The following inquiry was directed to His Eminence Ayatollah Lutfullah Saafi Gulpaygani by a group of believers:
With condolences on the heart-rending martyrdom of the Prophet’s only daughter Lady Fatima Zahra (peace be upon them both), we would like to inquire that since we don’t know the actual date of her martyrdom, on what date should we commemorate the martyrdom? Additionally, what is the proper etiquette of mourning for her tragedy?
Ayatollah Gulpaygani responded as follows:
In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
There are different narrations regarding the martyrdom of the Truthful One, Lady Fatima Zahra. But the two dates which are considered most acceptable among scholars are the ones known popularly as the first Fatimiyya (13th Jamadi al-Awwal) and the second Fatimiyya (3rd Jamadi al-Thani). It is better that the believers should hold mourning gatherings from the 13th of Jamadi al-Awwal all the way until the 3rd of Jamadi al-Thani, as well as express their love towards the Holy Household (peace be upon them) and refrain from acts which do not befit the days of mourning during this period.
The best way to mourn for her is to speak about her virtues as well as her sufferings and to present her ethical and moral examples. In particular, her courageous stance in defending the rights of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) should be remembered at all times and in all eras.
God-willingly, the believers will be able to express their respects to her by staying true to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Ahlul Bayt. Specifically, female believers should attempt to emulate her examples and consequently give special attention to their own modesty and chastity.
This Q&A was posted on the Urdu section of Ayatollah Gulpaygani’s website. It has been translated into English by Islamic Insights.
