Fatima Is the Rightful Heir. The Talk I Never Gave

Many U.S.-based universities have asked to speak about women’s rights in Islam. I have addressed different aspects of women’s rights in Islam, but did not get a chance to discuss their right to rule. So, I still need to talk about a more predominant right: the right to govern a society.?

Islam has two main sects, Sunnis and Shiites[1]. Sunnis feel that Muhammad’s rightful heir is his friend “Abu Baker,” while Shiites believe that his cousin and son-in-law “Ali” is his rightful heir. Since both sects nominated men to rule, women could not rule, a falsely inherited notion that led to oppressing women in the Middle East for centuries.

I believe that Muhammad’s daughter “Fatima” is his rightful heir, who should have governed after her father passed away. I also believe that denying her right as the governor resulted in oppressing women in the name of Islam. Islam did not oppress women. However, tribal men oppressed women in the name of Islam to maintain power.

Acknowledging Fatima as a governor establishes the right to rule for all Muslim women.

Fatima was Muhammad’s only child[2]. Is it conceivable that Muhammad, who called for equality and liberating slaves, is the same man who advocated for oppressing women, while he only had one female child? I do not think so. I believe Muhammad empowered women and named his only daughter as his heir to pave the way toward creating a more inclusive society. Muhammad had every reason to do so. After all, women supported Muhammad throughout his difficult mission. His first wife, Khadija, and then Fatima. Other prominent women, such as his wife Aisha, played a significant role in his life.?

Muhammad would never oppress women or deny them the right to rule.

Muhammad stressed Fatima’s special position. He repeatedly stated, "Fatima is part of me, and I am part of her." Would a man aiming at oppressing women make such a powerful statement? Of course not.

Both versions of Islam fight over who is Muhammad’s rightful heir. Each version insists that their heir was closest to Muhammad. Moreover, Sunni and Shiite scholars present hundreds of Muhammad’s sayings to prove that he considered one heir to be the closest to him. However, Muhammad did not state that any one of the “male” heirs was part of him, and he was part of them like he said addressing Fatima.

According to Lev (2022), the Fatimids established their empire at the beginning of the tenth century[3]. The Fatimids traced their heritage back to Fatima, Muhammad’s daughter, and they established their empire based on their bloodline as descendants of her. An Islamic empire was established because of a woman! The Fatimids were not Sunni nor Shiite; they were descendants of Fatima.

I truly believe that Fatima was and still is Muhammad’s rightful heir. She was denied her right to rule because a tribal society discriminated against her. The same society is discriminating against her “granddaughters” who live all over the Muslim world. Ironically, this tribal society oppresses women in the name of their “grandfather” religion.

Had Fatima ruled, the Middle East would have been more representative of its mothers, sisters, daughters, and wives. The Middle East would have been more inclusive. Acknowledging women's rights is the first in establishing a society that includes everyone and allows an equal opportunity to grow to their full potential, regardless of their gender.

#womenempowerment #womenrights #womenrightsarehumanrights

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[1] Each sect has many schools of thought that coincide with it.

[2] Some scholars and historians believe that Muhammad had three other daughters. Shiites believe that Fatima was his only child. The rest were his wife’s daughters, Khadija. Muhammad also had a son, "Qassem." However, he died shortly after his birth. At any rate, Muhammad had only a daughter or daughters as his bloodline. See Maneck, S. S. (1989). Tahirih: A Religious Paradigm of Womanhood.?The Journal of Baha’i Studies,?2(2), 39-54. https://doi.org/10.31581/jbs-2.2.4(1989)

?[3] Lev, Y. (2022).?State and society in Fatimid Egypt. Brill.