The ordeal of Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا

Sayyiduna Imran bin Husain رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has narrated: The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم had a good opinion of me. Once he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said [to me]: O Imran! You have a special status before me! Will you come to inquire after my daughter Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا? I humbly replied: May my parents be sacrificed for you! I will definitely come. We left and reached the door of Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knocked on the door and said Salam and after Salam asked permission to get in. Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا replied: Please come in! The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: There is another person with me. She رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا asked: Huzoor! Who is the other person? He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied: Imran! Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا said: By Allah Almighty Who has sent you with truth! I am covering my entire body with only one chador. Gesturing by his blessed hand he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: You make purdah like this. She humbly said: In this way, my body is covered, but my head cannot be covered. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم threw an old chador to her and said: You cover your head with it. After this he صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم entered the home and said Salam and after Salam said: Daughter, how are you? Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا humbly replied: Huzoor! I have two sufferings – one related to illness and the other one related to hunger! I have no such thing by which I can satisfy my appetite. Having heard this, the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم wept and said: Daughter, do not worry. By Merciful Rab! My rank is higher than you in the court of Allah Almighty, but I have not eaten anything for three days. If I ask from Allah Almighty, He will surely feed me, but I have preferred the Hereafter to the world. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then placing a hand on the shoulders of Sayyidatuna Fatimah رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا said: ‘Be happy, you are the chief of heavenly women!’ She asked: Where will Sayyidatuna Aasiyyah and Maryam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْهِمَا be? He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied: Aasiyyah is the chief of her era and you are the chief of your era; you will live in the palaces of Paradise which have no defect, no sadness and no inconvenience. He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then said: Be happy with your paternal cousin; I have married you to the chief of the world and the Hereafter. (Mushkil-ul-Aasaar Li-Tahawi, vol. 1, pp. 36)

After almost 5 or 6 months of the apparent demise of the Beloved Rasoolصَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم (3^rd Ramadan, 11 H) she رَضِیَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهَا passed away. (Safinah-e-Nuh, Part. 2, pp. 54)