Fatima: Daughter of the Prophet Mohammad
Through Lisa’s Goddess on Earth- project, she has met many amazing women- some of them acquaintances, some through a friend of a friend, and even others just by seeing them on the street and saying, “Hey! You are a goddess. I would love to do a portrait of you! ” For this particular photo, Lisa was looking for a woman from the Sufi mosque in Chestnut Ridge. Through a mutual acquaintance she reached out to them and was invited to their Saturday night potluck dinner. They welcomed her with open arms, asking her to tell them about her project. She was introduced to a group of three sisters as possible subjects.
Their names were Amina on the left, then Nuranisa, and Sema. They are college students living with their family in Chestnut Ridge, New York. When asked what myth or sacred life story they would like to embody, they spoke about of the importance family, community, and faith in their lives. The significance of these elements led them to Fatima. “We chose Fatima because she is the ideal model for all Muslim women (even men) in spirituality, worship, prayer, service and inward and outward demeanor. Her loving and kind countenance made the people love her, her shrewdness made people respect her and her words and actions made the people imitate her.”
Fatima was one of the first children to be born into Islam and the fourth daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Fatima is considered to be one of the four holiest women in Islam after the Virgin Mary, Khadija, and Asiya, the Queen who rescued Moses from the river. It is said that when she prayed, her light was reflected by the mihrab, the direction of the Ka’aba in Mecca that a Muslim must face when praying. Her inner light was seen by everyone and the name “Zehra”, meaning “resplendent or shining one” was given to her among other such titles.
Nuranisa, Amina and Sema wrote, “Our parents surrounded us with a very spiritual Islamic lifestyle based on prayer and worship but most significantly with love and service to our community, which is ultimately service to Allah.”
It is admirable to see the dedication and devotion these three sisters have. I would say they were a lucky find, and another excellent choice to represent and further show the diversity of the Women of Rockland.
Hopefully these stories of the seven women from Rockland County give you a better look into their lives, and leave you with a broader perspective on the culture and diversity that surrounds us. These women are our neighbors, living out their lives with uniqueness of their culture and values; emanating beauty and strength as they doing so.
