It was no long until all requirements of the wedding were prepared.

It was no long until all requirements of the wedding were prepared. The furniture of Fatima (a.s.) and Ali (a.s.) was the following: A sheepskin to sleep on A pillow of leather stuffed with palm-tree fibers A bed made of palm-tree branches A quern A water skin Two jars Some pottery vessels [1] Kifayat at-Talib, p.166, Bihar al-Anwar, vol.43 p.120. [2] Kanzol Ummal, vol.7 p.14. This furniture was very simple and cheap in people’s consideration, but it was too valuable in the Islam’s view.

It was more precious than jewels and expensive things that kings and wealthy people give to their wives. The furniture was put before the Prophet (a.s.). He looked at the pottery and said, ‘Blessed are the people of a house whose most vessels are of pottery.’ Allama al-Fartoosi described this house of Imam Ali and Fatima in the following poem by saying, “And your house that is too simple with what its four corners contained.

In a corner a mat beside it a jar was put, And in another a bed of palm-tree branches there was, And clay vessels that were the cups which were made by their owners hands, And a quern was there that blistered the hand that milled barley, As if humbleness with what it contained was a sign that everything worshipped.” [1] Lomnice concluded from the simplicity of Fatima’s wedding that the Prophet (a.s.) hated Fatima because he married her to a poor man and that the furniture of her house was too simple.

The ignorance of Lomnice regarding Islam led him to this conclusion. His mind was built by the Western life that did not understand Islam. Islam hates excessive dowries so that to make marriage easy for all.

The Prophet (a.s.) said, ‘The best women of my community are those of less dowries.’ [2] Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘A man, during the time of the messenger of Allah, got married to a woman for a sura from the Qur’an, [3] a dirham, or some wheat.’ [4] [1] Malhamat (epic of) Ahlul Bayt by al-Fartoosi, vol.1 p.35. [2] Man La Yahdhuruhu al-Faqeeh, vol.3 p.243. [3] To teach his wife a sura from the Qur’an as her dowry. [4] Tahthib al-Ahkam, vol.7 p.366.

Once, the Prophet (a.s.) married some man from his companions who possessed nothing to a woman for a dowry of that he should teach his wife one sura from the Qur’an. [1] That dowry was called “the dowry of the sura”. The Islamic Sharia encourages marriage with little dowries and cancels superiority between spouses.