SHAFAQNA- The Birth of Fatimah (SA)
The largest Arab tribe was the Quraysh. The Kabah was in their hands which naturally gave them tribal nobility. They were divided into two families: the Bani Umayyid and the Bani Hashimi. The Bani Umayyid were the wealthiest but the Bani Hashimi were the most honorable for they were in charge of looking after the Kabah.
Abdul-Muttalib from the Hashimi clan had died. His son, Abu Talib, was the new leader of the Bani Hashimi, did not have the power that his father had. He had gone bankrupt in trading. He was living in poverty and had distributed his children (to be cared for) among his family.
A very strong rivalry had broken out between the two tribes. The Umayyids were trying to gain control of all of the property and honors of the Quraysh. They wanted to, at the same time, break the spiritual hold of the Hashimis. Among the Hashimi tribe, the family of Muhammad (PBUH) had received new credit. The grandson of Abdul-Muttalib had just married Khadija, a wealthy, well-respected widow of Makkah. This gave him a stronger social position.
The honorable standing and personality which Muhammad (PBUH) showed, the trust and credibility which he had among people and, in particular, among all the Hashimis and the leaders of the Quraysh, made everyone see that he reflected the honor of Abd Manaf and was the protector of the nobility of the Hashimis. People sensed he would be the reactivator of the honor and nobility which Abd al-Muttalib had possessed. Hamza was a youth, an athlete.
Abu Lahab was a man with-out credit. Abbas was wealthy but without character. Abu Talib honorable but without money. It was only Muhammad (PBUH), who along with his wife, had character. He had youth as well. He and his wife had a respectable amount of wealth and were part of the family tree of the Bani Hashimi. Great developments were expected from this family. Their shadow fell over Makkah. Everyone was waiting for the sons to be born to this family, sons to bring strength, credit and nobility to the family of Abdul Muttalib.
The first child born was a girl, Zaynab. But the family was anticipating a son. The second child was a daughter, Ruqiya. The anticipation grew stronger and the need also increased. The third child was a girl, Umm Kulthum. Two boys, Qasim and Abd Allah were born. They held great promise. But they did not blossom. They died in infancy. Now there were three children in this house, and all three were girls.
The mother had aged. She was over fifty years old. The father, although he loved his three daughters, shared his tribe’s feelings and their anticipation. Could Khadija, who was almost at the end of her life, bring forth another child? Hope had become very dim. Yes! Happiness and hope once again filled the house. The excitement reached a peak. This was the last chance for the family of Abdul-Muttalib, the last hope. But once again, a daughter. They name her Fatimah.
The happiness and hope of the Hashimi tribe fell to the Umayyads. Enemies whispered, “Muhammad is cut-off. The man who was the last link in his family chain, had four daughters. Nothing more.”
How sad. What a beautiful and strange game fate was playing. Life passed on. Muhammad (PBUH) drowned in the storm of his mandate and his appointment as the Prophet of God. He conquered Makkah and freed all the Quraysh prisoners. All of the tribes were under his leadership and his shadow was thrown over the whole of the Arabian peninsula. His sword crushed the Emperors of the world. His song rang through the heavens and the earth. In one hand, strength, and in the other, prophecy: the full honors.
And now, Muhammad (PBUH) was the Prophet. In the city, filled with waves of happiness, he had power and greatness the like of which a human being could never conceive. A tree, which did not grow from Abd Manaf nor Hashimi nor Abdul-Muttalib, grow, rather, from a light under the mountain of ‘Hira’. It extended from one end of the desert to the other, from horizon to horizon. Till the end of time, it encompassed (and will continue to encompass) all of the future. And this man had four daughters.
But no, three of them died before he did. And now, he had only one child, a daughter, the youngest, Fatimah (SA).
Source: Shariati.com
Part of a Series: Fatemeh is Fatemeh by Dr Ali Shariati