A three-night mourning ceremony commemorating the martyrdom of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (S.A.) was held in English at the Islamic Centre of England during the first Fatimiyyah period. The programme, which took place from November 15 to 17, 2024, attracted participants from various backgrounds, especially young mourners.
On the first night, Hujjat al-Islam Dr Sobhani delivered a speech on the role of remembrance and awareness of the Day of Resurrection in the life of Lady Fatimah (S.A.). He stated that death is an undeniable reality, emphasising that the Holy Quran addresses this truth more extensively than any other divine scripture.
Citing narrations about the reality of death, he elaborated: “For example, the enlightening words of Imam Ali (A.S.) about death and the Day of Judgment are profoundly instructive. The Imam likened death to the opening of a cage and a form of liberation, and in another statement, he said that God shows mercy to those who prepare themselves for death.”
Dr Sobhani also reflected on Lady Fatimah’s belief in the afterlife, recounting: “On the night of her wedding, when she entered Imam Ali’s (A.S.) house, she appeared distressed. Imam Ali (A.S.) inquired about her sorrow, and Lady Fatimah (S.A.) responded: ‘Today I enter your house, and one day I will enter the house of the Hereafter.'”
He further highlighted her supplication at the final moments of her life, where she prayed, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from the fire of Hell,” underscoring her profound belief in the Day of Judgment and the afterlife. Over the following nights, Dr Sobhani continued his discussions, focusing on the virtues and life of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (S.A.).
The commemoration ceremony also featured the presence of Hujjat al-Islam Kashmiri, the representative of Ayatollah Sistani in Europe, along with recitations and elegies by eulogists of the Ahlul Bayt (A.S.), adding to the spiritual ambience of the gathering.
