In the expression of all of the amazing aspects of the great spirit of Fatima...

In the expression of all of the amazing aspects of the great spirit of Fatima, that which causes the most wonder in me, is this that Fatima is the traveling companion, steps in the same steps, flies together with the great spirit of Ali, through the ascension of humanity towards completeness and the stages of the descent of the spirit and the psyche. She was not just a wife to Ali. Ali looked upon her as a friend, a friend who was familiar with his pains and his great wishes.

She was his endless refuge, the one who listened to his secrets. She was the only companion of his loneliness. This is why Ali looked at her with another look and also at her children. After Fatima, Ali took other wives and he had child­ren from them. But from the beginning, he separates the children who were from Fatima from his other children. The latter are called 'BaniAli',[that is, sons of Ali] and the former, 'Bani Fatima' [the children of Fatima]. Isn't it strange!

When face to face with their father, and he, Ali, the children are related to Fatima. And we saw that the Prophet also saw her with different eyes. From among all of his daughters he would only discipline Fatima. He only relies upon her. From an early age, she accepted the great invitation. I do not know what to say about her. How to say it? I wanted to imitate the French writer who was speaking one day in a conference about the Virgin Mary.

He said, 'For 1700 years all of the speakers have spoken of Mary. For 1700 years, ail philosophers and thinkers of various nations of the East and West have spoken of the values of Mary. For 1700 years, the poets of the world have expressed all of their creative efforts and power in their praise of Mary. For 1700 years, all of the painters and artists have created wonderful works of art showing the visage and states of Mary.

But the totality of all that has been said, thought and the efforts of all the artist throughout all of these many centuries were not able to sufficiently describe the greatness of Mary as these words, 'Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ'.' And I wanted to begin in this manner with Fatima. I got stuck. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the daughter of the great Khadijah.' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fatima is the daughter of Muhammad ( ‘s ).' I sensed it is not Fatima.

I wished to say, 'Fatima is the wife of Ali ( ‘a ).' I sensed it is not Fatima. I wished to say, 'Fa­tima is the mother of Hasan and Husayn.' I sensed it is not Fatima.