Rulings Concerning Lady Fatimah al-Zahra
Islamic rulings and narrations concerning Lady Fatimah al-Zahra, including respect for her name, Tasbihat, prayers, salawat and visitation.
Author: Mahmoud Akbari
Translator: Sheikh Jawad Habib
Respect for the Name of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
The sanctity and revered status of this great lady are clear and acknowledged among Muslims.
Al-Sakuni relates: “I went to Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) while I was distressed. He asked, ‘O Sakuni, why are you distressed?’ I replied, ‘Allah has granted me a daughter.’ He said, ‘O Sakuni, a girl is not a burden upon the earth. Her sustenance is guaranteed by Allah, and her lifespan has been appointed.’ Then he asked, ‘What have you named her?’ I replied, ‘Fatimah.’ He exclaimed, ‘Ah, ah, ah!’ Then he placed his hand upon his forehead and said, ‘If you have named her Fatimah, do not insult her, do not curse her, and do not strike her.’
Some Jurisprudential Rulings
It is forbidden for a person without ablution (wudu) to touch the written name of Allah. As an obligatory precaution, the blessed names of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the Imams (peace be upon them), and Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) should likewise not be touched.
A person in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) must not touch any part of the written text of the Holy Qur’an or the name of Allah, regardless of the language in which the name is written. As a precaution, the same ruling applies to the names of the Prophets, the Imams, and Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).
The Punishment for Disrespecting Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
In works of Islamic jurisprudence, the ruling concerning insulting or showing disrespect to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) is discussed in connection with the ruling on insulting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
Imam Khomeini (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “There is no impropriety in including al-Siddiqah al-Tahirah among the Pure Imams. However, if insulting al-Siddiqah al-Tahirah amounts to insulting the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), then, without doubt, the person who does so is to be killed.”
The article also refers to a ruling issued by Imam Khomeini in the solar Hijri year 1367, addressed to Muhammad Hashemi, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB). It expresses strong objection to an offensive piece broadcast by IRIB. Some words and the reference in the scanned original are not fully legible; therefore, only the substance of the passage is presented here.
The Tasbihat of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
The Tasbihat of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) possess great merit and hold a particularly high rank among the remembrances recited after prayer.
It is narrated from Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “Reciting the Tasbihat of Fatimah (peace be upon her) after every prayer is dearer to me than performing one thousand rak‘ahs of prayer every day.”
It is also narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): “When you go to bed, say Allahu Akbar thirty-four times, Alhamdulillah thirty-three times, and Subhanallah thirty-three times; and recite Ayat al-Kursi, the two chapters of seeking refuge (al-Mu‘awwidhatayn), the first ten verses of Surah al-Saffat, and its last ten verses.”
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to his companion Abu Harun: “We instruct our young children to recite the Tasbihat of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), just as we instruct them to perform prayer.”
The well-known order is: first, Allahu Akbar 34 times; then Alhamdulillah 33 times; and finally, Subhanallah 33 times.
Some Rulings
It is permissible to say Subhanallah before Alhamdulillah, but it is preferable to say Alhamdulillah first.
Reciting the Tasbihat after prayer is recommended, whether the prayer is obligatory or recommended. Its importance is especially emphasized after obligatory prayers, particularly the dawn prayer.
It is recommended to recite the Tasbihat of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) using a rosary made from the soil of Imam Husayn’s (peace be upon him) tomb.
If a person reciting the Tasbihat doubts the number of takbirs or phrases, the details of the ruling should be determined according to the relevant manual of Islamic jurisprudence.
Attributing a False Statement to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
If a person who is fasting deliberately attributes a false statement to Allah Almighty or to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), the fast becomes invalid. As an obligatory precaution, the same ruling should also be observed regarding falsely attributing a statement to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), the other Prophets, and the successors of the Prophets.
Sending Salawat upon Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
Sending blessings (salawat) upon the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and his infallible Household (peace be upon them) is an act of worship. Its basis is found in the Holy Qur’an, where Allah Almighty commands:
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with a worthy greeting of peace.” (Qur’an 33:56)
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is reported to have said: “O Fatimah, whoever sends blessings upon you, Allah will forgive them and join them with me in Paradise, wherever I may be.”
The salawat upon Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) begins: “Allahumma salli ‘ala Fatimata wa abiha wa ba‘liha wa baniha …”
Marriage Contracts and Wedding Celebrations
Holding engagement or wedding ceremonies on the days or nights commemorating the martyrdom of the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them) or Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) is impermissible if it constitutes disrespect; such occasions must be avoided.
Question: Some people justify music and entertainment at wedding celebrations by arguing that Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) was also married. Is this attribution correct?
Answer: This attribution is incorrect.
The Prayer of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
The prayer attributed to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) consists of two rak‘ahs. In the first rak‘ah, after Surah al-Fatihah, Surah al-Qadr is recited one hundred times. In the second rak‘ah, after Surah al-Fatihah, Surah al-Ikhlas (al-Tawhid) is recited one hundred times.
The Prayer of Seeking Help through Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
Mafatih al-Jinan relates that when a person has a need, they may perform a two-rak‘ah prayer. After the salutation, they prostrate and say “Ya Fatimatu aghithini” (“O Fatimah, come to my aid”) one hundred times.
Then they place their right cheek on the ground and repeat the same invocation one hundred times, followed by placing their left cheek on the ground and repeating it another one hundred times. They then ask Allah Almighty to fulfil their need.
Visiting the Shrine of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family): “Whoever visits Fatimah, it is as though they have visited me; and whoever visits Ali ibn Abi Talib, it is as though they have visited Fatimah.”
Another narration states that Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) said: “During his lifetime, my father told me that whoever sends greetings of peace to me and to him for three days will be granted Paradise.” When asked whether this applied only during their lifetimes or also after their passing, she replied: “During our lives and after our deaths.”
Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (peace be upon him) is reported to have visited the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) every day at noon. He would send greetings and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, then proceed to the house of his mother, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her). He would enter with reverence and humility, perform prayer and supplication there, and visit his mother alongside visiting the Messenger of Allah.
The Day Specifically Associated with Visiting Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
Some narrations associate particular days of the week and times of night with the Infallible Ones (peace be upon them). Sunday is associated with Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), while the latter part of the night, near the time of the dawn call to prayer, is also associated with Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).
Footnotes and Sources
The following footnotes and sources have been transcribed from the available scan of the original Persian article. Where the wording or page number is unclear, this is indicated; these references should be checked against the original editions.
Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, vol. 15, p. 200.
Tawḍih al-Masa’il of the Maraji‘, vol. 1, p. 199, ruling 519. The note also mentions the manuals of Grand Ayatollahs Fazel, Sistani, and Tabrizi.
Imam Khomeini, Tahrir al-Wasilah, vol. 2, p. 477. (The wording is partly unclear in the scan.)
Sahifeh-ye Nur, vol. 2, p. 76.
Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa, vol. 2, p. 203. (The page number is an approximate reading from the scan.)
Furu‘ al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 203. (Needs verification against the original.)
Amali al-Saduq, p. 579. (Needs verification against the original.)
Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa, vol. 2, p. 704. (Reading uncertain.)
Tawḍih al-Masa’il of the Maraji‘, vol. 1, p. 923. (Reading uncertain.)
Al-‘Urwah al-Wuthqa, vol. 2, p. 242. (Reading uncertain.)
Bihar al-Anwar; the volume and page are not fully legible in the scan.
The discussion of engagement and wedding celebrations refers to jurisprudential manuals and Tahrir al-Wasilah; the full citation is unclear in the scan.
Mafatih al-Jinan, section on the ziyarat of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her); page unclear.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 58. (Approximate reading; verify against the original.)
Kashf al-Ghummah, by ‘Allamah al-Hilli, vol. 2, p. 254. (Approximate reading; verify against the original.)
Mafatih al-Jinan, Fatimah al-Zahra Publications, p. 95. (Approximate reading; verify against the original.)