Fatimah al-Zahra, even as a young child, was constantly assisting her father, Prophet Muhammad, during the early days in Mecca and supporting him in any way she could.

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It is no coincidence that the only child of Prophet Muhammad to survive past infancy was a girl, his daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra.

Given the era in which Islam came to the Arabian Peninsula and the level of ignorance (jahiliya) of the Arabs, Lady Fatimah not only served as a comfort and point of solace and strength for the Prophet, but she played a direct role in the socio-political-ethical revolution which her father was delivering to humanity.

In this Meccan period, the Prophet had to struggle for the hearts and minds of the Quraysh. He had to make them understand the futility of their worship of the false gods and their backward tribal customs - and this is where his daughter, Lady Fatimah, played a prominent role.

In a society which looked down upon daughters, such that the Qur’an is quoted as saying:

وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُم بِٱلْأُنثَىٰ ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُۥ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

“And when a daughter is announced to one of them his face becomes black and he is full of wrath” (16:58).

It is no wonder that God willed that the only child of the Prophet of Islam to survive would be his daughter as together, they could counter the negative stigma attached to girls in that society and for generations to come.

At a time when women were deprived of inheritance, and in fact were actually inherited by their male family members, Fatimah al-Zahra became the conduit through which humanity was taught that women had a right to inherit and bequeath and that they were considered equals in the eyes of the law – albeit by maintaining a balance in the Divinely-sent regulations.

When it comes to the real-world backing which Fatimah al-Zahra provided, she not only saw, but also lived the calamities her father experienced.

She felt the persecution and pains which her father endured – and perhaps even more than him as she was a young, helpless child.

She witnessed the actions of the people, including close family members as they insulted, mocked and physically attacked her beloved father.

It is mentioned in the books of history that the noted companion of the Prophet, Ibn Mas’ud has said, “One day when the Prophet was offering prayers in the precincts of the Ka’bah, Abu Jahl and a group of callous individuals of the Quraysh who were present, saw the Prophet. Abu Jahl said to his companions, ‘Which of you can bring the placenta of the camel belonging to so-and-so and put it on the shoulders of Muhammad when he prostrates in his prayers?’

One of them ran to bring the placenta along with blood and feces, and threw it on the Prophet’s shoulders while he was prostrating. Seeing this, the harsh Meccans burst into laughter!”

Ibn Mas’ud noted that although he hesitated to remove the filth from the Prophet’s shoulder who still kept on praying, however someone rushed to the young Fatimah and told her about what had happened to her father.

She promptly arrived with her maid, removed the filth from her father and proceeded to pray to God against the people who sought to embarrass and insult him. Although a young child of no more than a few years old, she felt it her duty to support her father in any way that she could.

The dedication of Fatimah al-Zahra was not limited to life in Mecca and so even after the migration to Medina, her unwavering commitment to the faith of Islam continued.

During the battle of al-Ahzab, also known as the Battle of the Trench, acting on the guidance of Salman al-Farsi, the Muslims dug a trench around the city to keep it safe from the polytheists.

One day, during this intense period of work which the Prophet himself took part in, Fatimah al-Zahra came to her father with a piece of bread.

The Prophet asked, “O Fatimah, what is this?”

She said, “It is from a loaf that I have baked for my son. I have brought this piece for you.”

The Prophet, moved by this offering, replied to his daughter saying, “It is the first food to enter your father’s mouth in three days.”

Such acts may seem very insignificant, however given her age and abilities, show us that her conduct throughout the Prophetic mission was one in which she showed her eagerness to serve Islam in any way she could.

Such examples teach us that there is no such thing as a small act of goodness - every little thing counts when done for the sake of God.