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 A glimpse into the lives
of the Ṣaḥābiyyāt
‫رضي الله عنهن‬

A collection from the Arabic by

Abdurrahman Ra’fat Al-Pasha

Translated by
Aatiqah and Maseeha
(Daughters of Azizur Rehman Saloojee)

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Contents

PREFACE 6
ASMĀ’ BINT ABI BAKR ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 8
ĠUMAYSĀ BINT MILHĀN ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 23
RAMLAH BINT ABI SUFYĀN ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 37
SAFIYYAH BINT ABDUL MUŢALIB ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 51
FATIMA AZ-ZAHRĀ ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 63
HALĪMAH AS-SA’DIYYAH ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 77
NUSAYBAH AL-MĀZINIYYAH ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 89
UMM SALAMAH ‫رضي الله عنها‬ 104

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 Preface

In the Name of Allāh Ta’ala, the Beneficent, the

Merciful. Peace and Salutations upon His beloved
servant and messenger, Muhammad ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫وسلم‬.

This book is a translation of the Arabic original ‫صور‬

‫ من حياة الصحابيات‬authored by the Syrian sheikh, Dr.
Abdurrahman Ra’fat Al-Pasha. It is intended to serve
as a means of reviving the love for our predecessors
amongst the Muslim youth, as well as a motivation to
follow in the footsteps of these illustrious
personalities.

We have attempted to the best of our ability to

provide a translation of the beautiful meaning, while
retaining the grammar contained in the Arabic. Only
in cases where doing so hindered the reading-flow,
were we forced to reconstruct the sentence in more
understandable English.

We hope that this book will also benefit teachers and

students of the Arabic language, as it has benefited
us. The translation started out as an exercise to
improve our own Arabic, but evolved to become a
passion and desire to know more - and allow others
to learn more - about our pious predecessors.

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We would like to thank all our teachers who have
always motivated and encouraged us, most
especially Ml Junaid Jassat, under whose instruction
the translation was initiated, as well as Ml Ashraf
Dockrat for his constant encouragement and
motivation to get the book completed.

We can never sufficiently thank our parents and

siblings for their efforts, encouragement and
assistance in this endeavour. It was largely due to our
father’s desire to listen to the stories of these
illustrious companions - and his emotion at hearing it
- that encouraged us to complete the translation
even after learning the language well.

Should you find any errors, please don’t hesitate to

let us know. You may email us via
scsaloojee@gmail.com.

May Allāh Azza wa Jal allow us to benefit from these

stories, make it a means of reformation for the youth
and unite us with the author and the sahābah ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنهم‬on the day of Qiyamah. Amin

(Translators’ note)

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 Asmā’ Bint Abi Bakr
‫رضي الله عنها‬

Asmā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬lived for a hundred years without

losing a single tooth or any of her memory.
- Historians

This sahābiyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬of ours surrounded glory in

its utmost. Her father was a sahābi, her grandfather
was a sahābi, her sister was a sahābiyah, her husband
was a sahābi, and her son was a sahābi. That should

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be sufficient glory and honour to assign to her.

However, her father was As-Siddique ‫رضي الله عنه‬, the

beloved friend of the noble Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ وسلم‬during his lifetime, and his successor after his
death. As for her grandfather, he was Abu Atīq ‫رضي‬
‫الله عنه‬, Abu Bakr’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬father. Her sister was
the mother of the believers, Ayesha ‫رضي الله عنها‬, the
innocent, pure one. Her husband was the close
companion of Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬, Zubayr bin
Awwām ‫رضي الله عنه‬. Her son was Abdullāh bin Zubayr
‫رضي الله عنه‬. May Allah be pleased with them all.

She is - in short - Asmā’ bint Abu Bakr As-Siddique ‫رضي‬

‫الله عنها‬, and that is sufficient.

~~~

Asmā’ bint Abu Bakr ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was among the first
to accept Islām. None preceded her to this great virtue
except seventeen people. She was given the title
‘Zhātun Nitāqain’ because she prepared the
provisions for Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬and her

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father on the day they migrated to Madinah. She
prepared a waterskin for them, and when she couldn’t
find anything to tie it with, she tore her girdle in two,
tying the bag of food with one and the waterskin with
the other. The Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬then made dua’
to Allāh to grant her two girdles1 in exchange for it in
Paradise. She was therefore called ‘Zhātun Nitāqain’
(meaning ‘the lady of the two girdles’).

Zubayr bin Awwām ‫ رضي الله عنه‬married her while he

was a poor youth with neither a servant nor the
wealth to provide for a family. All he possessed was a
horse. However, despite this, he had the favour of a
pious wife who served him, led his horse, tended to it
and crushed dates for its fodder – until Allāh opened
his destiny, and he became one of the wealthiest of
the sahābah ‫رضي الله عنهم‬.

When it was destined for him to migrate to Madinah

and flee for the sake of Allāh and His Messenger ‫صلي‬

1
A girdle was a piece of elasticized cloth, twisted into a
cord and worn by women around their waists.

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‫الله عليه وسلم‬, she was expecting their son, Abdullāh bin
Zubayr ‫رضي الله عنه‬. However, the thought of the
weariness of the lengthy journey did not prevent her
from undertaking it.

She had barely reached Qubā’ when she gave birth to

her son. The Muslims rejoiced and celebrated; here
was the first child to be born to the immigrants. She
took him to Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬and placed
him in his lap. Then the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬took
some of his saliva and placed it in the child’s mouth,
performed tahnīk2 and made dua’ for him. So, the first
thing to enter the infant’s stomach was the saliva of
the Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬.

~~~

Asmā’ bint Abu Bakr ‫ رضي الله عنها‬possessed a

combination of good qualities, noble character and
extreme intelligence. Her generosity was so
magnanimous that it reached a point where this trait

2
This is when something is chewed – usually a date – and
placed it in the newborn’s mouth.

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of hers was highlighted as an example. Her son
Abdullah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬narrates:

“I have never seen two

women more
generous than my
aunt, Ayesha ‫رضي الله‬
‫ عنها‬and my mother,
Asmaa’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬.
But their generosity
differed. My aunt used
to gather a little food
until when she had
enough, she would
distribute the rest
amongst the needy
ones. However, my
mother did not hold
onto anything until the
next day.”

In addition to that generosity, Asmā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was

blessed with intelligence which she put to good use in

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difficult situations. It is said that when As-Siddique
‫ رضي الله عنه‬departed as an emigrant in the company of
Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬, he took along with him all
his wealth, which amounted to six thousand dirhams,
leaving nothing behind for his family. When his father,
Abu Quhāfah, who was blind, learned about his
departure (at that time he was still a polytheist), he
went to As-Siddique’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬house and said to
Asmā’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬: “By Allah, I believe that he has
forsaken you with his wealth, after he himself had
forsaken you.”

But she replied: “No, my grandfather. He has left lots

of money for us.”

She then took some pebbles, placed it in the niche

wherein their money was placed, threw a cloth over
the niche, and took her grandfather’s hand, and she
said: “O my grandfather, see how much wealth he has
left for us.”

Abu Quhāfah touched the pebbles, and he said: “That

is good; if he has left all this for you, that is excellent.”

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She did this to satisfy the old man’s soul, and to ensure
he would not give her any of his own money, for she
disliked being indebted to a polytheist, even though
he was her grandfather.

~~~

Even if all Asmā’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬actions are forgotten by

history, her traits that will remain forever
remembered are her immense generosity, the
intensity of her determination, and the strength of her
imān when she parted from her son, Abdullāh ‫رضي الله‬
‫ عنه‬for the last time.

This occurred when Abdullāh bin Zubayr ‫رضي الله عنه‬

was appointed as the khālifah after the death of Yazīd
bin Mu’āwiyah, and Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, Khurasaan and
most Syrian cities had pledged allegiance to him.
However, the Banu Umayyah immediately dispatched
a huge army under the leadership of Hajjāj bin Yūsuf

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Ath-Thaqafī to battle against him. Ferocious wars
occurred between the two groups3 in which Ibn
Zubayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬displayed strikes of bravery worthy
of the most courageous horseman.

Nevertheless, his companions started leaving him

little by little, so he fled to the sacred house of Allāh,
seeking sanctuary with a small group of men in the
shelter of the Ka’bah.

Just hours before his death, he called on his mother,

Asmā’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬, who was by then very old and had
lost her eyesight. When he saw her, he said: “Peace be
upon you, O my mother, and the mercy of Allāh and
His blessings.”

Asmā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬replied: “And peace be upon you, O

Abdullāh; what has brought you out at this moment,
when the rocks which Hajjāj’s catapults throw at your

3
This conflict is known as The Third Fitna. Abdul Malik bin
Marwān was elected as caliph by Hejaz and its
surroundings, leading to a dispute of leadership.

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army in the haram are shaking the houses of
Makkah?!”
He responded, “I have come to consult with you.”

She exclaimed, “Consult with me? Regarding what?”

He replied: “The people have abandoned and

forsaken me out of fear of Hajjāj, or out of desire for
his possessions, so much so that my children and
family have left me and only a small group of men
remain. But if the fighting continues, they might not
be patient for more than an hour or two. Messengers
of the Banu Umayyah have come to negotiate with
me, informing me that he will give whichever worldly
possessions I desire if I submit my weapons and
pledge allegiance to Abdul Malik bin Marwān. What is
your opinion, mother?”

Asmā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬raised her voice and replied: “That

is your decision, O Abdullāh, for you know yourself
best. If you believe firmly that you are following the
truth and that you are inviting towards the truth, then
be patient and fight as your companions fought and

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were killed under your flag. However, if you desire the
world, then what an evil servant you are; you have
destroyed both yourself and your men.”

“But there is no doubt that I shall be killed today,” he

said.

“That is better than you surrendering your head to

Hajjāj so that the Banu Umayyah youth can play with
it,” she said.

“I do not fear death,” he said. “But I fear that they will

mutilate my corpse.”

“A man should not fear what is done to his corpse

after death; for skinning a slaughtered sheep does not
cause it any pain,” his mother ‫ رضي الله عنها‬replied.

On hearing this, his face lit up, and he said: “You are
blessed as a mother and your honourable qualities are
blessed. The only reason I have come to you at this
time is to hear what I have heard, for Allāh knows that
I am neither feeble nor weak. He is a witness for me -

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I have not stood by my values out of love for the world
and its adornments, but out of anger for His sake, that
that which is forbidden would be deemed permissible.
Now, I shall proceed to that which you love, and if I
am killed, do not grieve for me but leave your affairs
to Allāh.”

“I fear that you might be killed due to some falsehood

[of yours],” said Asmā’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬.

“Rest content that your son never intentionally

committed an evil action, nor did he ever commit
indecency, nor did he commit an injustice regarding
the law of Allāh, nor did he betray a trust, nor did he
intentionally oppress a Muslim or a dhimmi4,” he said.
“And nor did he prefer anything above the pleasure of
Allāh ‫جل و عز‬.”

Then he added: “I am not saying that to praise myself

for Allāh knows me better than I do, but I am saying it
to settle patience in your heart.”

4
A dhimmi is a person who pays a tax to live in a Muslim
country in return for sanctuary.

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“All praise is due to Allāh who made you such a
person whom He loves, and I love,” she said. “Draw
closer, O my beloved son, so that I may smell your
scent and touch your body for this will be my last
acquaintance with you.”

So, Abdullāh ‫ رضي الله عنه‬bent down over her hands

and her feet, kissing them. Her nose wandered over
his head, face, and neck, as she smelt and kissed him.
She freed her hands to touch his body, then
immediately pulled them away. “What is this that you
are wearing, O Abdullāh?” she exclaimed.

“My armour,” he replied.

“This is not the clothing of one who seeks martyrdom,

my beloved son,” said Asmā’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬.

“I wore it to dispel your fear and satisfy your heart,”

he replied.

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“Remove it,” said his mother. “That will increase your
courage, strengthen your attack and ease your
movements. Exchange it for long trousers, so that
when you are martyred, your awrah5 is not exposed.”

So, Abdullah bin Zubayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬removed his

armour, wore his trousers and departed for the haram
to continue fighting, leaving her with the last words:
“Continue making dua’ for me, O my beloved
mother.”

Asmā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬raised her palms to the sky and said:

“O Allāh, have mercy

on him due to his
lengthy prayers and
the intensity of his
weeping during the
darkness of the night
while the people are
asleep. O Allāh, have

5
The awrah is hat portion of the body which it is
compulsory to cover at all times.

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 mercy on him due to
his hunger and thirst
in the midday heat of
Madinah and
Makkah when he
was fasting. O Allāh,
have mercy on him
due to his kindness to
his mother and
father. O Allāh, I
have submitted him
to Your command, I
am pleased with
whatever you decree
for Him. So, reward
me on behalf of him
with the reward of
the patient ones.”

By the time the sun had set that day, Abdullah bin
Zubayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬had met with His Rabb.

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Barely ten days had passed since his martyrdom when
his mother, Asmaa’ bint Abu Bakr ‫ رضي الله عنها‬had
passed away too. She had reached a hundred years of
age, and had not lost a single tooth, nor had she been
deprived of any of her memory.

~~~

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 Ġumaysā Bint Milhān
‫رضي الله عنها‬

We have never heard of a woman whose dowry was

more honourable than that of Umm Sulaym ‫رضي الله‬
‫ ;عنها‬her dowry was Islām.
- The Ansār

When Islām’s light illuminated the earth, Ġumaysā’

bint Milhān ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was at the prime of her life.
She was close to forty years of age. Her husband,
Mālik bin Naḍr, had bestowed upon her such
abundant and intense love, her life was filled with
luxury and comfort. In turn, the people of Yathrīb
envied the fortunate man who had been blessed with

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a spouse of such sharp intelligence and foresight, and
one who fulfilled her husband’s rights well.

During one of Allāh’s seemingly everlasting days, the

first rays of guidance reached Yathrīb with the arrival
of the Makkan dā’ī Mus’ab bin Umayr ‫رضي الله عنه‬.
Ġumaysā’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬heart opened. Just as beautiful
flowers bloom at the tidings of a new dawn, she was
drawn to proclaim her Islām at a time when the
Muslims in Madinah could only be counted on the
fingers. This loyal wife invited her wealthy husband to
drink with her from the pure, sweet springs of
guidance, to be favoured as she had been favoured
with the fortune of imān – however it was not to be.

Mālik bin Naḍr’s heart did not open to Islām, nor was
his soul content with it; in fact, he urged his wife to
turn away from Islām and return to the religion of
their forefathers. For a time, each spouse clung to
their beliefs, for Ġumaysā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬disliked
returning to disbelief after imān just as a person
dislikes being thrown into the fire, while Mālik clung
stubbornly to his forefathers’ religion.

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Ġumaysā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬possessed strong arguments,
however. Her words silenced her husband, and the
light of truth in her invitation outshone his weak,
feeble falsehoods. Mālik had a wooden idol which he
worshipped apart from Allāh, and she would argue
with him regarding this, saying: “Do you worship a
bark of a tree which grows in the earth that you walk
on with your feet and throw your rubbish in? As well
as asking Allāh, do you pray to a piece of wood that
one of the Abyssinians of Madinah carved for you?”

Mālik became tired of his wife’s irrefutable

arguments, so he traveled, confused, in the direction
of Syria. However, he had not been settled there for
long before he passed away as a polytheist.

~~~

As soon as the news of Ġumaysā’s ‫رضي الله عنها‬

widowhood spread in Madinah, many men desired to
become close to her, but they feared that she would

25
turn them away disappointed, due to the differences
in their religions. However, Zaid bin Sahl, who was
nicknamed Abu Ţalḥa ‫رضي الله عنه‬, hoped that she
would be pleased with him due to their close ties,
since they were both from the Banu Najjār.

Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬proceeded to Ġumaysā’s ‫رضي‬

‫ الله عنها‬house and proposed to her, using her
nickname, saying: “O Umm Sulaym, I have come to
propose to you, and I hope that I will not return
disappointed.”

“By Allāh,” she replied. “One like you cannot be

refused, O, Abu Ţalḥa; but you are a disbeliever, and I
am a Muslim, so it is not permissible for me to marry
you. However, if you accept Islām, that will be my
dowry, and I wish for no other dowry but Islām.”

“Give me some time to consider it,” he said, and then

he left.

The following day he returned to her and said: “I

testify that there is no deity except Allāh alone, that

26
He has no partners and that Muḥammad ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ و سلم‬is His servant and Messenger.”

“Now that you have accepted Islām,” she said, “I am

pleased with you as a husband.”

Because of this act of hers, people used to say, “We

have never heard of a woman whose dowry was more
honourable that that of Umme Sulaim ‫ ;رضي الله عنها‬her
dowry was Islām.

~~~

Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬benefited from the honourable

characteristics and noble qualities with which Umm
Sulaym ‫ رضي الله عنها‬had been bestowed. His joy with
her increased when she gave birth to a boy, who
became the coolness of his eyes and the delight of his
heart.

However, while Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬was preparing

for one of his travels, the child complained that he felt
sick. His father was so worried about him that he

27
almost abandoned his journey. During his short
absence, the beautiful child weakened, passed away
and was buried.

Knowing what a great loss this would be to her

husband, Umm Sulaym ‫ رضي الله عنها‬said to her family,
“Don’t inform Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬about his son’s
death until I myself have informed him.”

In time, Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬returned from his

journey and Umm Sulaym ‫ رضي الله عنها‬met him
smilingly and joyously. He hastily questioned her
about the child, and she said, “Leave him; for he is
now more peaceful than you have ever known him to
be.”

She then presented him with supper, and she started

talking to him and bringing joy to his heart until, when
she found that he was satisfied and relaxed, she said
to him, “O Abu Ţalḥa ‫رضي الله عنه‬, if a person requests
back something that they have lent to others, do the
ones who have borrowed it have a right to refuse and
withhold it from them?”

28
“No,” he replied.

“Allāh has requested from you that which He had

given to you,” she said. “So, seek reward in return for
your son from Him.”

In this way, through her gentle words, Abu Ţalḥa ‫رضي‬

‫ الله عنه‬met the decision of Allāh, pleased and content.
~~~

The following morning, he hurried to the Rasūlullāh

‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and informed him of what had
occurred with Umm Sulaym ‫رضي الله عنها‬. The Nabi ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬made du’a to Allah to compensate them
with something better than what they had lost and to
bless them in the replacement.

Soon enough, Allāh ‫ جل و عز‬answered His Prophet’s

‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬du’a. Soon, Umm Sulaym ‫رضي الله عنها‬
fell pregnant.

29
When she had reached the end of her term, she and
her husband were returning to Madinah from a
journey with the Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬. When
they neared Yathrīb, the birth-pangs assaulted her, so
Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬waited with her while the Noble
Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬continued ahead, as he
wanted to enter Madinah before nightfall.

Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬raised his palms to the sky and
said: “O Rabb, You know that it pleased me to always
leave with Your Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬when he
left and to enter when he entered; and You see what
has prevented me from that.”

Seeing his distress Umm Sulaym ‫ رضي الله عنها‬said, “O

Abu Ţalḥa. By Allah, I have not been afflicted with such
painful pangs at this birth as I have been before; so,
continue with us, but also do not be prevented from
the companionship of Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.”

Consequently, she continued with her husband and

the party of the Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬until they

30
had reached Madinah. There, she gave birth to a little
boy.

“None should suckle him until you take him to

Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬,” she said to those around
her.

And so, his brother, Anas bin Mālik ‫ رضي الله عنه‬picked
up the baby boy and took him, so when the Rasūlullāh
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬saw him approaching, he said: “It
seems that Umm Sulaym has given birth.”

“Yes, O Messenger of Allāh,” Anas bin Mālik ‫رضي الله‬

‫ عنه‬replied, and he placed the baby in his blessed lap.

The Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬called for one of the

Ajwah dates of Madinah, and he placed it in his
righteous mouth until it softened. Then he ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ و سلم‬placed it in the child’s mouth, so that he started
suckling it. Thereafter, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬wiped the
baby boy’s face with his noble hand and named him
Abdullāh.

31
Ten honourable ‘ulemā of Islām were born from him.

~~~

Amongst Umm Sulaym’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬characteristics

was that she loved Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬so
deeply that this love of hers mingled with her flesh
and bones, and it settled like a seed in her heart.

Her love for him reached such an extent that her son,
Anas ‫رضي الله عنه‬, has related:

One day Rasūlullāh

‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬was
sleeping in our home
and the heat was
severe so the sweat
started rolling down
his forehead. My
mother brought a
bottle and she started
filling it with the
perspiration, so

32
 Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ و سلم‬woke up and
asked: “What is it that
you are doing, o Umm
Sulaym?”

“This is your
perspiration that I
have gathered and
placed amongst our
perfumes, for it is the
sweetest of scents,”
she replied.

There is abundant evidence of her love for Rasulullah

‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, however, another narration
mentions that her son, Anas ‫ رضي الله عنه‬had a piece of
hair that hung over his forehead. When her husband
wanted to shorten it after it had grown long, she
refused to let him; whenever Anas ‫ رضي الله عنه‬visited
the Nabi ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, he would wipe his head

33
with his hand and wipe the hair, which hung over his
forehead.

~~~

Umm Sulaym’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬qualities were many: she

was a believer, firm in imān, intelligent with abundant
intellect, a model wife and mother - but above all, she
was a mujāhid in the path of Allāh. How often it was,
that her sight was filled with the dust of the battles,
dust fragranced with the scent of Paradise!

Indeed, her fingertips were coloured with the blood of

the mujāhidīn’s wounds, which she cleaned with her
hands and to which she applied medicine. How often
did she not pour water in the throats of those who
were thirsty from fighting, while they offered their
souls in the path of Allāh? She took provisions to
them, and she mended their arrows.

She and her husband, Abu Ţalḥa ‫ رضي الله عنه‬witnessed

the Battle of Uhud with Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬
and during it she and Ayesha ‫ رضي الله عنها‬assisted in

34
moving containers of water on their backs, pouring it
into the thirsty mouths of the mujāhidīn.

Likewise, she witnessed Hunain; on that day she

carried a dagger and tied it around her waist, so that
when her husband, Abu Ţalḥa ‫رضي الله عنه‬, saw her, he
said to Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, “O Rasūlullāh ‫صلي‬
‫ !الله عليه و سلم‬This is Umm Sulaym, and she has a
dagger with her.”

The Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬said to her, “What is

this, O Umm Sulaym?”

“It is a dagger,” she said, “I brought it with me, so that

if any of the polytheists come near me, I can split open
their stomach with it.”

Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬started laughing in

pleasure at what she said.

And finally, there is possibly no woman on the surface

of the earth more fortunate and delighted than Umm

35
Sulaym. For Rasulullah ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬said to her
one day:

“I entered Paradise
and I heard the sound
of footsteps in it, so I
said, ‘Who is this?!’ It
was said, ‘It is
Ġumaysā’ bint Milhān
‫رضي الله عنها‬, Anas bin
Mālik’s ‫رضي الله عنه‬
mother.’”

~~~

36
 Ramlah Bint Abi Sufyān
‫رضي الله عنها‬

Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬gave preference to Allāh

and His Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬over all others,
and she disliked returning to disbelief as much as a
person dislikes being thrown into the fire.
- Historians

Prior to his daughter’s acceptance of Islām, it never

occurred to Abu Sufyān ‫( رضي الله عنه‬who was at that
time still a polytheist) that any of the Quraish would
have the nerve to disobey him or oppose him in any

37
important matter; he was the obeyed leader of
Makkah and its chief, to whom everyone submitted.

However, his daughter Ramlah, nicknamed Umm

Habībah, defied this expectation when she rejected
her father’s deities. She and her husband believed in
Allāh alone as being worthy of worship, and they
ascribed no partners to him. They attested to the
message of His Prophet, Muḥammad bin Abdullāh
‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.

Consequently, Abu Sufyān utilised all his power and

strength trying to return his daughter and her
husband to his and his forefathers’ religion. However,
he was unsuccessful; the īmān that had been
established in Ramlah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬heart was too
deep for even a hurricane to uproot, and too firm even
for his anger to move.

Ramlah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬acceptance of Islām caused

distress, which plagued Abu Sufyān ‫رضي الله عنه‬. He did
not know how to face the Quraish being unable to

38
subdue his daughter to his wishes and separate her
from the followers of Muḥammad ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.

When the Quraish realised that Abu Sufyān ‫رضي الله عنه‬
was furious at Ramlah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬and her husband,
they became bold with the couple. They started
tightening their grip around their throats, making
them suffer severely until they could not bear living in
Makkah anymore.

When Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬permitted the

Muslims to migrate to Abyssinia, Ramlah bint Abi
Sufyān, her daughter, Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنهما‬and her
husband, Ubaidullāh bin Jahsh were at the forefront
of those migrating for the sake of Allāh with their
religion, fleeing with their īmān to the sanctuary
offered by Najāshī ‫رحمة الله عليه‬.

However, Abu Sufyān ‫ رضي الله عنه‬and those leaders of

the Quraish who were with him could not bear the
thought of a group of Muslims slipping through their
hands, to taste the flavour of comfort in the land of
Abyssinia. They therefore sent their messengers to

39
Najāshī ‫ رحمة الله عليه‬to encourage him against them
and requesting him to deliver the Muslims to them.
They said to him that the Muslims had slandered Isa
‫ عليهما السالم‬and his mother, Maryam ‫عليهما السالم‬.

Hearing this, Najāshī ‫ رحمة الله عليه‬summoned a group

of the immigrants and questioned them regarding the
reality of their religion and their belief regarding Isa
and his mother ‫عليهما السالم‬. He requested they recite
some of the Qur’an that had been revealed to the
heart of their Prophet ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.

When they informed him of the reality of Islām, and

its respect for Isa ‫ عليه السالم‬and recited the verses of
Surah Maryam6, he cried until his beard was soaked.

Then he said to them: “This which has been revealed

to your Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and that which Isa,
the son of Maryam ‫ عليهما السالم‬brought, stem from
one and the same light.”

6
The Muslims recited ayāh 19 to 32

40
Thereafter he declared his belief in Allāh alone,
ascribing no partners with Him and he attested to the
prophethood of Muḥammad ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬. He also
declared his protection of those Muslims who had
migrated to his land. He did this despite his generals
refusing to accept Islām and choosing to remain as
Christians.

~~~

After all this, Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬thought that

her days had cleared after a lengthy gloom. She felt
that her difficult journey through the pathways of
agony had led her to an oasis of security. But she could
never have imagined what destiny had in store for her.

Allāh, may His Wisdom be exalted, decided to test

Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬with a harsh trial, so harsh
that intelligent men would have lost their minds and
the understanding of intellectual people would have
been demolished. However, He wished that she would
emerge from that test victorious, seated on the peak
of success.

41
One night, Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬retired to her
bed and she saw in a dream that her husband,
Ubaidullah bin Jahsh, was wandering about in a
fathomless ocean, darkness after darkness
surrounding him, and he was in a terrible state. She
awoke from her sleep fearful and upset. She did not
want to mention what she had seen to him or anyone
else. However, very soon her dream became reality.

The next day, Ubaidullāh bin Jahsh turned apostate

and became a Christian. He then started frequenting
the taverns, becoming addicted to wine, while neither
being quenched nor satisfied by it. He gave her a
choice between two options, the sweetest of which
was bitter: either she could be divorced from him, or
she should become a Christian.

Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬unexpectedly found herself

caught between three alternatives. She could
respond to her husband, who had started pestering
her by inviting her to Christianity and thereby belie
her religion – we seek Allāh’s protection for all the

42
Muslims from such an option, always – and yield to
disgrace in this world and punishment in the
Hereafter. However, this was a decision that she
would not choose even if her flesh were raked from
her bones with iron combs. On the other hand, she
could return to her father’s home in Makkah which
remained the fortress of polytheism, where she would
live with her dīn, defeated and overpowered. The
third choice was to remain in the city of Abyssinia
alone with neither family, nor home, nor supporter.

She chose the last option, which contained the

Pleasure of Allāh over all others and resolved to
remain in Abyssinia until Allāh granted her relief.

~~~

Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬did not have to wait long.

Ubaidullāh bin Jahsh died an apostate soon after
becoming Christian, and her īddah7 had barely been
completed when relief came to her.

7
The period of confinement for a woman after death or
divorce, usually three menstrual cycles.

43
Fortune approached her, spreading its emerald wings
over her grieving home. One bright, silvery morning
there was a knock on the door. She opened it to reveal
Abraha, the maidservant of Najāshī ‫رحمة الله عليه‬.
Abraha greeted her joyously and respectfully, sought
permission to enter, and said:

“The king conveys his regards to you, and says:

“Muḥammad, the messenger of Allah ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬
has proposed to you. He has sent the king a letter in
which he appoints him as guardian to contract your
marriage to him, so you should choose whichever
guardian you wish.”

Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬almost burst with

happiness and she shouted blissfully: “May Allāh
reward you well! May Allāh reward you well!”

She then started removing all the jewelry she wore.

She took off her bangles and gave them to Abraha. She
then added her ankle-bracelets and followed that
with her earrings and her rings. If she’d possessed all

44
the treasures in the world, she would have given it all
to the young maid servant at that moment.

Then she said to her: “I appoint Khālid bin Saīd bin Al-
Ās ‫ رضي الله عنه‬as my guardian; he is the closest of
people to me.”

~~~

Najāshī’s ‫ رحمة الله عليه‬palace was situated on a tree-

filled hill surrounded by beautiful Abyssinian gardens.
In one of its spacious parlours, which was filled with
splendid paintings and lit with shining copper
lanterns, glorious furniture was laid out. It was here
that the leading sahābah ‫ رضي الله عنهم‬who had stayed
in Abyssinia gathered; at their head, among others, sat
Ja’far bin Abi Ţālib, Khālid bin Saīd bin Al-Ās, Abdullāh
bin Hudhāfah As-Sahmī ‫رضي الله عنهم‬. They had
gathered to witness the marriage of Umm Habībah
bint Abi Sufyān ‫ رضي الله عنها‬to the Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله‬
‫عليه و سلم‬.

45
When all the people had gathered, Najāshī presided
over the gathering and addressed them:

“I praise Allāh, Al- Qudūs, Al-Mu’min, Al-Aziz, Al-Jabār

(the Holy One, the Peace-giver, the Mighty, the
Overpowering Lord), and I testify that there is no deity
except Allāh and that Muhammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬is
His servant and Messenger, and that he is the one of
whom Isa ‫عليهما السالم‬, the son of Maryam ‫عليهما السالم‬
gave glad tidings.”

“Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬has requested me to

perform his marriage to Umm Habībah bint Abi Sufyān
‫رضي الله عنها‬. I accede to his request and I appoint her
mahr8 in representation of him four hundred golden
dinars according to the sunnah of Allāh and His
Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.”

He then poured the gold coins into the hands of Khālid

bin Saīd bin Al-Ās ‫رضي الله عنه‬. At this point, Khālid ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنه‬stood up and said: “All praise is to Allāh. I glorify

8
The dowry

46
Him, seek His Help and Forgiveness, and repent to
him. I testify that Muhammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬is His
Servant and Messenger whom He has sent with the
religion of guidance and truth, so that He could make
the religion victorious over all others even though the
disbelievers may dislike it. I accede to the request of
Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and I confirm the marriage
of my charge, Umm Habībah bint Abi Sufyān ‫رضي الله‬
‫ عنها‬to him. May Allah bless Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و‬
‫ سلم‬through his wife and congratulations to Umm
Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬for the good fortune Allah has
prescribed for her.”

He then picked up the money, intending to take it to

her. His companions also stood up since they intended
leaving with him. But Najāshī ‫ رحمة الله عليه‬said to
them: “Sit; it is the sunnah of the messengers to eat
some food when they contract a marriage.”

He ordered that food be brought to them, so they ate

then departed.

It is recorded that Umm Habībah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬said:

47
 “When the money
reached me, I sent fifty
mithqāl of gold9 to
Abraha and I said: “I
gave you some things
when you brought me
the glad tidings, but I
had no wealth with me
in that day.”

“A little while later

Abraha arrived,
returned the gold to me,
and took out a container
in which was the jewelry
I had given her. She
returned that to me too,
and she said: “The king
has made me promise
not to take anything

9
212.5 g of gold

48
 from you, and he has
commanded his wives to
send you all the perfume
they have.”

“The following day she

brought me Wars, Ud
and Ambar10 and said: ’I
need something from
you.’ I asked: ’What is
it?’ She replied: ’I have
accepted Islām, and I
follow the religion of
Muḥammad ‫صلي الله‬
‫ عليه و سلم‬so convey my
regards to the Nabi ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬and inform
him that I believe in
Allāh and His
Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫و سلم‬. Please do not
forget to do that.’ She

10
Different types of perfume

49
then prepared me for
my departure.”

“I was taken to
Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و‬
‫سلم‬. When I met him, I
informed him of the
incident with the
proposal and my
encounter with Abraha
and I conveyed her
salām to him. He was
delighted at this news
and said: “And upon her
be peace, the mercy of
Allah and His
blessings.””

~~~

50
 Safiyyah Bint Abdul Muţalib
‫رضي الله عنها‬

Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was the first

Muslim woman to kill a polytheist in defense of
Allah’s dīn.

Who is this composed lady of sound judgment

regarding whom men have a thousand
apprehensions? Who is this courageous sahābiyah
‫ رضي الله عنها‬who was the first woman in Islām to kill a
polytheist? Who is this energetic woman who raised
for the Muslims the first horseman to unsheathe his
sword in the path of Allāh?

51
She is Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib Al-Hāshimī Al-
Qurashī ‫رضي الله عنها‬, the aunt of Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله‬
‫عليه وسلم‬.

Glory surrounded Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫رضي الله‬

‫ عنها‬from all sides: her father, Abdul Muţalib bin
Hishām was the grandfather of the Nabi ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫وسلم‬, the chief of the Quraish tribe and its obeyed
leader. Her mother, Hālah bint Wahb was the sister of
Āminah bint Wahb ‫ رضي الله عنها‬who was the mother of
Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬. Her first husband, Hārith
bin Harb was the brother of Abu Sufyān bin Harb ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنه‬who was the chief of the Banu Umayyah tribe,
but he passed away. Her second husband, Awwām bin
Khuwaylid was the brother of Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
‫رضي الله عنها‬, the leader of the Arab women in the time
of ignorance and the first ‘Mother of the believers’ in
Islām. Lastly, her son, Zubayr bin Awwām ‫رضي الله عنها‬
was the close companion of Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫وسلم‬.

Is there any honour above this that souls yearn for,

except the honour of īmān?

52
 ~~~

Her husband, Awwām bin Khuwaylid passed away and

left behind a little child, her son Zubayr ‫رضي الله عنها‬.
She raised him with strength and courage on her own,
and she made him used to horsemanship and battle.
She played with him by sharpening arrows and
mending bows. She persistently pushed him into
every danger and entered him into all kinds of perils.
Whenever she saw him withdrawing or retreating, she
would strike him violently, so much so that she was
scolded by one of his uncles who said: "How can you
hit the child like this? You strike him like someone who
hates him, not as a mother would."

To this, she composed a poem:

"Whoever says that I hate him has surely lied;

I hit him so that he may be sensible...
defeat the army and bring back the booty."

When Allāh raised His Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬

53
with the religion of guidance and truth, sent him as a
warner and the bringer of glad tidings to the people,
and commanded him to start with his relatives, the
Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬gathered the family of Abdul
Muţalib.

He ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬gathered their women, men,

elders and youngsters and he said to them: "O Fatima
bint Muḥammad, O Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib, O
family of Abdul Muţalib, I have no power over you
against Allāh."

Then he called them to believe in Allāh and to attest

to his Message of Islām. Some of them advanced to
the light of Allāh, while others turned away.

Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was amongst

the first group to believe and testify. At that moment
Safīyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬surrounded glory to its utmost:
she possessed both noble lineage and the honour of
Islām.

Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬joined the

54
retinue of light, along with her young son, Zubayr bin
Awwām ‫رضي الله عنه‬. She suffered as much as the first
Muslims did from the injustice, harm, and oppression
of the Quraish.

When Allāh granted His Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬and

the believers with him permission to migrate to
Madinah, this Hāshimī lady left Makkah, its sweet
memories and a variety exploits behind her, turning
her face and her son in the direction of Madinah,
migrating with her religion for the sake of Allāh and
His Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬. She undertook this
journey despite approaching sixty years of age.

Her prolonged and abundant life continued after her

acceptance of the dīn; many incidents took place on
the battlefield which historians continue to mention
with tongues that are tender with astonishment and
moist with praise.

Two witnesses will suffice in narrating two such

incidents to us: the first of them is the day of Uhud,
while the second is the day of Khandaq.

55
During the day of Uhud, Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib
‫ رضي الله عنها‬departed amongst a group of women who
proceeded with the Muslim army in the path of Allāh.
She started handing out water, quenching thirsty
men, sharpening their arrows, and mending their
bows. In addition to that, she had another goal which
was to view the battle with her discerning eyes.

This is not surprising, for her nephew, the Messenger

of Allāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬, her brother, Hamzah bin
Abdul Muţalib ‫رضي الله عنه‬, the lion of Allāh, and her
son, Zubayr bin Awwām ‫رضي الله عنها‬, the close
companion of the Prophet ,‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬were all
on the battlefield.

However, before and above all that, the progress of

Islām – the dīn that she had willingly embraced, and
for the cause of which she had migrated in
expectation of reward, and by whose path she had
perceived Paradise – depended on this battle .

When she saw all but a few Muslims departing from

56
Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬and she discovered that
the polytheists were competing to reach the Prophet
‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬eager to kill him, she threw her
waterskin to the ground and charged forward like a
lioness whose cubs are being attacked. She snatched
a spear from one of the fleeing Muslims and started
splitting the ranks, striking faces with her spearhead
while bellowing amongst the Muslims :“Woe to you!
Are you fleeing from the Messenger of Allāh ‫صلي الله‬
‫”?عليه وسلم‬

When the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬saw her approaching,

he feared that she would see her brother who had
been martyred and whose body the polytheists had
gruesomely mutilated, so he gestured to her son,
Zubayr ‫رضي الله عنه‬, saying :“The lady, O Zubayr! The
lady, O Zubayr!”

Zubayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬approached her and said :“O my

mother, move away! Move away, O my mother.”

“Woe to you,” she replied. “You step aside.”

57
“Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬commands you to
return,” said Zubayr.

“Why?” she said. “It has already reached me that my

brother has been mutilated; that is all in the path of
Allāh.”

Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬then said to him :“Clear her

path, Zubayr.”

And Zubayr moved aside.

When the battle came to an end, Safīyyah ‫رضي الله عنها‬

stood by her brother, Hamzah ‫رضي الله عنه‬. She found
that his belly had been split open, his intestines had
been removed, his nose and ears had been cut off and
his face had been disfigured.

She sought forgiveness for him and said :“This is all for
the pleasure of Allāh. I am pleased with the decision
of Allāh. By Allāh, I shall be patient and hope for
reward, if Allāh wills.”

58
That was the incident with Safīyyah bint Abdul
Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬on the day of Uhud.

~~~

On the day of Khandaq, her shrewdness, intelligence,

energy, and courage became evident. This is her story
as the books of history know it.

It was the habit of the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬whenever

he left for a battle to put the women and children in
fortresses out of fear that something might occur in
Madinah during his absence.

On the day of Khandaq, he put his wives, aunt, and a

group of Muslim women in the fortress Hassān bin
Ţābit ‫ رضي الله عنه‬had inherited from his forefathers. It
was one of the most impenetrable fortresses in
Madinah.

While the Muslims were stationed at the border of

Khandaq, facing the Quraish and their allies, occupied
in fighting the enemy far away from the women and

59
children, Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬saw
a figure moving in the darkness of dawn just outside
the fortress. She tuned her ears and strained her eyes.

She realised it was a Jew who had approached the fort

to spy on those inside. She was certain that he had
come to determine if there were any men in the
fortress to defend those inside, or if it was only
women and children within its walls.

She said to herself: “The Jews of the Banu Quraiḍah

have broken their pledge with Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ وسلم‬and they have assisted the Quraish and their
allies against the Muslims.”

She realised that there was no Muslim amongst the

women and children to defend them, for the Nabi ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه وسلم‬and those with him were far away,
battling the enemy. She understood that if the enemy
of Allāh succeeded in reaching the fortress of the
Muslims, the Jews would imprison the women and
enslave the children. Great difficulty would befall the
Muslims.

60
At that, she hurriedly draped a veil over her head, took
her clothes and tied them tightly around her waist,
placed a pole over her shoulder, approached the door
of the fortress, passed through it deliberately and
skillfully, and started surveying the spy diligently and
carefully, until she was certain that he would pass by
the place where she was waiting.

When he did, she attacked him resolutely and

violently, struck the pole at his head and flung him to
the ground. Then she reinforced the blow with a
second and third until she finished him off and he
passed away. She hurried to him, cut off his head with
a knife that she had with her, and dropped the head
from the highest point of the fortress.

The head of the spy rolled over the rocky surface until
it settled before the Jews who were waiting below it.
When the Jews saw their companion’s head, they said
to each other: “We knew that Muḥammad would
never leave the women and children without a
guardian.”

61
So, they turned back and retraced their footsteps.

May Allāh be pleased with Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib

‫رضي الله عنها‬. She was a unique example to Muslim
women. She raised her son alone, granting him a
proper upbringing. She suffered at the death of her
brother but displayed beautiful patience. Misfortune
afflicted her but it found her a courageous, intelligent,
heroic woman.

In addition to that, history has clearly recorded:

“Safīyyah bint Abdul Muţalib ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was the first
woman to kill a polytheist in Islām.”

~~~

62
 Fatima Az-Zahrā
‫رضي الله عنها‬

The flower of Rasūllullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬

“The Mahdī is from my household from the

descendants of Fatima ‫”رضي الله عنها‬
- Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ‫صلي الله عليه و‬
‫سلم‬

The story of Fatima Az-Zahrā’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬life is an

enlightened chapter in the history of the great
Prophet ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, being one of the most
marvelous people from the noble household and a

63
glorious example of the lifestyle of the honourable
sahābah ‫رضي الله عنهم‬.

Fatima Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was born during the year

that the Ka’bah was built, five years prior to the start
of the Muḥammadian mission. Her mother was a
sedate lady, endowed with both sound judgment and
honourable lineage. In addition to that, she had a
virtuous character and was extremely wealthy.
Therefore, in the time of ignorance she was called ‘At-
Tāhirah,’ meaning ‘the Pure One’ and she was
nicknamed ‘the Chief of the Quraishi women’. She
believed in the Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬when the
people rejected him, attested to his Message when
the people belied him, and assisted him with her
wealth when the people deprived him of it. Allāh
granted this dignified lady beauty, along with a lovely
character, noble lineage and excessive wealth. This
was the mother of Fatima Az-Zahraa’ ‫رضي الله عنها‬.

As for her father, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬was the chief of

all Messengers, the seal of all Prophets and the leader
of the pious. Which lineage could possibly be greater

64
than this noble lineage? And which father could
possibly be more exalted than this father?

~~~

Fatima Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was the last of her

parents’ children to be raised in an environment of
compassion and kindness in the bosom of honour and
love. Therefore, Fatima ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was known as the
flower of Rasūlullāh ‫ ;صلي الله عليه و سلم‬he ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ و سلم‬became pleased when she was pleased, and he
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬became angry when she was angry.

However, the compassion of her parents did not

prevent them from caring for this beloved and
favoured child and preparing her to shoulder her
responsibilities. It is narrated that she would take care
of the household work by herself most days, with
none to assist her. She would treat her father’s ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬wounds in the battle of Uhud.

When Fatima Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬reached the age of

womanhood, the gazes of men began drifting towards

65
her (this is meant metaphorically, not literally).
Amongst the group who proposed to her were Abu
Bakr and ‘Umar ‫رضي الله عنهما‬, but Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله‬
‫ عليه و سلم‬gently turned them away. It was as if, from
the start, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬wanted to keep her
especially for Ali ‫رضي الله عنه‬.

During the eighth year of hijrah, Ali bin Abi Ţalib ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنه‬proposed to Fatima Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬and
the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬immediately accepted his
proposal. Ali ‫ رضي الله عنه‬fell into prostration out of
gratitude to Allāh, and when he raised his head from
sujūd, the Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬said: “May
Allah shower blessings on both of you, please your
grandfather and bring forth from you both many pure
descendants.”

From amongst the muhājirīn, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar,

Uthmān, Ţalḥa and Zubayr ‫ رضي الله عنهم‬witnessed the
marriage of Fatima Az-Zahrā’ to Ali bin Abi Ţalib ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنهما‬and a similar amount of Ansār were present.
When the people had taken their seats, the Nabi ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬said:

66
“All praise is to Allah
who should be praised
for His bounties and
worshipped for His
power. Allāh ‫جل و عز‬
has made the
relationship by
marriage an added
bond of lineage, an
obligatory matter, a
just decision, and a
combination of
goodness, by means of
which He joins ties and
keeps mankind
together, for Allāh ‫عز‬
‫ جل و‬says:

‘He is the One Who

created mankind
from water and has
appointed for him

67
kindred by blood and
kindred by marriage
and your Rabb is All-
Powerful.’

(Surah Furqān: 54)

I make you witness

that I am marrying
Fatimā to Ali ‫رضي الله‬
‫ عنهما‬for four hundred
weights of silver if he is
pleased with that,
according to the
stipulated sunnah and
required obligation.
May Allāh join them in
union, bless them and
bring forth from them
pure progeny. I say
these words of mine
and I seek forgiveness
of Allāh, the Great.”

68
After the occasion, the Queen of Muslim women was
presented to her husband’s home. All the provision
she had was a torn bed, a pillow of palm fibers, a
utensil made of skin, a jug, a sieve, a towel, a pot, two
grinders and two mills.

~~~

The Noble Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬was unable to

bear Fatima’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬separation from him, and he
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬wished to add her to his
neighbourhood. His neighbouring house belonged to
Hāritha bin Nu’mān ‫رضي الله عنه‬, who hurried to the
Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and said: “It has reached me
that you wish to have Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬closer to you.
This is my home and the closest of the Banu Najjār
homes to you. By Allāh, my wealth and I belong to
Allāh and His Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, O
Rasūlullāh. The wealth that you take from me is
definitely more beloved to me than that which you
leave.”

69
To this, Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬replied: “You have
spoken the truth, may Allāh bless you.” Then he
moved Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬to his neighbourhood and
gave her one of Hāritha’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬houses to stay in.

Ever since Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬settled in her father’s

neighbourhood, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would visit her
home every morning. When the fajr adhān was called,
he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would take hold of the upper
portion of her front door and say: “Peace be upon you,
O members of my household, and may Allāh keep you
pure.”

Whenever Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬returned from

a journey, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would first go to the
masjīd to perform two rakāts of ṣalāh and
immediately thereafter, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would go
to Fatimā’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬house and stay for a long time.
After that, he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would visit his wives’
homes.

~~~

70
It is narrated from Muḥammad bin Qays ‫رضي الله عنه‬
that the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬returned one morning
from a journey with Ali bin Abi Ţalib ‫رضي الله عنه‬. During
his absence, Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬had made bangles, a
necklace and earrings and she had placed a curtain
over the door of her house in expectation of her
father’s and husband’s arrival. When the Nabi ‫صلي الله‬
‫ عليه و سلم‬arrived, he visited her while his companions
stood at the door, unsure whether they should stay or
leave, depending on the length of his visit to her.

However, the Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬emerged

with anger evident in his face and went to sit at the
pulpit. Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬realised that he had become
angry due to the bangles, necklace, earrings, and the
curtain he had seen. She removed her earrings,
necklace and bangles and took the curtain down, then
sent them to Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, saying to
the one whom she was sending it with: “Tell the
Messenger ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬: ‘Your daughter conveys
salām to you,’ and she told the person: ‘Give this in
the path of Allāh’.”

71
When the man came to him, Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و‬
‫ سلم‬said:

“She has done so; may

her father be
sacrificed for her. The
world is neither for
Muḥammad ‫صلي الله‬
‫ سلم عليه و‬nor for
Muḥammad’s ‫صلي الله‬
‫ عليه و سلم‬family.

“If the world was

worth even a little
good in the eyes of
Allāh, as little as a
mosquito’s wing, He
would not have given
a disbeliever even a
drink of water from it.”

~~~

72
It was not long before Fatima Az-Zahrā’s ‫رضي الله عنها‬
house was favoured with pious progeny, for the noble
parents produced Hasan, Husain, Muḥsin, Zaynab and
Umm Kulthūm ‫رضي الله عنهم‬. The Noble Messenger
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬was greatly pleased with them.

It is narrated that when Hasan ‫ رضي الله عنه‬was born,

His parents named him ‘Harbā,’ meaning ‘war’.
However, when the Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬came
and asked: “Show my son to me; what have you
named him?” they replied: “Harbā.”

He ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬remarked: “In fact, he is Hasan.”

The Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would pamper

Fatimā’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬children, keep company with
them, joke with them and swing them around.
Sometimes one of them would ride on his shoulder
while he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬was performing salāh, then
he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would extend his salāh and
prolong his sujūd so that the child was not dislodged.

73
It was the habit of the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬to spend
the night in Fatima’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬home time and again
and to take care of the children while their parents
were sleeping. One night he heard Hasan ‫رضي الله عنه‬
asking for water, so the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬went to
the waterskin and started squeezing it into the pot.
Husain ‫ رضي الله عنه‬stretched out his hand to reach the
water, but the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬pulled it away
from him and started with Hasan ‫رضي الله عنه‬.

Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬said: “It seems as if he is more

beloved to you?”

The Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬replied: “(No), He asked for

water first.”

~~~

When Fatima ‫ رضي الله عنها‬used to visit the Nabi ‫صلي‬

‫الله عليه و سلم‬, he would take her hand, welcome her,
and make her sit in his seat. When he ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬
used to visit her, she would stand (out of respect for
him), welcome him, take his hand, and kiss it.

74
She visited him during his fatal illness, and he told her
a secret at which she cried. He then confided
something else to her and she laughed. Ayesha ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنها‬saw that and said to herself: “I wish that I had
the virtue that this lady has over all women. She is the
only one of them who, while crying, suddenly laughs.”

When the Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬had passed

away, she asked her about this incident, and Fatima
‫ رضي الله عنها‬said: “He ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬confided in me,
and informed me that he was dying, so I cried.
Thereafter he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬informed me that I
would be the first of his family to meet him, so I
laughed.”

~~~

Fatimā ‫ رضي الله عنها‬did not live long after her father’s
death. It is said that it was six, three or two months –
according to different narrations – before she too
passed away. During Ramaḍān of the eleventh year
after hijrah, Fatima Az-Zahrā’ ‫ رضي الله عنها‬answered

75
the call of her Rabb and she was overjoyed at meeting
her father.

When death approached her, she entrusted herself

with washing her own body, then after she had
washed herself to the best of her ability, she said to
her companion, Asmā’ bint Umais ‫رضي الله عنها‬: “O
servant, bring me my new clothing.” She then put it
on. Thereafter she said: “I have performed my ghusl
so none should expose my awrah for the kafan11.”

Then she smiled. She had not been seen smiling after
her father’s death except at that moment when she
was about to depart from this life.

May Allāh shower His vast mercy on the flower of

Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬for she was presented to
Ali ‫ رضي الله عنه‬in Ramaḍān, and she was presented to
Jannah in Ramaḍān. Āmīn.

~~~

11
The shroud that is wrapped around the body of the
dead.

76
 Halīmah As-Sa’diyyah
‫رضي الله عنها‬

The foster-mother of the sublime Messenger ‫صلي الله‬

‫عليه و سلم‬

This composed, sedate lady is loved by every mu’min,

for it was she that suckled the fortunate young boy,
Muḥammad bin Abdullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬at her
breast, let him sleep on her chest which brimmed with
love for him, and raised him in her compassionate lap.
He ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬drank from her eloquence and

77
the eloquence of her people, and thus became the
most profound in speech and the most eloquent in
words. She is the honourable lady, Halīmah As-
Sa’diyyah ‫رضي الله عنها‬, the foster-mother of our
Prophet ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬.

There is a most marvelous story regarding Sa’diyyah

‫ رضي الله عنها‬in relation to her suckling of the blessed
child who filled the world with excellence and mercy,
loaded it with superiority and guidance and adorned
it with character and virtue.

Halīmah As-Sa’diyyah narrates it with her

enlightening, meticulous, captivating words and her
graceful, shining, brilliant style. Come; let us listen
carefully to her words, for her reports regarding Nabi
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬are from the most spectacular of
reports.

Halīmah As-Sa’diyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬says: “My husband,

my little son and I departed from our homes in search
of foster children in Makkah and there were some
women from my people, the Banu Sa’d who came

78
with us seeking the same as we did. That occurred
during a dry, drought-filled year which had destroyed
the crops and the plantation, leaving nothing for us (to
warrant an income). With us were two emaciated,
aged animals that produced not a drop of milk. My
little son and I rode one of them, and my husband
rode the other. His camel was even older and weaker
(than ours). By Allāh, we had not slept for even a
moment that entire night due to the intensity of our
child’s crying out of hunger, for I had nothing in my
breast with which to satisfy him, and there was
nothing in our camel’s udders with which to nourish
him. We delayed the caravan due to our weak and
feeble donkey, so our companions became annoyed
at us for the journey became difficult for them
because of us.

“But when we reached Makkah and we looked for

babies to foster, something unexpected occurred.
Every woman had been presented with the little boy,
Muḥammad bin Abdullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬but they
had rejected him because he was an orphan, so we
too said: “How could the mother of a child who has no

79
father possibly repay us? And what could his
grandfather possibly give us?”

“Within two days every woman who was with us had

been successful in attaining at least one child to
suckle. However, I had been unsuccessful.

“So, when we prepared to depart, I said to my

husband: “I dislike returning to our home and meeting
my people with an empty leather bag without taking
a child to suckle with, for there is no woman amongst
my companions without a foster child. By Allāh, I shall
go to that orphan and take him.”

“My husband replied: “No problem; take him. Perhaps

Allāh will place good in him.”

“So, I went to his mother and took him. By Allāh, the

only reason I took him was because I could find no
other boy besides him.”

~~~

80
Halīmah As-Sa’diyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬continues:

“When I returned with him to my mount, placed him

in my lap and offered him my breast, Allāh wished that
milk poured forth from it, after it had been empty and
vacant. The little boy drank until he was quenched.
Thereafter, his (foster) brother drank until he too was
quenched, then they slept. My husband and I lay
down next to them so that we could sleep as we had
not got much sleep yet, due to our young child.

“My husband then glanced at our old, emaciated

camel. Suddenly its udders were filled and
overflowing. He went over to it, astonished, unable to
believe his eyes, and he milked it and drank.
Thereafter he milked more for me, and I drank with
him until we were full and satiated. Then we slept for
the best part of the night. When we awoke, my
husband said to me: “Do you know, O Halīmah, it
seems that you have attained a blessed child?!”

“I replied: “It is as you say, and I hope that we will

receive more blessings as a result of him.”

81
“We then left Makkah and I rode our aged donkey. I
took him with me on it and it continued alert,
overtaking all my peoples’ animals until none of their
animals were able to keep up with it. My companions
started saying to me: “Woe to you, O daughter of Abu
Zuwaib; wait for us. Is this not the old donkey which
you came out on?!”

“I replied to them: “Yes; by Allāh, it is the same one.”

“They remarked: “By Allāh; it is strange.”

“We then reached our homes in the city of the Banu

Sa’d and I knew of no land of Allāh drier or more
drought-filled than it. However, our cattle would set
out early every morning, and they would graze there,
then return in the evening. We milked as much of the
cattle as Allāh wished us to milk, and we drank as
much as was good for us to drink, while none besides
us were able to milk even a drop from their cattle. The
people of my tribe started saying to their shepherds:

82
“Woe to you; send your cattle wherever the shepherd
of Abu Zuwaib’s daughter sends (her cattle).”

“They started sending their sheep behind mine, but

they returned hungry, unable to produce even a drop
for them. We continued receiving blessings and
fortune from Allāh until the two years of suckling the
child were over and his fostering was complete.
During these two years his progress was such that
none of his peers equaled his progress; no sooner had
he completed his two years with us than he was strong
and well-built.”

~~~

“At that point we took him to his mother, hoping that

she would allow him to stay with us, due to the
blessings we had received. When I met his mother, I
reassured her and said: “Why don’t you leave the boy
with us until he increases in growth and strength? For
I fear the difficulty of Makkah for him.” I continued
beseeching and imploring her until she gave him back
to us, and we returned with him, glad and joyous.

83
“Barely a few months had passed after the young boy
had returned with us when something occurred that
frightened, disturbed and shook us. One morning he
and his brother went out with the sheep, tending to
them behind our home, and after a little while his
brother came to us and said: “Go quickly to my
Quraishi brother, for two men in white clothing took
him, made him lie down and split open his stomach.”

“My husband and I hurried quickly in the direction the

boy had disappeared, and we found him pale-faced
and shaky. My husband lifted him and gathered him
close to his chest. I asked him: “What happened to
you, O my beloved son?!”

“The young boy replied: “Two men in white clothing

came to me. They made me lie down, split open my
stomach and put something inside it; I don’t know
what it was. Then they left me and went away.”

“We returned with the little boy, agitated and fearful.

When we reached our tents, my husband turned to

84
me, his eyes flowing with tears and he said: “I fear that
this blessed child will be afflicted with some calamity
and we will be unable to return him. So, return him to
his family, for they are able to protect him better from
that.”

~~~

“We took the young boy, traveled with him until we

reached Makkah and entered his mother’s house.
When she saw us, she stared at her son’s face, then
suddenly she said: “What caused you to bring
Muḥammad back, O Halīmah, when you were so
intent on keeping him? When you were so eager to
have him stay with you?!”

“His body has become strong and his chivalry is

complete,” I replied. “I have completed that which I
was entrusted with, and I fear that something might
happen to him, so I am returning him to you.”

“Inform me honestly, for what you have mentioned is

not the reason you do not want the child anymore,”

85
she said. She continued insisting and she would not
leave me until I informed her of what had happened
to him.

“When I told her, she became calm and said: “Do you
fear that the devil will take hold of him, O Halīmah?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“She remarked: “Never; by Allāh, there is no way the

devil can get hold of him. My son is unusual. Should I
inform you of his history?”

“Please do,” I replied.

“She responded: “When I was pregnant with him, I

saw a light emanating from me, illuminating the
castles of Busra in the land of Shām. When I gave birth
to him, he placed his hands on the ground and raised
his head to the sky.”

“Then she said: “Leave him with me and return

guided. May you be well rewarded on behalf of us.”

86
“My husband and I departed, extremely grieved at his
separation from us, and our young son was no less
saddened, regretful and anguished at his separation.”

~~~

Halīmah As-Sa’diyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬lived until she was

very old. She saw the orphaned child whom she had
suckled becoming for the leader of the Muslims, a
guide for mankind and a prophet for all humanity.

She would visit him after believing in him and

testifying to the Book which was revealed to him.
Whenever he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬saw her, he would be
filled with joy and would say: “My mother, my
mother…”

He ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬would then remove his shawl for

her, spread it beneath her and honour her greatly,
while the sahābah’s ‫ رضي الله عنهم‬eyes would wander
over them both in envy and respect.

87
May Allāh’s salutations and peace be upon
Muhammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬the honourable,
trustworthy one, the owner of the noblest character;
and may Allāh be pleased with the lady Halīmah As-
Sa’diyyah ‫رضي الله عنها‬, the foster mother of the great
Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬for all time. Āmīn.

~~~

88
 Nusaybah Al-Māziniyyah
‫رضي الله عنها‬

“Whenever I turned right or left on the day of Uhud, I

saw Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬fighting beside me.”
- Muḥammad ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬, the Messenger of
Allah

“You have an appointment with Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله‬

‫ عليه و سلم‬at Aqabah during the last portion of the first
third of the night.”

89
Mus’ab bin Umayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬confided these words to
one of the Yathrībi Muslims, and the news spread
amongst them with the speed and swiftness of the
wind. The Muslims who crept out of Madinah kept this
a secret and they concealed themselves between the
groups of polytheist pilgrims who visited Makkah from
every corner of Arabia.

Night arrived over the beautiful city, and the

polytheist pilgrims surrendered to sleep. They fell into
a deep sleep, snoring after a difficult, tiring day spent
performing tawāf around the idols and sacrificing for
their gods.

However, Mus’ab bin Umayr’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬Muslim

companions from Yathrīb were unable to fall asleep.
How could they fall asleep when their hearts were
fluttering out of joy at the thought of meeting the one
who had been the means of them leaving the desert
and wasteland, and when their hearts seemed to fly
between their ribs out of the desire to see their
beloved Prophet ‫?صلي الله عليه و سلم‬

90
Most of them had believed in him prior to having the
fortune of meeting him, and they had become
connected to him before their eyes could be anointed
with seeing him.

During the last portion of the first third of one of the

nights of tashrīq12, at Aqabah in Mina, a great meeting
took place in secret. Seventy-two people approached
the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and placed their hands in
his hands one after the other, pledging to protect him
as they would protect their women and children.
When the men had completed their pledge, two
women stepped forward and pledged the same as the
men had, however without shaking hands, because
the Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬did not shake hands
with women.

One of these two women was known as Umm Manī’

‫رضي الله عنها‬. As for the other, she was Nusaybah bint
Ka’b Al-Māziniyyah, nicknamed Umm Umārah ‫رضي الله‬
‫عنها‬.

12
The concluding days of the hajj

91
 ~~~

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬returned to Yathrīb, happy

that Allāh had honoured her with meeting the Great
Messenger ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and determined to fulfill
the conditions of the pledge. The days passed swiftly
until it was the day of Uhud in which Umm Umārah
‫ رضي الله عنها‬was honoured; and with what honour!

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬departed for Uhud, carrying

her water skin to quench the thirst of those fighting in
the path of Allāh, and she carried a wrapped cloth
with which to bandage their wounds. It is no wonder
she did so; her husband and three people who were
close to her heart were on the battlefield: the
Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬and her two sons, Habīb
and Abdullāh ‫رضي الله عنهما‬. This was in addition to her
Muslim brothers ‫رضي الله عنهم‬, who were defending
the religion of Allāh and protecting the Rasūlullāh ‫صلي‬
‫الله عليه و سلم‬.

On the day of Uhud, Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬saw

with her own eyes how the Muslims’ victory turned to

92
a great defeat, how the death toll increased in the
Muslim ranks until one martyr after the other started
falling to the ground, and how the feet started
wavering and the men separated from Rasūlullāh ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬until only about ten men remained with
him.

Then one of the disbelievers started calling out:

“Muḥammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬has been killed…
Muḥammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬has been killed…”

At that, Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬threw down her

water skin and charged into the battlefield like a
lioness whose cubs have been harmed. We shall let
Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬herself tell us about these
decisive moments for there is none who can paint the
picture with such detail and honesty:

“I departed during early morning for ‘Uhud, and I had

with me a water skin with which I would quench the
mujāhidīn’s thirst. I went to Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و‬
‫ سلم‬who was at that time experiencing victory with his
companions. It was not long before the Muslims

93
started departing from Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬
and he was left in a small group that did not even
exceed ten in number. My son, husband and I turned
to him and surrounded him like a bangle around a
wrist.

“We started defending him with all the strength and

courage we could muster. The Noble Messenger ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬saw me with no shield to defend myself
from the polytheists’ strikes, then he ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬
spotted a man fleeing who had a shield with him, so
he ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬said to him: “Throw your shield at
one who is fighting.”

“The man threw his shield down and carried on. I took
the shield and started shielding Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ و سلم‬with it. I continued defending the Nabi ‫صلي الله‬
‫ عليه و سلم‬with the sword, while I shot arrows from
beside him with the bow until my wounds weakened
me. While we were in that condition, Ibn Qami’ah
charged forward like a frantic camel while screaming:
“Where is Muḥammad? Show me Muḥammad!”

94
“Musab bin Umayr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬and I blocked his path,
but he killed Mus’ab ‫ رضي الله عنه‬with his sword and
threw him to the ground, dead. He then struck me
with a blow which left a deep wound in my shoulder,
so I struck him in return. But the enemy of Allāh was
wearing two pieces of armour.”

~~~

Nusaybah Al-Māziniyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬continues:

“While my son was defending the Messenger ‫صلي الله‬

‫عليه و سلم‬, one of the polytheists struck him with such
a blow it almost severed his limb. The blood started
flowing from his deep wound, so I went to him and
treated the wound, then said to him: “Go, O my
beloved son. Attack the people.”

“Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬turned to me and said:

“Who will be able to accomplish what you have, O
Umm Umārah ‫”!?رضي الله عنها‬

95
“Then the man who had struck my son approached us,
so Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬said to me: “This is the
one who struck your son, O Umm Umārah.” I
immediately blocked his path, struck him on the neck
with the sword, and he fell to the ground.

“We went to him, struck him time and again with

swords and stabbed him with spears until we killed
him; then the Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬turned smiling to
me, and said: “You have avenged him (your son) O
Umm Umārah ‫رضي الله عنها‬. All praise is to Allāh who
has granted you victory over him and made you see
your revenge with your own eyes.”

~~~

Umm Umārah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬sons were no less brave

and courageous than their father and mother ‫رضي الله‬
‫عنهما‬, nor were they any less prepared to sacrifice than
them, for the son is the secret of his parents and their
true image.

Her son, Abdullah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬narrates; he says:

96
“I witnessed the battle of Uhud with Rasūlullāh ‫صلي‬
‫الله عليه و سلم‬. When the people separated from him,
my mother and I neared him and started defending
him, so he asked: “Umm Umārah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬son?”

“Yes,” I replied.

“Throw,” he said to me.

“I stood before him and threw a stone at a man from

amongst the polytheists. He fell to the ground and I
continued covering him with stones until there was a
heap on top of him while Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬looked
at me and smiled.

“He noticed my mother’s wound on her shoulder,

which was flowing with blood, so he said: “Your
mother; your mother. Wrap her wound, may Allāh
bless your household. Your mother’s status is better
than the status of so-and-so. May Allah have mercy on
your household.”

97
“My mother then turned to him and said: “Make du’a
to Allāh to make us your companions in Jannah, O
Messenger of Allah.”

“So, he prayed: “O Allāh; make them my companions

in Jannah.”

“I don’t care what afflicts me in the world after this,”

my mother said.”

~~~

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬returned from Uhud with a

deep wound and this du’a that the Great Messenger
‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬had made for her, while the Nabi ‫صلي‬
‫ الله عليه و سلم‬returned from Uhud, saying: “Whenever
I turned left or right on the day of Uhud, I saw Umm
Umārah fighting beside me.”

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬devoted herself to fighting

on the day of Uhud and she attained the sweetness of
striving in the path of Allāh. When she returned, she
was accomplished in patience.

98
It was destined for her that she witnessed many
battles with Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬hence she
was present with him at Hudaybiyyah, Khaybar,
Umratul Qadhā’, Hunayn and the pledge of Riḍwān.
However, none of that counts much when weighed
against that which took place on the day of Yamāmah
during the time of the khilāfah of Abu Bakr As-Siddīq
‫رضي الله عنه‬.

Umm Umārah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬story of the day of

Yamāmah begins during the era of the Messenger ‫صلي‬
‫الله عليه و سلم‬. The Great Prophet ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬sent
her son, Habīb bin Zaid ‫ رضي الله عنه‬with a letter to
Musailamah, the Liar. However, Musailamah deceived
Habīb ‫ رضي الله عنه‬and killed him in a bloodcurdling
manner, tying him in chains, and saying to him: “Do
you testify that Muḥammad ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬is the
Messenger of Allāh?”

He replied: “Yes.”

99
Musailamah then asked: “Do you testify that I am the
messenger of Allāh?”

“I am unable to hear what you are saying,” he said.

Musailamah then cut off a limb of his body.

Musailamah continued repeating this question while

Habīb ‫ رضي الله عنه‬offered the same answer, neither
increasing nor diminishing his words. Every time
Musailamah cut off a piece of his body.

Finally, his pure soul departed, but only after he had

tasted such pain that would have caused firm stones
to tremble.

The news of Habīb bin Zaid’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬death reached

his mother, Nusaybah Al-Māziniyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬so
she immediately said:

“It is for this very event that I had raised him…

I seek reward from Allah in return for him.

100
 He pledged allegiance to Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬on
the night of Aqabah as a little child…
And he fulfilled his pledge to him today in an amazing
style.
If Allah grants me power over Musailamah;
I shall cause his daughters to lament him from afar.”

~~~

The day which Nusaybah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬yearned for

arrived soon. When Abu Bakr’s ‫ رضي الله عنه‬announcer
proclaimed in Madinah that the people should come
and fight the lying, imposter prophet, Musailamah,
the Muslims advanced, quickening their pace to meet
him. They included the brave fighters, Umm Umārah
‫ رضي الله عنها‬and her son, Abdullāh bin Zaid ‫رضي الله عنه‬.

When the two armies met and the flames of war broke
out, a group of Muslims charged towards
Musailamah. At their head was Umm Umārah ‫رضي الله‬
‫ عنها‬who intended avenging her son, the martyr, and
Wahshī bin Harb ‫ رضي الله عنه‬who was Hamza’s ‫رضي الله‬

101
‫ عنهما‬killer on the day of Uhud; he intended to kill the
worst of people while he was a believer, after he had
killed one of the best people when he had been a
polytheist.

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was unable to reach

Musailamah after her hand was cut off and the wound
weakened her. However, Wahshī bin Harb ‫رضي الله عنه‬
and Abu Dujānah ‫رضي الله عنه‬, the owner of
Rasūlullāh’s ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬sword, reached
Musailamah and struck him like one hand. Wahshī
‫ رضي الله عنه‬attacked Musailamah with a spear while
Abu Dujānah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬struck him with the sword,
and he fell to the ground in the blink of an eye.

Umm Umārah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬returned to Madinah from

Yamāmah with one hand and her only son. As for her
other hand, she sought reward in return for it from
Allāh, as she had sought reward before in return for
her son, the martyr.

Why should she not hope for reward in exchange for

these sacrifices?

102
Did she not say to Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه و سلم‬: “Make
du’a to Allāh that we may be your companions in
Jannah…” and Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه و سلم‬prayed: “O
Allāh; make them my companions in Jannah,” to
which she remarked: “I don’t care what afflicts me in
the world after this.”

May Allāh be pleased with Umm Umārah ‫رضي الله عنها‬

for she was a unique example amongst believing
women and a wonderful role model amongst patient
fighters. Āmīn.

~~~

103
 Umm Salamah
‫رضي الله عنها‬

“The Arab widow”

Hind Al-Makhzumiyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was not just a

mother to Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬alone, but she became
a mother to all believers.

Umm Salamah ‫رضي الله عنها‬. What will explain to you

who Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬is?

104
Her father was one of the leaders of the notable
Makhzūm tribe and one of the few generous Arabs, so
much so that he was called: “Zādur Rākib”, meaning
“the traveler’s provision” because a traveler would
not need to bring any provisions if he intended passing
by his home or traveling in his company. His name was
Abu Umayyah bin Mughirah Al-Qurashī.

As for her husband, he was Abdullah bin Abdil As’ad

‫رضي الله عنه‬, one of the first ten men to accept Islām,
because none had accepted Islām before him, except
Abu Bakr ‫ رضي الله عنه‬and a small group of people who
did not exceed the fingers of both hands in number.

Her name was Hind, but she was nicknamed Umm

Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬and eventually her nickname
gained dominance over her name.

~~~

Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬accepted Islām along with

her husband, thus she too was amongst the first to
accept Islām. No sooner had the news of their ‫رضي الله‬

105
‫ عنهما‬acceptance of Islām spread, than the Quraish
became furious, and they began afflicting them with
an exemplary punishment, the kind of pain that would
have caused firm rocks to shake. However, they
became neither feeble nor weak, and they did not
reject Islām. When the difficulties became too severe
for them and Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬granted
permission to his companions to migrate to Abyssinia,
they were in the vanguard of those who migrated.

Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬and her husband

proceeded to a strange land, and she left behind a
mansion in Makkah, powerful influence, and the
privileges that came with her noble lineage, seeking
only reward from Allāh, and deeming her sacrifice
little in comparison to gaining His Pleasure.

Despite the comfort that Umm Salamah and her

husband ‫ رضي الله عنهما‬met in Abyssinia at the hands of
Najāshī - may Allāh brighten his face in Paradise – the
love for Makkah, the location of the first revelation,
and the longing for Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬, the
source of guidance, split their hearts.

106
Then the news reached the immigrants in Abyssinia
that the number of Muslims in Makkah had increased
and that Hamzah bin Abdil Muţalib’s and Umar bin
Khattāb’s ‫ رضي الله عنهما‬acceptance of Islām had
strengthened them and decreased the extent of harm
from the Quraish. So, a group of them decided to
return to Makkah, their love for the city encouraging
them. Umm Salamah and her husband ‫رضي الله عنهما‬
were at the forefront of those who returned to the
Holy City.

However, those who were returning soon discovered

that the news had been vastly exaggerated and that
the leap that the Muslims had achieved through the
acceptance of Hamzah’s and Umar’s ‫رضي الله عنهما‬
Islām, had been met by the Quraish with a great
onslaught. The polytheists increased their efforts to
abuse and frighten the Muslims, forcing them to taste
such difficulties which they had never experienced
before.

107
At that point, Rasūlullah ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬permitted
his companions to migrate to Madinah, so Umm
Salamah and her husband ‫ رضي الله عنهما‬resolved to be
the first emigrants fleeing with their dīn and escaping
harm from the Quraish.

~~~

Unfortunately, Umm Salamah’s and her husband’s

‫ رضي الله عنهما‬migration was neither as simple nor as
easy as they had imagined it would be. It was arduous
and painful, and accompanied by such tragedies that
made other tragedies seem unimportant. We shall
leave it to Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬to narrate to us
the story, for her knowledge of it is deeper, and her
images are clear and profound:

“When Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬resolved to depart

for Madinah, he prepared a camel for me, placed me
on it, put my child, Salamah in my lap and started
leading the camel with us without stopping anywhere.
Before we exited Makkah, some men from my tribe,
the Banu Maḫzūm noticed us, so they stopped us and

108
said to Abu Salamah: ‘If you intend to better us by
removing yourself from our midst, what are you doing
with this wife of yours? She is our daughter, so why
should we allow you to take her and travel to another
city with her?

“Then they pounced on him and snatched me away

from him. As soon as my husband’s tribe, the Banu
Abdīl As’ad saw them taking me and my child, they
became furious and said: ‘No, by Allāh; we shall not
leave the child with your companion (Umm Salamah
‫ )رضي الله عنها‬after you have taken her from our
companion (Abu Salamah ‫)رضي الله عنه‬, for he is our
son and we have more right to him.’

“They then started pulling my son, Salamah back and

forth between them in front of me, until they
dislocated his hand and took him. Within a few
moments, I found myself separated from my family,
all alone and helpless. My husband was on his way to
Madinah, fleeing with his religion all alone, the Banu
Abdīl As’ad had abducted my son in front of me,
shattered and broken. As for me, I was taken prisoner

109
by my people, the Banu Maḫzūm, and they kept me
with them. I was thus estranged from my husband and
son within an hour.

“Since that day, I started leaving for the valley where

they had separated us, every morning. I would sit in
the place that had witnessed my tragedy, replay the
images in which I had been separated from my
husband and my son in my mind; and I remained
weeping until night set in. I remained in that condition
for a year or close to a year, until a man from my
uncle’s people passed by me and took pity on me. He
said to my tribe: ‘Will you not set this poor woman
free?! You have already separated her from her
husband and child’.

“He continued speaking to them, softening their

hearts, and inciting their sympathy until they said to
me: ‘Join your husband, if you wish’.

“But how was I to join my husband in Madinah and

leave behind my son and a piece of my heart in
Makkah with the Banu Abdīl As’ad?

110
“How was it possible for my anguish to abate or for
my eyes to stop crying if I was in the city of migration
and my little son was in Makkah and I knew nothing
about him?

“Some people saw the grief that I suffered and my

anxiety, so their hearts softened towards me and they
spoke to the Banu Abdīl As’ad regarding my affair,
imploring them in my favour, until they returned my
son, Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬to me.

“I did not want to linger in Makkah until I could find

someone to travel with, for I feared that something
unexpected would occur which would prevent me
from meeting my husband. So, I hurriedly prepared
my camel, placed my son in my lap and departed,
facing in the direction of Makkah, intent on meeting
my husband. None amongst the creation of Allāh
accompanied me.

111
“As soon as I reached Tan’īm, I met Uthmān bin Talha
who said: ‘Where are you off to, O daughter of ‘Zādur
Rākib’?!’

I replied: “I am headed for my husband in Madinah.”

“Is there anyone with you?!” he asked.

“No, by Allāh,” I said, “There is none except Allāh and

this little son of mine.”

He remarked: “By Allah; I shall never leave you until

you reach Madinah.”

“He then took the halter of my camel and started

leading it with me on it. By Allāh, I have never met an
Arab man more kind or decent than him. When he
reached a house, he would make my camel kneel,
then withdraw so that I could descend from its back
and when I was on level ground, he would draw
nearer, remove its saddlebag, lead it to a tree and tie
it to the tree. Thereafter he would move away from
me to another tree and sleep in its shade. When it was

112
time to depart, he would go to the camel and prepare
it, then lead it to me, withdraw and say: ‘Mount it,’ so
I would mount it. Then when I was mounted on the
camel, he would take its halter and lead it.

“He continued treating me that way every day until

we reached Madinah. When he saw a little village of
Amr bin Al-Aas in Qubā’, he said: ‘Your husband is in
this village, so enter it with Allāh’s blessings’. Then, he
departed to return to Makkah.””

The separated pair reunited and Umm Salamah’s ‫رضي‬

‫ الله عنها‬eyes were cooled at the sight of her husband,
while Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬was overjoyed at
meeting his wife and son.

~~~

The events that followed unfolded as speedily as the

blink of an eye.

It was at Badr, where Abu Salamah ‫رضي الله عنه‬

witnessed and returned with the Muslims who

113
achieved a clear victory. At Uhud, Abu Salamah ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنه‬entered into this war too, after Badr, and he
was tested in it with the best and most honourable of
trials, returning from it deeply wounded.

He continued suffering from his wounds until they

seemed to have healed. Unfortunately, the wound
became infected, and it was not long before it
reopened, and Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬became
confined to his bed.

While Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬was suffering from his

wound, he said to his wife:

“O Umm Salamah; I
have heard Rasūlullāh
‫صلي الله عليه وسلم‬
saying: “Whoever is
afflicted with a
calamity and thereby
says: ‘To Allāh do we
belong and to Him is
our return. O Allāh,

114
 reward me for this
difficulty of mine by
you; O Allāh, and
recompense me with
something better
than it,’ Allāh ‫جل و عز‬
will grant him better
than it.”

Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬remained on his sickbed for

a couple of days. One morning Rasūlullāh ‫صلي الله عليه‬
‫ وسلم‬came to visit him, but no sooner had the Nabi
‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬concluded his visit and passed
through the door of his house, than Abu Salamah ‫رضي‬
‫ الله عنه‬departed from this world.

The Nabi ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬closed his companion’s eyes

with his noble hands then raised his palms to the sky
and said:

“O Allāh, forgive Abu

Salamah ‫رضي الله عنه‬
and raise his status

115
 amongst those who are
close to You. Be a
compensation for his
family that is left
behind. Forgive us and
him, O Rabb of the
universe and make his
grave spacious and
brighten it for him.”

~~~

Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬remembered what Abu

Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬had narrated to her from
Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬so she said: “O Allah;
reward me for this difficulty of mine by you.”

However, she did not feel content saying: “O Allah,

compensate me with something better than it,” for
she asked herself: “Who could possibly be better than
Abu Salamah ‫ ”!?رضي الله عنه‬Nevertheless, it was not
long before her prayer was answered.

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The Muslims grieved at the calamity that afflicted
Umm Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬as they had never grieved
at the misfortune of anyone else. They gave her the
title “Ayyimul Arab” meaning “the Arab widow” as she
had no other family in Madinah except her tiny son
who was like a little bird.

Both the Muhājirīn and the Ansār were aware of Umm

Salamah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬rights over them, so no sooner
had her iddah13 for Abu Salamah ‫ رضي الله عنه‬been
completed than Abu Bakr As-Siddique ‫رضي الله عنه‬
proposed to her. However, she refused his proposal.
Thereafter Umar bin Khattāb ‫ رضي الله عنه‬approached
her, but she responded to him as she had to his
companion.

Then the Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬approached her

and proposed to her.

13
The compulsory period of seclusion for a woman after
divorce or death of her husband, usually three menstrual
cycles.

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So, she said to him: “O Messenger of Allāh; I have
three characteristics: I am a woman with excessive
self-respect, and I fear that you might see something
in me that will cause you to become angry and Allāh
will punish me for that. I am also an old woman. Lastly,
I am a woman with a family (meaning her son).”

Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬replied: “As for your

anxiety that you mentioned, I pray to Allāh to take it
away from you. As for your old-age, I too am afflicted
with the same thing. As for your family that you
mention, your family is my family.”

Rasūlullāh ‫ صلي الله عليه وسلم‬then married Umm

Salamah ‫رضي الله عنها‬.

Thus, Allāh answered her prayer that she uttered at

the death of her first husband, and He compensated
her with someone better than Abu Salamah ‫رضي الله‬
‫عنه‬.

Since that day, Hind Al-Maḫzumiyyah ‫ رضي الله عنها‬was

not only a mother to Salamah ‫رضي الله عنه‬, but she

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became a mother to all the believers. May Allah
brighten Umm Salamah’s ‫ رضي الله عنها‬face in Jannah
and may he be pleased with her and please her. Āmīn.

~~~

119
‫الله اعلم‬

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