30/06/2022
The Marriage of Fatimah with Imam Ali
When Fatimah (s.a.) grew youth, the great companions hurried to the Prophet (S) one after the other so that he might honor them by marrying his pure daughter to them but the Prophet (S) responded to none of them. From those who had asked the Prophet (S) for his daughter’s hand was Abu Bakr whom the Prophet (S) refused his request and said to him, ‘I am waiting, regarding her, for the Fate (of Allah).’ After him came Umar and the Prophet (S) replied to him as he had replied to his former companion.1
The Prophet (S) announced that the marriage of Fatimah (s.a.) was in the hand of Allah and he himself had nothing to do concerning the matter. When Muslims knew that, they refrained from asking the Prophet (S) for his daughter’s hand any more.
Sometime later, some companions met Imam Ali (a.s.) and mentioned to him his close kinship to the Prophet (S), his great jihad for Islam, and his support to the Prophet (S) in all his battles and situations. They asked him to propose to Fatimah (s.a.) and win the honor of the Prophet’s affinity. Imam Ali (a.s.) went to the Prophet (S) hesitatingly because of shyness. He came to the Prophet (S) lowering his sight to the ground. The Prophet (S) asked him,
‘What do you want, my brother?’
Imam Ali (a.s.) was silent for a while out of shyness and then said, ‘O messenger of Allah, I remembered Fatimah.’
The Prophet (S) answered smilingly while delight appeared on his face, ‘Welcome! Allah has ordered to marry my daughter to you.’2
Imam Ali’s heart was filled with delight for the honor that Allah granted him. He was the Prophet’s cousin and then he was going to be his son-in-law. It has been mentioned in some tafsirs that this verse,
“And He it is Who has created man from the water, then He has made for him blood relationship and marriage relationship, and your Lord is powerful.” 25:54
concerned Imam Ali (a.s.).3