hometown and the difficulty of life in a strange land. Her husband then apostatized indulged in drinking and died afterwards. When the Prophet (SAW) heard of Umm Habeebah’s loneliness and difficulty, he sent word to her asking for her hand in marriage. She willingly and happily accepted the proposal. This is said to have taken place in Rabi'ul Awwal, 7 A.H. The Negus of Abyssinia (Malakul Najashi) paid the mahr (dowry) on behalf of the Prophet (SAW) and attended the walimah. Abu Sufyan was happy when he heard that his daughter had married Muhammad (SAW).
Years passed until Khaybar was conquered and Ja'afar returned with Umm Habeebah in his company. The Prophet (SAW) then consummated the marriage and gave her an apartment. The Prophet (SAW) would visit her and would express happiness in meeting her. Throughout the more than fifteen years Umm Habeebah spent in the foreign land of Abyssinia, she did not see, hear nor sit with the Prophet (SAW). Instead, like fellow migrants, she received the new verses of the Qur'an from others and then memorized and understood them.
Her
dream regarding her separation from her husband, 'Ubaydullah Ibn Jahsh and the
Prophet’s (SAW) marriage proposal to her testifies to this. She narrates: “I
saw my husband in a worst figure in my dream and I was frightened. When I woke
up in the morning I found out that he had apostesized. I informed him of the
dream and he disregarded it and became addicted to alcohol until he died. Someone
then came to me in my dream and said, ‘O mother of the faithful’, and I was
frightened. And as soon as I finished my waiting period, a female messenger of
the Negus whose name is Abrahah came to me and said, ‘The King said, ‘Appoint
someone as your guardian in marriage.’ So I sent for Khalid ibn Sa’eed ibn
al-As ibn Umayyah and I appointed him as my guardian, and I gave Abrahah two
bracelets of silver.’” In the evening, the Negus commanded Ja'far ibn Abi
Talib to deliver a speech on his behalf. Ja'far then praised Allah and then said,
'To proceed; the Messenger of Allah (SAW) sent a message to me requesting
the hand of Umm Habeebah in marriage.’ So I granted his request. The Negus
said: 'I am giving four hundred dinaar as bridal money on behalf of the
Messenger of Allah (SAW).” The Negus then poured the money. Khalid then
said, “I have accepted what the Messenger of Allah (SAW) and his wife Umm
Habeebah called to.” He therefore accepted the money. The Negus threw a
banquet for them and they ate. Umm Habeebah said, “When the money came to
me, I gave Abrahah fifty dinaar there-from. She returned the money and said
that the King had commanded her to do so. She also returned what I had given
her before. On the following day, she came to me with aloes, wars, and
ambergris, and many ziyad. I brought all of them with me when I came to the
Messenger of Allah (SAW).”
The first thing Abu Sufiyan did when he arrived at Madeenah was that he made his way to the apartment of Umm Habeebah whom he had not seen for many years. She coldly received him. When he wanted to sit on the Prophet’s cushion, she folded it up and did not allow him sit on it. He asked her astonishingly and sadly, “Daughter, do you love this bed more than me or do you love me more than this bed?!” She answered without being influenced by any family sentiments: “No! It is the Prophet’s bed and you are a filthy polytheist!” Abu Sufiyan then said, “You have been afflicted by evil after me.” She resorted, “No, I have rather been blessed with all goodness.” He then left her apartment. Umm Habeebah was raising the banner of Islam in the face of her father, Abu Sufiyan. In spite of the few years that Umm Habeebah spent with the Prophet (SAW), she memorized and narrated a considerable number of Ahadith. She therefore faithfully and trustworthily took part in enriching the noble sunnah.
She witnessed the crisis in which the commander of the faithful 'Uthman ibn 'Affan was martyred but she took no part in the conflict neither with an opinion nor with a stand. In spite of her family ties with 'Uthmaan, she kept herself away from the furnace of the crisis. She also witnessed the crises that occurred between the leader of the faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and her brother, Mu'awiyah but she did not take part in it. Umm Habeebah was indeed a noble woman. She had always wanted to meet Allah while her heart was free from malice against any Muslim. Aisha said (ra): “Umm Habeebah called me when she was about to pass-away and said, ‘There might have been between me and you what usually happens between rivals. Will you please absolve me?’ So I absolved her and asked Allah to forgive her. She then said, ‘You have made me happy.’ And she sent the same message to Umm Salamah.”
But where is Habeebah, her only child? There was a report that Umm Habeebah migrated to Abyssinia while she was pregnant with Habeebah and that she gave birth to her there. Habeebah was married to Dawood ibn Urwah ibn Masood ath-Thaqafi.
Umm Habeebah lived for a while after the death of the Prophet (SAW). The most authentic narration is that she died in the year 44 after Hijrah at the age of 77. May Allah be pleased with Umm Habeebah, the mother of the faithful!
LESSONS
The first thing Abu Sufiyan did when he arrived at Madeenah was that he made his way to the apartment of Umm Habeebah whom he had not seen for many years. She coldly received him. When he wanted to sit on the Prophet’s cushion, she folded it up and did not allow him sit on it. He asked her astonishingly and sadly, “Daughter, do you love this bed more than me or do you love me more than this bed?!” She answered without being influenced by any family sentiments: “No! It is the Prophet’s bed and you are a filthy polytheist!” Abu Sufiyan then said, “You have been afflicted by evil after me.” She resorted, “No, I have rather been blessed with all goodness.” He then left her apartment. Umm Habeebah was raising the banner of Islam in the face of her father, Abu Sufiyan. In spite of the few years that Umm Habeebah spent with the Prophet (SAW), she memorized and narrated a considerable number of Ahadith. She therefore faithfully and trustworthily took part in enriching the noble sunnah.
She witnessed the crisis in which the commander of the faithful 'Uthman ibn 'Affan was martyred but she took no part in the conflict neither with an opinion nor with a stand. In spite of her family ties with 'Uthmaan, she kept herself away from the furnace of the crisis. She also witnessed the crises that occurred between the leader of the faithful, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, and her brother, Mu'awiyah but she did not take part in it. Umm Habeebah was indeed a noble woman. She had always wanted to meet Allah while her heart was free from malice against any Muslim. Aisha said (ra): “Umm Habeebah called me when she was about to pass-away and said, ‘There might have been between me and you what usually happens between rivals. Will you please absolve me?’ So I absolved her and asked Allah to forgive her. She then said, ‘You have made me happy.’ And she sent the same message to Umm Salamah.”
But where is Habeebah, her only child? There was a report that Umm Habeebah migrated to Abyssinia while she was pregnant with Habeebah and that she gave birth to her there. Habeebah was married to Dawood ibn Urwah ibn Masood ath-Thaqafi.
Umm Habeebah lived for a while after the death of the Prophet (SAW). The most authentic narration is that she died in the year 44 after Hijrah at the age of 77. May Allah be pleased with Umm Habeebah, the mother of the faithful!
LESSONS
- A true Muslim will prefer to live in a place where the practice of Islam will be easy for him even if he has the option to be live in luxury but under un-Islamic conditions. Umm Habeeba left the powerful household of Abu Sufyan (her father) just to be with the Muslims.
- Islam is thicker than love. Umm Habeeba was not blinded by love, when her husband apostatized; she divorced him straightaway even though it meant remaining without a sexual partner for several years.
- A Muslim respects and loves the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) more than any other person. Umm Habeeba did not allow even her own father enjoy a privilege meant solely for the Prophet (SAW).
- A Muslim has no space for sentiments. Umm Habeeba did not take sides with her brother, Mu'awiyya, when the fracas broke out him and Ali bin Abu Talib; she remained neutral.
- Rivalry between co-wives is bound to happen, Umm Habeeba was aware of this and made sure of it that she apologized to her co-wives before she passed away.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Tell us your opinion about this.