Tasbih-e-Fatema is said after every farizat namaaz. This tasbih was given to Molatena
Fatema (s.a.) by Rasulallah (s.a.) when Molana Ali (a.s.) sent her to ask for a servant
for her household. Molana Ali had to insist that she go and ask as she was initially
reluctant but then out of her obedience she went, only to find that Rasulallah had no-one
to give to her. The fact that they had all been distributed amongst everyone else and
nothing was kept for the Ahle Bayt bothered Molatena Fatema but Rasulallah offered her
something which he told her was far better – better than the entire world and
everything in it.
The tasbih-e-Fatema amounts to 100 tasbih divided into 3 of 33 and then one.
Syedna-l-Qadi-ul-N`uman (r.a.) explains that this means 100 hasanat and for each
hasanat Allah gives the reward of ten. This makes 1000 and with five faraiz that totals
5000 in a day. Only a fool would give up 5000 hasanaat and du`a after namaaz up to
tasbih-e-Fatema should be considered a minimum.
Molana stressed that the tasbih-e-Fatema should be done whilst still sitting in the same
way that one does in namaaz. It follows then that one should remain sitting as if in
namaaz whilst praying subhana rabbika and taqarrub both of which are also
forms of tasbih; one being the tasbih of Allah and the second being the tasbih of the
names of A’immat Tahereen (s.a.).
Tasbih-e-Fatema should also not be done hastily, it should be done carefully in order to
make certain that the count is correct. In this regard Aqamola explained how the joints
and tips of the fingers of one hand can be used for counting. Each finger can be used to
count seven and the thumb five-making 33.
For those that know how to, the hand can be used in this way to count huge numbers but
the fact that the this method gives the figure of 33 suggests that Divine Will has special
regard for this number. It has been observed that Aqamola always uses his fingers for the
tasbih-e-Fatema although we all know that he always carries a tasbih with him; clearly
then one should know how to use one’s fingers for tasbih.
It seems a very small thing – tasbih – yet these little things add up just as
lots of little sticks can turn into a big pile even without any big sticks. Similarly,
though, lots of little sins can turn into a big pile of sins so one should never think
that the occasional ‘little’ sin is acceptable.
The zikr of tasbih-e-Fatema gave us an insight into Molatena Fatema’s nature when
we see how she was reluctant to go to Rasulallah (s.a.). This suggests that she may have
felt that no matter how cumbersome her household duties were they were nevertheless hers
and she should shoulder them. Another example of her sense of duty came when she rose from
her sickbed to bathe and cook for Imams Hassan and Husain (a.s.) and then as she entered
her final hours she wished to clear any grievances that her husband may have had for her.
In all of this we see the dignity of a woman at its utmost and Molatena Fatema as
daughter, wife and mother epitomises all that is ideal about womanhood.
Within Islam there have been other women though who failed to maintain the prestige that
Islam gave to them and instead gave up their purdah and went out in search of that which
was not their’s to be concerned with.
However we also heard about other women of quality; of Umme Salama (q.r.), one of
Rasulallah’s wives who was very eloquent and of Asma binte Umays, the mother of
Mohammed bin Abi Bakr who constructed the umbrella for Molatena Fatema’s hearse.
Molatena Fatema is the central figure by which the khamsat athaar are linked. She
is the daughter of Rasulallah, wife of Ali and mother to Hassan and Husain and she is also
the mother of A’immat Tahereen. A’immat Tahereen are known as Fatemiyeen
even though they are equally the progeny of Rasulallah and Molana Ali. Thus they are Mohammediyeen
and `Alaweeyeen but while Molana Ali also had children from other wives only
Fatema’s progeny contains the chain of Imamat.
The Empire that these Imams founded was also known as the Fatemi Empire and today’s
d`awat is the Fatemi D`awat. The city which was and still is at the heart of all of this
is Al-Qaheratul Moizziyah. It is referred to as Moizziyah because the founder of the
Fatemid Al-Qahera (from which the modern Cairo comes) was Imam Mo`iz lideenillah
(a.s.). The city was taken from the Ikshidis by the famous general Qaid-Johar. Before he
left to make this conquest he was very ill and those around him feared for his life. Imam
Mo`iz, however, said that he would survive because the conquest of Misr was in his
destiny. He recovered and then conquered Misr; his illness, recovery, subsequent conquest
and Imam Mo`iz’s prediction are all recorded and accepted by other historians yet
none of them concede that this knowledge is the result of divine inspiration – ilhaam
and taaeed.
That belief, concept – tasawwur, is for a Mumin alone. And it is something
that in this day and age we recognize in the actions of the Fatemi Da`ii. His actions and
farmaans are all guided by ilhaam and taaeed from Imam-ul-zamaan (a.s.).
This is a basic and essential tenet of our faith, the minute one supposes otherwise then
they have lost the very essence of imaan.
In today’s w`aaz we heard the zikr of Molana Ali Zainulabedin (a.s.) and how he fed
100 house with the food of his own household, food that he took in vessels carried upon
his shoulder. Nobody knew his identity, he was known to the children of those households
only as the “mashkiwala” yet upon his shoulder, before he was buried was
found a callous - the physical evidence of his efforts.
Every year, the children of D`awat await in anticipation of Ashara Mubaraka and the
arrival of the ‘mashkiwala’ Mola carrying the food for our souls by which we
will attain salvation. Molana Ali Zainulabedin spent his entire life shedding tears for
Husain and Aqamola shows the same shaan as he cries and makes Mumineen cry in
remembrance of Husain. May Allah t`aala preserve Aqamola to lead every Mumin in matam and
buka until the day of Qayamat.
