The reason for saying Zahrā’ when referring to Hadrat Fātimah
Question: Some books state that Hadrat Fātīmah radiyallāhu ‛anhā is referred to as Zahrā’ because she did not experience the monthly menses so that she does not miss any salāh and fast. Is this correct?
Answer: It is wrong to say that Hadrat Fātimah radiyallāhu ‛anhā did not experience the monthly menses. There seems to be a Shī‛ah influence to this claim. There could be several reasons for this:
- It comes in the meaning of beauty or having an illuminated face (this has nothing to do with not experiencing the monthly menses).
- It is not proven that she is referred to as Zahrā’ because of not experiencing menses.
- If it is claimed that this is to be found in a Hadīth, then the answer is that Hadīth is totally unauthentic.
Fayd al-Qadīr states:
وفي الفتاوى الظهيرية للحنفية أن فاطمة لم تحض قط ولما ولدت طهرت من نفاسها بعد ساعة لئلا تفوتها صلاة قال: ولذلك سميت بالزهراء وقد ذكره من صحبنا المحب الطبري في ذخائر العقبى في مناقب ذوي القربى وأورد فيه حديثين أنها حوراء آدمية طاهرة مطهرة لا تحيض ولا يرى لها دم في طمث ولا ولادة.[1]
(Arabic text-p. 135)
Its chain of transmission contains Hasan ibn ‛Amr ibn Sayf as-Sadūsī who is considered unreliable.
كذبه ابن المديني، وقال البخاري: كذاب، وقال الرازي: متروك.[2]
Another narrator by the name of Qāsim ibn Mutayyab is also unreliable. Ibn Hibbān says with reference to him:
يستحق الترك...كان يخطئ على قلة روايته.[3]
(Arabic text – pp. 135-136)
The dictionary as-Sihāh has the following entry:
رجل أزهر أي أبيض مشرق الوجه والمرأة زهراء.[4]
A man is described as Azhar and a woman as Zahrā’ when they are fair and have a luminous face.
We learn from the above that this word refers to pure whiteness. Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‛alayhi wa sallam is described as:
كان أزهر اللون لا بالأبيض الأمهق.
He was fair-complexioned but not so white as to appear colourless.
It is also unusual because if a woman does not experience the monthly menses, she cannot fall pregnant; she will be barren. We know for a fact that Hadrat Fātimāh radiyallāhu ‛anhā was not barren. Umm al-Mu’minīn Hadrat ‛Ā’ishah radiyallāhu ‛anhā enjoys superiority over Hadrat Fātimah radiyallāhu ‛anhā in this regard because she was barren and yet she used to experience the monthly menses. We therefore cannot understand such a claim. Allāh ta‛ālā knows best.
[1] فيض القدير: 4\422، رقم: 5835.
[2] ميزان الإعتدال: 2\39، ترجمة 1919.
[3] ميزان الإعتدال: 4\300، ترجمة 6843.
[4] الصحاح: 2\581.