By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz
        
Today is the 10th of Rabi al-Akher. It means that only a month and a dozen days have passed since we commemorated the anniversary of the departure of the Messenger of Mercy, Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).
In other words, we are passing through those critical days, which in the year 11 AH, were the most calamitous period of life for the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, especially for his daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA). The noble lady was not allowed to live after her father by some of his Sahaba (companions), and eventually joined him in afterlife on the 13th of Jamadi al-Awwal – a little over a month from today – or as per another account another twenty days later on the 3rd of Jamadi al-Akher. 
The intention is not to refer to the torture the Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) Immaculate Daughter, Hazrat Fatema Zahra (SA), suffered during the short period (75 or 95 days) she was alive after her father when a roguish gang desecrated the sanctity of her threshold by battering down the burning door upon her, resulting in broken ribs and miscarriage for her. 
Neither is the intention to mention her memorable sermon that sealed her argumentation with the self-styled caliph in defence of Islam, and the political leadership of her husband, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS), by drawing attention to the event of Ghadir-Khom that occurred barely two months and ten days before her father passed away from the mortal world. 
Nor is it necessary to cite her sermon found in books of history and hadith by narrators, including Sunnis and Shi’ites, who quote her: “Have you forgotten the words of the Messenger of Allah on the Day of Ghadir on which he said: “For whosoever I am Master (Mowla), this Ali is his/her Master (Mowla)?” 
What, however, needs to be pointed out here is that in certain chains of transmission of this historical sermon, especially by our Sunni brethren, such as Hafez Shams ad-Din al-Jazari in his Asna al-Mataleb fi Manaqeb Seyyedana Ali ibn Abi Taleb, the name of another Fatema (SA) appears among the narrators.
This Fatema (SA) is the daughter of (Imam) Musa (AS), the son of (Imam) Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS). It means that this namesake of the Prophet’s daughter was, like her Infallible Ancestress, also a “muhadditha” or recorder of authentic hadith.
There are other hadith as well from this Immaculate Lady, regarding whose Divinely-inspired knowledge, her father, Imam Musa al-Kazem (AS) had said the famous phrase “idaha Abuha” (may her father be her ransom). This happened when the then less-than-10-year-old-girl had given answers on a piece of paper to queries regarding Islamic rules and regulations, by a group of visitors to Medina from distant Khorasan who had chanced to approach his threshold in his absence.   
It was Divine Providence that this Fatema (SA) had to leave Arabia – where heretics in the distant future would desecrate and destroy the shrines of the Prophet’s progeny – and come to Iran to make her final repose in the city of Qom, which her grandfather, Imam Sadeq (AS), had described as “the sanctuary of us the Ahl al-Bayt.”  
Now we understand why the One and Only Commander of the Faithful laid to eternal rest his beloved wife, the Prophet’s daughter, in the dead of night at a secret spot in Medina, where even the shadow of her tormentors would never fall on her grave, let alone its desecration by any blasphemous elements in future.
Without the least doubt, this is indicative of the handiwork of the All-Wise Creator. On the 10th of Rabi al-Akher in the year 202 AH, the 29 year old Fatema (SA) was destined to leave for the ethereal heaven only 17 days after she broke her journey in Qom, following attack on her caravan by Abbasid agents near Saveh (southwest of Tehran). She was proceeding to Marv (presently in Turkmenistan) in Khorasan to meet her brother, Imam Reza (AS), 
On learning of her death, the aggrieved brother, called his virtuous sister “Ma’souma” or the Immaculate, and gave tidings to the faithful: “Whoever visits her (grave), cognizant of her (merits), paradise is the reward.”
No wonder, the holy shrine of Fatema (SA) has transformed Qom into not just a site of pilgrimage, but also the centre of diffusion of the genuine teachings of Islam for seekers of truth from all over the world.
The “ziyarat-namah” or standard form of salutation for this noble lady, which has been recorded on the authority of Imam Reza (AS) contains the phrase: “O Fatema! Intercede for me (on the Day of Judgment), so that I enter Heaven, for indeed you have a great status in the eyes of Allah.”
The intercession of this Noble Lady in the matter of the entrance of the believers to Heaven has also been mentioned before in the authentic traditions from her grandfather Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS). He foretold: “A lady from my offspring whose name will be Fatema, daughter of Musa, will be buried in Qom. On the Day of Judgement this lady will intercede for my Shi`a to enter Heaven.”
While ending this brief column here is another phrase from her “ziyarah” or standard form of salutation that reads: 
“Peace upon you O Daughter of Musa the son of Ja’far. Mercy and blessing of Allah upon you. May God ensure cognition between us and you in Paradise; raise us (on the Day of Resurrection) in your company; bring us to your Prophet’s Fountain (of Kowthar); and quench (our thirst) through the goblet of your ancestor, by the hand of (Imam) Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS).”