Thus, Gabriel brought him who was chosen above all two...

Thus,

Gabriel brought him who was chosen above all two apples from

Paradise and said: 'O Muhammad, He who appointed a due proportion

for all things says to you: "Eat one apple and give the other to Lady

Khadijah, then come unto her, for I will create from you (both) Fatima

Zahra. "The Chosen One did what The Guardian (Gabriel) told him to

do, and.. (Until he said): 'Thus, whenever the Chosen One longed for

Paradise and its greatness, he would kiss Fatima and smell her

beautiful fragrance and say: 'Fatima is a human huri.'"

There are successive narrations in this regard, but we satisfy

ourselves with what has been mentioned. There remains a point here on which elaboration is rather important; it

is noticeable that the narrations clearly state that Khadijah bore Fatima

immediately after the Prophet's Ascension to heaven, which took place

in the second or third year after revelation. Nevertheless, there is a collection of narrations from the Holy Imams

of Ahlul-Bayt (A), which state that Fatima was born five years after the

first revelation to the Prophet This indicates that she stayed in her

mother's womb for more than two years, which is definitely incorrect. How can the contradictions between the narrations be explained?! There are several probabilities, which can be given as answers to this

1.The Messenger of Allah ascended to heaven more than once, as

was stated in the Book of Kafi. This, in my opinion, is the most

accurate account of this affair. 2. Taking into account some narrations which state that Fatima (A)

was born in the second or third year after the first revelation (as will be

mentioned together with the historians' opinions who claim that

Ascension took place in the third year of revelation); this contradiction

can be explained especially in light of the various sayings regarding

the month during which Ascension occurred. Digitized by: www.playandlearn.org 41