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Fatwa CenterFirst woman to enter Paradise
Question
My uncle and I got into a heated argument about something he narrated to me. He had gone to a function and heard the Imam say that the first woman to enter paradise is the Prophet's (S.A.W.) daughter Fatima (R.A.). I disagreed because I have been told that Mary, the mother of Isa (A.S.) will be the first woman in Paradise. Can you tell me of a Hadeeth or Ayah where this point is clarified, because if my uncle is wrong then I wish to set him straight. But if I am wrong then I will apologize to my uncle.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is obvious from the evidence that Maryam, daughter of 'Imraan, may Allaah exalt her mention, is the best of all women of the world. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {"And (remember) when the angels said: "O Maryam (Mary)! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you (from polytheism and disbelief), and chosen you above the women of the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns) (of her lifetime)."}[Quran 3:42]
There are many Ahadeeth (narrations) establishing this point. The Prophet 
said: "Among the women of the Universe, Mary, daughter of 'Imraan, Khadeejah, daughter of Khuwaylid, Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, and Aasiyah, the wife of Pharaoh are enough for you." [At-Tirmithi; it is a sound Hadeeth]
The Prophet said to his daughter Faatimah 
: "Don't you like to be the mistress of all the ladies of Paradise?" In a narration, he said to his daughter: "You are mistress of all the ladies of Paradise except the Virgin Mary". As long as Mary, may Allaah exalt her mention, is better than Faatimah that means she will enter Paradise before Faatimah .
Another Hadeeth also supports this point. The Prophet said: "If I swear I will be true that no one will enter Paradise before the foremost of my Ummah except some people numbering less than twenty. Among them are Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mary daughter of 'Imraan." This means Mary, may Allaah exalt her mention, will enter Paradise before the foremost of this Ummah (nation), and Faatimah is among them. Although this Hadeeth is clear but it is not sound; however the evidence mentioned earlier supports it.
Allaah Knows best.
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