فصل [ " استيذان الشيخين لعيادتها عليها السلام " ] لما مرضت فاطمة عليها السلام مرضها الذي ماتت فيه ، وصت إلى علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام أن يكتم أمرها ويخفي خبرها ولا يؤذن أحدا بمرضها ففعل سلام الله عليه ذلك ، وكان يمرضها بنفسه وتعينه على ذلك أسماء بنت عميس على استسرار بذلك كما وصت به 1 وقد أخبر النبي صلى الله عليه وآله عن مرضها ذلك ، وقال بعد أن ذكر ما يصيبها من الظلم والضيم ، ثم يبتدي بها الوجع فتمرض فيبعث الله إليها مريم بنت عمران تمرضها وتؤنسها في علتها ، الخبر 2 .

Section [“the two shaykhs' asking leave to visit her, peace be upon her”]. When Fatima, peace be upon her, fell ill with the illness in which she died, she charged 'Ali b. Abi Talib, peace be upon him, that he should conceal her affair and hide news of her and inform no one of her illness. And he did that, the peace of God be upon him, and nursed her himself; and Asma' bint 'Umays helped him in that, keeping it secret as she had charged. [1] And the Prophet, may God bless him and his Family, had foretold that illness of hers, and said, after mentioning what would befall her of wrong and injustice: Then the pain shall begin in her and she shall fall ill; and God shall send to her Maryam bint 'Imran to nurse her and to keep her company in her sickness — the report. [2]

فلما ثقلت وعلم الرجلان بذلك أتياها عايدين واستأذنا عليها فأبت أن تأذن لهما ، فأتى عمر عليا عليه السلام فقال له : إن أبا بكر شيخ رقيق القلب وقد كان مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله في الغار فله صحبته وقد أتيناها غير هذه المرة مرارا نريد الإذن عليها وهي تأبى أن تأذن لنا فإن رأيت أن تستأذن لنا عليها فافعل ، قال : نعم ، فدخل علي عليه السلام على فاطمة عليها السلام فقال يا بنت رسول الله قد كان

And when she grew grave, and the two men learned of that, they came to her to visit her and asked leave of her; and she refused to give them leave. So 'Umar came to 'Ali, peace be upon him, and said to him: Abu Bakr is an old man, tender of heart, and he was with the Messenger of God, may God bless him and his Family, in the cave, and his companionship is his. And we have come to her more than this once, many times, seeking leave to enter upon her, and she refuses to give us leave. So if you see fit to ask leave for us to enter upon her, then do so. He said: Yes. So 'Ali, peace be upon him, entered upon Fatima, peace be upon her, and said: O daughter of the Messenger of God, there has been