1. Birth to Hijra
Fātimatu’z-Zahrā’ wasborninthefifthyearofthebi’thatandshewas
the only child who survived from among the children of Khadija. Fā-
tima’sbirthandthefactthatonlyshegavetheProphetgrandchildrenis
itselfarevolutionarystatement:inthepre-Islamicsociety,thebirthofa
babygirlwasconsideredadisgraceforthefamily;andlineagewasonly
recognizedthroughmalechildren.WhenthemalechildrenoftheProph-
etandKhadijadiedininfancy,someoftheunbelieversofMeccataunted
theProphetsayingthatheisan“abtar—apersonwhoiscutoff,thatis,
hehasnoprogeny.”Inresponsetothistaunting,Allāhrevealedchapter
108 oftheQur’ān:“Wehaveverilygiventoyou(OMuhammad)plenti-
ful[i.e.,intheformofFātimaandherprogeny];therefore,praytoyour
Lord and offer sacrifice. Surely the one who taunts you is anabtar.”
Fātima’s life is intertwined with the emergence and growth of the
Islamicmovement.Shewasjustthreeyearsoldwhenherparents—the
Prophet and Khadija— had to go with other family members to Abu
Talib’s castle outside Mecca when the Quraysh imposed an economic
andsocialboycottagainstthem.Soonaftertheboycottended,attheage
of five, Fātima lost her mother. She was thereafter brought upby the
Prophet himself.
AfamousincidentfromtheMeccanperiodshowsthatFātima,evenin
childhood,waspartofherfather’sstruggle.OncetheProphetwaspray-
ingneartheKa’bahwhileagroupofQurayshiunbelieversweresitting
andwatchinghim.AbuJahl,theirleader,said,“Whoamongstyoucan
go and bring the intestine of a slaughtered camel and put it on
Muhammadwhenheisinprostration?”‘UqbabinAbiMu’ītcomplied
withthesuggestionofAbuJahlandplacedthefilthyintestineofacamel
ontheProphet’sshoulderwhenhewasinthestateofsajdah.TheProph-
etremained inthatposition whilethe unbelieverslaughedsomuch so
thattheyfelloneachother.ApasserbywenttotheProphet’shomeand
informedFātima.Fātima,thoughstillinherchildhood,camerunningto
theKa’bahandremovedthefilthfromtheProphetandcursedtheunbe-
lievers on their faces.
After the death of Khadija and Abu Tālib, life became most con-
strainedanddifficultfortheProphetandhisfollowersinMecca.When