The Dowry of Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Zahrah (r.a.)

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

It is said that when Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Zahrah (r.a.) saw her father constantly saying, “My ummah,” out of his concern for them, she also wanted to do something herself for the benefit of the ummah.  When Allah (s.w.t.) Ordered the Prophet (s.a.w.) to find a husband for his daughter, Rasulullah (s.a.w.) called his swahabah (r.a.). 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said that the one amongst them who was able to complete the recitation of the Qur’an the quickest, had his permission to ask for the hand of his daughter, Sayyidatina Fathimah (r.a.), with her consent.  So, that night, the swahabah stayed at the mosque to khatm the Qur’an.  All of them were there the entire night except Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.), who went home and slept after a short while. 

Everyone, including the Prophet (s.a.w.), assembled in the mosque when Sayyidina Bilal ibn Rabah (r.a.) called the adzan for fajr.  After performing fajr, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) asked, “Who finished the Qur’an last night?”  None were able to answer; it is difficult to finish reciting thirty juz of the Qur’an in only seven or eight hours. 

Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Thalib (k.w.) said, “Ya Rasulullah, I finished reciting the Qur’an last night.”  The other swahabah wondered at this.  He had slept much of the night. 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) asked Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.), “Who is your witness?” 

Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.) replied, “Allah is my Witness, and you are my witness, that I completed it.  O Messenger of Allah, I recited the following: ‘There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’ three times; ‘I seek the forgiveness of Allah’ seventy times; al-Fatihah once; al-Ikhlasw three times; al-Falaq once; an-Naas once; ‘There is no god but Allah’ ten times; and ‘Peace and the Blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad.’” 

The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said, “As Allah Bears Witness, I also bear witness that ‘Ali has completed the Qur’an.  If you recite what he has recited, it is equivalent to having completed the Qur’an.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) asked Sayyidatina Fathimah (r.a.), “Do you accept ‘Ali as your husband?” 

She replied, “On one condition.” 

The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) face changed.  They were curious about this condition.  The angel, Jibril (a.s.), appeared and told Prophet (s.a.w.), “O Muhammad, Allah Commands you to ask her about her condition.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) asked, “O Fathimah, what is your condition?” 

She replied, “The condition does not concern ‘Ali but is related to me.  That condition has to be accepted before I marry ‘Ali.” 

Again, the angel Jibril (a.s.) came to the Prophet (s.a.w.) and said, “Allah Orders you to ask her what her condition is.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) asked, “O Fathimah, what is your condition?” 

She said, “I hear you continuously, day and night, praying for your ummah.  You say, ‘O My Lord!  Give me Permission to lead my ummah to You!  Forgive them!  Purify them!  Take Away their sins and difficulties and burdens!’  I hear you and I know how much you suffer for your ummah.  I know from what you have said that when you pass away you will still be saying, ‘My ummah!’ before your Lord, in your grave and on the Day of Judgement.  My Father, I see you suffering so much for your ummah.  Since that love of your ummah is also in my heart, I want your ummah as my dowry.  If you accept, I will marry ‘Ali.” 

She asked for all the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) without discrimination.  But it was not in the hand of the Prophet (s.a.w.) to give such a dowry.  He waited for Jibril (a.s.) to come but Jibril (a.s.) took time to come.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) was kept waiting for some time.  And then Jibril (a.s.) came and said, “Allah Sends you His Greetings and Accepts Fathimah’s (r.a.) request.  He Gives her what she has asked for as her dowry to marry ‘Ali.” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) immediately got up and performed two raka’at of swalah shukr to Allah (s.w.t.).  Such is Sayyidatina Fathimah az-Zahrah’s (r.a.) love for the Salvation of the ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.), no one is outside her dowry because if Allah (s.w.t.) were to Remove one person from her dowry, it would invalidate her marriage to Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.).  She is going to take the entire ummah under her wing and they will enter Jannah with her.  Shaykh Muhammad Nazhim Adil al-Haqqani (q.s.) said, “This is the power of one Muslim woman.  She will take everyone to Jannah with her.  No man can claim that.” 

As to the recitation of Sayyidina ‘Ali (k.w.), it has ever been part of the daily awrad of the Naqshbandi Haqqani and many Sufi orders as well as the format of tahlil.  And whoever does it, has the Reward as if he recited the entire Qur’an.