The first person who lamented the martyrdom of Lady Zahra (as) and recited eulogy for her was the Commander of the Faithful (as)

Praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and his pure household

Since these days are coincident with the martyrdom of Lady Zahra (as), there are a few points that I would like to mention.

Praise be to God, in the last two decades in the Seminary of Qom, great scholars one whom was my late father Sheikh Muhammad Fazel Lankarani (May God be satisfied with him), have been attaching great importance to commemorating the martyrdom of Lady Fatimah (as) and have taken great steps in this regard for example by issuing important statements. In his will, my father had mentioned that one of the things he had done in this world and for which he was hopeful to be rewarded were the statements he had made to revive commemoration of the martyrdom of Fatimah Zahra (as).

Thanks be to God, commemorating the martyrdom of Fatimah Zahra (as) over time became a regular practice. Today it is necessary for me and you and all seminary students to follow this way so that every year we may get to know some aspects of this matchless personality with the help the Quran and the traditions. In a first step we should try to increase our own knowledge about her and in a second step we should try to explain them to people. 

I still do not know the meaning of the narration that says, “وَ عَلَی مَعْرِفَتِها دارَتِ الْقُرُونِ الاُولی”. I think it is like the narration saying that Lady Fatimah (as) is the ‘Night of Qadr’. The meaning of this narration, its true meaning of course not its literal meaning, is unknown to us. God says even to his Prophet, “And what makes you know what The Night of Qadr is?” The reality of Fatimah Zahra, like the reality of the ‘Night of Qadr’, is unknown to us. The strange narration saying that, “She was named Fatimah because people cannot know her,” indicates that God has created a woman that people, until the Day of Judgment, cannot know her. She was not an ordinary human being like other humans. From birth to martyrdom, she was under special care of God.

When Lady Fatimah went to see the Prophet (pbuh&hf), the Prophet (pbuh&hf) would stand up and go to welcome her and he would kiss her hand. This was so surprising for his companions that some of them protested saying that this behavior was not becoming of him, i.e. kissing his daughter’s hand in the presence of others. The Prophet (pbuh&hf) answered he did that because God had ordered him to do so. This very answer by the Prophet (pbuh&hf) is very strange.

It is our duty to increase our knowledge and the knowledge of our society, especially the youth, about Fatimah Zahra (as). We should try to know, as much as we can, who Lady Fatimah (as) was. May God help us to fulfil this duty. We should do whatever we can regarding the martyrdom of Lady Zahra (as); he who can deliver speeches should deliver speeches; he who can recite eulogy should recite eulogy; and other people should put a black banner above their doors.

Lady Fatimah does not need us to commemorate her martyrdom, she is needless of our commemoration; but if we remain impartial toward all that oppression and injustice done to the best human after the Prophet (pbuh&hf), then we cannot claim to be true Shias. When giving lectures, you have recited numerous times Imam Ali’s words after burying Fatimah Zahra (as). He said, “I complain to God. As for my sorrow, it is everlasting and as for my nights, they will pass in vigil.” These are the words of an Imam who says that his nights would pass in crying for this tragedy.

The first person who recited eulogy and lamented the martyrdom of Fatimah Zahra (as) beside her grave was Imam Ali (as) himself. 

In a bid to better understand the greatness of Fatimah Zahra (as) we’d better ponder on these words of Imam Ali (as). When he finished flattening the surface of the grave, he felt deep sorrow. His tears started flowing from his eyes onto his cheeks. What should he do from now on? With whom should he speak and in whom should he confide? He turned his face toward the Grave of the Prophet (pbuh&hf). He could not but seek refuge in the Prophet (pbuh&hf). Nothing would assuage his grief but talking to the Prophet (pbuh&hf). After being overwhelmed with sorrow, he turned toward the grave of the Prophet (pbuh&hf) and said, “Peace be upon you o Messenger of God from me and from you daughter, your beloved daughter, [who was] the light in your eyes and [who] visits you now and rests underground next to your grave.” Not only did he say Salam to the Prophet on his own behalf but also on behalf of this new visitor of the Prophet (pbuh&hf).

“Salam from the one who was taken from us so soon and joined you so soon.”

It is very surprising that Imam Ali (as) says, “O Prophet of Allah, my patience about your chosen (daughter) has been exhausted, and my power of endurance has weakened … Now, the trust has been returned and what had been given has been taken back and Zahra was taken from me abruptly. How ugly are the sky and the earth.”

What strange words. These are not some simple words since the reality of Zahra (as) impacts all the universe.

“As to my grief, it knows no bounds, and as to my nights. They will remain sleepless till Allah chooses for me the house in which you are now residing.”

This sorrow is like an infection. It means that it does not get better easily. It is not like other sorrows to come and go quickly. It is like a disease that eats me out.

“How quickly we were departed from each other. I complain to God.” Here the Imam complains and this complaint should be heard out one day and justice be meted out.

“Certainly, your daughter would apprise you of the joining together of your ummah (people) for oppressing her. You ask her in detail and get all the news about the position.”

Her chest is full of anguish. If you look inside her chest you will see that it is filled with anguish due to the oppression that she suffered. This phrase is narrated in Amali by Sheikh Saduq, the book of Sheik Mufid and in al-Kafi.

“And if the assailants had not prevailed over us, I would have made the shrine at your grave my place of stay, and I would have stayed here forever.”

Some ignorant people say why do you grieve over something that happened fourteen centuries ago? They do not understand. They are ignorant. Imam Ali (as) who was the second after the Prophet (pbuh&hf) says if it were not because of the enemies who wanted to find Zahra’s grave and exhume it, he would reside beside her grave forever.

“And I would cry over her like the crying of a woman who has lost her child.” How strange is this phrase?! “Before God’s eyes your daughter was buried secretly while her right had been taken from her forcefully. This happened not very long after your demise.”

Again the Imam (as) says, “To God I complain o Messenger of Allah.” This is a complaint that should be made to God on the Day of Judgment. “And for you is the greater grief, thus peace be upon you and upon her.”

This is how Imam Ali (as) grieves over the martyrdom of Lady Zahra (as). When the Imam always grieves over this tragedy, we believe that the Imam of our age (atfs) has the same feelings and he says to Allah he will complain about the oppression that her mother faced. Therefore, we should hold more and bigger mourning ceremonies for Fatimah Zahra (as) than before and this would be achieved by God’s favor.

I would like to mention this memory from my late father who held high respect for Lady Fatimah (as) and made organizing mourning ceremonies for her martyrdom popular. One day I asked him why he always asked Lady Zahra (as) to be an intermediary between him and God and what he had noticed in doing so. Especially in the last few months of his life he did not speak much and was more to himself, only sometimes he would raise his head and say, “Al-Salam Alaiki Ya Fatimah al-Zahra.” When I asked my question he said he used to do so from childhood. He advised us to do that and also in his will he emphasized that morning ceremonies for Lady Zahra (as) should be held and that this was our duty.

A group of scholars from Khurasan came to visit him. he said to them, “I have, apparently, given lectures for more than 50 years; I have written many books; I have taught many students. All of these have been done by favor from God. But I do not rely on any of them for the Day of Judgement, [of course, he did not want to belittle these deeds but he said,] what I’m hopeful about are the efforts that I made to make holding mourning ceremonies for Lady Fatimah (as) a regular and common practice.” 

We and our children should follow the same path and this will definitely bring great rewards.

I wanted to read and explain the narration that says, “God becomes angry if Fatimah becomes angry and will be pleased if Fatimah is pleased,” but we have run out of time. I would just like to ask that what will be the fate of a person with whom God becomes angry? God says in the Quran, “… and he who incurs My wrath will fall into the abyss.” Whoever incurs God’s anger will fall into Hell. This is very strange that the Prophet (pbuh&hf) numerous times said that God will be angry with whomever Zahra is angry and the fate of he with whom God is angry is Hell.

According to another narration, the Prophet (pbuh&hf) said to Salman, “Whosoever loves Fatimah, my daughter, will be with me in Heaven and whosoever angers her will enter Hellfire.”

At the end of this narration there is good tiding for the Shias of Lady Fatimah (as). The Prophet (pbuh&hf) said, “Woe to he who does injustice to her and to her husband Ali and to those who do injustice to their children and to their Shias.” He knew what oppression would be imposed upon Fatimah (as). What immense patience God had given His Prophet?! This is good tiding for the Shias of Fatimah Zahra (as) that God will be angry with their enemies.

Imam Sadiq (as) was asked about the validity of the narration that says, “God will be angry with whomsoever Fatimah is angry with and will be pleased with whomsoever Fatimah is pleased with.” Imam Sadiq (as) said, “Yes, this is an authentic hadith.” It is interesting to know that the narrators of this hadith are Imam Sadiq (as) from his father Imam Baqir (as) and he from his father Imam Sajjad (as) and he from his father Imam Hussain (as) and he from his father Imam Ali (as) and he from the Prophet (pbuh&hf). 

Then the person asked, “Why would God become angry because of the anger of a woman?” Apparently, the person who asks this question was a Sunni named Sandal. The Imam asked him, “Haven’t you narrated that God becomes angry because of the anger of a believer?” He said, “Yes, we have.” The Imam said, “Wasn’t Fatimah a believer?” He accepted the answer and said, “God knows best where to place His apostleship.” The end of this narration indicates that Sandal was not a Shia. In some other version the narrator is someone else.

My guess is that in order to belittle the hadith saying, “God becomes angry because of Fatimah’s anger,” they have fabricated the hadith saying, “God becomes angry because of the anger of a believer.” The narration about the authenticity of which we are sure is the one saying, “God becomes angry because of Fatimah’s anger and becomes pleased if Fatimah is pleased.” We should understand this hadith properly then add to it the verse saying, “… and he who incurs My wrath will fall into the abyss.”

We extend our condolences on the martyrdom anniversary of Lady Fatimah to the Imam of our age (atfs) who is the real griever for this incident and ask him to pray for us Shias for our faith and firm belief in regard to the guardianship of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) and for our good end and for resolving of the problems of the Shias and the Muslim world especially the problems of the Islamic Republic of Iran.