Explanation of the Ziyarat of Ummul Muminin (p) — Part 3
Peace be upon you, O wife of the Master of the Messengers
And the pure (and sweet) land, its vegetation grows by the command of its Lord; but the ill-natured (and saline) lands bring forth nothing except scanty, worthless vegetation. Thus We expound the signs for those who are grateful.
Surah al-A'raf, verse 58
Verse 58 of Surah al-A'raf refers to a good land that is rich in goodness and blessed, and that yields its fruit by God's permission. This verse, which is stated outwardly in the form of a parable, refers in its inward dimension and deeper meaning to a pure, purified land that is the source of abundant goodness; what is meant is "chaste women of authenticity and nobility." As it is stated in the exegesis of the above verse:
«So it is fitting that a person choose for himself, from among women, a chaste and virtuous woman of noble family origin; and this meaning is confirmed by the words of God: وَالْبَلَدُ الطَّيِّبُ ....
Kanz al-Irfan fi Fiqh al-Qur'an, vol. 2, p. 228
✒️ In its inward dimension, this noble verse points, in its most perfect and complete sense, to Hadrat Khanum Umm al-Muminin, Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon her).
In presenting the above evidence, the following points are noted in describing the Lady, the wife of the Master of the Messengers:
1️⃣ النساء العفیفة (chaste, virtuous women)
The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family), in a narration describing the virtue of Hadrat Khanum Khadijah al-Kubra, said:
فضلت خديجة على نساء أمتي كما فضلت مريم على نساء العالمين «Indeed Khadijah has been favored over the women of my nation, just as Maryam was favored over the women of the worlds.»
Tafsir Nur al-Thaqalayn, vol. 1, p. 336
▫️Likewise, in another narration, the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) says:
و کانت من احسن النساء جمالا و اکملهن عقلا و اتمهن رأیا و اکثر هن عفه و دنیا و حیاء و مروه و مالا «She was among the most beautiful of women in appearance, the most perfect of them in intellect, the most steadfast of them in opinion and thought, and the most chaste, the most devout, the most modest, the most magnanimous, and the wealthiest of them.»
Riyahin al-Shari'ah, vol. 2, p. 204
2️⃣ الکریمة الاصل (of authenticity and noble family lineage)
➡️ The importance of authenticity and noble family lineage is enough to be seen in the fact that Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), after the martyrdom of Hadrat Zahra (peace be upon her), when he wished to choose a wife for himself, said to his brother Aqil:
انظر لی امراة قد ولدتها الفحولة من العرب، من ذوی البیوت و النسب و الحسب الشجاعة «Find for me a woman born of the brave and renowned men of the Arabs; from the distinguished houses, possessing lineage, ancestral standing and courage.»
Al-Majalis al-Shajiyyah fi Sirat Umm al-Banin (peace be upon her), Shaykh Mahdi Taj al-Din, p. 36
It is recorded in history that Hadrat Khanum Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon her) came from an authentic, honorable family, people of knowledge and refinement, and wealth. And this narration of Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) confirms this:
«She was an intelligent and wise woman, and at that time she had, more than all the Quraysh, an exalted lineage, esteemed honor, and abundant wealth. All her people were eager to marry her.»
Kashf al-Ghummah fi Ma'rifat al-A'immah, vol. 1, p. 509
Likewise, in another hadith, Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) calls her "the Lady of the women of Quraysh":
Meaning: She was the lady of the women of Quraysh. All the notables and chiefs had asked for her hand and she refused them all, and she gave herself in marriage to the one whose news had reached her from Bahira.
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 17, p. 231
3️⃣ A blessed progeny rich in goodness (the good land's vegetation comes forth by its Lord's permission, but the impure land yields nothing except little and useless)
✒️ In speaking of the Messenger's love for her and her station, it must be stated that as long as she was at the side of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family), he took no other wife. Another feature that distinguishes Hadrat Khadijah (peace be upon her) from the other wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is the fact that the progeny of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), the lights of Imamate, and the Fatimid Sayyids multiplied exclusively through Hadrat Khadijah (peace be upon her), and not through the other wives. Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to Khadijah, when she was pregnant with Fatima (peace be upon her):
«This is Jibra'il, who gives me glad tidings that this child is a girl … The Almighty God will establish and perpetuate my progeny through this daughter. Soon He will bring forth the Imams from this daughter's lineage…»
Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 80
➡️ Hadrat Khanum Khadijah al-Kubra (peace be upon her) is the wife of the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) who possesses all the qualities of a righteous wife in the absolute sense. As it is stated in a narration, the word ازوجنا, in its plural form, indicates Hadrat Khanum Khadijah (peace be upon her), and for this reason, in this part of the ziyarat we greet her with the title "Wife of the Master of the Messengers."