2/11/2022 (Wednesday)

(Part one)

Ummul Mumineen Umme Salma (Raditallahu Anha) was an extraordinary women with so many virtuous, spiritual and intellectual quality. Her intellectual quality was such that, in many occasions the prophet (Salllallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) took her consultation, her spiritual height was such that even Hadrat Jibrail (Alahissalam) would come to the prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in her presence. Her knowledge made Sahaba Ikram (Radiyallahu Anhum) and Tabeeen to acquire the prophetic knowledge from her. She was an extraordinary women in every field we can think about a lady, the more we learn about her, we learn how excellent was our ancestors! How great and beautiful path they left for us to follow!

Ummul Mumineen Umme Slama (Radiyallahu Anha’s) name was Hind, Umme Salma was her Kuniyah (A Title Arab people usually take by the name of their elder child), she was blessed with high linage from both her maternal and paternal side, was a daughter of a very generous person called Abu Umaiyyah, He was so generous that whenever he would undertook a journey, he would look after the needs of the entire caravan, because of his generosity he was give the name “Zaadur Rakib” meaning (The provision of the passengers). It’s easily understandable how was his behaviour with his daughter, Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) was very beloved to her father and brought up with ease and comfort, affluence and prosperity with the loving care of her father.

When she turned to the age of marriage, she was married to another great person, he was the foster brother of the prophet (Sallallahu Alahi wa Sallam) and the cousin of Ummul Mu’mineen Umme Slama (Radiyallahu Anha), his name was Abdullah, popularly known as Abu Salmah (Radiyallahu Anhu).

The couple had great conjugal relationship, they were attached with each other so much that many Ahadeeth mentioned the incidents of different occasions that showed, how much they were attached and had a great understanding for each other Subhanallah! There are so many things to learn from the life of Sahaba Ikram ( Radiyallahu Anhum).

Ummul Mu’mineen Umme Salma (Radiyaalhu Anha) embraced Islam with her husband during the early periods of Islam, when the kuffer started persecuting the Muslimeen, She and her Husband migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Then again they returned from there and after that, when Nabi (Sallallahu Alahi wa Sallam) gave the permission to Sahaba Ikram (Radiyallahu Anhum) to Immigrate to Madinah, It was a big decision for everybody, leaving their own land for forever and settle in an unknown land was not an easy decision, to protect their Imaan all of them emigrated to Madeenah, how strong was the Imaan of those golden people! Allahuakber! Only the Male was immigrating initially, Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) was the first women (According to some Ulama) Immigrated to Madinah. The story of her migration was not so easy, she had to go through great trials during her migration.

When her husband Abdullah (Radiyallhu Anhu) decided to emigrate to Madinah, although nobody took their family as yet, but because of their husband and wife’s relationship was so close and important to them that, her husband took the great decision to migrate with his wife and their little child Salma. One day he loaded his camels with necessary things, then he made his wife and son to ride on the camel and led the camels towards Madinah. They were traveling, Abdullah was a kind husband and father, he made his family sit comfortably on ride and he himself was holding the string of the camels. When they just crossed the town of Mekkah and about to traverse through the desert, the people of Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha’s) fathers clan Banu Mughirah somehow have seen them leaving, they got agitated, they came at once near to them and like robbers they snatched away the string of the camels from Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu’s) hand saying,

“ You can go wherever you like but we can not allow our daughter to go and perish with you”.

Without even letting Abdullah or Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anhum) to talk, they took her and her son back to her fathers clan, leaving Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu) alone in the desert. How hard was that moment for both of them only Allah knows. After taking all the preparations for leaving the homeland to protect their Imaan, and a keen desire of Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu) to take the family with him too, when after all the preparations, he had to leave the land alone towards Madeenah, for the whole journey, Allah knows how many eye tears shed in that Journey for his caring wife and beautiful little child, and what was the situation of Umme Salmah (Radiyallahu Anha) at that moment, when she had to come back with the Kuffar leaving her husband in the desert, staying with the Kuffar was like a prison for anybody.

But the situation didn’t end here only, when the clan of her husband learnt this incident, they were the people of ignorance, they came and took her son away from her saying,

“ You can keep your girl if you like, but you have no claim to over the child who belong to our clan. Why should we allow him to stay with you, when you have not allowed your girl to go with her husband”.

This is the understanding of ignorant people, if you don’t give me my right I’ll not give you your right too, but Islaam taught us to give the right to those who did not fulfill the right. The ignorant peoples understanding was, the mother has no right on her child but Islaam made the mother, the real guardian of children, made her feet the Jannah for her children and gave her high position for her sacrifices of childbearing, labor, birth and nursing, gave her rights 3 times more than the father. Because Allah SWT appreciates the sacrifices of His slaves, and how great sacrifice is the motherhood! is there anybody in this world who can appreciate it more than Allah SWT? He gave high status for a mother, and for an obedient wife to her husband. The way children have to fulfill the rights of the mother (and Father), the same way wife’s are bound to fulfill the Haqq of their husbands, that’s the beauty of Islam, Islam gave honer to every single person Alhamdulillah.

However, The people were ignorant, away from Islamic knowledge, they took away Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha’s) son from her, we all know that, all the mother has a special affection for her first child, how hard was that moment for that mother when her only one little child was taken away from her! How was her heartache at that moment! Only Allah knows and we can feel at least try to feel little bit as mothers.

Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu) already reached Madeenah by then all alone. All the family members were separated, Husband was in Madeenah, Son in one clan and Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) in another clan. It was so heartbreaking period for this young girl that, everyday she would go out to the desert where nobody can see her, and she used to weep from morning till night, the sand of the desert, the wind and the sky are witnessed how many eye tears of separation shed from this young girls eyes. Entire day she used to cry until the night, nobody was there to say her a word of solace, to support her, to care her. The peoples ego was such that nobody even looked at her with a eye of kindness, a complete one year ( in some narration other) passed with this hardship, Allah SWT sometimes grants, a bit late to elevate His slaves rank, to shed a bit more eye tears to make him more pure, to take him a bit more near, to give him a height which is waiting in near future and to make him mature to take a grate responsibility that He will bless him with in near future.

One day she was crying in the desert like the other days, Allah SWT put Rahmah in the heart of one of her cousin, he went to her clan and said to the people of her clan,

“ You separated this poor girl from her husband and son, why don’t you have mercy on her and let her go?”

He tried hard to make understand them, finally they understood and took the decision to let her go to her husband, when her in laws learnt that, they also gave her little baby back to her lap, she got the chance to see her beautiful child and got him back to her lap after full one year!

She was desperate to go to Madeenah that she herself rode on a camel with her baby and started the journey all alone towards Madeenah, Journey was very hard those times, specially the journey towards Makkah to Madeenah was very dangerous even for the men, in that situation, journey for a lady without any males protection was a huge and dangerous decision, robbery and killing was common at that time, but her Tawakkul on Allah was so high that she herself with the little baby started her journey towards Madeenah. (We should remember here, that was a desperate situation of protection of Imaan and safety, and also very early days of Islam, so many Hukm of Allah came later after migration, according to Ulama a lady shouldn’t travel long distance alone without any Mhraam) When she reached Tan’eem ( A place in Makkah, about 21 km away from Makkatul Mukarramah) one Sahaba (Radiyallahu Anhu) who was heading towards Makkah, have seen her she is going somewhere all alone. He asked her,

“ Where are you going? She at once answered “ Towards Madeenah”. With utter amazement he asked her, “ Nobody is there to accompany you?”. Her reply was filled with Tawakkul on Allah that,

“ No, I have nobody to accompany me except Allah”. That Sahaba (Radiyallahu Anhu) understood it’s his responsibility to take this respectable lady to Madeenah and hand her over to her husband. He took the rope of the camel and lead towards Madeenah. He was so Noble that whenever Umme Slama (Radiyallahu Anha) needed to get down from the camel, he would make the camel sit down and himself would go behind a bush and whenever she needed to climb up on her mount he would bring the camel close to her to make it easy for her to ride. Only when Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) would ride properly then he would hold the rope and again lead the camel, that’s how they reached Quaba (A place near Madinah) after reaching there, he made Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) and her child over to her husband Abdullah(Abu Salma) (Radiyallahu Anhu) then again went back all the way towards Makkah, that was the Sifaat of Sahaba (Radiyallahu Anhum) Subhanallah!

When the people of Qubaa learnt she is the daughter of Umaiyyah, a rich philanthropist, they started holding her with great esteem, and all the family also reunited again. That’s how Allah SWT again gave her back everything.

Her husband Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu) was a great horseman, he attended in the battle of Badr and Uhud with full vigor. But during the battle of Uhud an arrow struck on his chest, when is was trying to extract from his body, the outer part comes out keeping the splint inside, this wound was so severe that made his health towards almost the end. Umme Salma Radiyallahu Anha used to do a lot of Khidmah to her Husband, once she said to her husband that,

“ I have heard that if a husband does not marry another women during the life or after the death of his wife, and if the wife dose not remarry after the death of her husband, the couple will be allowed to be husband and wife in Jannah too. Give me your word that you will not marry after me and I too take oath that I will not marry again if you happen to die before me.”

But Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu) replied, “will you do as I say?”, she was very much obedient to her husband, at once answered, “ of course”.

He than said, “ I want you to marry after my death.” then he made Duaa for her, “ Ya Allah! Let Umme Salma to marry a husband better than I, who may will give her no trouble”.

They could hardly live few days after that, her husband passed away. Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) was naturally distressed and sad but even after that she personally gave the news of Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu’s) death to the prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), prophet (sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) advised her to stay patient and taught her the Duaa,

اللھمہ اجرنی فی مصیبتی واخلف لی خیرا منھا

(O Allah! Protect me in this calamity that has befallen me and replace it with something better)

The prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) himself led the funeral prayer of Abdullah ( Radiyallahu Anhu) and in the Funaral prayer the prophet (Sallallahu Alahi wa Sallam) showed great respect to him for his spiritual height and his sacrifies for Islaam, then He (S.W) himself closed Abdullah (Radiyallahu Anhu’s) eyes and prayed for his Salvation.

In that hard moment Umme Salma (Radiyallahu Anha) was pregnant and was doing her Iddah ( a period of time of mourn or sadness the Muslim women have to pass after the death of her husband before remarry). Hardship upon hardship was falling on her, but this great lady was still remained patient even after that. when somebody remained patient in hardship Allah SWT opens the door of bounty upon them and makes their heart Itmenaan (Content).

After few days when her child was born automatically the period of Iddah finished, Abu Bakr (Radiyallahu Anhu) gave her the proposal for remarriage but she at once declined. Then Hadrat Umar (Radiyallahu Anhu) gave her the massage of the marriage with prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), The prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam) sent the proposal for her! It was the In’aam from Allah for her long years of scarifies. but she was a very intelligent and modest lady, she became concerned about the honer and prestige of the prophet (Sallalalhu alahi wa Sallam) and raised few points about her own self that might trouble to the prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa Sallam), that was the real love and honesty for the Rasul Of Allah (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) from this highly intelligent lady, What did she say…………………………

( Part 2 coming soon InshaAllah)

Dandenong Madrasa