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'Aisha (RA) is known as As-Siddiqa (the Truthful one), and she was the daughter of the truthful, Abu Bakr Siddiq (RA), the first caliph of Islam. She grew up in Madinah and had the characteristics of the women of Ansar: she was very assertive and intelligent.  She was extremely wise in her decision making skills. Her understanding of the Qur'an was such that people around her used to come to her asking for advice and suggestions.

 

'Aisha (RA) was the youngest wife of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) who was far more knowledgeable than any man during her time, and she was also the most knowledgeable out of all the wives of the Prophet (saw); in fact, if the knowledge of all his (saw)'s wives was combined, it would still be less than that of 'Aisha (RA)'s. She became a scholar and taught many people. She was an exemplary feminist and stood up for for woman's rights and equality. She was living proof that a woman can be a feminist, yet provide comfort, peace, and love for her husband. No words can completely describe the taqwa of Hazrat 'Aisha (RA).

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“Patience is a virtue” is a phrase that Saffiya Bint Huhayy illustrated through her actions and decisions. Being born to Jewish parents and being raised in an environment where Muslims were constantly looked down upon, she became one of the most beloved wife of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). It is without any doubt the Prophet Muhammad was thoroughly impressed with her humble character and piety but also intrigued by the patience she portrayed.

 

Saffiya Bint Huhayy was the daughter of the man who had plotted to kill the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by dropping a stone on his head. He was Huhaay ibn Akhtab the chief of the Banu Nadir. It was evident the amount of hatred he had not only towards the Prophet but towards all Muslims. He was furiated to learn of Saffiya’s encounter with the Prophet right after the Battle of Khaybar in which Saffiya’s husband was killed. She showed such immense patience that while her cousin weeped and screamed loudly through the battlefield, Saffiya remained calm.It was right after the Battle of Khaybar that Saffiya and her cousin were captured by Bilal, may Allah be please with him and were lead to the Prophet. Upon seeing Saffiya’s cousin who was uncontrollably crying and screaming the Prophet looked at Saffiya who stood there still and immediately took off his cloak and placed it over her shoulders as a sign of piety.

 

It was after that meeting that Saffiya began to admire the character and nobility of the Prophet. Despite the plot her father had planned to kill the Prophet she couldn’t escape the truth that he was the messenger of Allah. Through various dreams, she came in contact with the truth and knew in her heart that the Prophet Muhammad was indeed the messenger and willingly accepted to embrace Islam.

 

The Prophet Muhammad proposed to Saffiya for marriage when she was seventeen years of age and of course Saffiya happily accepted the proposal. The women of Medina over whelm by Saffiya as she was extremely beautiful. This brought about jealousy from other wives of the Prophet. Yet, Saffiya remained patient as she knew the title of being the Prophet’s wife was honorable in itself.

 

When we hear of Saffiya bint Huhayy we often hear this story:

 

One day she (Saffiya) knew that Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, said that she was the daughter of a Jew. She was sad and wept. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked her why she wept. When she told him what happened the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “You are certainly the daughter of a Prophet (Harun), and certainly your uncle was a Prophet (Moses), and you are certainly the wife of a Prophet (Muhammad), so what is there in that to be scornful towards you?" Then he said to Hafsa, "O Hafsa, fear Allah!"

 

The trials and tribulations that Saffiya had to face were immense. She was constantly scolded for being a Jew although she had converted to Islam. When the Prophet had fallen seriously ill she accompanied him by the bed side and said “I wish it was I who was suffering instead of you.” Upon hearing this the other wives mocked since they thought Saffiya was being a show off and when the Prophet saw this he said, “By Allah, (she) Saffiya spoke the truth!” We not only learn how Saffiya remained patient through the hardships she was faced with in her lifetime but the undevoted love and sincerity she had for the Prophet. Criticized for being a Jew, the Prophet stood up for her and made sure that Saffiya was aware of her worth as a Muslim and as a wife of the Prophet. She was only twenty one when the Prophet died yet remained a widow for the next thirty-nine years, dying in Medina at the age of sixty.

 

Such an important lesson is portrayed through the life of Saffiya bint Huhayy. We learn that no matter which religion someone affiliates with doesn’t mean they are any less of a person. When Saffiya met with the Prophet for the first time, she was a Jewish woman who had just lost her husband in battle. Yet upon seeing her the Prophet took off his cloak to give it to Saffiya. This is an example of good character. You never know who’s life you can touch and you never know the situation one is facing so the most that we can do as humans foremost and then as Muslims is to treat everyone justly.

 

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                When we think of a woman living a thousand years ago, we envision a docile, compliant person burdened by chores, insignificant in societal affairs. The life of Umm Sulaim (also known as Ghumiysa) could not be further from the truth. She was woman of that time blazing new paths and venturing into unchartered ground for the sake of Allah, His Deen and her love for His Messenger (SAW). First, she did one of the most dangerous yet brave things of her time: accept Islam, which alludes to her clear mind and intelligence. She then began a difficult and patient journey to inviting her then abusive husband, Malik bin Nadhan, to Islam. He did eventually accept it but had left her and gotten killed.

 

         She had a son, Anas, whom she gave in the service of the Rasul (SAW) for 10 years and asked him to pray for the best for him in this world and the next. Then came a tempting test in the form of a marriage proposal, from a highly eligible, handsome, rich and famous man, Abu Talhah, who was not muslim. She repeatedly turned down his offer, explaining that normally she would never have rejected him but had to due to his not being blessed with Islam, but he persisted. In a highly intelligent and effective way, she preached the deen to him and he ultimately understood her arguments; she asked that her Mahr in their marriage be his acceptance of Islam. Perhaps the most well-known of the stories of her life came next, which exemplified a level of patience unheard of and unmatched. Her infant son died the night her husband returned from hard work and she decided to fulfill all her obligations to him as a wife. At the end of their evening together, she took him to their son’s body and told him that Allah had taken back the son that He had entrusted to their care. Allah rewarded her with a righteous son thereafter, as well as 9 grandsons, all of whom were Hufadh of Quran.

 

           In the Battle of Uhud, she fed thirsty and wounded soldiers water while pregnant. She also actively aided the army in the Battle of Hunayn, carrying with her a spear for protection, and upon hearing about this, the Rasul (SAW) smiled. She and her family were close and beloved to the Rasul Allah (SAW), and he often prayed for their dunya and akhira. Anas bin Malik lived to be 103 years old, with a life of wealth and respect, and had 80 children, many of whom were scholars. She, Umm Sulaim, received the ultimate, most enviable prize: The Prophet (SAW) said: “When I entered the paradise, I heard someone’s footsteps- it was explained to me that she was Ghumiysa bint Milhan”.

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       She was the daughter of Qais bin Sa’d and was married to Khalid bin Zaid aka Abu Ayyub Al Ansari (Ra). He was of the noblest of the Ansaar.

       It was for people like this blessed couple that Allah (swt) stated, وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ Sahih International And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment.

       One morning, Umm e Ayyub woke up and saw that her husband was getting ready to leave to travel. She asked him where he was going and he stated that he was going to see this man who had brought a religion to Makkah. This man was preaching for people to leave idolatry and come towards worshipping one god. She bid farewell to her husband and began to think to herself hoping that this new man would bring a peace settlement between the endless disputes of the Aws and Khazraj.

       Umm Ayyub sincerely wished her husband would return safely, and after a few days later she anticipated his return. When a few days had gone by with no sign of his return, she began to worry and think about the possibilities which may have kept him back. After many days, she finally heard a knock on her door and upon opening, recognized her husband who was standing quite happy and excited. Though Umm Ayyub wished for her husband to rest after his long journey, he anticipated telling her about all the joy he received upon meeting RasulAllah (SAW). Abu Ayyub Al Ansari spoke about his meeting with the Prophet of Allah and spoke highly about the sweetness of the Prophets way of speaking. The way HE made room in the hearts of his companions was mesmerizing. Upon hearing this, the face of Umm Ayyub immediately began to beam from happiness and immediately proclaimed the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (SAW). When the news of the migration of the Messenger of Allah (saw) reached, the people of Madinah could not bear to stay within their homes and excitedly waited on the outskirts of the city.

        Upon His arrival, the Ansar greeting him and as He made His way into Madinah, everyone tried to pull on the reins of the camel of the Prophet as to steer him in the direction of their homes. Every person wanted the Prophet (saw) to stay with them. "Leave the camel," the Prophet would say upon seeing this. "It is under command." The camel continued walking, closely followed by the eyes and hearts of the people of Yathrib. When it went past a house, its owner would feel sad and dejected and hope would rise in the hearts of others still on the route. The camel continued in this fashion with the people following it until it hesitated at an open space in front of the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. But the Prophet, upon whom be peace, did not get down. After only a short while, the camel set off again, t he Prophet leaving its reins loose. Before long, however, it turned round, retraced its steps and stopped on the same spot as before. Abu Ayyub's heart was filled with happiness. He went out to the Prophet and greeted him with great enthusiasm. He took the Prophet's baggage in his arms and felt as if he was carrying the most precious treasure in the world.

        If we think about it, this happiness they chose on their own- it was a blessing and the work of Allah (swt). A person who readily does good, Allah rewards them with MORE good! They weren’t just people who met the Prophet, saw good, and turned away or waited rather upon seeing good, they immediately accepted. Often times, we come across many opportunities to do good. Sometimes, it could be as simple as being given the chance to help a neighbor in need, to cook food for someone, or it could be that we’re given the opportunity to join a class to learn the book of Allah. When chances like these come up, often times we begin to make excuses. I’m too busy with my kids, I’m too busy with university/school, if I give time to the Qur’an, my family will be affected, so on and so forth. Looking at the life of Umm & Abu Ayyub Al Ansari, we see that those who race to do good, those who seek opportunities to exceed in righteous actions are the ones whom Allah rewards with good. On the other hand, when we continue to give up opportunities of goodness, Allah (swt) begins to take away those chances we may have to do good. Therefore, in whatever way it may be, utilize your time do excel in doing those things which are pleasing to Allah (swt).

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Umm Sa’ad Al-Askandarriyyah If there were one love that not only could take you to Jannah but also elevate your rank in it, deepen your relationship with Allah because of it, and clarify your purpose in life, this would be it. Study the extraordinary life of Umm Sa’ad Al-Askandarriyyah and you will witness an extraordinary love of and for the Quran, rarely matched by anyone in the past or present. She was not of another era, but rather a woman of our time, passing away just this past 2006 on the 17th of Ramadhan. Umm Sa’ad had a very deep desire to learn the Quran at a very young age and completed its memorization and study by the young age of 15. She then approached the supreme Shaykha of her time, Nufaysah Abu AlAlaa, to teach her the 10 Qirat’at personally, and then mastered all this by age 23. She was known to abide by, as a student and then as a teacher, a most strict and arduous schedule.

This started her illustrious mission of spending the next 50+ years of teaching and granting Ijazaat. Men and women, young and old, of all professions and statuses, from every walk of life, from far and near, all directed towards her to learn from such a woman, known to be an encyclopedia on everything and anything related to the Quran and Ahadith. It was said that men sought fatawa to be able to study from her, in her company and to hear her recitation, which was granted by Sheikh Muhammad Ismael due to her age. She was not of a time when it was not easy nor encouraged to study the Quran with such intensity, especially for women, yet not only did she defy the odds, she excelled in the field.

She fulfilled the rights the Quran has on us to the best of her ability and was an example of what to do with the knowledge we are blessed to be given, as she said in her own words, “It is from the blessings of my Lord that anyone has obtained an Ijazah in the Quran…directly from me…” But the most significant and poignant fact about her, a fact that should shake us to the core, is that she was blind! Without the gift of sight, she went above and beyond in the field of learning and teaching Qira’at.

 

This is only possible with love for the Quran so deep that nothing could keep her from it, not societal pressures, not the difficulty of the task, not even blindness! It should humble us who make excuses that don’t even exist. This bond can best be described in Umm Sa’ad’s own sincere words: "Sixty years of memorizing the Quran and it's recitations has made me unable to forget any of it. I can recall every ayah, it's surah and its juz..and how to recite the same ayah in different qira'aat. I feel like I know the Quran like my name, I cannot imagine forgetting a letter of it or making a mistake in it. I don't know anything other than the Quran and its recitations.. I don't know anything other than that." Such a high level of familiarity is not possible without an equally high amount of time and dedication given to its task.

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اسماء بنت عمیس رضی اللہ عنہا

Asmaa bint Umais (radhiAllahu anha)

 

          Upon reading the title of this woman, how many of you could recall anything about her?  Unfortunately, not many people recognize this name.  Michael Crichton said, “If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.” If we as Muslim women do not know about the women in our history that played a tremendous role in the growth of our deen, then we won’t know about our roots. Where we belong, who are our heroes, our role models, who are those people who sacrificed so much in order to allow the message of this to reach us today? In the Quran, Allah (swt) says,

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ

Guide us to the straight path

صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.

 

5 times a day, we ask Allah (swt) to give us the ability to walk in the footsteps of those people whom HE is pleased with. But how is that possible when we don’t know who those people are or what were the actions they performed were. Their lives, their words, and their actions were such that Allah (swt) say about them
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him.

Often times, we turn to read the Seerah of the Prophet (saw) and the Sahabah (rA), which is highly encouraged, but what about their beloved wives and daughters who were their backbones and support at a time when no one stood behind them? Asmaa bint Umais is one of those beloved woman who helped shaped our history and who played an integral part in the homes many sahabah, may Allah (swt) be pleased with her.

Asmaa bint Umais was one of four sisters: Maymoona (Ra), the beloved wife of RasulAllah (saw), Umm al Fadhl (Ra) the wife of Abbass bin Abdul Muttalib, and lastly, Salma (ra) the wife of Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib. Asmaa bint Umais was the wife of Jaafar bin Abi Talib, making her the sister-in-law of RasulAllah and the sister-in-law of Fatima (Ra), making her related to the Prophet (saw) in multiple ways. Asmaa’ had the same level of greatness that manifested in her husband Ja’far. She was equally enduring, understanding and cognizant of her responsibility. The evidence for this can be seen in her pleasant character and deep faith. The Prophet (peace be upon him) even attested to her being one of the ‘believing sisters’.
          Soon after their marriage, Asmaa and Jafar (Ra) set out for Abyssinia as emigrants in the way of Allah. Their new marriage did not prevent them from sacrificing for their deen. Instead of staying in Makkah and enjoying their first days of marriage, their honeymoon had been in the path of struggle and perseverance. Often times, as women we find it difficult to detach ourselves from our friends, family, and homes and we learn a lot from the example Asmaa (ra). When it comes to Allah (swt), no comfort or enjoyment comes before our duties to Him. When a person has a focus and goal to reach, they do everything in their hands to ensure its fulfillment. Often times, we don’t realize the value of Imaan because living in 2014, it has been passed down quite easily to us. However, keep in mind that for these companions, they were showered with one hardship after the next, being tested by lack of food, physical and mental torture and spiritual constriction. Nonetheless, their dedication to Islam unshakeable.
          Their stay in Abyssinia was not a short one. Rather, Asmaa’ stayed there for fifteen years and it was there that her children were born: Muhammad, Abdullah, and Aun’. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to stay in contact with them by sending emissaries who would convey to them the news of how the Prophet and his Companions were doing. They would also be informed of new revelation and legislation that were revealed.  Many years later when the muhajireen returned, the Prophet (saw) was occupied in the Battle of Khaybar. Upon the conquering of Khaybar, He (saw) was given the good news of the return of the muhajireen from Abyssinia. He returned to Madinah, met Jafar ibn Abi Talib and kissed his forehead saying, "By Allah, I do not know which occasion does please me more: the victory in Khaybar or the arrival of Ja'far." RasulAllah (saw) dearly loved Jafar ibn Abi Talib and would often tell him that he resembled the features of the Prophet (Saw).

Imam Bukhari narrates an incidient which shows the strong nature of Asmaa (ra)

The news of the migration of the Prophet (ﷺ) (from Mecca to Medina) reached us while we were in Yemen. So we set out as emigrants towards him. We were (three) I and my two brothers. I was the youngest of them, and one of the two was Abu Burda, and the other, Abu Ruhm, and our total number was either 53 or 52 men from my people. We got on board a boat and our boat took us to Negus in Ethiopia. There we met Ja`far bin Abi Talib and stayed with him. Then we all came (to Medina) and met the Prophet (ﷺ) at the time of the conquest of Khaibar. Some of the people used to say to us, namely the people of the ship, "We have migrated before you." Asma' bint 'Umais who was one of those who had come with us, came as a visitor to Hafsa, the wife the Prophet (ﷺ) . She had migrated along with those other Muslims who migrated to Negus. `Umar came to Hafsa while Asma' bint 'Umais was with her. `Umar, on seeing Asma,' said, "Who is this?" She said, "Asma' bint 'Umais," `Umar said, "Is she the Ethiopian? Is she the sea-faring lady?" Asma' replied, "Yes." `Umar said, "We have migrated before you (people of the boat), so we have got more right than you over Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) " On that Asma' became angry and said, "No, by Allah, while you were with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who was feeding the hungry ones amongst you, and advised the ignorant ones amongst you, we were in the far-off hated land of Ethiopia, and all that was for the sake of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . By Allah, I will neither eat any food nor drink anything till I inform Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of all that you have said. There we were harmed and frightened. I will mention this to the Prophet (ﷺ) and will not tell a lie or curtail your saying or add something to it.  So, when Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) came, she said: Allah's Apostle, 'Umar says so and so. Upon this Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: His right is not more than yours, for him and his companions there is one migration, but for you, i. e. for the people of the boat, there are two migrations. She said: I saw Abu Musa and the people of the boat coming to me in groups and asking me about this hadith, because there was nothing more pleasing and more significant for them than this. Abu Burda reported that Asma said: I saw Abu Musa, asking me to repeat this hadith to him again and again."

Look at the strength of Asmaa (ra) to be able to speak before Umar (ra) in such a firm manner! We see that as women, the sahabiyyat would compete with the sahabah in order to strive for more reward. She was upset that Umar (Ra) would suggest that they were left behind, but RasulAllah (saw) acknowledged BOTH of their migrations, showing us that even the smallest of acts can help us obtain the highest of ranks.
          After some time, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Jafar (ra) to the battle of Mu’tah, he was to take command if the commander Zaid ibn Haarithah was martyred. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed the Muslims that if the first commander was martyred the second should take up responsibility and if the second commander was martyred, the third one should take up the command and that if the third was also killed the Muslims would have to agree to a commander among themselves. The three commanders were: Zayd ibn Haarithah, Ja’far ibn Abu Talib and Abdullah ibn Rawaahah, may Allah be pleased with them all. All three commanders were martyred, including the husband of Asmaa’. His hand was cut off while he was holding the banner and eventually this is how he was killed as a martyr and is now flying in the hearts of green birds. We know this because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) later informed the Companions that Allah had substituted the hands of Ja’far with two wings by which he could fly as he wished and wherever he wished in Paradise.
          Asmaa’  bint Umais was overwhelmed by the news of the death of her beloved husband. Tears of pain, sadness and parting flowed from her blessed face. They had been companions in the true sense of the word. Asma’s tears never dried and she never ceased crying until Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) visited her on the third day and consoled her. He requested the presence of Ja’far’s sons and they all came.

Abdullah ibn Ja’far (one of the sons of Asma and Ja’far) narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave Ja’far’s family some time to mourn over his death and then visited them saying, ‘Do not cry over my brother after this day.’ He then said, ‘Bring the children of my brother to me,’ and we were brought to him like young birds. He then said, ‘Call the barber for me!’ And the barber came and shaved our heads.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said, “As for Muhammed (one of Ja’far’s brothers), he looks like our uncle Abu Talib, as for ‘Abdullah he resembles me. O Allah! Be the supporter of Ja’far’s family and bless ‘Abdullah (his son) in the transactions undertaken by his hands.” The Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, repeated this three times.

Then our mother came and mentioned how her children were now orphans and began crying. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to her, “Asmaa’, are your afraid of poverty for them while I am their guardian in this world and in the hereafter?”
          During the Battle of Hunayn, the wife of Abu Bakr, Umm Roomaan, died. Soon afterward, Abu Bakr (ra) sent a proposal to Asmaa bin Umais who readily accepted. Both of these companions upheld numerous noteworthy qualities making them exemplary for each other.  Asma’ (may Allah be pleased with her) lived in the house of Abu Bakr as a satisfied and honorable wife. On the way to Hajjatul Wada’ (the Final Hajj), she gave birth to a son from Abu Bakr whose name was Muhammed. SubhanAllah! Imagine the strength and determination Asmaa (Ra) upheld to do good even towards the end of her pregnancy. Remember, Hajj was not an easy journey; rather it was one that required excess patience for travelling in hot, dusty weather.
          A manifestation of good companionship that Asma’ enjoyed with her husband Abu Bakr became evident when he was in his final illness and ordered that Asmaa’ should wash him when he died. This clearly showed their love and trust for each other.
          Later on, Ali ibn Abi Taalib then sent a proposal to Asmaa, which she accepted. The wisdom behind this marriage was that both had young children that were in need of tarbiyyah. Therefore, their marriage was one that brought their children together as a family.  Together, they had a son with him named, Yahya.
          It was reported that her sons Muhammed ibn Ja’far and Muhammed ibn Abu Bakr were boasting to each other one day, each one of them saying to the other that he was better and that his father was better than the others. ‘Ali was present and asked Asmaa’ to judge between them. Here Asma’ demonstrated worthy traits of a Muslim woman and a believing wife! She provided in her answer a lesson for every girl, every wife and every mother. She answered without hesitation or discrimination: “I have never seen a young man better than Ja’far, and I have never seen a middle-aged man better than Abu Bakr.”

The two boys then went quiet and stopped their bragging. It was then that ‘Ali jokingly asked, “What have you then left for us?” And of course, she loved him dearly too.

May Allah (swt) allow us to learn from the life of Asmaa bint Umais. May we, too, be of those women who are steadfast on this beautiful deen and are willing to sacrifice for it. May Allah (swt) be pleased with her and allow us to be of those women who HE is pleased with. Ameen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BARAKAH ( Umm Aiman ), Straight from Allah.

 

Imagine someone as majestic as our beloved RasulAllah (saw) calling you a beautiful name “Ya Ummah” out of love, or lovingly wiping your face and eyes upon seeing you tired.  Imagine talking to our beloved Rasul (saw) before even his birth, being the first to cradle him upon birth and comforting him as a young child upon his mother’s death.  This was the very special, yet very little known of, relationship of the Rasul (saw) and Barakah (ra).

Hers is a story worth knowing, a life to be learned much from, a bond to be envied. She came from an unknown source, her roots untraced, as a child slave from Abyssinia.  She went on to become a constant companion and confidant to Aminah, the Rasul’s (saw) mother, comforting her during her husband’s absence, pregnancy, illness and death.  She cried with her and for her, burying her with her own hands upon her death.  She was instructed to then be as a mother to the young Muhammad (saw), a task she took to her heart.   She became the same for the Rasul (saw) and Khadija (ra) eventually.  She resided with them, married whom they chose and stayed with them until their deaths too.  Hers was this honor alone, to have known, served and loved the Rasul (saw) from even before his birth until his death.   She was among the first believers in the message and risked her life and faced persecution for Islam, such as when running errands to the house of Al-Arqum, a secret place where the Rasul (saw) taught his companions the teachings of the Deen.  She tended to the wounded and thirsty in the Battle of Uhud, among other expeditions she was honored to have accompanied the Rasul (saw) to.  Her husband and son were beloved to the Rasul (saw) and other muslims and were blessed martyrs in the Battle of Mutah and Hunayn, respectively.  When asked how she was doing by the Rasul (saw), her answer showed nothing short of an awe inspiring dedication: “I am well, O Messenger of Allah, so long as Islam is.”

Her life exemplifies the beauty of Islam, the true Baraka that Allah bestows on His true servants.  To go from an unknown Abyssinian girl child for sale, to someone that the most beloved messenger of our entire Ummah actually himself loved, is miraculous: her ranks raising because of her love for and dedication to the message of Islam. Imagine the Rasul (saw) telling you “You are blessed, Umm Ayman.  Surely you have a place in Paradise.”

Such was the reward for her selfless service in life and devotion to everything surrounding the Rasul Allah (saw).