Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ
Ahl al-Bayt · Sunni & Shia · 605–632 CE
At a glance
| Category | Ahl al-Bayt |
|---|---|
| Tradition | Sunni & Shia |
| Lifespan | 605–632 CE |
| Region | Hijaz |
| Role | Daughter of the Prophet; wife of ʿAlī |
| Note | Mother of Ḥasan and Ḥusayn; deeply venerated, especially in Shia tradition |
Fāṭima al-Zahrāʾ was the daughter of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and his wife Khadīja, and the wife of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib. Through her sons al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn the line of the Prophet continued, and it is from her that the Ahl al-Bayt — the household of the Prophet — descend. She is one of the most revered women in Islam, honoured across all traditions and holding a place of special devotion in Shiʿism.
The sources portray her as close to her father and devoted in worship, and she died a few months after him in 632. Her standing, and disputes surrounding the family's position in the succession, place her at the sensitive heart of early Islamic history; Chronicle records her honoured status while leaving contested historical questions to the sources and to qualified scholars.
Ancestress of the Ahl al-Bayt through whom the Imams descend.