Part One — Section Two
Peace be upon You, O mother of the believers
The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and His wives are their mothers
The blessed Surah al-Ahzab, 33:6
In the previous part, the meaning of umm was examined, and it was said that it means the root, the foundation and the essence of a thing. It was also noted that Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her) is the noble mother of the mother of the Imams and of the righteous, Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon Her). And it was stated, in a hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon Him and His family), that Lady Khadijah (peace be upon Her) is the wellspring of the lights of imamate.
In this part we will state that Lady Umm al-Muminin (peace be upon Her) is not only the wellspring of the lights of imamate, but is also the wellspring and source of the Muhammadan progeny, of the line of the Fatimid sayyids, and of their multitude in the world. And in a general sense, according to this passage of the ziyarat, She is the mother of all the believers in the world.
In stating the proofs and the greatness of Her title «ام المومنین», this point must be noted: that this title belongs exclusively to Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her), as was stated in the previous part — that the inner meaning of «ازواجنا» in the noble verse "هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ" refers absolutely to Lady Khadijah. Likewise the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family), in a narration that follows, states in a decisive tone that the divine will and decree is that children be granted to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family) exclusively and only through Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her), and that the rest of His wives were deprived of this gift.
By Allah, She believed in Me when the people disbelieved, and She sheltered Me when the people rejected Me, and She confirmed Me when the people called Me a liar, and She was granted children by Me when you were deprived of them. Kashf al-Ghumma fi Marifat al-Aimma, vol. 1, p. 512
The station and the infinite dignities of Lady Khadijah (peace be upon Her) are so great that the pure Imams (peace be upon Them), in introducing Themselves and Their lineage to Lady Umm al-Muminin (peace be upon Her), would take pride in it — as comes in a narration from Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon Him):
Indeed I [Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon Him)] am the most resembling of people to Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her). Manaqib Ibn Shahrashub, vol. 4, p. 2
Concerning the multitude of the Fatimid sayyids, whose origin is Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her), it has come that when Lady al-Zahra (peace be upon Her) was born, it was said to Lady Khadijah:
"O Khadijah, take Her — pure, purified, unblemished, blessed and auspicious. Blessing has been placed in Her and in Her line." Al-Amali of al-Saduq, p. 595
Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her) is also the mother of all the believers, and all the believers have refuge in Her کهف حصین. As has come in describing Her sacrifices and Her support of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family): that She gave Her whole being and Her wealth for the Prophet (peace be upon Him and His family), to the point that had She not been, Islam would not have spread.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family) said: "No wealth ever profited Me as much as the wealth of Khadijah." With the wealth of Lady Khadijah (peace be upon Her), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family) would free debtors from their debt and release captives and the distressed, would take upon Himself the burden and expense of those unable to provide for themselves, would give freely in calamities and misfortunes, and during His residence in Mecca would assist the poor among His companions. Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Quran, vol. 2, p. 675
Or as has come in another narration: The foundation of the religion of Islam and its advance rested on three things: the wealth of Khadijah, the character of the Prophet, the sword of Ali. Atyab al-Bayan, vol. 4
Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her) was the noble mother of Lady Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon Her), from whom is the line of the Imams; and She is also the wellspring of the multitude of the Muhammadan progeny and the Fatimid sayyids in the world. And it was Lady Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon Her) who was ever the supporter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon Him and His family) and one of the pillars of the spread of Islam. All the believers, therefore, are forever sheltered in Her کهف حصین — and in this passage of the ziyarat we greet Her by the title «ام المومنین».