For Every Husseini Son, There Is a Fatemi Mother!

By Zeinab Abdallah

In every individual’s lifetime, there is a guardian angel that acts as a divine emissary to help them on their spiritual journey, avoid sin, grow closer to Allah, and attain salvation.

To those who don’t know, Lady Fatima Al-Zahraa [AS], the sole daughter of the Prophet of Islam and the Messenger of Mercy, Mohammad [PBUH], is this guardian angel for Muslim women. She is the mother of the 11 infallible Imams, and the wife of the first infallible Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb [AS]. She is the mother of heroine of Karbala, the most prominent Lady Zeinab bint Ali [AS], who carries this same rebellious blood, the one that fought against injustice, and revived history until our very current day.

For Shia women, and the Lebanese ones in particular, Lady Fatima goes beyond being a guardian angel. Besides being the icon for a decent, caring and faithful wife and mother, she is as well the true womanly role model that embodied all meanings of supporting the oppressed, standing against injustice, and pursuing legitimate rights.

Flashback at history

After the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH], a dispute arose over Fadak, the land he had granted to his daughter, Lady Fatima [AS]. Caliphs at the time took unlawful control of this land, and were complicit in a violent attack on her house, causing her serious and lethal injuries, and killing her fetus, Al-Mohsin.

Lady Fatima [AS] was martyred some days later, leaving behind two very young sons and a daughter, who all grew up to become the most iconic figures in the history of Muslims, Shia in particular. As her second child, the lady’s martyrdom is marked by her lovers every year according to the Hijri calendar. After Ashura of Imam Hussein [AS], the symbol of sacrifice, the martyred lady’s “Fatemi Days” serve as the second painful occasion of mourning. Alike, her birth anniversary is a time of joy for the same people.

This year, and on the eve of Christians celebrating the birth of Prophet Issa [AS], Jesus, their life saver, Muslims celebrated the birth of Lady Fatima [AS].

But how did the life of this revered lady draw the path we are walking through?

Lady Fatima Today!

Through her life, Lady Fatima [AS] was teaching ladies how to be honorable and closer to Allah.

Although observing womanly manners and performing all religious duties remain necessities for the record of a woman’s deeds, the teachings of Lady Fatima [AS] go far beyond. Through learning the life she lived, any rational individual will be aware of her most famous achievement. Bringing up the ancestors of the only infallible imams on Earth is the act of this exalted mother.

Women of today are the children of yesterday. In Lebanon, women of the South were children who witnessed the ugliest forms of ‘Israeli’ occupation, humiliation and injustice. The saying mentions that history repeats itself. That might be true, but what is truer is that people learn lessons from this history.

When it comes to land confiscation, and the humiliation of human dignity, let alone the basic terms of national sovereignty, freedom, and independence, a normal person doesn’t yield. So, what would be the case for normal persons who have an extra feature that is this unbreakable blood bond with their icons?

In Lebanon, not only its southern part, but even in Beqaa and Dahiyeh, women amazed the world, the entire world. Women on this piece of land proved to be the true followers and students of Lady Fatima [AS]. Lebanese women, namely Shiites, sacrificed their children for the sake of their nation and dignity. Many women sacrificed their only sons, other sacrificed several sons they gave birth to, and voiced readiness to sacrifice whoever remains in their families for the sake of this rightful cause.

Women in Lebanon confronted the ‘Israeli’ occupiers face to face… Wives had unwavering determination to shoulder every possible responsibility along with the men who turned to be the source of pride for this nation. A countless number of ladies helped establish the resistance against the occupation, not to mention others’ actual act of resisting.

Many of them shared martyrdom with Lady Fatima [AS], several others shared sacrificing the child. Numerous ladies were detained by the occupation forces, and a lot of women gave their gold, money, and belongings with the aim of contributing to this honorable and principled action… but let’s all agree that all of them represented the people who hold Lady Fatima [AS]’s head high.

Taking a person as a model means that this person has convinced us with every action they’ve done in their life. For us in Lebanon, adhering to the teachings of Lady Fatima [AS] has nothing to do with the materialistic world, it is instead a matter of eternal principles that we learned from the Quran and the household of Prophet Mohammad [PBUH].

For every Husseini son who defended the human dignity, there is a Fatemi mother who brought him up this way… As long as Fatemi mothers exist, those who belong to the Lady of all Women, Fatima, the daughter of the Last Prophet, Mohammad [PBUT], Husseini sons will continue the same path.

Just like Prophet Mohammad [PBUH], Prophet Issa [AS] also taught his students to sell their clothes for buying swords. It is because when danger is imminent, saving the community’s lives is not a choice, but rather a necessary duty.

May Lebanon witness happy holidays as long as the followers of the divine prophets walk in their footsteps…