Hazrat Fatimah Ma'soomeh (a.s)

(1st Zilqadah 183 A.H. _ 10th Rabiul-thani 201 A.H.)

Hazrat-e Ma’soome was born in Zulqadeh 1, 173 A.H (Arabic date)inMedina. Her father was Imam Moosa Kazim (the seventh Imam) and her mother was Hazrat-e Najmeh whose purity and nobility was the reason why she was called Tahereh.

Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh was martyred inQom when she was 28 years old. Her holy shrine shines like a sun in the heart of Qom province and it is like a cure for thirsty souls.

As a matter of fact Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh was the “Second Batool” (nickname of Hazrat-e Fatemeh) and was the manifestation of Hazrat-e Zahra. Regarding the purity of soul, she was really exclusive so that his brother Imam Reza called her Ma’soomeh. Her real name was Fatemeh. Here comes Imam Reza’s word about her sister: “whoever visits her holy shrine, is like that he has visited the shrine of mine”.

Her mystic and scientific grade is in such a way that one can trace this in the series of traditional prayers: “ Greetings be upon Thee, the Honorable daughter of Moosa Ibn-e Ja’far and the trusted one on behalf of Moosa Ibn-e Ja’far.” “… Greetings be upon Thee, the pure, admirable lady, the evolved one, the good natured and the honorable one.”

Due to these high spiritual statuses one must say the following phrase at the time of visiting Imam Reza’s shrine:” Fetemeh! Please intercede for me inParadise, for thy status is dearly regarded by God.”

So long before Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh’s birth, Imam Sadiq describedQom as the shrine of the Holy Prophet’s family: “There will come from my progeny a lady whose intercession can lead to all of my Shi’it followers would go to Paradise.”

THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN HAZRAT-E MA’SOOMEH AND HAZRAT-E ZAHRA

In this part there had been always a question: Why did The Holy Prophet love Hazrat-e Zahra so dearly comparing with his other daughters? The same question was raised concerning Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh. Hazrat-e Moosa Ibn-e J’afar treated her more than the other daughters. It was only that she could reach to the high levels.

Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh was really like her grandmother (Hazrat-e Fatemeh) so that she was the one who was always the conqueror of the fields and no one could catch up with her in scientific matters and good attributes. She had a divine essence which would make her distinguishable from the others.

The holy Prophet said about Hazrat-e Fatemeh: “Her father would be sacrified for her sake.” The same words uttered by Hazrat-e Moosa Ibn-e Ja’far for Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh’s sake.

She shares the same name with Hazrat-e Fatemeh therefore; there have been some secrets behind this: One would be that she had no competitor regarding the science and good deeds. Another one would be that she is the savior in that she avoids the Shi’ite followers from entering the Hell. Too, her scientific status are unbelievable, although her shrine is observable to the eyes (unlike the hidden one which belongs to Hazrat-e Zahra) according to the revelation which had taken place for some of the God’s saints and also according to the words of Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq “He who visits the holy shrine of Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh would be granted the same bounties and blessings which he could receive in case of visiting Hazrat-e Zahra’s”.

Among other similarities of these two honorable ladies, one can refer to their sacrifice for proving the issue of sainthood (Velayat). For; Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh was martyred in this way. This means that she was a member of a caravan. They leftHejaz for Khorasan. She did so to meet her brother (Imam Reza). When she arrived in Saveh (one of the Iranian cities) the enemies of that holy progeny killed her relatives and her brothers. They poisoned the food. As a result, Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh got sick, and went toQom. After passing 16 days she passed away.

Like Hazrat-e Zahra who clarified Imam Ali’s valid reasoning, Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh also did the same thing. Her narratives are all about Imam Ali’s Imamate so that one can depend on it as a valid proof which gives way to the truthfulness of 12 Imams’ Imamate as well. Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh restates the words of Hazrat-e Zahra “The Holy Prophet during the night of ascension went toParadise. He saw some thing was written on the drape hanging down a palace: There is no God like Allah, Mohammed is the messenger of God and Ali is the leader of the people. He also found another written text saying that: the Sh’ite followers of Imam Ali would be delivered from evil.”

She also narrates another words of the Holy Prophet “Be ware! He who dies while is loving Mohammed’s Progeny will be considered as a martyr.”

Therefore; one can realize that Hazrat-e Ma’soomeh was the scientist and wise lady of that Holy Progeny who followed steps of Hazrat-e Zahra and like her; she campaigned so hard for proving the righteousness so that she devoted herself in this path until she was martyred.

Some of the great religious figures always respect her and they compare her with Hazrat-e Zahra. Imam Khomeini had compared these two honorable ladies with each other in a 24 couplet sonnet.

Death

Hazrat Ma'soomeh used to live in Medina. When Ma'moon Abbas summoned Imam Ridha (a.s) to Khurasan , she found this separation heavy to bear. After one year she left for Khurasan in order to see her brother. When they reached Saveh, which is about sixty-two k.m from Qum, she felt ill. Musa ibn Khazray took this dignified lady to their home. Ma'soomeh passed seven days in Qum suffering from illness until finally she departed from the transient abode on the 10th of Rabi uthanni.