A Meeting with Bibi Fizza
Abdulláh Mubárak has related a very interesting dialogue between himself and Bibi Fizza. He states, "I saw a woman passing through the desert who had fallen behind the caravan and asked her, "Who are you and where are you from?" She replied:
And say, "Salaam" for they shall soon know! (az-Zukhruf, 43:89)
I learned that she expected me to greet her and say "Assalámu `Alaykum" first, before any question. I did as she reminded, and then enquired why she was in the desert. She answered:
And whomsoever Alláh guides, there is none to lead him astray! (az-Zumar, 39:37)
On hearing her reply, I asked her, Are you from mankind or from the jinn?" She replied:
O Children of Adam! be adorned at every time of prostration. (al-A`ráf,7: 31)
I asked her, "Where are you coming from?" She replied:
They are (like those) who are called to from a place far off. (Há Mím 41:44)
I asked her, "Where are you intending to go?" She said:
And (purely) for Alláh is incumbent upon mankind, the Pilgrimage of the House. (Áli Imrán, 3:97)
I asked her how many days she had been travelling. She told me:
And indeed We (Alláh) created the heavens and the earth and what is between them two, in six days. (Qáf, 50:38)
I asked her, "Do you feel hungry?" She replied:
We (Alláh) did not make them such bodies that ate no food. (Al-Anbiya, 21:8)
I gave her food and asked her to hurry up to catch the caravan but she replied:
Alláh does not task any soul beyond its ability. (al-Baqaráh, 2:286)
I suggested that she sit on the camel behind me, but she said:
Had there been gods therein besides Alláh, there would have been disorder in both (the heavens and the earth). (al-Anbiya, 21:22)
On hearing this I realised that, because we were not husband and wife, it was unlawful for both of us to ride the camel. So I got off and mounted her on it. When she sat on the camel, she said:
Glory to Him Who subjected this to us. (az-Zukhruf 43:13)
When we reached the caravan, I asked her, "Do you know anyone among them?" She called out in reply:
O Dáwúd, Verily, We have appointed you a Khalifa in the earth. (Sád, 38:26)
And Muhammad is not but a Messenger. (Áli Imrán, 3:144)
O Yahyá! Hold the book with firmness! (Maryam, 19:12)
O Músá! Verily I am Alláh, the All-Mighty. (an-Naml, 27:9)
I began to call out these four names at which four youths came out of the caravan and ran towards Bibi Fizza. I asked her who they were and she replied:
Wealth and children are the adornment of the world. (al-Kahf, 18:46)
I realised that they were her sons. The woman turned to the youth and said:
O my Father, employ him, verily the best of those who you can employ is the strong man and the trusted one. (al-Qasas, 28:26)
She thus made them understand that I had helped her. Then she told them:
And verily Alláh increases manifold to whosoever He wills. (al-Baqaráh, 2: 261)
The sons understood their mother's hint and paid me well.
I enquired from the them as to who this noble lady was, and they replied, "She is our mother, Fizza, the maid-servant of Lady Fátimah (A), daughter of the Holy Prophet (S). She has conversed in nothing but the Holy Qur'án for the last 20 years."