When Hazrat Fatema binte Asad (the mother of Hazrat Ali) died, Amirul Mo’meneen (a.s.) came weeping to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and gave him the news of her death. The Prophet was grieved and said,
“My mother has died.”
History bears witness that she had brought up the Prophet affectionately like a mother. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gave her his own gown for the shroud (Kafan), and himself lay in the grave for sometime before burying her. After burying her, he stood near the grave and called out:
ابنكِ ابنكِ لا عقيل وَلاَ جعفر
“Your son, your son, not Aqeel, nor Ja’far.”
People were surprised and asked him the reason for uttering these words. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied that,
“One day we were discussing about Qiyamat, and I said that on that day people will be come out of their graves in a state of nakedness. My aunt (Fatema binte Asad) started crying, so I assured her that I would give her my own gown for shroud, so she would not have to face that humiliation. She was scared of the squeeze in the grave (Fishare Qabr), so I lay myself in her grave so as to save her from this too. After burying her, ‘Munkar and Nakeer’ came to question her. They asked her about her Lord, she replied that Almighty Allah was her Lord. Then they asked her about Prophethood (Nabuwwah), she bore testimony that I was Allah’s Apostle. But when they questioned her about her Imam, she was a bit confused. Hence I called out to her that
“Your son, your son, not Aqeel nor Ja’far (but Ali).”
Fatema binte Asad was a distinguished lady, who had the honour of giving birth to a son like Ali (a.s.), and herself remaining in the Ka’bah for three days as Allah’s guest. She was the second woman who accepted the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), the first being Hazrat Khadija (a.s.), even then she was fearful of the hereafter and wept. And we being sinful have forgotten our end, and do not take account of our deeds, but are averse to the terror of the hereafter.