Fatema Mæ'sume
Encyclopedia
Fātimah bint Mūsā' al-Kādhim (commonly known as, Fātimah al-Ma‘sūmah – "Fātimah the Innocent", Fatemah Mæ'sume, Masuma-e-Qum, and "Hadrat Masumah") (1st Dhul Qi‘dah
Dhu al-Qi'dah
Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu'l-Qadah, or Dhu al-Qi'dah is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months in Islam during which warfare is prohibited, hence the name ‘Master of Truce’.- Timing :...
173 AH
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
– 10th or 12th of Rabī’ al-Thānī
Rabi' al-thani
Rabī’ al-Thānī is the fourth month in the Islamic Calendar. It is also known as Rabī` al-Ākhir .-Timing:The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year,...
201 AH
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
; approximately March 22, 790 AD – November 7 or 9, 816 AD), was the daughter of the seventh Twelver Shī‘ah Imām
Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)
Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
, Mūsā' al-Kādhim
Musa al-Kadhim
' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
and sister of the eighth Twelver Shī‘ah Imām, ‘Ali ar-Ridhā
Ali al-Rida
‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rizā was the seventh descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, according to Shia sect of Islam...
. She was looked up to for her piety by all, including Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
s.
From the Ahlul Bayt
Fatima was taught the Islamic sciences by her father and brother. She transcribed hadithHadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
s from them. For this reason, she is also known as Aalimah (the Learned Lady) and Muhadditha (the Learned Lady who transmitted hadith). Hadiths quoted by Fatima are considered among the most authentic of all hadiths.
Masumah (The Immaculate)
Due to her faith and training under the ImamateImamate
The word Imamate is an Arabic word with an English language suffix meaning leadership. Its use in theology is confined to Islam.-Theological usage:...
, Fatima was also known as Masumah (the immaculate). She was always busy praying and fasting. She received the status of intercessor because of her worship. She was even revered by her own father and brother, both Imams. Even her gravesite is revered because of millions of miracles that have occurred there. Believers' wishes have been granted and those said to be incurably diseased have been healed.
Her Demise
She died while traveling with some of her brothers to visit her brotherAli al-Rida
‘Alī ibn Mūsā al-Rizā was the seventh descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the eighth of the Twelve Imams, according to Shia sect of Islam...
in Khurasan
Razavi Khorasan Province
Razavi Khorasan Province is a province located in northeastern Iran. Mashhad is the centre and capital of the province.Other cities and townships are Ghouchan, Dargaz, Chenaran, Sarakhs, Fariman, Torbat-e Heydarieh, Torbat-e Jam, Taybad, Khaf, Roshtkhar, Kashmar, Bardaskan, Nishapur, Sabzevar,...
. In Saveh
Saveh
Sāveh is a city in the Markazi Province of Iran. It is located around 100 km southwest of Tehran. As of 2006, the city had a population of 179,009 people.-History:In the 7th century BC it was as stronghold of the Medes...
, central Iran, they were attacked by the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
army and many of her brothers were killed. Fatima herself was poisoned and became ill. She traveled to the city of Qom
Qom
Qom is a city in Iran. It lies by road southwest of Tehran and is the capital of Qom Province. At the 2006 census, its population was 957,496, in 241,827 families. It is situated on the banks of the Qom River....
and was welcomed by the Imams there. She died on the 10th of Rabi al-Thani in 201.
Burial Rites
Fatima's body was washed and shrouded according to customs. As'ari nobles determined that they would bury her somewhere special, not just an ordinary cemetery. Musa ibn Khazraj had a garden which he donated for her burial place. Qadir was summoned to give her last rites, but instead a stranger appeared and laid her to rest. The town of Qom decided to build her a mausoleum.Mausoleum of Fatima
The Mausoleum of Fatima was made with straw by the people of Qom. After fifty years, they built the first dome. The whole mausoleum was built by followers of the Ahlul-bayt.Ziyarah of Fatima
Fatima is now buried in Qom. After she was buried there, so were other children of the Imams. The site gained respect because of this. Traditions from the Imams encourage Shias to perform Ziyarah (pilgrimage) to her grave. Imam Ali-e-Reza said, "Whoever performs the Ziyarah of Fatima will be rewarded heaven." Believers who make a pilgrimage to her shrine say, “O Fatima! Intercede for me in Paradise, because you have a great station near AllahAllah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
.” Every year, more and more Muslims discover this place and it has brought about an increase of religious scholars in Qom.
Her shrine is visited yearly by millions and considered one of the holiest sites in Shi'a Islām.