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The Prophet, the Father
Daughters were not only recognized by the Prophet (Pbuh)as members of the family, but also valued as
“The amiable, dear companions.”
Musnad Ahmad, Book of Ash-Shamyyin, Hadith no. 16733
He (Pbuh) elevated them to a special place in the family and embraced them into its safe haven of care and love, seizing every chance to show that daughters were especially dear to him.
Anas bin Malik narrated that Al-Ukaidar presented the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) with a jar of manna. After having finished Salah, he (Pbuh)passed by the people and started giving each man a piece. He (Pbuh) gave Jabir (bin ‘Abdullah) a piece, and then he (Pbuh) returned to him and gave him another piece. Jabir said,
“You gave me a piece.” He (Pbuh) said, “This is for the daughters of ‘Abdullah.”
Musnad Ahmad, Book of Al-Mukthrin, Hadith no. 11777
Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them) were the four daughters whom Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh)was blessed with from his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). Through his love and kindness towards them, the Prophet (Pbuh) will remain the epitome of what a father of daughters should be.
“Fatimah is part of me, and anyone who makes her angry, makes me angry.”1 This was how deep his love for his daughter Fatimah was, which he (Pbuh)expressed in many kind acts. Lady ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated,
“Whenever she (Fatimah) came to visit him (the Prophet (Pbuh)), he (Pbuh) would get up to welcome her, take her by the hand, kiss her, and make her sit where he was sitting. And whenever he (Pbuh) went to visit her, she would get up to welcome him, take him by the hand, kiss him, and make him sit where she was sitting.”
Sunan Abu Dawud, Book of Al-Adab, Hadith no. 4540.
It was a huge uplift for daughters －from burial alive to active participation right from the dawn of the Islamic Call. Although a little girl, Lady Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the one who came to the aid of her father when Islam was still a stranger. She stood alone in the face of the persecution of Quraish and defended her father (Pbuh).
‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud (Pbuh) narrated,
“The Messenger of Allah (Pbuh) was standing in prayer near the Ka‘bah. A group of Quraish was sitting there in a gathering, one of whom said, ‘Do you not see this show-off? Who among you will go and bring the dung, blood, and entrails of the slaughtered camels of the family of so-and-so, and then wait until he prostrates and put that in between his shoulders?’ The most wretched among them (‘Uqbah bin Abu Mu‘ait) went (and brought them), and when the Messenger of Allah (Pbuh)prostrated himself, he placed them (on his back) between his shoulders. The Prophet (Pbuh) remained in prostration while they laughed until they fell over one another laughing. Someone hurried to Fatimah, who was still a little girl, and she came running. The Prophet (Pbuh) remained in prostration until she threw it away from him. Then she turned to them and cursed them.”
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of As-Salah, Hadith no. 490
She patiently shared the suffering of her father from the moment he was made a Prophet (Pbuh)until his death. She was by his side, comforting him and dressing his wounds. On the Battle of Uhud, Sahl bin Sa‘d narrated,
“The face of the Prophet (Pbuh)was wounded, one of his front teeth was broken, and the helmet over his head was smashed. Fatimah was washing off the blood (from his head) while ‘Ali held water (in his shield). When she saw that the bleeding only increased, she took a mat, burnt it until it turned into ashes, and placed it securely (over the wound). Thus the bleeding ceased.”2
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Jihad wa Al-Siyar, Hadith no. 2695
During his last illness, the Prophet (Pbuh) called his daughter Fatimah, but this time he (Pbuh) did not rise to take her by the hand and welcome her with a kiss as he (Pbuh)usually did. His illness aggravated him and started to make him faint. Fatimah said, “What great distress my father is in!” He (Pbuh) comforted her, saying,
“Your father will have no more distress after today.”
Anas bin Malik, Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Magazi, Hadith no. 4103
He (Pbuh) then asked his daughter Fatimah to draw near him and whispered to her something that made her cry. Then he (Pbuh) asked her to draw near him again and whispered to her something that made her laugh.
Lady ‘Aishah narrated that when she asked Fatimah about that, she replied,
“The Prophet (Pbuh) confided to me that he would die during this last illness, and so I wept; but then he (Pbuh) confided to me that I would be the first from among his family to join him, and so I laughed.’”2
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3354
Fatimah died six months after her beloved father (Pbuh).
References
- Al-Miswar bin Makhramah: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3437 Muslim also reported in Book of Fada’il Al-Shabah, Hadith no. 4483 that the Prophet r said: “Fatimah is part of me, it harms me what harms her.”
