Asma bin Haritha (r.a.)
Every student of Suffa School, where the Prophet (pbuh) gave lessons, had a different skill, talent and virtue. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh), who always gave importance to inborn characteristics of man and the Quranic rules and principles, reflected his light of prophethood onto the hearts of every student of this school. Some of the members of Suffa School were very good in jihad, some in conveying the message of Islam, some in ilm (knowledge) and some in hadith narration.
Asma bin Haritha was one of the links of the chain of those people of knowledge and civilization. He devoted his life to the service of the Prophet. He found happiness, pleasure and peace in it. There was not an honor greater than being a servant of the Prophet for him.
The people that are mentioned the most as the servants of the Messenger of Allah after Anas bin Malik are Asma bin Haritha and his brother Hind bin Haritha. Those two Companions never hesitated to serve the Messenger of Allah despite all kinds of hardships whether during the day or at night. On the one hand, they learned the lofty orders and principles of Islam, information about belief and ilm in Suffa School; on the other hand, they served the Prophet.
When the Messenger of Allah went to Madinah, he stayed in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, who was given the name “the Host of the Prophet”. Abu Ayyub himself also served the Messenger of Allah, met his needs, brought him water and did whatever he wished.
After living in that house for a while, the Messenger of Allah moved to his own house. One of those who served him there was Asma bin Haritha.
He always carried buckets of water to the house of the Prophet from Suqya Well for years with excitement and enthusiasm that increased in the arid region of Arabia, under the scorching sun and on the burning sand.
Asma bin Haritha had an important place in his tribe and people. He was a respectable person. However, he regarded serving the Messenger of Allah superior to all kinds of ranks, posts, respect and appreciation. He preferred being a servant of the Messenger of Allah to being the leader of his tribe.
Abu Hurayra, one of the distinguished student of Suffa School, mentions his and his brother’s service as follows:
“Asma and Hind, the two sons of Haritha, serve the Messenger of Allah whenever I see them.”
It is enough to show how much those two brothers served the Prophet since Abu Hurayra, who was a Companion that followed the Messenger of Allah like a shadow, said “whenever I see them” for them.
This great Companion regarded serving the Messenger of Allah by abandoning worldly positions and pleasures as “the greatest position and pleasure”.
Once, the Messenger of Allah sent him to his tribe to inform them about an order. When Asma received this order from the Messenger of Allah, he held his shoes in his hands and ran to his tribe barefoot and panting, and conveyed them the order of the Prophet.
The sensitivity of the Companions that were educated in the school of the Messenger of Allah was infinite. They did their best to fulfill the orders and duties given to them and ran barefoot when it was necessary as Asma did.
There is very little information about the life of this self-sacrificing Companion, who died in 66 H. Along with the statement of Abu Hurayra quoted above, the following statement of Muhammad bin Umar shows that Asma and his brother never ceased to serve the Messenger of Allah “I have never seen those two brothers and Anas bin Malik leave the door of the Messenger of Allah.” [1]
May Allah be pleased with them!
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[1]Tabaqat, 1: 322, 497, 504; Usdul-Ghaba, 1: 78.
