that ʿAlī said to his mother, “Relieve Fāṭimah of the chores outside the house; you take care of the household duties—kneading the dough, baking the bread, and grinding the grain.”

Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Sarrāj related: Muḥammad ibn al-Ṣabāḥ told us; ʿAlī ibn Hāshim narrated to us, from Kathīr al-Nawāʾ, from ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn, that the Prophet ﷺ visited Fāṭimah while she was ill and asked, “How are you feeling?” She replied, “I am in pain, and what troubles me even more is that I have no food to eat.” He said, “My daughter, are you not content to be the foremost woman of all worlds?” She asked, “And what about Mary?” He answered, “She was the foremost woman of her own age, whereas you are the foremost woman of yours. By Allah, I have married you to a leader in this world and the next.” This ḥadīth is weak, and in addition a transmitter is missing between Kathīr and ʿImrān.

ʿAlbaʾ ibn Aḥmar narrated, through ʿIkrimah, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The best women of Paradise are Khadījah bint Khuwaylid, Fāṭimah bint Muḥammad, Maryam, and Āsiyah.” Abū Dāwūd recorded it.

Abū Jaʿfar al-Rāzī transmitted—through Thābit, from Anas—a similar marfūʿ report whose wording is: “The finest women of all worlds are four.”

Maʿmar narrated, from Qatādah, from Anas, in a marfūʿ report: “Four women suffice you among all the women of the worlds,” and he then named them.

A similar narration is also reported from Abū Hurayrah and others.