The Greater Mary - Martyrdom

Martyrdom

Following the Farewell Pilgrimage, Muhammad summoned Fatimah and informed her that he would die soon, and also told her that she would be the next of his household to die. After Mohammad's subsequent passing, Fatimah was grief-stricken and remained so until she herself died less than six months later, in Ramadhan. Sunnis believe that Fatimah reconciled her differences with Abu Bakr prior to her death, while Shia Muslims believe that her anger with him remained.

Shia and Sunni beliefs about her death diverge widely:

Sunni scholars say she died as a result of separation from her beloved father. The Sunni scholar Shaykh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi writes: 'After our Master had honored the world of the Hereafter, Fatima would neither eat nor drink and she forgot all laughter and joy. She had an apartment built for her in which she stayed by night and day, weeping her heart out for her beloved father.

She passed the time sobbing and sighing and nothing could take away her grief. As soon as she had done her household chores and taken care of her husband, 'Ali, and their lambs, Hasan and Husain, she would continue weeping: "O my beloved daddy! To whom have you left your Fatima?"

Six months went by in this fashion till Fatima got so thin that there was nothing left of her but skin and bones."

Shia maintain that Fatima died as a result of injuries sustained after her house was raided by Umar ibn al-Khattab who set fire to the house and stormed inside. His attack is said to have cracked her rib-cage whilst she was pregnant. This version of events is recorded in Sufi scholar Maulana Shibli's book Al-Farook. Shibli maintains that Umar not only murdered Fatima, but in the process but her unborn child, Mohsen, who was miscarried shortly thereafter as a direct result of Umar's attack. According to Shia tradition, Muhammad appeared in a dream and informed Fatimah that she would be passing away the next day. Fatimah informed her husband Ali of her impending death, and asked him not to allow the oppressors to be involved in her ceremonial prayers janazah (prayer performed in congregation after the death of a Muslim) or take part in the burial.

Some sources have stated that her two sons were the first family members to learn of her death and immediately proceeded to the mosque to inform their father. Upon hearing the news, Ali fell unconscious. After recovering he followed Fatima's wishes and performed the janazah. He buried her during the night on 3rd Jumada al-Thani 11 AH (632), also making three false graves to ensure her real grave could not be identified. With him were his family and a few of his close companions.

Shia, especially Iranians, hold ceremonies every year for 20 days in Jumada al-awwal and Jumada al-awwal to commemorate the anniversary of the martyrdom of Fatimah. Mourners march in procession through the streets to reaffirm their allegiance to the ideals of Fatima.

The Sunnis state that on the morning of her death, she took a bath, put on new clothes and lay down in bed. She asked for Ali and informed him that her time to die was very close. Upon hearing this news, Ali began to cry but was consoled by Fatimah who asked him to look after her two sons and for him to bury her without ceremony. After her death, Ali followed her wishes and buried her without informing the Medinan people.