Then he said...

Then he said: I swear by Allah there existed no other woman better than Khadija to me. The day when all people were infidels and idolaters she acknowledged her faith in me. The days when everybody accused me of sorcery and telling lies, she confirmed me. When everybody had turned their back on me, Khadija put all her wealth at my disposal and spent it generously in my way.

God bestowed a daughter on me through her, who was a manifestation of purity, chastity, and piety.” Then, ‘A’isha said: “I told the Prophet (S) that I did not mean to talk evil about her, and I repented my words.” It is said that Khadija gave birth to seven children from the Prophet (S): Qasim, whose name brought forth the nickname Abu al-Qasim for the Prophet (S), and died before the Bi‘tha (Prophetic Mission) of the Prophet (S) at the age of two.

‘Abd Allah, or Tayyib, who was born at the outset of Bi‘tha and died after that. Zaynab, who was married to Abu al-‘As. Ruqayya, who got married first to ‘Ataba and then to ‘Uthman b. Affan, and died in the second year after Hijra . Umm Kulthum, who also married ‘Uthman – after Ruqayya's death – and died four years after Hijra . The seventh one was Fatimah al-Zahra (as) who got married to Hadhrat ‘Ali (as).

The fruits of this blessed and noble marriage were the holy progeny consisting of our honorable and Infallible Imams. The birthday of Fatmat al-Zahra (as) is known to be on Jamadi al-Thani 20, 5 years after Bi‘tha in Mecca. Thus, at the time of Hijra she was about nine years old. Her names and nicknames, which all represent her heavenly characteristics and moral virtues, include: Siddiqa Tahira, Zakiyya, Zahra, Sayyidat al-Nisa al-‘Alamin, Khayr al-Nisa, Batul, and so forth.

The most amazing name she is famous for is Umm Abiha, i.e. “mother of her father” which indicates her intense love for her great father, and that from early childhood and in spite of her young age she was – like Khadija – a spiritual haven and mental support. The nickname Umm Abiha was given by the Prophet (S) to his beloved daughter. In Arabic, Umm has a second meaning besides mother i.e. source and origin.

As in Umm al-Khaba’ith (the source of all evils) which is used for wine, and Umm al-Qura, which is attributed to Mecca, so Umm Abiha also means the origin and source of Nubuwwa (Prophethood) and Wilaya (Guardianship). And, in truth, Zahra was like a shady tree, giving forth sweet fruits of Imamate and Wilayat .