Most Read in the Category of The Children and Grandchildren of the Prophet
1-)
Hasan (r.a.)
The Prophet (pbuh) married his beloved daughter Hz. Fatima off to Hz. Ali upon the order of Allah. Both of them were brought up and educated by the Messenger of Allah. Therefore, they led a life that could serve as a model for all Muslims. The Prophet (pbuh) visited them frequently and gave them various advice; he dealt with all of their problems.
It was the 3rd year of the Migration. About one year passed after their happy marriage. Fatima was pregnant. This rejoiced all of the Muslims, primarily the Prophet.
Finally, the day determined by Allah came. The Prophet sent his nanny Umm Ayman to Hz. Fatima’s house. He advised her to read Ayatu’l-Kursiyy and the chapters of al-Falaq and an-Nas. Hz. Umm Ayman went to Hz. Ali’s house without losing any time. She did what the Prophet told her. After a while, Hz. Hasan was born.
As soon as the Prophet heard the news of the birth, he hurried to his daughter's house. He was very happy. He said, “Where is my grandson? Show him to me!” They brought Hz. Hasan in swaddling clothes. He held the baby and cuddled him. Then, he asked, “What did you name him?” Hz. Ali said, “Harb (War)”. The Prophet said,
“You will definitely be called by your names and your fathers' names on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, give nice names to your children.”
Then, the Prophet recited adhan to the baby's right ear and iqamah to his left ear. He changed his name as “Hasan”.[1]
Two rams were sacrificed on the seventh day of Hz. Hasan’s birth. His hair was weighed and its weight was given to the poor in silver. He was also circumcised.
The house of Hz. Fatima had a different significance in the eye of the Prophet. It was the abode for the generation of sayyids. The Prophet started to visit her daughter more frequently and loved his grandson, by smelling him and putting him on his shoulders.
Once, he put Hz. Hasan on his back. A Companions saw this and said, “O child! What a nice mount you have!” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “He is a nice rider too.”[2]
Once, the Prophet was caressing Hz. Hasan. Aqra bin Habis (r.a.) arrived; he said, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you love children? I have ten children but I do not kiss any of them.” The Prophet said, “He who shows no mercy, will receive no mercy.”[3]
Hz. Hasan sometimes visited his grandfather and talked to him. Once, he went to see his grandson. He stayed there for a long time. It was late and dark. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to him, “Go home now!” Abu Hurayra was there, too. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! Shall I take him home?” The Prophet did not allow him. Meanwhile, a light shone and Hz. Hasan went home easily thanks to that light.[4]
The Messenger of Allah loved Hz. Hasan very much and advised his ummah to love him. He said, “O Allah! I love him. Love him and those who love him.”[5] Thus, he stated that Allah would love a person who loved Hz. Hasan. This deep love of the Prophet's toward Hz. Hasan was not due to kinship only. It had more important reasons. Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following regarding the issue:
“Yes, the Most Noble Prophet (pbuh) used to take Hasan (r.a.) tenderly into his arms and kiss his head for the sake of the luminous, blessed, Mehdi-like descendents who would spring from him, like Shah Geylani, Ghawth al-A'zam, who would be the inheritors of prophethood and would bear the sacred Shari'a of Muhammad. He saw with the eye of prophethood the sacred service and duty they would perform in the future, and approved and applauded them. He kissed Hasan's head as a sign of approval and encouragement... Yes, Shah Geylani has a large part in his kissing Hasan's head.”[6]
Hz. Hasan about whom the Prophet said, “He is my basil that I smell in this world” and “He is the master of the youths of Paradise”, was brought up and educated by the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He learnt many things from his grandfather. Hasan's heart became very sad when he lost his grandfather when he was eight and his mother six months after him. However, he was consoled by the fact that death does not mean disappearance and that he would be able to see them again in Paradise.
Hz. Hasan’s body from his head to his navel resembled that of the Prophet. Therefore, Hz. Fatima loved him by saying, “my baby who resembles the Prophet but not Ali”.
Hz. Hasan was distinguished for his generosity. He gave all of his property to the poor twice and half of his property three times. When the grandson of the Prophet had two pairs of shoes, he would definitely give one pair to the poor. He always gave sadaqah. When he bought something, he would bargain and try to get things cheap. This attracted the attention of the Muslims. Once, somebody said to him, “You give thousands of dirhams to the poor but when you buy something, you bargain for a long time.” Hz. Hasan explained why he did so as follows:
“We give money to the poor for the sake of Allah. It is not enough no matter how much we give. In business, deceiving is possible. We bargain because we do not want to be deceived because being deceived originates from lack of mind and causes one's property to decrease.”
Hz. Hasan was a Companion who worshipped a lot. He performed prayers and fasting a lot. He went to hajj from Madinah to Makkah on foot 25 times.
Hasan (r.a.) was away from pride and arrogance; he was a modest person. He would accept the invitations of the people whether they were poor or rich. Once, he was passing by a group of Bedouins. They were eating plain bread. He greeted them. The Bedouins answered his greeting. They said, “O grandson of the Messenger of Allah! Come and eat with us.” Hz. Hasan said, “I will. Allah does not like conceited people.” He sat down and ate plain bread with them. When he was about to leave, he said, “I accepted your invitation; now I invite you to my house.” Thus, he invited them to dinner.
Hz. Hasan gave advice to the believers from time to time. Once, he gave the following advice:
“The world slams a person who desires the world. A person who does not attach his heart to the world does not care who obtains worldly riches. A person who loves the world becomes the slave of the rich. A person whose yesterday and today are equal is at a loss. A person whose yesterday is better than his today is at a complete loss. A person who regards himself perfect actually has a lot of incompleteness. Tender-mindedness is a jewel for man. Loyalty is treasure. Haste is frivolity. It is a stain to be friends with those whose hearts are attached to the world. It causes suspicions to be friends with bad people.”
The beloved grandson of the Prophet was distinguished with his courage too. During the mischievous times when Hz. Uthman was the Caliph, he kept guard with his brother Hz. Husayn at the door of Hz. Uthman upon the wish of his father. He prevented the mischievous people from entering the house through the door. However, he could not prevent the raving men from entering the house through the chimney and martyring Hz. Uthman.
Years after this incident, Hz. Hasan became very sorry when his father was wounded. He went over to his father by crying. When his father asked why he was crying, he said, “How should I not cry? You are on the last day of the world and first day of the hereafter.” Hz. Ali told him not to cry. Then, he said he would give him some advice, that he should keep his advice and that he would always benefit from his advice.
Hz. Hasan asked, “What is your advice, dad?” Hz. Ali spoke as follows:
“The greatest wealth is wisdom; the greatest poverty is stupidity. The worst ignorance is vanity; and the best superiority is high ethics. Do not make friends with a fool because when he tries to do you good he will do you harm. Do not make friends with a liar because he will make you visualize very near the things which lie at a great distance and will make you see at the great distance the things which are near to you. Do not approach a miser because he will not give you what you need at the time of your dire need. Do not be friendly with a vicious and wicked person because he will sell you and your friendship at the cheapest price.”[7]
A little while after this speech, Hz. Ali passed away. He went to the gardens of Paradise from the dungeons of the world. He rejoined the Prophet, Hz. Abu Bakr, Hz. Umar and Hz. Uthman.
His death saddened the Muslims. The people were in a daze and did not know what to do. At that moment, Hz. Hasan stood up. After praising Allah, he made the following effective speech:
“O people! Tonight, a man has died whom the first Muslims did not outrun with good deeds, nor did the last ones catch up with him in pleasing acts. The Messenger of Allah would send him to wars. Jibril would stand on his right and Mikail on his left. He would not return from the battlefield until Allah had given him victory. He died on this night, when Isa (Christ) ascended to heaven, and when the repentance of Children of Israel was accepted.
“Those who have recognized me knows me. As for those who have not, let him know that I am the (grand)son of the Holy Prophet. I am the son of the bearer of the good news, and the warner. I am the son of the Caller to Allah by His permission. I am the son of the bright lamp. I am the son of the person who was sent as mercy to people. I am from a family whose members Allah kept away from uncleanness and made them totally purified. I am from a household whose love Allah made an obligation on every Muslim. In a verse, Allah said to His Prophet, 'Say: I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for my near relatives;...“
After this nice speech of Hz. Hasan’s, the Muslims paid allegiance to Hz. Hasan and chose him as the caliph. In the following days, the number of those who paid allegiance to him reached 40. 000. Thus, the beloved grandson of the Prophet became the caliph of the Muslims living in Iraq, Hejaz, Khorasan, Yemen, Makkah and Madinah. However, the people of Egypt and Damascus did not recognize his caliphate. They had paid allegiance to Muawiyah beforehand.
Uniformity among Muslims could not be secured. It looked as if there would be a war and the blood of Muslims would be shed. In the seventh month of Hz. Hasan’s caliphate, two armies confronted at Madayin. When Amr Ibn As, who was with Muawiya, saw Hz. Hasan’s army, he said, “I see such an army confronting me that it will not return before eliminating the army against it.” Thus, he had to admit the power of Hz. Hasan’s army.
However, Hz. Hasan did not want Muslim blood to be shed. He did not pursue a high rank or position. Besides, he was very disturbed by the acts of dissidence and mischief that started during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman and that caused Muslims to fight one another instead of serving Islam. That day, he had a big opportunity. He could have beaten the army of Muawiya and united Muslims under one flag. However, he did not choose to do so; he showed a great example of sacrifice and waived his right of caliphate. Thus, he hoped that the Muslims would be strong again. They would conquer new countries and many people would become Muslims.
In fact, Muawiya did not want Muslim blood to be shed, either. He also wanted peace. He sent an envoy to Hz. Hasan with a proposal of peace. He said he would accept all offers of Hasan if he waived his right of caliphate. Hz. Hasan set some conditions. One of them was that the Muslims should choose their own caliph. Therefore, he set it as a condition that Muawiya should not appoint Yazid as heir to the caliphate after him.
Another demand of Hz. Hasan, the beloved grandson of the Prophet, was that Muawiya would send a certain amount of money to give to the poor. Muawiya accepted all of the conditions.
Then, Hz. Hasan addressed his supporters to tell them why he waived his right of caliphate as follows:
“It is wise to act in accordance with taqwa. Mischief and evil originate from foolishness. If caliphate is my right, I waive my right in order to unite Muslims and to prevent Muslim blood from being shed. If it is the right of someone who deserves it more, it means I am doing what is necessary.”
After this speech, the supporters of Hz. Hasan paid allegiance to Muawiya.[8]
Thus, another miracle of the Prophet (pbuh) appeared. For, the Prophet (pbuh) addressed Hz. Hasan as follows: “This son of mine is a noble and honorable person.and may Allah make peace between two big groups of Muslims through him.”[9]
Hz. Hasan narrated 13 hadiths from the Prophet. One of them is as follows:
“O people! I do not order you anything but what Allah orders; I do not forbid you anything but what Allah forbids. Pursue your sustenance in a nice way. I swear by Allah in whose hand of power is my life that your sustenance will find you just as death will do. If you have difficulty in finding your sustenance, do not disobey Allah while you look for it.”[10]
Hz. Hasan was martyred in the 49th year of the Migration by being poisoned. Before his death, he was asked who had poisoned him. He said, “I cannot accuse anybody. I do not want an innocent person to be harmed because of me.” Then, he sent Hz. Husayn to Hz. Aisha and asked permission from her to be buried next to the Messenger of Allah. Hz. Aisha gave permission but Marwan bin Hakam, the governor of Madinah, did not give permission. Hz. Hasan was buried in the Cemetery of Baqi.
Hz. Zaynab was the oldest daughter of the Prophet (pbuh). She was born when the Prophet was 30 years old. She was 10 years old when Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) was given the duty of prophethood. She became a Muslim together with Hz. Khadija.
When she reached the age of marriage, he married her off to Abul As bin Rabi acting upon the request of Hz. Khadijah. Abul As was the son of Hala, who was the sister of Hz. Khadijah. He had not become a Muslim yet. At that time, there was no decree prohibiting a Muslim woman from marrying a polytheist.
Hz. Zaynab felt very sad because the polytheists tortured his father. However, the Prophet advised her not to feel sad. When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, Hz. Zaynab had to stay in Makkah because her husband did not allow her.
Hz. Zaynab was very sad because she had been separated from her father and she was married to a polytheist. However, she showed patience by relying on Allah. Meanwhile, she always prayed Allah so that her husband would become a Muslim.
Strangely, Abul-As was captivated during the Battle of Badr. The polytheists sent some ransom to the Muslims in order to save the slaves.
Abu’l-As was a polytheist but he was Hz. Zaynab's husband. She wanted to save him but she had nothing to send as ransom. She remembered the necklace her mother had given her when she got married. She sent it with some other small things to Madinah.
When they arrived in Madinah, the Messenger of Allah felt moved. He thought of the assitance of Hz. Khadija to him and the Muslims. He could not help crying and said to his friends, "If you agree I want to return this necklace to Zaynab and release Abu’l As." The Companions said, "Yes, of course, O Messenger of Allah!" They released Hz. Zaynab’s husband and returned the necklace.
Abu’l-As was an honest and trustworthy person. He felt ashamed due to the generosity of the Prophet. He promised that he would release Zaynab when he returned to Makkah. The Prophet sent Zayd bin Haritha and a Companion from Ansar to Makkah to take her to Madinah.
These Companions did not enter Makkah; they started to wait at the Valley of Yajaj. Abu'l As sent Hz. Zaynab to the Valley of Yajaj with his brother Kinana. After the preparations, they set off.
When the polytheists heard about it, they followed them and startled the camel that Hz. Zaynab was riding. She fell off the camel and injured her face. She had a miscarriage due to fear.
Kinana was good at archery. When she saw that Hz. Zaynab fell off, he placed an arrow on the bow, pointed it to the polytheists and said, “I will stick it into your heart if you approach.” The polytheists could not approach. After a while, Abu Sufyan, the leader of Quraysh arrived. He said to Kinana that people would regard it as concession to Muslims if he took Zaynab during the day. He begged Kinana to take Zaynab at night. Kinana accepted it and delivered Zaynab to the two Companions at night.
This small group arrived in Madinah after a difficult and tiring journey. When Hz. Zaynab met her father and siblings, she forgot her pains.
The Prophet appreciated the act of his son-in-law. He praised him by saying, “He talked to me and told me the truth. He promised to me and kept his promise.”
Hz. Zaynab became happy and peaceful in Madinah. Her husband had a troublesome life after he sent Zaynab. Meanwhile, the light of guidance started to enlighten his heart. He considered it for a while and decided to become a Muslim. He collected his receivables from the polytheists and paid his debts. Then, he addressed them as follows: “Do I owe any money to anybody?” When they said he did not owe any money, he declared that he had become a Muslim as follows:
“Then, listen to me very well. I have become a Muslim. I witness that there is no god but Allah. I also witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.”
The polytheists were astounded. They did not know what to do. Abu'l As left them in astonishment and went to Madinah. He went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah and declared that he had become a Muslim.
The Prophet became very happy when he heard it. He praised Abu'l As. He married Zaynab off to him again. This incident took place in the 7th year of the Migration.
Hz. Zaynab had two children called “Umama” and “Ali” but Ali died at a young age. When he got very ill, Hz. Zaynab called her father. The Prophet came to his daughter's house. When he saw that she was very sad, he said, “What Allah gives and takes definitely belong to Him. Everything has a determined period of life.” Then, he took Ali on his lap. Ali was about to die. The Prophet started to cry due to his compassion. When Sa’d bin Ubada saw it, he asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is this?” The Prophet said, “This is mercy put into the hearts of slaves by Allah. Allah shows mercy only to those who show mercy to others.” Ali died and they buried him.
Zaynab died in the 8th year of the Migration. Her dead body was washed by Umm Ayman. The Prophet took off his sash and gave it to Umm Ayman to use it as a part of her shroud. He led her janazah prayer himself. Then, he went into the grave dug for her thoughtfully and sorrowfully. After staying there for a while, he came out of the grave happily and said,
“I thought of the weakness of Zaynab and prayed to Allah to alleviate the troubles and the heat of the grave for her; and He accepted my prayer.” [1]
________________________________________
It was the 4th year of the Migration. The second grandson, who would continue the blessed descent of the Prophet, was born. The Prophet rushed to the house of his daughter as soon he heard the good news. He hugged his grandson. He named his grandson “Husayn”. A ram was sacrificed for him. In addition, his hair was weighed and its weight was given to the poor in silver. He was also circumcised.
After that, the house of Hz. Fatima became more valuable in the eye of the Prophet. He started to go there more frequently; he hugged, kissed and loved his grandsons. He smelled them by saying, “Hasan and Husayn are my basils that I smell in this world.”[1]
The Prophet never wanted his beloved grandsons to cry due to any reason. He did not like it when they were made cry. Once, he was cuddling Hz. Husayn. He kissed and caressed him and took on his lap. Meanwhile, Husayn peed on him. The Prophet gave him to Ummu’l-Fadl and said, “Hold him. He peed on me.” Ummu’l-Fadl (r.anha) got angry with Husayn and hurt him. The Prophet could not bear it when his grandson cried. He said to Ummu’l-Fadl , “May Allah forgive you! You saddened me by hurting him.” Ummu’l-Fadl apologized to the Prophet. Once the Prophet heard Husayn cry. He said to Hz. Fatima, “Do you not know that I feel sorry when he cries?”[2]
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) loved both of his grandsons very much. He did not discriminate between them. When both of them wanted something, he would give it to the one that wanted it first. Once, he went to visit and love his grandsons. They were sleeping. Hz. Hasan woke up and asked for some milk. There was a sheep in the house but she gave very little milk. The Prophet approached the sheep and milked her. The sheep gave a lot of milk. While he was about to give the milk to Hz. Hasan, Hz. Husayn woke up and asked for some milk. The Prophet gave the milk to Hasan. Hz. Fatima said, “O Messenger of Allah! You probably love Hasan more.” The Prophet said, ‘I love both of them equally but Hasan asked for milk before Husayn did.”[3]
The Prophet's beloved grandsons became toddlers and started to toddle, which made them cuter. They loved their grandfather very much and wanted to see him all the time. It looked as if they felt that their grandfather was sent as a savior to human beings and that the universe was created for his sake.
Once, they looked for the Prophet. They thought he could be at the mosque and walked toward the mosque. They entered the mosque and fell down. Meanwhile the Prophet was telling something to his Companions. When he saw that Hz. Hasan and Husayn fell, he interrupted his talk and went to pick them up. He cuddled them and said,
“Allah Almighty said, ‘Your riches and your children may be but a trial.’ How true He spoke. I saw these two children. They stumbled while walking. I could not put up with it and interrupted my talk to pick them up and brought them here.”[4]
Once, the Prophet was walking with his Companions. While they were passing by the house of Fatima, the Prophet saw Hz. Husayn playing in front of the door. He hurried toward Husayn, opened his arms and wanted to hug him. However, Hz. Husayn ran to the right and left, trying to escape from him. The Prophet smiled at his efforts. Then, he caught him. He put one of his hands on his head and the other on his chin. Then, he kissed and loved him. He said, “Husayn is of me and I am of Husayn. Anyone who loves Allah loves Husayn too. Husayn is a grandson among grandsons."[5]
Once, the Prophet (pbuh) was talking to his Companions; Umm Ayman came and said in excitement, “O Messenger of Allah! Hasan and Husayn have been lost. We could not find them.” The Prophet said to his Companions, “Go and look for my grandsons.” They went to different directions. The Prophet went out with Hz. Salman to look for them. When they arrived at the top of a mountain, they saw Hz. Hasan and Husayn. They were standing by hugging each other. There was a snake near them, with its mouth open. The Prophet ran toward them. The snake moved away, entering a hole. The Prophet went over to his grandsons and caressed them. He said, “May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! This is a great grace of Allah.” Then, he put one of them on his right shoulder and the other on his left shoulder. When Hz. Salman saw this, he said, “How Lucky you are! What a nice mount you have!” The Prophet said, “The riders are nice too. Their father is superior to them.”[6]
Hz. Hasan and Husayn grew up. They became old enough to wrestle each other. The Prophet made them wrestle and smiled. Once, they were wrestling again. The Prophet encouraged Hz. Hasan. He said, “Come on, Hasan! Catch Husayn!” Hz. Ali was there too. He said, “O Messenger of Allah! I think you should support Husayn because Hasan is older.” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Look Jibril is supporting Husayn by saying, ’ Come on, Husayn! Catch Hasan!'"[7]
The Prophet saw his grandsons almost every day. He sometimes went to his daughter Fatima's house to see them and sometimes Hz. Fatima took them to the Prophet's house. She wanted her children to learn from him.
Once Hz. Fatima took his sons to the Prophet when he was with Umm Salama. Hz. Ali was also there. Meanwhile, verse 33 of the chapter of al-Ahzab was sent down: “Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye Members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.” The Prophet covered his daughter Fatima, Hz. Ali’, Hz. Hasan and Husayn with his garment. Then, he prayed as follows: “O Lord! They are my family members. Remove all abomination from them and make them pure and spotless!”[8]
After the death of the Prophet, Hz. Husayn, who was brought up by Hz. Ali, led a very plain life. He led a life that would set an example to everybody. Many of his statements reached us. Two of them are as follows:
“The jobs of the people entrusted to you are divine trusts. Do not exploit them. Otherwise, they will be punishment for you.”
“A generous person has good manners; a stingy person has bad manners. If a person thinks of the wellbeing of his Muslim brother before himself, he will find better things in the hereafter.”
Hz. Husayn was a person whose prayer was accepted by Allah. Once, he was passing by a man who was cleaning his water-well. When the man saw Hz. Husayn, he said, “I am enlarging my well but I cannot increase its water by any means.” Hz. Husayn asked the man to bring him some water from the well. The man brought some water. Husayn (r.a.) drank a little from that water, rinsed it and sprinkled it into the well. After that, the water of the well increased and sweetened.
During the incident of Karbala, one of Yazid's men asked, “Is Husayn among you?” Then, he uttered rude words for Hz. Husayn, for whom the Prophet said, “He is the master of the youths of Paradise” and said, “I give him the glad tiding that he will go to Hell.” Hz. Husayn opened his hands and prayed Allah as follows: “O Allah! Send him to Hell!” As soon as he finished praying, Yazid's horse shied and he fell of the horse; his leg was stuck in the stirrup. He went to Hell by being broken into pieces.
After the death of Hz. Muawiya, Hz. Husayn did not accept the caliphate of Yazid because he was an oppressor and fasiq (sinner) He did not act in compliance with the orders of Allah. It was unthinkable for Hz. Husayn to pay allegiance to such a person. When the people of Kufa saw that Hz. Husayn did not pay allegiance to Yazid, they invited Hz. Husayn to Kufa and said that they would pay allegiance to him. They did not like the way Yazid lived. Thereupon, Hz. Husayn decided to go to Kufa. The Companions asked him not to go there but he insisted on going. He set off for Kufa with his children and relatives.
Yazid got very angry when he heard this. He ordered Ubaydullah bin Ziyad to prepare an army and to prevent Hz. Husayn. Ibn Ziyad prepared an army under the command of Hurr bin Yazid and sent them against Hz. Husayn. Yazid ordered Hurr to force Hz. Husayn to settle in a place without water, stones and trees. Hurr fulfilled his order. He forced Hz. Husayn to settle in Karbala. Hz. Husayn and his mujahids could have killed Hurr bin Yazid and his men but Hz. Husayn did not want to shed the blood of Muslims in vain. He tried to make a deal with them but no deal was made. One day later, an army of four thousand soldiers under the command of Umar bin Sa'd came to help Hurr bin Yazid. They surrounded Hz. Husayn and the people with him. They surrounded the place where there was water. The weather was very hot. Hz. Husayn and the people with him were very thirsty. They asked for water but their demand was refused.
Hz. Husayn realized that they were determined to kill him. He did not want the people around him to be killed. He addressed them as follows:
“O my friends! You see that the world has changed. The good ones died and the bad ones remained. Life has no taste. The remaining part of our life is nothing but water left at the bottom of a container and life in boring grassland with bad weather. Do you not see that people do not act in accordance with what is right and do not give up what is wrong? A person who is left in such conditions needs to prefer death to life. I regard death as happiness and living under the administration of oppressors as dishonor.”
After speaking like that, Hz. Husayn asked the people around him to go away at night making use of darkness. However, they did not accept it. They said, “May Allah not leave us alive after you! By Allah, we shall not leave you!” They showed a great example of loyalty. Hz. Husayn was influenced by their words and deeds.
After a while, both armies were deployed opposite each other. They approached. Hoping to prevent a big disaster, Hz. Husayn made a moving speech. He addressed the people of Kufa as follows:
“O people! The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following in a hadith: ‘When a person sees a tyrant oppressing people, doing what Allah forbids without fear, acting against the Sunnah of the Messenger and ruling over the people with tyranny and sinfulness, and when he continues to keep silent and do not try to stop him with his hands and tongue, Allah will drive him toward the place that he rightly deserves.’ These men (Yazid and Ubaydullah bin Ziyad) follow Satan all the time. They stop worshipping Allah and cause mischief. They have suspended the laws of Allah and have shared the Treasury of the state among themselves. They permit what Allah has forbidden and forbid what He has allowed. It is my duty before everybody else to oppose this.
“You sent me many letters that the situation is like that. You sent me messengers that you would pay allegiance to me and that you would not leave me alone. If you keep your promise and pay allegiance to me, you will act righteously. If you have broken your covenant and if you do not like my coming here, allow me to go back.
“Think of it a bit. Will it do you good if you kill me? Will it be legitimate for you to shed my blood? Am I not the son of your Prophet's daughter? Am I not your Prophet's cousin Ali's son? Are Hamza, Abbas and Jafar not my uncles? Did the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) not say for me and my brother, ‘they are the masters of the youths of Paradise’?”
However, this raving group definitely wanted to kill Hz. Husayn. They were not in a position to understand anything. They attacked all together. There were a lot of people attacking Hz. Husayn and those with him.
The people around Hz. Husayn promised that they would protect the beloved grandson of the Messenger of Allah until he was martyred. They resisted the attackers heroically. They formed a wall of flesh around Hz. Husayn. After a while, all of them were martyred one by one.
There were only a few people left around Hz. Husayn. They had several wounds. Hz. Husayn also had several wounds. He wanted to take a sip from the last bowl of water he had; he took the bowl to his mouth. Just then, an arrow hit his mouth. The bowl fell to the ground. He wiped the blood on his mouth with his hand. Meanwhile, another arrow hit him on the side. A group of ravagers attacked him. They cut his hand. Then, they martyred Hz. Husayn, whom the Prophet called “my basil”. They cut off his head and sent it to Yazid. It was the 61st year of the Migration.
One day after this terrible incident, the people of the village of Ghadiriyya near Karbala arrived there and buried the martyrs. They wanted to make the grave of Hz. Husayn unknown but the nice scent coming from the grandson of the Prophet made his grave known.
Hz. Husayn’s younger son Umar and his son Aliyyu’l-Asghar, who was ill, his son, Zaynab and some women were saved from being killed in the incident of Karbala.[9]
With this incident, another miracle of the Prophet became clear. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said years ago that Hz. Husayn would be martyred in Karbala. It turned out as he said. It occurred as follows:
Once, Jibril came to the Prophet. The Prophet was with Umm Salama then. The Prophet said to Umm Salama, “Close the door and do not let anybody in.” While they were inside, Hz. Husayn arrived and wanted to go in. Hz. Umm Salama tried to stop him but he managed to go in somehow and sat on the lap of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The Prophet kissed and caressed his grandson. Jibril said, “Do you love him a lot?” The Prophet said, “Yes, I love him a lot.” Jibril said, “Yes, but your ummah will martyr him.” The Prophet said, “You mean the believers will kill him?” Jibril said, “Yes. I will tell you where he will be martyred if you wish.” When the Prophet said, "Yes", Jibril left for a while. He returned with a handful of red and wet soil from Karbala. Thereupon, the Prophet started to shed tears. He gave the soil that Jibril brought to Umm Salama and asked her to keep it.[10]
On the day when Hz. Husayn was martyred, the sun was eclipsed and the sky became red. People thought Doomsday would strike. On the other hand, not only people but also jinn cried due to his death. Umm Salama narrates: “I had never heard jinn cry after the death of the Messenger of Allah. Once, I heard them cry again. I felt that Husayn was martyred. I sent my servant to find out what happened. My servant returned after a while and told me that Hz. Husayn had been martyred.”[11]
Hz. Husayn, who spent his life in the service of Islam, narrated several hadiths from the Prophet. Some of them are as follows:
“To leave unnecessary things shows the beauty of a person's Islam.”[12]
“The real miser is a person who does not utter salawat when my name is mentioned.”[13]
“O people! We act as if death is prescribed for others in the world, not for us; we act as if it is obligatory to act in accordance with what is right for others, not for us. We think the dead people that we saw off will soon return; we spend their inheritance as if we will stay in the world forever. We seem to have forgotten all of the advice and we do not fear that a misfortune will hit us. How happy is a person who is interested in his own mistakes and does not see others' mistakes! How happy is a person whose income is legitimate, whose secret things are good, whose open things are useful and whose path is straight! How happy is a person who acts modestly without humiliating himself, spends his legitimate income in the way of Allah, who spends time with knowledgeable and wise people and who shows mercy on poor and needy people! How happy is a person who spends most of his money but does not speak very much, who acts in accordance with the Sunnah and does not resort to bid'ah!”[14]
Lastly, we will narrate two hadiths mentioning the virtue of Hz. Hasan and Husayn:
“Hasan and Husayn are my children. He who loves them is regarded to love me. He who loves me is regarded to love Allah. Allah puts a person He loves into Paradise. He who does not love them and treats them as enemy is regarded to treat me as enemy. Allah does not love a person who treats me as enemy. Allah puts a person He does not love into Hell.”[15]
He stated the following for (Hz. Fatima, Hz. Hasan and Hz. Husayn) “I declare war against a person who declares war against you; I will be in peaceful terms with a person who is in peaceful terms with you.”[16]
_________________________________________
[1] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 31.
[2] Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 4: 160.
[3] Usdu’l-Ghaba, 5: 523.
[4] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 31.
[5] Mustadrak, 3: 177.
[6] Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 2: 493.
[7] al-Isaba, 1: 332.
[8] Tirmidhi, Manaqib: 32.
[9] Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 4: 195-202.
[10] Mustadrak, 3: 777; Usdu’l-Ghaba, 2: 22.
[11] Isaba, 1: 135; Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 493.
[12] Musnad,1: 201.
[13] Musnad,1: 201.
[14] Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 306.
[15] Mustadrak, 3: 166.
[16] Ibn Abi Shayba, Musannaf, 12: 97.
4-)
Fatima (r.anha)
Hz. Fatima (r.anha), who is the unique daughter of the Messenger of Allah and the honorable mother of the generation of sayyids, is the symbol of chastity and virtue that continues the pure descent of the Prophet.
Her mother is Hz. Khadija (r.anha), whom the Messenger of Allah could not forget, who was one of the most honorable women on earth and who had the honor of accepting the first invitation of Islam and belief. She was born as the fifth child of Hz. Khadija's six children at a time when the sun of the prophethood was about to rise.[1]
The first years of her life, when she tried to know the world, coincided with the first period of Islam, when there were a lot of struggles and troubles. The polytheists started to torture and harass the Prophet, whom they could not dissuade from his cause. This young baby grew up in such an environment. The Messenger of Allah loved all of his children but he had a different love and compassion for Fatima. He felt that she would continue his descent and that she would be the mother of sayyids; he loved and hugged Fatima with the compassion of the holy generation that would continue up to the Day of Judgment.
When Hz. Khadija died after being married to the Prophet for 25 years, it was three years before the Migration. After this lofty woman, the death of Abu Talib, who was the Prophet's greatest protector against the polytheists, was so saddening for the Messenger of Allah and the believers that they called this year "the Year of Sorrow". With the death of Hz. Khadija, Fatima was left motherless. The Messenger of Allah did his best to prevent her from being sad and tried to relieve her by showing her the compassion of both a father and a mother.
The Messenger of Allah prepared her for the future like a rose bud; he virtually wrapped her in cotton wool. He kissed her when he left home and when he returned.[2]
Fatima’s love and loyalty toward her father, who was the sultan of the prophets, was very big. Whenever she saw him sad, her face would change color; whenever she saw him happy, she would smile.
After the death of Abu Talib, the polytheists transformed their defamation and insults into harassment and torture, inflicting all kinds of bad deeds upon the Prophet. They committed all kinds of bad deeds including throwing dirt on him while he was worshipping and stoning him. Once, the Messenger of Allah returned home all of his clothes being in dust and dirt. Fatima, who welcomed him, hugged him and tried to clean the dust and dirt on her beloved father by crying. She wondered what would happen. Would the polytheists take her father, who was her only close relative in the world, away from her? These bad thoughts saddened the unhappy heart of young Fatima more. However, the sublime Prophet and compassionate father, who was sent as mercy to all realms, consoled this young girl, whose heart was sad, as follows:
“Do not fear my daughter! Allah will definitely protect your father.”[3]
Life in Makkah started to be unbearable for the Muslims due to the harassment of the polytheists. They were waiting for a divine manifestation. Finally, permission to migrate was given by Allah Almighty. The Muslims started to leave Makkah one by one. Meanwhile, the polytheists realized that the only way to stop Muslims was to assassinate the Messenger of Allah and they started to make plans. One night, when they were planning to realize their plan, the Messenger of Allah left Makkah secretly with Hz. Abu Bakr. He could not take Hz. Fatima and the other members of his family with him. He had to leave them in Makkah.
When the Messenger of Allah arrived in Madinah and settled in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the first thing he did was to send Zayd bin Haritha and Abu Rafi’ to Makkah to bring his family members to Madinah. They went to Makkah at once and brought Hz. Fatima, Umm Kulthum, Sawda bint Zam’a, the wife of the Prophet, and Usama bin Zayd to Madinah.[4] Thus, they left behind a dark and troublesome period. The Messenger of Allah rejoined his beloved daughter about whom he said, “Fatima is a part of me; anyone who saddens her saddens me; anyone who rejoices her rejoices me.”[5]
Time flew and the cause of Islam proceeded to a bright future by getting bigger day by day. After the Battle of Badr, the Muslims confronted the polytheists at the Battle of Uhud. A tough war took place. When the Muslims scattered during the battle, the polytheists approached the Messenger of Allah and caused his teeth to be broken and he was drenched in blood. The Companions could not stop his bleeding. When Hz. Fatima heard about it, she ran to help her father and stopped the bleeding of her father by burning reed mace and using its ash.[6]
The Companions showed great respect and love to Hz. Fatima. They called her “Ummu Abiha [her father's mother]” because she resembled the Messenger of Allah a lot. Hz. Aisha narrates,
“Whenever Fatima entered the room, the Messenger of Allah would stand up, kiss her and make her sit. Whenever the Prophet entered her room, she would stand up, kiss her father and gave her place to him. I have never seen anyone resembling the Messenger of Allah more than Fatima in terms of manners, sitting and standing.”[7]
Ibn Abbas states the following by indicating the unique love between the father and the daughter:
“Whenever the Messenger of Allah returned from an expedition, he would definitely visit his daughter Fatima and kiss her.”[8]
After the Migration, Hz. Fatima, who stayed with Hz. Aisha in Madinah, reached the age of 15. Some notables of Companions asked the Prophet to marry her and they wanted to be closer to the Messenger of Allah through marriage and to be honored. However, the Prophet refused them politely and gave the following answer:
“I am waiting for the decision of Allah about my daughter Fatima.”
One of the Companions who were refused by the Prophet was Hz. Umar (r.a.). When Hz. Umar received this negative answer, he said to Hz. Ali (r.a.),
“O Ali! It seems that Fatima will marry you.”[9]
Hz. Ali (r.a.) wanted to marry Fatima but he did not know how to talk to the Messenger of Allah about it. He did not have the courage to do so. Finally, he decided to go into the presence of the Messenger of Allah. He narrated what had happened as follows:
“I went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah in order to ask him to marry Fatima off to me. However, when he looked at my face, I became speechless. I could not utter even one word. Then, the Messenger of Allah said,
‘O Ali! Do you need anything?’
Although he repeated the same question three times, I could not answer him. Finally, the Messenger of Allah said, ‘I think you have come here to ask me to marry Fatima.’ This time, I was able to say, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Do you have anything to give as mahr?’
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! I do not have anything.’
He said, ‘I had given you some armor. What happened to it? ’
I said, ‘It is available.’
He said, ‘Sell that armor and bring me the money. It will be enough as your mahr to marry Fatima.’”[10]
They bought some economical household goods with the money. The foundation of this blessed core of the descent of the Prophet was laid by the Prophet himself. He married them. He went to their house and sat between his daughter, Fatima and Ali. He asked for some water and made wudu with it. He sprinkled some of the water on Fatima and some on Ali. Then, he prayed as follows:
“O Allah! Make this marriage blessed for both of them! O Allah! Make their descendants blessed too! O Allah! Protect them from the evil of Satan!”
Then, he read the chapters of al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas.[11]
Thus, a hearth and home that would emit light and knowledge to the realms, that would bring up sayyids and that would be a source of abundance and virtue was founded. This home became a hearth that the Messenger of Allah visited from time to time and where he felt the happiness of Paradise. When, Hasan and Husayn, his grandsons, were born, this hearth became full of joy and happiness.
This blessed family formed the nucleus of Ahl al-Bayt. One of the two things the Prophet gave the glad tidings that would be a means of guidance for his ummah after him was the Quran and the other was Ahl al-Bayt, which was founded as it was mentioned above.[12]
The Messenger of Allah cuddled his beloved grandsons, smelled and kissed them; he ran and played with them. He took great pleasure in serving them.
Hz. Ali narrates: “Once, the Messenger of Allah visited our house. Hasan and Husayn were sleeping. Hasan woke up and asked for some milk. We had a sheep. The Messenger of Allah stood up and went out to milk the sheep. I was astounded. The sheep that gave very little milk gave a lot of milk when the Messenger of Allah milked it. The Messenger of Allah started to feed Hasan with the milk. When Fatima saw it, she said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! You probably love Hasan more.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘I love both of them equally but Hasan asked for milk before Husayn.’ Then, he added, ‘O Fatima! You, me, these two young children and Ali will be in the same place on the Day of Judgment.’“[13]
Once, the Messenger of Allah ate a meal with all of them; then, he put his garment over Hz. Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn and said, “O Allah! They are my Ahl al-Bayt and Aal-Aba. Keep them away from the things that are contrary to your consent.”[14]
Yes, his love toward Hz. Fatima was not only the love and compassion of a daughter; she was also the beginning of the generations of sayyids that would be the inheritors of his cause.
The Messenger of Allah was interested in both the sorrow and joy of this happy family. Once, he went to their house in order to reconcile Hz. Ali and Fatima due to a quarrel that took place between them. After entering the house, he made his daughter Fatima sit on one side of him and Hz. Ali on his other side. He held their hands and united them. Thus, he reconciled them. When he came out, the Companions asked,
“O Messenger of Allah! You were sad when you entered but now you are happy. Why?”
The Messenger of Allah answered,
“Because I have reconciled two people that I like very much.”[15]
Hz. Fatima had qualities and merits showing that she was the daughter of the Messenger of Allah.
Once, the Messenger of Allah asked the Companions around him the following question:
“What is the best thing for women?”
None of the Companions who were there including Hz. Ali could answer that question. Hz. Ali went home and asked his wife Fatima the same question. She answered as follows:
“Why did you not say the best thing for women is not to see men and not to allow men to see them unless it is necessary?”
When Hz. Ali received this wise answer, he went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah. When the Messenger of Allah heard this answer from Hz. Ali, he said, “Who taught you this answer?” Hz. Ali said, “Your daughter Fatima.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah said, “It is a fact that she is a part from me.”[16]
Hz. Aisha narrates an incident that took place one day near the death of the Messenger of Allah as follows:
“Once, Fatima, whose walking style was like that of the Messenger of Allah, came toward us. When the Messenger of Allah saw her, he said, ‘Hello my daughter!’ He made her sit on his right side. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. Thereupon, Fatima cried. Then, she said something else. This time, she smiled. Thereupon, I asked Fatima, ‘I have never seen you becoming happy so quickly after becoming sad.’ I asked her what the Messenger of Allah had told her. She said, ‘I cannot reveal the secret of the Messenger of Allah.’
When the Messenger of Allah died, Fatima told me about that secret. She said that the Messenger of Allah said to her, ‘Jibril reviewed the Quran twice this year. I interpret this that my life is about to end. You will be the first one to rejoin me.’ When I heard the first one, I became sorry; when I heard the second one, I became happy.”[17]
Six month after the death of the Messenger of Allah, when Fatima was very young (28 years old), she rejoined the Messenger of Allah, her compassionate father.
According to the narration of Hz. Aisha, Hz. Fatima never laughed after the death of the Messenger of Allah until she died.[18]
Once Hz. Hasan and Husayn, the grandsons of the Prophet, became ill. When the Prophet heard that they became ill, he went to visit them with Hz. Abu Bakr, Hz. Umar and some Companions. Hz. Ali, Hz. Fatima, and Fidda, their maid was at home. The Companions made an offer to Hz. Ali: “O Abu Hasan! Have you made a promise for Allah's sake to do if your children get well? Are thinking of a vow?” Allah’s Lion (Hz. Ali) said,
“Yes, if Allah heals my children, I will perform fasting for three days for Allah's sake.”
When Hz. Fatima heard her husband's vow, she said, “If my children get well, I will perform fasting for three days for Allah's sake too.” Fidda, their maid, also promised to perform fasting for three days.
Their prayer was accepted. Two young boys became well soon. They started to fulfill their vow. They woke up before dawn to start fasting. However, they did not have any food to break their fast in the evening.
Hz. Ali, went to Sham'un, a Khaybarian Jew, and borrowed from him about four kilograms of barley. He took it home and gave it to his wife, Fatima. He told her to make bread with it.
Hz. Fatima made some bread with some of the barley and put it on the table. They were about to start eating when the door was knocked. There was a poor man at the door, He said, “O children of Muhammad! I am a poor Muslim. I have nothing to feed my children. Give me some food so that Allah will give you food in Paradise.
When Hz. Ali heard those words of the poor person, he wanted all of the food on the table to be given to him. They gave their bread as sadaqah and broke their fast with water.
The next day Hz. Fatima made some more bread from the barley and placed it on the table. The door was knocked just as they were starting to eat. This time, an orphan came and said, “I am an orphan of muhajirs whose father was martyred. Please give me some bread.” This time, they gave their bread to the orphan and broke their fast with water.
On the third day in the evening, Hz. Fatima made bread from the remaining barley and put it on the table. This time, a slave who was a polytheist, knocked on the door. He said, “O Muslims! I am very hungry. Please give me some food.” These real believers gave their bread to him this time. They and broke their fast with water again.
In the morning of the fourth day, Hz. Ali took his beloved children to their grandfather. They went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah. When the Prophet saw the weak and anemic state of his beloved grandchildren, he started to cry. They were shivering like squabs due to the severity of hunger. The Prophet asked, “O Ali! What is the matter? Why did you sadden me so much?” Hz. Ali told him what had happened.
When the Messenger of Allah found out that the other members of the family were in the same state, he set off for Hz. Ali's house. When he arrived home, he saw that Hz. Fatima’s abdomen had touched her back. His sorrow increased. However, he was thinking about their spiritual ranks in the hereafter.
Just then, Hz. Jibril arrived and approached the Prophet. He gave the Prophet a divine glad tiding: “And they feed, for the love of Allah, the indigent, the orphan and the captive.” (al-Insan, 8.) Allah Almighty praised their self-sacrifice.[19]
___________________________________
Hz. Osman led a troublesome but happy life with Ruqiyya. However, when she died, he lost his goodwife and his kinship with the Messenger of Allah was cut off. Therefore, he was very sorry. When the Prophet saw him so sad, he asked, “O Uthman! Why are you so sad?”
Hz. Uthman said, “O Messenger of Allah! It is impossible for me not feel sad. I was left alone as your daughter died; what is more, my kinship with you was cut off.”
The Prophet (pbuh) gave him the good news: He said Allah Almighty had ordered him to marry his daughter Umm Kulthum off to him. Hz. Uthman became very happy when he heard it.
The preparations for the weeding were made in a very short time. The wedding ceremony of this happy marriage took place in the 3rd year of the Migration. Thus, Hz. Uthman had the honor of becoming the son-in-law of the Prophet for the second time. From then on, he was called “Dhun-nurayn [the owner of two lights]”.
Hz. Osman and Umm Kulthum lived happily for six years. However, Umm Kulthum died in the 9th year of the Migration due to an illness. Her janazah prayer was performed by the Prophet. Her death saddened Hz. Uthman. The Messenger of Allah expressed his love toward Hz. Uthman by saying, “If I had 10 daughters, I would marry them off to Uthman one by one.” This statement was great consolation for Hz. Uthman. [1]
______________________________________
[1] Tabaqat, 8: 38; Mustadrak, 4: 49.
6-)
Ruqiyya (r.anha)
Ruqiyya was the second daughter of the Prophet (pbuh). She was born when the Prophet was 33 years old. She became a Muslim at a very young age. The Prophet married her off to Hz. Uthman, who was a symbol of good manners and modesty.
When the tortures of the polytheists became unbearable, Hz. Uthman migrated to Abyssinia with his wife. Their migration touched the Prophet a lot. When he saw them off, he said, “The first one to migrate in the way of Allah with his wife after Lot is Uthman.”
Ruqiyya felt very sad since she left her beloved father and her hometown. Meanwhile, they had a son. They called him “Abdullah”. This cute baby made them forget their sorrow a bit.
After staying in Abyssinia for a while, Hz. Uthman and Ruqiyya could not put up with the pain of being separated from the Prophet (pbuh) any longer. They returned to Makkah risking the tortures that would be inflicted upon them. When the permission to migrate to Madinah was given, they migrated to Madinah. Thus, they gained the reward of two migrations in the way of Allah.
Muslims had peaceful days in Madinah. The Islamic state had been established and Islam had enough strength to oppose its enemies. Meanwhile, Hz. Abdullah, the beloved grandson of the Prophet, became six years old. The Prophet loved his grandson Abdullah as much as he loved his other two grandsons Hasan and Husayn; therefore, the Prophet visited his daughter more often to see his grandson. However, something unexpected happened one day. A rooster pecked at Abdullah and wounded him on the face. Abdullah became very ill and died. His janazah prayer was performed by the Prophet (pbuh). After he was buried, the Prophet planted a stone on the grave. The tears coming from his eyes wetted his beard. When he was asked why he was crying, he said, “Allah shows mercy to the slaves who are merciful and tenderhearted.” Ruqiyya did not have any children except Abdullah.
Ruqiyya got ill when the Muslims were preparing for the Battle of Badr. Her illness was serious so the Prophet ordered Hz. Uthman not to join the army. Therefore, Hz. Uthman could not take part in the Battle of Badr though he wanted it so much. He stayed in Madinah and did his best to cure his wife. However, Hz. Ruqiyya could not get over her illness and died. Her dead body was washed by Umm Ayman, the nanny of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh).
When the news of victory came from Badr, her dead body was being buried. After a while, the Prophet arrived and stood next to the grave of his daughter. Then, he prayed for her. [1]
____________________________________
