Fatwa ID: 03711

Answered by: Alimah Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah

 

Question

Asalamualaikum.

 

I found a few narrations which confirm that Fatima (RA) is the leader of the women in Jannah as stated in the authentic Hadith, but other narrations confirm or imply that this only applies for the Ummah of her father (SAW). Some of these Hadith seem to be variations of the Hadith where the Prophet (SAW) told her on his (SAW) death bed she is the women of Jannah, but nothing about how Mariam will be superior.

 

Here are the narrations, can you confirm the original source for last two because, if I am not mistaken, ibn Kathir's (RA) al Bidayah Wan Nihayah and Suyuti's (RA) al Jami'i Saghir are secondary sources, and whether all are authentic? I am assuming it'll be the same chain for all of them.

 

 

وقال : إنك سيدة نساء أهل الجنة إلا ما كان من البتول مريم بنت عمران ، فضحكت لذلك

 

1-Fatima (RA) narrated: The Prophet PBUH said to me: You are the head of the women of paradise except for the Batoul Mariam bint Imran (AS), So I laughed.

Source: Al Bayhaqi in Dala'el al Nubuwwah 7/166.

 

سيدة نساء أهل الجنة بعد مريم بنت عمران فاطمة [ بنت محمد] وخديجة ، وآسية امرأة فرعون

 

2-Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA) narrated: The prophet PBUH said: The head of the women of paradise after Mariam bint Imran (AS) is Fatima (Bint Muhammad) (RA) and Khadijah (RA) andAsiyah (AS) the wife of Pharaoh.

Source: Ibn Abdul Barr in al Istee'ab 4/383.

 

عن عائشة أنها قالت لفاطمة أرأيت حين أكببت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فبكيت ثم ضحكت قالت أخبرني أنه ميت من وجعه هذا فبكيت ثم أكببت عليه فأخبرني أني أسرع أهله لحوقا به وإني سيدة نساء أهل الجنة إلا مريم بنت عمران فضحكت

 

3-Aisha (RA) narrated that Fatima (RA) told her: Did you see when I cried near the Prophet PBUH then laughed? Aisha (RA) said: tell me, Fatima (RA) said: He told me he will die from this pain so I cried then he told me I will be the first from his Ahlul Bayt to follow him and that I am the head of the women of paradise except Mariam bint Imran (AS), so I laughed.

Source: Ibn Katheer in al Bidayah wan Nihayah 2/56 (secondary source)

 

فاطمة سيدة نساء أهل الجنة، إلا مريم بنت عمران

 

4-Abu Sa'eed al Khudri (RA) narrated: Fatima (RA) is the head of the women of paradise except for Mariam bint Imran (AS).

Source: Suyuti in al Jami'i al Saghir 5835 (secondary source)

 

 

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer:

The narrations you have enquired about are authentic. This is further substantiated by the verse of the Qur’an wherein Allah Ta’ala says: “And [mention] when the angels said, ‘O Mary, indeed Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.’” [1] Maryam (as) is generally considered to be superior over other women. However, we can reconcile between these narrations and others that mention other women such as Fatima, Ayesha and Khadijah (RA) by understanding that they may be superior due to a certain trait or quality. As for the primary source for the last two narrations[2], similar narrations can be found in Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i and Tirmidhi.

 

 

Only Allah knows best

Written by Aalimah Sabrina al-Faarsiyyah

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham