family of the prophet muhammad

1

The family

of the Prophet Muhammad

in Egypt

Compiled by:

Muhammad Jalal Raza

Fadil Jamia Nizamiya, Hyderabad

India

B.A. Al Azhar University, Egypt

M.A. Cairo University, Egypt

2

Deposit No.

In The Egyptian Books House

All rights reserved for the Compiler

AL-KILANY PRESS.

22, Kamel Kilany st. Bab El-Khalq.

Cairo Egypt .

Tel : 3918598-3951543

3

In the name of Allah The Most Gracious

The Most Merciful

Preface

By Dr. Ali Juma 'a

All praise be to Allah (Exalted be He) and peace

and blessings be upon our Messenger

Muhammad,(peace be upon him)and his family

members and his companions as well as upon those

who love them.

Egyptian people describe their country as Egypt the protected Because, Allah (Exalted be He) has protected it from, disasters, epidemics and

vicissitudes of the time.

Furthermore, He blessed its inhabitants, after they embraced Islam and entered the religion of

Allah (Exalted be He) in crowds.

These favors were bestowed upon them only by

the Messenger( Peace be upon him) through the

presence of his family members in Egypt as it was

blessed by more than forty eminent of the blessed

4

family.

They are those about whom Allah (Exalted be He)

says Say, No reward do I ask you for this except the love of those near of kin 23 As Shura42.

And the Messenger Muhammad ( Peace be upon

him) has stated. I am leaving such a thing with you which if you hold it steadfast you shall never go

astray; The book of Allah, and my family

members. This tradition was transmitted by Imam Termezi and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal.

In another Hadith transmitted by Imam Ahmad

Ibn Hanbal Abu Said Al Khudri narrated, the

Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) stated, I am leaving with you two heavy things; One of them is more important

than the other:

(1) Book of Allah , the extended rope from the sky to the earth.

(2) My family members, both will remain together and will never be seprated from

each other untill they will come to me at

the Fountain of Kawthar.

Imam Shafaee said in his well-knwon poem If to love the Prophet,s (May peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) relatives is named Shi'ism then let mankind and Jinn be witness that I am a

5

Shi'ite. Furthermore,Imam Sha'rani used to say,, It is Allahs favor upon me that I was blessed by visiting forty persons of this family in Egypt the

protected.

The book in our hands, which has been compiled

by the virtuous, research scholar Mr Muhammad

Jalal Raza, is an interesting book. The compiler

searched for the family members of the Prophet

Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) in Egypt and was fully successful in his

study. The book is useful for those who are fond of

knowledge.

We pray Allah (Glorfied and Exalted be He ) to

make people benefit by this book as well as to

include this in the compilers Book of good deeds on the day of Judgment.

Professor Dr, Ali Juma'a

Mufti of Arab Republic of Egypt.

14/2/2005

6

In the name of Allah The Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Preface

By Dr . Muhammad Abu Layla

All praises and thanks be to Allah, the Sustainer

of the whole world and peace and blessings of Allah

be upon Muhammad (P.B.U.H) the last Messenger

of Allah ,as well as upon his family members,

companions and upon those who will follow their

foot steps sincerely.

This is a useful book about the family of the

Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in Egypt ,written by

the promising research scholar in Cairo University

(Islamic Philosophy Dept). who came from India to

Egypt to promote his knowledge of Islamic studies

in Egypt.

Mr. Muhammad Jalal Raza is a lover of the

Prophets (P.B.U.H) Sunnah and his family

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members.

I congratulate him for his important step to present

and introduce the most famous family members of

the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in Egypt

especially in English language.

I pray Allah to bless him by his efforts and

increase his contribution to Islamic Studies.

Dr MUHAMMAD ABU LAYLA

Prof of Islamic Studies in English and Head of

English Dept.

AL-Azhar University

21st Ramadan 1426AH.

24th

Oct 2005

8

PREFACE

By Dr. Ejaz Akram. .

I welcome the efforts of Mr. Jalal Raza to present a descriptive chronology of the Prophet Muhammads (SAAW) family at a time when the Islamic world is passing through the crucial crossroads of history. Muslims recognize well that internal challenges to the Islamic Civilization are just as grave as the external challenges. External challenges in the past, such as the Mongol invasion destroyed elements of Islamic society from which it recovered because the Mongols soon became a part of the Muslim world. Challenge of modernity to all religions, and given the modern worlds special animosity to Islam has presented a dual challenge. Externally, it is the continuation and control of Muslim lands, via reform or all sorts as well as military threats emanating from the Western countries. Most importantly however, are the challenges that emanate from within the Muslim world by people who are either Muslims or parade as scholars of Islam who are bent upon destroying the very fabric of traditional Islamic civilization in the name of reformed and rational Islam.

A general wave of intolerance that is often characterized randomly as fundamentalism has privileged rationalism in pursuit of gaining the

9

worldly superiority to match the West. By doing so it upholds Quran of course as the word of God (short of that they cannot be called Muslims), but on the other hand it has implored Muslims to avoid what they consider is the cult of personality and hence toward discrediting hadith and sunnah whose central figure is the Prophet of Islam, considered by Muslims the most perfect of all men. Traditional Muslims uphold that God bestowed all essential virtues and blessings that the humanly state deserves on the figure of Prophet Muhammad (SAAW).

His life from beginning to end has been studied by traditional Muslims, and the science of hadith and the tradition of sunnah are important informants to the development of the sacred law in Islam, the shariah.

It is indeed exigent for the vast collectivity of Muslims around the world to continue benefiting from the tradition of Prophets ahadith and his life sunnah. Mr. Jalal Raza has taken an important step to introduce the knowledge of Prophets family members and their spiritual meaning to the Muslims for which his good efforts must be commended.

Dr. Ejaz Akram

Assistant Professor

Department of Political Science

American University in Cairo

Cairo, Egypt

10

11th

Dhul Hajj, 1425

( 33)

Allah only wishes to remove all abomination

from you, O you members of the family, and to make

you pure and spotless

Surah AL Ahzab, Verse 33

..

( 23)

Say: No reward do I ask of you for this except the

love of those near of kin

Surah AL Shura, Verse 23

11

In the name of Allah, The Most Gracious,

The Most Merciful.

Preface by the compiler :

All praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of

the worlds; and peace and blessings of Allah be

upon Muhammad, the leader of the prophets and

messengers, and upon his blessed family members

and his companions, and upon all those who

followed them before us and those who will follow

them till the Day of Judgement (Ameen).

Respected reader, this is a humble effort and a

simple endeavor intended to present and introduce

those famous persons of the Prophet's family (Ahlul

Bait), who migrated to Egypt and resided there at

various times of their blessed lives.

Undoubtedly, the study of these pure personalities

research regarding their exemplary manners and a

study concerning their ideal behavior, is extremely

important in the modern ages. They are the best

models for mankind and allow Muslims and others

to understand how to implement the ideals of Islam

on a practical level in our day to day lives.

12

They are the ones who strictly followed the

commandments of the Qur'an and imbibed the

traditions and Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him), into their lifestyles.

Through the study of their biographies, a person

may improve his practice of Islamic principles and

come to understand how seemingly difficult

commandments within Islam were inculcated into

the everyday practice. As a consequence of this

practice, we can surmise that these blessed men and

women were the happiest nation ever to inhabit this

Earth.

The glorious Qur'an urges a Muslim to accompany

the group of people who are both sincere and true

believers:

O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and be with those

who are true (in word and deed).

Surah At Taubah, Verse 19

13

There is no doubt that it is impossible to join the

ranks of those who are spoken of in this verse

without a comprehension of their eminent spiritual

and practical lives.

Dear Reader, as an increasing population of

Muslims reside in the English speaking world and

even more have adopted English as their mother

tongue, it is crucial that an essay regarding the lives

of the eminent members of the family of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), be

prepared and distributed in English.

To fulfill this need, this book has been prepared

by me (with the help of Allah, the Most Merciful). I

have repeatedly referred to the outstanding Arabic

text "Maraaqid Ahlil Bait Fil Qaahira" by the late

Shaikh Muhammad Zakee Ibraheem, the chief of Al

Asheera Al Muhammadiyah in Cairo (may Allah's

mercy be upon him).

Since beginning this endeavor, my heart was

filled with confidence, security and an ambition to

complete this work. This was only through the

mercy of Allah and the completion of this project is

purely a sign of Allah's blessings and compassion.

14

Previously, with the help of Almighty Allah, I had translated two books from Urdu to Arabic. These were:

1. Al Qadiyaaniyah, a critical study of the

Qadiyaani sect

2. Al Falsafa Wal Islam, a critique of Greek

philosophy in the light of traditional Islamic

principles

Both these texts were published in Cairo, with

prefaces written by notable professors from

Al Azhar University and other scholars, may Allah

bless them all.

I express my gratitude and respect to all those who

helped me in completing this task by any means.

May Allah accept this effort through His boundless

Mercy and enable me to serve the cause of Islam

continuously and allow me to be of those who prove

profitable for the Muslim Ummah and all of

mankind.

Muhammad Jalal Raza

M.A. Cairo University

6th Zul Hijjah 1425 A.H., 17th January, 2005

15

What does Ahlul Bait mean?

Ahlul Bait is an Arabic phrase consisting of two

separate Arabic words.

1. Ahl - generally means relatives.

2. Al Bait - means the house.

Thus the word translates to "the household" or "the

family members".

Although this is a general meaning, in Islamic

terminology it later on came to signify the family

members of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him).

This phrase was used in the Glorious Qur'an with

the same meaning:

Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from

you, O members of the family!

Surah Al Ahzaab, Verse 33

16

Whom does the clause include?

The term "Ahlul Bait" includes:

1 Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him).

2 Ali, the Prophet's (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) son-in-law and cousin.

3 Hasan and Hussain, the Prophet's (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) grandsons.

4 The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him).

In addition to this, it includes all those who were

prohibited from receiving charity. These are the

progeny of Ali, Aqeel, Jafar and Abbas.1

What is our duty towards them?

We must love them for they are the family members

of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah

1- Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah by Muhammad Zakee Ibraheem

17

be upon him) himself loved them. Imam Bukhari

narrated through the authority of Abdullah, son of

Omar, that Abu Bakr said "The Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) delivered a sermon

and said "I remind you of Allah regarding my family

members", and he repeated it thrice.

To hate the members of the Prophet's (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) family is prohibited

and is considered a sign of hypocrisy.

A brief introduction to the famous family members


him) is provided below:

Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him).

He is the fourth caliph of Islam.

His father's name was Abu Taleb, the paternal uncle

of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him).

His mother's name was Fatima, the daughter of

Asad. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) would call her, "O my mother!" Upon her

death, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) shrouded her in his own shirt and

18

descended into her grave and prayed for her thus:

"Indeed, you were my mother after my (real)

mother."2

His nickname was Abul Hasan and Abu Turab.

The latter was given to him by the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him). Abu Turab

means "the man with dust", as it is related that the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

once saw him lying on the earth with his bare body

and his body was dusty. The Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) called him and

humorously told him "Stand up, O man with dust."

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) joined him to his family when Ali was a

child and brought him up carefully.

He was the first child to believe in the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and had

the honor of marrying the beloved daughter of the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

Fatima.

2- Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

19

He lived for approximately 30 years after the

death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him). It is narrated that he did not join any

other wives with Fatima, although he married

several times after her death, in order to increase his

progeny. He had 27 male and female children, but

his progeny did not continue through any of his

children except for Imam Hasan, Imam Hussain and

Zainab .

It goes without saying that Abu Talib, the father

of Ali, vouched for and cared tremendously for the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

As a paternal uncle, he was the one who had been

entrusted with the responsibility of rearing the


after the death of the Prophet's (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him) father and his grandfather. In

return, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) cared for his cousin Ali, as a repayment

of the favors bestowed upon him by his uncle. 3

3- Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah .

20

Ali was the fourth Caliph of Islam and his reign

lasted for 5 years and 6 months.

He was assassinated by Abdur Rahman, the son

of Muljim. The funeral proceedings were completed

secretly by his sons, Imams Hasan and Hussain and

by Muhammad, the son of Hanafia. He was buried at

night like his wife Fatima, to avoid any

disturbances.

His grave is in Iraq.

Fatima Az-Zahra:

She was the most beloved daughter of the


She was born in Mecca, two years after the

declaration of the prophethood of Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Her mother was Khadija, the daughter of Khuwailid.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) loved her immensely and he would stand

up for her whenever she came to him. He would kiss

her and make her sit in his own seat. 4

4-Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

21

Her titles:

She was given various titles. These include

Az-Zahra, the brightest lady, and Al-Batool, the one

isolated from earthly pleasures and occupied solely

with her creator.

Her marriage and children:

She was married to Imam Ali and was blessed with

the birth of Hasan in 3 A.H. Hussain was born a year

later in 4 A.H.

Her death:

She died in 11 A.H. a mere 6 months after the

death of her father, the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him). She had been told by the


that she would be the first amongst his family to

follow him after his death. 5

She was buried in Al Baqee.

5-Al Bidayah WanNihayah ,IbnKatheer ,

22

Imam Hasan :

He was the eldest son of Fatima and Ali (May

Allah be pleased with them both). He was born in

Madina, in the middle of Ramadan 3 A.H.

When he was born, the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) called Azaan in his

right ear and Iqamah in his left ear. This is how the

calling of Azaan in the right ear of a newborn and

the Iqamah in the left ear, came to be Sunnah.

On the seventh day, the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) sacrificed for him

and shaved his head. Gold equal in weight to the

hair of the baby was donated and the boy was named

Hasan. This was a unique name amongst the Arabs

at that time.

Imam Hasan resembled the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) in his facial

features. 6

6-At Tabaqat ulkubra Sharani Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

23

His nickname:

He was called Az-Zaki, the pure and Al-Mujtaba,

the selected.

His progeny:

He had a number of children as he had four wives.

The most famous of his children are:

1. Zaid

2. Hasan Al Musanna

3. Amr

4. Al Qasim

5. Abdullah

6. Abdur Rahman

7.Al Hasan Al Mosallas

8. Talha

He was also blessed with three daughters:

1. Ummul Hasan

2. Ummul Hussain

3. Fatima7

7 - Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

24

His descendants increased through his sons

Hasan Al Musanna and Zaid.

He was selected as the caliph of the Muslims

after the death of his father. However, he soon

abandoned leadership to prevent the needless

spilling of Muslim blood. The Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) had prophesized

that Hasan would be the one whom Allah would use

to reconcile the differences between two large

groups of rival Muslims.

He died in 49 A.H. and was buried in Al Baqee.

Imam Hussain:

He is the second grandson of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) and was born

on the 5th of Sha'baan, 4 A.H. He lived with his

grandfather for six years.

He was martyred on Friday or Saturday, 10th

Muharram in the course of the battle of Karbala in

Iraq.8

8-At Tabaqat ulkubra Sharani Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

25

.His body is buried in Karbala, while his blessed

head was taken from place to place, until it found

rest in the city of Asqalan near Palestine. It was kept

for the next few centuries.

During the Crusades, the Fatimid successor

worried for the safety of the blessed head of Imam

Husssain and ordered his minister, Tala'e bin Ruzaiq

to transfer it to Egypt. In this manner, it was

transferred to its final resting place, the Imam

Hussain mosque in Cairo, where it is still buried .

His marriages:

He married a number of wives in order to

increase his offspring and preserve the family of the


through his descendants. His wish to preserve the

prophetic heritage was fulfilled and it's prosperity

and abundance may still be witnessed today 9

9 - Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

26

His Shrine in Egypt:

There are three famous shrines, each claiming that

his blessed head is buried within. The first of these

is in Damascus, where the head was initially buried.

The second is Asqalan, where the head was

transferred after Damascus. Later it was carried to

Cairo and buried between Khan al Khalil and the

Al Azhar Mosque.

In light of the above mentioned evidence, we may

conclude that the last stage in the process of

transferring his head was the transfer to Egypt. This

is the site of the Imam Hussain mosque in Cairo.

The famous Arab historian Maqraizee states

"Indeed, Hussain's head was shifted from Asqalan to

Cairo on 8th Jumada Al Akhir, 548 A.H. and

remained in the Al Zumurrad Palace for a year until

the current sanctuary was built. It was finally buried

in its current position in 549 A.H.10


27

It is interesting to note that some scholars came

across a manuscript written by Ibnul Awraq (d. 572

A.H.). It is currently preserved at the British

Museum in London, England and registered under

Number 5803 in the Oriental section. The author

wrote the book 12 years before his death and states

that the head was brought to Cairo from Asqalan in

549 A.H. He includes substantial evidence to enable

others to verify his claims. The author himself

participated in the transferring ceremony along with

other Egyptian delegations.

His tomb at present:

At present, the Egyptian government has given a

due concern to reconstruct the auspicious tomb of

Imam Hussain. They have used the latest

architectural techniques to preserve the original style and structure of the tomb during efforts to renovate the tomb.

The government has renovated the inner walls

ceilings and floor of the tomb. The designs and

sculptures have been restored to their former glory.

The shrine has been decorated with the finest kinds

of marble.11

11 - At Tabaqat ulkubra Sharani Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

28

The Museum of Prophetic remains:

A special hall has been built for the remains of the

belongings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) and his companions. It is to the

south of the tomb. The museum has two doors, one

leading to the mosque and the other leading to the

tomb.

The museum contains:

1. A piece of the Prophet's (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him) shirt.

2. His kohl container with its stick.

3. A part of his blessed cane.

4. Two hair from the beard of the Prophet (peace


5. A Qur'an written by the third Caliph of Islam,

Uthman, son of Affan

6. A Qur'an written by the fourth Caliph of

Islam, Ali, son of Abu Talib12

12 Maraqid AhlBait filQherah -

29

Zainab, daughter of Fatima Az Zahra

She was the daughter of Fatima Az Zahra and

Ali (May Allah bless them both) and the grand-

daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him). Her grandmother was

Khadeeja, daughter of Khuwailed. Her brothers

were Hasan and Hussain.

She was born in 5th or 6th A.H and thus enjoyed

the company of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him). She was named Zainab, in

memory of the elder daughter of the Prophet (peace


She was famous for her charming beauty,

nobility and generosity. She married her cousin

Abdullah son of Jafar. Jafar was the brother of Ali.

Her husband, Abdullah, was the first child born at

the time of the first migration to Ethiopia. He was

blessed by the Prophet's (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) company for almost ten years.

He was a noble and generous man and excelled in

horse-riding. His generosity was such that he was

titled the "center of generosity".13

13- Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

30

Zainab and Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with

them both) were blessed with many children. Their

progeny spread wisdom throughout the world.

Zainab herself, gave periodic sermons and taught

Egyptian women about Islam. As she was busy with

teaching and the spreading of Islam, she felt she was

unable to properly fulfill her duty to her husband.

She therefore, permitted him to re-marry.

Zainab accompanied her brother Hussain to face the

supporters of Yazeed. She played her part in battle

with her elegant speeches and poems. She would

encourage Muslim warriors to fight bravely and was

thus given the title of the "champion of Karbala".

Migration from Madeena to Egypt:

It is reported that the armies of Yazeed preserved

the head of Imam Hussain in Damascus so they

could frighten the general public14

.

Zainab, daughter of Ali, returned to the city of the


but was forced to leave there. Eventually, she chose


Page 14 of 45

The prophets (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)family in Egypt

31

Egypt as her place of residence. Her choice was

influenced by the love and sincerity that the

Egyptians showed towards the family members of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

In Sha'ban, 61 A.H., Zainab migrated to Egypt in

the company of Fatima, Sokaina and Ali. The

hospitable Egyptians received their esteemed guests

with great honor and high regard. However, their

happiness was tinged with sorrow and

disappointment due to the atrocities committed

against Imam Hussain and his supporters by Yazid's

followers in the battle of Karbala.

The Governor of Egypt, Maslama, son of

Makhlad al-Ansari, personally escorted the family of

the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) to his house in Al Hamra Al Quswa and this

area was thereafter renowned by the name of the

"Locality of the Lady".15

Zainab remained here for a year, worshipping,

fasting and teaching the masses about Islam. She

died in the year 62 A.H. and was buried in her

private chamber, which is a beautiful tomb and

mosque today. It is named Sayyada Zainab.


32

Extracts from her poems:

Many eloquent and beautiful poems were written

by Zainab. A few of the couplets she recited are

given below. From these couplets, we can surmise

the beauty and eloquence of her speech and the

loftiness of her thoughts.

O unjust tyrants, what will you answer if your

Prophet asks you on the Day of Judgement

"What have you done with my beloved family and

descendants after my death, while you were the best

of all nations. "

"Some of them were captives while others were

stained with blood."

" Is this your reward to my sincerity and fidelity?

Thus you misbehaved and maltreated my family

after my separation?"16


Page 15 of 45

33

Zainab composed some poems after her arrival in

Egypt.

If you are surrounded by troubles and hardships at

any time.

Trust in the One, Most High, The Supreme, and do

not worry when you face a calamity.

Allah's mercy and kindness is greater than the

coming of any mishap or tragedy.

NOTE:

There is some confusion regarding the identity of

the Lady Zainab. There is a question regarding

which Zainab she is. There were several ladies with

the same name, belonging to the same family.

However, this matter has been settled by respectable

historians with conclusive evidence and authentic

proofs that the Lady Zainab we have mentioned

above is none other than Zainab, daughter of Ali and

Fatima and the sister of Imam Hussain17


34

Lady Nafeesa:

The lady Nafeesa was the daughter of Hasan (Al

Anwar), son of Zaid, son of Imam Hasan, grandson


him). Historians are unanimous in their verdict that

the shrine ascribed to the Lady Nafeesa is the shrine

of the daughter of Hasan (Al Anwar) .

Her Name:

The word Nafeesa is an Arabic word. It is an

adjective derived from the noun "Nafasah", which

means purity, nobility and glory. She was named

with this beautiful name because the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) loved good

names for everyone. She was born in Mecca on 1st

Rabi Awwal, 145 A.H. She spent her childhood in

Medina, as her father was governor of Medina

during the caliphate of Mansoor. Nafeesa would

visit the tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) everyday and would remain

there for a long while.18


35

Her education:

She learnt to read and write and memorized the

Qur'an in its entirety at the tender age of six. She

was famous for her Qur'anic interpretation and

commentary and disseminated her knowledge to

both males and females. Her lessons were especially

popular during her stay in Cairo.

Lady Nafeesa's interest in Hadith:

Lady Nafeesa studied different sciences. She was

fond of all branches of knowledge and was taught by

the famous Islamic scholar, Imam Malik, the jurist

of Medina and the compiler of the Prophet's (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) sayings and

actions in his book, "Al Muwatta". This book is

considered as the first book of this kind, even before

the famous Sahih Al Bukhaari. Nafeesa studied

Al Muwatta in great detail and discussed all

opinions and matters within it.19

19 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

36

Her marriage:

As Nafeesa grew up and blossomed into a

meritorious and pious young woman, her

righteousness and nobility attracted many suitors for

marriage. Numerous men approached Hasan with a

marriage proposal, but each one was rejected

respectfully by Hasan.

Ishaq Al Mutaman, son of Jafar As Siddiq also

approached Hasan with the same proposal. Hasan

remained quiet after hearing the proposal and Ishaq

felt disappointed at his silence. He immediately

went to the Prophet's mosque and entered into the

tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him). Standing near the blessed grave of the


he respectfully said, "O Prophet of Allah! I asked for

Nafeesa's hand in marriage but received no

response. I intended only to marry her for her

righteousness and nobility."20

20 - Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah .Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr

37

After this, Ishaq returned back to his house free

from all worries and satisfied with whatever Allah

would ordain. During the night, Hasan had a dream

in which he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him) and was advised by him to

marry Nafeesa to Ishaq. Upon awakening, Hasan's

mind was made up and he immediately asked Ishaq

to come to his house. Hasan narrated the dream to

Ishaq and without delay, the marriage took place.

The marriage was attended by the noble families

of Quraish and the family members of the Prophet


Through this marriage, the nobility of Imam Hasan

was joined with the honor of Imam Hussain. This

was because Nafeesa belonged to the descendants of

Imam Hasan and Ishaq was from the descendants of

Imam Hussain.

Nafeesa and Ishaq were blessed with two

children, Qasim and Umme Kulthoom. Ishaq later

died in Medina and was buried there.

38

Nafeesa's collection of the Prophet's (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) sayings:

Nafeesa was dedicated to the sayings of the


and due to this, she was famous as "Nafeesa, the

knowledgeable".21

She gathered the traditions of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) from her father

and other family members. She was a student of

Imam Malik in Medina and also learnt Hadith in

Mecca. A large number of Egyptian scholars of the

time learnt and propagated the traditions of the


from Nafeesa. While residing in Cairo, Imam

Shafaee also heard Hadith from her.

Zainab, the daughter of Yahya (who was the

brother of Nafeesa) said, "My aunt memorized the

whole of the Qur'an and she learnt its interpretation

as well. She would recite the Qur'an and concentrate

on it's hidden meanings."22

21 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr 22 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr

39

During a journey to the grave of the Prophet

Ibrahim, she would cry profusely during recitation

and would continuously pray to Allah saying,

"O Allah! O my Lord! Ease for me my journey to

visit your friend Ibrahim." She knew that Ibrahim

was the father of the Prophets and the forefather of

the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him). Ibrahim (May peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) had prayed to Allah

for the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him). It was due to this

that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be

upon him) would say: "I am the fruit of the prayer of

Ibrahim."

In the Qur'an, Allah narrates the prayer of Ibrahim

thus:

Our Lord! Send amongst them a messenger of their

own, who shall rehearse the signs to them and

instruct them in the scripture and wisdom, and

sanctify them. You are the Exalted in Might, the

Wise.

Surah Al Baqarah, Verse 129

40

When she arrived at the grave of Ibrahim (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him), she stood next

to the grave and recited all the verses of the Qur'an

which mentioned the Prophet Ibrahim (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him). She then proceeded

to thank Allah, who had blessed her with the ability

to make this journey and showered His grace and

mercy upon her.23

Her worship:

Zainab, the niece of Nafeesa, stated: "I served my

aunt, Nafeesa, for a long period. I never saw her

sleeping at night, nor did I see her eating at daytime

(because of fasting). She would only eat during the

days of Eid (as fasting is prohibited in those days

according to Islamic Shariah)."

"As I saw her continuous struggle, I requested her

to ease the pains that she took upon herself. She

sighed and told me, "Should I be kind to myself,

even though ahead of me, I see many barriers

blocking my path which cannot be crossed by

anyone except for those who are successful.

23 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr, By Sayyed Hadi Khusru

41

" The pious lady was inclined towards leading a life

of asceticism and embraced all hardships

wholeheartedly."24

A life of asceticism was not a life of her own

creation, rather contrived from the practices and

sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him). She was acquainted with his way of

life and strove to imitate it as much as she could.

She preferred a life of simplicity in order to please

Allah and follow the footsteps of His beloved


Her renunciation was not caused by lack of

materials, dire circumstances or poverty; rather it

was a conscious choice on her part.

Her father was the governor of Medina and was

not lacking in material wealth. However, Nafeesa

chose the everlasting pleasures and comforts of the

Hereafter to the temporal and fleeting joys of this

world. In spite of the comfort and adornments

surrounding her, she would eat very little sometimes

only once in three days.

24 -- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr

42

Zanab stated : "More than once I saw that she had

such fruits in her possession as I had never

imagined. There was no one to bring her these fruits

either. When I asked her about these fruits, she

merely said:

"O my Zainab, whoever is honest and righteous

with Allah, the whole of the universe becomes his

servant."25

Note:

Nafeesa's renunciation of worldly desires from

the physical world was partial and she did not isolate

herself from the world. She married and had

children, gave lessons and lectures and continued to

meet people. However, she renounced those desires

which would restrict and negatively affect her

devotions and prayers to Allah. Her renunciation

was dictated by the lifestyle of the Prophet (peace


25 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr

43

Her generosity:

Nafeesa would often console and comfort the

needy and poor people. She would tend to their

needs and look after them. She was a wealthy

woman, both personally and as a result of her

husband's properties. However, she would spend her

wealth in the path of Allah and give generously to

the ones who were less fortunate than her.

It is narrated that an Egyptian prince once gave

her 100,000 Dirham as a sign of his repentance. He

had thanked Allah for the favors bestowed upon him

and wished to show his gratitude through this gift.

Nafeesa took the money and distributed all of it

immediately. One of her companions requested her

to save a few Dirham to enable them to purchase a

little food which they would use to break their fast

in the evening.

Nafeesa replied, "Here is some thread that I have

spun by myself. Please sell it and purchase the food

to break our fast." The companion did as she was

told, and thus Nafeesa did not take anything from

the large amount of money gifted to her.26


* Ahl Al Bait Fi Mis.

44

Through this act, Nafeesa demonstrated that she was

one of those whom the Qur'an has described thus:

..but give them preference over themselves, even

though poverty became their own lot.

Surah Al Hashr, Verse 9

Nafeesa's departure from Medina:

Nafeesa had spent her childhood in Medina and

got married to Ishaq Al Mutaman while she was

residing in Medina. However, she longed to visit the

blessed shrine of the prophet Ibrahim (May the

peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

She initially arrived in Damascus and visited the

tombs of the daughters of Ali (May Allah bless him)27.

It should be noted that some historians are of the

opinion that the tomb in Damascus belongs to

Zainab, the daughter of Umme Kulthoom and the

grand-daughter of Ali. Other historians claim that

this tomb is actually the tomb of Zainab, the

daughter of Ali and Fatima (May Allah bless them

both).


45

Arrival in Damascus:

When Nafeesa arrived in Damascus, she was

greeted and received by a large number of her

devotees including respectable scholars of that time,

who gathered to salute her and seek her prayers.

This reception was also attended by Abu Salman

Ad-Darraani, a famous mystic and the most famous

scholar of Prophetic sayings in Damascus,

Abul Abbas Al Waleed, son of Muslim and

Marwan, son of Muhammad At-Taheri. These were

distinguished personalities of that era.

Her arrival in Egypt:

Nafeesa arrived in Egypt on Saturday, 26th

Ramadan, 193 A.H. It was the time when Hasan, son

of Al Bahbah was governing the city of Al Areesh

(an Egyptian city). She was warmly welcomed by

the Egyptians, who loved her even though they had

never met her before. However, stories of her nobility

and righteousness had reached the people of Egypt.

An Egyptian lady named Umme Hani had a large house in the Maragha district of Cairo, and she requested Nafeesa to dwell with her during her stay in Egypt.

46

As Umme Hani was a pious and righteous lady, Nafeesa accepted her invitation and started lodging there. During her stay here, she was frequented by a ceaseless crowd of devotees and visitors from all around Egypt.

28

A miracle of Nafeesa:

During her stay in Maragha, a strange and wonderful incident happened with Nafeesa. It is narrated that a Jew named Abul Saraya Ayyub, son of Saber lived in the neighboring house and had a paralyzed daughter. Once the mother of the paralyzed girl came to Nafeesa and requested her to tend to the girl, while the mother went to the wash room. Nafeesa agreed to look after the girl.

When Zuhr prayer approached, Nafeesa performed ablution, the paralyzed girl observed Nafeesa and tried to copy her actions. As Nafeesa was performing ablution, her waste water was flowing through the courtyard of the house. The paralyzed girl washed her hands, face and feet with the used water from Nafeesa's ablution. As a result of this, she was cured of paralysis by the blessing of Allah. Not only was the child completely cured, but she managed to run towards the door quickly and she started playing.

28 -- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

47

Lady Nafeesa was engaged in her prayer at this

time and did not see the small girl playing. The girl's

mother returned to the house at this point and could

not believe her eyes - her previously paralyzed

daughter, who had been deemed to be incurable by

many doctors, was happily playing outside the

house. She could not express her happiness and

feelings at this miracle of Allah. She asked about the

reason for the transformation and when she was told

about the ablution water, she broke into tears and

proclaimed, "Indeed, this religion of Lady Nafeesa's

is the true religion!"

She entered into the chamber of Nafeesa and

humbly and respectfully embraced Islam. She

announced her conversion immediately and recited

"There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the

Messenger of Allah." She repeatedly thanked Allah

for leading her out of the darkness of infidelity and

ignorance into the light of Islam.

Later on in the evening, when the girl's father

returned home, he saw his child cured from paralysis

and his happiness knew no bounds. After finding out

the means through which his daughter was cured, he

cried, "Glory be to you, O Allah! Indeed you guide

48

whosoever you like and leave unguided whosoever

you intend to. O my Allah! I make you my witness

that her (Nafeesa's) religion is the true religion and

no religion is acceptable to you except Islam."29

He immediately left for Nafeesa's room and

requested to see her. She spoke to him from behind a

curtain and after salutations and greetings, he

thanked her respectfully and asked her to pray for

his guidance. She raised her eyes towards the sky

and prayed to Allah for his guidance. Meanwhile, he

recited "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad

is the Messenger of Allah." The news of his

conversion spread like wildfire. Soon all the Jewish

residents of the region - numbering seventy families

- embraced Islam.

Abul Saraaya requested Nafeesa to shift into his

new house which was located in Karubiyyin Street

(and known as Al Hussainia now). She accepted and

the house and the room in which Nafeesa would

worship is preserved till now.30

29- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr . 30 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

49

Her fame and stories of her piety and devotedness

spread throughout Egypt. Visitors to her new

dwelling increased to an extent that even the large

house of Abul Saraaya became too small to cope

with the influx of visitors. It became unbearable for

Nafeesa and she decided to return to Medina.

However, the Egyptians could not bear her

separation and requested her to change her plans.

Even the governor visited her and urged her to stay.

Despite his attempts at persuading her, she replied

"I am a weak woman and the gathering of people is

intervening between me and my worship to Allah, so

much so that even the house cannot cope with the

ever increasing crowds."

The governor requested her to move in his own

house in Al Seba, which would be more than

adequate in size to accommodate Nafeesa's visitors.

He asked her to accept his proposal for the sake of

Allah, and further suggested that she might fix

visiting times for her devotees. She graciously

accepted his proposal and fixed Saturdays and

Wednesdays as days of visitation.

50

Nafeesa's illness:

In Rajab, 208 A.H., she fell ill and felt her time of death was close. She wrote to her husband Ishaq Al Mutaman in Medina and no sooner had he received the letter, he set off for Cairo.

She remained ill until the first Friday of Ramadan. Her illness increased by the hour but she did not cease to fast even in that state. Her physicians advised her to break her fast in order to regain her strength, but she rejected their advice saying, "For fifty years, I have fasted and prayed to Allah to die in a state that I am fasting. How can I break my fast now? I seek refuge with Allah." The physicians were astonished at her strength of will and faith and realizing that she would not break her fast, they requested her to pray for them.

Her death:

Zainab, the niece of Nafeesa states that as Nafeesa neared death, she began reciting Surah Al An'aam and continued recitation till she reached the verse:

For them is the abode of peace with their Lord. He will be their protecting Friend because they practiced righteousness.

Surah Al An'aam, Verse 127

51

It appears that the signs of her success in the

Hereafter were shown to her at this point because

she could not continue any further. She lost

consciousness and Zainab added, "I pressed her to

my bosom and as she was giving up her soul to her

Creator, her lips were moving with the blessed

words, "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad

is the Messenger of Allah." These were her last

words before her death."31

Her funeral procession:

Nafeesa died in 208 A.H., following the death of

Imam Shafaee by four years. After her death, her

husband Ishaq Al Mutaman decided to transfer her

body to Medina and bury her in Al Baqi, but the

Egyptians took him to the governor and requested

Ishaq to change his plans. However, Ishaq did not

agree with them. The Egyptians collected a large

amount of money and offered it to him in return for

burying Nafeesa in Egypt. Ishaq refused their

request again.

31 -- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

52

However, the next morning, Ishaq came to the

people of Egypt and told them to bury Nafeesa

wherever they wished and there was no need for

compensation. The Egyptians were astonished by

this sudden change of heart and asked Ishaq the

reason for it. He replied, "I dreamt of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying

"Return their money and let them bury Nafeesa in

Cairo."32

Thus Lady Nafeesa was buried in Cairo

Her brothers:

Nafeesa had ten brothers from her father Hasan

Al Anwar), but different mothers. The mother of her

brothers was Umme Salma Zainab, the daughter of

Al Hasan Al Musanna. Nafeesa's mother was

another lady and Nafeesa was the only child of her

mother.

Hasan Al Anwar died in Egypt and was buried

there. His son Zaid, Nafeesa's half brother also died

in Egypt and was buried in the same chamber as

Nafeesa.

32 --- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

53

It is also narrated that Yahya Al Mutaman,

another brother of Nafeesa's brothers is buried in

Egypt, near Imam Al Laith, a famous Islamic jurist.

However, another grave is also attributed to Yahya

with the heading "Similar to the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him)" upon it. Yahya was

also known by the title Yahya Al Hussaini.33

Nafeesa's poems:

Nafeesa was blessed with the natural talent of

poetry and she was well versed in Arabic literature.

A sample of her outstanding poems displaying her

enlightened thoughts, are provided below:

Many eyes slept and many remained awake

Thinking of those matters which are in doubt

Whether they would happen or not

He who was enough for you in the past

Will suffice for you in the future

When the physicians came to see her, she recited the

following couplets:

33- At Tabaqat ulkubra Sharani Mararaqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

54

Please keep the physicians away from me

Let me see my Beloved One

Indeed my longing to meet Him has increased to its

climax

My yearning and thirst has heightened to its peak

This was the last poem of her life, as it was recited

only a little while before she died.34

Lady Nafeesa, the elder

She was the daughter of Imam Zaid, son of Imam

Hasan son of Ali the Caliph (May Allah be pleased

with them both). She is therefore, the aunt of

Nafeesa (who was mentioned above). She is the

sister of Hasan Al Anwar. Her mother is Lubaabah,

daughter of Abdullah, son of Abbas, uncle of the


Her husband:

She was married to the Caliph Waleed, son of

Marwan. She came to Egypt with her husband since

he was the governor of Egypt. Before he assumed


55

the responsibility of the Caliphate, she became

angry about Waleed's dealings with his people and as a consequence of her anger, she was divorced by him.

She traveled to her aunt, Sokaina, daughter of Imam

Hussain, who had resided in Cairo previously. She

arrived in Egypt a long time before the arrival of her

niece Nafeesa.35

Abdullah, the brother of her former husband was

the governor of Egypt at this time, so he gave her a

house in northern Cairo. It is a well known fact that

this house was attached to Umme Hani's house - the

house in which the younger Nafeesa had stayed in at

the request of Umme Hani.

Nafeesa, the elder, stayed in this house till her death

and was subsequently buried therein. Her grave was

known by the name "Mabad", the place of worship.

Lady Sokaina

She was the daughter of Imam Hussain and the

grand-daughter of Ali (May Allah bless them both).


56

Her original name:

Her original name is Amena. She was, however

better known by her second name, Sokaina. It is an

Arabic which means peace, security and calm. She

was born in 48 A.H. She is regarded as the first

amongst the progeny of Imam Ali who came to Egypt.36

Her maternal grandfather:

Her mother was Rubab, daughter of Amrul Qais, the

chief of the tribe of Bani Kalb.

Amrul Qais embraces Islam:

Amrul Qais came in the presence of the second

Caliph, Umar, son of Al Khattab. He accepted Islam

along with his delegation. The Caliph Umar

appointed him as the leader of the new Muslims

within his tribe.

Auf, son of Kharija states, "By Allah! I never saw

a man chosen as the leader of the Muslims without

performing even a single Rak'at of prayer, except for

Amrul Qais!"37

36 - Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah. 37- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

57

Ali and Amrul Qais:

As Amrul Qais intended to return, Ali (May Allah

shower his blessings upon him) came to him and

requested him to stop for a moment. Ali introduced

himself to Amrul Qais and stated, "I am Ali, son of

Abu Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet


These are my sons, Hasan and Hussain from the

daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him). We are interested in your

kinship."

Amrul Qais did not hesitate at all and

immediately welcomed Ali. He addressed Hasan and

told him, "O Hasan! I give my daughter Salma in

marriage to you." Turning to Imam Hussain, he

stated, "O Hussain! I give my daughter Rubab in

marriage to you." Rubab was blessed with the

children Abdullah and Sokaina, both from Imam

Hussain.

Sokaina's growth and upbringing:

58

Sokaina grew up under the observation and care

of her noble parents. She was known for her beauty

and righteousness since her childhood. Imam

Hussain loved both his wife and child immensely.

He composed a poem expressing his intensity of

love.

By my life, indeed I love the house where Sokaina

and Rubab reside

I love both of them and spend my wealth on them

I do not admonish whoever condemns me regarding

this love38

Yet I will never obey the accuser if they advise me

I am determined throughout my life (to love them)

Except when I would be buried under the earth

We can conclude from the above mentioned

couplets that Imam Hussain was censured by

someone for his longing and yearning for his wife

and child.

Why did Sokaina come to Egypt?

38 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

59

Sokaina arrived in Egypt because she was

summoned by Al Asbagh, the prince of Egypt. He

intended to marry her.39

Umayyad policy towards the Ahlul Bait:

The Umayyad Caliphate changed their policy

towards the family of the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him) after the martyrdom

of Imam Hussain by the armies of Yazeed in

Karbala. They began efforts to appease the

remaining members of the Ahlul Bait in order to

subdue the anger of the Ahlul Bait and their

supporters. The Umayyad's preferred to contract

their marriages with the women of Ahlul Bait to

legitimize their caliphate. They also entrusted

various official posts to the members of the

Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) family.

While Sokaina was traveling to Egypt, she heard


60

of the debauchery and impiety of Al Asbagh and

swore to Allah that she will never marry such a

person. Allah accepted her prayer and the prince

died before her arrival to Cairo. She was given a

house in Cairo where she resided until her death.

Sokaina and her uncle Hasan:

Sokaina was almost two years old when her uncle

Hasan died by poison in 50 A.H. She witnessed the

horrific scenes of Karbala, where many of her family members were martyred, at the tender age of 14.

40

Her brothers and sisters:

Sokaina had four brothers and one sister, from

different mothers

1. Her full brother Abdullah was martyred in

Karbala along with her father Imam Hussain

2. Ali the older - His mother was Laila, the

daughter of Abu Murrah and thus the niece of

Ameer Muawiya (May Allah be pleased with

him). He was killed in Karbala by the forces

40- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

61

of Yazeed, although Yazeed was his cousin.

3. Ali the younger - Was known as

"Zainul Abideen" (the light of the

worshippers). His mother was a Persian lady,

the daughter of Yazdojar, the last king of

Persia. He was the only son of Imam Hussain

who had a relatively long life, as he died in 96

A.H. at the age of 58. He was famous as a

great scholar, jurist and ascetic.

4. Jafar, whose mother belonged to the tribe of Ball

5. Fatima, the only sister of Sokaina. Her

mother was Umme Ishaq, daughter of Talha

Al Tameemi.41

Sokaina and the disaster of Karbala:

Lady Sokaina witnessed the horrendous events of

Karbala, culminating in the unforgivable

assassination of her father, Imam Hussain. She was

accompanied to Karbala by her aunt Zainab, her

brothers and sisters, cousins and other supporters of

the Ahlul Bait.

She witnessed the murders of her brothers and

41 - Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah.

62

family members. These images were etched in her

mind forever and she tried to divert her mind

through literature and poetry.

Her marriage with Abdullah:

Once Hasan, son of Hasan and grandson of Ali

(May Allah be pleased with them all) came to his

uncle Imam Hussain intending to ask for Sokaina's

hand in marriage. When he arrived in the presence

of Imam Hussain, he could not muster up the

courage to ask his uncle for Sokaina's hand.

Imam Hussain himself said to him, "I have

chosen my daughter Fatima for you, for she

resembles my mother Fatima. On the other hand,

Sokaina remains absorbed in the worship of Allah,

and is unable to get married at this time." Thus,

Fatima was married to Hasan and Sokaina remain

unmarried until Imam Hussain was martyred in

Karbala.42

There were many suitors for the hand of Sokaina.

42 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

63

Prominent amongst them were Musab son of Zubair Abdul Malik son of Marwan, Urwa son of Zubair and Abdullah son of Omar. Sokaina finally married Musab, son of Zubair after she returned from Egypt.

Sokaina had avoided marriage for a long time due to the sorrows which had engulfed her since the events of Karbala. However, she was encouraged by her relatives to get married. She agreed to their persistent requests with the intention of allowing the offspring of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to flourish.

A story about Sokaina:

This incident deals with the marriage of Sokaina to

Musab, son of Zubair.

It is narrated that four persons from Mecca were

gathered in the courtyard of the Kaaba. These were:

1. Abdullah, son of Omar

2. Abdul Malik, son of Marwan

3. Urwa, son of Zubair

4. Musab, son of Zubair 43

43 - Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

64

Musab asked them to express their highest desire

in this world which they would like to achieve at

any cost. Musab himself said, "I wish to be the governor of Iraq, to be married with Sokaina, daughter

of Imam Hussain and Ayesha, daughter of Talha."

Urwa desired to gain the best knowledge of

Islamic jurisprudence and Prophetic traditions.

Abdul Malik wished to become the Caliph.

Abdullah, son of Omar only wished to win paradise.

(It is worth noting that each of them had their

desires fulfilled).

Musab was married to Sokaina and he gave her

1,000,000 Dirham as dowry. He also gave her

brother Ali, 40,000 Dirham because he had brought

her to Musab. Sokaina was 20 years old when she

met her husband. At the same time, Musab was

entrusted with the governorship of Iraq by his

brother Abdullah, son of Zubair.

Sokaina had not completely recovered from the

deaths of her father and brothers when she was to be

affected by yet another loss of a loved one.44


65

Musab died soon after her marriage to him.

However, she was blessed with a beautiful girl, who

was named Rubab, in remembrance of her

grandmother.

When Rubab grew older, she was married to her

cousin Usman, son of Urwa. Unfortunately, Rubab

died soon after her marriage. Sokaina bore all this

pain and suffering with much patience. She would

resort to the Qur'an and prayers whenever she felt

saddened. She followed the commandment of Allah:

O you who believe! Seek help with patient

perseverance and prayer, for Allah is with those

who patiently persevere.

Surah AL Baqarah, Verse 153

Her marriage:

Sokaina was married a second time to Abdullah,

son of Usman. He was a noble man and this

marriage was celebrated in the poetry of an eminent

poet of the time, Abu Dahbal Al Jamahi.

Sokaina was blessed by a number of children from

Abdullah.

66

Sokaina and Arabic literature:

Historians agree that Sokaina was an extremely

talented poetess and intelligent critic of poetry and

literature; she would compare the poems of the

famous poets of that time.

Some historians have mentioned that Musab's

second wife, Ayesha, was going to Mecca on

pilgrimage. She had sixty mules with her, loaded

with all necessities and requirements. Sokaina was

also going to Mecca on pilgrimage but did not have

as many provisions as Ayesha. Ayesha's camel

driver began singing a poem saying:

O Ayesha! O you who has sixty mules! It is my

prayer that you may be blessed by the pilgrimage

every year as long as you live.

Sokaina heard the poem and became upset. She

ordered her camel driver to sing the following

verses:45

O Ayesha! It is your husband's wife who is

reminding you

45 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr .

67

If my forefather had not been, your father would

never have been guided to Islam

Ayesha realized that Sokaina was not happy by

her camel driver's poem, so she ordered him to stop

singing.

A collection of Sokaina's poems:

As it was mentioned earlier, Sokaina was well-versed in poetry. A sample of her poetry is given below. This poem was at the time of the martyrdom of her father, Imam Hussain, at Karbala:

Indeed when Hussain was in the arena of Karbala in

the morning

He was a victim of the arrows of the changes of

fortune

And they did not miss their mark

O tyrant and oppressors! Get ready to explain at the

Day of Judgement

Why you slew Hussain by the sword!

Woe has prevailed on all of you

Except for those who followed him46

46 - - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr .

68

You are the ones who surrendered him to the spears

of the enemies

Though you knew he was armless

O my eyes! Shed tears of blood ceaselessly

Never mourn for kith and kin after this

But shed tears of blood and pus

For the grandson of the Prophet .

Confusion and its solution:

There is confusion regarding Sokaina's shrine in

Egypt. Some historians say that she died in Medina

and is buried there. Others have stressed that she is

buried in Egypt.

Imam Sharaani's opinion:

Imam Sharaani, the well-known Egyptian ascetic

and scholar have emphasized that the grave of

Sokaina, daughter of Imam Hussain is located in

Cairo near the tomb of Lady Nafeesa.47


69

Imam Sakhawi's opinion:

Imam Sakhawi, another famous Egyptian scholar

has stated that the Sokaina interred in Cairo is not

the daughter of Imam Hussain. Nevertheless, the

lady who is buried in Cairo was also named Sokaina

and she was from the family of the Prophet (peace


He states that she was the daughter of Imam

Zainul Abideen, son of Imam Hussain and therefore

she would be the grand daughter of Imam Hussain.

In Arabic, sometimes daughter and grand-daughter

can be used interchangeably in a metaphorical sense.

Muhammad Zaki Ibrahim's opinion:

Muhammad Zaki Ibrahim was a famous Egyptian

writer of the modern age. He wrote a number of

books and articles on various topics. He concluded

from the evidence in front of him that Imam

Hussain had two daughters. They both excelled in

behavior, beauty and morals. In fact they even

shared the same name. This was a common practice

in the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of

70

Allah be upon him) at that time. They would be

identified by follow-up adjectives such as "the first",

"the second", "the elder", etc.

Muhammad Zaki deduces that the lady who died

in Medina and was buried there was the second

Sokaina, another daughter of Imam Hussain and

thus there are two Sokaina's in Egypt:

1) Sokaina, the elder daughter of Hussain, who was

buried in Al Qurafa near the Lady Nafeesa's

mosque.

2) Sokaina, the daughter of Imam Zainul Abideen

who is buried in the burial ground of

Al Sadafiyyin, near the mausoleum of Imam

Al Laith. This ground is the final resting place of

nearly 400 great Tabiyeen and other Islamic

scholars. Amongst them is Imam Yunus, son of

Abdul Aala', the master of Imam Bukhari and

Imam Muslim.

As far as the identity of the Sokaina who was

buried in Syria is concerned, it is clear that she is a

second daughter of Imam Zainul Abideen 48


71

Lady Ruqayya

Ruqayya was the daughter of Ali Al Reza, the son

of Musa Al Kazim, son of Jafar As Sadiq, son of

Muhammad Al Baqar, son of Imam Zainul Abideen

son of Imam Hussain.

Some historians state that she is Ruqayya,

daughter of Ali, son of Abu Talib. This would mean

that she is actually the sister of Imam Hussain. But

this theory is incorrect, as the daughter of Ali was

buried in Damascus.And there is a poem on the door

of her shrine in Cairo which gives a brief

introduction to Ruqayya. The meaning of the poem is:

This place was blessed by the presence of the

Prophet's family

Especially by Ruqayya, the daughter of Ali Al Reza

The meaning of her name:

Ruqayya is an Arabic word meaning progress or

development. She was named thus in the hopes that

she would progress both spiritually and materially.

72

.Atiqa and Ruqayya:

Near the grave of Ruqayya, is the grave of

another lady named Atiqa. She was the wife of the

governor of Egypt, Muhammad, son of Abu Bakr.

Atiqa was married to Muhammad after her previous

husband Zubair passed away. She entered Egypt

with her husband Muhammad and remained there

till her death. Some people are of the opinion that

Atiqa is the aunt of the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him). This however, is a mistake

and cannot be corroborated historically.

Ruqayya, the daughter of the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allah be upon him):

As was mentioned above, Ruqayya, the sister of

Imam Hussain was buried in Damascus. On the

other hand, Ruqayya, daughter of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and wife

of the third Caliph Usman, son of Affan, was buried

in Baqi in Medina.49


73

Lady Fatima

Fatima was the daughter of Imam Hussain, the son of Ali (May Allah bless him). She would therefore be the sister of Lady Sokaina. However, their mothers were different. Fatima's mother was Umme Ishaq, daughter of Talha, the well-known companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and one of the ten companions who were promised Paradise by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The meaning of her name:

Fatima is an Arabic word which has been derived from the word "Fetam", which means to wean or separate. She was named Fatima in anticipation that she would be separated from sins and evil deeds and would be preoccupied by righteousness.

Her birth and upbringing:

She was born in 45 A.H. and was almost two years older than her sister Sokaina. She grew up under the loving care of her father, Imam Hussain and she inherited the righteousness and piety of her blessed father.

50

50- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr

74

Her marriage:

When she reached the age of marriage, she

became famous for her beauty and purity. Her

cousin Hasan, son of Imam Hasan came to his uncle

Imam Hussain as was previously mentioned. Imam

Hussain preferred Hasan to marry Fatima instead of

Sokaina.

She entered Egypt along with her aunt Zainab in

61 A.H. after the tragedy of Karbala and remained

there with her sister, Sokaina. She was married and

blessed with children in Egypt .

She had a son from her first husband Hasan. His

name was Abdullah Al Mahz, a great scholar and

poet. He is the father of Ibrahim Al Jawwaad

(Ibrahim the Generous), whose head is buried in Al

Matariyya in Cairo. He is also the father of Zainab,

who was titled "Fatima An Nabawiyya".

Her children apart from Abdullah Al Mahaz are

Ismail Al Dibaj (Dibaj means silk garments and he

was thus called for his striking beauty) and Hasan Al

Musallas. Both these brothers died in prison during

the caliphate of Al Mansoor. However, they were

both survived by their offspring.

75

Fatima's second marriage was to Abdullah, son of

Amr, son of Usman, son of Affan. She had two sons

from him - Muhammad and Al Qasim.51

Her similarity to her grandmother Fatima

Az Zahra:

She was very similar to her grandmother, Fatima

Az Zahra. She was eloquent and literate. Her

generosity was famous like her grandmother. She

was also very devout and pious.

She took care of all the orphans who lost their

guardians and fathers in the battle of Karbala. For

her act, she was sometimes called "Mother of the

orphans"

Her narrations of the Prophetic traditions:

She narrated some Hadith of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him). She narrated

the Hadith through the chains of narration going

through her father Imam Hussain, her aunt Zainab,

the daughter of Ali, Abdullah son of Abbas and

Ayesha the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him).


76

She narrated Hadith indirectly throuth the companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Bilal Al Habashi .

A number of scholars wrote Hadith from her. These include:

1) Abdullah

2) Ibrahim

3) Al Hasan

4) Umme Jafar

5) the sons of Hasan

6) Muhammad, son of Abdullah

7) Umme Hasan, daughter of Ziyad

8) Umme Hasan, daughter of Jafar, son of Hasan

Her name in Sahih Al Bukhari:

She has been mentioned in the famous book of Hadith, Sahih Al Bukhari by Imam Bukhari. Imam Bukhari states, "After the death of Hasan, the son of Imam Hasan, the son of Ali (May Allah be pleased with them), his wife (Fatima) set up a tent around his grave, and remained for a year therein. When it was lifted , a caller was heard saying "Did they find what they have lost?" Someone replied, "No! but they despaired and eventually returned."

52

52 - Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr.

77

Her death:

She died in 110 A.H. and was buried by the foot

the Muqattam mountain in Cairo.

Other ladies named Fatima:

There are a number of Fatima's belonging to the

family of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah

be upon him), who died and were buried in Egypt.

A few of them are mentioned below:

1. Fatima An Nabawiyya, daughter of

Muhammad, son of Ismail, son of Jafar

As Sadiq. Her grave is situated in Mintaqatul

Khulafaa in Cairo.

2. Fatima, daughter of Ahmad, son of Ismail, son of Muhammad, son of Jafar As Sadiq. Her grave is situated in Darbul As Sadat in Cairo

3. Fatima An Nabawiyya, she was called

"Al Aina" meaning a lady who has large and

beautiful eyes. She was similar to her

grandmother Fatima and a number of miracles

are ascribed to her.

4. Fatima Al Mahaziya, her real name was Zainab,

daughter of Abdullah Al Mahaz, son of Hasan,

son of Hasan, son of Ali. She was known as

Fatima and her grave is in Cairo in Al Abbasiya.

78

The two Amina's

Lady Amina:

Amina was the daughter of Musa Al Kazim, son

of Jafar As Sadiq. She is therefore the sister of Ali

Al Reza and the aunt of Lady Ruqayya (who was

mentioned above).

Her grave is near the graves of Uqba, son of Aamer and Amr, son of Al 'Aas. Both Uqba and Amr are the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). These graves are situated in the graveyard of Quraish, east of the grave of Imam Shafaee . However, the location of the grave of Lady Amina is unknown now.

53

Lady Amina:

She is another Amina to the one mentioned above. She was the daughter of Abdullah, son of Hasan, son of Abdullah. She was buried in the graveyard of Imam Al Laith near the graves of both Hasan and Muhassan, the sons of Qasim, son of Jafar As Sadiq (May Allah be pleased with them).


79

Two other sisters:

There were two sisters from the family of the


named Thana and Sana. Both were from the family

of Jafar As Sadiq.

Whenever they were free, they would recite the

Qur'an. One of them would listen while the other

recited. When the first had finished her recitation,

the other sister would start recitation while the first

listened. This practice of theirs continued till one of

the sisters died. However, the other sister continued

her practice of reciting the Qur'an as usual. She

would recite it next to the grave of the dead sister.

When the sister completed the recitation of the

Qur'an, she also died and it seems as if she was

waiting only to finish reciting the Qur'an before she

joined her sister.54

She was buried in the same graveyard as her sister

near the Soutis tomb in old Cairo.


80

The three blessed heads:

From historical sources, we learn that the heads of

three members of the family of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) are buried

separate from the rest of their bodies. The heads

belong to the following members of the Ahlul Bait:

1. Imam Zaid, son of Imam Zainul Abideen, son

of Imam Hussain. His head is buried in Cairo

and the location of his body is unknown. His

head is buried behind the locality of Lady

Zainab.

He was a well-known Islamic jurist and the

Zaidiyyah school of thought follows him. The

Zaidiyyah sect is the nearest Shiite school of

thought to the Sunni's.55

His father, Imam Zainul Abideen was buried

in Medina.

2. Ibrahim Al Jawwaad, son of Abdullah

Al Mahaz, son of Hasan Al Musanna, son of

Imam Hasan, son of Imam Ali.


81

He was murdered by the caliph Al Mansoor in

145 A.H. and his head was carried and

displayed in the cities till it came to Cairo.

Eventually, it was put in the oldest mosque in

Africa - the mosque of Amr, son of Al 'Aas

(may Allah bless him). The head was taken by

the Muslims of Egypt and buried in Al

Matariya in Cairo. A mosque is affiliated to

his shrine.

Some historians have mistaken the mosque as

belonging to the famous ascetic, Ibrahim

Ad Dasooqi. However, the tomb of Ibrahim

Ad Dasooqi is situated in the village of

Dasooq in Egypt. The mosque and shrine

which exist in Cairo are at the location of the

buried head of Ibrahim Al Jawwaad.56

A well which is beside the mosque of

Ibrahim, son of Zaid, is said to have been used

by the Prophet 'Isa. He used its water to bathe

himself when he came to Egypt with his

mother, Maryam, while escaping from the

Romans.


82

3. Imam Hussain, son of Ali has his head buried

in Cairo and his body in Karbala. This was

explained above .

Lady Ayesha, daughter of Jafar As Sadiq :

She is the daughter of Jafar As Sadiq and the

sister of Yahya Al Mutaman, who was the husband

of Lady Nafeesa and the governor of Medina. She is

also the sister of Musa Al Kazim. There is no doubt

that she entered Egypt with Idrees, son of Abdullah

Al Mahaz.57

Her marriage:

She was married to the governor of Medina, Umar

son of Abdul Aziz, son of Abdullah, son of Umar

son of Khattab.

Her worship of Allah:

She was a righteous and God-fearing woman,

occupied with the worship of Allah. A virtuous lady

she was blessed by Allah with many miracles.


83

She died in Egypt in 145 A.H. and was buried in

Cairo. Her tomb is located at the grounds of the fort

on the way to the tomb of Imam Shafaee'.

Hasan Al Anwar:

As it was mentioned above, he was the father of

Lady Nafeesa and the son of Zaid Al Ablaj, son of

Hasan, son of Ali (May Allah bless them all). He

was an extremely pious man and was blessed by

Allah in a way that whatever he prayed for, Allah

would accept his request immediately. It is narrated

that while a woman was traveling in the desert, an

eagle swooped down and snatched her baby from

her lap. She came to Hasan and asked him to pray to

Allah for the return of her baby. Hasan raised his

hands in dua, and a little while later, the woman's

child was thrown back into her arms, unharmed.

Hasan was famous for his riches and wealth in

Medina.58


Page 36 of 45

84

His palace was more splendid and luxurious than

any other palace in Medina. Even though he lived in

this luxury, he was very generous and open-hearted.

He never feared poverty, in emulation of his

forefathers.

In this regard, it is narrated that an indebted

person came to Hasan and asked him for a large amount of money to help repay his debts. Hasan granted

the amount immediately and in addition gave 200 Dinar

to the man for the man's personal expenditure.

Hasan and his father, Zaid:

It has been stated that Zaid, son of Imam Hasan and the father of Hasan (Al Anwar), would always take his faithful son Hasan to the blessed tomb of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and would say: "O my guardian! O Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)! This is my son Hasan and I am pleased with him." He continued this particular address during his frequent visits to the tomb. Once he had a dream that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was telling him, "O Zaid! I am also satisfied with your son Hasan, and Allah is also pleased with him due to our pleasure."

59

59 -- Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah

85

According to historians, the above mentioned

dream happened in the same manner with Hasan and

his daughter Nafeesa while she was in Medina and

would visit the blessed tomb of the Prophet (peace

and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the company

of her father Hasan. Hasan would address the


in the same way that his father Zaid addressed the


Hasan's faith:

Once a poet came in the presence of Hasan and

started acclaiming the qualities of Hasan. The poet

stated that as Allah is unique and without parallel

Hasan, the son of Zaid is also unique and matchless.

Hasan replied, "You are a liar! Don't say that, rather

say: Allah is unique and without parallel and the son

of Zaid is his humble servant." Thereafter, Hasan

descended from his chair and threw himself to the

ground glorifying Allah and praising Him with

humility and respect.60


86

Hasan's generosity:

Imam Zahabi, the noted Islamic scholar states:

"He was one of the prominent grandchildren of Ali

and Fatima, as well as one of the noblest

personalities of that blessed family. He was an

expert of Islamic jurisprudence and a noted scholar

of many branches of Islamic knowledge. "He was one of

the lucky ones to have met the companions of the


He was entrusted the governorship of Medina by the

Caliph Mansoor. However, he abdicated the

governorship and traveled to Cairo. He passed away

in Cairo and was buried in old Egypt. His shrine and

its affiliated mosque is well-known in Cairo.61

Imam Abu Haneefa with Zaid:

Imam Abu Haneefa, the most famous Islamic

scholar and a well-known Islamic jurist stated:

"I met a number of Zaid's contemporaries, but I

never found any of them like Zaid, His mental

perception and his vast knowledge was really

matchless and unique."62

61 - Maraqid Ahl Al Bait Fil Qaherah 62Ahl Al Bait Fi Misr -

87

Imam Zaid (Al Asghar):

Zaid was the youngest son of Hasan Al Anwar

and was buried in the same room in which his father

was buried. There was another Zaid, who was the

father of Hasan Al Anwar. His name was Zaid

Al Ablaj and he was buried in Hajer, between

Mecca and Medina.

It should be noted that Zaid Al Asghar and Zaid

Al Ablaj are separate personalities from Zaid, the

son of Imam Zainul Abideen.

Muhammad Al Anwar:

He was the son of Zaid Al Asghar and thus the

nephew of Lady Nafeesa. However, some historians

say that he is the brother of Hasan Al Anwar, which

would make him the uncle of Lady Nafeesa.

Other historians conclude that Lady Nafeesa had

an uncle and a nephew both named Muhammad

Al Anwar. Both of them shared names and were also

buried in the same place.63


88

Yahya, son of Qasim At Tayyeb:

Yahya was the son of Qasim At Tayyeb, son of

Muhammad Al Mamoon, son of Jafar As Sadiq. He

was thus the brother of Fatima Al Aina (the lady

mentioned above). He was given the title of "Him

who is similar to the Prophet (peace and blessings of

Allah be upon him)".

His spiritual excellence was visible to al

family of the prophet muhammad

Documents

book of allah

blessings of allah

messenger of allah

blessing of allah

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allah glorfied

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messenger muhammad peace