In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Peace be upon you, O Fatimah al-Zahra.
Peace be upon you, O son of Zahra. May Allah's peace be upon you. May Allah's speed and ease be upon you.
The Virtue of Zahra (peace be upon her)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) said:
“Fatimah is a piece of me. Whoever angers her, angers me.”
This blessed hadith of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) encapsulates the ocean of virtues of Lady Zahra (peace be upon her) in a single drop. For if the Princess is a part of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), then all the virtues and attributes that are in the Prophet are also present in Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), except for the qualities of prophethood and apostleship.
Allah Almighty has bestowed many divine titles upon His special servant. It is evident that titles are given based on a person’s capability and excellence. The more qualities and perfections a person possesses, the more titles they are worthy of receiving. It is also understood that the one who bestows such titles does so according to His own boundless capacity and wisdom.
Now, if Allah Almighty Himself has bestowed these titles, one can only imagine the immense level of virtues and attributes that the Lady of Light is endowed with.
The Light of Zahra (peace be upon her)
Among the greatest virtues of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) is that long before the creation of Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), Allah the Exalted had already created and bestowed the Light of Zahra (peace be upon her).
Jabir ibn Abdullah narrates:
I asked my sixth Imam, Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), why Fatimah (peace be upon her) is called Zahra.
He replied: “Because Allah created her from His own Light. When Allah created the light of Fatimah (peace be upon her), the entire heavens shone with that radiance, and the eyes of the angels were dazzled by its brilliance.”
The angels, overwhelmed by the beauty of this divine light, prostrated and said:
“O our Lord! What is this Light that dazzles our eyes?”
Allah, the Almighty, replied:
“This is a Light from My own Light which I have placed in the heavens. I will manifest this Light from the loins of one of My Prophets, who will be the most excellent and superior among all Prophets. Through him, I will complete and seal the chain of Prophethood and Messengership. Through this Light, I will also manifest the Light of Wilayah (Divine Guardianship), which will establish My command, clarify My truth, and guide people towards Me.”
The Chosen Vessel of Divine Light
Thus, Allah chose Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) as the vessel of Divine Light, the container that would protect and carry the sacred light of Wilayah.
The purpose of a container is to protect whatever is placed within it. The more valuable the treasure, the stronger and more precious the container must be.
For example:
Water, being common, is kept in a simple glass vessel.
But diamonds and precious gems require a strong, exquisite box.
Now reflect: how great, how pure, and how magnificent must the container be that was chosen to safeguard the lights of Prophethood and Imamate — the lights through which Allah’s guidance is preserved for all of creation?
This divine vessel — Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) — is greater and more exalted than one hundred and thirty-two thousand prophets and messengers. She is so honorable that the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him and his progeny) himself would stand in reverence for her.
She is so beautiful that even the houris (maidens of Paradise) are amazed by her radiance.
She is so strong and steadfast that the burdens of Prophethood and Imamate rested upon her shoulders.
And when the time came to protect these divine trusts, Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) sacrificed her very life to preserve the message of Prophethood and the light of Wilayah.
The Sacrifice and Its Eternal Impact
The Lady of Light not only safeguarded the guardianship (Wilayah) and Prophethood (Nubuwwah), but also preserved the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed).
For had the oppressors succeeded in extinguishing the light of Wilayah, Prophethood itself would have perished. And if Prophethood had ended without the continuation of Wilayah, then the message of Tawheed would have been lost to mankind.
Just as every Prophet before her had come to proclaim the Oneness of Allah, after their departures their followers distorted the message. Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), through her immense patience, struggle, and sacrifice, ensured that the divine message remained pure and uncorrupted — a beacon of truth and faith for all generations to come.
The truth is that we, who have little knowledge and understanding, are unable to write or describe anything about the greatness and status of Lady Zahra (peace be upon her).
In short, it should be said: What is the standard of truth?
The standard of truth is the honorable personality of Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her).
If someone asks, “Where is the truth?” then look—where is Fatima?
Wherever Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her) is, the truth will be there.
Remember that the Shia faith possesses certain unique characteristics that cannot be found in any other religion.
These very characteristics distinguish us from all other sects and also inspire respect and admiration among other communities.
Even if others do not accept our faith, they still admit that if there is any true sect among the Muslims, it is the Shia sect.
The Distinct Characteristics of the Shia Faith
First Characteristic:
We are Ghadiris, meaning we are the followers and believers in the event of Ghadir.
This is the reason why the Shia have always faced opposition and persecution from those who deny Ghadir.
Second Characteristic:
We, the Shia, not only believe in Ashura, but we keep the day of Ashura alive for two months and eight days.
We mourn in such a way as if today itself is the day of Ashura, while other Muslims do not commemorate these sacred days.
Third Characteristic:
We love Imam Ali (peace be upon him) deeply, and we cannot compromise with anyone regarding our love for him—even if it costs us our lives.
The love of the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) is so precious to us that even if someone offered us all the wealth of the world, they could never buy our love or loyalty.
Once, a man came to Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and said,
“My Master, I am very worried and poor.”
The Imam replied,
“You are misrepresenting yourself.”
The man said,
“My Master, I am not lying. I am truly poor.”
The Imam (peace be upon him) said,
“You possess something extremely valuable, and yet you complain of poverty?”
The man asked,
“My Master, what is that thing which I do not know about?”
The Imam asked,
“Tell me, do you have love for us in your heart?”
The man replied,
“My Master, surely! That is not even something to be questioned.”
The Imam said,
“Then return this love of ours to us, and take whatever price you want in exchange.”
Hearing this, the man became distressed and said,
“Master, how could I ever sell your love for dirhams and dinars?”
The Imam smiled and said,
“You call yourself poor while possessing something so priceless?”
Indeed, we love the Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) and believe in Imam Ali (peace be upon him) as the rightful and immediate successor of the Prophet — the first Caliph after the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family).
Fourth Characteristic:
We commemorate the Days of Fatimiyyah, to proclaim to the world that Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her), the only daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), was on the side of truth.
Those who opposed her were on the side of falsehood — even if they were rulers of their time.
During the Days of Fatimiyyah, we recount the trials and tragedies that befell Lady Zahra (peace be upon her) and express disavowal and disgust toward her oppressors and killers.
The followers of the Ahlul Bayt can never compromise with the enemies of Zahra (peace be upon her).
In fact, we cannot even hold the slightest soft corner in our hearts for those who set fire to the door of Sayyidah Fatimah (peace be upon her).
During the Fatimid Days, we narrate the virtues and sufferings of Lady Fatimah Zahra (peace be upon her),
making it absolutely clear that the daughter of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was on the path of truth,
and her enemies — even if they were called the “Caliphs of the Prophet” — were on the path of falsehood.
Moreover, anyone who is pleased with the actions of those enemies of Zahra (peace be upon her) is also on the wrong path.
For the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said regarding his daughter:
“Whoever displeases Fatimah has displeased me,
and whoever displeases me has displeased Allah,
and whoever displeases Allah can never be a Muslim.”
