LADY FATIMA'S AGE AT THE TIME OF HER MARTYRDOM

[Rajaee]

How Old Was Lady Fatima (s.a) When She Was Martyred?

 

Intro

There are two main theories regarding the Lady’s age; one suggests that she was 18 and is supported by Shiites, and the other one, which is advocated by Sunnites, claims her to be 28 when she set to meet her beloved father in the next life. The source of disagreement is because the exact time of Fatima’s (s.a) birthday is a place of debate. If the Lady was 18 then she must have been born after Hijra and if she was 28, there’s no choice but to say she was born before Bi’tha. Let's take a brief look at the narratives and evidence provided by both sides.

The Sunnite’s theory

Although the said age for the Lady from the Sunnite is not the only theory among them, it is more accepted than others. For example, there’s a narrative in which the birthday is on the 41st year of the noble prophet’s life. To support that Fatima (s.a) was 28, certain narrations were presented by them:

1)    Ibn Is’haaq[1] says ALL Rasulullah’s children were born before Bi’tha except Ibrahim[2]

2)    Ibn Jawzi[3] says Fatima (s.a) was born around 5 years before Bi’tha during the rebuilding of Ka’ba.

3)    Al-Waqidi[4] claims that She was born when Ka’ba was being built, and Rasulullah (s.a.w.s) was 35 years old.

Contradiction of the narrative with authentic hadiths from the Sunnite sources

All these famous scholars have said the same thing regarding the Lady’s birthday but seems like they were oblivious to their hadiths!

There are some hadiths with the same context in which the birthday of Lady Fatima (s.a) was after Rasulullah’s Meraj.[5]. These hadiths are accepted by Sunnite as well:[6]

1.    As-Suyuti[7] narrates in his book, called “ad-Durar al-Manthur”, under Ayah al-Miraj that Lady Khadija conceived Lady Fatima (s.a) after Rasulullah (s.a.w.s) returned from his divine ascension (Miraj)

2.    A similar narrative is transmitted in Mustadrak as-Sahihayn from Sa’d ibn Malik. It is also added to the end that whenever Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.s) longed for paradise, he’d go to Lady Fatima (s.a)

3.    Dhakha’ir al-Uqba and Tarikh Baghdad, in two spots, also narrate a similar version of the narration.

The authenticity of the mentioned hadith, which is narrated in various sources with valid chains according to the Sunnite perspective, clearly establishes that the theory suggesting the Lady was born before Bi'tha is firmly unacceptable.

The Shiite Theory

Unlike Sunnites, Shiites mostly believe that the Lady was born after Bi’tha, with a 5-year difference. This theory not only aligns with the aforementioned hadith but is also firmly supported by additional hadiths:

1.    Kashf al-Qumma, vol. 1, p. 449 à Imam al-Baqir (a.s): "Fatima was born five years after Allah revealed His prophethood to His Prophet and sent down revelation upon him, while Quraysh was building the Kaaba. She passed away at the age of eighteen."

2.    Usoul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 457à also from Imam al-Baqir: "Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, was born five years after the Prophet's mission and passed away at the age of eighteen years and seventy-five days."

Conclusion

Rasulullah’s divine ascension (Miraj) is widely acknowledged to have occurred after his Bi’tha. Consequently, the hadiths indicating that Lady Fatima was born after the Miraj contradict the Sunni perspective. In contrast, the Shia viewpoint aligns with these hadiths and is supported by additional exclusive traditions. Ultimately, we can confidently assert that the Shia theory is more accurate and closer to the truth.

 

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[1] The famous Sunnite historian and biographer from Medina.

[2] The infant son of Rasulullah (s.a.w.s) who died very young, before reaching 2 years of age.

[3] The famous Sunnite jurist and historian of the sixth century.

[4] The famous Sunnite historian and biographer of the third century.

[5] The event of Rasulullah’s ascension to heaven, which is referred to in Sura al-Isra.

[6] Al-FiruzAbadi, Faza’il al-Khamsa min as-Sihah as-Sitta, vol. 2, pp 152-153

[7] Jalal ad-Deen as-Suyuti, the famous Sunnite scholar of the 9^th century.