Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه

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Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه  (Arabic: أُمُّ كُلثُوم بِنْتِ عُقبَة) (c. 610–654) was a companion of Prophet Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ. 

Umm Kulthum was the daughter of Uqba bin Abi Muqayt, who was a ferocious enemy of Rasulullahﷺ. She was Saiyidina Uthman Ibn Affan رضي الله عنه ’s sister. Umm, Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه became a Muslim in Makkah and paid allegiance to Rasulullahﷺ.

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه’s mother was Arwa bint Kurayzرضي الله عنه. She also became a Muslim in the first years of Islam. Arwa's mother, Bayda, was Rasulullahﷺ's paternal aunt.  

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه underwent torture by the polytheists, primarily her father because she became a Muslim. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه  was forced to exit Islam. However, Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه did not heed their oppression. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه did not give up her belief. Her days passed with pains and agonies. Years passed like that.

Prophet Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ migrated to Madinah with the Muslims. Umm, Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه 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 Rasulullahﷺ, her only source of consolation, was no longer in Makkah. Umm, Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه lived in her hometown as if she was in a foreign land. She prayed to  Allahﷻ  Almighty to end her trouble and looked for an opportunity to migrate. However, she could not find the opportunity she wanted.  

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه put up with this trouble for seven years. Finally,  Allahﷻ Almighty gave her the opportunity. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه left Makkah as if she was going out as she did every day. Her real intention was to migrate to Madinah. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was ready to suffer on the way.

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was leaving her mother, father, and hometown for the sake of Allahﷻ and His Messenger. Umm, Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه 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 Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه’s heart started to pound due to excitement. She felt ebullient. For a moment, she thought about the troubled days in Makkah. However, Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه felt happy, not sad, for those days. For, those troubled days were left behind and were replaced by good days. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه felt happy and thanked Allahﷻ Almighty for it. Entering Madinah with these thoughts, Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه became a guest in Umm Salama's house. Umm Salama, one of the wives of Rasulullahﷺ, gave her some food and drinks.

Rasulullahﷺ was not at home. Umm, Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was waiting worriedly because one of the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, which the Rasulullahﷺ 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, Rasulullahﷺ returned Abu Jandal and Abu Basir, who became Muslims and took refuge in Rasulullahﷺ (pbuh), to the polytheists. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه 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 Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was waiting in excitement, Rasulullahﷺ (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, Rasulullahﷺ relieved Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه  by saying, “Allahﷻ 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:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا جَآءَكُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ مُهَـٰجِرَٰتٍۢ فَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ۖ ٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَـٰنِهِنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَـٰتٍۢ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى ٱلْكُفَّارِ ۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّۭ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ ۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مَّآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَآ ءَاتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا۟ بِعِصَمِ ٱلْكَوَافِرِ وَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْـَٔلُوا۟ مَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ حُكْمُ ٱللَّهِ ۖ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌۭ ١٠

"O believers! When the believing women come to you as emigrants, 1) test their intentions—their faith is best known to Allah—and if you find them to be believers, then do not send them back to the disbelievers. These ˹women˺ are not lawful ˹wives˺ for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful ˹husbands˺ for them. ˹But˺ repay the disbelievers whatever ˹dowries˺ they had paid. And there is no blame on you if you marry this ˹women˺ as long as you pay them their dowries. And do not hold on to marriage with polytheistic women.2) ˹But˺ demand ˹repayment of˺ whatever ˹dowries˺ you had paid, and let the disbelievers do the same. That is the judgment of Allah—He judges between you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

[Surah Al Mumtahanah :Ayat 10]

When the revelation was completed, the Prophet gave the good news to Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه. There could not have been better news than this one for Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه . Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه  wept for joy.   

Meanwhile, her father found out that Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was in Madinah. He sent his sons Walid and Umara to Rasulullahﷺ 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.” Rasulullahﷺ  said, “Allahﷻ Almighty annulled the decree of that term for women.” He did not return Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه to them. Walid and Umara no longer insisted and returned to Makkah. They told the polytheists about the situation. The polytheists did not do anything about it.

 After a while, Umm Kulthum’s mother Arwa migrated to Madinah, too. This rejoiced Rasulullahﷺ, Saiyidina Uthman Ibn Affan  رضي الله عنه , and Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه. It was a family reunion though it was partial. Arwa died during the caliphate of Saiyidina Uthman Ibn Affan رضي الله عنه. Her Janazah prayer was led by Saiyidina Uthman Ibn Affan رضي الله عنه. Saiyidina Uthman Ibn Affan رضي الله عنه prayed for her as follows:  “O Allah! Forgive my mother! O Allah! Forgive my mother!”

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه  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 Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه consulted her brother Uthman, who advised her to ask the Messenger of Allah about it. Rasulullahﷺ found it appropriate for her to marry Zayd bin Harithah رضي الله عنه. Then, he married them. Zayd bin Harithah رضي الله عنه and Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه led a happy life together. The couple had two children, of whom Zayd died in infancy, but Ruqayya lived to come under the protection of Uthman.

However, their marriage did not last long because Zayd bin Harithah رضي الله عنه. was martyred in the Battle of Muta'h. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه was a person who showed consent to qadar. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه agreed to everything that came from Allahﷻ Almighty. Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه showed patience and steadfastness at the martyrdom of her husband.

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه then married Zubayr ibn al-Awwamرضي الله عنه, whom she "disliked" because he had "some harshness towards women." Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه asked him for a divorce, but he refused. So "she pestered him while he was doing wudu for the prayer, and he divorced her with a single divorce." Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه then left the room and gave birth to their daughter Zaynab, which immediately ended her 'iddah. When Zubayr Ibn Al Awwam رضي الله عنه heard, he complained, "She tricked me, may Allah trick her!" Rasulullahﷺ advised him to "propose to her again," but Zubayr Ibn Al Awwam رضي الله عنه replied: "She will never come back to me."

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه third husband was Abd al-Rahman ibn Awfرضي الله عنه. They had six children: Muhammad, Ibrahim, Hamid (or Humayd), Ismail, Hamida and Amat ar-Rahman. This marriage lasted over twenty years until Abd al-Rahman died in 653/654.

On being widowed, Umm Kulthum married Amr ibn al-'As, but she died only one month later.

Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه, 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 to reconcile people is not regarded to have told lies.”

Hadith Narrated from Umm Kulthūm bint ʿUqba رضي الله عنه,

Hadith No: 870
Narrated/Authority of Um Kulthum bint Uqba
Listed in: Peacemaking (Reconciliation)

That she heard Allah's Apostle (SAW) saying, "He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar."

The Permissibility of Lying

SUMMARY: Lying is not permissible except in certain cases such as war, reconciling between people, and conversations between spouses.

وعن أم كلثوم بنت عقبة بن أبي معيط رضي الله عنها قالت سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول‏:‏ ‏"‏ليس الكذاب الذي يصلح بين الناس فينمي خيرًا، أو يقول خيرًا‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ و في رواية مسلم زيادة، قالت: "و لم اسمعه يرخصه في شيء مما يقوله الناس الا في ثلاث، تعني: الحرب، و الاصلاح بين الناس، و حديث الرجل امراته، و حديث 

Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'The person who (lies) in order to conciliate between people is not a liar, when he conveys good or says (something) good". Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The narration in Muslim added: She said, "I never heard him (she meant the Prophet ﷺ) giving permission of lying in anything except in three (things): war, conciliating between people and the conversation of man with his wife and the conversation of a woman with her husband"

QUICK LESSONS:

Be honest except under special circumstances such as war or reconciliation efforts; communicate respectfully within relationships; protect oneself & others from harm etc..

EXPLANATIONS:

This hadith from Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah explains that lying is generally not permissible in Islam, however, there are certain exceptions to this rule. These exceptions include war, reconciling between people, and conversations between spouses. War can be a difficult situation where it may be necessary to lie to protect oneself or others from harm. Similarly, when trying to reconcile two parties it may be necessary to tell a white lie in order for the reconciliation process to succeed. Lastly, when talking with one's spouse it is important for both parties to feel comfortable expressing themselves without fear of judgment or criticism; therefore telling a white lie may be necessary at times for the conversation to remain positive and productive. In conclusion, while lying is generally not permissible according to Islamic teachings there are certain situations where telling a white lie can actually benefit all involved parties and lead them closer towards peace and harmony with each other.

References:

islamicity.org/hadith/search/?q=Riyad%20as-Salihin%20249&sss=1

Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). The Women of Madina, pp. 162-163. London: Ta-Ha Publishers.

Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 3. Translated by Bewley, A. (2013). The Companions of Badr. London: Ta-Ha Publishers

Muhammad ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul Allah. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955). The Life of Muhammad, p. 337. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Ibn Kathir, Tafsir on Q60:10

al-Tabakat al-Kobra for Ibn Sa'd

Zinnairah al-Rumiya aka Zinnirah the Roman رضي الله عنها

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Zinnairah al-Rumiya aka Zinnirah the Roman رضي الله عنها is one of those companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم whom we know very little of, but what we know is enough knowledge worthy of a lifetime only if we could internalize it.

She did not have a high ranking in society but rather she was a concubine of the Banu Makhzum and a slave of Umar Ibn Al Khattab رضي الله عنه (Before he reverts to Islam).

She embraced Islam at a time in Makkah when only the weak were accepting Islam. These so-called weak and the poor would one day be legends whose legacy will stand preserved with the Ummah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم till the Day of Reckoning while those that oppressed them have long turned to dust, forgotten. She is said to be amongst the first to embrace Islam in Makkah.

Despite the crazy torture that the followers of Muhammad ﷺ were subjected to in front of her very eyes, the light of faith started to enter and enlighten her heart. She became a Muslim knowing full well that she would face difficulties. When it was found out that she had accepted and become a follower of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم she was asked to renounce her new religion. We need to keep in mind that like Bilal Ibn Rabah رضي الله عنه, she was a slave and as such had no tribe that offered her protection. She was completely at the mercy of her owner.

To find that your slave was taking a stand and going against the practices of their master was something uncommon and literally unheard of. It was a smear on the public standing of the owner. As soon as her master heard that she had become a Muslim he inflicted unimaginable torture on her. His reputation had been tarnished within the tribe after all. He thought he would be able to make her give up her newfound faith and make her worship their pagan idols again. Despite the tortures inflicted upon her, Zinnirah رضي الله عنها persevered in her belief. .

This perseverance of  Zinnirah رضي الله عنها drove her owner crazy. When he failed, he called upon the Pharaoh of this Ummah, Abu Jahl, who took pleasure in torturing and inflicting harm upon the followers of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.  He started torturing her thinking he would be able to extinguish the light of faith in her. However,  Zinnirah persevered in a literally inhuman show of belief. This just drove him even mad and he increased the level of torture.

Zinnirah رضي الله عنها was the epitome of tawakkul. As long as her faith held on to Allah as her Lord, she was ready to face any harm that came her way. SubhanAllah these are the true women of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and we call ourselves men today.

Of the constant torture being inflicted on Zinnirah رضي الله عنها, she became very weak and lost her eyesight. Abu Jahl, May Allah’s Curse be upon him whose heart was locked shut with the padlock of disbelief loathed at her condition and proclaimed, “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.”

As they say, donkeys never learn, and Abu Jahl couldn’t see her tawakkul in the decree of Allah. She never believed that pieces of stone that people carved with their own hands could harm or bring any benefit to anyone. Forget others, those pieces of stone couldn’t help themselves if they were falling face-first to the ground. She realized that this was a test for her and held firmly the rope of Allah. 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 worships 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 Zinnirah رضي الله عنها in his futile anger. After a while, he stopped completely exhausted, yet couldn’t exhaust the flow of Iman in her heart.

Zinnirah رضي الله عنها would reply to him, “My Lord has the power to make me see again.” Nothing for Allah is impossible. He says, “Be” and it is. Allah definitely has absolute and complete power over everything. As is reported, Zinnirah started to see again the following 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 was true and something good, we would go to it first. Can Zinnirah find the truth before us? Which one of you saw it?”

Those who were near him believed in his lies because they were heedless and had this tribal superiority complex. Instead of reflecting on the miracle that they had just witnessed, they said, “This is Muhammad’s magic.”

Allah replies to them in the Quran where he says:

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَوْ كَانَ خَيْرًۭا مَّا سَبَقُونَآ إِلَيْهِ ۚ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُوا۟ بِهِۦ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌۭ قَدِيمٌۭ ١١

“And those who disbelieve say of those who believe, “If it had [truly] been good, they would not have preceded us to it.” And when they are not guided by it, they will say, “This is an ancient falsehood.”

[Surah Al Ahqaf : Ayat 11]

Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه bought and freed her, along with her companion in slavery Lubaynah. The Khalil of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is famous for purchasing freedom and setting free many slaves who were being tortured in Makkah. Such was his care for Muslims and his attitude towards money.

To come to the point in history again where Muslims are being oppressed not as physically as in the early Makkan era yet, but nevertheless, it is a source of guidance and strengthens our belief in the decree of Allah.  When such people such as these who were just a few in number could stand strong with their faith firm in Allah trusting full well that Allah will deliver them to security, then surely we, numbering around 2 Billion can have an iota of that belief. These were people who had not read or seen the golden conquest of Islam or heard the proclamation of Tawhid resounding in the vast Haramain we see today, where they were put to torture. We have read and seen Makkah as it is today. Will we then not have faith that indeed Allah will eventually and always be victorious.

Yes, today we don’t bear physical torture or oppression but our mind is bombarded and attacked till it becomes restless regarding the validity of our faith. In times like these, of utmost importance is tarbiyah for our youth and learning to strengthen our Aqeedah. We need to man up and take pride in our religion. Don’t water it down, wallahi don’t be ashamed. I see Muslim youth today trying to explain away basic tenets of Islam and that is really scary.

We should know that just because we are undergoing a difficulty doesn’t mean that Allahﷻ has forsaken us rather we NEED to think of it as a test from Allahﷻ that should enhance our faith in Him because our Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم told us that Allahﷻ tests them whom He loves. Another important point we learn from this story is that numbers and quantity don’t matter to Allahﷻ. It's always the quality that Allah looks at. Remember the 313 against the 1000 in Badr, with faith so strong that angels descended to aid them. Our teacher Sheikh Sajid Umar advises us to work and have complete faith in the will and decree of Allahﷻ and if Allahﷻ accepts, then angels will indeed descend to assist us in our affairs by the permission of Allahﷻ.

She رضي الله عنها got rid of spiritual slavery though she remained a slave materially. Where do we stand today?

References

al-Isaba, 4: 312; Sirah, 1: 340; Usdu’l-Ghaba, 5: 463; Insanu’l-Uyun, 1: 239.
Muhammad ibn Saad. Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir vol. 8. Translated by Bewley, A. (1995). The Women of Madina, pp. 180-181.
Muhammad ibn Ishaq. Sirat Rasul Allah. Translated by Guillaume, A. (1955).
The Life of Muhammad, p. 144. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

https://www.inkoffaith.com/post/zinnirah-a-true-slave-of-allah

"Zunaira, Haritha bint Al-Muammil". www.eslam.de (in German). Retrieved 13 May 2017.

"The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets(saw) – Part 9". 17 August 201

1. Author:Allahﷻ

Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه

 

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Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه (commonly known as Umm Waraqah; Arabic: أم ورقة بنت عبد الله بن الحارث) was one of the female companions of Prophet Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ. She was a learned, scholarly, pious, and modest lady. She was appointed by Islamic, Rasulullahﷺ to lead prayers at her household.

Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه 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 women to participate in the Battle of Badr. Nevertheless, he said to Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه, “Allah will allow you to become a martyr. After that incident, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) addressed her as "martyr" whenever he saw her.  

But there is one particular question that as we covered the qurra, the reciters around Rasulullahﷺ, came up a few times, particularly from the sisters. Was there any female hafidhah? Were there any women who memorized the Qur'an alongside those luminaries that we mentioned that preserved the Qur'an? And to preface that answer you have to start off with the fact that literacy as a whole, literacy as a whole was not common to the Arabs. So if literacy rates were poor as a whole, then naturally you will find that the literacy rates for women would be less than men in that society. So there weren't many people who could read or write at the time. They were few and those who could read and write ended up becoming scribes of Rasulullahﷺ and from the women that number would even be much less of people that could read and write at the time. But there is one particular woman who was known to have gathered the Qur'an, to have memorized the Qur'an, and to have been proficient in its memorization and its recitation. 

And her name is Umm Warakah bint Abdullah ibn al-Harith. Umm Warakah bint Abdullah ibn al-Harith رضي الله عنه,. Now her story is that she was a very wealthy woman, a very noble woman from Al-Khazraj in Madinah and she basically was the sought-after woman at the time when Islam came to Al-Madinah. And SubhanAllah when she embraced the da'wah of Mus'ab ibn Umair رضي الله عنه before the coming of Rasulullahﷺ, she had unique circumstances that allowed her to excel in immediately memorizing the Qur'an. 

For one, she was one of the few literate women who existed in Al-Madinah, one of the few literate people periods but she also was literate. The second thing is that she inherited a huge amount of wealth. So she wasn't someone that had to worry about her wealth or her day to day and she wasn't someone that was involved in the politics of Al-Madinah before the coming of Islam. So she wasn't involved in Bu'ath, she wasn't involved in any of the wars that took place. So she really had the opportunity to immediately dedicate herself exclusively to the Qur'an, exclusively to the da'wah of Mus'ab ibn Umair رضي الله عنه which of course was the da'wah of Rasulullahﷺ. 

Now when Rasulullahﷺ came to Madinah, she was one of those who dedicated herself amongst the mothers of the believers and amongst some of the female scholars at the time with particular proficiency in the recitation of the Qur'an and there is something that surrounds her of a controversy of sorts which is that Rasulullahﷺ told her to lead the people of her household in prayer. So when you have the controversy and when I say controversy it's not a controversy within the tradition, it's a controversy obviously a modern controversy that those that try to suggest, the people that try to suggest that Rasulullahﷺ had allowed for a woman to lead a mixed congregation of men and women, men and women used the narration of Umm Waraqah رضي الله عنه that when she came to Rasulullahﷺ and she memorized the Qur'an and she was literate and she clearly became scholarly and distinguished pretty early on, Rasulullahﷺ commanded her to lead her home in prayer. 

The problem is that there is no indication, it's such an ambiguous narration to use for something so extreme in terms of overturning the consensus in that regard to say that Umm Waraqah رضي الله عنه's narration justifies that. The only thing we have is that Rasulullahﷺ commanded her to lead the folk in her home, who could have been children, that could have been servants because again she was a very wealthy woman at the time, it could have meant many things, it could have meant unique circumstances but what we do know is that she was someone who was a distinguished reciter of the Qur'an and she used to teach the women of Madinah the Qur'an and she used to recite the Qur'an amongst the most proficient of the reciters. 

Now subhanallah the next several biographies we're going to cover, all of them have significant twists and turns. These stories are not all rosy in the sense that there is a lot of difficulty these people encounter. Umm Waraqah رضي الله عنه came to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam and asked the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam something very specific and this is the spirit of the ansar of the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasalam. She came to Rasulullahﷺ at the time of Badr, when the battle of Badr is taking place and she said to Rasulullahﷺ, [ Ya Rasulullah, i'dhin li fil ghazwi maak], O Messenger of Allah let me go out and battle with you, let me be a part of the battle with you and she said, [Umaridu mardaakum], and even if it's just there to treat the sick amongst you but I want to be there in the battlefield with you. Now when she says I want to be there on the battlefield with you, she says something very specific, she says [ la'allallaha an yarzuqani shahada,] I want Allah to grant me shahada, martyrdom. 

The Ansar, the spirit of the Ansar wanted to be there with Rasulullahﷺ in his most difficult moments. Remember the story of the man that came to Rasulullahﷺ and said to Rasulullahﷺ as he was going out in the battle and Rasulullahﷺ asked him what are you here for, he said [li udra wibisah minha huna,] to be struck with an arrow right here, I'm going to be with you and I'm going to be struck with an arrow right here. And Rasulullahﷺ said [ustuq illaha yastuq,] be truthful with Allah and Allah will be truthful with you. So [Umaridu mardaakum] says to Rasulullahﷺ pretty explicitly, I want to be a martyr, I want to be out there and I want to be a martyr with you. 

Rasulullahﷺ responds to her and says [qarri fee baytik fa inna allaha ta'ala yarzuquk shahada,[ stay in your home and trust me that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is going to bestow upon you shahada. Fa kana tu samma ash shahida,] Rasulullahﷺ told her that you are actually going to be a martyr, but not in the battlefield, but you will be a shahidah. So she actually had the nickname in the time of Rasulullahﷺ amongst Rasulullahﷺ and his companions as Ash Shahida, as the martyr. So imagine walking amongst the companions and everyone knows you're going to be martyred. How? Allahu Alam. But your nickname is Ash Shahida. 

So she goes on and she kind of occupies this position as being the female teacher of the Quran, the greatest authority from the women of the Quran in Madinah, teaching the Quran, reciting the Quran. She's a hafizah of the Quran. There are students of the Quran going to her and reciting to her to be corrected. She also becomes famous for her Siyam and for her Qiyam, for her fasting, and for her prayer at night. So she used to pray at night and people would go by her home and they could hear her recitation at night. All of this is very significant for the reason of how she eventually will pass away. It will be a long time. So Umm Waraqah رضي الله عنه. goes on and she maintains the status in the time of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه. And she maintains the status in the time of Umar Ibn Al Khattab رضي الله عنه. 

And her home is a wealthy home and her home is a home of ilm, where people go and study with her. And she aged significantly. So she became a very old woman in the time of Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه., which suggests that she was elderly when Islam came. So she's in her 60s or 70s in the time of Caliphate Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه.. And Umar Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. would do his night patrols. Right? Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه., says in the morning one day, he says, He said, I didn't hear her qira'ah last night. SubhanAllah, that's how much you could depend upon walking by this woman's home and hearing her recitation of the Quran. 

That I didn't hear the Qur'an of my aunt. And this was obviously an honorific title that he was giving to her last night. And the Prophet ﷺ used to visit her, al-Shaheedah, and people used to say, let's go visit al-Shaheedah Umaraka, let's go visit the martyr Umaraka. So  Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. went to check on her home. And essentially what had happened to Umaraka رضي الله عنه., this scholar of the Quran, this teacher of the Quran, is that because she was so wealthy, she had a male and female servant that plotted against her and basically martyred her and took all of her wealth. 

So Saiyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه went to her home and found that she had been killed by two servants who basically stole all of the wealth. And subhanAllah, obviously as I said there are twists and turns in this. This is the hafizah of the female companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And she was murdered in her home. SubhanAllah. And the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told her she would be a shaheedah. And Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه., when he saw her in the state, he said, sadaqah Rasool Allah ﷺ [ahina kana yaqool, intaliqu bina nazoor al-shaheedah]. SubhanAllah. He said that Rasulullah ﷺ was truthful when he used to say, let's go visit the martyr. 

Let's go visit a shahidah. So subhanAllah, she's known as the hafizah of the female companions of the Prophetﷺ. And also, the circumstances under which her martyrdom took place, and her shahadah took place was very unique. Umar bin al-Khattab رضي الله عنه. himself personally found the two that murdered her and they were executed for murdering her. So she had this reputation of being the martyred hafizah. Basically the shaheedah and hafidah amongst the companions رضي الله عنه. 

The Prophet visited Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه from time to time and asked her how she was. The Companions showed respect to her.

Umm Waraqah bint 'Abdullah b. Al-Harith Ansariahرضي الله عنه had a great deal of knowledge about religious issues. She tried to practice Islam in the best way. She helped her family with 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 to be set free.

This incident took place during the caliphate of Saiyiduna Umar Ibn Al Khattabرضي الله عنه. As soon as Saiyiduna Umar Ibn Al Khattabرضي الله عنه. heard about it, he said, "The Messenger of Allah told the truth." He understood that the martyrdom of Umm Waraqah took place as the Messenger of Allah had foreseen.

This incident distressed the Muslims a lot. Saiyiduna Umar Ibn Al Khattabرضي الله عنه. 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.

Saiyiduna Umar Ibn Al Khattabرضي الله عنه. 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]

Referensi:
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[1] Usdu’l-Ghaba, 5: 626.

Author:

Encyclopedia of the Companions