Aauzo Billaahi Minash Shaitaan Nir Rajim
Bismillaah Hir Rehman Nir Rahim
Bismillaah Hir Rehman Nir Rahim
Allah - Beginning With The Name Of The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful.
Allahumma Salli Alaa Sayideena Muhammad Wa Alaa Aalihi Wa Sahbihi Wa Sallim.
Allahumma Salli Alaa Sayideena Muhammad Wa Alaa Aalihi Wa Sahbihi Wa Sallim.
Sayyida Nafisa was born in Makkah on the 11th of Rabi`a al-Awwal, the same night that the Prophet (s) was born, in the year 145 H. Her father had been appointed governor of Madinat al-Munawwara in the year 150 H. She accompanied her father to Madina at the tender age of five. There she memorized the entire Qur`an and studied Islamic jurisprudence in depth. Being extremely intelligent she also became adept in explaining the Qur`an despite her young age.
She was the daughter of al-Hasan al-Anwar ( Alaihis Salaam , the son of Zaid al-Ablaj ( Alaihis Salaam ), son of al-Imam al-Hasan (Radhiallahu ta'ala anhu), brother of al-Imam al-Husayn (r), son of the Daughter of the Prophet (s) Sayyida Fatimat al-Zahra (Radhiallahu ta'ala anha). She is from the family of the Prophet (sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam) about which Allah said in the Holy Qur`an “Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.” [33: 33]
Young Nafisa frequented the grave of her grandfather the Prophet (sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam) (mulazamat qabri jaddiha al-Mustafa). The People of Madina loved her deeply. She became renowned for her abstemiousness (zuhd) and piety (taqwa), for fasting the day, spending the nights in prayer and for her excessive devotion to worshipping Allah Subhana Wa Taala .
Sayyida Nafisa had many titles by which she was known among the people, derived from her many different miracles (karamat ). She is known as Nafisat al-`ilmi wal-ma`rifat, (the Rare Lady of Knowledge and Gnosis) because of what she achieved and accumulated from knowledge of the Family of the Holy Prophet (s). She is called Nafisat al-Tahira, the Rare Lady of Purity, and Nafisat al-`Abida, the Rare Worshipful Lady, and Nafisat al-Darayn, the “Rare one among ladies in this life and the next”, and Sahibat al-Karamat, “the Lady of Miracles”, and Sayyidat Ahl al-Fatwa, “the Leading Lady in deriving rulings and verdicts”, and Umm al-Awaajiz, “the Mother of Elderly Women”, and Nafisat al-Masriyyin, “the Rare Lady of the Egyptians”, because of the Egyptian people’s intense love for her and her love for them, and her being their recourse for their every problem - collectively and individually.
Sayyida Nafisa used to pray the five prayers regularly behind her father in Masjid an-Nabawi (sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam) from the age of six. Her father used to take her by the hand and enter inside the room of the Raudha of the beloved Prophet (sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam), which is the house of Sayyida `Ayesha (Radhiallahu taala anha). He would address the Prophet (sal-lal-lahu alai hi wa sallam) directly saying: "Ya Rasullullah!, O Beloved Prophet of Allah! I am pleased with my daughter Nafisa!" He continued these visits repeatedly until one day the Prophet (s) appeared to him in a dream saying to him, “Ya Hasan, I am pleased with your daughter Nafisa, because you are pleased with her, and Allah is pleased with her because I am pleased with her."
The Nile fails to flood
ReplyDeleteIn the year 201 H. (816 CE) the Nile failed to flood, as is its normal annual custom. People went to Sayyida Nafisa asking her to pray that Allah cause the Nile to flood, for without the usual flood no crops would grow. Sayyida Nafisa gave them her face veil telling them, “throw that in the Nile and by Allah's grace it will flood.” They took her burqa and threw it in the Nile. Immediately the river began to rise and overflow its banks.
[One should note here this is a miracle extremely similar to the incident of the shirt of Sayiddina Yusuf ( Alaihis Salaam ), which when cast on the face of his father Ya`qub ( Alaihis Salaam ), was the cause for his sight to be restored by Allah's Will. Again, such incidents clarify the true meaning of tawassul and shafa`a (intercession) by means of objects related to pure, pious individuals.]
A Prisoner gets Freedom
ReplyDeleteOne of Sayyida Nafisa's miracles relates to a Muslim man married to a Christian woman. They had a son. When he grew up he began to travel. While traveling in a country far from home he was captured and held prisoner. After hearing of his capture, his mother used to frequent the church, praying that her son be released and returned to them. Years passed but he was not released. One day she told her husband, "I heard that there is a saintly woman Nafisa bint al-Hasan al-Anwar whose prayers are always answered. Since you are Muslim go and ask her to pray for the return of our son." He went and asked Sayyida Nafisa for her du`a.
Late that night they heard a knock at the door. Waking and wondering who it could be they went and opened the door. To their astonishment they found their son standing there. They asked him, "How did you come here?" He said, "Tonight I was sitting there in prison, in chains. Suddenly I felt a spiritual presence, and I heard a voice saying, 'Free him! Nafisa bint al-Hasan interceded for him.' Suddenly I found myself standing here at the door of our house." That day his mother went to visit Sayyida Nafisa, thanking her for saving her son, then accepting Islam at her hand.
A paralyzed girl
ReplyDeletewhen Sayyida Nafisa arrived in Egypt and settled in her home, there was a non-Muslim family living beside her, whose daughter was paralyzed from the waist down. One day the girl’s mother brought her to Sayyida Nafisa to watch while she went shopping. She left her daughter in one corner of Sayyida Nafisa's house. Sayyida Nafisa began making ablution and water from her ablution flowed towards the girl. As the water touched the body of the girl, she experienced something strange. She began to take the water from Sayyida Nafisa’s ablution and rub it on her paralyzed feet and legs. Suddenly by Allah's Subhana Wa Taala Mercy, the paralysis disappeared completely and she was able to stand.
Meanwhile Sayyida Nafisa was busy in prayer. The girl stood up and seeing her mother just returning from the market, ran to meet her to tell her what had happened. Her mother cried with joy declaring, "That woman is truly holy and her religion is the truth." She came in, hugged Sayyida Nafisa, thanked her for healing her daughter and asked her to pray that she be guided from darkness to light. Sayyida Nafisa then taught her to recite the shahada.
When the father of the girl returned home that evening, whose name was Ayyub Abu Surraya, and saw his daughter cured, he was overjoyed. He asked his wife about what happened and she told him the whole story. He raised his head heavenwards saying, "O Allah! You guide whom You like and I now know that Islam is the true religion, completing what we believe in." He went to the home of Sayyida Nafisa. Speaking to her from behind a veil he said, "I believe in your religion, and I accept it. I testify that there is none to worship except Allah and that your grandfather Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah." That miracle was the cause for the entire tribe of Sayyida Nafisa's neighbors to enter Islam.
Abul `Izz al-Yamani said, "I was very well-known in my community, rich in my family, owning many farms. I was proud of myself and arrogant. Then I came down with a sickness that caused me to lose my sight and I fell into great difficulties. I spent most of my wealth seeking a cure, but alas doctors were unable to help me. They told me I would be blind for the rest of my life. Finally I sought out Sayyida Nafisa's help. While waiting to see her I fell asleep. I saw a dream in which Sayyida Nafisa visited me and put something in my eyes. When I awoke my sight had been fully restored."
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