Sayyidah Khadijah spent the days of pregnancy in this similar manner until the time of the birth of Sayyidah Fatimah arrived. She sent a message to the women of Quraysh and the Bani Hashim to assist her in childbirth, as was the custom that other women would assist a pregnant woman during her delivery. However the women of Quraysh and Bani Hashim replied saying that because she had not paid heed to their words and had rejected them by marrying Muhammad, the orphan of Abu Talib (‘Abdullah) who was indigent, they would not come to help her, nor assist her in any manner. What an extreme moment it was during the initial days of his official proclamation! The Prophet had many enemies and Islam was isolated to such an extent that even at the time of childbirth, people distanced themselves from the wife of the Prophet and refused to assist her!
Khadijah became restless and dejected after hearing their reply, but her Lord did not forsake her. Suddenly she saw four women with a wheat-coloured complexion and tall stature, similar to the women of Bani Hashim, enter her room. Looking at them, Khadijah was confused. Suddenly one of them said, “O Khadijah, do not be grieved! We have come to your aid by the command of Allah. We are your sisters, I am Sarah (the wife of Prophet Ibrahim); this is Asiyah, the daughter of Mazahim (the believing wife of Pharaoh), who shall be your companion in Paradise; while this is Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imran; and the fourth one is Kulthum, the sister of Prophet Musa b. ‘Imran. Allah the Almighty has sent us to assist you at the time of childbirth.”
One of them sat at the right side of Khadijah, the second on her left, the third facing her and the fourth behind her head. At that moment Sayyidah Fatimah arrived in this world in a pure and virtuous state. As soon as she lay on the earth, a radiant light emerged from her that shone upon all the houses of Makkah, and there was nothing in the east or in the west, except that her glittering light gleamed upon everything.
Suddenly, ten houries of Paradise descended, carrying trays and pitchers filled with the water of the fountain of al-Kawthar. The woman standing in front of Khadijah lifted up Fatimah and washed her with the water (of al-Kawthar). Then two white pieces of cloth which were whiter than milk and emitted fragrance better than musk and amber were brought and she was wrapped in one of them, while the second one was used as a veil and scarf. Thereafter they requested Fatimah to speak. She opened her mouth and bore witness to the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad in these words, “I bear witness that there is no other deity worthy of worship except Allah; and that my father is the Messenger of Allah, the chief of the Prophets, and that ‘Ali is the chief of the vicegerents, and my sons are the leaders of the tribes (Asbat).”
Thereafter, she greeted the four women addressing them by their names and they in turn attended to her with content and smiling faces. The houries and the dwellers of Paradise greeted one another upon the birth of Fatimah, while a glorious light shone upon the heavens, the like which the angels had never seen before.
The women then turned towards Khadijah and said, “Take hold of your child, who is chaste, virtuous and filled with prosperity and auspiciousness, and a blessed progeny will emerge from her.”
Khadijah took her in her arms with delight and fed her. Fatimah’s age increased daily equalling to a month (of an ordinary child) and every month equalling one year compared to other children.
House of Sorrows Translation of Baytul AhzanShaikh Abbas Al – Qummi