toward the ceiling of the room, peace and blessings be upon him.

When the Messenger—peace and blessings be upon him—passed away, Fāṭimah—may Allah be pleased with her—began to mourn him. Yet her mourning was subdued; it contained no hint of objection to Allah’s decree and predestination.

Her words, “He has answered a Lord who summoned him,” point to the fact that Allah—glorified and exalted be He—holds the dominion of all things in His hand: the lifespans of creation, their management—everything belongs to Allah; to Him all affairs return and to Him is the final destination.

Thus he answered Allah’s call. Once the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—died, he became like the rest of the believers: his soul was taken up until it stood before Allah, Exalted is He, above the seventh heaven. Therefore she said, “O my father, he has answered a Lord who summoned him.”

She also said, “O my father, the Garden of Firdaws is his abode,” for he—peace and blessings be upon him—occupies the highest rank in Paradise. As he said: “Ask Allah to grant me al-Wasīlah; it is a station in Paradise befitting only one servant of Allah, and I hope that I will be that servant.” There is no doubt that the Prophet’s resting place is the Garden of Firdaws—the loftiest level of Paradise, whose roof is the Throne of the Lord, glorified be He—and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is in the highest of its ranks.

Her words, “O my father, to Gabriel we announce his death,” employ the term naʿy, which means publicly announcing that someone has passed away.