Hazrat Ali (a.s) remained sorrowful and at the same time he was secretly taking help from Asma binte’ Umays till the last moments of the life of Janabe’ Zahra (s.a). In her will, Janabe’ Zahra expressed her desire that he (a.s) should give ablutions to her dead body, bury her in the darkness of the night and erase all signs of her grave. She also insisted that neither these two nor their friends should be allowed to participate in her funeral and the funeral prayers.
She (s.a) put on a new dress for the ghusl and desired that it should not be removed. In some traditions it is found that she (s.a) said, “Do not untie my arms.” Perhaps she did not want that Hazrat Ali (a.s) should see the injury marks on her body and hence she insisted that she should be given ghusl with her clothes on. But when Hazrat Ali (a.s) was giving her ghusl he let out an agonizing cry and his cheeks were drenched with tears. When people asked the reason for crying he (a.s) said “The marks of lashes and injuries on her body.”
In fact Janabe’ Miqdad says “At the time when the daughter of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) expired, blood was oozing out of her back and her thighs due to the wounds caused by swords and lashes.”
Hazrat Ali (a.s) recited the funeral prayers in the night (Many references can be found in this regard in Sunni as well as in Shia books and we will mention it at the appropriate place). Only the Bani Hashim and the trusted friends were present in the prayers. Those who were present were Imam Hasan (a.s), Imam Hussain (a.s), Aqeel, Abdullah ibn Jafar, Salman, Abu Zar, Miqdad, Ammar, Huzayfah, Boraydah, Abbas and his sons Fazl and Abdullah, Abdullah ibn Masood, Osamah, Zubayr, the daughters of Hazrat Ali (a.s) and few women from Quraysh.
Hazrat Ali (a.s) buried and then eradicated the sign of her grave. When he (a.s) wiped his hands off the soil, he was so overcome by grief that he (a.s) began to weep profusely and with tears rolling down his eyes, he turned towards the grave of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and said,
“Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah and peace be upon you from your beloved daughter, the coolness of your eyes, the one who visited you and the one who is now buried in your chamber (Baqi). Allah has united her very quickly with you. O Prophet of Allah! Separation from your daughter has diminished my patience. The demise of the ‘Leader of all women’ has weakened my forbearance. Your sunnah is a model for us. The grief of your departure is ever present. It was me who put you to rest in your grave while you had breathed your last in my lap. It was me who closed your eyes and gave you the ghusl and kafan. In the book of Allah is the best condolence,
إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ
“Surely we are from Allah and to Him shall we return”
(Surah Baqarah verse 156)
“The trust (amanat) has been taken back The thing that was mortgaged has been demanded. Zahra (s.a.) has left us. Now this world appears so repulsive and horrible. O Messenger of Allah! Now my sorrow is endless. Nights will pass without sleep. This sorrow will not decrease from the heart. Till such time that Allah chooses me for that place where presently you are stationed. This wound will never heal and will always remain fresh. Allah has separated us so quickly. O Allah! I complain to you of this separation. O Messenger of Allah! Your daughter will narrate to you the oppressions committed by the nation and how they snatched and destroyed her rights. You ask her everything in detail about the circumstances. Her life was filled with grief and anguish. She did not get a chance (in the world) to express her sorrow. She will narrate them to you.”
يَحْكُمَ اللهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ
“Allah will judge and He is the best of judges”
(Surah Yunus verse 109)
“O Messenger of Allah! My farewell salutations to you. Neither am I tired of sending salutations upon you nor have I completed all that I want to say. If I am going back it is not to attend any business and if I am standing over here then it is not because I doubt Allah’s promise that he has made to those who are patient. Certainly patience is better. If the oppressors who forcibly snatched the reigns of the government had not overcome society, I would have sat next to your grave and stayed here and would have cried like a mother who cries on the death of her young son. Your daughter has been secretly buried right before the eyes of Allah and rights were forcibly snatched away from her. She was openly deprived of her inheritance while the covenants made to you were still fresh among the people and your memories were still vivid among the people.”
“O Messenger of Allah! I complain to you about all that has happened. Your character and personality is the best form of condolence and sympathy. May Allah send His blessings upon Zahra (s.a.) and upon you (s.a.w.a).”
