One fine day in Medinah after the success of the battle of badr, an old female servant asked Ali ibn Abu Talib (rali) as to why doesn’t he propose in marriage to the daughter of the Messenger of God (pbuh).
The three sons of the Prophet (pbuh) died young and he had four daughters. Ruqayya, the eldest, had passed away on the same day of the victory of the battle of Badr, and her husband Uthman (rali) had then married her sister Um Kulsoom. Zainab was still at Mecca, and so the only child left within the household of the Prophet (pbuh) was Fatima, fondly called "az- Zahra,” which means “The Resplendent One,” in reference to her radiant face and “al-Batul,” referring to her pure character.
She was her father’s favourite. She was named by her mother, our mother Khadija (rali), after her mother "Fatima" meaning ‘one who is full term and weened’. Fatima Az-Zahra was born after the advent of Prophethood on her father. Thus she never saw the early easy days when her father and mother were well respected by society and lived better comfortable lives. Instead she had grown up to see her father mocked, taunted and even publicly beaten on 8 separate occasions. After the death of her mother, whenever the Messenger of God (pbuh) came home wounded, Fatima cared for him,. She cleaned his wounds and comforted him, at only age 10. Because of the love and compassion she showed her father (pbuh), one of her nicknames was “the mother of her father”. She was actually another mother figure for him (pbuh) .She didn’t live during the years of comfort and ease, instead she was born after her father (pbuh) received revelation and she witnessed all the hardship, oppression, the boycott and people’s rejection of her father (pbuh)
No one resembled the Prophet (pbuh)in everything as much as Fatima did, even in her actions and speech and gait. If he (pbuh) was the living Qur’an in a male, she was the living Qur’an in a female. She exemplified her mother in character and virtue. When she would enter into a room, the Prophet would stand up for her, kiss her on the forehead, then hold her hand and sit her down where he was previously sitting. When the Prophet entered a room, Fatima would rush towards him, kiss him on the forehead, take his hand, and sit him where she was sitting previously. She used to kiss both of his hands. This was in a society which buried their girls and was not accustomed to honoring their daughters. He honored her because she did things for him that no one else did.
Ali (rali) replied that he had nothing to offer if he even proposed. Here was a man who had grown up in poverty and who would live his entire life in poverty. How could he afford to marry the leader of the women in Paradise, one of the woman who had perfected her faith? How could he pay the mahr? Besides that the Messenger of God had rejected the proposals of Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) saying she was too young. Surely he would not then accept Ali’s proposal.
Finally after much hesitation and much encouragement from Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) he went to the Prophet (pbuh) intending to ask him for her hand. But in his (pbuh) presence he couldn’t utter a word, even though he was known for his eloquence and poetry. The Prophet (pbuh) noticing how shy Ali was behaving, asked him, “what has brought you to me, son of my uncle?” Ali stuttered and made no sense. The Prophet smiled and said “maybe you came to ask me for Fatima’s hand in marriage?” He said yes. "What about the mahr?".
The Messenger of God (pbuh) knew Ali (rali) who was 23 at this time - really well. He had picked Ali (rali) with his own hands as an infant and brought him to the blessed household of Khadijah (rali) to bring him up so as to ease the burden on his uncle Abu Talib who was poor and as a favour for Abu Talib for looking after him when he was a child. Miraculously Khadijah (rali) had never breast-fed Ali so he was not the sister of Fatima (rali) nor did the Prophet (pbuh) officially adopt him as a son. When he was about 10, revelation entered their lives and Ali (rali) was one of the first to embrace Islam. Many a time he was seen to be praying with the Prophet (pbuh) and Khadijah (rali) in front of the Kaabah – the only Muslim family at that time. By the time the Muslims had migrated away from persecution and set up their new community in Medinah, Ali had become too old to continue to live in the Prophet’s household. He had grown up with Fatima and was close in age to her. He was paired in brotherhood with Sahl Ibn Hunaif. He lived with all the other young single guys and used to do odd jobs here and there to earn himself some halal living.
He didn’t have a dowry to give her and only owned a sword, a shield and a horse/camel. The Prophet told him to go and sell his shield in the market and come back with the money for the dowry, even though it was not much at that time. He went to the market to sell the shield. Uthman (his future brother in law), offered to buy it for 400 dirhams, trying to help him out because he was very wealthy. After the sale, he returned the shield to Ali and said that is his wedding gift to Ali.
When the Prophet (pbuh) asked the 19 year old Fatima for her approval, she turned red (in modesty) and could not speak. She knew Ali (rali) very well. He took her silence as her approval to marry him. Later she would joke with her father, “you married me to the man with the big stomach”? (Ali (rali) indeed had strong muscular arms but a belly also).The Prophet (pbuh) took the opportunity to praise him, “He was the first of my companions to embrace Islam, the most knowledgeable, and the one with the most patience”
The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to buy perfume for her with 2/3 of the dowry and use the other 1/3 of it to buy furniture. Ali (pbuh) had no idea how to buy perfume, so Bilal helped him. Um Salama helped him buy furniture with the rest. The Prophet (pbuh) gave Abu Bakr (rali) some money and asked him to buy some clothes for Ali and Fatima and Amar ibn Yasser helped Abu Bakr make the preparations for the wedding. Imagine such people helping with your wedding shopping.
Aisha (rali) and Um Salama (rali) prepared the home for the new couple. They took some mud and made it into cushions covered in fabric. They took dates and water, put up some clothes hooks, and other furnishings. The Prophet (pbuh) himself made the bed with his own hands, using palm leaves, wood and animal skin. He left them a pot, a water skin and a couple of stones to grind grain with.
Ali (rali) later said they had this one bed and used it for everything. They used to sleep at night on as a couch during the day, to feed their animals off of, and they never had a servant. It was an extremely simple home.
Fatimah (rali) had a new wedding dress. But one night she found out a young woman from the Ansar couldn’t find anything to wear, so she gave her dress to that young woman. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked why she quoted the Qur’anic verse "Never will you attain righteousness until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love"!
The Messenger of God (pbuh) himself performed the nikkah ceremony and two of his wives, Aisha (rali) and Umm Salama (rali), prepared the wedding feast with dates, figs, sheep and other food donated by various members of the Medinan community. The guest list featured almost all the prominent sahabah among the Ansar and the Muhajirun. The people came in groups and left after they ate food.
The marriage took place on 1 Dhu al-Hijjah AH 2 (May 25, CE 624). There was a 10 month gap between the nikkah (engagement) and the marriage. The rush of the engagement was said as to discourage other potential suitors.
The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to go home and to wait and he (pbuh) will come to them. Um Ayman was with Fatima. Ali and Fatima were both nervous, and the Prophet told them to stay seated. He took the water jug and made wudu, then he poured the water he made wudu with over Ali. He (pbuh) then called over to Fatima, who was shivering in shyness. He (pbuh) comforted herby telling her not to worry, “I have married you to the most beloved person in my family”. He made wudu, poured water over her and made a dua for them, “O Allah bless them in what is between them and what is upon them and bless them in their offspring.” Then he left the new couple alone, to start their life together.
Asma (rali), sister of Aisha (rali) said it was the best wedding she had ever attended, with only barley, dates and date paste. She said it was the happiest day they all had in Medina. In the same year the two Eids were also established as celebratory festivals. Such was the day that began the blessed union of Ali and Fatima, peace be upon them both.
As days passed from Fatima’s (rali) marriage, her absence became hard for the Prophet (s) to bear. He therefore considered moving them to his own house. But one of the Prophet’s (s) companions named Haritha b. Nu’man offered his house/land, which was close to the house/land of the Prophet (s), so Fatima (rali) and Ali (rali) moved to this place very close to the Prophet’s house and masjidh.
The blessed couple did have their disagreements but their home was one full of love and laughter - such that the Prophet (pbuh) used to comment that he could hear their laughter as he used to pass by their house.
She was her father’s favourite. She was named by her mother, our mother Khadija (rali), after her mother "Fatima" meaning ‘one who is full term and weened’. Fatima Az-Zahra was born after the advent of Prophethood on her father. Thus she never saw the early easy days when her father and mother were well respected by society and lived better comfortable lives. Instead she had grown up to see her father mocked, taunted and even publicly beaten on 8 separate occasions. After the death of her mother, whenever the Messenger of God (pbuh) came home wounded, Fatima cared for him,. She cleaned his wounds and comforted him, at only age 10. Because of the love and compassion she showed her father (pbuh), one of her nicknames was “the mother of her father”. She was actually another mother figure for him (pbuh) .She didn’t live during the years of comfort and ease, instead she was born after her father (pbuh) received revelation and she witnessed all the hardship, oppression, the boycott and people’s rejection of her father (pbuh)
No one resembled the Prophet (pbuh)in everything as much as Fatima did, even in her actions and speech and gait. If he (pbuh) was the living Qur’an in a male, she was the living Qur’an in a female. She exemplified her mother in character and virtue. When she would enter into a room, the Prophet would stand up for her, kiss her on the forehead, then hold her hand and sit her down where he was previously sitting. When the Prophet entered a room, Fatima would rush towards him, kiss him on the forehead, take his hand, and sit him where she was sitting previously. She used to kiss both of his hands. This was in a society which buried their girls and was not accustomed to honoring their daughters. He honored her because she did things for him that no one else did.
Ali (rali) replied that he had nothing to offer if he even proposed. Here was a man who had grown up in poverty and who would live his entire life in poverty. How could he afford to marry the leader of the women in Paradise, one of the woman who had perfected her faith? How could he pay the mahr? Besides that the Messenger of God had rejected the proposals of Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) saying she was too young. Surely he would not then accept Ali’s proposal.
Finally after much hesitation and much encouragement from Abu Bakr (rali) and Umar (rali) he went to the Prophet (pbuh) intending to ask him for her hand. But in his (pbuh) presence he couldn’t utter a word, even though he was known for his eloquence and poetry. The Prophet (pbuh) noticing how shy Ali was behaving, asked him, “what has brought you to me, son of my uncle?” Ali stuttered and made no sense. The Prophet smiled and said “maybe you came to ask me for Fatima’s hand in marriage?” He said yes. "What about the mahr?".
The Messenger of God (pbuh) knew Ali (rali) who was 23 at this time - really well. He had picked Ali (rali) with his own hands as an infant and brought him to the blessed household of Khadijah (rali) to bring him up so as to ease the burden on his uncle Abu Talib who was poor and as a favour for Abu Talib for looking after him when he was a child. Miraculously Khadijah (rali) had never breast-fed Ali so he was not the sister of Fatima (rali) nor did the Prophet (pbuh) officially adopt him as a son. When he was about 10, revelation entered their lives and Ali (rali) was one of the first to embrace Islam. Many a time he was seen to be praying with the Prophet (pbuh) and Khadijah (rali) in front of the Kaabah – the only Muslim family at that time. By the time the Muslims had migrated away from persecution and set up their new community in Medinah, Ali had become too old to continue to live in the Prophet’s household. He had grown up with Fatima and was close in age to her. He was paired in brotherhood with Sahl Ibn Hunaif. He lived with all the other young single guys and used to do odd jobs here and there to earn himself some halal living.
He didn’t have a dowry to give her and only owned a sword, a shield and a horse/camel. The Prophet told him to go and sell his shield in the market and come back with the money for the dowry, even though it was not much at that time. He went to the market to sell the shield. Uthman (his future brother in law), offered to buy it for 400 dirhams, trying to help him out because he was very wealthy. After the sale, he returned the shield to Ali and said that is his wedding gift to Ali.
When the Prophet (pbuh) asked the 19 year old Fatima for her approval, she turned red (in modesty) and could not speak. She knew Ali (rali) very well. He took her silence as her approval to marry him. Later she would joke with her father, “you married me to the man with the big stomach”? (Ali (rali) indeed had strong muscular arms but a belly also).The Prophet (pbuh) took the opportunity to praise him, “He was the first of my companions to embrace Islam, the most knowledgeable, and the one with the most patience”
The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to buy perfume for her with 2/3 of the dowry and use the other 1/3 of it to buy furniture. Ali (pbuh) had no idea how to buy perfume, so Bilal helped him. Um Salama helped him buy furniture with the rest. The Prophet (pbuh) gave Abu Bakr (rali) some money and asked him to buy some clothes for Ali and Fatima and Amar ibn Yasser helped Abu Bakr make the preparations for the wedding. Imagine such people helping with your wedding shopping.
Aisha (rali) and Um Salama (rali) prepared the home for the new couple. They took some mud and made it into cushions covered in fabric. They took dates and water, put up some clothes hooks, and other furnishings. The Prophet (pbuh) himself made the bed with his own hands, using palm leaves, wood and animal skin. He left them a pot, a water skin and a couple of stones to grind grain with.
Ali (rali) later said they had this one bed and used it for everything. They used to sleep at night on as a couch during the day, to feed their animals off of, and they never had a servant. It was an extremely simple home.
Fatimah (rali) had a new wedding dress. But one night she found out a young woman from the Ansar couldn’t find anything to wear, so she gave her dress to that young woman. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked why she quoted the Qur’anic verse "Never will you attain righteousness until you spend [in the way of Allah ] from that which you love"!
The Messenger of God (pbuh) himself performed the nikkah ceremony and two of his wives, Aisha (rali) and Umm Salama (rali), prepared the wedding feast with dates, figs, sheep and other food donated by various members of the Medinan community. The guest list featured almost all the prominent sahabah among the Ansar and the Muhajirun. The people came in groups and left after they ate food.
The marriage took place on 1 Dhu al-Hijjah AH 2 (May 25, CE 624). There was a 10 month gap between the nikkah (engagement) and the marriage. The rush of the engagement was said as to discourage other potential suitors.
The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali to go home and to wait and he (pbuh) will come to them. Um Ayman was with Fatima. Ali and Fatima were both nervous, and the Prophet told them to stay seated. He took the water jug and made wudu, then he poured the water he made wudu with over Ali. He (pbuh) then called over to Fatima, who was shivering in shyness. He (pbuh) comforted herby telling her not to worry, “I have married you to the most beloved person in my family”. He made wudu, poured water over her and made a dua for them, “O Allah bless them in what is between them and what is upon them and bless them in their offspring.” Then he left the new couple alone, to start their life together.
Asma (rali), sister of Aisha (rali) said it was the best wedding she had ever attended, with only barley, dates and date paste. She said it was the happiest day they all had in Medina. In the same year the two Eids were also established as celebratory festivals. Such was the day that began the blessed union of Ali and Fatima, peace be upon them both.
As days passed from Fatima’s (rali) marriage, her absence became hard for the Prophet (s) to bear. He therefore considered moving them to his own house. But one of the Prophet’s (s) companions named Haritha b. Nu’man offered his house/land, which was close to the house/land of the Prophet (s), so Fatima (rali) and Ali (rali) moved to this place very close to the Prophet’s house and masjidh.
The blessed couple did have their disagreements but their home was one full of love and laughter - such that the Prophet (pbuh) used to comment that he could hear their laughter as he used to pass by their house.
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