Chapter Three: His Marriage

Encyclopedia of Imam Ali (AS), written by Muhammad Muhammadi Rayshahri, abridged by Mahdi Gholamali, translated by Zaid Alsalami and Safyullah Khan, edited by Hamid Reza Salarkia and published by NORPUB.

10. رسول اللّه صلى الله عليه و آله:

10. The Prophet (SA) said:

 إنَّما أنَا بَشَرٌ مِثلُكُم

“I am but a human like you.

أتَزَوَّجُ فيكُم واُزَوِّجُكُم ،

I get married amongst you and marry you off,

إلّا فاطِمَةَ فَإِنَّ تَزويجَها نَزَلَ مِنَ السَّماءِ .

except for Fatimah: her marriage has descended from heaven.”

الكافي : ج5 ص568 ح54 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 5, p. 568, h. 54.

11. الإمام الصادق عليه السلام :

11. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said:

لَولا أنَّ اللّهَ تَبارَكَ وتَعالى خَلَقَ أميرَ المُؤمِنينَ عليه السلام لِفاطِمَةَ ،

“Had not Allah, the Exalted, created the Commander of the Faithful (AS) for Fatimah (a.s),

ما كانَ لَها كُفوٌ عَلى ظَهرِ الأَرضِ مِن آدَمَ ومَن دونَهُ .

nobody on the face of this earth from Adam onwards would have been equal to her.”

الكافي : ج 1 ص 461 ح 10 .

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 461, h. 10.

12. الأمالي للطوسي عن الضحّاك بن مزاحم :

12. Al-Amali, by al-Tusi, narrating from al-Âahhak ibn Muzahim, who said:

سَمِعتُ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ عليه السلام يَقولُ :

 “I heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) say:

أتاني أبو بَكرٍ وعُمَرُ فَقالا : لَو أتَيتَ رَسولَ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله فَذَكَرتَ لَهُ فاطِمَةَ .

 “Abu Bakr and `Umar came to me and said: “Why do you not go to the Messenger of Allah (SA) and speak with him regarding Fatimah?”

قالَ : فَأَتَيتُهُ ، فَلَمّا رَآني رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله ضَحِكَ ،

He said: “So I went to him; when the Messenger of Allah (SA) saw me, he smiled

ثُمَّ قالَ : ما جاءَ بِكَ يا أبَا الحَسَنِ ؟

and said: “What is it that has brought you, O Abu al-Hasan?

وما حاجَتُكَ ؟

And what do you need?”

قالَ : فَذَكَرتُ لَهُ قَرابَتي وقِدَمي فِي الإِسلامِ ونُصرَتي لَهُ وجِهادي ،

He said: “I mentioned my kinship to him, my precedence in Islam, my support of him, and my struggle,

فَقالَ : يا عَلِيُّ صَدَقتَ ، فَأَنتَ أفضَلُ مِمّا تَذكُرُ .

so he said: “O Ali, you are right, and you are even better than what you say.”

فَقُلتُ : يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ، فاطِمَةُ تُزَوِّجُنيها ؟

I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SA), would you marry Fatimah to me?”

فَقالَ : يا عَلِيُّ ، إنَّهُ قَد ذَكَرَها قَبلَكَ رِجالٌ ،

He said: “O Ali, many men have proposed before you,

فَذَكَرتُ ذلِكَ لَها ، فَرَأَيتُ الكَراهَةَ في وَجهِها ،

and I mentioned them to her and saw dissatisfaction on her face;

ولكِن عَلى رِسلِكَ حَتّى أخرُجَ إلَيكَ .

so, wait, and I will come back to you.”

فَدَخَلَ عَلَيها فَقامَت إلَيهِ ،

He went to her and she stood up to receive him.

فَأَخَذَت رِداءَهُ ونَزَعَت نَعلَيهِ ،

She took his cloak off him and took off his shoes.

وأتَتهُ بِالوَضوءِ ،

She brought some water for him for ablution,

فَوَضَّأَتهُ بِيَدِها وغَسَلَت رِجلَيهِ ،

washed him with her hands and washed his feet,

ثُمَّ قَعَدَت ،

and sat down.

فَقالَ لَها : يا فاطِمَةُ ،

He said to her: “O Fatimah.”

فَقالَت : لَبَّيكَ !حاجَتُكَ يا رَسولَ اللّهِ ؟

She answered: “I am at your command, what do you request, O Messenger of Allah.”

قالَ : إنَّ عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ مَن قَد عَرَفتِ قَرابَتَهُ وفَضلَهُ وإسلامَهُ ،

He said: “Ali ibn Abi Talib is here, and you know his kinship to us, his virtue and his [precedence in] Islam.

وإنّي قَد سَأَلتُ ربّي أن يُزَوِّجَكِ خَيرَ خَلقِهِ وأحَبَّهُم إلَيهِ ، وقَد ذَكَرَ مِن أمرِكِ شَيئا ،

I have asked my Lord to marry you to the best of His creatures and the dearest to Him, and he [Ali] has mentioned you.

فَما تَرَينَ ؟

What do you say?”

فَسَكَتَت ولَم تُوَلِّ وَجهَها ،

She kept silent, but did not turn her face away.

ولَم يرَ فيهِ رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله كَراهَةً ،

The Messenger of Allah did not find in it any dissatisfaction,

فَقامَ وهُوَ يَقولُ : اللّهُ أكبَرُ ! سُكوتُها إقرارُها .

so he got up, saying: “Allah is Greater. Her silence is her acceptance.”

فَأَتاهُ جَبرَئيلُ عليه السلام فَقالَ :

Then the angel Gabriel (AS) descended and said:

يا مُحَمَّدُ ، زَوِّجها عَلِيَّ بنَ أبي طالِبٍ ؛

“O Mohammad, marry her to Ali ibn Abi Talib,

فَإِنَّ اللّهَ قَد رَضِيَها لَهُ ورَضِيَهُ لَها .

for Allah has approved him for her and approved her for him.”

الأمالي للطوسي : ص39 ح44 .

Al-Amali, by al-Tusi, p. 39, h. 44.

13. سنن ابن ماجة عن عائشة واُمّ سلمة :

13. Sunan Ibn Majah, narrating from A’ishah and Um Salamah, who said:

أمَرَنا رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله أن نُجَهِّزَ فاطِمَةَ حَتّى نُدخِلَها عَلى عَلِيٍّ .

 “The Messenger of Allah (SA) ordered us to prepare Fatimah for her wedding to Ali.

فَعَمَدنا إلَى البَيتِ فَفَرَشناهُ تُرابا لَيِّنا مِن أعراضِ البَطحاءِ ،

We covered the house courtyard with soft sand from the desert side

ثُمَّ حَشَونا مِرفَقَتَينِ ليفا فَنَفَشناهُ بِأَيدينا،

and stuffed two pillows with fibre from a palm tree, which we puffed up with our own hands.

ثُمَّ أطعَمَنا تَمرا وزَبيبا ،

We fed dates and raisins,

وسَقَينا ماءً عَذبا ،

give fresh water to drink; then

وعَمَدنا إلى عودٍ فَعَرَضناهُ في جانِبِ البَيتِ لِيُلقى عَلَيهِ الثَّوبُ

and we fixed a wooden stick on the side of the house on which to hang dresses

ويُعَلَّقَ عَلَيهِ السِّقاءُ .

and suspend waterskins.

فَما رَأَينا عُرسا أحسَنَ مِن عُرسِ فاطِمَةَ .

We never saw a wedding better than that of Fatimah.”

سنن ابن ماجة : ج 1 ص 616 ح 1911 .

Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 1, p. 616, h. 1911.

14. الإمام عليّ عليه السلامـ في ذِكرِ زَواجِهِ مِن فاطِمَةَ عليهاالسلامـ: ...

14. Imam Ali (AS) said, -regarding his marriage to Fatimah (AS)-:

ثُمَّ صاحَ بي رَسولُ اللّهِ صلى الله عليه و آله : يا عَلِيُّ ،

 “… Then the Messenger of Allah (SA) called out to me: “O Ali.”

فَقُلتُ : لَبَّيكَ يا رَسولَ اللّهِ !

I said: “Here I am, O Messenger of Allah.”

قالَ : اُدخُل بَيتَكَ وَالطُف بِزَوجَتِكَ وَارفَق بِها ؛

He said: “Go into your house, be gentle with your bride, and be kind to her.

فَإِنَّ فاطِمَةَ بَضعَةٌ مِنّي ،

Fatimah is a part of me.

يُؤلِمُني ما يُؤلِمُها

Whatever hurts her hurts me

ويَسُرُّني ما يَسُرُّها ،

and whatever pleases her pleases me.

أستَودِعُكُمَا اللّهَ وأستَخلِفُهُ عَلَيكُما .

I leave you with Allah, and to Him I entrust your well-being.”

المناقب للخوارزمي : ص 353 ح 364 .

Al-Manaqib, by al-Khwarizmi, p. 353, h. 364.