Thekabarnews.com—The last few months of Fatimah Az-Zahra (رضي الله عنها), the adored daughter of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, are some of the saddest in Islamic history. People have praised her life for its piety and strength. However, one thing about it is still a mystery: the disease that struck her six months before she died.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Sayyidah Khadijah (رضي الله عنها) loved Fatimah very much. Their connection was more than just family; it was very spiritual and emotional. People often named her “the leader of the women of Paradise.” Yet her life on Earth was full of patience through harsh times and deep loss.

Fatimah stayed close to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in his last days as his illness got worse and he got weaker. Once, she held his head as he was passed out. She was so sad that she read lines of poetry that showed how much she loved and needed him:

“The clouds ask for rain when they are near his face.”

“He looks after orphans and widows.”

When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ heard her, he opened his eyes and softly told her to say:

“Muhammad is just a messenger. There have been messengers before him.”

He then read the Qur’anic verse from Surah Ali ‘Imran (3:144), which says that even the best person must return to Allah.

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٞ قَدۡ خَلَتۡ مِن قَبۡلِهِ ٱلرُّسُلُۚ أَفَإِيْن مَّاتَ أَوۡ قُتِلَ ٱنقَلَبۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰٓ أَعۡقَٰبِكُمۡۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبۡ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيۡهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ ٱللَّهَ شَيۡـٔٗاۚ وَسَيَجۡزِي ٱللَّهُ ٱلشَّـٰكِرِينَ

“Muhammad is not but a messenger. [Other] messengers have passed on before him. So if he was to die or be killed, would you turn back on your heels [to unbelief]? And he who turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.” (Surah Al Imran:144)

Fatimah’s tears got worse. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw that she was sad and told her to come closer. He then whispered something in her ear. Her face transformed right away, from sadness to peaceful happiness.

After the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ died, Sahabah asked her what he had said to her.

She said, “I cried when he informed me he was going to die. But his words thrilled me when he said I would be the first in his family to follow him.”

What the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said came true. Fatimah got sick herself just six months later. Her illness appeared to stem from something deeper than physical pain alone. It was unlike a normal illness. People who knew her well saw that she no longer enjoyed food, drink, or laughing. She spent her days remembering her father and crying.

Historians disagree on what kind of ailment she had. Some say it was because she was physically weak. On the other hand, others say it was because she was too sad and worn out. Contemporary authors, such as Lesley Hazleton in After the Prophet: The Epic Story of the Shia–Sunni Split in Islam (2009), assert that one of Fatimah’s most significant afflictions following her father’s demise was an intense feeling of solitude and grief.

Her loss broke her heart, and the changes she witnessed in the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ death deepened her pain. Suddenly, the world seemed unfamiliar to her.

Fatimah knew her time was coming, so she bathed and put on her nicest clothing. She told her husband, Ali ibn Abi Talib (رضي الله عنه), in a soft voice to take care of their children with love and bury her discreetly at night.

Fatimah died on the night of Tuesday, 13 Ramadan in the year 11 Hijri, which was around November 23, 632 CE. She was only about 28 years old.

She was buried in secret, just as she wanted. No one knows where she was buried. As a result, her fate is one of early Islamic history’s most intriguing mysteries.

Ali went home in silence and sadness after her funeral. He is said to have read pieces of poetry that showed how much he missed her:

“I went through many terrible times in this world with my love.
Every time two people who love each other meet, they have to say goodbye.
“After the Prophet, losing Fatimah shows that no love in this life lasts forever.”

His comments express a universal truth: even the most genuine love must confront separation in this existence.

What happened to Fatimah Az-Zahra that led to her death?

No one knows the answer for certain. Some historians think that her ailment was real. Some people believe her sadness was due to the loss of her father. People knew that she spent her days in quiet sadness, remembering the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and mourning what she perceived as the spiritual deterioration of some elements of the community.

In this way, her disease affected not only her body but also her soul.

Fatimah Az-Zahra had a big impact on Islamic history, even though her life was short. She continues to stand as a symbol of purity, patience, and unbreakable faith. Her narrative reminds people who believe that strength does not always shout. Sometimes it cries, waits, and relies on Allah’s promise.

The mystery surrounding her illness only adds to her story as a person. She could not live long without her father, and her heart was so deeply attached to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that she could not remain in a world without him.

She did not only die; she reunited with the person she loved most.

May her narrative keep bubbling up with love for the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ family and teach us that even the brightest spirits go through pain but stay strong in their faith.