Sermon of Sayyada Fatemah

Excerpts from Sayyada Fatemah (as)’s sermon in the Mosque
(from: Fatimah al-Ma`sumah (as): a role model for men and women, by al-Marji' Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Fadlullah)

Sayyada Fatemah (as) stood in the Mosque, delivering her sermon. This had no equivalent in the Arabic history - an orator talking about the secrets of Islamic jurisprudence in all its major categories providing for every one of them its explanation and a clarification of the wisdom behind it. All this was to show the people the nature of the dynamic movement of this jurisprudence in their lives.

Thus, she entered into arguments around the issue of inheritance and its related verses, and her right in it.

We shall break her sermon into several parts, according to the topics with which each part deals.

Part 1 - The oneness of God

'Praise and gratitude to Allah for His bounties...'
'There is no God but Allah, the One... Who is impossible for the eyes to see, and the tongues to describe...'

'He innovated the things not from something before, and created them not in imitation of past models... to bring attention to his obedience/worship and to show his powers...'

Part 2 - The secrets of prophethood, the Message and the Qur'an

'I bear witness that my father Muhammad is His slave and messenger, He has chosen him before sending him... He sent him in completion of his matter... So Allah has lit by my father Muhammad their [the nations] darkness, and uncovered from the hearts the difficult matters...'

'You are the worshippers of Allah, in front of His do's and don'ts, and the bearers of His religion and revelation, and guardians of yourselves, and His messengers to the nations...'

'And a leader of truth with you, and a covenant which he presented for you... the speaking book of Allah and the truthful Qur'an, and the shining light... a leader to [Allah's] satisfaction is following it and leading to saving is hearing it...'

Part 3 - The rationale and goals of Islamic jurisprudence

'Allah made belief a purification of you from polytheism, and prayer to lead you away from arrogance, and [religious] tax to elevate the soul and increase the income, and fasting to make firm (your) faithfulness, and pilgrimage a glorifying building of the religion...'

Part 4 - Justice, Imamah and other jurisprudence secrets

'... and justice to harmonize the hearts (of people)... and obedience to us [Ahlul Bayt] a [perfect] system for the nation, and our Imamah a safety from differences... And good conduct with the parents a protection from the anger [of Allah]... and punishment to save blood [souls]...'

Part 5 - Defending the right and truth

'O people! Know that I am Fatimah and my father is Muhammad! I say again from the start - and I do not say what I say wrongfully, nor I do what I do without reason... If you seek his family descent you shall find him father of me and not your other women, and the brother of my cousin, not your men;... and you have been on the edge of Hell.... Humiliated people, fearing the raids of the people around you, so Allah the Most High saved you by Muhammad... every time they lit a war fire Allah extinguished it... Or the polytheists opened their mouths [with their canines to bite], he [the Prophet] send his brother [Ali] unto their mouth ceilings [i.e. sent him to the points of danger and death]; he would not come back until he stepped with his foot on their ears and extinguished their flames with his sword, tired for Allah's sake... near to the Messenger of Allah, a master amongst Allah's holy people... Whilst you were in soft living... And when Allah chose for his Prophet the place of His prophets and the shelter of His chosen [people], the enmity of hypocrisy showed up amongst you, and the dress of religion got worn out...Then he [Satan] called upon you and found you quick [in responding to his call], and made you angry [to instigate your bad response] and found you angry [behaving out of emotional reactions]... and that whilst the time was [still] near, and the calamity wide, and the wound still open, and the Messenger had just been buried!

Part 6 - Setting out the proof for her right to Fadak

'And you claim now that we have no inheritance! Don't you know? O yes, it has uncovered for you like mid-morning sun that I am his daughter... O son of Abu Quhafah [i.e. Abu Bakr]! Is it that by the Book of Allah you inherit your father and I do not inherit mine? You have committed a grave thing! Is it with intention that you have abandoned the Book of Allah and left it behind your backs when it says: "And Solomon inherited David" (Qur'an 19:16), and says in what it tells of the story of John the son of Zakariyyah when he has said: "... So grant me from Thyself an heir. Who shall inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob?" (Qur'an 19: 5-6) ... Has Allah made a verse exclusive for you and taken my father out of it? ... Or you are more knowledgeable in the particulars and general rulings of the Qur'an than my father and my cousin?... Here is [the inheritance] for you [Abu Bakr], complete, to meet you on your day of judgement; for the best judge is Allah, and the leader [in the argument] is Muhammad and the date is the Judgement [day]...'

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