The Reward of Guiding and Teaching Others in the Words of Lady Fatima (as)

Imam Askari (as) said: "A woman came to Fatima Zahra (sa) and said: 'I have a weak mother who has become confused about a matter related to her prayer; she sent me to inquire from you about it.'

Fatima az-Zahra (sa) answered her; the woman repeatedly came with questions for Fatima az-Zahra (sa), and she (sa) kindly answered her every time. One day the lady approached Fatima az-Zahra (sa) with another question from her mother, and said to Fatima az-Zahra (sa):

'I shall not inconvenience you (any more), daughter of Allah's Messenger.'

Fatima az-Zahra (sa) replied: 'Ask me regarding anything, which comes to your mind. Because if a man had been hired to transport a heavy load to the top of a mountain for a reward of one thousand dinars, do you think it would bother him?'

The woman said: 'No'

Fatima az-Zahra (sa) continued: 'My reward for (answering) every inquiry is more than that which fills (the space) between the ground and the Throne with pearls; thus, I should be more apt to answer your questions. Surely, I heard my father say:

'When the scholars of our Shiite (followers) are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they will be bestowed with garments of honor equal in quantity to their knowledge and struggle to guide Allah's worshippers, up to the point that anyone of them will be gifted with one million garments of light.' Then the caller of our Exalted and Glorified Lord will say:

'O you guardians of the orphans of Muhammad. (You) who inspire them when they are separated from their fathers, who are their Imams; these are your pupils and the orphans whom you guarded and inspired, therefore bestow them with garments of knowledge in life. Thus, they will bestow each orphan with that which corresponds to the amount of knowledge he received from them (the scholars); up to the point that some orphans are bestowed with one million garments. Like-so, the orphans bestow those who learnt from them.' Then Allah, the Exalted will say:

'Repeat upon these scholars, the guardians of the orphans, the bestowment and double and complete it for them and for those who follow them"

Fatima az-Zahra (sa) said: 'My reward for (answering) every inquiry is more than that which fills (the space) between the ground and the Throne with pearls; thus, I should be more apt to answer your questions. Surely, I heard my father say: 'When the scholars of our Shiite (followers) are gathered (on the Day of Resurrection), they will be bestowed with garments of honor equal in quantity to their knowledge and struggle to guide Allah's worshippers, up to the point that anyone of them will be gifted with one million garments of light.' 

Fatima az-Zahra (sa) then added:

'Worshipper of Allah, surely a thread of those garments is better than that on which the sun rises. [1]

1. Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 2, p. 3

م، تفسير الإمام عليه السلام قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ ع‏ حَضَرَتِ امْرَأَةٌ عِنْدَ الصِّدِّيقَةِ فَاطِمَةَ الزَّهْرَاءِ ع فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ لِي وَالِدَةً ضَعِيفَةً وَ قَدْ لُبِسَ عَلَيْهَا فِي أَمْرِ صَلَاتِهَا شَيْ‏ءٌ وَ قَدْ بَعَثَتْنِي إِلَيْكِ أَسْأَلُكِ فَأَجَابَتْهَا فَاطِمَةُ ع عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَثَنَّتْ فَأَجَابَتْ ثُمَّ ثَلَّثَتْ إِلَى أَنْ عَشَّرَتْ فَأَجَابَتْ ثُمَّ خَجِلَتْ مِنَ الْكَثْرَةِ فَقَالَتْ لَا أَشُقُّ عَلَيْكِ يَا ابْنَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ قَالَتْ فَاطِمَةُ هَاتِي وَ سَلِي عَمَّا بَدَا لَكِ أَ رَأَيْتِ مَنِ اكْتُرِيَ يَوْماً يَصْعَدُ إِلَى سَطْحٍ بِحِمْلٍ ثَقِيلٍ وَ كِرَاهُ مِائَةُ أَلْفِ دِينَارٍ يَثْقُلُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَتْ لَا فَقَالَتْ اكْتُرِيتُ أَنَا لِكُلِّ مَسْأَلَةٍ بِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ مِلْ‏ءِ مَا بَيْنَ الثَّرَى إِلَى الْعَرْشِ لُؤْلُؤاً فَأَحْرَى أَنْ لَا يَثْقُلَ عَلَيَّ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي ص يَقُولُ إِنَّ عُلَمَاءَ شِيعَتِنَا يُحْشَرُونَ فَيُخْلَعُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ خِلَعِ الْكَرَامَاتِ عَلَى قَدْرِ كَثْرَةِ عُلُومِهِمْ وَ جِدِّهِمْ فِي إِرْشَادِ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يُخْلَعُ عَلَى الْوَاحِدِ مِنْهُمْ أَلْفُ أَلْفِ حُلَّةٍ مِنْ نُورٍ ثُمَّ يُنَادِي مُنَادِي رَبِّنَا عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَيُّهَا الْكَافِلُونَ لِأَيْتَامِ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص النَّاعِشُونَ لَهُمْ عِنْدَ انْقِطَاعِهِمْ عَنْ آبَائِهِمُ الَّذِينَ هُمْ أَئِمَّتُهُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ تَلَامِذَتُكُمْ وَ الْأَيْتَامُ الَّذِينَ كَفَلْتُمُوهُمْ وَ نَعَشْتُمُوهُمْ فَاخْلَعُوا عَلَيْهِمْ خِلَعَ الْعُلُومِ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَيَخْلَعُونَ عَلَى كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ الْأَيْتَامِ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا أَخَذُوا عَنْهُمْ مِنَ الْعُلُومِ حَتَّى إِنَّ فِيهِمْ يَعْنِي فِي الْأَيْتَامِ لَمَنْ يُخْلَعُ عَلَيْهِ مِائَةُ أَلْفِ خِلْعَةٍ وَ كَذَلِكَ يَخْلَعُ هَؤُلَاءِ الْأَيْتَامُ عَلَى مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ أَعِيدُوا عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ الْعُلَمَاءِ الْكَافِلِينَ لِلْأَيْتَامِ حَتَّى تُتِمُّوا لَهُمْ خِلَعَهُمْ وَ تُضَعِّفُوهَا لَهُمْ فَيَتِمُّ لَهُمْ مَا كَانَ لَهُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلَعُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَ يُضَاعَفُ لَهُمْ وَ كَذَلِكَ مَنْ يَلِيهِمْ مِمَّنْ خَلَعَ عَلَى مَنْ يَلِيهِمْ وَ قَالَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ع يَا أَمَةَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ سِلْكَةً مِنْ تِلْكَ الْخِلَعِ لَأَفْضَلُ مِمَّا طَلَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشَّمْسُ أَلْفَ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ وَ مَا فَضَلَ فَإِنَّهُ مَشُوبٌ بِالتَّنْغِيصِ وَ الْكَدَرِ.