Fatimah: The Truth of Divine Light Manifested in Human Form

Seyed Hashem Moosavi

Introduction

The understanding of Hadhrat Fatimah (peace be upon her) is not merely a historical or biographical study; rather, it is the opening of a gate toward one of the loftiest insights of Monotheism (Tawhid).

In Islamic tradition, her status is so elevated that grasping the Fatimian reality (Haqiqat-e Fatimiyyah) provides a profound understanding of the structure of existence and the relationship between humanity and the Divine.

The Holy Qur’an, in its shortest chapter, designated her as “Al-Kawthar,” meaning the Abundant Fount of Goodness (Khayr-Al Kathir). The narrations (Ahadith) of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) describe her as a Light created even before the heavens.

From a mystical perspective (‘Irfani look), Fatimah is not just the daughter of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his progeny), but the “Specific Theophany (Tajalli-y Khass) of the Lord in human form” and the “Axis for the Manifestation of the Muhammadan Reality (Haqiqat-e Muhammadiyyah).”

She is the human embodiment (Surat-e Insani) of a Light that is primordial, essential, and precedent in the hidden stages of existence (Maratib-e Ghayb). In the phenomenal world (‘Alam-e Nasut), she manifested in the mold of a woman, with all the spiritual and practical subtleties (Zarafat) that entail.

This article attempts to provide a systematic portrayal of the Luminous Reality of Fatimah (peace be upon her) and the mystical meaning of Kawthar, relying on the Qur’an, prophetic narrations, and philosophical-mystical analysis.

Part One: Fatimah in the Cosmic Order (Cosmology)

The Manifestation of Divine Perfection and Effusion (Fayḍ)

The interpretation of the Holy Qur’an presents Hadhrat Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) not just as a prominent historical figure, but as a Luminous Reality (Haqiqat-e Nuri) and the Axis of Guardianship/Divine Authority (Wilayah) within existence.

1. The Verse of Al-Kawthar: The Manifestation of Divine Effusion and the Source of Abundant Goodness

The Chapter of Al-Kawthar begins with a definitive Divine address: «إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ؛ “Indeed, we have granted you Al-Kawthar.” (Surah Al-Kawthar, Verse 1)

In response to the Prophet’s enemies who taunted him by calling him “Al-Abtar” (cut-off, without a lasting lineage or progeny), the Holy Qur’an promises him “Al-Kawthar,” a term derived from the root Kathrat (abundance) and signifying Abundant Goodness (Khayr-e Kathir).

This is a precious gift whose interpretation goes beyond merely a “superficial abundance of descendants” to mean an inexhaustible spring of boundless good.

Major Shi’a exegetes (like Shaykh Tusi and Allamah Tabataba’i), as well as numerous Sunni scholars (such as Fakhr al-Razi in his Tafsir al-Kabir), maintain that one of the most prominent and significant instances (Miṣdāq) of Al-Kawthar is the blessed existence of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).

The reason is that the Prophet’s only persistent lineage, the continuation of the Light of Imamate, and the perpetuation of Divine Guidance among the community flowed exclusively through her and her immaculate children (the Infallible Imams). This constitutes a lasting, abundant goodness and a blessed progeny that was never severed.

Mystical and Philosophical Analysis

In a deep mystical (‘Irfani) and philosophical analysis, Al-Kawthar symbolizes the Diffused Divine Effusion (Fayḍ al-Munbasit al-Ilahi) and the All-Encompassing Mercy (Raḥmat al-Wāsi’ah); it is the primordial manifestation from which the multiplicity of the cosmos (Katharāt al-‘Ālam) originates.

In this view, Fatimah (peace be upon her) is the human and terrestrial form (Ṣūrat-e Insāni wa Zamīni) of this Effusion.

Meaning, she is the Vessel (Ẓarf) through which God willed for the abundance of Light, Guardianship (Wilayah), and the continuation of Divine Guidance (Imamate) to be manifested in the material world. Without this “Kawthar,” the spring of Wilayah on Earth would have dried up.

2. The Verse of Mubahalah: The Zenith of Proximity and Fatimah’s Luminous Reality

In the Verse of Mubahalah, God commands the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) to bring forward his dearest kin to the field of challenge against the Christians of Najran: «ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكَاذِبِينَ؛ “Then let us earnestly pray and invoke the curse of God upon the liars.” (Surah Al-Imran, Verse 61).

All authenticated narrations, both Shi’a and Sunni (from sources like Sahih Muslim, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and Tafsir al-Tabari), confirm that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) brought only four individuals for this momentous event:

• Ali (peace be upon him), representing “ourselves” (Anfusanā),
• Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them), representing “our sons” (Abnā’anā), and
• Fatimah (peace be upon her), representing “our women” (Nisā’anā).

The exclusivity of Fatimah’s presence demonstrates that she was not an ordinary woman, but the Manifestation (Tajallī) of the highest station of feminine Proximity (Qurb) and the perfect embodiment (Miṣdāq al-Tāmm) of this part of the verse.

3. The Verse of Purification (Tathir): Purity as the Essence of Existence (Haqiqat-e Wujudi)

The Verse of Purification forms the cornerstone for establishing the Infallibility (‘Iṣmah) of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). God declares: «إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا؛ “God intends only to remove all impurity (Rijs) from you, O People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), and to purify you with a perfect purification (Taṭhīran).” (Surah Al-Ahzab, Verse 33).

The phrase “to remove all impurity (Yudhhiba ‘ankum al-Rijs)” (eliminating every sin and defilement) and the emphasis on “perfect purification (Taṭhīran)” goes beyond an acquired ethical cleanliness.

This Purity (Ṭahārat) is a Divine Creative Will (Irāda-al Takwīniyyah), by which the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and supremely Fatimah (peace be upon her), are kept far from any imperfection, error, existential darkness (Ẓulmat-e Wujudi), sin, or intellectual/practical defilement. This very exalted station makes their being worthy of the Imamate and Divine Guardianship (Wilayah).

This Purity is the necessary characteristic of a Luminous Reality (Haqiqat-e Nuri) that is rooted in the realm of Holiness (Quds) and Proximity (Qurb). As a direct member of the “People of the House” (Ahl al-Bayt / People of the Cloak), Hadhrat Fatimah (peace be upon her) is directly encompassed by this creative will and this innate Purity (Ṭahārat-e Ẓāti). This fact distinguishes her standing within the sacred and cosmological system from all other women in the world.

Part Two: The Fatimian Reality in Narrations and the Teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt

The narrations (Ahadith) of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) present a portrait of Hadhrat Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) that goes far beyond a historical exemplary woman, introducing her as an Eternal Luminous Reality (Haqiqat-e Nuri Azali) and the Mediator of Divine Grace (Wāsiṭa-ye Fayḍ).

1. Narrations on the Luminous Creation, Preceding the Creation of the Cosmos

This category of narrations forms the cosmological and ontological foundation for the high station of Hadhrat Zahra (peace be upon her). Her creation from the Light of Divine Majesty (Nur-e ‘Aẓamat-e Ilāhī), rather than merely from material elements, signifies her existential precedence and her station in the Divine Presence.

The narration: «خُلِقَت فاطِمَةُ مِن نورِ عظمةِ الله؛ “Fatimah was created from the Light of God’s Majesty.” (‘Ilal al-Sharā’i’, Vol. 1, p. 180) places the Fatimian Reality in a unified system with the Muhammadan and ‘Alawi Lights (Nur-e Muḥammadī wa ‘Alawī).

This mystical expression indicates that the Fatimian Reality, prior to the body, prior to the dust, and prior to entering the world of nature, possessed a “Luminous Existence” (Wujūd-e Nūrānī) in the Realm of Jabarut [1]. This Light stems from the Muhammadan Reality (Haqiqat-e Muḥammadiyyah), the very Light from which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) and Ali (peace be upon him) were also created.

In numerous narrations, it is mentioned that the Almighty God created Fatimah (peace be upon her) from the “Fruit of the Tuba Tree” or the “Heavenly Apple” (Biḥār al-Anwār, Vol. 16, p. 79; Vol. 43, pp. 4, 6, and 8).

These narrations convey a profound mystical concept. The Tuba Tree, the heavenly tree in mystical texts, symbolizes the Tree of Guardianship (Shajarat-e Wilayah) or the Blessed Tree (Shajarah Mubārakah), which is described in the Qur’an: «أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌ وَفَرْعُهَا فِي السَّمَاءِ؛ ” “Whose root is firmly fixed, and whose branches reach the sky?” (Surah Ibrahim, Verse 24).

This means that the existential substance of Fatimah (peace be upon her) is of the nature of pure Holiness (Quds) and absolute Purity (Ṭahārat-e Maḥḍ) and did not originate from the lower world (Nasut).

2. Al-Kawthar: The External Manifestation of the Luminous Reality (The Comprehensiveness of Abundant Goodness)

As previously mentioned, Al-Kawthar signifies Abundant Goodness (Khayr-e Kathir), and narrations cite multiple instances (Maṣādīq) for it:

• Existential Reality: Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her).
• Intellectual Heritage: Knowledge and Wisdom (and its extension in the sciences of the Ahl al-Bayt).
• Source of Blessings: The River of Paradise (Nahr-e Beheshti).
• The Core of Religion: Wilayah (Divine Guardianship, as it was sustained through her).
• Pure Progeny: The Immaculate Descendants (Dhurriyyah Ṭāhirah) and the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them).
• Comprehensiveness (Jāmi’iyyat): The Abundant Goodness extending until the Day of Judgment (Tafsīr Rūḥ al-Ma’ānī, Vol. 15, p. 479).

This diversity of instances demonstrates the comprehensiveness (Jāmi’iyyat) of the Fatimian station. Fatimah (peace be upon her) is not merely one instance; rather, she is the Point of Confluence (Nuqṭa-ye Talāqī) and the Source of Grace from which all these benevolent goods either originate or ultimately terminate.

In essence, she is the Channel of Connection between the Origin (Mabda’ – God) and the continuation of Guidance (Imamate).

Part Three: Fatimah (peace be upon her) – The Model of the Divine Human (Insan al-Ilahi)

The Luminous Reality (Haqīqat-e Nūrānī) of Hadhrat Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) did not remain confined to the Realm of the Unseen (Ghayb) and Jabarut. Rather, it manifested in the Material World (Nasut) in the mold of a Perfect Human (Insān-e Kāmil) to become the ultimate model and standard for attaining the peaks of spiritual perfection.

1. The Manifestation of Divine Light in Fatimah’s Life and Action

The manifest life of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) became a practical textbook, every chapter of which reflects an aspect of that Eternal Light (Nur-e Azali). Some of these luminous manifestations include:

• Hijab and ‘Ifaf (Luminous Covering)

Fatimah’s ‘Ifaf (chastity/modesty) transcends mere physical covering and the observance of legal religious limits. This ‘Ifaf is the “Preservation of the Purity of the Light” and the “Non-Defilement by Impurity (Rijs)” in the sphere of material life.

Her modesty is the complete manifestation of Hayā’ (shyness/dignity); to the extent that she avoided interacting with a non-mahram man who was blind, stating:

إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَرَانِي، فَأَنَا أَرَاهُ وَ هُوَ يَشُمُّ الرِّيحَ

“Although he cannot see me, I can see him, and he can smell my scent.”

(Biḥār al-Anwār, Vol. 43, p. 54).

This practical ‘Ifaf expresses Existential Dignity (‘Izzat-e Wujūdī), indicating that the Divine Human does not derive her self-worth from the gaze of others, but rather preserves that existential light by avoiding contamination.

• The Fadak Sermon (The Manifestation of Rationality and Wisdom)

The Sermon of Fadak (Khutbah Fadakiyyah) is not simply a political or economic demand; it is a profound treatise on Monotheism (Tawhidi), Prophethood (Nabawi), and Guardianship (Wilā’ī). This sermon is a rhetorical masterpiece that, at the peak of her oppression, offered a logical and wise defence of the truth.

This is the manifestation of Divine Rationality (‘Aqlāniyyat-e Ilāhī) and ‘Alawi Wisdom (Hikmat-e ‘Alawī), stemming from the Light of Fatimian Gnosis (Nur-e Ma’rifat-e Fāṭimī), which remains a Proof (Ḥujjah) until the Day of Judgment against those who abandoned the Wilayah.

• Worship and Servitude (‘Ibādah and ‘Ubūdiyyah)

The nightly vigils of Hadhrat Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) are indicative of the zenith of Absolute Servitude (Ubūdiyyat-e Maḥḍ). This servitude is not merely a ritualistic act of worship; rather, it is the code for the human being’s complete presence before the Absolute Light (Nūr-e Muṭlaq).

The fact that she prioritized others over herself in her supplications, saying: «الجار ثم الدار؛ “First the neighbour, then the household” (‘Ilal al-Sharā’i’, Vol. 1, p. 182) …demonstrates that true servitude is intertwined with serving creation and being annihilated (fānī) in the Divine Will for the happiness of others.

2. Fatimah (peace be upon her) as the “Educational Kawthar” for Humanity

Al-Kawthar, in the sense of an ongoing Abundant Goodness (Khayr-e Kathir Jārī), is not confined merely to physical lineage; it reaches its peak in the nurturing (tarbiyat) of Divine archetypes for humanity.

• The Nurturing of the Imams (peace be upon them): Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them), who were named the two masters of the youth of Paradise, were raised in the lap of this Luminous Mother. Fatimah (peace be upon her) was the Bearer (Ḥāmil) and Mediator of the Prophetic Spiritual Perfections (Wāsiṭa-ye Kamālāt-e Ma’navī) to the Imams (peace be upon them), and their environment was one imbued with absolute purity.
• The Nurturing of the Model of Resistance: Hadhrat Zaynab al-Kubra (peace be upon her) is the embodiment of patience, courage, and rationality. Zaynab’s resistance in Karbala and her powerful sermons are the practical extension of the Fadak Sermon and the Fatimian Epic. Zaynab was nurtured by a mother who, in the most trying circumstances, defended the truth and transmitted the spirit of justice-seeking and bravery to her generation.
• The Contemporary Model: In the present age, when humanity faces a crisis of identity and meaninglessness, and when women struggle with an identity defined as mere commodity or labour force, Fatimah (peace be upon her) offers a Luminous Roadmap and the standard of the Divine Human (Insan al-Ilahi): a human who, while possessing purity and spirituality, stands resolutely in the field of politics and justice-seeking.

Conclusion: Fatimah (peace be upon her); A Station of Divine Light and Movement from Multiplicity to Unity

Fatimah (peace be upon her) is a reality whose understanding is not a simple historical knowledge; rather, it is the knowledge of “a Station of Divine Light and a Mediator of Grace” that is rooted in Monotheism and Unity and manifests itself in the multiplicities of the cosmos (Katharāt al- ‘Ālam).

Her status as Al-Kawthar holds a meaning deeper than mere progeny and abundance: she is the Source of all the good that the Muslim nation benefits from until the Day of Judgment.

Knowing Fatimah (pbuh) is equivalent to a movement from the outward to the inward (Min al Ẓāhir Ila al Bāṭin), from the human to the Reality, and from Multiplicity to Unity (Min al Kathra ila al Waḥda). Whoever approaches this reality has indeed approached the Source of Light and Abundant Goodness. She is the gate to knowing the Imams and the continuation of the line of Divine Guidance.

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[1] . The Realm of Jabarut: This is referred to as the world of intellect (al-’Aql) without the conceptualization of bodies and their specific characteristics. This realm is situated below the Realm of Lahut (the world exclusive to God and the station of the Divine Essence) and above the Realm of Malakut (the subtle world where forms and shapes can be conceived without actual bodies) and the Realm of Nasut (the material world of nature).