is narrated that Fatimah used to [continuously] exert herself in prayer out of the fear of Allah.

4. Al-Hasan al-Basri narrates: “No one in this ummah used to worship [Allah] more than Fatimah. She used to stand [in worship] until her feet would get swollen.”7

5. It has been narrated from Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (‘a): “Whoever prays four rak’ahs and recites Surah al-Ikhlas fifty times in each rak’ah, then know that this was the prayer of Fatimah, and it is the Prayer of the Penitents.”8

6. It is also narrated from him (‘a) that: “My [grand]mother Fatimah used to recite a two rak’ah prayer that was taught to her by Jibra’il (‘a) and after completing the salam, she would recite the tasbih9 and then say:

سبحان ذي العزّ الشامخ المنيف، سبحان ذي الجلال الباذخ العظيم، سبحان ذي المـُلك الفاخر القديم، سبحان مَن لبس البهجة والجمال، سبحان مَن تردّى بالنور والوقار، سبحان مَن يرى أثَر النمل على الصَفّا، سبحان مَن يرى وقع الطير في الهواء، سبحان مَن هو هكذا، لا هكذا غيره.

Glory be to the Possessor of sublime and lofty might. Glory be to the Possessor of great and exalted magnificence. Glory be to the Possessor of the exquisite pre-eternal kingdom. Glory be to the One who is covered in splendour and beauty. Glory be to the One who dons the cloak of light and reverence. Glory be to the One who sees the footsteps of an ant on the rock. Glory be to the One who sees the displacement of air as a bird fly in the sky. Glory be to the One who is thus and no one else is thus save Him.10

7. It is narrated that the Prophet (S) [once] told Amir al-Mu’minin and his daughter Fatimah (‘a), “I want to share something special with both of you that Allah, the Almighty, taught me and informed me about, So, preserve it [and act upon it].” They said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah, what is it?” He replied, “Pray two rak’ahs and in each rak’ah, recite Fatihat al-Kitab followed by Ayat al-Kursi thrice, Surah al-Ikhlas thrice, and the last verses of Surah al-Hashr (from verse no. 21) thrice. Then sit, recite the tashahhud [and salam], praise Allah the Almighty, send salutations and blessings on the Prophet and then pray for the believing men and women. After this, recite the following supplication:

اللّهمّ إنّي اسألك بحقّ كلّ اسم هو لك يحقّ عليك فيه إجابة الدعاء إذا دُعيت به، وأسألك بحقّ كلّ ذي حقٍّ عليك، وأسألك بحقّك على جميع ما هو دونك أن تفعل بي... كذا وكذا.

O Allah, I ask You by all of Your [beautiful] names through which You respond to supplications when You are called by them, and I beseech You by all those who have a right upon You, and I beg You by the right You have over all those who are under You, please grant me…. (such-and-such).11

8. From Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (‘a): “When something terrifying happens perform two rak’ahs the way al-Zahra (‘a) used to pray. Recite al-Hamd followed by al-Ikhlas fifty times in both rak’ahs. After you have finished the salam, send salutations upon the Prophet (S) and then raise your hands and say:

للهمّ أتوجّه إليك بهم، وأتوسّل إليك بحقّهم (بحقّك - خ ل) العظيم الّذي لا يعلم كنهه سواك، وبحقّ مَن حقّه عندك عظيم، وبأسمائك الحسنى وكلماتك التّامّات الَّتي أمرتني أن أدعوك بها، وأسألك باسمك العظيم الّذي أمرت إبراهيم عليه‌السلام أن يدعو به الطّير فأجابته، وباسمك العظيم الّذي قلت للنّار: (كُونِي بَرْداً وَسَلاماً عَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ) فكانت، وبأحبِّ أسمائك إليك وأشرفها عندك، وأعظمها لديك، وأسرعها إجابةً، وأنجحها طلبةً.

O Allah, I turn to You through them, and I ask You by their great right, the gravity of which is not known to anyone other than You; and by the right of the one whose right is great in Your sight. And by Your beautiful names and perfect words, which You have commanded me to call you by. I ask you by Your great name – the name You commanded Ibrahim (‘a) to call the birds with and they responded [coming back to life]. And by Your great name by which you commanded the fire: ‘Be cool and safe for Ibrahim,’ and it turned so. And by the most beloved of Your names to You and the most honoured of them in Your sight and the greatest of them; the name through which the quickest answer can be attained and through which most supplications are answered, and of which You are most worthy and deserving.

وبما أنت أهله ومستحقّه ومستوجبه؛ وأتوسل إليك، وأرغب إليك، وأتصدّق منك، وأستغفرك، وأستمنحك، وأتضرّع إليك، وأخضع بين يديك، وأخشع لك، وأقرّ لك بسوء صنيعتي، وأتملّق وألحّ عليك، وأسألك بكتبك التي أنزلتها على أنبيائك ورسلك صلواتك عليهم أجمعين من التّوراة والإنجيل والقرآن العظيم من أوّلها إلى آخرها، فإنّ فيها اسمك الأعظم، وبما فيها من أسمائك العظمى، أتقرّب إليك، وأسألك أن تصلّي على محمّد واله، وأن تفرِّج عن محمّد وآله، وتجعل فرجي مقروناً بفرجهم، وتبدأ بهم فيه، وتفتح أبواب السّماء لدعائي في هذا اليوم، وتأذن في هذا اليوم وهذه اللَّيلة بفرجي وإعطاء سؤلي وأملي في الدّنيا والآخرة، فقد مسّني الفقر ونالني الضّرّ وشملتني الخصاصة، وألجأتني الحاجة، وتوسّمت بالذّلّة، وغلبتني المسكنة، وحقّت علي الكلمة، وأحاطت بي الخطيئة، وهذا الوقت الذي وعدت أولياءك فيه الإجابة.

I beseech You, I seek You, I beg You, I ask Your forgiveness, I request Your favour, I turn entreatingly to You, I humble myself before You, I submit myself to You, I acknowledge my misdeed to You, I curry favour with You and keep pressing [for Your mercy]; and I ask You by the Scriptures that You have revealed to Your Prophets and Messengers, salutations and blessings upon them all, the Torah, the Bible and the Glorious Qur’an - from the beginning to the end. For Indeed, in these books is Your greatest name, and Your [other] beautiful and lofty names. I seek Your proximity and ask You to bless Muhammad and his progeny, and to bring relief to Muhammad and his progeny, and let my relief be linked to their relief, starting with them [and then extending to me]. And [I ask that] You open the doors of the heavens for my supplication on this day, and that You permit, on this day and this night, my relief and the granting of my wishes and hopes, both worldly and otherworldly, for Indeed, poverty has approached me, hardship has come upon me, adversity has covered me, and neediness has compelled me. I have been marked by abjectness and overcome by penury. The judgment has passed against me, and I have been surrounded by sin; and this is the time when You have promised your close friends that You will respond to them.

فصلّ على محمّد وآله، وامسح ما بي بيمينك الشّافية، وانظر إليّ بعينك الرّاحمة، وأدخلني في رحمتك الواسعة، وأقبل إليّ بوجهك الّذي إذا أقبلت به على أسيرٍ فككته، وعلى ضالٍّ هديته، وعلى حائرٍ أذّيته، وعلى فقير أغنيته، وعلى ضعيف قوّيته، وعلى خائف آمنته؛ ولا تخلّني لقاً لعدوّك وعدوّي، يا ذا الجلال والإكرام.

Send Your blessings on Muhammad and his progeny, and touch me with Your healing hand, look at me with Your merciful eye, cover me with Your vast mercy, turn to me with the face that You turn to the prisoner when You free him, and the misguided one when You guide him, the perplexed one when You steer him aright, the poor one when You enrich him, the weak one when You strengthen him, and the fearful one when You make him secure; and do not leave me alone to face Your enemy and my enemy, O Lord of Majesty and Bounty.

يا مَن لا يعلم كيف هو، وحيث هو، وقدرته إلاّ هو، يا مَن سدّ الهواء بالسّماء، وكبس الأرض على الماء، واختار لنفسه أحسن الأسماء، يا مَن سمّى نفسه بالاسم الذي به يقضي حاجة كلّ طالب يدعوه به، أسألك بذلك الاسم، فلا شفيع أقوى لي منه، وبحقّ محمّد وآل محمّد أن تصلّي على محمّد وآل محمّد، وأن تقضي لي حوائجي، وتسمع محمّداً وعليّاً وفاطمة والحسن والحسين وعليّاً ومحمّداً وجعفراً وموسى وعليّاً ومحمّداً وعليّاً والحسن والحجّة - صلوات الله عليهم وبركاته ورحمته - صوتي، فيشفعوا لي إليك، وتشفّعهم فيّ، ولا تردّني خائباً، بحقّ لا إله إلاّ أنت، وبحقّ محمّدٍ وآل محمّد، وافعل بي كذا وكذا يا كريم.

O One about whom none knows how He is, where He is or how powerful He is, except Him. O He who has barricaded the air by means of the sky and has placed the earth on water and has selected for Himself the best of names. O He who has named Himself with the name through which the needs of all seekers who call [Him] by it are fulfilled. I ask You through that name, for there is no intercessor stronger for me than it. And by the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, [I ask] that you bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and that you fulfil my needs, and that you make Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Ali, Muhammad, Ja’far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, al-Hasan and al-Hujjah – peace and blessings of Allah, and His mercy12be upon them all – hear my words, So, that they may intercede with You on my behalf; and [I ask] that you accept their intercession on my behalf and do not turn me away disappointed. By the truth that there is no God but You and by the right of Muhammad and the progeny of Muhammad, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and do for me… (such-and-such)13O Most Generous One.14

9. Al-Sayyid Ibn Tawus al-Hilli narrates from Safwan that Muhammad Ibn Ali al-Halabi came to Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) on a Friday and said, “Will you teach me the best deed that I can perform on a day such as this?” He (‘a) replied, “O Muhammad, I do not know anyone who was held in higher esteem in the Prophet’s eyes than Fatimah, and nobody greater than her father, Muhammad Ibn Abdillah (S), ever taught her. He (S) said: ‘Whoever wakes up on Friday and takes a bath, then lines up his feet and performs four rak’ahs in sets of two, reciting in the first rak’ah al-Hamd and fifty times al-Ikhlas, in the second rak’ah Fatihat al-Kitab and fifty times Wal ‘Adiyat, in the third rak’ah Fatihat al-Kitab and fifty times al-Zilzal, and in the fourth rak’ah Fatihat al-Kitab followed by al-Nasr (which was the last Surah to be revealed) fifty times – and after completing the prayer he supplicates thus [will have his supplication answered and his needs fulfilled]:

إلهي وسيّدي، مَن تهيّأ أو تعبّأ أو أعدّ أو استعدّ لوفادة إلى مخلوق رجاء رفده وفوائده ونائله وفواضله وجوائزه، فإليك يا إلهي كانت تهيئتي وتعبيتي وإعدادي واستعدادي رجاء رفدك ومعروفك ونائلك وجوائزك، فلا تحرمني ذلك، يا مَن لا يخيب عليه مسألة السّائل، ولا تنقصه عطيّة نائل فإنّي لم آتك بعملٍ صالحٍ قدّمته، ولا شفاعة مخلوق رجوته، أتقرّب إليك بشفاعة محمّد وأهل بيته صلواتك عليهم أجمعين، أرجو عظيم عفوك الذي عفوت به على الخاطئين عند عكوفهم على المحارم فلم يمنعك طول عكوفهم على المحارم أن عدت عليهم بالمغفرة، وأنت سيّدي العوّاد بالنّعماء، وأنا العواد بالخطاء، أسألك بمحمّد وآله الطّاهرين أن تغفر لي الذنب العظيم، فإنّه لا يغفر ذنبي العظيم إلاّ العظيم، يا عظيم يا عظيم يا عظيم يا عظيم يا عظيم يا عظيم يا عظيم.

O My Lord and Master, whoever prepares, mobilizes and readies or gets ready to entertain a creature [from Your creation] out of hope of some gain or benefit, or a gift or grant that he may get from him [then he is a loser]. As for me, I turn only to You and prepare and get ready only hoping for Your assistance, Your bounty, Your grant and Your reward, So, do not deprive me of that, O He from whom no seeker returns disappointed and whose treasure does not diminish by granting favours. I have neither come to You through the good deeds that I have done, nor with the hope of any creature’s intercession. I approach you only with the intercession of Muhammad and his household, Your blessings be upon them all. I seek Your great pardon, with which You pardoned those wrongdoers who were engaged in sinning, and the length of their sin did not prevent You from granting them forgiveness. You, my Master, are Indeed, oft-returning with bounties, yet I am oft-returning to my sinful ways. I ask by Muhammad and his pure progeny, that You forgive my grave sin, for Indeed, none forgives grave sins except He who is great. O Great One, O Great One, O Great One, O Great One, O Great One, O Great One, O Great One.15

The traditions about the worship of al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a) are numerous, especially [about] the supplications that she would recite when whispering to her Lord. I do not see the need for mentioning anything more about her worship and her great fondness and love for prayer, as well as her continuous desire to supplicate privately to Allah, the Most High. She was, after all, the daughter of the foremost among worshippers and the one who would stand in worship for So, long that Allah had to reveal the verses:

طه

“Taha” (20:1).

مَا أَنْزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لِتَشْقَىٰ

“We have not revealed the Qur’an [so] that you should be in distress” (20:2).

She is the one who understood the true meaning and value of worship, to the extent of her cognizance of the greatness of Allah, the Most High. So, it is not surprising that al-Sayyida Fatimah used to enjoy worship and took pleasure in standing in front of Allah, the Almighty, as she humbled herself before her Lord. It was as if she never tired of standing, bowing, and prostrating.

The Tasbih Of Fatimah Al-Zahra

It has been narrated from Imam Ali (‘a) that he once said to a man from the Bani Sa’d, “Should I not tell you about myself and Fatimah? She was with me, yet she was the most beloved of his family to him16. She used to carry the heavy water-skin So, much that it left a mark on her chest, and she used to grind the millstone So, much that her hands became blistered. She would sweep and clean the house until her clothes were covered in dust. She would light the fire under the cooking pot until her clothes were covered with soot. All this caused her grave injury, So, I said to her, ‘Why don’t you go to your father and ask him for a servant who could help relieve you from the hardships you are undergoing because of this work.’ So, she went to the Prophet (S) but found him surrounded by people, hence she felt shy and left.”

He (‘a) continued, “The Prophet (S) learnt that Fatimah had come to see him, So, he came to us while we were resting. He said, ‘Peace be with you’17 but we remained silent out of embarrassment because of the situation we were in. He repeated the greeting, but we remained silent. When he repeated it the third time, we were afraid that if we did not reply, he would leave, as this was his practice. He would say salam thrice and if he was permitted to enter, he would do so, otherwise he would leave. So, I said, ‘And with you be peace O Messenger of Allah. Please come in.’ He came in and sat near us. Then he said to Fatimah, ‘O Fatimah, what did you want from me yesterday?’”

Imam Ali (‘a) continued, “I was afraid that if she did not reply he would stand up to leave, So, I turned to him and said, ‘By Allah, I will inform you of it, O Messenger of Allah! She has carried the heavy water-skin until it left a mark on her chest and has ground the hand-mill until her hands have become blistered. She has cleaned the house until her clothes have become dusty and has lit fires under the cooking pot until her clothes blackened. So, I said to her, ‘Why don’t you go to your father and ask him for a servant who would help you with these difficult chores.’

The Prophet (S) replied, ‘Should I not instead teach you something that would be better for both of you than a servant? Before you go to sleep at night, recite Subhana Allah thirty-three times, al-Hamdulillah thirty-three times and Allahu Akbar thirty-four times.’ I turned to the Prophet and said, ‘We are pleased with Allah and His Prophet, we are pleased with Allah and His Prophet, we are pleased with Allah and His Prophet.’”18

It is narrated that Imam Ali (‘a) said, “Some of the foreign kings had sent slaves as gifts, So, I said to Fatimah, ‘Go to the Prophet of Allah (S) and ask him for a servant.’ So, she went and asked him for this… The Prophet (S) said to her, ‘O Fatimah, I will give you something that is better for you than a servant and [better than] this world and all that it contains. After every prayer, recite the takbir thirty-four times, the tahmid thirty-three times and the tasbih thirty-three-times, and then end with the tahlil. This is better for you than what you wanted, and it is better than the world and all it contains.’ Thus she (‘a) would constantly recite this tasbih after every prayer such that it was ascribed to her and called: ‘The tasbih of Fatimah.’”19

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said [to one of his companions], “O Aba Harun, verily we instruct our children to recite the tasbih of Fatimah (‘a) in the same way we instruct them to pray; So, recite it at all times, for Indeed, nobody who has kept reciting it has ever become wretched.”20

It is mentioned in the book Makarim al-Akhlaq that Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet of Allah (S), had a rosary (subhah) made of twisted wool with knots numbering the sum of glorifications (takbirat) that she would recite while turning it with her hand. However, when Hamzah Ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) was martyred, she used the earth from his grave to make a rosary, and other people emulated her. When al-Husayn (‘a) was killed, the matter was transferred to him, So, they used the earth of his grave because of its excellence and merit.21

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said: “The rosary is made of blue thread and thirty-four beads. This was the rosary of our mistress Fatimah (‘a). When Hamzah was killed, she made a rosary out of earth from his grave and would use it to recite the tasbih after every prayer.”

Imam al-Baqir (‘a) said: “Allah is not worshipped with any glorification better than the tasbih of Fatimah. If there was anything better than it, the Prophet would have surely gifted it to Fatimah.”22

It has also been narrated that Imam Abu Abdillah al-Sadiq (‘a) said: “Whoever glorifies Allah with the tasbih of Fatimah has Indeed, remembered Allah with much remembrance.”23

Aside from this, there are various other narrations about the excellence of the tasbih of Fatimah (‘a). In some of these narrations, we are told that first the takbir, then the tahmid and then the tasbih is to be recited, and this is the stronger opinion that is accepted by the majority. Shaykh al-Majlisi has mentioned the views of the jurists and their opinions about the order of the recitation in detail.24

It has become clear to us through these traditions that al-Sayyida Fatimah al-Zahra (‘a), despite her lofty status, great prestige, and honourable lineage, used to do housework and would manage the household affairs herself. At times, Ali (‘a) used to help and assist her, and it is narrated that Imam Ali (‘a) said: “One day, when the Prophet (S) came to visit us, Fatimah was sitting at the stove, and I was busy cleaning the lentils. He (S) said, ‘O Aba al-Hasan!’ I replied, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Listen to me, for I speak only by the command of my Lord: There is no man who helps his wife in her household chores but that he is rewarded, for every hair on his body, the worship of an entire year, fasting in the day and worshipping in the night…’”25

• 1. Cf. Muhammad Ibn al-Husayn al-Sharif al-Radhi (d. 406 A.H.), Nahj al-Balaghah, Letter no. 45.
• 2. Muhammad Ibn Abi al-Qasim al-Tabari (d. 553 A.H.), Bisharat al-Mustafa li Shi’at al-Murtadha, p. 139.
• 3. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, pp. 59-61.
• 4. 4 Shawahid al-Tanzil, vol. 2, p. 268.
• 5. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 82.
• 6. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 172.
• 7. Mahmud Ibn ‘Umar al-Zamakhshari (d. 538 A.H.), Rabi’ al-Abrar wa Nusus al-Akhyar, vol. 2, p. 274.
• 8. Man La Yahdhuruhu al-Faqih, vol. 1, p. 564.
• 9. i.e. the Tasbih of al-Zahra (‘a).
• 10. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 98, p. 185.
• 11. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 89, p. 365.
• 12. And in another version: ‘Your peace, blessings and mercy be upon them…’.
• 13. Here one may ask for their wishes and needs from Allah..
• 14. Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan al-Tawus (d. 460 A.H.), Misbah al-Mutahajjid wa Salah al-Muta’abbid, pp. 302-304.
• 15. Misbah al-Mutahajjid wa Salah al-Muta’abbid, p. 319; Ali Ibn Musa Ibn Tawus (d. 664 A.H.), Jamal al-Usbu’ bi Kamal al-’Amal al-Mashru’, pp. 132-133.
• 16. Meaning: the most beloved of the Prophet’s (S) family to him.
• 17. It is not obligatory to reply the salam if it is said in order to seek permission to enter.
• 18. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 82.
• 19. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 82.
• 20. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 82, p. 328.
• 21. al-Hasan Ibn al-Fadhl al-Tabarsi (d. 548 A.H.), Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 281.
• 22. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 64.
• 23. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 64 and in Tafsir Majma’ al-Bayan under the commentary of 33:41.
• 24. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 85, p. 339.
• 25. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 101, p. 132; Muhammad Ibn Muhammad al-Shu’ayri (d. 6th Century A.H.), Jami’ al-Akhbar, p. 102.