The era of the Prophet was an era of knowledge. The Companions who were around the sublime Prophet learned many things from the source of knowledge. They asked the Messenger of Allah about the problems they encountered in daily life and asked him various questions. Not only men but also women went into the presence of the Prophet to ask them about their problems. For, they knew that modesty did not prevent learning one's religion. There was no need to feel ashamed while learning one's religion.
One of the women who caused many issues, especially those about women, to be clarified was Asma bint Yazid (r.anha).
Hz. Asma was a woman of Ansar. When the Prophet migrated to Madinah, the women of Ansar paid allegiance to him and promised that they would not “cry out loud as if they were screaming after a dead person, follow a funeral, associate any partners with Allah, steal, commit adultery and kill their children”. One of those women was Hz. Asma. She kept her promise throughout her life. Like the other female Companions, Asma loved the Messenger of Allah very much, served her and treated her some food whenever she could. She was not rich but she was generous. She took spiritual pleasure when she shared her food and drink with the Messenger of Allah. Once, she saw that the Messenger of Allah was performing the evening prayer at the mosque. She went home. She prepared some bread and raisins. She waited for him outside the mosque and invited him to her house. The Messenger of Allah did not want to break the heart of this self-sacrificing Companions. He went to her house with some Companions. Hz. Asma put the food she had prepared in front of the Messenger of Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Help yourselves.” The Prophet said to his Companions “Help yourselves! Bismillah!” They ate the food. After narrating this incident, Hz. Asma said,
“I swear by Allah, in whose hand is my existence, that I saw with my own eyes. The group of 40 people could not finish the bread or the raisins. After eating, they drank water and left. When the people in my family got ill, we would drink the water that was left in the water-skin by the Messenger of Allah and the Companions and got well. Our sustenance increased thanks to it.”[1]
Hz. Asma sometimes went to the house of the Prophet and listened to the talk of the Prophet with the other women. When the Prophet married Hz. Aisha, Hz. Asma was there with some other female Companions. After the Prophet drank some milk, she gave the bowl of milk to Hz. Aisha. She did not want to take because she was feeling very shy. Thereupon, Hz. Asma said,
“O Aisha! Do not refuse the offer of the Messenger of Allah. Take it and drink it.”
Hz. Aisha took the bowl drank some milk and gave it back. This time, the Prophet gave the bowl to Hz. Asma. She took it and drank from the milk that the Prophet had left.[2]
Hz. Asma was distinguished among the female Companions due to her straightforwardness and eloquence. Therefore, she was known as "the Orator of the Women". When the women of Madinah wanted to ask the Prophet something and learn from him, they would send her as their representative. She would go to the Prophet and tell the Messenger of Allah clearly about the issue.
Once, the women chose her as their representative and sent her to the Prophet to ask about an issue that occupied their minds. Hz. Asma appeared before the Prophet; when she was given permission to speak, she said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!” After expressing her respect, she spoke as follows:
“I am the representatives of some women. There is no doubt that Allah Almighty sent you as His Prophet for all mankind – men and women. We believe in you and your Lord. We, women, live within our houses and fulfill the legitimate wishes of our husbands. Men are superior to us in that they perform Friday prayers and attend congregational prayers in the mosques, visit ill people, take part in the janazah prayer and go to hajj many times. The most virtuous of all is taking part in jihad. When men go to hajj, umrah or jihad, we to protect their property, clean and repair their clothes. We look after their children. Are we going to be given the same rewards as men?”
After listening to Asma’s talk, the Prophet appreciated her intelligence and eloquence; he said to the Companions who were there, “Have you ever heard any women asking a religious question to speak more eloquently than her?” Then, he gave the following glad tiding to Asma and all believing women:
“Listen and tell the other women whom you are representing! If a woman gets on well with her husband and attains his consent, she receives the same rewards for the deeds that you have listed.”[3]
Hz. Asma left joyfully after the answer of the Prophet. She wanted to give the glad tiding to her friends. She told them what she had heard from the Messenger of Allah. All of the women became very happy when they heard the glad tiding. From then on, they regarded housework as worshipping bringing them rewards not as burden.
Asma, who sometimes listened to the talks of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and learned from him, narrated 81 hadiths. One of them is as follows:
“The Prophet said to his Companions, ‘Shall I tell you who are the best ones among people?’ They said, ‘Yes! O Messenger of Allah!’ He said, ‘The ones you see mentioning Allah (dhikr).’ Then, he said, ‘Shall I tell you who are the worst ones among people? They are the ones who drive a wedge between people who gossip and act as talebearers.”[4]
Another hadith is as follows:
"When Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet, died, the Messenger of Allah wept. Hz. Abu Bakr or Umar said to him, ‘You are indeed the best of those who glorify Allah with what is due to him.’ Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: ‘The eye weeps and the heart grieves, but we do not say anything that angers the Lord. O Ibrahim! If death was not something that inevitably comes to all, and that the latter did not join the former, we would be sadder than we are now.’“[5]
Hz. Asma, who was known for her braveness and heroism along with her intelligence, participated in the Battle of Yarmuk in order to take care of the wounded people and to give the mujahids water. Once, she grabbed a tent pole and went to the battlefield. She killed nine Byzantine soldiers.[6]
It is not known where and when this great Islamic woman, who did not hesitate to sacrifice her life in order to spread Islam and to punish those who wanted to eliminate Islam, died
May Allah be pleased with her!
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The climate of Makkah was not good for newborn babies. It prevented them from growing up healthily and robustly. Therefore, some families who wanted their babies to grow up healthily gave them to wet-nurses who lived in the desert for a certain period. For, the desert had nice air and fresh water. Besides, the children who grew up there spoke Arabic better.
The wet-nurses came to Makkah twice a year and took the babies to their homeland. Immediately after the birth of the Prophet, the women of the tribe of Banu Sa’d came to Makkah with their husbands. One of them was Hz. Halima. Halima lagged behind because the animal she was riding was weak and lame. When she arrived in Makkah, each woman had found a baby to nurse and started to return.
Abdulmuttalib also wanted to give his grandson to a wet-nurse but no woman accepted him because he was a fatherless boy. Nobody could imagine the abundance they would get for the sake of this boy. While the grandfather of the Messenger of Allah was wandering hopelessly, he met Halima, who was sad because she had not been able to find a baby to nurse. He asked Halima, “What tribe are you from?” Hz. Halima said, “From Banu Sa’d.” Abdulmuttalib asked her what her name was. When he found out that it was Halima, he smiled and said, “Very Good! Sa’d and hilm are two characteristics on which the goodness of the world and the honor of the hereafter depend. O Halima! I have a fatherless child with me. The other women did not want to accept him saying, ‘We want to benefit from the fathers of the children we accept; what shall we do with a fatherless child?’ I hope you will accept him. You may attain happiness thanks to him.” Halima asked permission from him to consult her husband who was standing over there. Her husband said, “You may accept him. We may attain abundance thanks to him.” Halima went over to the grandfather of the Prophet feeling happy that she was able to find a baby. She said she wanted to take the child. Abdulmuttalib became very happy. He took her to Hz. Amina. Amina welcomed Halima. They went to the room where the Messenger of Allah was sleeping.
The Prophet was enwrapped in white swaddling clothes. There was a piece of green fabric under him. He was sleeping soundly on his back, emitting a nice scent.
When Hz. Halima saw the Prophet, she was fascinated by his beauty and cuteness. She became glad that she had accepted to take him. She held him in her arms. The Messenger of Allah smiled at his wet-nurse. Halima kissed him. She was happy but Hz. Amina was sad. She was with her baby only for a few days. How was she going to put up with his absence? However, she consoled herself thinking that she had to do it for the sake of her baby.
Hz. Halima went over to her husband holding the Prophet in her arms. Then, she gave her right tit to the Prophet and her left tit to her own son. They sucked milk and slept. From then on, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) sucked from the right tit; he never sucked from the left tit.
Hz. Halima had very little milk. Before he accepted the Prophet, it was not enough even for her own son; her son used cry because of hunger. When they saw that both of them were full, they became happy. When they also saw that the udders of their she-camel, which had very little milk, were full of milk, their happiness doubled. Halima’s husband said, “O Halima! Know that you got a very blessed and lucky baby.” Indeed, this family and the tribe of Banu Sa’d got rid of drought and attained abundance after that.
After getting ready, Hz. Halima and her husband set off. They noticed that there was a big change in their animals. The donkey that had lagged behind on the way to Makkah overtook all of the animals of the caravan one the way back home. The other women were surprised to see it. They expressed their surprise by saying, “O Halima! May mercy come upon you! Is this not the same donkey you rode on our trip here? Wait for us!” After a tiring journey, the caravan reached their homeland.
Drought was dominant in the land of Banu Sa’d that year. There was no land where the animals could graze. Therefore, the sheep that were sent to graze returned home hungry in the evening. The animals became very weak. However, Hz. Halima attained abundance. Unlike the others, her sheep came back satiated and with their udders full of milk. This situation drew the attention of the people of her tribe. They reprimanded their shepherds saying, “Woe on you! Why do you not graze our sheep where Halima’s shepherd grazes them?”
Halima and her husband knew that they attained this abundance and wellbeing thanks to this child, whom nobody wanted to accept because he was fatherless; they thanked Allah for it. Days passed like that.
As days passed, the Prophet flourished. His childhood did not resemble that of the other children. He started to talk and listen to talks when he was eight months old. He started to speak properly when he was nine months old. When he was 10 months old, he started to shoot arrows. He became a robust boy when he was two years old. He gave up sucking then. When he gave up sucking, Hz. Halima and her husband became very sad. They wanted him to stay with them longer since they attained wellbeing and abundance thanks to him. However, it was not appropriate for them to keep him any longer; they had to return him to his mother. They took him to Makkah to his mother. When Hz. Amina saw her beloved child, she got very excited. He had matured so fast. She became very happy since he was going to stay with her after that. However, Hz. Halima said to her, “You had better leave your son with us until he grows up. I fear that he will catch Makkan plague.” Hz. Amina did not even want to imagine her son being ill. She agreed to be away from him lest he should become ill. Therefore, she accepted Hz. Halima’s offer. Thus, the Prophet left Makkah again in order to stay in the land of Banu Sa’d for some more time.
The Prophet became old enough to graze sheep with his foster brother Abdullah. Once, he was with him at the back of the house where newborn lambs were. Two people came. They made him lie on the ground. They split open Muhammad’s chest, took out his heart, removed a blood clot and said, "This was something in you that belonged to Satan."
When Abdullah, the foster brother of the Messenger of Allah, saw what these two strangers did to his brother, he was scared. He rushed to the house and said to his parents, “Come quickly! My Qurayshi brother was killed!” Upon his call, they rushed out and ran to the place where the Messenger of Allah was. The Prophet was standing. His face was pale but he was smiling. They asked, “What happened to you?” The Prophet said, "Two men in white clothing came to me, laid me down, and looked for something I do not know in my abdomen." Hz. Halima and her husband were frightened. They were worried that the Messenger of Allah would be harmed. Harith said to his wife Halima, “Halima! I fear that something bad will happen to this child. Take him back to his family before anything happens to him.” Halima took the Prophet to Makkah without losing time. However, she lost him in Makkah. She became very sad. She could not find him no matter how long she looked for him. She went to Abdulmuttalib and told him that the Prophet was lost. He went out to look for him with a few people. Finally, they found the Prophet.
Hz. Amina became very happy when she saw her son but she could not understand why they brought him back so soon. She asked Halima, “Why did you bring the child back? You had insisted so much keeping it with you.” Halima said, “Allah raised this child. I have fulfilled my duty. I fear that something bad will happen to him. I wanted to bring him to you and deliver him to you safe and sound.”
Many years passed. The Prophet's mother and grandmother passed away. The Prophet grew up and got married. He saw Hz. Halima from time to time. Whenever he saw her, he showed her respect saying, “Mummy! Mummy!” He would take off the extra garment on him and lay it on the ground so that she would sit on it. He would meet her needs if she had any. Once, Halima came to visit him. She said there was drought in the land of Banu Sa’d and that the animals started to die due to illness. The Prophet did not have much to give her but Hz. Khadija did not want the wet-nurse of her husband to leave empty-handed. She gave Halima 40 sheep and one camel. Hz. Halima expressed her gratitude to Hz. Khadija and returned home happily.
Hz. Halima, who became a Muslim in the years that followed, was buried in the Cemetery of Baqi.
May Allah be pleased with her![1]
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[1] Tabaqat, 1: 110; Usdu'l-Ghaba, 5: 427
3-)
Sumayra bint Qays (r.anha)
When the rumor that the Muslims were defeated and that the Messenger of Allah was martyred during the Battle of Uhud reached Madinah, one of the women that ran to the battlefront was Sumayra bint Qays (r.anha).
Hz. Sumayra’s father, husband, brother and son also took part in the Battle of Uhud. However, she was wondering about the Messenger of Allah more than her family. When she arrived at Uhud, she saw the dead bodies of her father, husband, brother and son in pieces. All of them had been martyred. The Companions gave Hz. Sumayra their condolences and asked her to be patient. However, Sumayra asked about the Messenger of Allah insistently, “How is the Messenger of Allah? What is he doing?” They said, “Thank Allah, he is fine.” However, she did not believe them. She wanted to see the Prophet. They told her where he was. Sumayra ran toward there. When she saw that the Messenger of Allah was alive, she said, patiently and in reliance to Allah,
“O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! All misfortunes are all right for me since you are alive.”
Yes, Hz. Sumayra believed that she would be able to see her father, brother and husband in the hereafter. For, they gained a high rank by becoming martyrs in the way of Allah. There was no need to feel sorry for them. In fact, she would also have seen the Messenger of Allah in the hereafter if he had been martyred but she wanted to see him again in the world and learn more things from him.
On the other hand, Islam would have continued to illuminate hearts. Others would have replaced them. However, if the Messenger of Allah had been harmed, what would have happened to the Muslims? That was why she wondered about the health of the Messenger of Allah. They liked the Messenger of Allah like that. This was the secret that elevated them and made them too high to reach.[1]
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[1] Hilya, 2: 71.
4-)
Hamna bint Jahsh (r.anha)
Hz. Hamna was the daughter of Umayma bint Abdulmuttalib, the paternal aunt of the Prophet. She was also the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh, one of the wives of the Prophet. Thus, she was sister-in-law of the Prophet. She became a Muslim in the first years of Islam. She was loyal to the Prophet with her heart. She was married to Mus’ab bin Umayr, one of the great Companions. They led a happy life.
Hz. Mus’ab took part in the battle of Uhud and fought heroically. The Muslims were about to gain a big victory but when the archers located by the Messenger of Allah left their places, the course of the battle changed. The Muslims were defeated. It was also rumored that the Messenger of Allah was martyred.
When the female Companions who were in Madinah heard this, they ran to the battlefront. Hamna bint Jahsh, the wife of Mus’ab bin Umayr, was also among them. When they heard that the Messenger of Allah was alive, they became very happy.
However, Hz. Mus’ab was martyred. In addition, Hz. Hamna’s brother Abdullah bin Jahsh and her maternal uncle Hz. Hamza were also martyred. The Prophet wanted to give this news to Hamna himself. When Hamna came over to him, he said, “O Hamna! Show patience and seek reward from Allah!” Hamna said, “O Messenger of Allah! For whom shall I show patience?” The Prophet said, “For your maternal uncle Hamza.” Hz. Hamna was a woman who believed in qadar. She said, “We are slaves of Allah and we will return to Him. May Allah show him mercy and forgive him! May Allah give him glad tidings and rejoice him with the reward of martyrdom!”
The Prophet said, "O Hamna! Show patience and seek reward from Allah!” Hamna said, “O Messenger of Allah! For whom shall I show patience?” The Prophet said, “For your brother.” Hz. Hamna said in patience and resoluteness, “We are slaves of Allah and we will return to Him. May Allah show him mercy and forgive him! May Allah give him glad tidings and rejoice him with the reward of martyrdom!”
The Prophet said, "O Hamna! Show patience and seek reward from Allah!” Hamna said in suspense, “O Messenger of Allah! For whom shall I show patience?”
The Prophet said, “For Mus’ab bin Umayr.” Hz. Hamna, who had not lost her patience and resoluteness up to that time, changed suddenly. She thought about her children and started to cry by saying, “Woe on me!” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
“There is no doubt that a man has a different place in the eye of his wife. Hamna showed patience and resoluteness when she heard about the death of her maternal uncle and brother but she could not maintain her resoluteness when she heard the death of her husband.”[1]
Hz. Hamna could not show the same patience for her husband but she did not oppose qadar. She calmed down with the prayer and consolation of the Messenger of Allah.
Hamnah later married Talha bin Ubaydullah, one of the ten Companions who were given the good news that they would go to Paradise. They led a happy life. They had two children called Muhammad and Imran.
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[1] Sirah, 3: 104.
5-)
Umm Ayman (r.anha)
The Prophet lost his father before he was born and her mother when he was six years old. He grew up as an orphan. However, several women took care of him showing him the compassion of a mother. They did their best so as not to make him feel as a motherless child.
One of those women was Umm Ayman. The real name of this great Islamic woman, whom the Prophet regarded to be from Ahl al-Bayt and complimented her by saying “my mother after my mother”[1] is “Baraka bint Thalaba”. She served in the house of the Prophet for long years. She stayed in the same house after the death of Abdullah, the father of the Prophet. After that, she helped both Amina, the Prophet's mother, and the Prophet himself.
When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) became six years old, Amina went to Madinah with Umm Ayman. Her intention was to visit her relatives and the grave of her husband Abdullah there. They stayed in Madinah for a month.
Umm Ayman narrates one of her memories in Madinah as follows:
“Once, two Jewish scholars came to me and said, ‘Bring us Ahmad.’ I went home and brought him. They examined him carefully. They said, ‘This child is a prophet. This is the place where he will migrate. There will be big wars in this land.’”[2]
Umm Ayman felt scared after their talk. She was worried that they would harm her "beloved son". She tried not to leave the Prophet alone in order to protect him from any danger.
Finally, it was time to return to Makkah. Umm Ayman was glad to hear it. She felt relieved because the Jews would not be able to harm Muhammad (pbuh) after they set off.
This three-person caravan left Madinah. They started to head for Makkah. They were travelling happily. However, something unexpected took place after a while. Hz. Amina got ill suddenly. She realized that she would die of this illness. She looked at the face of the Prophet and remembered a dream she had seen. She said,
"If what I saw in my sleep is true, you will be sent as a prophet by Allah to all human beings to tell them the allowed and prohibited things and acts. You will settle Islam, the religion of your ancestor, Ibrahim. Allah Almighty will protect you from the idols and idolatry that have existed for a long time.
All living things face death every minute of the day, each new thing will have to grow old, and each great thing will fade. I will also die, but my name will remain forever; for I gave birth to a pure child and I leave the best here as I leave."
Hz. Amina entrusted her child to Umm Ayman and asked her to look after him very well. Soon, she passed away. She was 30 years old then. Thus, the Prophet was left motherless when he was six. Allah Almighty made his beloved Messenger to experience all kinds of pains and made him perfect so that he would be a good example for his ummah. Thus, those who believed in him would remember the hardships he underwent and console themselves by showing patience at the misfortunes that would hit them.
Umm Ayman undertook a heavy burden. She wanted to sob and wail but she did not because she thought the Prophet would feel sad. She pulled herself together. She decided not to make him feel the lack of his mother. She was going to act in a self-sacrificing way. She hugged him as if he was her own son. Then, she consoled him as follows:
“Do not feel sad. O Muhammad! Do not cry. We have to surrender to divine qadar. Allah owns our souls and property. They were entrusted to us. He takes back the things that He entrusted us as He wishes.”
There were tears in the eyes of the Prophet. He was left as both a fatherless and motherless child. He did not see the face of his father even once. He would not be able to see the face of his mother after that. He spoke as follows in tears: “I know. I always surrender to His decree. However, the face of one's mother is a face that cannot be forgotten. I feel sad that I will not see that face again.” However, he pulled himself together soon. He wanted to fulfill his last duty for his mother. He said to his nanny as if he was an adult,
“Come on! She entrusted her soul to her owner. Let us put her body into the ground so that she will find rest.”
After a while, they buried the most honorable and luckiest mother together.
The duty to take the Messenger of Allah to Makkah belonged to Umm Ayman now. She put the Prophet on the camel. They set off together. After a tiring journey that lasted five days, they reached Makkah. Umm Ayman gave him to Abdulmuttalib, his grandfather, in tears. However, she served the Prophet both when he was with his grandfather and after his death when he was under the protection of Abu Talib, his uncle. She regarded it as great honor for her.
Many years passed. The Prophet became 25 years old. Everybody loved him and called him “Muhammad al-Amin”. He married Hz. Khadija, who was a widow 15 years older than him but who was the most honorable woman in Makkah. She was very rich. She entrusted all of her wealth to her beloved husband.
The Prophet did not forget her nanny who loved her with the compassion of a mother and who sacrificed herself for him like a mother. He helped her nanny financially and showed her respect like a son showing respect to his mother. He also helped his nanny to get married. He married her off to Ubayd bin Zayd.
When Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) became 40 years old, Allah Almighty chose and appointed him as a prophet. Umm Ayman, who had taken care of him loyally since he was a baby, guessed that he would be an important person. For, she observed several wonderful incidents beginning from his birth. Therefore, she never left him alone. When he started to call people to Islam, she did not leave him alone. She believed in him without hesitating; thus, he rejoiced the Messenger of Allah.
In that period, to become a Muslim meant to accept beforehand to undergo unbelievable tortures. Umm Ayman suffered from those painful tortures. However, she did not make any concessions about her belief because she regarded dying in this way as honor. When tortures became unbearable, she migrated to Abyssinia and then to Madinah. Thus, she received the reward of “double migrations”.[3]Umm Ayman did not leave the Messenger of Allah alone in Madinah like in Makkah. She always served him.
The nanny of the Prophet always trusted in Allah Almighty. She did not lose hope of Allah Almighty even in the hardest situations. She believed that He would help her. She sometimes received the reward of this surrendering and trust in advance.
While she was migrating, she stopped near Rawha for the night. She was very thirsty. She did not have even one drop of water. She did not panic because she definitely believed that her Lord, who was so merciful, saw her and knew about her situation. She knew that she would not be left thirsty and exhausted. As a matter of fact, the help of Allah Almighty did not delay. She saw a bucket hanging from the sky tied with a white rope. She stood up by thanking Allah Almighty and went over to the bucket. It was full of clear, cold water. She quenched her thirst. She felt relieved. While narrating this incident, Umm Ayman said,
“I have never felt thirsty after that.”[4]
Another characteristic of Umm Ayman was that she was a fearless mujahid of Islam. She did not hesitate to risk her life for the cause of Islam. During the Battle of Uhud, the mujahids were scattered and some Companions went back to Madinah while the battle was going on. Umm Ayman became very sorry when she saw this. She felt disturbed when they panicked and left the Prophet at the battlefront facing the enemy. She shouted at one of those who left the battlefront as follows:
“There is a distaff here. Take this and spin wool. Give me your sword. I will go to Uhud with the women and fight.”
Umm Ayman could not stay in Madinah any longer. There was definitely something that she could do as a woman. She went to Uhud with some women. When she arrived there, she asked about the Messenger of Allah. When she heard that he was all right, she felt relieved. She looked after the wounded mujahids with the other women. She gave water to the mujahids.[5]
Like all of the Companions, Umm Ayman loved the Prophet very much. She had a belief that could make her sacrifice her life for the Prophet. She always wanted to see the Messenger of Allah happy; she could not bear it when he was sad. She rejoiced with the Messenger of Allah and felt sorry with the Messenger of Allah. Once, the Prophet (pbuh) took a sick child on his lap. The child was moaning due to his illness The Prophet cried due to his compassion. When Umm Ayman saw that the Prophet was crying, she started to cry, too. The Prophet asked, “Why are you crying while I am here?” Umm Ayman expressed her love for him as follows:
“How should I not cry when the Messenger of Allah cries?”[6]
Umm Ayman led a happy life with her husband Ubayd bin Zayd. Hz. Ubayd took part in the Battle of Hunayn. He fought there heroically and became a martyr. Umm Ayman did not lose her steadfastness when she heard that her husband died. She regarded it as great honor to be the wife of a martyr. She showed patience at this misfortune in the way of Allah.
The Prophet did not leave his self-sacrificing nanny, Umm Ayman, who treated him as if she was his mother, who put up with all kinds of problems, misfortunes and agonies for the sake of her belief and who underwent tortures for it, alone. Once, he addressed his Companions as follows: “He who wants to marry a woman of Paradise should marry Umm Ayman.” Thus, he indicated that she was a woman of Paradise. When Umm Ayman heard this word of the Messenger of Allah about her, she became very happy. Could there have been happiness greater than this for a Muslim?
The first person who answered the call of the Messenger of Allah was his adopted son Zayd bin Haritha. Hz. Zayd was a young Companion. He wanted to marry an old woman like Umm Ayman only in order to please the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He preferred the consent of the Prophet to worldly pleasures. After that, the Messenger of Allah married this great Companion off to his nanny. The great Islamic commander, Usama bin Zayd, who was a great Companion like his father, was born out of this marriage.[7]
Umm Ayman had a different place in the eye of the Prophet. He sometimes made jokes to please her. However, the Prophet told the truth even when he made a joke. He rejoiced his addressees without offending them. Once, Hz. Umm Ayman went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah and said to him, “Will you find me an animal to ride?” The Messenger of Allah said, “I will give you the offspring of a she-camel to ride.” Umm Ayman did not understand the joke of the Messenger of Allah and said, “O Messenger of Allah, the offspring of a she-camel will not be able to carry me. I do not want a young camel." The Prophet repeated his word: "I will give you the offspring of a she-camel to ride!”[8]Thus, the Prophet told the truth even when he made a joke. Are young camels not born of she-camels?
Umm Ayman was close to the Prophet when he died. She could not help crying. They asked her, “Why are you crying so much?” She said, “I am crying because the revelation ended.”
After the Prophet, Hz. Abu Bakr ve Hz. Umar showed the respect that this woman deserved to her. For, the people that the Messenger of Allah appreciated were valuable in the eye of the Companions, too. Therefore, they visited her from time to time and met her needs. And she prayed for them.[9]
Umm Ayman, who got very old, died during the first years of the caliphate of Hz. Uthman. One hadith reported by her is as follows:
“Do not abandon any fard prayers deliberately. A person who abandons prayers deliberately is deprived of the protection of Allah and His Messenger.”[10]
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Hz. Zinnira was a slave. She heard that the Prophet called people to Islam. She saw that some people who believed in the Messenger of Allah were tortured. Despite these pressures and tortures, the light of belief started to enlighten her heart. She became a Muslim though she knew that she would face difficulties. Thus, she got rid of spiritual slavery though she remained a slave materially.
Zinnira’s master was a hard-hearted enemy of Islam. As soon as he heard that she became a Muslim, he burst with anger. He wanted to dissuade her. He took action at once. He inflicted unimaginable torture on her. He thought he would be able to dissuade her and make her worship idols again. Despite the tortures inflicted upon her, Zinnira persevered in her belief. Man would never give up the truth once he found it.
This perseverance of Hz. Zinnira’s drove him crazy. When he failed to dissuade her, he called Abu Jahl, who took pleasure in troubling and torturing Muslims. This would be a great pleasure for Abu Jahl. He arrived there at once. He did his best to make Hz. Zinnira give up her religion. He thought he would be able to extinguish the light of belief in her. However, Hz. Zinnira persevered in an incredible way. This situation made him angrier and angrier, causing him to increase the level of torture.
Hz. Zinnira became a good example of the following decree: “Belief is both light and strength. Yes, one who obtains true belief may challenge the whole universe and be saved from the pressure of events in accordance with the strength of his belief.” On the other hand, with the unendurable torture they inflicted upon a poor woman, Abu Jahl and the other polytheists were included in the scope of the following decree: “Unbelief transforms man into a weak animal and an impotent creature.” How else can torturing and insulting a female slave be described except weakness and bestiality?
Hz. Zinnira became very weak and lost her eyes due to the tortures inflicted upon her. This situation made Abu Jahl, whose heart was covered by the darkness of unbelief, hopeful and said, “Our Gods Lat and Uzza made you blind because you gave up worshipping them. Give up Islam and they will make your eyes see again.”
However, Hz. Zinnira’s heart was full of belief. She never believed that pieces of stone and wood, which were unable to harm or benefit anyone, could do anything like that. She realized that it was a means of testing for her. She persevered in her belief. She addressed Abu Jahl as follows with all her sincerity:
“No. I swear by Allah that Lat and Uzza, which you worship as gods but which are only pieces of wood and stone, can neither harm nor benefit anyone. They do not know who worship them and they are unaware of those who do not worship them. This is the job of my Lord. My Lord has the power to make me see again.”
Abu Jahl was astonished when he received this unexpected answer. When he overcame his astonishment, he started to hit Hz. Zinnira. After a while, he stopped hitting her because he became tired.
Yes, Hz. Zinnira said, “My Lord has the power to make me see again.” Could it be hard for our Lord, who created the whole universe, man, the sun, the moon and stars, animals and plants out of nothing, and who controlled and maintained them, to make Hz. Zinnira see again? He definitely has power over everything. Was it possible for Him not to be able to do so? As a matter of fact, Zinnira started to see again in the morning.
When the polytheists who came to resume the torture in the morning saw that she could see again, they were astounded. Their belief in their idols weakened. Some of them nearly became Muslims. However, Abu Jahl intervened. He said, “Were you not astonished by those insane people who follow Muhammad? If what Muhammad brought were true and something good, we would go to it first. Can Zinnira find the truth before us? Which one of you saw it?”
Those who were near him believed in his lies because they were heedless. Instead of thinking and taking lessons, they said, “This is Muhammad’s magic." Then, they persevered in their ignorance. Thereupon verse 11 of the chapter of al-Ahqaf was sent down:
“The Unbelievers say of those who believe: 'If (this Message) were a good thing, (such men) would not have gone to it first, before us!' and seeing that they guide not themselves thereby, they will say 'This is an (old), old falsehood!'”
This incident increased the belief of the Muslims and the unbelief of the unbelievers. On the other hand, Allah Almighty saved Hz. Zinnira from material slavery through Hz. Abu Bakr due to her sincerity. Hz. Abu Bakr bought her from her master and released her for Allah's sake. [1]
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When the Islamic army conquered Makkah, small street fights took place. After that, the Kaaba was cleaned from idols. The vast compassion and tolerance of the Messenger of Allah was in action again; those who left their swords and took refuge in the Kaaba were forgiven.
The hard-hearted people softened when they saw the grandeur of the Islamic army and the tolerance of the Messenger of Allah; many people among whom were some notables of the polytheists saw the truth and started to become Muslims one by one. The Messenger of Allah accepted their allegiance one by one and allowed them to enter Islam as if there had been no enmity between him and them. For, Islam did not ask about the past after sincere repentance and regret.
The Muslims filled the Kaaba at night on the same day as Makkah was conquered in order to fulfill their longing that lasted for years for worshipping in the Kaaba and in order to thank their Lord, who enabled them to conquer Makkah after troubled and painful days. Some of them worshipped alone while others worshipped in congregation. Some of them were bowing down while others were prostrating or standing. The Kaaba was full of people. It was like the Gathering Place. The sounds of “Labbayk” and, “Allahuakbar” filled the earth and the sky. The prayers coming from hearts were expressed by the tongues; they became clear and reached their Lord through the hands that were opened.
There was somebody who was watching this scene from a high place. This scene increased the excitement of this observer and caused spiritual revolutions in her inner world. This observer was Hind bint Utba, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who had just become a Muslim. Hind had made Wahshi kill Hz. Hamza, the hero of Islam, during the Battle of Uhud. The holy scene in the Kaaba softened the heart of Hind and eliminated polytheism. Hind told her husband Abu Sufyan about her decision at about midnight: “I want to pay allegiance to Muhammad.” Astonished by this statement of his wife, Abu Sufyan said,
“But you deny Islam.”
Hind answered her husband as follows:
“Yes, I used to deny Islam but now I definitely believe that Allah was not worshipped truly in this mosque (the Kaaba) before tonight. I swear that the Muslims spent the whole night by performing prayers, standing, bowing down and prostrating.”
When Abu Sufyan saw that his wife was determined, he said to her,
“Take one of your relatives and go to Muhammad.”
The next day, Hind, her brother Abu Hudhayfa and her sister Fatima went to the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah told them about Islam and said that he would accept their allegiance based on some conditions. While Hind was about to pay allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, she said,
“I cannot pay allegiance to you promising that I will not steal. For, you know that Abu Sufyan is very stingy. I steal from his things because he does not give me enough things and food.”
The Messenger of Allah told her to go to Abu Sufyan and ask forgiveness from him and added that he would not accept her allegiance otherwise. Hind went to Abu Sufyan and told him about the conversation between him and the Messenger of Allah. Abu Sufyan forgave her. Hind went to the Messenger of Allah joyfully. This time, she was different. She covered her body. The Messenger of Allah accepted her allegiance. Then, Hind expressed her feelings as follows:
“O Messenger of Allah! Beforehand, I did not feel hatred for any tent here more than your tent. I did not want any tent to be plundered more than your tent. However, I swear by Allah that I ask Allah to improve and bless your tent today.”
The Messenger of Allah addressed her as follows:
“I swear by Allah that you will not be regarded to have believed truly unless you love me more than your children, mother and father.”
When Hind returned home, the first thing she did was to break the idol at home into pieces. With every blow she gave to the idol, she said,
“I was deceived by you.”
She also attained the endless bliss of Islam.[1]
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[1] Isaba, 4: 425.
8-)
Umm Ruman (r.anha)
Umm Ruman was a widow when she married Hz. Abu Bakr. Hz. Aisha and Hz. Abdurahman were born out of this marriage. She became a Muslim during the first years of Islam. She supported Hz. Abu Bakr during the days of trouble and torture. She showed patience in the presence of all of the hardships in the way of Allah. She never complained though she underwent material and spiritual problems.
The Prophet met and talked Hz. Abu Bakr a lot. He consulted him about the spread of Islam. Therefore, he often went to Hz. Abu Bakr's house. Umm Ruman became very pleased since the spread of Islam was talked about in her house. She showed respect to the Prophet and expressed her gladness due to his honoring her house by coming to her house.
After the death of Hz. Khadijah, it was revealed to the Prophet that he was going to marry Hz. Aisha. Once, when the Messenger of Allah visited this lucky family, he said to Umm Ruman, “I advise you to take care of Aisha and treat her well.” Umm Ruman was a clever person. She guessed that there was definitely some wisdom behind this advice of the Messenger of Allah's. She started to take care of Hz. Aisha more. Once, the Messenger of Allah saw Hz. Aisha crying. This crying affected the Messenger of Allah. He approached her asked her why she was crying. She said she was crying because of her mother. The Prophet turned to Umm Ruman and said, “Did I not tell you to treat Aisha well?” Umm Ruman felt embarrassed and promised that she would not treat Aisha harshly again.
A little while after this incident, Hz. Hawla, Uthman bin Maz’un’s wife, went to the Messenger of Allah and offered him to marry Aisha. The Prophet accepted her offer and sent her to her house as his deputy.
Umm Ruman opened the door to Hawla. When she saw Hawla was very happy, she asked the reason for it. Hawla said, "O Umm Ruman! Do you know to what rank did Allah Almighty elevate you in goodness and abundance?" Umm Ruman was curious. She asked in excitement, "What is it?" Hawla said, "The Messenger of Allah sent me here to ask you to marry Aisha off to him." Umm Ruman became happy but she could not say anything. She asked Hawla to wait for Hz. Abu Bakr. After a while, Abu Bakr arrived. Hawla told him the good news. Could there have been anything better than becoming the father-in-law of the Messenger of Allah for Hz. Abu Bakr? He accepted it. Thus, the Prophet was engaged to Hz. Aisha.
Both Hz. Abu Bakr and Umm Ruman were more careful about Hz. Aisha. They did their best to bring up Hz. Aisha in a way that would be a suitable wife for the Prophet.
After a while, the Prophet migrated with Hz. Abu Bakr. Both of them left their families in Makkah because it would be dangerous to migrate with them. A few days after the Migration, they arranged something to bring their families. The Prophet appointed his adopted son Zayd bin Haritha, and Hz. Abu Bakr appointed his son Abdullah for it. They went to Makkah. They took Sawda bint Zam’a, Hz. Fatima, Umm Ruman and Hz. Aisha; they set off for Madinah.
On the way, the camel that Hz. Aisha was on ran away. Umm Ruman felt very sad. She though what she would say to the Prophet if something bad happened to her. She started to shout, "O my daughter!" The camel calmed down a bit later. This small caravan arrived in Madinah after a tiring journey.
Umm Ruman was the biggest support for Hz. Abu Bakr in Madinah as she was in Makkah. On the other hand, she also taught Hz. Aisha about the responsibilities of a family and how to treat the Messenger of Allah.
Hz. Umm Ruman was known for her keenness on worshipping. She performed prayers a lot. Once, she was performing a prayer but she was shaking a bit. Meanwhile, Hz. Abu Bakr arrived. He waited for her to complete her prayer. Then, he asked her not to shake in prayer and told her about the following hadith of the Prophet:
“When one of you performs a prayer, he should not move any parts of his body. He should not shake like Jews. For, standing upright and not moving to the right and left are the things that complement prayers.”
The Prophet (pbuh) showed great respect to her mother-in-law; she treated her in a way that a person treated his mother. This great woman of Islam died in the 6th year of the migration in Madinah. He took care of the task of burying her and placed her in the grave. Then, he said:
“Anyone who likes looking at houris of Paradise should look at Umm Ruman. O Lord! You know the hardships Umm Ruman suffered in Your way and in Your Messenger's way.”[1]
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The real name of Umm Sulaym was “Ghumaysa”. She was from Madinah. She was from Banu Najjar. She was the foster aunt of the Prophet. She was the sister of Haram bin Milhan, and Umm Haram, who was martyred during the conquest of Cyprus. She was married to Malik bin Nadr. Anas bin Malik, who was a great Companion, was born out of this marriage.
Umm Sulaym became a Muslim when Islam started to spread in Madinah. Her heart was filled with tranquility. However, her husband Malik did not become a Muslim. He did not know that Umm Sulaym had become a Muslim.
Hz. Umm Sulaym knew that her husband would not accept Islam and that he would intervene her. However, she was ready to face all kinds of reactions and trouble in the way of Islam. Her only aim was to bring up Anas, her son, who was a child then, as a Muslim. She often taught him to utter kalima ash-shahada. Once, while she was teaching him kalima ash-shahada, Malik came home. He got very angry. He asked, “Did you change your religion, too?” Umm Sulaym (r.anha) was calm. She answered, “No. I only believed that Muhammad is a prophet.”Malik did not accept this answer. He could not understand how his wife, whom he knew as a quiet and calm woman, dared such a thing. He got very angry and warned her: “Do not try to distort my son's ethics and faith!” In fact, Umm Sulaym was trying to save her son from burning in Hell forever. Was it of any use to reject the truths? How long more would the ignorance of worshipping idols made of stone and wood as gods continue? Umm Sulaym answered her husband softly: “I am not distorting his faith; on the contrary, I am trying to correct it.”
However, Malik was in complete ignorance. He got furious and left the house. It was an irony of the fate that he was killed by one of his enemies who followed him. Thus, Hz. Anas was left fatherless at a very young age.
Although it looked like something terrible, it was actually mercy for them because Malik was an enemy of Islam. He was going to prevent his wife and son from practicing Islam. Allah Almighty did not want Hz. Anas, who would serve Islam greatly in the future, to be brought up by a polytheistic father. Umm Sulaym believed that there was something good in everything that Allah Almighty created. She showed patience by surrendering to qadar.
Umm Sulaym did not want to bring up her only son under the pressure of a stepfather. She decided not to get married again until Anas grew up accepting to face all kinds of difficulties. He promised herself: “I will not get married unless my son Anas allows me.”
Umm Sulaym was poor. She led a hard life after that. However, her trust in Allah Almighty was endless. She believed that her Lord would definitely create ease after hardship, and she showed patience.
If she wanted, she would lead a comfortable life because there were several rich people who wanted to marry her. If she accepted their offer, she would not have any financial difficulties. However, she waited for Anas to grow up; she faced all kinds of difficulties willingly for the sake of her son.
One of those whose proposal Umm Sulaym rejected was Abu Talha. Once, he went to Umm Sulaym and said, “Anas grew up. He started to talk in assemblies.” He wanted to remind Umm Sulaym about her promise when her husband died. Umm Sulaym got what he meant.
In fact, Abu Talha was not someone to be rejected. He was rich; in addition, he was a person who was loved by his tribe. However, he was a polytheist. He had not become a believer yet. Was it possible for Umm Sulaym to marry a person who worshipped an idol that he made with his own hands?
Hz. Umm Sulaym was a clever person. When she saw that Abu Talha insisted on marrying her, she hoped something. She thought of making this marriage a means of reviving a person whose heart was dead and taking him to brightness from darkness. He said to Abu Talha, “In fact, someone like you is not rejected. Will you become a Muslim if I marry you or will you live by hiding your polytheism? For, I am a Muslim and I believe in Allah and His Messenger.”
Islam was widespread in Madinah; therefore, Abu Talha was offered to become a Muslim a few times. In fact, he also understood that it was nonsensensical to worship idols, which were too weak to favor and harm people; his heart began to awaken. He confessed that he sometimes thought about those issues. Umm Sulaym took courage from his words and uttered the following statement, which could not be rejected by a person who thought:
“How do you find it appropriate to worship a stone that cannot favor and harm you? A piece of wood carved by a carpenter can neither favor nor harm you.”
Umm Sulaym spoke sincerely and concisely. Each word of hers made an impression on his heart and erased the wrong beliefs. He could not find any words to answer her. He had to leave that place. Umm Sulaym knew the difficulty of making a person accept the truths of belief. However, she believed that she could overcome this difficulty thanks to her perseverance and efforts and by being steadfast in the way that she knew to be right.
Abu Talha went to her again a few days later. He said he would give her as much money as she wanted. However, Umm Sulaym did not want to marry a polytheist no matter how rich he was. She was determined not to accept his proposal unless he became a Muslim. She wanted to make use of all of the opportunities; she waived her natural rights. She even waived mahr, the money that Allah Almighty made legitimate for a woman to receive from the man she would marry. She had only one aim: to save the faith of Abu Talha. She said to Abu Talha that she would accept his Islam as mahr and would not ask for mahr. She addressed him as follows:
“O Abu Talha! I want you to become a Muslim; I do not want any money from you. Do you not know that what you worship as god will burn if you throw it into fire? Do you not feel ashamed of bowing down before such a thing? If you testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, I will accept it as mahr; I will not ask anything else for mahr.”
Those words were enough to eliminate the last remnants of the wrong beliefs in Abu Talha’s heart. Signs of belief began to appear on his face. He thought it would not be appropriate to insist on unbelief any more. He said to Umm Sulaym, “I will accept your offer. I testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
Thus, Umm Sulaym received the reward of her patience. Allah Almighty gave her the reward of her sincere intention like that. There was no reason to reject Abu Talha any longer. She accepted his proposal and married him. Thus, she saved a person from unbelief and established her new house. Abu Talha, who became a Muslim thanks to Umm Sulaym, became one of the great Companions. He used his body as a shield for the Prophet in several battles. He did not hesitate to spend his wealth for Allah and His Messenger. He received several compliments from the Messenger of Allah for it.
Umm Sulaym was very pleased that she saved the eternal life of Hz. Abu Talha. On the other hand, Abu Talha was happy, too. He accepted, which filled his heart with light, and married Umm Sulaym, who was a mujahid of Islam. They had a happy life together.
With this act, Hz. Umm Sulaym set an example to other women. She attracted attention to the fact that a Muslim girl or woman should not marry an unbeliever or a believer who did not practice his religion no matter how rich, famous or handsome that person was. She also showed in practice that it was necessary to make material sacrifices in order to save the eternal life of a person.
A little while after Umm Sulaym’s marriage with Abu Talha, the Prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah. Everybody, young and old alike, was outside to welcome the Prophet. They welcomed him. Everybody knew that he left his house and hometown and migrated here in order to revive the religion of Islam. Therefore, everybody gave him a present based on their wealth. Umm Sulaym also wanted to give the Messenger of Allah a present, a different one from the others': her only son Anas, whom she protected for years, whom she devoted her life to and for whom she faced a lot of difficulties. Hz. Umm Sulaym preferred her son's serving the Messenger of Allah to serving her. She also wanted Anas to be educated by the Messenger of Allah.
Hz. Anas was 10 years old then. She held his hand and took him to the Prophet. She said, “O Messenger of Allah! All of the men and women of Ansar gave you presents. I am giving my son as a present to you. I want him to serve you.” She also asked the Prophet to pray for him.
The Prophet was pleased with her present. He accepted Hz. Anas and prayed for him as follows:
“O Lord! Increase his children and wealth. Make what you give him blessed.”
Hz. Anas lived very long thanks to this prayer; he had a lot of property and children.
Anas (r.a.) served the Prophet (pbuh) until he passed away. He benefited from the knowledge and abundance of the Messenger of Allah. He became the third person who narrated the most hadiths from the Prophet. Today, we learn many hadiths from the narrations of this great Companion.
Umm Sulaym led a happy life with Abu Talha. One year after their marriage, they had a child. They called him “Uwaymir”. This baby amused his mother and father and brought joy to the house. When the Prophet visited this family, he caressed and loved the baby. Days passed like that.
However, this lively child became ill one day. His parents did their best to cure him but they could not cure him. For, Allah Almighty wanted to take this child from the dungeon of the world to the gardens of Paradise. It was impossible to find a cure. As a matter of fact, he passed away a few days later. His father was not at home when he died.
Whenever Abu Talha came home, he would ask about Uwaymir first. Umm Sulaym knew about this but she did not panic. For, her calm, unhurried and resigned state prevented her from panicking. She believed in qadar fully. She would consent to all kinds of misfortunes from qadar. She believed that a child was something entrusted to his parents by Allah Almighty and that He could take him whenever He wanted. She promised to the Messenger of Allah that she would not scream and cry for a dead person. She was determined to keep her promise.
With these thoughts, she washed the child and enshrouded him. She put him aside. She said to the people in the house, “Do not tell his father that he died before I tell him.” When Abu Talha came home, he wanted to know how the child was. He wondered where the boy was since he could not see him around. Umm Sulaym did not want to tell him about the child's death at once. She did not want her husband to panic and be distressed. She said, “He probably felt easy and relieved. He slept.” After that, she brought the meal she had prepared to her husband. Hz. Talha thought that the child really got well because of Umm Sulaym’s words and her calm state. They ate the meal together and talked.
Umm Sulaym wanted to give her husband the bad news but she did not want to say, “your son died” all of a sudden. Instead, she said,
“O Abu Talha! Have you heard about such and such family? When I went to them to ask the thing that I had given them to use, they felt sorry and did not want to return it to me.” Hz. Abu Talha said, “Really? They did not act appropriately.” After preparing her husband for what she wanted to say, she spoke as follows: “O Abu Talha! You are the such and such person I mention. Your son was something entrusted to you by Allah. He took the child back.”
Abu Talha was astounded. However, he could not say anything. He showed that he surrendered to qadar. They buried the child.
The next day, Abu Talha went to the Prophet and told him about the situation. The Prophet (pbuh) prayed for Abu Talha and his wife as follows: “May Allah Almighty make that night blessed for you!”
They had another child one year after the death of Uwaymir. They gave this good news to the Prophet. The Prophet named him “Abdullah”.[1]Abdullah had nine children. Thanks to the blessing of the Prophet’s prayer, all of them memorized the whole Quran.
What a person loves most is their own life. Man does their best to protect their life. However, love of Allah and His Messenger is such a thing that a person who is a real believer does not hesitate to sacrifice their life for the sake of this love. Umm Sulaym was one of those who had this belief though she was a woman. She was a brave mujahid of Islam. She did not hesitate to risk her life in the way of Islam.
During the Battle of Uhud, the news that mujahids were defeated and that the Messenger of Allah was martyred saddened the Muslims in Madinah. The female Companions were astounded. They hoped this news was not true. Umm Sulaym ran toward the battlefield with a few other women. She asked the first Companion she met about the Messenger of Allah. When she found out that he was alive, she became very happy. She would not be so happy even if the whole world were given to her.
There were some things to do at the battlefront for Umm Sulaym as a woman. As a matter of fact, she fulfilled her duty in the best way. She took care of the wounds of the mujahids who shed their blood for the sake of Allah. She gave them water.
Umm Sulaym made her body a shield for the Prophet at the Battle of Hunayn. She took part in this battle to serve behind the battlefront with the permission of the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) allowed a few more women with her.
The beginning of the battle was the most severe moment. The enemy forces were very strong. The mujahids who had just become Muslims and whose hearts had not been fully loyal to Islam left the Messenger of Allah alone. The Prophet was facing a big danger. The ferocious polytheists were looking for an opportunity. They could have harmed the Messenger of Allah. Umm Sulaym saw this danger. She got very angry when the mujahids left the Prophet alone. She wanted to use her body as a shield against the attacks of the polytheists. She stepped into action facing all kinds of dangers. She reached the Messenger of Allah thanks to the help of Allah. Suddenly, she saw something that made her happy; she smiled. Her husband Abu Talha, was next to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and was protecting him. The husband and wife started to protect the Messenger of Allah from the enemy together.
The Prophet saw Umm Sulaym. He asked, “Umm Sulaym! Is that you?” Umm Sulaym, who had such a strong belief as to sacrifice herself and her property in the way of Allah and His Messenger, answered: “Yes, it is me. O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you!” Her eyes were bright; she was so happy. Allah enabled her to be near His beloved Prophet. Could there be greater happiness than this?
Abu Talha was moved by the courage of his wife. Talha asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Have you seen the dagger in Umm Sulaym's hand?” The Prophet smiled. He asked Umm Sulaym what she was going to do with it. This heroic mujahid said, “I prepared this dagger for days like these. If any polytheist comes close to me, I will stab him with it.” Then, she said, “O Messenger of Allah! If you let me, I will kill the Muslims who left you alone.” The Prophet did not allow this. He said, “O Umm Sulaym! The help of Allah Almighty reached us.” After a while, the Muslims pulled themselves together. The battle was won by the Muslims.[2]
Umm Sulaym was poor; she did not have many worldly possessions but she was abstinent and generous. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came to her house, she did her best to give him something. She sometimes stored some oil and food for days and then sent them to the Prophet. She preferred the Messenger of Allah to her own soul.
She had a sheep. She collected some butter from the sheep's milk in a little bag. When the bag was full, she sent it to the Messenger of Allah with Rubayba, her maid. Rubayba said, “O Messenger of Allah! Umm Sulaym sent you this butter. Will you empty the bag so that I will take it back?” The people in the house of the Messenger of Allah emptied the bag and gave it to Rubayba. When Rubayba returned home, Umm Sulaym was not there. She hung the bag onto a nail. When Umm Sulaym came home, she saw that the bag was full of butter. She was surprised and got angry. She knew that the Messenger of Allah needed butter. She called Rubayba and said, "Did I not tell you to take this to the Messenger of Allah? Rubayba did not make a mistake. She said confidently, "I did. If you do not believe me, you may go and ask the Messenger of Allah.” Umm Sulaym believed in Rubayba but she wanted to find out what happened. She went to the Messenger of Allah with Rubayba. Umm Sulaym asked, “O Messenger of Allah! I had sent a bag full of butter to you with Rubayba. Did you receive it?” The Prophet answered: “Yes, she brought it.” In excitement, Umm Sulaym said, “I swear by Allah who sent you as the true Prophet that the bag is full of butter and it is dripping now.” Thereupon, the Prophet gave her the following glad tiding:
“O Umm Sulaym! Are you surprised that Allah could feed you as He fed His Messenger? Eat and thank Allah.”[3]
Thus, Umm Sulaym received the reward of her sincere intention in this world, too. Allah Almighty gave her more than the butter she sent to the Messenger of Allah.
All of the family of Umm Sulaym, her brothers, husband, son, believed in Islam and did not hesitate to make self-sacrifices. Therefore, they had a special place in the eye of the Prophet. However, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) loved her foster aunt Umm Sulaym more than the others. Therefore, he visited her from time to time and asked about her health. The Messenger of Allah's taking care of Umm Sulaym and his frequent visits to Umm Sulaym drew the attention of the Companions. Once, they asked him about it. He said, “I feel pity for Umm Sulaym. Her brother, Haram bin Milhan, was martyred while protecting me.”
When the Prophet visited Umm Sulaym, she did her best to receive the prayer of the Prophet and to make him pleased. Due to her love and respect to the Prophet, she would not allow anybody to sit on the thing that the Prophet sat and to perform prayers on the rug that the Prophet performed prayers. She kept them as mementos. Once, the Prophet came to Umm Sulaym’s house. After talking to her a bit, he drank water from the leather bag hanging on the wall. Umm Sulaym stood up and cut the piece that the mouth of the Messenger of Allah touched from the leather bag and kept it as a memento. Besides, when the Prophet had a haircut, she kept her hair and beard as a memento.
Once, the Prophet went to visit Umm Sulaym; after sitting there for a while, he slept a bit. Meanwhile, beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. Umm Sulaym started collecting the beads of perspiration trying not to awaken him. However, the Prophet woke up and asked, “O Umm Sulaym! What are you doing?" She said, "O Messenger of Allah! I am collecting the drops of perspiration on your forehead for abundance." The Prophet smiled. After the death of the Prophet, Umm Sulaym used the beads of perspiration to produce perfume.[4]
The mementos of the Messenger of Allah were a great source of consolation for Umm Sulaym. Once, she said to her son, Anas, “I cannot cut all of your forelock because the Messenger of Allah caressed it with his blessed hand.” Thus, she expressed her respect to the mementos of the Messenger of Allah.
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Hz. Umm Sulaym could not bear it when she was away from the Messenger of Allah. Her best days were when she was near the Messenger of Allah even though they were troubled and dangerous days. Once, the Prophet was going to Makkah for hajj. All of the preparations were made. They were ready to set off. Umm Sulaym wished to go with him but it was financially impossible. Therefore, she was very sad. She was about to cry. The Prophet said, “O Umm Sulaym! Would you like to go to hajj with us?” Umm Sulaym said, “O Messenger of Allah! My husband has two camels. He will ride one and his son will ride the other.” The Prophet did not want this devoted woman to feel sad. He took her to hajj with his wives. Umm Sulaym became very happy.[5]
Umm Sulaym did not tell anyone the secret of the Messenger of Allah; she also told her son Anas not to tell anyone the secret of the Messenger of Allah. Hz. Anas narrates an incident about it as follows:
“Once, I was playing with some children. The Messenger of Allah approached us and greeted us. Then, he sent me somewhere to do something. Therefore, I went home late. When I arrived home, my mother asked, ‘Why are you late?’ I said, ‘The Messenger of Allah sent me somewhere to do something.’ She asked, ‘What was it?’ I said, ‘It is a secret; I cannot tell it to anybody.’ Thereupon, my mother said, ‘Then, do not tell anyone about the secret of the Messenger of Allah.’”[6]
* * *
Umm Sulaym was a very chaste and modest woman but she did not hesitate to ask the Messenger of Allah about private issues. She knew that modesty and chastity should not prevent learning something. Thus, many family issues became clear thanks to the questions she asked the Messenger of Allah. Once, she went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah to ask about an issue that occupied her mind. She asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Is it necessary for a woman to make ghusl if she sees the liquid that man has in her dream (if she has a wet dream)? The Prophet said, “Yes. If a woman has a wet dream, she needs to make ghusl.” Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet, was there. She asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Does a woman have liquid like men?” The Prophet said, “Yes, she does. The liquid of a man is thick and white. The liquid of a woman is thin and white. The child resembles the one whose liquid comes first.”[7]
Umm Sulaym had an exceptional place in knowledge since she was with the Messenger of Allah all the time and since she asked the Messenger of Allah about many issues. The Companions asked her about some family issues that they could not settle. Once, Zayd bin Thabit and Abdullah ibn Abbas, two scholars among the Companions, had a disagreement about an issue related to hajj. Hz. Zayd said a woman who started to menstruate after performing tawaf az-ziyarah should perform tawaf al-wada too. Ibn Abbas said such a woman could leave the Kaaba. They could not settle the issue. They decided to ask Umm Sulaym about it. Umm Sulaym said Hz. Safiyya started to menstruate after performing tawaf az-ziyarah and the Prophet told her to set off for Madinah without performing tawaf al-wada. Thus, she settled the issue.[8]
This great woman narrated a few hadiths. One of them is as follows:
"The Messenger of Allah said, 'If three children of a woman die before reaching the age of puberty, Allah Almighty will put that woman into Paradise with His grace.' He was asked, 'Is it valid for two children, too?' He said, “Yes, it is.'”[9]
Yes, Umm Sulaym, who loved the Messenger of Allah a lot and who served Islam with her property and soul, was bound to receive her reward. In one of his hadiths, the Prophet indicated her rank in the hereafter as follows:
“I entered Paradise. I heard a rustling. I looked around and saw Milhan's daughter Ghumaysa (Umm Sulaym)”[10]
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There were some bright personalities among female Companions. They tried to learn Islam by facing all kinds of hardships and trouble in the Era of Bliss and formed their lives by it. One of them is Hz. Abu Bakr’s daughter Asma. Hz. Abu Bakr brought up one of her daughters Hz. Aisha in a way that could be a spouse of the Messenger of Allah and he worked very hard to make his other daughter, Asma, serve Islam and belief.
The lesson of belief and Islamic manners Hz. Asma received from her father guided her throughout her life and elevated her to a distinguished rank.
The first service of Hz. Asma to Islam was during the Migration. She did her best to help the Prophet and her father.
When the Prophet was given the permission to migrate, he went to Hz. Abu Bakr’s house, passing by the polytheists; he said to Hz. Abu Bakr that he would migrate and gave him the glad tiding that they would migrate together. Hz. Asma was there when he said this. She became very happy when she heard that his father would accompany the Prophet during the Migration.
She took action at once. She helped the Prophet and her father to prepare food and drink for the journey. They prepared them quickly. However, they could not find any rope to tie the bag of food and the water-skin. Hz. Asma could not wait any longer. She removed the waistcloth around her waist that she liked very much and tore it into two. She tied the bag of food with one part of it and the water-skin with the other. The Prophet was watching Asma’s sincere deed. He became very happy. He said, “O Asma! You will be given two waistcloths in Paradise.” This compliment was very valuable for Asma. She was happy to hear the reward of her deed from the Prophet. From then on, she was called "Dhat an-Nitaqayn" (the Possessor of the Two Waistcloths).
The Prophet and Hz. Abu Bakr were going to leave soon. Abu Bakr (r.a.) took all of his money with him in case they needed it. His father, Abu Quhafa, who was not a Muslim yet, could not understand the self-sacrifice his son made in the way of Islam. He did not want Hz. Abu Bakr to take all of his wealth with him and to leave his family in poverty; he was muttering to himself. When Hz. Asma heard her grandfather's words against her father, she felt disturbed. She feared that he would prevent her father from migrating. She thought she needed to do something to silence her grandfather. She picked up some small stones. She put them in the place where her father kept his money. She covered them with a cloth and took her grandfather, who was blind, there. Hz. Asma held his hand and made him touch the cloth and the stones. She said, “Grandpa! This is what my father left.” Thereupon, he said, “There is no problem if he left that.” After that, he kept silent.
These two muhajirs left Makkah and headed toward the Cave of Thawr after a while. Then, they arrived there. They wanted to stay there for a while.
Meanwhile, the polytheists who found out about the migration of the Messenger of Allah and Hz. Abu Bakr surrounded the area near Hz. Abu Bakr's house and started to look for them. They wanted to kill them when they found them. They went to Hz. Abu Bakr’s house. Hz. Asma opened the door. She saw the ferocious polytheists but she did not panic. The polytheists were furious. They asked harshly, “O Abu Bakr’s daughter! Where is your father?” They thought they would learn where he was from her. However, Hz. Asma was ready to face anything. She would rather die than tell where the Messenger of Allah and her father went. With the courage she took from her belief, she said, “I do not know where my father is.” Abu Jahl was there too. He got very angry when he heard her answer. He slapped her on the face. Asma's earring fell down due to the severity of the blow. Hz. Asma was ready to suffer more for the sake of Allah and His messenger. The polytheists did not want to lose time. They left Abu Bakr's house realizing that they would not be able to learn anything.
Hz. Asma had fearful moments and prayed Allah Almighty so that the polytheists would not harm the Messenger of Allah and her father. After a while, she became very worried. She went to the Cave of Thawr at night taking some food and water. She had learned some news. She did her best to keep the news in her mind. She acted cautiously so as not to be seen by the polytheists. She reached the Cave of Thawr in excitement. When she saw that the Messenger of Allah, whom she loved more than her own self, and her father were safe and sound, she became very happy. She gave them the food. She told them what she had learnt. Then, she returned to Makkah from the same route without being seen by the polytheists.
After a while, these fearful days passed. For, the Prophet and Hz. Abu Bakr arrived in Madinah. When Hz. Asma was given this news, she became very happy. She thanked Allah Almighty for this. On the other hand, she felt a bit sad. Makkah was a land of loneliness for her after that. Her real hometown was where the Messenger of Allah was. It was a pain to live away from the talks of the Messenger of Allah. After a while, she also migrated. After a long and tiring journey, she arrived in the luminous city of Madinah.
The Prophet appreciated what Hz. Asma did during the Migration. She married her off to Hz. Zubayr, whom he praised by saying, “Every prophet has a disciple; my disciple is Zubayr.”
They were equal to each other. Both of them were real Muslims and students of the Prophet; they devoted their lives to the Quran. This marriage, which was proposed by the Messenger of Allah, would continue as a happy marriage. There was no reason why it would not. Hz. Zubayr was a believer who was given the glad tiding that he was a person of Paradise while he was alive. Hz. Asma was given the glad tiding that she would be given two waistcloths in Paradise.
It is an irony of fate that her father was the closest friend of the Messenger of Allah, she was the sister-in-law of the Prophet, she was the wife of one of the closest Companions of the Prophet but her mother was not a Muslim. Hz. Abu Bakr had to divorce his wife because she did not become a Muslim. Therefore, Hz. Asma did not like her mother very much. She was the one who gave birth to her but belief prevented her from loving her mother.
Once Hz. Asma’s mother Qutayla came to visit her daughter with gifts that she could hardly carry. Asma hesitated to allow her mother in and to accept her gifts. She did not find it appropriate to let her in without asking the Messenger of Allah. She sent somebody to Hz, Aisha, her half-sister, to ask the Messenger of Allah about the issue. The Prophet said,
“Tell Asma to let her mother in and to accept the gifts she brought.”
Hz. Asma obeyed the order of the Prophet. She allowed her mother in. She showed respect to her though she was a polytheist. Upon this incident, the following verse was sent down:
“Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.” (al-Mumtahina, 8.)[1]
Hz. Asma was one of the few female Companions who listened to the talks of the Prophet from time to time and who learnt from him. She often listened to his talks. One of the reasons why she often went to his house was that she was the sister-in-law of the Prophet. Once, she went into the presence of the Prophet wearing a thin dress. She thought there was no drawback to wearing a dress like that in the presence of her brother-in-law, the Prophet. However, when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw her like that, he turned his face away from her and warned her as follows:
“O Asma! It is not permissible for a woman who started to menstruate (reached the age of puberty) to show any part of her body to non-mahram men except these two parts (he pointed the hands and the face).”[2]
After this warning, Hz. Asma always put on clothes in accordance with the advice of the Messenger of Allah. She obeyed the rules of tasattur until she died. Once, she refused a very expensive thin dress given to her by her son saying, “It does not comply with tasattur.”
Hz. Asma was very chaste and modest. Chastity and modesty are the best characteristics for a woman. Once, she was carrying dates; she met the Messenger of Allah on the way. There were some Companions with the Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah stopped his camel and offered his sister-in-law a lift. However, Hz. Asma did not get on the camel due to her modesty. She preferred to carry the heavy burden.
Asma was an open-handed, generous person. She rose to an exceptional level especially after the Prophet addressed her as follows: “O Asma! Do not tight your fist; otherwise, Allah Almighty will not send His grant to you.”[3] She never left anything that she did not need at home; she would always give them away to the poor. She led a plain life. She advised her children to be generous. She said to them, “Spend your money in the way of Allah. Give sadaqah. When you do not do charity, your money will not increase. Do not think that your money will decrease when you give sadaqah.”
Asma sometimes became ill like everybody else. However, she never complained about it to people. For, she believed that illnesses came from Allah Almighty and that they eliminated sins. Besides, how would man appreciate health and thank Allah for it if he never got ill? On the other hand, illnesses were a great means of praying to Allah Almighty. Therefore, it was nonsensical to complain about an illness and to groan by saying, "Aargh! Ow!" as if opposing qadar.
Hz. Asma was conscious of these facts. She welcomed illnesses with patience and reliance in Allah. Once, she had a terrible headache. She put her hand on her head and prayed as follows relying on Allah:
“My head aches a lot but the sins that I hope Allah will forgive are more.”
This great woman of Islam was also known for her austerity. She would always be content with what she had, thank for it and would not want more. He husband, Hz. Zubayr, was a poor person. When he got married, he had nothing but a horse. Hz. Asma did her best to help her husband to meet their needs. She would carry dates on her head from a distant date tree that the Messenger of Allah had given her from war booty. She did housework, ground the date seeds to make animal food from them and carried water from distant places. When Hz. Abu Bakr saw that his daughter got really tired, he sent her a servant. Asma became very happy and expressed her gratitude as follows: “My father pleased me so much by sending the servant that I felt as if I was freed from slavery.”
Hz. Asma paid attention to thriftiness; she avoided unnecessary spending. For, thriftiness was ordered by Allah and it formed the basis of the peace in the family.
Asma and Zubayr led a happy life but they sometimes argued. However, they would soon make up. They acted as if nothing had happened between them. Once, they argued about something and could not settle it. Asma went to her father to complain about her husband. Hz. Abu Bakr addressed her in the best way and gave her the following glad tiding:
“My daughter! Be patient. If a woman has a good husband and dies and if the woman does not marry anybody else after him, Allah will bring them together in Paradise.”[4]
Asma was both a good wife and mother. She had 8 children (5 boys, 3 girls) out of her marriage with Hz. Zubayr. She brought up her children and educated them in the best way. She brought up great Companions like Abdullah bin Zubayr and Tabiun like Urwa bin Zubayr, who served as models for Muslims and who were ready to sacrifice their lives in the way of Allah.
The worst pain for a mother is definitely to see her child die especially if the child has become a young person. In that case, the pain would double and life would be unbearable. However, it was like that for a mother who did not believe in Allah and qadar or who had a weak belief. Would a mother who believed in qadar truly and accepted everything that came from Allah whether good or bad do like that? We see the best example of it in Hz. Asma's life that it is not so. She encouraged her son, Abdullah, who saw the Messenger of Allah and listened to his talk to die in the way of Allah; when she heard that he was martyred by being killed in a terrible way, she showed great patience. There is a great example and lesson in her act and surrendering for today's mothers. The incident took place as follows:
Hz. Abdullah was chosen as the caliph in Makkah after the death of Yazid when many Muslims paid allegiance to him. The Muslims of Hejaz, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt and Khorasan found him appropriate for the caliphate and paid allegiance to him. Hz. Abdullah ruled Makkah for a few years with justice. However, Abdulmalik bin Marwan, who got hold of the Umayyad government, sent Hajjaj, who was known as "Zalim" (Cruel, Oppressor), against Abdullah in the 72nd year of the Migration. Hajjaj established a big catapult on Mount Abu Qubays and threw stones at the Kaaba. Against this unjust and merciless act of Hajjaj's, Hz. Abdullah defended the Kaaba heroically. However, many of his men joined Hajjaj by believing his promises. Thereupon, Hz. Abdullah went to his mother, who was 99 years old then, to consult her. He said, “Mum! I have very few men and weapons left. It is very difficult for me to resist. The enemy promises to give me as much money as I want. What is your advice?”
Hz. Asma believed that her son was right and that his aim was not to obtain worldly possessions. Therefore, she asked him not to give up his right cause even if he faced death. She gave him the following advice:
“O my son! If you think that you are right and that you are standing up for the Truth, then persevere and fight on as your companions were killed in this way. Think of your friends who were martyred. Do not be Banu Umayyad's plaything. If you desire the world, it means you are a miserable wretch. In that case, you will have destroyed yourself and your men. If you say, 'I am on the right path. My friends have become loose and I have become loose', it does not fit chivalrous people. How long more you will live in this world?
“O my son! The best cover for you is death. I swear by Allah that a sword blow received in honor is better than living in humility and being whipped. Never accept humiliation because of fear of death in my opinion. I hope I will show patience about you.”
Hz. Abdullah had the same opinion but he wanted to find out about what his mother's view was. Her words set his mind at rest. He kissed his mother's hand. His mother kissed him on the forehead and sent him. Then, she opened her hands and prayed to Allah as follows: “O Allah! Have mercy on this noble slave of yours! Do not leave him hungry and thirsty in Madinah and Makkah streets. Grant him Your bounties in return for his righteousness to his mother. O Allah! I surrendered my son to Your order. I show consent to Your qadar. Elevate me to the rank of those who are patient and grateful in return for the misfortunes to hit him.” There was nothing else to do but to wait for the outcome.
Hz. Abdullah, who fought heroically, was martyred in the end. When Hz. Asma was given this news, she was looking for a memento from the Messenger of Allah. She listened to the news of her son's death calmly. When she found the memento she was looking for, it consoled her.
Asma had to show more patience because Hajjaj did not find it enough to martyr Abdullah; he had Abdullah's dead body hung. Then, he stood opposite this martyr, insulted him and cut his head off. Then, he sent the head to Damascus. They swore that they would not put his dead body down unless his mother came and apologized. It was very difficult for a mother to see her son's dead body hanging on the gallows. However, Hz. Asma showed patience and did not find it appropriate to apply to those cruel people and ask them about it.
Once, while she was passing by her son's dead body, she said, “Will this orator not come down from the chair yet?” They found this sentence enough and brought him down from the gallows. Then, they buried him.
Hajjaj sent some people to call Hz. Asma many times but Hz. Asma did not go to him. Finally, Hajjaj came to her house. He said to her mockingly, “How did you find what I did to the enemy of Allah (Abdullah)?” Hz. Asma was Hz. Abu Bakr's daughter and Hz. Zubayr’s wife. She would not keep silent in front of this oppressor. She gave the following answer bravely:
“You destroyed my son's world but he destroyed your hereafter.”
This time, Hajjaj said insolently, “Forget about this munafiq!” Hz. Asma did not keep silent. She said, “I swear by Allah that he was not a munafiq. He performed fasting a lot. He performed prayers at night a lot. He fulfilled his duties of worshipping and visited his relatives.” Hajjaj got very angry and shouted,“Get out!” Acting upon the courage she took from her belief, Hz. Asma said, “The Messenger of Allah said, ‘A liar and a destroyer will come out from the tribe of ath-Thaqif.' We saw that the liar was Mukhtar ath-Thaqafi. The destroyer can be nobody but you.”
One of the hadiths narrated by Asma is as follows: “Paradise approached me so much that if dared I would bring one of its clusters you. Hellfire approached me so much that I started to say, ‘O Lord! I am among them. I saw a woman whom a cat kept scratching. I said, ‘What is the matter?’ They said, ‘This woman imprisoned this cat until it died. She did not give it anything to eat; nor did she leave it free to find its own food.’”[5]
After her son was martyred, Hz. Asma got weaker. She died in the 73rd year of the Migration when she was 100 years old.
May Allah be pleased with her!
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The real name of “Hala Sultan”, whom we know as the spiritual guard of Cyprus, is “Umm Haram". This great mujahid of Islam, who went as far as Cyprus from Madinah though she was old in order to be one of the people the Messenger of Allah mentioned, is the maternal aunt of Anas bin Malik, the great Companion. She is also the sister of Haram bin Milhan, one of the great Companions. She is one of the relatives of the Prophet through her maternal aunts and she is also the foster-aunt of the Prophet. She was married to Amr bin Qays before Islam. She became a Muslim in the first years of Islam in Madinah. She asked her husband to become a Muslim but he did not accept it. Umm Haram, who did not want to live with a polytheist, did not hesitate to leave her husband. After a while, she married Ubada bin Samit.
The Prophet occasionally visited the house of this great woman of Islam who was also his foster-aunt and talked to her. He sometimes took a nap in her house. Umm Haram always showed respect to him and entertained him in her house. He regarded it as honor to serve him.
Once, the Prophet visited her in her house and talked to her. After a while, he slept. When he woke up, he was smiling. Umm Haram was surprised. She asked, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Why are you smiling?” The Prophet answered: “O Umm Haram! I saw some of my ummah boarding ships and sailing in order to fight unbelievers.
Umm Haram became excited. She wanted to be among them. She said, “O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah so that I will be one of them.” The Messenger of Allah accepted her wish and prayed: “O Lord! Make her one of them!” Then, he slept again.
After a short while, he woke up smiling again. Umm Haram asked him why he was smiling. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “I saw some of my ummah going to war pompously like kings sitting on their thrones.” Umm Haram asked the Prophet to pray for her again. She said she wanted to be among them. However, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not accept this. He said, “You will be among the first ones.”
Many years passed. After the death of the Prophet, her husband Ubada bin Samit was appointed to Homs for Islamic service. They went to Homs together. They worked there to spread Islam for a long time.
It was during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman. The boundaries of the Islamic state expanded thanks to the conquests beginning from the caliphate of Hz. Abu Bakr. However, there were many more places to be conquered. One of them was Cyprus, due to its strategic importance. Hz. Muawiya, the governor of Damascus, wanted to conquer this island very much. He made an offer to Hz. Uthman about it but Hz. Uthman did not accept it thinking that it was too early. However, when Muawiya insisted, he gave the permission.
Hz. Muawiya became very glad when he got the permission. He established an armada. Ubada bin Samit and his wife Umm Haram joined this navy. Hz. Umm Haram was 86 years old then.
The expedition of Cyprus was the first sea expedition of Muslims. Therefore, they underwent a lot of difficulties during the expedition. Umm Haram was too calm for her age. She did not complain at all about the difficulties of the expedition. She remembered the good news given to her by the Messenger of Allah and wanted this good news to be realized. She thought about the grace of Allah Almighty to martyrs and ignored the difficulties. This state of hers set an example to mujahids and increased their patience.
After a long and tiring voyage, the armada reached Cyprus. First, they asked the Cypriots to become Muslims. When they rejected it, they asked them to pay jizyah (a kind of tax). The Cypriots did not accept it, either. Fighting was inevitable. Umm Haram could not stand still; she felt impatient for fighting. Finally, fighting started. The mujahids attacked suddenly and beat the Greek armada. Then, they made a landing operation. The fighting continued on the land. The Greeks could not resist any more.
They accepted to pay jizyah and offered peace. Thus, Cyprus was conquered in the 28th year of the Migration.
After the war, the Islamic army started to return to Damascus. Umm Haram felt very sorry that she could not be a martyr. However, she was destined to be a martyr and it was going to happen. As a matter of fact, her horse became restive. Umm Haram fell off her horse and became a martyr. Thus, she joined the caravan of martyrs, about whom Allah Almighty said, “Do not say they are dead.”[1]
The tomb of Umm Haram, who is the symbol of the conquest of Cyprus, is near the Salt Lake, which is in Larnaca. It has been emitting abundance for hundreds of years. Her tomb is constantly visited.
Cyprus was ruled by Muslims for many years. Once, it was invaded by Christians. However, it was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1570; it became Muslim land again. The Ottomans restored the tomb of Umm Haram. They called it “Hala Sultan”. It is narrated that the Ottoman ships saluted her by cannon fire when they passed near it.
May Allah be pleased with her!
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Umm Waraqa was a woman who wanted to fight in the way of Allah and to become a martyr. While an army was being established for the Battle of Badr, she went to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will you allow me to take part in the army? I will cure the wounded soldiers and look after the patients. Maybe Allah will allow me to become a martyr." However, the Prophet (pbuh) did not allow any women to take part in the Battle of Badr. Nevertheless, he said to Umm Waraqa, “Allah will allow you to become a martyr. After that incident, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) addressed her as "martyr" whenever he saw her.
The Prophet visited Umm Waraqa from time to time and asked her how she was. The Companions showed respect to her.
Umm Waraqa had a great deal of knowledge about religious issues. She tried to practice Islam in the best way. She helped her family about it.
She had a male and a female slave. She told her inheritors to free them after her death. The slaves wanted to be free at once. With the delusion of Satan, they martyred her in order to be set free.
This incident took place during the caliphate of Hz. Umar. As soon as Hz. Umar heard about it, he said, "The Messenger of Allah told the truth." He understood that the martyrdom of Umm Waraqa took place as the Messenger of Allah had foreseen.
This incident distressed the Muslims a lot. Hz. Umar wanted the killers to be caught at once. They were caught and executed. The first people to be hanged in Madinah were those two slaves.
Hz. Umar said to his friends from time to time, “Let us go and visit the grave of that martyr.” Then, they would go and visit her grave.
May Allah be pleased with them! [1]
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[1] Usdu’l-Ghaba, 5: 626.
13-)
Tamadur bint Amr [Khansa] (r.anha)
Hz. Khansa, who was honored to see the Prophet and listen to his talk, knew that children were entrusted to people by Allah. She believed that it was necessary to return the entrusted things to their owner. She grew up her four children with this thought. Her children, whom she took care of and brought up very sensitively, became old enough to fight in the way of Allah.
The mujahids of Islam gained victory after victory. The Muslims reached the border of Iran. During the caliphate of Hz. Umar, an army was being prepared to conquer Iran. When Hz. Khansa heard this news, she joined the army of mujahids with her four sons voluntarily. The army was sent from Madinah with prayers and salawat. After a tiring expedition, the mujahids confronted the Iranian army. It was nighttime. A vehement battle was going to start in the morning.
As a mother, Hz. Khansa, whose real name was “Tamadur bint Amr” loved her children very much. However, her love toward Allah and His Messenger was superior to anything. Nothing could prevent her surrendering and loyalty to her Lord. She was ready to sacrifice her life, property and children for the sake of Allah. Besides, she brought them up for such days. Could there have been happiness greater than being a mother of martyrs for a woman? She summoned her children. She wanted to talk to them and encourage them.
Hz. Khansa was a poet. She took part in various poetry contests in the Era of Ignorance and got several awards. She was even appreciated by the poet Jariri and the poet Nabigha, who was nicknamed as “the leader of the poets”. Therefore, her rhetoric was very strong. After looking at her children's faces, she addressed them as follows:
“My sons! Nobody forced you to become Muslims. You embraced Islam willingly. You joined the army of mujahids and came here of your own accord. I swear by Allah, besides whom there is no other deity, that you are all sons of one man as you are sons of one woman. I have never cheated on your father. Never have I brought disgrace upon your maternal uncle, disparaged your esteem or altered your lineage.
You know the great and abundant reward that your Lord has set aside for the Muslims who fight in the way of Allah. Know that the everlasting abode is better than this transient one. Allah Almighty says, (Persevere in patience and constancy: vie in such perseverance; strengthen each other.’[1]
My beloved sons! When you wake up tomorrow morning, Allah willing sound and healthy, go and fight against your enemy with conviction and seek only Allah’s help over His enemies. When you see that the war has become tense, go to the heart of the enemy. Fight their leaders. If you gain victory, you will attain treasures; if you are martyred, you will enter Paradise and be entertained there.”
When the morning came, Hz. Khansa's sons could not sit still. They wanted to be martyrs and to rejoice their mother. The battle started very intensely. Khansa's sons and the other mujahids fought bravely. They showed examples of heroism. Finally, they were martyred.
After a while, the battle ended and the Muslims were victorious. All four sons of Hz. Khansa were among martyrs. Those who went to her to tell the news were very sad. How were they going to give her this sad news? They told her that all of her sons had been martyred. When they saw that she was very calm though they expected that she would cry and scream, they were surprised. They were even more surprised when they saw that Hz. Khansa welcomed this news, which they hesitated to give her, as glad tiding. Yes, could there have been a greater glad tiding than this for a mother who believed in and surrendered to qadar, who listened to the talk of the Messenger of Allah and who brought up her children for a day like this? As a matter of fact, she expressed her joy saying the following prayer:
“All praise is due to Allah who honored me with the martyrdom of my children. And I hope that my Lord will make me join them in the Abode of His Mercy.”[2]
Glad tidings to the mothers who are conscious of the fact that life, wealth and children are things entrusted by Allah and who do not hesitate to return them to their real owner when necessary!
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The Muslims of Madinah received the Prophet and those who believed in him with open arms. They were impatient to embrace them. 75 people, 2 of whom were female, went to Aqaba in order to invite meet the Messenger of Allah and to invite him to Madinah. One of those two women was Umm Umara, whose real name was Nasiba.
Umm Umara became a Muslim thanks to Mus’ab bin Umayr, whom the Prophet (pbuh) sent to Madinah so that he would teach Islam to the people of Madinah. She had a strong belief. She did not hesitate to offer to sacrifice her life in the way of Allah and his Messenger. As a matter of fact, during the most violent moment of the Battle of Uhud, she used her body as a shield for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Her name was included in the pages of history thanks to her heroism. We will listen to the incident from her:
“I went to Uhud. I wanted to see what the Muslims were doing. I had some water with me. I approached the Messenger of Allah. He was with the Companions. The Muslims were winning. However, they started to lose soon. The Companions around the Prophet were moving away or dying. There were very few people left around him.
I was worried that the Messenger of Allah would be harmed. I went toward him immediately. I started to fight against the polytheists. I was trying to drive the polytheists away from the Messenger of Allah with my sword and arrows. Meanwhile, I was wounded.
There were only 10 people around the Messenger of Allah. I, my sons and my husband were fighting in front of the Messenger of Allah against the polytheists and trying to drive them away. The Messenger of Allah saw that I did not have a shield. He said to someone who had a shield, 'Give your shield to the one who fights.' I took that shield and started to protect myself.
Meanwhile, a cavalier hit me. I protected myself with my shield. I hit his horse in the legs with my sword. The horse fell on its back. The man fell down. When the Messenger of Allah saw it, he said to my son, ‘O son of Umm Umara! Help your mother!'"
The fight was going on like that. Lady Nasiba acted like a moth to a flame around the Messenger of Allah. She moved around him. After the battle, the Messenger of Allah appreciated her sacrifice by saying, 'On the Day of Uhud, I saw Umm Umara fighting on my left and right as I turned my head'
During the battle, Umm Umara’s son was wounded. She felt very sorry. She did not feel sorry because of her compassion toward her son but because of being unable to protect the Prophet. That was what distressed her son too. She went toward her son. She wrapped his wound and said, "O my son! Get up and continue fighting the polytheists." Her heart did not find it appropriate for her son to fail to protect the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) praised her for this sacrifice by saying, “O Umm Umara! Can everybody put up with what you endure?”
Umm Umara’s son got up immediately and went on fighting the polytheists. Meanwhile, the Prophet (pbuh) saw the polytheist that wounded her son passing in front of them. He said, "That is the man that wounded your son." Umm Umara, the great mujahid of Islam, took action and cut the man's legs with her sword. The Prophet smiled when he saw it.
The polytheists were attacking from all directions. They wanted to kill the Messenger of Allah. Ibn Qamia, who was a ferocious polytheist, approached the Prophet. He wounded the Prophet on the face and broke two of his teeth. When Umm Umara saw that the Prophet's face was in blood, she attacked Ibn Qamia. She hit him a few times but he had put on two armors. Therefore, her blows did not affect him. Meanwhile, she was wounded on the shoulder by a polytheist. Some Companions came and drove Ibn Qamia away.
When the Prophet saw that she was wounded, he told her son Abdullah, “Bandage your mother's wound.” Then, the Prophet gave this lucky family the following glad tiding:
“May Allah’s bounties be on you! Your mother's rank is superior to such and such people. Your father's rank is superior to such and such people. Your rank is superior to such and such people. May Allah show mercy on your family!”
Lady Nasiba heard what he said. She was very happy. However, she wanted to make use of this opportunity. She said, “O Messenger of Allah! Pray for me so that I will be your neighbor in Paradise. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not want to hurt her feelings. He opened his hands and prayed: “O Allah! Make Umm Umara and her family my neighbors and friends in Paradise!” Then, she became extremely happy. She said, “That is enough for me. From now on, any misfortune that will hit me is insignificant.”
At the end of the Battle of Uhud, it was seen that she was wounded in 12-13 places. The most severe one was in her shoulder. She had it cured in about one year.
Umm Umara had a different place in the eye of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). He sometimes visited her and asked about her health. Once, he visited her and asked how her wound was. He talked the people in the house for a while. Umm Umara became very pleased due to his visit. She prepared a table and invited the Messenger of Allah to eat. However, she did not sit at the table. The Prophet called her to the table but Hz. Umm Umara said, “O Messenger of Allah! I am fasting." The Prophet became pleased that she was fasting and said to her,
“When people eat in the presence of a person who is fasting, the angels pray for him/her until the table is put away.”
Along with the Battle of Uhud, Umm Umara also joined the Battle of Khaybar and Hunayn with the Prophet. She also joined the expedition of Umrah with him.
Lady Nasiba was also a good mother. She educated her children in the best way. She brought them up as mujahids. These self-sacrificing children never hesitated to tell the truth even if it would risk their lives.
It was after the death of the Prophet. While Habib, son of Umm Umara, was going to Madinah from Amman, he met Musaylima al-Kadhdhab, the impostor, on the way. Musaylima asked Habib, “Do you approve the prophethood of Muhammad?” Hz. Habib said, “Yes, I do.” Musaylima asked, “Will you not witness that I am also a messenger of Allah?” This heroic Companion said, “I will never say such a thing." Musaylima cut Hz. Habib’s arm off. Habib did not accept what he asked. Then, Musaylima cut off his other arm and asked again. Hz. Habib said "No" again relying on the power of his belief. Musaylima got very angry and martyred him.
When Umm Umara heard this news, she showed patience and steadiness. His attaining the endless bliss relieved her sorrow. She brought him up for these days. What distressed her the most was the fact that this impostor, who claimed to be a prophet, was still active alive. She said, “If Muslims prepare an army to fight this oppressor, I will draw my sword and join the army.” She waited for it impatiently.
Finally, the day she was waiting for came. Hz. Abu Bakr prepared an army and sent it against Musaylima under the command of Hz. Khalid. Umm Umara joined the army with her son Abdullah.
The two armies encountered in Yamama. A very severe battle took place. Umm Umara fought heroically. She was wounded in several places of her body. Eventually, the army of Musaylima was defeated. Hz. Abdullah wounded Musaylima severely. Then, Wahshi killed Musaylima and sent him to Hell.
When Umm Umara heard that Musaylima was killed, she prostrated. She thanked and praised Allah for showing her this moment.
When the army returned to Madinah, Hz. Abu Bakr visited this heroic woman. He said to her, "I hope you will get well soon." He continued showing her respect and entertaining her during his caliphate.
Hz. Umar also showed her respect and entertained her. He visited her from time to time. He gave her several presents.
It is not known where and when Umm Umara died.
May Allah be pleased with them![1]
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[1] Tabaqat, 8: 412-415.
15-)
Sumayya (r.anha)
Hz. Sumayya is the first woman in the history of Islam who sacrificed her life in the way of Allah and was martyred. She attained the rank of martyrdom and became the first martyred woman.
Sumayya was Abu Hudhayfa’s slave. Abu Hudhayfa married her off to Yasir, Who came from Yemen and who took refuge in him. The great Companion Ammar bin Yasir was born out of this marriage.
Each member of this lucky family accepted Islam in the beginning. They were inflicted unbelievable torture after that. They did not have anybody to protect them. Therefore, the merciless polytheists inflicted the worst tortures on them; the polytheists made them lie on the hot stones and sand when the sun was the hottest.
Once, the polytheists were inflicting torture on them. The Prophet saw them. She gave the following glad tiding to this lucky family, who underwent torture just because they were Muslims:
“O family of Yasir! Be patient! O family of Yasir! Be patient! Your reward is Paradise. O family of Yasir! Be patient!”
Yasir asked in reliance, only in order to learn, “O Messenger of Allah! Will time pass like this all the time?” The Prophet prayed Allah as follows: “O Allah! Grant mercy and pardon the family of Yasir!” This was enough to console them.
A few days later, Yasir, who was very weak, could not bear it any longer. He passed away, becoming the first martyr among men.
Hz. Sumayya was fretted a lot because her husband was martyred and because she and her children were in the hands of the ferocious polytheists. She realized that she could not put with these inhumane tortures any longer. Once, Abu Jahl came and tortured her. He forced her to exit Islam. However, he could not make her return to the darkness of unbelief. Then, he insulted this old woman and said, “You believed in Muhammad because he is handsome.” Hz. Sumayya could not put up with this insult and uttered bad words for Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl got furious. He stuck his spear into this blessed woman and martyred her. Then, he tortured her children.
Finally, Hz. Ammar got rid of their torture. He went into the presence of the Messenger of Allah. He told him about what had happened. The Prophet opened his hands sadly and prayed as follows: “O Allah! Do not punish anyone from Yasir family with hellfire.”
Ammar (r.a.) took part in the Battle of Badr. Abu Jahl was killed in this battle. The Prophet said to Ammar, “Allah Almighty killed the murderer of your mother.”[1]
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Who does not want to do favors and help people when it is possible? If the poor person is an oppressed person who needs to be taken care of, we can forget about even our own needs and fulfill that person's wishes. We will not eat but feed him; we will not wear new clothes but make him wear. We do all of the favors that we can. Ali’s blessed mother, Hz. Fatima, had such a spirit. She had the burden of a big family with her husband Abu Talib. He was a well-known and respected person of Quraysh but he was a poor person who hardly made ends meet. When his father, Abdulmuttalib, died, his beloved nephew, Muhammad, was entrusted to him.
The material upbringing of this precious orphan, who was eight years old, was under the responsibility of his uncle but he needed the compassion of a mother and a loving heart more. Hz. Fatima did her best so as not to make this blessing child feel that he was motherless. She fed and clothed him before her own children; she combed his hair before her own children. What is more, she acted as if she was his real mother. Thus, the Prophet lived with his uncle and aunt and under their protection until he got married.
When the Messenger of Allah was assigned the duty of prophethood, he was inflicted unbelievable tortures by the polytheists. This situation distressed Hz. Fatima very much and made her sad. She protected him with Abu Talib and did her best to make him forget the pains. She became a Muslim after a while. The Messenger of Allah became very glad when fatima, whom he liked as if she was his own mother, became a Muslim and forgot about his pains.
Hz. Fatima attained the honor of becoming a muhajir when she migrated to Madinah. However, what made her happier was the fact that she became the mother-in-law of the Prophet's beloved daughter, Fatima, whom he described as "a part of me". She regarded it a great honor. She did her best so as not to distress Hz. Fatima. They shared the tasks at home. They did their tasks in the best way and helped each other. They set an example about how a daughter-in-law and a mother-in-law should treat each other. Their getting on very well rejoiced both the Messenger of Allah and Hz. Ali.
The Prophet showed her gratitude and duty of loyalty to Fatima bint Asad whenever it was possible. He frequently visited her, asked about her health and helped her. He did more than what a son would to his mother. He addressed her "mum" and mentioned her by saying "mum".
Four years passed after the Prophet migrated to Madinah. The Prophet, whose face always smiled, was sad one day. He expressed the reason for his sadness as follows:
“My mum passed away today.”
This blessed woman was Fatima bint Asad, who took care of the Prophet in her house, who was among the first ones who believed in him, and who left her hometown when migration to Madinah started because she could not put up with being away from him.
The Prophet took off his shirt and wanted it to be used as her shroud. He himself led her janazah prayer. Then, her dead body was placed in the grave. The grave was big. The Prophet also entered the grave. He lay there for a while. Then, he came out. There were tears coming from his eyes. The tears fell onto the grave. This attitude of the Prophet's represented his closeness to her. It was also a compliment to her. For, the grave that the Prophet's body touched would be a garden of Paradise.
The Companions asked the Prophet about his attitude toward her: “O Messenger of Allah! We have not seen you taking care of anybody else like this?”
The Prophet answered them as follows:
“She was my mother. She fed me before her own children. She combed my hair and put rose oil on me first though her own children were dirty and dusty.
She was my mother. I have not met anybody who took care of me more than her after my uncle Abu Talib. I put my own garment on her so that she will be clothed in garments of Paradise. I lay down in her grave for a while so that life in grave will be easy for her."
After the soil was thrown on the dead body of Hz. Fatima, the Messenger of Allah prayed as follows for his beloved mother:
"O Mum! May Allah show mercy on you and reward you with goodness. You treated me like a mother after my own mother. You fed me while you yourself went hungry. You gave me new clothes though you yourself did not have new clothes. You gave me the best food without eating them yourself. You did this for the sake of Allah and the hereafter.
Allah gives both life and death. O Allah! Forgive my mother, Fatima bint Asad and widen her grave! O Allah! The Most Merciful of all who have mercy! Accept my prayer for my sake and for the sake of Your previous prophets!”
After a while, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) smiled and gave the people who were there the following glad tiding:
Jibril said to me, ‘This woman is a person of Paradise.’ Besides, Allah ordered 70 thousand angels to perform her janazah prayer. The angels performed her janazah prayer.”[1]
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[1] Usdu'l-Ghaba, 5: 517; Mustadrak, 3: 108; Hz. Muhammed ve İslamiyet, 4137; Tabaqat, 8: 222.
17-)
Fatima bint Khattab (r.anha)
It was when the call to Islam was done secretly. The number of the Companions who believed was 10. One of them was Hz. Umar’s sister Fatima. Hz. Fatima was married to Said bin Zayd. Her husband was also a believer. They worshipped together and learnt the Quran together. Hz. Said became one of the 10 Companions who were given the glad tiding of being people of Paradise while they were alive.
Hz. Fatima and her husband were ready to sacrifice their lives for Allah and His messenger but her brother Umar was a ferocious enemy of Islam. He was the supporter of the polytheists. He did not know that his sister and brother-in-law had become Muslims.
That the number of the Muslims increased despite all tortures and oppression infuriated the polytheists. They believed that they had to find a solution. The solution they found was to kill the Prophet. They made a plan quickly. Umar was there too. He undertook the task of killing the Prophet. The polytheists were relieved because Umar was a strong person and he would fulfill any task he undertook. They assumed that this task was over.
Khattab’s son Umar girded on his sword immediately. He set off to fulfill the task he undertook. On the way, he met Nuaym bin Abdullah, one of his relatives. Abdullah was also a Muslim but he did not know about it. When Nuaym found out that Umar's aim was to kill the Messenger of Allah, he tried to dissuade him but it was in vain. Finally, in order to gain time, he said, “Your sister and your brother-in-law have also become Muslims. Go to them first.” Umar got very furious when he learned this unexpected news. He changed his way immediately and hurried on to the house of his sister.
Unaware of anything, Hz. Fatima and Umar's brother-in-law were learning the Quran from Hz. Habbab bin Arat. When they saw that Umar was at the door, they panicked. They hid the pages of the Quran and Habbab. Then, they opened the door. However, Umar had heard the Quran. As soon as he entered the house, he asked, “What was the sound that I heard?” He was furious. When he realized that they were hiding it, he said, “I was told that both of you entered the religion of Muhammad.” Hz. Said could not hide it any longer. He said, “O Umar! Have you not understood yet that the real religion is different from what you believe?” These unexpected words enraged Umar. He saw red. He walked toward his brother-in-law; he grabbed him by his collar and threw him down on the floor. Umar started to hit him. Fatima tried to save her husband but Umar slapped her, too. Fatima, whose face was bleeding was ready to die. She regarded dying in the way of Allah and His messenger as great happiness. Could there have been happiness greater than this for a Muslim? She shouted,
“Are you not ashamed of hitting a woman? Yes, we have become Muslims and believed in Allah and His messenger. We believe that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's messenger. Do whatever you can do to us.”
When Umar looked at his sister, he saw that her face was in blood. He regretted hitting her. His heart softened. He said, “Give me the thing that you were reading. I want to look at it.” However, Hz. Fatima feared that her brother would insult the Quran. She said, “We fear that you would insult it.” Umar told them not to fear. He swore that he would give it back after reading it. This situation filled Hz. Fatima with hope. She hoped that her brother would be a Muslim. She said, “My brother. You are not considered to be clean because you associate partners with Allah. Only those who are clean can touch what we were reading. Rise and wash yourself.” Thereupon, Umar made ghusl. Fatima gave him the pages of the Quran, Some verses of the chapter of Taha were written on them. Umar read them and contemplated on them. Lights of guidance started to appear on his face. He said, “What an honorable and soft speech! There cannot be anything more beautiful than this.” Feeling that Umar calmed down, Hz. Habbab came out of the place he was hiding. Then, they went to the Prophet together. Umar uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim.
Hz. Fatima regarded herself very lucky since she caused someone like Hz. Umar to embrace Islam.
Fatima (r.anha) migrated to Madinah with her husband. She led a virtuous life up to the end of her life. She experienced the happiness of seeing that Hz. Umar became the caliph of all Muslims and ruled the Islamic land with justice. She died during the caliphate of her brother.
May Allah be pleased with her![1]
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[1] Sirah, 1: 366-371; Tabaqat, 3: 267, 268.
18-)
Umm Sharik (r.anha)
One of the lucky women who believed in the Messenger of Allah and underwent a lot of trouble in the way of Islam is Umm Sharik (r.anha). This blessed woman, who persevered in her belief despite the trouble she underwent and who did not give up surrendering to Allah Almighty and trust in Him, received the grace of Allah Almighty a few times. We observe the following karamah of her during migration:
Umm Sharik could not find a companion to migrate with her. Therefore, he travelled together with a Jewish family to Madinah. During the journey, she ran out of water. The Jewish family had enough water but the Jewish man said he would not give water to Umm Sharik unless she gave up her religion. He threatened his wife by saying, “I will destroy you if you give her any water.”
The weather was very hot. The sun was scorching. To travel under these circumstances without water weakened Umm Sharik. She could hardly walk and talk. This situation filled the Jewish man with hope. He guessed she would soon give up her religion. However, Umm Sharik had tasted belief. She had such a strong belief that she would never prefer the hereafter to the world. She believed that Allah Almighty would send her help from somewhere.
As a matter of fact, she received the reward of her trust in Allah. While everybody was asleep, she felt that some water was placed on her chest. She took the water and drank it. After a while, she called out in order to awaken the other people. When the Jewish man heard her sonorous voice, he said, “I hear the voice of someone who has drunk water. He was astonished. He asked his wife and shouted at her. He was furious. Umm Sharik said his wife had not given her water. She said it was the grace of Allah Almighty. The Jewish man believed it. He uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim due to this karamah. Thus, Umm Sharik acted perseveringly in her religion and caused a Jew who forced her to give up her religion to become a Muslim. Besides, she attained the grace of Allah Almighty.
Umm Sharik treated the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) some food and drink when she could. She preferred the Messenger of Allah to her own self. Once, she did not eat and saved some butter for the Messenger of Allah. She called her maid and asked her to take it to the Messenger of Allah. The maid did as she was told. The Messenger of Allah was pleased with Umm Sharik’s present. He told the maid not to tie the skin bag. She took it home and hung it somewhere in the house. When Umm Sharik entered the house, she saw the skin bag. It was full of butter. She called the maid and scolded her, “Did I not tell you to take this butter to the Messenger of Allah?” The maid told her that she took the skin bag to the Messenger of Allah and she could not understand how it could be full of butter. They went to the Messenger of Allah together. The Prophet (pbuh) said it was the grace of Allah. He told them not to tie the skin bag. Umm Sharik went home happily. It was the reward of love toward the Messenger of Allah. [1]
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[1] Tabaqat, 8: 154-157; Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 466.
19-)
Asma bint Umays (r.anha)
During the first years of Islam, the polytheists tried to force Muslims to exit their religion through unbearable tortures and to intimidate and dissuade those who tended to be Muslims. However, the Companions whose strength originated from their belief persevered in their belief and did not make any concessions.
This situation distressed the Prophet. Once, he told the Companions that they could migrate to Abyssinia if they wished. Upon this, offer, a group of 15 Companions migrated to Abyssinia. The Negus of Abyssinia treated the Muslims very well and entertained them. When the Prophet heard about it, he became very happy and advised the other Muslims to migrate, too. Thus, 92 people, 82 of whom were male and 10 of whom were female, migrated in the way of Allah, leaving their homeland.
One of them was Hz. Asma bint Umays. Asma was married to Hz. Jafar, the Prophet’s paternal uncle's son. This happy family had three children in Abyssinia. Hz. Asma and Jafar lived there for a long time with the other muhajirs. They migrated to Madinah in the 7th year of the Migration. Thus, they gained the reward of "two migrations".
Hz. Asma often visited the wives of the Prophet. Once, she visited Hz. Hafsa. After a while, Hz. Hafsa’s father, Hz. Umar arrived. He said to Asma jokingly, "We were better off than you in terms of migration." Asma felt very sad. He addressed Hz. Umar as follows:
“O Umar! No, you were not because you were with the Messenger of Allah. He fed those of you who were hungry and advised those of you who were ignorant. However, were in the land of enemy and we went there for the sake of Allah and His messenger.”
Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah arrived. Hz. Asma was sad. She told the Prophet what Hz. Umar had said. The Prophet gave her the following glad tiding, which rejoiced her:
“Umar and his friends had one migration but you, the voyagers through the sea, had two migrations.”
There could not have been a better glad tiding than the one given by the Prophet for Hz. Asma. She was moved and she wept for joy.[1]
When Hz. Asma wanted to do something, she would ask the Prophet about it and acted accordingly. Once, she asked the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah! My children are touched by evil eye. Shall I make somebody read and pray for them?” The Prophet said, “Yes. If anything could prevent qadar, it would be evil eye.”[2]
Hz. Asma had nine sisters. All of them became Muslims. The Prophet called them “believing sisters” They liked this nickname and liked to be called like that.
Hz. Asma led a happy life that served as a model with Hz. Jafar. She fulfilled all of her duties fully and never disrespected her husband. They led a happy life. Their days passed like that.
In the 8th year of the Migration, the Prophet prepared an army to fight the Byzantines. He appointed Zayd bin Haritha as the commander. If he were to be martyred, Hz. Jafar would be the commander.
Jafar said goodbye to his wife and kissed her children. Then, he left. When the army left Madinah, Asma felt that she would never see her husband again.
After a few weeks, the Islamic army confronted the Byzantines near Muta. The enemy had more soldiers and weapons than the Muslims did. However, the mujahids who left Madinah with the thought of "martyrdom" did not give any importance to the enemy's size. They attacked heroically. It was a great battle. The Muslims gained a victory. However, Hz. Jafar was martyred. There were more than 90 cuts of swords and spears on his body. In addition, both of his arms had been cut off.
Allah Almighty showed his beloved Prophet the battlefield. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told his Companions that Hz. Jafar was martyred, that Allah Almighty gave him two wings for his arms that were cut off and that he flew to Paradise with them. After that, Hz. Jafar was given the names “Tayyar [Flyer]” and “Dhul-janahayn [Having Two Wings]”.[3]
Hz. Asma and her children were waiting for Hz. Jafar. They did not know that he had been martyred. The Prophet went Hz. Jafar’s house. He asked Hz. Asma where the children were. Hz. Asma held their hands and brought them to the Prophet. She had washed their faces and combed their hair. The Messenger of Allah held them to his breast and kissed them. Meanwhile, tears fell from his eyes.
This made Asma worried. She said, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Why are you weeping? Did you receive any sad news from Jafar and his friends?”
The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Yes. They were martyred today. Hz. Asma could not control her feelings. She started to cry loudly and beat her chest. The Prophet did not like it when she did so and said to her, “O Asma! Do not utter any bad words and do not beat your chest.”
The women gathered around Hz. Asma. The Messenger of Allah went home and said to his wives, “Jafar's family are not in a position to cook meals. Cook some food and send it to their house.” Thereupon, they cooked and sent food to Hz. Jafar’s house for three days. This was the first food sent to a house when somebody died in that house in the history of Islam.[4]
The Prophet (pbuh) went to Hz. Jafar’s house after three days passed. He wanted to take Hz. Jafar’s children under his protection. He gave Hz. Asma the following glad tiding that rejoiced her:
“Do not cry for my brother (Jafar) from now on. Do not worry about the sustenance and care of these children. I am their guardian in both the world and the hereafter.”[5]
Hz. Asma lived as a widow for six months. Hz. Abu Bakr wanted to take this woman, who suffered a lot in the way of Islam, under his protection. He asked her to marry him. Hz. Asma accepted his offer. Thus, the family found a good guardian.
Hz. Asma, who received the prayer of the Prophet, said, "This prayer is the one that I rely on the most among my deeds." She narrated a few hadiths. One of them is as follows:
“When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) confronted something that distressed him or some trouble and grief hit him, he would say, ‘My Lord is Allah. I do not associate any partners with him.’”
Hz. Asma, who married Hz. Ali after the death of Hz. Abu Bakr, died in the 40th year of the Migration.
May Allah be pleased with her!
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Umm Kulthum was the daughter of Uqba bin Abi Muqayt, who was a ferocious enemy of the Prophet. She was Hz. Uthman’s sister. She became a Muslim in Makkah and paid allegiance to the Prophet.
Umm Kulthum’s mother was Arwa bint Kurayz. She also became a Muslim in the first years of Islam. Arwa's mother, Bayda, was the Prophet's paternal aunt.
Hz. Umm Kulthum underwent tortures of the polytheists, primarily her father, because she became a Muslim. She was forced to exit Islam. However, she did not heed their oppression. She did not give up her belief. Her days passed with pains and agonies. Years passed like that.
The Prophet migrated to Madinah with the Muslims. Umm Kulthum also wanted to migrate but her father did not allow her to migrate; she had to stay in Makkah. The real pains and agonies started after that for her because the Prophet, her only source of consolation, was no longer in Makkah. Umm Kulthum lived in her hometown as if she was in foreign land. She prayed to Allah Almighty to end her trouble and looked for an opportunity to migrate. However, she could not find the opportunity she wanted.
She put up with this trouble for seven years. Finally, Allah Almighty gave her the opportunity. She left Makkah as if she was going out as she did every day. Her real intention was to migrate to Madinah. She was ready to suffer on the way.
Yes, Umm Kulthum was leaving her mother, father and hometown for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. She did not feel sorry because of this since she regarded rejoining the Messenger of Allah as great happiness. After a long and tiring journey, Madinah appeared. Umm Kulthum’s heart started to pound due to excitement. She felt ebullient. For a moment, she thought about the troubled days in Makkah. However, she felt happy, not sad, for those days. For, those troubled days were left behind and were replaced by good days. She felt happy and thanked Allah Almighty for it. Entering Madinah with these thoughts, Umm Kulthum became a guest in Umm Salama's house. Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet, gave her some food and drinks.
The Prophet was not at home. Umm Kulthum was waiting worriedly because one of the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which the Prophet signed with the polytheists, necessitated returning the Makkans who became Muslims and who escaped to Madinah to the polytheists. Due to this term of the treaty, the Prophet had returned Abu Jandal and Abu Basir, who became Muslims and who took refuge in the Prophet (pbuh), to the polytheists. Umm Kulthum was not sure whether she would be returned or not. She mentioned her worry to Umm Salama:
“I fear that the Messenger of Allah will return me like Abu Jandal and Abu Basir. O Umm Salama! Women are not like men. I left Makkah eight days ago. They will start to look for me.”
While Umm Kulthum was waiting in excitement, the Prophet (pbuh) arrived. Umm Salama told him about the situation. The Messenger of Allah said welcome to this self-sacrificing Companion. Meanwhile, Umm Kulthum’s excitement increased. Her heart started to pound. She told the Messenger of Allah about her situation: “O Messenger of Allah! I migrated and came to you for the sake of my religion. If you return me to them, they will torture me and try to force me to exit my religion. I am a woman. I cannot put up with torture. You know that women are like weak people.”
After listening to her, the Prophet relieved her by saying, “Allah will definitely break and annul the agreement related to women.” As a matter of fact, verse 10 of the chapter of al Mumtahina, which means the woman that is tested, was sent down. Allah Almighty stated the following in the verse:
“O ye who believe! when there come to you believing women refugees, examine (and test) them: Allah knows best as to their Faith: if ye ascertain that they are Believers, then send them not back to the Unbelievers. They are not lawful (wives) for the Unbelievers, nor are the (Unbelievers) lawful (husbands) for them...”
When the revelation was completed, the Prophet gave the good news to Umm Kulthum. There could not have been better news than this one for Hz. Umm Kulthum. She wept for joy.
Meanwhile, her father found out that she was in Madinah. He sent his sons Walid and Umara to the Prophet at once. They came to Madinah and found the Messenger of Allah. They said, “According to the treaty between us, you are supposed to return the Muslims who escaped to you to us. Return our sister to us.” The Prophet said, “Allah Almighty annulled the decree of that term for women.” He did not return Umm Kulthum to them. Walid and Umara did not insist any longer and returned to Makkah. They told the polytheists about the situation. The polytheists did not do anything about it.
Umm Kulthum was not married. When it became certain that she would live in Madinah, three Companions wanted to marry her: Zubayr bin Awwam, Zayd bin Haritha and Abdurahman bin Awf. Umm Kulthum consulted her brother Uthman. Uthman advised her to ask the Messenger of Allah about it. The Prophet found it appropriate for her to marry Zayd bin Haritha. Then, he married them. Hz. Zayd and Umm Kulthum led a happy life together.
However, their marriage did not last long because Hz. Zayd was martyred in the Battle of Muta. Umm Kulthum was a person who showed consent to qadar. She agreed to everything that came from Allah Almighty. She showed patience and steadfastness at the martyrdom of her husband.
After a while, Umm Kulthum’s mother Arwa migrated to Madinah, too. This rejoiced the Prophet, Uthman and Umm Kulthum. It was a family reunion though it was partial. Arwa died during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman. Her janazah prayer was led by Hz. Uthman. He prayed for her as follows: “O Allah! Forgive my mother! O Allah! Forgive my mother!”
Umm Kulthum, who learned a lot from the talks of the Messenger of Allah, narrated a few hadiths. One of them is as follows:
“A person who tells good things, utters nice words and spreads words between people though they are not true in order to reconcile people is not regarded to have told lies.”
21-)
Safiyya bint Abdulmuttalib (r.anha)
During the Era of Bliss, there were some women who did not drop the torch of Islam from their hands, who struggled sacrificing their lives so that Islam would conquer hearts and who did not fall behind their husbands and sons. One of those Companions who would live in hearts as long as the world existed was Hz. Safiyya, the paternal aunt of the Prophet.
Hz. Safiyya took care of her nephew, the Prophet, with the compassion of a mother, when she was very young and did not hesitate to make sacrifices so as not to make him feel that he was motherless. She loved her nephew very much. She guessed that she would have a high rank among people in the future and looked forward to seeing those days.
Years passed and her beloved nephew was given the duty of prophethood. He called people to Islam. Hz. Safiyya did not hesitate to believe; she became one of the first Muslims. After that, she increased her material and spiritual support to him. She worked very hard to spread Islam.
However, it is irony of fate that her brother, Abu Lahab, was one of the leaders of the enemies of her beloved nephew. Abu Lahab took pleasure in torturing and agonizing the Muslims, primarily the Prophet. Hz. Safiyya was very sorry for this unfair treatment of her brother; she could not bear it.
Once, she heard that Abu Lahab hurt the Messenger of Allah. She went to Abu Lahab and warned him harshly: “Does it fit you to leave your nephew and his religion helpless? The scholars of the People of the Book say that a prophet will come from the descendants of Abdulmuttalib. That prophet is our nephew Muhammad.”
However, Abu Lahab did not have the eyes that could see what was right and true. His heart was occupied by fury and hatred. He answered the warning of her sister with the following sentence reflecting the state of women in the Era of Ignorance:
“The words of women are hindrance for men.”
Realizing that it was impossible to persuade Abu Lahab, Hz. Safiyya left his house sadly.
Hz. Safiyya could not persuade her brother to help the Messenger of Allah but she did her best to bring up her son Zubayr as a mujahid for the Messenger of Allah. She was a disciplined mother. She sometimes beat her son slightly. When she was asked why she beat him, she said, “I am beating him to train him because he will command armies in the future.” Indeed, Hz. Zubayr, who was brought up and trained by his mother, became a heroic mujahid. The Prophet praised him by saying, “Every prophet has a disciple and assistant. My assistant is Zubayr.” He also gave the glad tiding that Zubayr was a person of Paradise. Thus, Hz. Safiyya was honored to be the mother of one of the 10 Companions who were given the glad tiding while they were alive that they would be in Paradise.
When the Prophet migrated from Makkah to Madinah, his beloved aunt did not leave him alone. She migrated to Madinah with her son Zubayr. Thus, she also had the privilege of migrating in the way of Allah.
Hz. Safiyya did not hesitate to risk her life for the sake of Allah and His messenger. She became the first Muslim woman to kill an unbeliever in the history of Islam. The incident took place during the Battle of Uhud.
When the Prophet left for the Battle of Uhud, he placed the women, girls and boys in the house of Hz. Hassan. The Prophet did not take Hz. Hassan to Uhud because he was too old and ill; so, he stayed at home.
While the mujahids were fighting at Uhud with their swords, a Jewish man wanted to make use of this situation and approached the house that was full of women and children slyly. His aim was to martyr defenseless people and to become a hero. Hz. Safiyya narrates the incident as follows: “We had no contact with the Messenger of Allah. Besides, the Messenger of Allah and the Companions were not in a position to come to help us. When I saw that a Jew was walking around the house, I went over to Hassan and told him about the situation. I asked him to kill the Jew. Hz. Hassan was both old and ill. He said, ‘O daughter of Abdulmuttalib! May Allah be pleased with you! You know that I am not strong enough to do it.’ Then, it was my duty to do it. I did not have a weapon. I took a big piece of wood. I went out slowly. I hit the man with the wood on his back. He fell down. Then, I hit him until he died.”
After preventing such a big danger, Hz. Safiyya went up to a high place and started to watch the battlefield. She felt worried. She was scared that the ferocious Muslims would harm her beloved nephew. Meanwhile, the news that “the Muslims were defeated” came as a shock. Hz. Safiyya could not wait any longer. She went to Uhud with some women. She asked the first mujahid she saw about the health of the Messenger of Allah. She found out that the Messenger of Allah was alive but that her brother Hamza was martyred. She wanted to see the dead body of Hz. Hamza. When the Prophet (pbuh) saw that she was coming, he told her son Zubayr, “Tell your mother to go back. She should not see the dead body of her brother.” Hz. Zubayr met her mother and asked her to go back. He said the Messenger of Allah wanted her to do so. However, Hz. Safiyya wanted to see the dead body of her brother. She said to her son showing reliance in Allah and patience,
“If you want me to go back lest I should see what was done to my brother, I know that my brother was mutilated. My brother was killed and mutilated in the way of Allah. Is there a greater rank than this? We are ready to suffer more in the way of Allah. I am determined to show patience. I hope to get the reward of it only from Allah.”
Hz. Zubayr was astonished when he saw the resoluteness of his mother, whom he had feared that would faint when she saw the dead of her brother. He thanked Allah Almighty for being the son of such a mother. Then, he went the Messenger of Allah and told him what his mother had said. The Prophet believed that his paternal aunt was sincere. He said, “Then, let her see him.” Then, he put his hand on her chest and prayed for her.
Hz. Safiyya then went to the dead body of Hamza. His body was in pieces. Some of the organs were cut off. Hz. Safiyya was quite calm at this terrifying sight. She did not have any signs of complaint. Besides, it was impossible for a person like that to oppose qadar. After all, it would be of no use. Then, the only thing she could do was to pray to Allah to elevate his rank. He prayed as follows:
“O Allah! We are all Your slaves and will return to You. Forgive my brother's mistakes if he had any!”
This patience and resoluteness of hers rejoiced the Prophet very much. He gave her the following glad tiding, which would strengthen her patience:
“Jibril came to me. He told me that Hamza was written as ‘Hamza is the lion of Allah and His Messenger’ at the abode of angels.”
This news was really pleasing. She wiped her tears with her hand and left.
Hz. Safiyya took care of the Prophet with the compassion of a mother until he died. She did her best so as not to make him feel that he was motherless. However, it was time for the Messenger of Allah to leave this ephemeral world and to rejoin his Lord. Hz. Safiyya was standing next to the Prophet and crying. The Prophet warned her and her beloved daughter as follows:
“O Fatima bint Muhammad! O Safiyya, the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah! Do good deeds that will be accepted by Allah. Do not depend on me because I cannot save you from Allah’s punishment.”
A little while after these words, the Prophet passed away.
Along with her resoluteness and heroism, Hz. Safiyya was also known for her poetry. After the death of the Messenger of Allah, she wrote the following poem:
“O Messenger of Allah! You became our source of hope,/ You did us favors; you did not agonize us./ You protected, guided and taught us,/ Anyone can cry for you today./ O Messenger of Allah! May my mother, maternal aunt, paternal uncle, my maternal uncle and my own self be sacrificed for you!/ If the Lord of people had allowed the Prophet to live with us more,/ we would have been happy but the order of Allah is valid./ Peace and greetings from Allah be upon you./ May Allah be pleased with you and put you in the gardens of Adn (Eden)!”
Hz. Safiyya, who lived 10 years more after the death of the Prophet, died during the caliphate of Hz. Umar in the 20th year of the Migration. She was buried in the Cemetery of Baqi in Madinah.
May Allah be pleased with her![1]
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