Shiites Worldwide Commemorate Sorrowful Martyrdom Anniversary of Lady Fatima Masoomah, peace be upon her
Lady Fatima Masoomah, a highly revered member of the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, passed away on the 10th of Rabi’ al-Thani in the year 201 A.H. at the age of 28.
She is not only the daughter, sister, and aunt of Immaculate Imams, but also a scholar and hadith narrator, respected among Shia Muslims. Her shrine in the holy city of Qom attracts millions of pilgrims annually.
Fatima Masoomah was born 25 years after the birth of Imam Reza, peace be upon him. Her esteemed father was Imam Musa al-Kadhim, peace be upon him, and her mother was a pious woman named Najmah.
Her most important epithet is “Masoomah,” derived from a narration attributed to Imam Reza, who said: “Whoever visits the Masoomah in Qom is like one who has visited me.”
Following her father’s martyrdom, she came under the care of her brother, Imam Reza, peace be upon them, in the year 179 A.H., and remained with him until 200 A.H., achieving remarkable spiritual and scholarly heights during these 21 years.
Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, stated that paradise has eight doors, three of which lead to Qom, where a lady named Fatima, daughter of Musa, will pass away, and all our Shia will enter paradise through her intercession.
In a famous Ziyarah narrated by Imam Reza, peace be upon him, it is mentioned: “O Fatima, intercede for me in paradise, for you hold a sublime place before God.”
Like her mother, Fatima al-Zahra, peace be upon them both, she was a scholar and hadith narrator, adept at articulating the legitimacy of Imam Ali’s rightful Imamate with solid reasoning.
In 201 A.H., she set out from Medina to visit her brother in Khorasan but fell ill upon reaching Saveh. Knowing of the Shia presence in Qom, she instructed her servant to take her there.
Various accounts exist regarding the circumstances of her martyrdom; however, it is widely accepted that enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt poisoned her food, leading to her eventual martyrdom in Qom.
The day of her passing is reported to be the 10th of Rabi’ al-Thani, with some accounts suggesting the 12th. Consequently, many believers commemorate these three days in her honor.
After her passing, the women of the Al-Saad family washed and shrouded her, and her pure body was taken to the garden of Musa ibn Kharrij, the current location of her holy shrine.
