☫ Fatima Zahra's key to understanding

Analysis  On the martyrdom anniversary of the Prophet's daughter

Fatima Zahra's key to understanding

Condolences on the martyrdom anniversary of Fatima Zahra, daughter of Prophet Mohammad, and Mother of the Imams.

A courageous woman whose refusal to bow down to tyrants earned her broken ribs, a miscarriage and ultimately martyrdom.

The Umayyad dynasty, while invading Christian Spain as self-made ambassadors of Islam, murdered Fatima's both sons, Hassan and Hossein, Prophet Mohammad's beloved grandsons.


Prophet Muhammad said,

"Fatima is part of me. Whatever upsets her upsets me, and whatever harms her harms me."

Sahih Muslim, v. 5, p. 54

"Fatima is the head of the women of Paradise."

Sahih Al-Bukhari, v. 3

Ruhollah Khomeini:

"She was the essence of humanity. She is the pride of the world."

In my personal opinion,

Fatima Zahra is a key figure to understand the relations between Western and Muslim world. In the West we are usually taught that Islam spread by the sword into Spain. When in reality, those Umeyyad caliphs invading the Iberian peninsula were none others than the killers of the Prophet's own daughter and the Prophet's own grandsons.

This is not a minor issue, because the Prophet himself unambiguously declared his Household as the role models of Islam for mankind, according to the so-called tradition of Thaqalayn, accepted by all Muslim schools of thought. And these were persecuted and assassinated by the same invaders of Spain.

Hence, the story surrounding Fatima is a narration that repeats over and over throughout history. Especially this day, in which monarchist regimes in Arabia claim themselves to represent Islam while:

1) Breeding terrorist movements that preach violence against innocents (The Australian),

2) Setting alliances with the enemies of Islam (Tel-Aviv University) and occupiers of the Middle East (NPR),

3) Persecuting (Democracy Now) and killing (Yemen) the descendants of Prophet Mohammad.

Fatima Zahra is therefore a figure in bridging the gap of worlds and correcting misunderstood historical narratives which cause an innate perception of enmity between East and West. Perhaps it is not coincidental, although mixed with its share of superstition, that many Moroccans adorn their doors - gates between the inside and outside worlds - with the hand of the daughter of Prophet Mohammad.

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