Hazrat Fatima, the mother of Imam Mohammad Baqer (A.S.)

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
The glimpses from the life of virtuous lady in the history of Islam. She was Fatema, named after her Grandmother, Fatemat-az-Zahra (peace upon her), the Infallible Daughter of Prophet Mohammad (SAWA).
The memorable life of an impeccable great- granddaughter of the Prophet – the granddaughter of Hazrat Fatema and the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace upon them). She was the daughter of an Infallible Imam, the wife of another Infallible Imam, and the mother of yet another Infallible Imam, besides being the grandmother and ancestress of seven more Infallible Imams.
To be more precise, the Fatema, on whose life we dwell today, was the daughter of the Prophet\'s elder grandson, Imam Hasan Mojtaba (AS), the wife of her first cousin, the Survivor of the tragedy of Karbala Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), and the mother of Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS). Through her grandson, Imam Ja\'far Sadeq (AS), her lineal descent of the Infallible continues till the Lord of the Age, the Promised Saviour of mankind, Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance to establish the global government of peace, prosperity, and justice).
Her kunya was Omm Abdullah, since her second son was named Abdullah, and she was acclaimed by all as the \"Siddiqa\" of her times, that is, the Most Truthful Lady. It is said that none among the family of Imam Hasan looked like her. At the same time she was a picture of patience, prudence, and piety. She and Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS) were united in the blessed bond of marriage by her uncle, Imam Husain (AS), while both the bride and the groom were in their teens. The fruit of this auspicious union was the Prophet\'s 5th Infallible Heir, Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS).
It is said when the 5th Imam was born, the air of Medina was full of fragrance. Fatema bint al-Husain (SA) accompanied the caravan of the noble family of the Ahl al-Bayt, as it was forced to leave hometown Medina for Mecca, and thence to Iraq. She was present on the fateful day of Ashura, the 10th of Moharram in Karbala, where during the course of history\'s most bloodcurdling tragedy she endured with grief and patience the martyrdom of three of her brothers, including the youthful Qassem, and severe injuries to a fourth one, Hassan al-Mossanna. Her grieving heart also bore with patient the martyrdom of her cousins, Ali Akbar and the 6-month infant Ali Asghar, as well as uncles, including the valiant standard-bearer, Hazrat Abbas (AS), with the climax to the tragedy being the martyrdom of her dear uncle and father-in-law, Imam Husain (AS).
In the aftermath of the tragedy, the survivors, including Fatema bint al-Hasan (SA), had to go through more heartrending tragedies, as the noble captives were dragged in chains to the courts of the tyrants in Kufa and Damascus. Inspired by the indomitable courage of her aunts, Hazrat Zainab and Hazrat Omm Kolsoum (peace upon them), Fatema bint al-Hasan (SA) never let emotions overcome her, and all the while protected her son, the three-and-a-half year old Imam Mohammad Baqer (AS), since her husband, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), was being mercilessly treated by the captors. On release from captivity in Syria and return to her hometown Medina, she maintained her dignity in grooming the children and imparting the message of Karbala to the society.
It is related from the 5th Imam: Once, while my mother was sitting next to a wall, a sudden crack appeared along with an awful sound as if the wall would fall any moment. At this she said: By the Truth of my ancestor Prophet Mohammad the Chosen, God will not allow you to fall. The wall became suspended in midair, until my mother was safely out of its reach. This was indeed a miraculous incident by the Will of God Almighty, and it shows the purity of character of Fatema bint al-Hasan (SA). When Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), came to know about this miraculous incident, as a form of thanksgiving to God Almighty, he gave away as charity to the poor, some hundred dinar. Imam Sadeq (AS) has also paid glowing tributes to the peerless personality of his grandmother, on whose authority several hadith have been recorded.