The Commander of the Faithful (Ali, A):
«إِنَّمَا سُمِّیتْ فَاطِمَةُ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ فَطَمَ مَنْ أَحَبَّهَا مِنَ النَّارِ»
“Indeed, she was named Fatimah because Allah has protected those who love her from the Fire.”
Points:
- Love is the fruit of understanding, and it is impossible for love to blossom without the growth of the tree of knowledge and awareness. Without the cultivation of awareness, even in a general sense, love cannot emerge. However, while understanding might not necessarily lead to love, love cannot exist without some degree of understanding.
Awareness of a person’s beauty and knowledge of their positive character traits plants the seeds of affection for them in the heart. As this understanding deepens and broadens, the affection grows, gradually occupying the heart and creating a unique bond between the individual and the beloved. This connection ultimately results in a bond of love.
Those who love and are devoted to Lady Fatimah (a.s) have awareness of her exalted position and noble character. They recognize her lofty status with Allah, the Holy Prophet (pbuh), and the Imams (a.s ). This awareness fills their hearts with the fragrance of Fatimiyyah love.
The knowledge that leads to love has a profound impact on the life of the lover. It brings about significant transformations, redirecting the individual’s life away from the fire (of Hell) and towards spiritual perfections and closeness to Allah, the Most High.
- Love is not merely a claim or lip service that anyone can make. It is a reality with tangible effects and clear criteria to measure its authenticity.
Is it possible for someone to have a genuine interest in purity and chastity (both outwardly and inwardly) without displaying any sign of this love in their life?
Can someone claim an interest in a form of art but never seek out the works of artists in that field, nor display any of that art in their home or workplace, nor make any effort to acquire that skill?
Can it be accepted that someone is deeply attached to a certain personality, yet there is no resemblance or alignment in thought, speech, or behavior with that person? Would anyone believe that such a claim of attachment has any basis in reality and that the claimant is truthful?
When it is said that certain individuals are lovers and admirers of Lady Fatimah (S), it means that their life, thoughts, and conduct have some degree of harmony and similarity with her radiant life, even if that resemblance is minimal. After all, a drop of water, no matter how small in comparison to the ocean, still undeniably shares a similarity and connection with it!
- Knowledge is like finding the path, but finding the path does not mean walking it. The vehicle to traverse the path is love. It is through the steps of love that people reach their destination and attain their goal.
Those who love Lady Fatimah (S), in addition to finding the path of truth, have entered this path to the extent of their capacity and ability, and they are in the process of traversing it. Entering this path is the ultimate goal of all divine religions, which call people to the way of Allah and present walking this path as the only means of achieving salvation. Naturally, the distance such individuals maintain from the fire is a clear result of their choices and actions.
- According to the Qur’an, all humans without exception will enter the fire, but those who are pious will be saved and will not suffer harm from it:
}وَ إِن مِّنکمُْ إِلَّا وَارِدُهَا کاَنَ عَلی رَبِّک حَتْمًا مَّقْضِیا * ثمَُّ نُنَجِّی الَّذِینَ اتَّقَواْ وَّ نَذَرُ الظَّالِمِینَ فِیهَا جِثِیا{.
“And there is none of you except he will come to it. This is upon your Lord an inevitability decreed. Then We will save those who feared Allah and leave the wrongdoers within it, kneeling.” (71-72)
The tone of this verse is such that no exceptions can be made, and it cannot have any exemptions. However, just as in this world the great fire of Nimrod became cool and peaceful for Prophet Abraham (A) and caused him no harm, similarly, the fire of Hell will not harm the believers who possess piety, and they will pass through it safely.
The purpose of mentioning the above verse is to show that it states the condition for salvation from the fire is piety, while the narration under discussion presents love for Lady Fatimah (S) as the condition for distancing oneself from the fire. This means that love for that noble lady brings forth the essence of piety in her admirers. If we seek signs of love for her within ourselves, we must measure the level of our piety and evaluate our adherence to the limits set by Allah.
- «یا أَیهَا الَّذینَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَ ابْتَغُوا إِلَیهِ الْوَسیله»
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and seek the means [of nearness] to Him.” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 35)
Perfect human beings who have attained closeness to Allah and traversed the path of nearness are the best means for the believers to draw closer to Allah. They know the path, are familiar with its twists and turns, have experienced the journey, and are aware of its dangers and pitfalls. Moreover, they seek nothing for themselves from the believers and have no ambition other than leading them to Allah.
These perfect individuals, of whom Lady Fatimah (S) is a clear example, have been purified by the will and decree of Allah and have acquired the requisite qualifications to serve as means for guiding believers from the darkness of the material world to the divine light:
«إِنَّما یریدُ اللَّهُ لِیذْهِبَ عَنْکمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَیتِ وَ یطَهِّرَکمْ تَطْهیراً»
“Indeed, Allah intends only to remove impurity from you, O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you completely.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 33)
Love for such individuals results in closeness to Allah because no ego or darkness remains in them to obstruct the path of those who seek nearness. For this reason, Allah commanded His noble Prophet (S) to declare love for them as the reward for his prophethood:
«قُلْ لا أَسْئَلُکمْ عَلَیهِ أَجْراً إِلاَّ الْمَوَدَّةَ فِی الْقُرْبی»
“Say, ‘I do not ask you for it any payment but only good will through kinship.'” (Surah Ash-Shura: 23)
Certainly, this love opens the way for following and obedience, and through this obedience, proximity [to Allah] is achieved:
«قُلْ إِنْ کنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونی یحْبِبْکمُ اللَّهُ»
“Say, ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you.'” (Surah Aal-E-Imran: 31)
- The Messenger of Allah (S) said to Salman:
«یا سَلْمَانُ مَنْ أَحَبَّ فَاطِمَةَ فَهُوَ فِی الْجَنَّةِ مَعِی وَ مَنْ أَبْغَضَهَا فَهُوَ فِی النَّارِ. یا سَلْمَانُ حُبُّ فَاطِمَةَ ینْفَعُ فِی مِائَةٍ مِنَ الْمَوَاطِنِ أَیسَرُ تِلْک الْمَوَاطِنِ الْمَوْتُ وَ الْقَبْرُ وَ الْمِیزَانُ وَ الْحَشْرُ وَ الصِّرَاطُ وَ الْمُحَاسَبَةُ فَمَنْ رَضِیتْ عَنْهُ ابْنَتِی رَضِیتُ عَنْهُ وَ مَنْ رَضِیتُ عَنْهُ رَضِی اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَ مَنْ غَضِبَتْ عَلَیهِ فَاطِمَةُ غَضِبْتُ عَلَیهِ وَ مَنْ غَضِبْتُ عَلَیهِ غَضَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَیهِ وَ وَیلٌ لِمَنْ یظْلِمُهَا وَ یظْلِمُ بَعْلَهَا أَمِیرَالْمُؤْمِنِینَ عَلِیاً وَ وَیلٌ لِمَنْ یظْلِمُ ذُرِّیتَهَا وَ شِیعَتَهَا»
“O Salman, whoever loves Fatimah will be with me in Paradise, and whoever harbors enmity towards her will be in the Fire. O Salman, love for Fatimah benefits in one hundred situations, the easiest of which are death, the grave, the scale [of deeds], the gathering [on the Day of Judgment], the bridge [over Hell], and the accounting [of deeds]. Whoever my daughter is pleased with, I am pleased with, and whoever I am pleased with, Allah is pleased with. Whoever Fatimah is angry with, I am angry with, and whoever I am angry with, Allah is angry with. Woe to the one who oppresses her, her husband, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, and woe to the one who oppresses her progeny and her followers.”
- The Messenger of Allah (S) took the hands of Hassan and Hussain (A) and said:
«مَنْ أَحَبَّ هَذَینِ وَ أَبَاهُمَا وَ أُمَّهُمَا کانَ مَعِی فِی دَرَجَتِی یوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ»
“Whoever loves these two, their father, and their mother will be with me at my station on the Day of Resurrection.”