Fatima in Turkish Literature – Mustafa Uzun, PhD

Fatima has a very significant place in the life of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) for several reasons, including the fact that she was his most beloved daughter, his descendants came only through her, and she was one of the five members of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Prophet's family). For this reason, her name and different characteristics are often mentioned in many poems and other literary works in prose that talk about Prophet Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt. She was also directly the topic of some, though fewer, literary works. These literary works can be classified into several groups, including the classical texts of Turkish literature, literary pieces in the Sufi tradition and the folkloric literature, as well as different examples of Turkish folk beliefs. In these works Fatima is usually depicted as a woman who was loyal to and fond of her husband, children and her home, taking care of all of them; talented; patient; virtuous; modest; and a role model for all Muslim women. Also, in these works, her name is mentioned in different ways, including ‘Fatma' and ‘Fadime' (as modified in the Turkish folkloric dialects), and the Mother Fatma; Zahra (or Fatima al-Zahra) referring to her white skin color; Batul due to her modesty; the "woman of paradise," referring to a hadith that mentions her name among the four most virtuous women in Paradise; the "woman of the judgment day," due to expectations of her help on judgment day; and the "leader of women" (sayyida al-nisa).

In the literary sirah works (whether poems or prose) that talk about the life of the Prophet, Fatima is always depicted as the closest and most beloved daughter to her father. She symbolizes the value given by Islam to women by being an important figure near the Prophet in the Arab society of that time, which in general did not value daughters and women at all.

Many mawlid style works, including first and foremost Süleyman Çelebi's Wasila al-Najat, mention her name, especially in the chapter on ‘death.' In this section, the main theme includes the illness of the Prophet, and such subsequent events as when he declares that he will die. Then when Azrael (the Angel of death) comes to take his soul, Fatima welcomes him, and after the death of Prophet Muhammad, she expresses her sorrow and mourning in the form of a dirge. In addition to this, at the end of the chapter on death in the printed copies of mawlid texts, usually a separate section is added specifically on her, with such titles as "The Death of Fatima al-Zahra" or "Fatima's Features."

Another way in which Fatima is frequently mentioned in literary texts is through her husband, Ali. In many studies on religious and/or Sufi topics as well as in many poems by members of Alawi and Baktashi orders, Fatima is mentioned in this respect. Examples of this genre include poems by Kul Himmet and Edib Harabi.

In addition, Fatima is often mentioned as the mother of Hassan and Hussein in such literary genres as coronachs and maqtal's on the infamous Karbala incident as well as other literary works on the significance of the Ahl al-Bayt. These different types of literary products contain different sections, couplets, quatrains and masnavi's (a poetic form in Persian and Ottoman literature, which consists of an indefinite number of couplets, with the rhyme scheme aa/bb/cc, etc.). For example, the best well known maqtal of its own kind, Fuzuli's Hadiqat al-Saadah, has a full chapter on Fatima (Chapter Four) where her life story is briefly told with some poetic pieces as well as prose.

On the other hand, in coronachs and psalms recited in Dargahs (buildings designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufi brotherhood, or tariqa) during the month of Muharram, Fatima is mentioned in terms of her different features. Examples of it can be found in some psalms attributed to Yunus Emre. In the Baktashi dargahs there is a hearth to the right of the Sufi sheikh's pelt. The entreaties are presented first for the Sufi sheikh, then the twelve imams and Fatima, and then other ranks (maqams). Also, just like in all wedding ceremonies among Muslims, in the Baktashi orders, the wedding ceremony includes the wish that "may the wedding between these two young people be as happy as the marriage of Ali and our mother Fatima." Similarly, in the Baktashi - Alawi literature, within the framework of the belief that different colors and odors symbolize the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the black color and the smell of the pomegranate apple symbolize Fatima.

In addition, in the Dede Korkut stories, a famous genre within the old Turkish literature, the best and most modest women are said to be descendants of Aisha and Fatima.

In the Turkish folklore, the cult of Fatima has a very important place. In Anatolia, women think of Fatima, whom they call "Mother Fatma (Fadime)" as the symbol of good luck, abundance and blessing. In many places in Anatolia, when women plaster or paint walls of hearths, they press one of their hands on it and call this hand mark the "Mother Fatma hand."

Also called the "Pence-i Al-i aba," different fingers of this hand represent a particular member of the Ahl al-Bayt: the thumb finger represents Prophet Muhammad, the fore finger Ali, the middle finger Fatima, the ring finger Hassan, and the pinky finger represents Hussein. For this reason, in many poems that talk about the "Âl-i abâ," Fatima's name is also usually mentioned.

Similarly, in Anatolia when women do many things using their hands, even mundane acts such as making yogurt, kneading dough, and caressing the back of a sick person, etc., they start and finish it by saying "this hand is not mine, it is Mother Fatma's hand!" In this motif, it is implied that healing is expected from the "Pence-i Al-i aba." According to another folk belief, since the Mother Fatma used to bake bread in the ash, especially older women do not throw ash on the ground or try not to step on it. The name of the Mother Fatma is also mentioned when congratulating and motivating the young women who have just started hand knitting and lace work. In addition, the Turkish people say in their good wish for their good neighbors that "may Allah make you neighbor to our Mother Fatma in Paradise."

Also, when caressing the back of the woman who is about to deliver a baby, the midwife says to her that "this hand is not mine, it is Mother Fatma's hand!" referring to her belief that the delivery will not be very hard. Likewise, during the delivery the juice of a plant by the name of the "Mother Fatma's hand" (anastatika hierochuntica) is offered to the woman to ease the burden of delivery. For this reason, this plant, which is not found in Anatolia since it grows in the desert, is brought from the Arabian Peninsula by pilgrims and offered to pregnant women as a valuable gift. Finally, in some places ‘Fatma' is frequently given as the middle name to newly born babies.

On the other hand, we see Fatima's name in calligraphic works as well. In many works containing the names of the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, and in some mosques, next to the names of the Khulafa al-Rashidun (the first Four Caliphs), Fatima's name together with Hassan and Hussein, is written on plates, usually in the jali sulus style.