Shafaqna India | by Dr Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari*- In an age when values are lost in the whirlpool of doubts and the modern human wanders in search of meaning and a firm refuge, the name of Fatimah Zahra (SA) shines like a lantern in the dark night of history. She is the embodiment of purity and reason, love and worship, and the manifestation of the highest dimensions of humanity. To take her as a model is not a return to a distant past, but a return to the source of truth where humanity rediscovers its essence in the light of faith, compassion, and justice.
Fatimah (SA) is the model of a woman who, while possessing the tenderness of spirit and the affection of motherhood, stood like a mountain against oppression and ignorance. In her home, she taught the lessons of love and nurturing; in society, she raised the call for justice and human dignity. Thus, following her example is an invitation to balance between heart and reason, between presence and modesty, between this world and the hereafter. The modern woman, surrounded by rootless images and artificial identities, can only find her true path by polishing the mirror of her soul with the light of Fatimah (SA).
The exemplary nature of Lady Fatimah (SA) lies not merely in her sanctity and nobility, but in her way of living. She showed that faith does not lead to isolation or weakness, but gives birth to responsibility and love for truth. Every generation that learns from Fatimah (SA) discovers within itself the power to rise, to resist, and to build. Our young generation amid the chaos of color and sound devoid of identity, if it opens the eyes of the heart, will see in Fatimah (SA) how one can remain truly human while being a woman, and how to gaze toward eternity while living fully in this world.
Fatimah Zahra (SA) is not merely a role model for women; she is the measure of the complete human being. In her being, the heavens of knowledge unite with the earth of responsibility. Thus, emulating her means seeking a path to rebuild humanity within ourselves a path to restore spirituality to everyday life and to reunite reason with love. As long as the name of Fatimah (SA) lives in hearts, the lamp of guidance will never be extinguished, and humankind will continue to find its way through the darkness.
Emulating Divine Figures in the education and formation of individual and social identity is one of the fundamental needs of human societies. Among all religious exemplars, Lady Fatimah Zahra (SA) occupies a unique place, for within her being, reason, devotion, knowledge, ethics, chastity, struggle, and social engagement converge in harmony.
This article, adopting an analytical approach and drawing upon Qur’anic, Hadith, and Muslim scholarly sources, seeks to explain the exemplary dimensions of Lady Fatimah (SA) for women, particularly the younger generation. The findings demonstrate that her personality represents a timeless model, capable of responding to the moral, cultural, and social needs of women in the modern world. Revisiting her life and teachings can serve as a foundation for reviving the identity of the Muslim woman in an age of identity crisis.
Recognizing outstanding human exemplars has always been one of the central principles of the Islamic educational and cultural system. The Holy Qur’an, emphasizing the necessity of following such models, declares: “Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah (SWT) you have an excellent example” (Al-Ahzab, 33:21).
In continuation of this principle, Lady Fatimah (SA), the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the wife of Imam Ali (AS), and the mother of the infallible Imams (AS) stands as a perfect example of the Muslim woman in all her individual and social dimensions.
In a world where the criteria for women’s identity have undergone rapid and sometimes distorted transformations, returning to the Fatimah’s (SA) Model (Sirah Fatimiyyah) becomes a cultural and civilizational necessity. The younger generation especially young women needs role models who embody intellect, faith, and righteous action in a unified form; and such an ideal finds its perfect manifestation in Lady Fatimah (SA).
- A) The Comprehensive Personality of Lady Fatimah (SA) in Worship and Morality
In the narrations, Fatimah (SA) is introduced as “the Lady of the Women of the Worlds” (Biharul-Anwar, Vol. 43, P. 25). Her worship was so profound that during her long prostrations, she would forget even her small child. Imam Hassan (AS) said: “My mother would pray from the evening of Thursday until dawn, and she prayed for all believers but never for herself.”
(Biharul-Anwar, Vol. 43, P. 81)
This spirit of pure servitude was the foundation of her moral and Divine Upbringing.
Morally, Fatimah (SA) was the embodiment of humility, patience, forgiveness, and altruism. The Qur’anic story of giving away their food for three consecutive nights to the needy, the orphan, and the captive (Surah Al-Insan, Verses 8–9) immortalized the self-sacrifice of Fatimah’s (SA) household. This act represents a timeless example of generosity, sincerity, and purity of intention, values that every generation, especially the youth, desperately needs.
- B) Lady Fatimah (SA) and the Affirmation of Women’s Status in Islamic Thought
At a time when women in pre-Islamic Arab culture were denied human value, the emergence of Islam and the character of Fatimah (SA) revealed that a woman is not a secondary creation, but a partner in the journey of human perfection. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) declared before his companions: “Fatimah (SA) is a part of me; whoever harms her, harms me.”
This statement was a clear proclamation of the dignity of women within the epistemic framework of Islam.
Fatimah (SA) was not only active within her household but also present in the social sphere. Her Fadak Sermon stands as a model of the conscious participation of a Muslim woman in defending truth and justice. In that eloquent address, she firmly defended the principles of monotheism (Tawhid), prophethood, and Wilayah, thus establishing the concept of women’s social responsibility in Islam.
Hence, Fatimah (SA) serves as an example for women who seek to balance chastity with social engagement, motherhood with public responsibility—a model that rejects both isolation and the boundless freedom of Western liberalism.
- C) Fatimah (SA) and the Meaning of Muslim Women’s Identity in the Contemporary World
One of the fundamental crises of today’s world is the crisis of women’s identity. The models imposed by modern civilization have trapped women between two opposing poles: as objects of consumption and as tools of production. In contrast, the Fatimah’s (SA) Model presents a balanced image of womanhood; an intelligent, faithful, and spiritually and socially purposeful human being.
From an educational standpoint, Fatimah (SA) represents a model for nurturing a balanced female identity’ one in which intellect and faith, knowledge and action, emotion and justice are harmoniously integrated. The younger generation, searching for meaning and authenticity, can find in the Fatimah model the unity of love, reason, and action.
- D) Fatimah (SA) as a Mother, Wife, and Social Activist
One of Lady Fatimah’s unique characteristics is her ability to integrate multiple roles. She was the wife of Imam ‘Ali (AS), his intellectual and emotional companion on the path of Wilayah; a devoted mother who raised children such as Hassan (AS), Hussain (AS), Zaynab (SA), and Umm Kulthum (SA); and a conscious woman who took an active stand in defense of wilayah and justice.
In the family sphere, Fatimah’s (SA) behavior provides a model for managing the home through love, cooperation, and fairness. In the social sphere, she demonstrated that a woman can be effective in society without compromising her modesty or dignity. This harmony between home and society addresses a vital need of the modern woman, who often feels torn between domestic life and social independence.
- E) Practical Strategies for Presenting the Fatimah’s (SA) Model to the Younger Generation
The role-model status of Lady Fatimah (SA) cannot be realized merely through speech or promotion’ it requires a cultural and educational approach. Some key strategies include.
* Integrating the Fatimah’s (SA) Model into the educational system: The life and thought of Lady Fatimah (SA) should be taught through moral education, arts, and media to students at all levels.
* Developing behavioral models inspired by her life: For example, promoting the model of the “responsible, faithful woman” instead of the “consumerist woman.”
* Encouraging intergenerational dialogue: Mothers and daughters should engage in conversations about Fatimah’s values to enable identity transmission within the family.
* Combining spirituality with social participation: Young women should realize that religion is not an obstacle to progress but a path to intellectual and moral growth.
* Artistic and cultural representation: Lady Fatimah (SA) should be introduced not only through sermons but through creative storytelling and cultural imagery.
Thus, one may conclude that Lady Fatimah (SA) in Islamic history is not merely a sacred figure but a complete identity system encompassing all dimensions of human existence: rationality, devotion, emotion, responsibility, and justice. She is a timeless model, capable of addressing the identity and educational needs of women in the modern world.
Returning to the Fatimah model is, in essence, a return to the authenticity of the faithful and free human being—one who is neither enslaved by materialistic Western views nor confined by rigidity and isolation. If the younger generation approaches this model with deep understanding, they can find the path of balance between faith and reason and guide society toward human dignity and spirituality.
*Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari is the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Holy See.