Lady Maasomah's Birthday
Ziqadah, the first when lady Maasomah was born; lady Maasomah whose ancestress’, lady Fatima, infallibility was manifested in her; she was a heavenly lady, sank into devotions and prayers, and far from indecency [ and faults]. She was the fragrant of creation.
Lady Maasomah was born on the first day of Ziqadah month in the year 173(according to lunar calendar) in Medina. From the very first days of her life, she was trained by pious parents and brought up among siblings adorned by moral virtue. Prayers, god-fearing, piety, honesty, generosity, chastity, and tolerance are among such benevolent, good- natured family's characteristics. The ancestors of this family had been God's esteemed, selected servants, those who had been the leaders of guidance, the brilliant pearls of Imamate and helmsman of humanity ship.
The Source of Knowledge
Lady Maasomah's family were the source of knowledge, piety, and moral virtues among people; when her father, Imam al- Kazim, was martyred, Imam al- Reza, her brother, took over the responsibility for training his brothers and sisters, and providing their financial needs. Because of his special attention paid to their training and the importance given to it, any of Imam al- Kazim's children got to important positions( religious, spiritual, social, etc.); lady Maasomah was not an exception, and, unquestionably, she was superior to the others, but Imam al- Reza.
This claim could be proved through studying names and titles given to her, and admirations, praises and descriptions expressed by infallible Imams concerning her. Also, the above statements imply the fact that she was like lady Zainab, Imam al- Ali's daughter: the untaught knowledgeable.
Lady Maasomah's Scholarly Position
She was of the honorable Shiite women with a noticeable scholarly position. According to a narrative, once a group of Shiite people came to visit Imam al- Kazim and ask him some question. Since Imam was off Medina on a journey, they handled their written questions to lady Maasomah who was a little child in that time. The following day, when they were to return to their city, they came to Imam's home, but he was not back; therefore, they got back their questions to have them answered on their next travel to Medina, unaware that lady Maasomah had already answered them all. Having seen their answers, they became too glad, and giving a lot of thanks they left Medina. On their way back to their city, they ran into Imam al- Kazim, and informed him of what happened to them. When Imam al- Kazim studied the answers and found them correct, [honored and happy of what his daughter had done] he said for three times, " Would her father [himself] be sacrificed for her".
Excellence of Going on her Pilgrimage
Devotions and invocations are nothing, but departing from loneliness, and flying to highest point of godliness; they are the pure drink of the pure spirituality in the thirsty mouth of life; and going on lady Maasomsh's pilgrimage is the light of hope in the [dark and] dusty condition of the time; it is the cry of an isolated spirit at the time of unawareness and neglect, and the freshening breeze, arisen from the gardens of the Paradise.
Self-confidence, getting rid of disappointment and being moreactivated than before are some of its[pilgrimage ’s] outcomes. Going on her pilgrimage:1) causes one to recognize him/herreality: being in need of God; therefore, one will be humble toward God, and gets off the wild horse of vanity and proud- as the main sources of wretchedness- and 2) appoints lady Maaasomah as the mediator between him/herself and God. Regarding the mentioned statements, Imam al-Javad expressed the Paradise as the reward of going on her pilgrimage,” Whoever does go on my aunts pilgrimage, the Paradise will be his/hers” [That is s/he will be in the Paradise].
Electing Qom
Having arrived to Savah, lady Maasomah got sick and since she found herself unable to travel to Khorasan- where Imam al-Reza, her brother, was- she decided to go to Qom.
The Excellence of Going on Lady Maasomah’s Pilgrimage in the View of Narratives
There are numerous narratives concerning excellence of going on her pilgrimage; as example, once one of the Qomi major narrators (mohadeth), Saad bin Saad, visited Imam al- Reza. Imam addressed him and said, ” O Saad, there is a grave among you [in your city] which belongs to one of our relatives”.” Would my life be sacrificed for you, do you mean lady Maasomah’s grave- Imam al-Kazim’s daughter?”, he asked. Imam mentioned,” Yes, whoever goes on her pilgrimage while s/he is aware of her right( religious, spiritual, etc. position), the Paradise will be his/hers”; also he added,” Going on her pilgrimage equals the Paradise”.
Imam al-Reza’s opinion about the Title Maasomah
Lady Fatima Maasomah- as said before- was a heavenly lady who was far from indecency and faults, and sank into devotions and prayers. The title Maasomah given to her[ meaning infallible] might be because of manifestation of Lady Fatima al- Zahra ’s, her ancestress and Prophet Muhammad’s daughter, infallibility. According to some narratives the given title was donated by Imam al-Reza as Allamah Majlesi retold,” Once Imam al-Reza mentioned,’ Whoever visits Maasomah’s shrine as though visited me’”.
The Generous Lady[ Karimah] of Ahlolbayt( Prophet Muhammad’s Infallible Households)
Lady Maaasomah is commemorated as the generous lady of Ahlolbayt in the knowledgeable ’s and Foqaha’s tongue; she was the only lady among Ahlolbayt’s wives and daughters who was entitled the generous lady.Through his constant, long term devotions in order to find Lady Fatima’s grave by the help Imams’ guidance, Imam al- Sadiq said to Ayatollah Marashi Najafi- through a true vision[ Rouia Sadiq] that, Go to the generouse lady of Ahlolbayt’s shrine”.
Lady Maasomah’s Titles
Taherah(neat[spiritually]),Hamidah(admired),Berrah(benevolent), Rashidah(matured[ religiously, spiritually, etc.]), Taqiiah(pious), Raziiah(satisfied with God), Marziiah( whom God is satisfied with), Sayeda-ton-Sediqah( the very honest lady), Sayeda-ton- Raziiah-ton- Marziiah( the lady who is satisfied with God and God is satisfied with her too), Sayedah-ton- Nesaa al -Alamin( the chief lady of all worlds), Mohadetha(narrator),and Abedah( worshipper) are among some of the titles.
Lady Maasomah’s Intercession
According to Islamic teachings the highest and the most important position in the Judgment Day, intercession wise, belongs to Prophet Muhammad which in the Quran is indicated as Maqamon Mahmud( the admired rank). There are such high positions for Ahlolbayts ’ ladies too, of course not equaling the one belonged to the Holy Prophet, which belong to lady Fatima al- Zahra and lady Maasomah. Concerning lady Fatima’s expanded, numerous intercession it will be enough that her dowry was to intercede for the sinful Muslims, and when she got married God’s messenger angel brought her a silk cloth on which it was written, “God appoints intercession of Prophet Muhammad’s Ummah as Fatima’s dowry “.
This hadith( saying) is narrated by Sunni narrators too. After lady Fatima al-Zahra, no other women can catch up with lady Maasomah regarding the extension of her intercession; and because of the previous statements Imam al-Sadiq said that by her intercession all the Shiites will enter the Paradise.
Lady Maasomah’s Affection to Imam al-Reza and her Honor of him
Najmah, Imam al-Reza ’s mother, gave birth to her second child after twenty-five years; after a quarter of century waiting, she gave birth to a shining star which had the most approximate rank to Imam al-Reza between their siblings; one who Imam al-Reza devoted so much affection that words can not picture it- the affection pilled up during twenty-five years. In one of Imam al-Kazim’s miracle that lady Maasomah had an effective role, when a Christian asked her who she was, she replied,” Imam al-Reza’s sister”. Such a response originated from their deep, mutual, affectionate relation and her being honored of such relation.
Unique Excellence
Sheikh Muhammad Taqi Tostari, in his book: Qamus al-Reza, introduced lady Maasomah as a perfect lady and pattern, and considered her excellence and position unique and superior to Imam al-Kazim’s other children, except Imam al-Reza. Concerning this matter he stated,” Within Imam al-Kazim’s children with their great number, no one is superior to her, but Imam al-Reza”. Unquestionably, such sayings and ideas concerning lady Maasomah are based on the infallible Imams’ statements and narratives; the narratives which counts magnificent position and excellence for her that not only her siblings, except Imam al-Reza, can not catch up with her, but also they (narratives) appointed her as one of the unique ladies of the world.
