Fatima : Completion of Imamate

[Basa'ir al-Darajat page 80]

"I asked Abu 'Abdullah about the Words of Allah: "it's roots are stable and its branches are in the sky (14:24)."

He said: ‘The Messenger of Allah is it's roots, and the Commander of the Faithful 'Ali it's peak, and Fatima it's main branch (trunk), and the Imams from Her offspring are its branches, and knowledge of the Imams are it's fruits, and their Shi'as are it's leaves...'"

حدثنا إبراهيم بن هاشم عن عمرو بن عثمان الخزاز عن عبد الرحمن بن حماد عن عمر بن يزيد قال سئلت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قولالله تعالى أصلها ثابت وفرعها في السماء فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله والله جذرها (2) وأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ذروها وفاطمةعليها السلام فرعها و الأئمة من ذريتها أغصانها وعلم الأئمة ثمرها وشيعتهم ورقها فهل ترى فيهم فضلا فقلت لا فقال والله ان المؤمن ليموتفتسقط ورقة من تلك الشجرة وانه ليولد فتورق ورقة فيها فقلت قوله تؤتى أكلها كل حين باذن ربها فقال ما يخرج إلى الناس من علم الإمامفي كل حين يسئل عنه.

Evaluation:

The Messenger of Allah is the root - because from Him stems the religion, He is the root of Islam’s teachings.

Sayyida Fatima is the trunk - because She bore the lineage of Imamate.

['Uyoon Akhbar al-Ridha page 257]

Imam al-Ridha said: “Fatima protected her private area, so Allah prohibited hellfire on her progeny. 

Meaning Hasan, Husayn, and her descendants exclusively”

يا زيد أغرك قول ناقلي الكوفة: أن فاطمة عليها السلام أحصنت فرجها فحرم الله ذريتها على النار فوالله ما ذاك إلا للحسن والحسين وولدبطنها خاصة

She is it's main branch because She is the connection between the Imams to the roots of the tree, the Holy Prophet.

Thus, Fatima is the medium between al-Risala (Prophethood) and al-Wilayah (Imamate). Without Her, the Imamate would not have survived.

Creation of the World:

['Awalim al-‘Uloom]

“O Ahmad, had it not been for you - I would not have created the universe. And had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you. And had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created you both."

يا أحمد لولاك لما خلقت الأفلاك، ولولا علي لما خلقتك، ولولا فاطمة لما خلقتكما

Evaluation:

In this Hadith al-Qudsi, Allah says that He would not have created The Prophet and Imam 'Ali had He not created Fatima.

Why?

Because Fatima is the medium between Prophethood and Imamate. Her existence is essential for the survival of the Imamate of the 12 Imams. Had it not been for Her role, then the Religion would not hold, just as how for example, the religion would not survive had the Prophet not conveyed the message of Ghadeer:

"O' Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message..." (5:67)

Or for example how Imamate wouldn't survive had Imam al-Hussain not sacrificed Himself in Karbala.

(Amali al-Tusi) 

"Indeed Allah had compensated Husayn for his killing by placing the Imamate in his progeny."

إن الله تعالى عوض الحسين عليه السلام من قتله أن جعل الإمامة في ذريته

In a similar reasoning, the above mentioned narration indicates that for the fulfilment of the Message of the Prophet and the Imamate of 'Ali, Fatima is  quintessential. 

Does this indicate al-Zahra’a as superior to the Prophet and Imam ‘Ali?

I believe that the hadith is meaning to indicate how central the role of Fatima was in the preservation of the Message of the Holy Prophet and Imam ‘Ali. After all, She was the mother of Her father (Umm-e-Abiha) and She was the one who defended the Wilayah of ‘Ali with Her sacrifice.

Thus the hadith is meaning to say “Had it not been for Fatima taking care of Muhammad and ‘Ali, i would not create them (since Her role to their message and lives is central and absolutely necessary).”

Thus, Fatima is the completion of Prophethood and Survival of Imamate.  

Wa Allahu 'Aalam.