Fatimah was the daughter of the martyr Muhammad Ibn Makki al-'Amili al­ Jazini,1 and the mother of Umm 'Ali, the wife of a martyr. Her nickname was Umm al-Hasan, and her epithet was Sitt al-Mashayikh.

Her Merits

Fatimah was a respected, scholarly, learned, pious woman, a jurisprudent, and interested in science. She exchanged her inheritance from her father with her brothers, Muhammad and 'Ali, for a number of his books. She has written about this exchange, and some witnesses have signed it including her uncles. Her eloquence, knowledge of literature, and interest in the sciences, along with her affiliation to scientific books are clear from this document.2

Her father used to praise her and encourage other women to refer and follow her in the Islamic Laws.

Shaykh al-Hurr al-'Amili3 has written about Fatimah, the daughter of the first martyr (al-shahid al-awwal), as follows, "She was a scholarly, learned, pious, devout, woman, and a jurisprudent. I heard praise of her from the learned men. She related traditions from her father and his teacher (Ibn Ma'iyyah). Her father extolled her, and advised women to ask questions about the rules for

menstruation, prayer, etc. from her."4

Al-Shahid al-Thani (the second martyr) has written for the father of Shaykh al­Baha'i (al-Husayn Ibn 'Abd al-Samad) in his al-Ijazah al-Kabirah as follows, "I have seen Ibn Ma'iyyah's written permission for the martyr Muhammad Ibn Makki and his sons Muhammad and 'Ali and their sister Umm al-Hasan Fatimah, nicknamed Sitt al Mashayikh."5

• 1. Muhammad Ibn Makki Ibn Hamid Ibn Ahmad al-Dimashqi al-Nabati al-'Amili al­Jazini was nicknamed Shams al-Din, called Abu 'Abdullah, and renowned as al-Shahid al-Awal (The First Martyr). He was one of the great Shi'ah religious leaders who was martyred in the year 786 A.H.L. His best-known book was al-Lam'ah al-Dimashqiyyah.
• 2. A'yan al-Shi'ah, vol. 8, p. 388.
• 3. Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan Ibn 'Ali Ibn Muhammad Ibn al-Husayn, al-Hurr al-'Amili al-Mishqari (1033-1104) was a leader, dignitary, scholar, religious jurisprudent researcher, and scrupulous. He was the author of many books including, Amal al-Amil, Fihrist Wasa'il al-Shi'ah, and many others.
• 4. Amal al-Amil, vol. 1, pp. 183 and 193.
• 5. Mu'jam Rijal al-Hadith, vol. 23, p. 196.