The Prophet, Fatimah, Ali, Hassan and Hussain are the five key figures in Shia theology and history. These are the ‘the pure five’ of the Shias, panj tan pak in South Asia. The five are symbolically represented by a hand-print in most parts of the Shia world. For purposes of our argument in this section it is important to note that three of the five figures were martyred in the cause of Islam. Death, martyrdom, tears and sacrifice therefore form the central part of Shia mythology. Followers are thus expected to respond with fervour to a call for sacrifice. A sense of sectarian uniqueness, of group loyalty, faith in the leadership, readiness for sacrifice, devout ecstasy, divine ritual, marks the community.
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— Akbar S. Ahmed, Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society (London: Routledge, 2002), p. 56
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Islamic history, Shias maintain, began to go wrong when Ali, married to Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet, was not made the first caliph after the death of his father-in-law. To make matters worse Ali was assassinated. Ali’s two sons, Hassan and Hussain, following in their father’s footsteps, opposed tyranny and upheld the puritan principles of Islam. Both were also martyred. Hussain was killed, facing impossible odds on a battlefield with his family and followers, at Karbala.
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— Akbar S. Ahmed, Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society (London: Routledge, 2002), p. 57
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An appreciation of the five central figures for the Shias will help us in understanding the role of women in that community (also see chapter 9 section 2, ‘Muslim Women’). Among the five the role of Fatimah is central. The more accommodating attitude to women expressed in Shi’i law over divorce and inheritance is attributed to the important position held by Fatimah among Shi’is’ (Momen, An Introduction to Shi’i Islam, 1985). Always a great favourite of her father Fatimah provides the link between her father and husband and between her sons and their grandfather. The Sayyeds, those claiming descent from the Prophet, do so through Fatimah. So do the twelve Imams, revered by the Shia. In addition, Fatimah’s mother and the Prophet’s first wife, Khadijah, is also an object of reverence.
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— Akbar S. Ahmed, Discovering Islam: Making Sense of Muslim History and Society (London: Routledge, 2002), pp. 58-59
