Marriage of Lady Fatimah Zahra (S.A)

SHAFAQNA | by Iffat Zahra: Marriage is the most beautiful journey of life; especially having a partner that has the same goal as you which is to reach Allah (SWT). This article will focus on the marriage of Lady Fatimah Zahra (S.A) with Imam Ali (A.S) which is known as the most beautiful marriage in which everyone can learn a lesson from.

Almighty God said in the Holy Quran:

وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا

And (have We not) created you in pairs [1]

For every human being Almighty God has paired them up with someone. Marriage of Imam Ali (A.S) and Lady Fatima (S.A) is an ultimate marriage in which lesson can be learnt from until today. Most Shia school of thought believe the age of Lady Fatimah (S.A) was around 9 or 10 or even 11 when she got married [2]. According to some sources, Imam Ali (A.S) was 21 years old at that time [3].

Before Imam Ali (A.S), people like Abu Bakr and Umar came for the hand of Lady Fatimah (S.A). Both had heard an answer from the Prophet (PBUH), and that was that he was waiting for divine revelation about Zahra’s marriage [4]. When Imam Ali (A.S) came for the hand of Lady Fatimah (S.A), the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to Lady Fatimah (S.A), the seeker is the one who knows his kinship, virtue, and Islam, and I have asked God to bring you to marry the best of his creatures and the most beloved of them, and Ali has proposed to you, “What do you think?”

Lady Fatimah (S.A) remained silent and did not turn her face and the Prophet (PBUH) of God did not see any disgust on her face. So, he stood up, saying: “Allah (SWT) is the Greatest! Her silence is a sign of her satisfaction.” So, Gabriel (AS) came to him and said: “O Muhammad! Marry her to Ali ibn Abi Talib (A.S), whom God has pleased with each other [5].

It has been narrated from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that he said to Ali (A.S): “Ali, if it were not for you, Fatimah would not have been satisfied on earth.”  Allameh Hassan Zadeh Amoli has said in the description of this narration: “Marriage is sufficient – that a man and a woman should be sufficient – and there is no way for an innocent man over a woman who has infallibility” [6].

If we look at the marriage of Imam Ali (A.S) and Lady Fatimah (S.A) we can learn how to be the best spouse to our partner. Together we can help each other reach Almighty God like Imam Ali (A.S) and Lady Fatimah (S.A). In the next article we will look at the life of Lady Fatima (S.A) with Imam Ali (A.S).

[1] Quran, 78:8

[2] انصاری، اسماعیل،الموسوعة الکبرى عن فاطمة الزهراء،ج‌4،ص21، دلیل ما، قم، 1428ق

[3] ابن عبد البر، الاستیعاب فى معرفة الأصحاب ، ج 4، ص 1893، بیروت، دار الجیل، ط الأولى، 1412/1992

[4] ابن سعد، طبقات، ج ۸، ص ۱۱

[5] الأمالي للطوسي : ص ۳۹ ح ۴۴ ، بشارة المصطفى : ص ۲۶۱

[6] بحارالانوار43/107