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The Message

Maulud Zahra’

Translated form Hausa by Abdul Mumin Giwa

Speech delivered by Sheikh Zakzaky at the annual birthday celebration of the birthday of the holy daughter of Prophet Muhammad that took place June 2009 at FIC Zaria.

Fellow Muslims Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatllahi ta'ala wa barakatuhu.

I am going to open this event wishing you all a happy birthday celebration of the birthday of the leader of the women of the world Sayyida Zahra AS. This is equivalent to this day, 20th Jumada Thani. It has been mentioned that she was born on the fifth year after the Prophet Muhammad SAWA has been sent with the message of Islam to mankind although there is also a saying that it was on the second year after he has been sent that she was born. If we go by the saying that she was born on the fifth year then she was eight years old when the Prophet SAWA migrated from Mecca to Medina and was eighteen when he died.

Praise God Almighty, the birthday of Sayyida Zahra AS has now become popular. The birthday of the holy Prophet SAWA has been a very popular event with us excepting those who God Almighty has forbidden paradise for and they are minute in number. The holy Prophet's birthday is popular to all in the Muslim world. Also there great saints and other chosen servants of God Almighty whose birthdays are celebrated at various times borrowing a leaf form the celebration of the birthday of the holy Prophet SAWA. This has shown us that apart from the birthday of the Prophet SAWA the birthdays of other chosen servants of God Almighty are also celebrated. It has been mentioned in by Sayyid bn Taus that it is the greatness and reverence of the holy Prophet SAWA in a person that determines the person's happiness and how he celebrates the Prophet's (SAWA) birthday. This means that it is how one reveres the Prophet SAWA that he expresses in the way he respects his values and other similar things. For instance, if it is mentioned that this is the pair of shoes of the holy Prophet SAWA, and they are made from cow skin, how do you imagine the reverence with which the Muslims will hold that pair of shoes. Though they are made of cow skin the Muslims will revere it because of the greatness of the one that wore the shoes. It is mentioned that in the palace of Yazid LA there was a Christian that said to him that as they are happy and take pride in killing the grandson of their Prophet SAWA, they Christians revere and value the heels of a donkey supposedly ridden by Jesus AS which are preserved in a cave that is used as a Church. The cave Church is located in the wilderness and yet due to the reverence of the heels of the donkey supposedly ridden by Jesus AS people trek miles to reach there to show their reverence and love to Jesus AS. This is revering the heels of the donkey ridden by Jesus AS, what if they are the shoes worn by Prophet Muhammad SAWA? How do you think the Muslims will value it? It has been narrated that Jesus AS once said that he would love to touch the heels of the shoes worn by Prophet Muhammad SAWA because of the way he reveres him. If the heels of the donkey ridden by Jesus AS are held with such reverence what more of the heels of the shoes that Jesus AS himself is praying to touch? What more of the Prophet SAWA? We are now not talking of the heels of the shoes or the shoes but the holy daughter of the Prophet SAWA. She is different from all other children irrespective of their sexes because she is the only one that has inherited the best of all creatures. And it is also through her that the Prophecy prevailed after him.

It is mentioned that “Man is preserved in his progeny”, and she is the progeny of the holy Prophet SAWA. God Almighty has made her different from all other women because as a female she is the 'Asib' of the holy Prophet SAWA unlike other people whose 'Asib' are only males. 'Asib' refers to paternal progeny form whom the generation is preserved. 'Asib' are always males and not females. It has never occurred in any generation form Adam AS and Eve to date where a female becomes an 'Asib'. 'Asib' have always been males she is the only female 'Asib'. It is the same as saying, “Fatima AS is the Asib of the Prophet SAWA” and not 'Asib ess'. This is because she is holding in this case a male position and not a female position, she cannot therefore be referred to as 'Asib ess' because she is of the female sex. There is also a popular saying of the Prophet SAWA that every child is linked to his paternity except the children of Fatima AS. This is because the children of Fatima are the children of the father of Fatima AS.

Hence, in celebrating birthdays based on the greatness and level of reverence of with which one is held, then definitely the birthday of Fatima AS is indeed a great birthday.

In this age of ours in which there are people who condemn celebrating the birthdays of great servants of God Almighty, who have lost hope in paradise, though we pray for them to regain hope, we are here celebrating the birthday of Fatima AS while they remain there dieing in anger.

Even the Christians that have seen our activities in town will wonder what we are doing and the Igbo man will ask “na wetin dey happen?” and will be answered “na di birthday of one big-big woman dem dey celebrate.” Although we know more of Mary AS than they do, they would wonder whether that woman is Mary AS. But they would be told that that lady whose birthday is being celebrated is greater than Mary AS. This shows how great the birthday of Mary is.

After this brief mention of the birthday of Fatima AS, I will like to apologize. One might wonder what the apology is for. This is for the venue of the occasion. The venue is too small for the large numbers of people that troop in from far and wide to attend the event. The event could have taken place elsewhere not for the fact that we stay here perform both the evening and night prayers, eat and drink and also perform the Ziyaraat. These activities are not proper for an open venue because they are all in-door activities most especially now that it is the rainy season. That is why we continue to use this venue pending when we get a better place. Even if we were to use the venue we used for the last birthday of the Prophet SAWA, yes it might contain us but it is too open for us to perform pray, break our fast, and others there. As usual there are many people in attendance because there are more people outside the Center than those inside at the moment. We hope people will accept our apology. Maybe in the future we shall device a solution to this problem.

As I have earlier mentioned, Fatima AS is the 'Asib' of the holy Prophet SAWA. It is mentioned by Bn Tawus that the leaders of the Muslims and those calling towards God Almighty are all from her generation. In similar case, as mentioned in other places, among the people of Mecca were those that will give birth to believers and if they all get perished then those believers will not be given birth to. For example were Adam AS and Eve destroyed who from among us will be here today? In like manner, these leaders that call towards God Almighty, the Saints AS, are all from Fatima AS. If she was not born, they would not have been given birth to. Some things are likely to be complicated to some people but if one is to reason, it will be realized that there is nothing complicating about them. God Almighty created everything not out of need but out of will. He created everything not because He is needy of them and enlightened the creatures of Himself. All that He has created are all signs of His. Among these signs are the heavens and the earth. The creation of the stars, moon, sun, night and day, seas and ships that move on it, mountains and the rest of them are all signs of God Almighty. Among these signs are those that are very gigantic, like the sun, which is very big and experts have proved that it is many times bigger than the earth. And despite that the sun and the moon are seen as being very gigantic, they have also proved that there are stars that are also several times bigger than them. They are all seen as smallish as they appear because of their distance away. All these are signs of God Almighty. Among the creatures of God Also in the sea is the whale. But I will as k a question at this juncture, comparing man and all the other creatures, big and small, living and non-living, which is greater in creation? Everyone will answer in favor of man. He will say none of all these is greater than man in creation. This is because, man is not necessary as big as some creatures but is more modified and has sense. What I am trying to explain here is that man is the greatest among all the signs of God Almighty. Man is the greatest sign of God Almighty. It is mentioned that among the signs of God Almighty are the mountains of Safa and Marwa near Mecca. As a result of this it could even be said that Arafat, Zamzam, the Black stone, Muqam Ibraheem are all signs of God Almighty. Zamza that is a well that has been alive for years and has never dried out is indeed a sign of God Almighty. What made the mountains of Safa and Marwa to be counted among the signs of God Almighty? It is simply because a servant of God Almighty had gone up the mountains and down the valley looking for water for another servant of God Almighty to drink. This is all that made the mountains the signs of God Almighty: that Hajar had gone up and down the mountain in search of water for her son Isma'il AS. Hence, man is greater a sign of God Almighty than other creatures. Despite this greatness of man, among men there are even greater men that are chosen servants of God Almighty: men that are even greater than the mosque, the holy Qur'an and the Ka'abah. This is because all of them are signs of God Almighty but the chosen servants of God Almighty display more evidence of the signs of God Almighty. It is said that the holy Prophet SAWA once stood before the Ka'abah and said “Oh Ka'abah you are indeed great but a believing servant of God Almighty is greater than you.” In this case the Prophet SAWA is referring to a believing servant of God Almighty what more of a believing servant of God Almighty that is also a Saint? Hence, the greatest signs of God Almighty are the Saints who are even greater than the believing servants of God Almighty. I am explaining this in order to bring you close to understanding God Almighty's saying that He said to the Prophet SAWA that not for Ali AS, I would not have created you and not for Fatima AS, I would not have create both of you. This is indeed very complicating and some would find it difficult to understand. It is easier to be submissive and accept the will of God Almighty and not to ask why God Almighty has chosen certain things to be the way they are. You could be asked why God Almighty creates when He is not needy. Why do you have to be created? Why where you created with senses of sight, hearing and comprehension? The best way is not to ask why the need but to confirm how true. But with the condition that you believe in God Almighty and with a sense of reasoning that accepts God Almighty as not created. Also with the condition that you accept that God Almighty sent the Prophet SAWA with a message to mankind and also, accept the message and believe in it. This faith is enough for you, what is now left is for you to confirm the truth about that which you hear about the message: is it true or is it correct. The same goes for our acts of worship and inter-relationship, about things that are lawful or things that are forbidden. Once such things are mentioned, it is not for you to ask why but to confirm that it has actually been instituted and obey. It is possible to comprehend the wisdom in this but not necessarily possible to understand its essence.

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