Fatimah (born between 605 and 615 CE, died sometime in 632 CE; date of death is disputed) was the youngest daughter of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE) and his first wife Khadija (l. 555-619 CE). Taking up after her father, Fatimah became highly spiritual and devoted to Islam. Fatimah was married to Ali ibn Abi Talib (l. 601-661 CE), a cousin of Prophet Muhammad, in 624 CE, and the marriage lasted until the end of her days. Her sons Hassan (l. 624-669/670 CE) and Hussayn (l. 626-680 CE) were the only surviving grandchildren of the Prophet and have been venerated as imams (spiritual leaders) by the Shia Muslim community, just like their father; Fatimah is termed as the mother of Imams and is revered by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Historical Context
Prophet Muhammad (l. 570-632 CE) faced ridicule, oppression, financial boycotts, and even physical abuse when he started preaching a novel faith – Islam – in the heartland of Arabia: Mecca, from 610 CE onwards. His biggest supporter was his wife Khadija, a woman 15 years his senior but, according to Islamic sources, one with the deepest respect for her husband, which the latter reciprocated in kind. The couple had six children, two boys, Abdullah and Qasim (both of whom died in infancy), and four daughters, Zainab (l. 599-629 CE), Ruqayyah (l. 601-624 CE), Umm e Kulthum (l. 603-630 CE), and Fatimah (born between 605 and 615 CE). However, Shia Muslims consider only Fatimah to be the biological daughter of the Prophet, and the rest to be Khadija's children from her previous husbands (she had been married and widowed twice before), while Sunni Muslims maintain that all four daughters were Muhammad's.
Facing atrocities in Mecca, after the death of Khadija and Abu Talib (Muhammad's uncle and guardian) in 619 CE, the Prophet's followers turned to Medina for asylum. The hegira (migration) in 622 CE, as it was later called, became a pivotal point in the history of Islam as the Prophet acquired control of the city of Medina as a result. Prophet Muhammad, now a king, initiated a decade-long political and military struggle against his former tormentors and their supporters. This culminated in the fall of Mecca in 629/630 CE and the subjugation of most of Arabia under the sway of Islam by the time of his death in 632 CE.
Early Life & Marriage to Ali
In 624 CE, Ali ibn Abi Talib (l. 601-661 CE), a cousin of the Prophet, who had also distinguished himself as a heroic and loyal supporter of Islam, approached Muhammad to request his permission to marry Fatimah, which the latter granted. After the wedding, the couple moved to a house close to that of the Prophet. Fatimah and Ali had five children; two girls, Zainab bint Ali (l. 626-682 CE) and Umm e Kulthum bint Ali (b. 627 CE), and three boys, Mohsind, Hassan (l. 624-669/670 CE) and Hussayn (l. 626-680 CE). The latter two would become instrumental in Shia ideology as, like Ali, they are considered imams, the spiritual descendants of the Prophet in Shiism.
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