All the Muhajirūn and the Ansar attended the reception.

All the Muhajirūn and the Ansar attended the reception. All the guests ate to their fill. After service of the dinner, lot of food remained. One portion of the food was reserved for `Ali (a.s) and Fatimah. Food was also sent to the homes of the Prophet’s wives.

The dowry that was given to the daughter of the Prophet (a.s) and the richest lady of Arabia, Khadijah, consisted of the following: One dress One Scarf One Black Headgear from Khaybar One cot knit with date fiber Two mattresses-one filled with wool and the other with date fiber Four pillows made of Ta’if Leather One mat One curtain of silk and cotton waste One millstone One small pitcher of bronze One big water-skin One pot One big tumbler One spouted Jug Some small earthen bowls The approximate total cost of all these things was about eighty dirhams.

When the Prophet (a.s) saw his daughter’s dowry, he had tears in his eyes. He looked at the materials, lifted his head towards the sky and said: “O Allah! Give them prosperity whose utensils are mostly earthen.” When dusk was around, and the shadows darkened, the Prophet (a.s) helped Lady Fatimah (a.s) mount the mule, al-shahba’, and the atmosphere of al-Madinah reverberated with the calls of “allahu-akbar”. From every side came sounds of prayers.

The women of Ansar and Muhajirūn accompanied the wedding procession singing. Salman al-Farisi was holding the reins of the mule and walked in front of it. The Prophet (a.s) and all the men of Banū-Hashim carried unsheathed swords in their hands. The procession went round the Prophet’s Mosque and reached its destination. The Prophet (a.s) took the hand of his daughter in his hand and put it in the hand of the groom, `Ali (a.s) and said: “`Ali!

May the daughter of the Prophet (a.s) be auspicious for you!” The Prophet (a.s) then called for a tumbler of water, took a mouthful of the water in his mouth, put it back in the tumbler and then sprinkled the water from the tumbler on the chests of `Ali (a.s) and Fatimah. Then he said: O Allah! Give prosperity to both of them!

Give prosperity to their progeny as well![1] After giving his blessings, when the Prophet (a.s) entered the home of `Ali (a.s) and Fatimah, he again prayed for their happiness and prosperity! Seeing the daughter of Khadijah settle in her new home, the Prophet (a.s) returned home happily! [1] Al-Isābah, Vol 4, Page 366 Previous…