Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Fatima Tuz Zahra

THE QUEEN OF PARADISE

Sultan-ul-Faqr 1^st Fatima tuz Zahra was the beloved daughter of Holy Prophet Mohammad. She holds the status of Sultan-ul-Faqr 1^st because her sacred soul manifested directly from Mohammadan light. Despite being a woman she traveled the most difficult stages of Faqr with great courage and firmness. Thus, her devotion and extreme Divine love elevated her to ultimate level of Oneness with Allah. As a result, the Holy Prophet made her first custodian of heritage of Faqr. That is why, true seekers gain Faqr i.e. Divine union, vision and presence in Mohammadan Assembly through her mediation. Also, she attained the status of supreme lady of all Muslim women. It is promise of Holy Prophet that Allah always grants the prayer asked through her mediation. Such is the status of belovedness of Fatima bint Mohammad in the court of Allah.

PROPHET’S LOVE FOR SULTAN UL FAQR 1^ST FATIMA TUZ ZAHRA

Prophet Mohammad said اَلۡفَقۡرُ فَخۡرِیۡ وَالۡفَقۡرُ مِنِّی  meaning “Faqr is my pride and Faqr is from me”.

The person who acquires Faqr from him unites with the Mohammadan light. Thus, becomes one with the holy essence of Prophet Mohammad. When Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Hazrat Bibi Fatima tuz Zahra acquired Faqr from the Holy Prophet, he said about her “Fatima is from me”.

Miswar ibn Makhrama relates that Prophet Mohammad said, “Certainly, Fatima is a part of my body (and soul). Whatever hurts her, hurts me in fact”. (Muslim, Nisai)

Miswar ibn Makhrama relates that Prophet Mohammad said, “No doubt Fatima is my branch. Whatever makes her happy makes me happy and whatever hurts her in fact hurts me”. ( Musnad Ahmed, Hakim)

Ayesha bint Abu Bakr said, “I have not seen anyone resembling Holy Prophet more than Fatima in habits and attributes”.

She loved and obeyed the Holy Prophet to such an extent that she became his perfect image. The Prophet also loved Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Bibi Fatima tuz Zahra more than anyone else. Whenever she came to meet him, he would stand up to greet her and let her sit at his place. Whenever the Holy Prophet went out of Madina, first he used to meet Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Hazrat Fatima tuz Zahra and then set on journey. Similarly, when he returned he wanted to see her first and then went to his own house. Certainly, this shows her highest status near Allah and His Prophet.

GRANDEUR OF SULTAN UL FAQR 1^ST FATIMA TUZ ZAHRA BINT MOHAMMAD IN SUFI BOOKS

 Tawarikh Aina-e-Tasawwuf

 It is a book on history of mysticism, it mentions her grandeur as:

Sultan ul Faqr 1^st asked the Holy Prophet, “Will Allah raise me alone on the doomsday?” He replied, “O beloved daughter! You will be the pioneer of spiritual education of women of my umma. On the doomsday, Allah will raise with you all the women who will join your spiritual chain. Allah has honoured you with this status since eternity. Also, you will become the custodian of heritage of Faqr. Then you will have to transfer it to Hasan ibn Ali”.

One month after this, Prophet Mohammad transferred treasure of Faqr to Sultan ul Faqr 1^st by Allah’s grace in Safar, 11th Hijri. He covered Fatima’s head with green shawl after touching it with his own holy self. The king of Yemen had gifted that shawl to the Holy Prophet. Then he said, “Bless you Fatima, today Allah has made you the custodian of Faqr.”

Later, he said to her, “O Fatima! If anyone belonging to your spiritual chain will recite Darood-e-Ahmadi with your permission, he (or she) will have the privilege of seeing me”. Afterwards, Fatima bint Mohammad passed on the Trust of Faqr to her son Hasan following the order of Holy Prophet.

Maktubat Imam Rabbani

This book is a collection of letters of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (Mujadid Alif Sani). All the sections of Muslims unanimously accept him as the true Islamic scholar. He also considers Fatima tuz Zahra bint Mohammad the mediation and channel of reaching the Divine Oneness and union. He writes in his letters:

Attaining to the Divine Oneness and union with Allah is possible through two ways. One is of Prophethood. Only the Prophets can find Divine Oneness and union through this way directly without any mediation. Hence, it ended on the last Prophet Mohammad. The other way is sainthood. Followers of this way find the Divine Oneness and union through greater Jihad against innerself, mediation and source. This group comprises of al-Qutb, Abdal, Autad and Saints. The source and mediation to travel this way is Ali ibn Abi Talib. This way particularly belongs to him. Prophet Mohammad heads him in this way. Fatima bint Mohammad and his sons Hasan and Husayn unite in singularity with Ali in this status.

The status of the singularity of Ali, Fatima tuz Zahra, Hasan and Husayn in Faqr in the words of Sultan Bahoo

Sultan Bahoo mentions the status of the singularity of Ali, Fatima tuz Zahra, Hasan and Husayn in Faqr in this way;

Ali ibn Abi Talib got Faqr from the Holy Prophet. (Ain-ul-Faqr)

Four Companions of the Holy Prophet possessed four particular attributes. Abu Bakr Siddiq got perfection in truth and veracity. Umar ibn Khattab got perfection in the justice and accountability of innerself (nafs). While, Usman ibn Affan got excellence in modesty and generosity. Whereas, Ali ibn Abi Talib got excellence in knowledge and Faqr. (Asraar-e-Qadri)

Fatima bint Mohammad was born of and nourished with Faqr. She holds Faqr and only through her mediation one can reach Faqr. (Jamay-ul Asraar)

Hasan and Husayn hold extreme perfection and excellence in اَلۡفَقۡرُ فَخۡرِیۡ meaning: “Faqr is my pride”. (Mehak-ul-Faqr Kalan)

The above statements prove that these four esteemed personalities hold similar and equal status in Faqr. Since they all have spiritual union with Allah and His beloved Prophet, hence they unite in Oneness.

 

BIOGRAPHY OF SULTAN UL FAQR 1ST

FATIMA TUZ ZAHRA BINT MOHAMMAD

 

WILADAT BIBI FATIMA ZAHRA

Fatima, the youngest daughter of Prophet Mohammad and Khadija tul Kubra, was born 5 years before the annunciation of Mohammad’s apostleship. Hazrat Bibi Fatima date of birth is not known accurately. It was the time when Holy Prophet used to spend most of his time in solitude in cave of Hira.  Over there, he meditated upon his Creator. Sultan ul Faqr 1^st bint Mohammad was naturally very intelligent. She also liked solitude and never indulged in worldly affairs. Since childhood, she had no attraction for playing with other children, fancy clothes, or other pleasures of the material world. She was engrossed in Divine love from a very small age.

Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Bibi Fatima tuz Zahra used to ask her holy parents, “Can we see our Allah who has created us and all the worlds”. The Holy Prophet, keeping in view her love and curiosity about Allah, used to tell her about Him. Thus, she started having spiritual education and gnosis of Allah directly from the fountainhead of knowledge and righteousness, Prophet Mohammad. Allah had blessed her with extreme intelligence. Hence, she remembered and understood completely whatever she heard from her holy father.

MARRIED LIFE

IMAM ALI AND BIBI FATIMA MARRIAGE

In 2nd Hijri Sultan ul Faqr 1^st bibi Fatima tuz Zahra bint Mohammad was married to Ali ibn Abi Talib. She was a mirror image of the Holy Prophet. Her piety, endurance and contentment are matchless.  Ali ibn Abi Talib was not sound financially but Sayyida Fatima never complained or demanded anything from him. She was daughter of the Prophet who is master of both worlds. Moreover, she held the status of queen of all Muslim women. Despite that, she did all the household chores herself. She got blisters on her hands while grinding millstone. Her clothes got dirty while cleaning the house. However, she happily resigned to the will of Allah. Even in the worst situations of life, she remained pleased with Allah. Hence, Allah was also completely pleased with her.

DEVOTIONS

Life of Bibi Fatima was hard and busy but it could never become a hurdle in her devotions. After completing household jobs she spent all her time in prayers, recitation of Holy Quran and invocation of Allah’s name.  Her beloved son Hasan said about her, “I saw my sacred mother praying day and night. She wept for Allah completely absorbed in His love but never asked anything for herself”.  Ali ibn Abi Talib once said, “I saw Fatima that she was cooking food but invoking Allah’s name as well. She kept reciting the verses of Holy Quran while grinding millstone.”

Iqbal says about Fatima tuz Zahra:

نوری  و ہم  آتشی  فرمانبرش

گم رضائش در رضائے شوہرش

آں ادب پروردہٴ صبر و رضا

آسیا گردان و لب قرآں سرا

اشک او برچید  جبرائیلؑ از زمین

ہمچو شبنم ریخت بر عرش بریں

Explanation:  Fatima held such great status and grandeur that angles and jinn obeyed her. However, she was so humble that she had submitted her will to her husband’s will. She was the daughter of Prophet Mohammad and Khadija who were the embodiment of endurance and submissiveness. Hence, she also inherited these attributes from them. She ground the millstone and recited the Holy Quran at the same time.  Angel Gabriel picked her tears from earth and spread them like pearls of dew drops in the heaven.

AS A MOTHER

Although Sultan ul Faqr 1^st was completely engrossed in love of Allah and Holy Prophet yet she never neglected her role as mother. She fulfilled all her duties perfectly and in the best possible way. It was due to her upbringing that Bibi Fatima’s children Hasan and Husayn reached the highest status of Faqr. She had induced in them the Divine love and indifference to the worldly pleasures since childhood. In short, she fulfilled all her responsibilities regarding religion as well as worldly affairs perfectly keeping balance between them. Certainly, it is not possible for any other man or woman to do so.

GENEROSITY

Usually she had no money or other material objects that she could give as charity. Yet she was so generous that she never returned any beggar empty handed. Once she sold her shawl to help a newly convert Muslim.

ROLE MODEL FOR MUSLIM WOMEN

Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Hazrat Fatima tuz Zahra bint Mohammad is the best role model for Muslim women. Following her footsteps all Muslim women can travel on the path of Faqr. Hence, reach Allah while keeping their worldly life in balance too.

Once the Holy Prophet asked her, “Beloved daughter! What are the characteristics of a Muslim woman?” She replied, “Respected father, she should always obey Allah and His Prophet, and be kind to her children. Furthermore, she must hide her beauty, neither she should see strangers nor a stranger should see her.”

LAQAB OF BIBI FATIMA

Her title is Batool which means ‘The chaste lady who has broken all her worldly connections just for Allah’.

BIBI FATIMA DEATH

The death of the Holy Prophet aggrieved Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Bibi Fatima tuz Zahra so much that she prayed, “Allah! Let the soul of Fatima join the soul of Mohammad. Let me have the privilege of seeing him so that my heart finds peace. O, Allah! Please forgive me on the doomsday through his intercession. Do not let me among the deprived ones”. All books of Hadiths and biographies of Holy Prophet state that after his death no one ever saw Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Hazrat Fatima tuz Zahra smiling.

ROZA BIBI FATIMA:

Only after six months of Holy Prophet’s death, the glory of Mystics, Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Bibi Fatima tuz Zahra left this material world at the age of 29 years. Thus, she met her father in paradise on the 3rd Ramadan, 11th Hijri. Before death she called Asma bint-e-Amees and said, “For my last ablution do not take help from anyone except my husband. Take complete care of my veil during funeral and burial and do not let much crowd gather around”.  It was night when she died and was buried on the same night. Her tomb is in Jannat-ul-Baqi.

Once, the Prophet stated splendour of Sultan ul Faqr 1^st Hazrat Fatima tuz Zahra as, “On the doomsday, Allah will raise my daughter Fatima with unmatched grandeur. She will be wearing a gown of honour washed with the water of eternal life. Entire creation will be amazed to see her grace. Then the houris will dress her in the clothes of paradise embellished with thousands of heavenly garments. Each garment will have commandment written on it, “Take beloved daughter of Mohammad to heaven with tremendous dignity and splendour.”

This article has been written under the supervision of Sultan ul Ashiqeen Sultan Mohammad Najib ur Rehman. He is the 31^st Shaikh of Sarwari Qadri Order and the spiritual leader of the present era. Come and acquire the gnosis of Allah by pledging oath of allegiance to him.

Please click to request for Online Oath (Bayat) facility…