Hindun bint Utbah رضي الله عنه is among the good and beautiful women. Famous for many ideas, intelligent, eloquent, smart in language, good at literature and also poetry. She was also proficient in horseback riding and had a solid maturity of the soul. She was married to Abu Sufyan bin Harb.
During the Battle of Badr, several people were killed such as Utbah bin Rabi'ah, Shaybah bin Rabi'ah, and Walid bin Utbah. Those who died were from close Hindun families. Upon receiving the news she mourned their deaths.
At the time of the Battle of Uhud, Abu Sufyan came out and became one of the commanders of the Makkah army. She fought with the Makkans who were joined by 15 other women. As the two teams faced each other and got closer, Hindun stood among the women who were with her, then they took a drum and started beating it in the back row of the team to give encouragement.
After the battle, Hindun and some women who were with her fell silent, then counted the number of victims killed by the Muslims. They get a lot of ears and noses. She took some pieces of the ears and noses of the Muslims as anklets and necklaces.
Hindun also tore the stomach of Saiyidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه, the uncle of Rasulullahﷺ, and removed his heart, then chewed it. But she was unable to swallow it, so she vomited.
This news was then conveyed to Rasulullahﷺ. Rasulullahﷺ said, "If he had swallowed it, he would not have been touched by the fire of hell, because Allahﷻ forbade hell to touch the flesh of Hamzah at all."
At the time of the Fathul Makkah (opening of the city of Makkah) with the peaceful entry of Muslim forces into the Holy City, Hindun became one of the converts to Islam.
She once said to Abu Sufyan, "I want to be a follower of Muhammad.
"Didn't I see you hated him so much yesterday," said Abu Sufyan.
"Indeed, I have never seen a person who worships Allahﷻ correctly until what I witnessed last night. By Allahﷻ, they are comfortable standing, bowing, and prostrating."
"If you stick to your decision then carry it out, go bring one of your people to accompany you," said Abu Sufyan.
Then the Hindun went to Rasulullahﷺt to pledge allegiance. She came in disguise with a veil, feeling afraid when Rasulullahﷺ arrested him after recognizing his voice.
At that time, many men — including Abu Sufyan — and women came to pledge allegiance. Rasulullahﷺ was accompanied by his companions.
The Hindun said, "O Messenger of Allah, all praise is due to Allah who has sent down the religion of His choice so that it can be beneficial for me. May Allah bestows His mercy on you, O Muhammad. Indeed I am a woman who has believed in Allah and justified what was delivered by His Messenger. "
Rasulullahﷺ said, "Welcome to you."
"By Allah," said the Hindun, "there is nothing on this earth that dwells in tents dearer to me than they are always with your tents. And verily I have been a part of it. And there are no inhabitants on this earth who dwell in tents. who dwell in tents more I love than those who always want to be near you. "
"And in addition, recite the Qur'an to women. You must swear allegiance that you will never associate anything with Allah," Rasulullahﷺ said.
"By God, indeed you have the right to command anything to us, what is commanded to men and we will obey it."
"Don't you steal!"
"By Allah, if I use the property belonging to Abu Sufyan for a purpose, I do not know, whether it is lawful or not?" asked the Hindun.
Rasulullahﷺ asked, "Are you really Hindun bint Utbah?"
"True, I am Hindun bint Utbah, so forgive what has passed."
Then Rasulullahﷺ said, "Do not commit adultery!"
"O Messenger of Allah, is a slave who has been freed considered an adulterer?"
"Don't you kill your children!"
"Indeed we have taken care of them since childhood and they were killed in the Battle of Badr as an adult. You and they know that better."
Saiyidina Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه laughed at the Hindun answer. Rasulullahﷺ continued, "Do not spread slander and make false news!"
"By Allah, maintaining slander is really a bad deed and a futile deed."
"And do not sin against me for a good deed!"
The Hindun said, "We are sitting in this assembly not to commit immorality against you in matters of makruf."
Rasulullahﷺ then said to Saiyidina Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه, "All of them pledge allegiance, O Umar. And ask Allahﷻ 's forgiveness for them!"
Saiyidina Umar bin Khattab رضي الله عنه, then pledged allegiance to them. Rasulullahﷺ did not shake hands with the women, nor did he touch them except the women who were really made lawful by Allahﷻ for him or the women who became his muhrim.
After becoming a Muslimah who is an expert in worship; diligent night prayers and fasting. She was very consistent with his new status until the time came that brought darkness to the whole earth, namely the demised of Rasulullahﷺ.
The Hindun was very shocked, his heart was almost broken because she felt that she had been an enemy of Rasulullahﷺ for too long and had just been able to accept Islam. Nevertheless, she still maintained her Islam well. She remained a member of ibadah and kept the faithful promise she had made in the presence of Rasulullahﷺ.
In the Battle of Yarmuk, Hindun had a very big role. Ibn Jarir رضي الله عنه said, "On that day, the Muslims fought to the end. They managed to defeat the Roman army in very large numbers. Meanwhile, the women drove away any desperate Muslim soldiers and retreated from the battlefield. They shouted, 'Where are you going? Will you allow us to be captured by the Roman forces? 'Whoever receives such harsh criticism, must return to the battlefield. "
The Muslim army which had previously almost fled then fought again revived the spirits of the other troops. They were really burned by the scathing condemnation shouted by the women, especially Hindun bint Utbah. In such an atmosphere, the Muslims headed for the army line while carrying a baton accompanied by Muhajirin women. She recited verses of poetry he had recited in the Battle of Uhud.
Suddenly the cavalry on the right-wing of the Muslim army turned around, due to the urgency of the enemy. Seeing the scene, the Hindun shouted, "Where do you want to run? What are you running away from? Is it from God and His heaven? Really, God sees what you do! ”
The Hindun also saw her husband, Abu Sufyan, who turned around and fled. The Hindun immediately chased and hit his horse in the face with a stick while shouting, "Where do you want to go, O son of Shakhr? Come on, back to the battlefield! Fight hard so that you can avenge the mistakes of your past when you mustered the strength to destroy Rasulullahﷺ. "
Saiyidina Zubair bin Al-'Awwam رضي الله عنه, who saw all the incidents said, "The Hindun speech to Abu Sufyan reminded me of the events of the Battle of Uhud when we fought in front of Rasulullahﷺ."
During the reign of Saiyidina Umar ibn Khattab رضي الله عنه,, after the Hindun gave all their ability to defend this great religion, it was time for him to rest. She died on his bed, on the day that Abu Quhafah — the father of Saiyidina Abu Bakr Ash-Shiddiq رضي الله عنه — also died.
Let us further looks into, the fierce and ferocious of a lady from the time of Jahilliyah until she embraced Islam:
Hindun narrated several hadiths from Rasulullahﷺ. Some people narrated from her such as Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan (his son) and Saidatuna Aisha Ummul Mukminin.
The best role model for all Muslims is Rasulullahﷺ. In addition to emulating the story of the prophet, a Muslim woman is also encouraged to emulate the shahabiyah (female companions of the prophet or great and great women in the time of Rasulullahﷺ). Of course, many shahabiyah are no longer unfamiliar in the ears of Muslim women today such as Saidatuna Khadijah رضي الله عنه , Saidatuna Aisyah bint Abu Bakar رضي الله عنه , Saidatuna Fatimah bint Muhammad رضي الله عنه , and many more. The name of this one shahabiyah must also be no stranger, namely Hindun bint 'Utbah.
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Hindun bint ‘Utbah bin Rabi’ah bin Abdul Syams Al-‘Absyamiyyah Al-Qurasyiyyah. A very famous Arab woman both before and after the Islamic period. She was the mother of the Caliph of the Umayyads, Mu'awiyah bin Abu Sufyan. Her figure is very brave, has a very high self-confidence, strong determination, intelligence, and has a strong personality. Hindus have been married twice.
The first was with Al-Fakih bin Al-Mughirah Al-Makhzumi, a prominent young man of Quraysh. But because her husband had a bad temper, the Hindun divorced her. From this marriage the Hindun got a son named Aban. After that, the Hindun married Abu Sufyan bin Harb and was blessed with two sons, namely Mu'awiyah and 'Utbah. It was during this time that Islam experienced success in the Arabian Peninsula. But unfortunately, the Hindun and her husband did not want to accept the truth of Islam and refused to convert to Islam.
In fact, she and her husband made an evil conspiracy to destroy Islam to its roots. The story of the Hindun, culminates in the battle of Badr. In that event, the Quraysh army was defeated. Allahﷻ gave help to the Muslims by sending down the angels who joined the battle to help them. In this war 'Utbah, Shaybah and Al-Walid bin' Utbah who was his father, uncle, and brother, was killed at the hands of Hamzah, the uncle of . After that incident, Hindun thought of nothing but revenge.
The moment of revenge came. The Quraysh army of 3,000 men with the supreme commander Abu Sufyan bin Harb set out for Uhud. A slave named Wahsyi was specially prepared to kill Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه. Wahsyi is very good at throwing spears. In return, Wahsyi will be freed from his status as a slave if he succeeds in killing Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه. In addition, will also be given expensive jewelry. When the battle of Uhud raged, the women of Quraysh under the leadership of Hindun bint ‘Utbah slipped between the ranks of the army while beating tambourines to arouse the spirit of the army and ignite the flames of war.
They shouted to the entire team with heart-burning poems. On the side of the Muslims, the Lion of Allah (nicknamed Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه .) Was on fire in the battle arena. For a moment the Muslims seemed to win. Unfortunately, the archers on the hill left their positions and went down to the battle arena to collect the booty that had been left behind by the defeated enemy forces. When the Muslim army was careless, suddenly from behind appeared the Quraysh cavalry to kill the Muslims. The Muslims are in a mess.
Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه increased his strength and attacked the polytheists. But as it turned out, Wahsyi was stalking Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه. Wahsyi took refuge behind a tree or rock to wait for Hamzah to get closer to him. Wahsyi threw his spear at Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه 's stomach until it penetrated his back. Sayidina Hamzah رضي الله عنه had fallen in the field of Uhud. Sadly, the women of Quraysh- including Hindun - destroyed the bodies of fallen Muslim soldiers in a very barbaric manner. After that, the Hindun climbed to the top of a fairly large rock, then shouted as loudly as possible,
"We have avenged the defeat in the battle of Badr. The chaos of the second war was more terrible than the first. I have no power to bear the pain of ‘Utbah’s death. Also because of the loss of a brother, uncle, and first son. Extinct is the rage that rages in her chest. Wahsyi has relieved the pain in her heart "
When Allah's Guidance Came, Hindun maintained their shirk for more than 20 years until Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala opened the doors of their hearts to accept Islam during the liberation of Makkah. Saidatuna ‘Aisyah رضي الله عنه, Hindun came to Rasulullahﷺ and said;
“ O Rasulullah, by Allah, so far there is no group in this world that I hope that Allah will destroy from your group. But, today, there is no group in this world that I most hope that God will glorify, than your group. ”
Rasulullahﷺ replied;
“So am I. By God my soul is in His hands. "
(HR Muslim)
The personality of Hindun bint ‘Utbah is very rarely possessed by other women. When guidance came to her, she was immediately able to remove the stains of her ignorance. Her heart melted. She appears to be a very special female friend.Allahﷻ cleanses her soul from envy and hatred and reveals her mind from the veil of ignorance. Shortly after declaring her conversion to Islam, she immediately took a hammer and destroyed the idols in her house until they shattered into pieces, saying;
"All this time, we have been deceived by you."
After converting to Islam, Hindun bint ‘Utbah changed into a worshiper, diligent in night prayers and fasting. She was very consistent with her new status (muslimah) until the time came that brought darkness to the whole earth, namely when Rasulullahﷺ demised.
Hindun is very shocked because they feel that they have been hostile to Rasulullahﷺ for too long and only accepted Islam some time ago. Nevertheless, Hindus still maintain their Islam well. After Rasulullahﷺ died, he remained an expert in worship and kept the faithful promise he had made in front of Rasulullahﷺ during the baiat on the hill of Shafa. Life Lessons from Hindun bint 'Utbah Hindun bint Utbah is the son of the couple Utbah bin Rabi'ah one of the leaders of Quraish and Safiya bint Umayya.
She was known as a noble, intelligent, and wise woman among the Quraish. From that story, there are two lessons that can be learned and emulated by Muslim women. The first story is her marriage to Abu Sofyan. When she was about to marry Abu Sufyan, she was faced with two choices.
A first choice is a man who comes from a respectable but easily influenced family who will not leave a Hindun, whatever the Hindun will do, and a second choice is a man who is respectable, intelligent, and authoritative. Although Hindun is an intelligent woman and can make up for the shortcomings of her first husband, she still did not accept the man's proposal. According to her, a husband who is less intelligent will only destroy his wife because he will live under his wife's rule. In the end, the Hindun chose Abu Sufyan.
The second story is about her struggle on the battlefield. The Hindun is a brave woman who takes part on the battlefield. He acts as a drummer to encourage and block soldiers who want to retreat from the battlefield. If before his conversion to Islam he encouraged the Quraysh infidels to fight Islam, after converting to Islam he encouraged the Muslims.
Another famous war was the battle of Yarmuk where the Muslims fought against a very large number of Roman troops. During this war, there were some people who wanted to flee, but the Hindun and the Muslims blocked them and gave strong condemnation to anyone who wanted to flee. No exception to Abu Sufyan, her own husband who wanted to retreat from the war. “Where do you want to go, son of Shakhr? Come on, back to the battlefield! Fight hard so that you can avenge the mistakes of your past when you mustered the strength to destroy Rasulullahﷺ. " Abu Sufyan and other Muslims also returned to the battlefield and joined the fight until finally, the Muslims managed to win the war.
The most important wisdom of the life journey of Hindun bint 'Utbah, that is, no matter how many sins we have, never be afraid to repent, because indeed God is the recipient of repentance. Even Hindun who are famous for their spirit of being hostile to Rasulullahﷺ eventually turned around and defended the Muslims with all her might. She proved her remorse by devoting all his energy and jihad in the way of Allah, she even narrated some hadith from Rasulullahﷺ
Wallahu A'lam
