The Prophet Ibrahim (‘a) continued his long journey across Babylonia, Syria and Arabia. He folded up long periods of time, while crossing plains, hills, valleys, rivers and deserts to arrive eventually in the promised land of Makkah Al-Mukarramah. To this place, he brought with the pioneers of faith and life: his wife Hajar and his eldest son Ishmael (‘a).
Literally, Hajj refers to the intention of visiting a place. The Holy Qur'an transfers the meaning of Hajj from its lexical general meaning to a traditionally specific meaning to denote the annual pilgrimage to the Holy Ka'ba in Mecca, one of the religious duties of Islam.
The great annual gathering called Hajj, is a collection of rites and ceremonies, offered by Muslims, who are bound to carry out religious duties, in a specific place and during a specific time set by Islam, similar to the way the Prophet did.
All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. May peace and blessings be upon His servant and beloved Prophet Muhammad (S) our guide and intercessor with Allah the Exalted; and upon his purified household, his faithful companions, and those who follow his path until the Day of Judgement.
The importance of commemorating the death of Fatimah al-Zahra can never be understated. It is one of the foundational events in the history of Islam through which we can better under the past, present and future.
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Many people have had to pray the price for their faith - prophets, messengers and saints and the next one would be Fatimah al-Zahra - the only daughter of Prophet Muhammad - paying the ultimate price for the preservation of Islam, Propethood (Nubuwwah) and Divinely-Appointed Mastership (Wilayah).
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After the death of her beloved father, the pains and agonies which Fatimah al-Zahra had experienced only continued to grow. Although she was in the privacy of her own home, even there she was not free from the verbal insults from some of the people in Medina.
The verbal, mental and physical attacks against the family of the Prophet continued - the next target which the opponents had their eyes on was none other than the beloved daughter of the Prophet - Fatimah al-Zahra.
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The Qur’an clearly articulates that when Prophet Muhammad was asked by his community as to what they should pay him for his services of bringing them out of the depths of the pits of hell to the gardens of bliss, that he should ask them for only one thing.
Fatimah al-Zahra was a spiritually and intellectually strong woman who stood up in defiance to the intrigues of the time, endorsing the status of her husband and standing up for his rights.
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It was the 28th of the month of Safar in the 11th year after the migration to Medina. The Prophet of Islam, the man who gave all that he could to guide not only his community, but the entire world, passed away.
When it comes to exemplifying the best character traits of a daughter, wife, mother and teacher, Fatimah al-Zahra is the archetype for all Muslim women to follow.
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The life of Fatimah al-Zahra gives us an insight into her character and personality, and by studying the multi-faceted role she played in Medina, women and men alike are given a glimpse into how they should mold their lives.
The next major milestone in the life of Lady Zahra is her marriage to Ali ibn Abi Talib - the establishment of the link between two Divinely sanctioned positions.
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The migration to Medina opened a new chapter for the Muslim community.
Gone were the days of oppression by the insolent polytheists of the Quraysh. Behind them was the persecution they faced for 13 years in which their growth was stifled.
After thirteen years of life in Mecca, the early Muslim community, including Fatimah al-Zahra, move to Medina to start a new phase of life.
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Thirteen long years has passed since Prophet Muhammad had begun to receive the revelation from God which formed the final teachings for humanity – the Noble Qur’an.
Doing all that he could to propagate the final message of God, the Prophet was constantly faced with verbal and physical attacks in his birthplace of Mecca.
