Ali (R.A.A.) once said to one of his pupils: 'Shall I tell you the story of Fatimah (R.A.), the dearest and the most loved daughter of the Prophet (PBUH)?"
When the pupil replied in the affirmative, he said: "Fatimah (R.A.) used to grind the grain herself, which caused corns on her hands. She carried water for the house in a leather bag, which left a mark on her breast. She cleaned the house herself, which made her clothes dirty. Once some war-captives were brought to Madinah; I said to her, 'Go to the Prophet (PBUH) and request him for an assistant to help you in your housework.' She went to him, but found many people around him. As she was very modest, she could not be bold enough to request the Prophet (PBUH) in the presence of other people."
The next day the Prophet (PBUH) came to our house and said, "Fatimah! What made you come to me yesterday?" She felt shy and kept quiet. I said, "O, Prophet of Allah! Fatimah has developed calluses on both her hands and breast, on account of grinding and carrying water. She is constantly busy in cleaning the house and in other domestic jobs, causing her to remain dirty. I informed her about the captives and advised her to go to you and make a request for a servant. It has also been reported that Fatimah (R.A.) made a request, "I and Ali own only one bedding and that also is a skin of a goat. We use it in the morning to put the feed of the camel." The Prophet (S.A.W.) said,
"Fatimah! Be patient. The Prophet Moses (A.S.) and his wife owned only one bedding, which was the cloak of Moses. Fear Allah; acquire Taqwa--(the fear that arises out of love. When we love Allah so much that we become very God conscious and we want to please Him all the time) and keep doing your service to Allah and attend to your domestic jobs. When you go to bed, recite 'Subhanallah' 33 times, 'Alhamdulillah' 33 times, and 'Allahu akbar' 33 times. You will find this more helpful than an assistant."
Fatimah (R.A.) remarked, "I am happy with what Allah and His Prophet (PBUH) would be pleased."
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