This is a love story of about two of the greatest figures in our Islamic history. While today's world looks for sensational stories and for stars who put themselves at the forefront of the day's news by any means, these two great figures were marked by the simplicity of their lives .

By studying their marriage we hope for an improvement in our moral character, our knowledge and wisdom and we hope that this will allow us to also live amongst our family with respect and honour.

Out of all the prophet's SAW daughters, the personality of Fatimah rA was the closest it could get to that of the prophet SAW, even her walk resembled that of the prophet SAW. As a result, many noble companions approached the prophet SAW asking Fatimah's hand in marriage, but the prophet SAW politely refused.

Having been raised up in the prophet's SAW house, Ali rA had great appreciation and respect for Fatimah rA, but his poverty was a barrier, or so he thought. Until one day, Abu Bakr suggested to Umar and Muath rA that they should all convince Ali rA to approach the prophet SAW asking Fatimah's hand in marriage.

Overcoming his shyness and poverty, Ali finally decided to go meet the prophet SAW seeking his permission to marry Fatimah.

Ali had nothing else to offer to the prophet SAW. He SAW knew better than anyone else so he asked him about the Armour he had given him previous.

Ali says that the Prophet told him to sell his armor so that the things Fatima will need can be bought . Ali says "I took the armor to the market and sell it to Uthman on 400 dirham. When I took the money and he took the marmor , Then Uthman said to me. Now this armor is mine and the money is your, right? I said "Right" . Than Uthman said "Now I gift this armor to you." Ali said "I took the armor and money brought it to the Prophet and narrated to him what happened, upon which he prayed for Uthman. Than he gave the money to Abu Bakr and told him to buy for Fatima, the things she will need, and sent with him Bilal and Salman.

So now the first boy to embrace Islam, Ali rA, was getting married to the first girl who have embraced Islam, Fatimah rA, subhan Allah!

The moment the prophet SAW approved Ali's marriage to Fatimah, the first thing Ali rA did was prostrating in gratitude to Allah? How many of us do this? Well, it's never too late, if married, please go prostrate to Allah for facilitating your marriage; and if not, ask Him SWT to facilitate it for you. When Ali rA stood up after prostrating, the prophet SAW smiled at him and supplicated for the couple: "May Allah bless you and bless your efforts. May He bring out of you many pleasant offspring".

For the Walimah (wedding feast), the Sahabah ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﻢ came together and contributed – Sa'd gave a ram and others from the Ansar gathered barley.

Muhammad(SAW) himself performed the wedding ceremony and two of his wives, Aisha and Umm Salama , prepared the wedding feast with dates, figs, sheep and other food donated by various members of the Madinan community.

Masruq narrates from Aisha and Umm Salma that they said that the Prophet (s) ordered them to make preparations for Fatima's going to Ali. So we brought mud from the valley of Batha , than prepared the home , and cleaned it. Than we made two cushions with our hands. Then prepared food with dates and munqa, and arranged drinkable water. Then we placed a wood in the corner of the house so that clothes and water vessels can be hanged on it. Aisha and Umm Salma narrates that they didn't saw any better marriage than the marriage of Fatima.

The wedding of the daughter of the prophet SAW was very simple.This give a great lesson to all Muslims..

After the wedding ceremony, the prophet SAW asked Umm Salamah rA to take the bride to Ali's house, then he SAW followed them there after praying Isha. Once in Ali's house, the prophet SAW asked for water, made ablution and supplicated once again for the couple:

"O Allah, bless them and bless their offspring".

Then the prophet SAW turned to his daughter and gave her one advise worth a thousand words, subhan Allah; he asked her to honor her husband!

Then the prophet SAW turned to Ali rA and gave him a short speech that every husband should memorize and apply in his house. Read carefully now!

"Ali, do not get angry, and when you get angry sit down. Remember Allah's power over the servants and His tolerance of their sins. If you are advised to fear Allah, abandon your anger and go back to your deliberateness".

A marriage starting like this could only be a blessed marriage, and hence, Ali and Fatimah's house despite being simple, was full of love and mercy. Ali and Fatimah rA made every effort to make their house a model Muslim house; they worshiped Allah together, fasted together and ate together!

Many couples underestimate the miraculous effects of worshiping Allah together and instead complain of the lack of romance in their house. The following story from the house of Ali and Fatimah rA is a model example of how their mutual worship was a core tenet of the house.

One day Ali and Fatimah rA were fasting together, and just as the sun was approaching sunset, the couple prepared a simple but delicious meal. When it was finally Maghrib time and the couple sat down to break their fast, they heard a knock on their door. Ali rA asked: Who is it? The voice from the other side of the door replied: A poor starving man! Ali rA instantly brought their delicious Iftar and gave it all to the man.

Let's stop for a moment here. The narrator doesn't mention that Fatimah rA complained or objected to Ali's generosity. How many wives do this? Instead, the pious and obedient wife, daughter of the man who was sent as a mercy for all creatures SAW, prepared bread and water instead for Iftar.

On the very day, the same scenario took place, this time, it was a starving orphan, and Ali rA did the same thing; giving him all the food.

On the third day, a captive knocked the couple's door as they were getting ready for Iftar and again Ali rA willingly gave him their Iftar food.

Some scholars indicated that the person knocking Ali and Fatimah's rA door in all three days was none other than angel Gabriel AS. Angel Gabriel AS later on gave the prophet SAW the good tiding that the couple will have a carriage of silver in Paradise as a reward. The biggest reward, however, was that a Quran was revealed especially for the occasion, which will be recited until the Day of Judgement.

"And out of His love, they give food to the needy, the orphan and the prisoner. We feed you, for the sake of Allah only. We wish for no reward nor thanks from you" (76:8-9) , were revealed in description of Ali and Fatimah's rA story as per many scholars.

the lifestyle of the young couple was modest and trying. They had very little to live on, and it was a life of patience. What Ali ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ could earn through hard labor was barely enough. The economic conditions were poor.

Ali had built a house not too far from Muhammad's(SAW) residence where he lived with Fatimah. However, due to Fatimah's desire to be closer to her father, a Medinan (Haritha bin al-Numan) donated his own house to them.

For several years after her marriage, she did all of the work by herself. The shoulder on which she carried pitchers of water from the well was swollen and the hand with which she worked the handmill to grind corn where often covered with blisters.

Fatimah vouched to take care of the household work, make dough, bake bread, and clean the house; in return, Ali vouched to take care of the outside work such as gathering firewood, and bringing food. Ali worked to irrigate other peoples lands in Madina by drawing water from the wells which caused him to complain of chest pains.

Although Ali and Fatimah were poor, they lived a happy life .Too poor to afford servants.There were many days when the couple went without meals.

Once, when the Prophet ﷺ had received several captives (slaves), Ali and Fatimah ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ requested for a servant because of the hardships they were facing. The Prophet ﷺ refused and said he intended to sell them all and use the money for the people of Suffah (the poorest of Madinah who had no shelter, clothing or food).

Later that night the Prophet ﷺ came to them and said "Shall I not teach you something better than what you asked for?

So he  teached them tasbeeh (as something better than having a servant) magnify Allah thirty-four times, glorify Him thirty-three times and praise Him thirty-three times.  and Ali and Fatimah ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻬﻤﺎ were under a cover, which if it covered their heads, left their feet bare and if it covered their feet, left their heads bare. Subhan Allah..

Let us conclude with a chapter from Ali and Fatimah's story, which many people fail to understand; when Ali rA wanted to take another wife. We all now that Fatimah was upset when she heard the news of Ali's intention to take another wife, and that she complained to the prophet SAW.

Hence, the prophet SAW gave a speech where he said "My daughter (Fatimah) is a part of me. Whatever hurts her hurts me" [Muslim], and he SAW gave Ali rA the choice either to stay with Fatimah rA or to divorce her to marry another.

Ali rA instantly weighed Fatimah's love in his heart, the burdens she carried with him, her patience upon his poverty and her faith before everything else, and he (Ali) chose her (Fatimah) time and again over any other woman on earth, because he loved her, and because he couldn't afford to upset the prophet SAW.

The whole story is intended to set yet another example for all of us, that of loyalty, fidelity and devotion between husband and wife in Islam. Just like the teacher of mankind, the prophet SAW, never married another woman with Khadijah rA, Ali rA never married until Fatimah's death.

Their marriage lasted about ten years and ended when Fatimah died. Although polygamy is permitted by Islam, Ali did not marry another woman while Fatimah was alive.

By following Fatima Zahra (RA)'s footsteps every woman in this world can earn jannah, she is a perfect epitome of kindness for all of us Muslims .

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commands us to be kind to our wives and women in general, for they are our mothers, our wives, our daughters and our sisters, and must be honoured.

It is must for Muslims men to honour the women because The noblest among the family are the women, for Allah created them to be merciful.

With this beautiful example, we reach the end of Ali and Fatimah's rA love story, may it be a good example for every Muslim household.

Ameen!!

WONDERFUL LESSONS FOR US TO LEARN :

(1)The Prophet ﷺ chose Ali ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ though he could have easily chosen a wealthy Sahabi. It is as if, when considering the well-being of his daughter, the 'rizq' and 'comfort' part was not a factor.
I am not suggesting it is wrong to consider wealth, but they do not appear to be the Prophet's priorities. Similarly, Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ who was wealthy in his own right chose Zubair ibn Al-Awwam for his daughter Asma.

[2]As leader of the state, the Prophet ﷺ spent money on the poorest of his people even though his own daughter was going through a lot of hardship. The Prophet ﷺ did not seem to think hardships were something bad for his daughter. He in fact taught her an act of worship that he said was better than having the comfort of a servant.

[3]Ali ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ did not mind hard, laborious work to earn whatever provision he could.

[4]Hope. The best of people went through difficulties. It is alright if you do not succeed in this worldly rat race. You are not in bad company. Ali ﺭﺿﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻋﻨﻪ went on to become the fourth Righteous Khalifa who ruled over vast Muslim lands with integrity, honesty and wisdom.

[5]Perhaps the greatest thing that their lives teach us is that being close to the Prophet (PBUH) can bring hardship, yes; but also the greatest of honor. Better than any of the world's honors, serving Islam and its Messenger is the greatest thing a person can achieve.

May their lives lead us all to be close to our beloved Prophet (PBUH), in good times and bad, and unhesitating in defending him and the message of Islam, which he brought to the world. May Allah be pleased with them both.

Stay blessed!!
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Until next time InshaAllah...