Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ah r.a.

Awais Rabbani

“I have never wished that I was like any other woman except for Hazrat Saudah^ra. I would like to have her simple and unpretentious ways and I wish I could be like her and that I could have a heart as pure and clean as hers and her simple ways.” (Hazrat Aisha^ra)

Full name: Saudah bint Zam‘ah

Father’s name: Zam‘ah bin Qais

First marriage: Hazrat Sakran bin Amr Al-Qarshira^ra

Marriage to the Holy Prophet^sa: Tenth year of prophethood

Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ah^ra was an early convert to Islam. Her first marriage was to the companion of the Holy Prophet^sa, Hazrat Sakran bin Amr. They migrated to Abyssinia to escape the torture and hardships the Quraish had inflicted upon the Muslims.

Hazrat Sakran^ra passed away on their return from Abyssinia. It is reported that Hazrat Saudah^ra saw a moon fall on her in one of her dreams. When she disclosed it to her husband, Hazrat Sakran interpreted her dream to mean that after his demise, she would marry the Holy Prophet^sa.

Marriage

Hazrat Saudah^ra holds the distinction of being the first wife of the Holy Prophet^sa after the demise of Hazrat Khadija^ra. Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra narrates the incident of her marriage in the following words:

“… [Hazrat] Khaulah bint Hakim^ra, the wife of Uthman bin Maz‘un^ra presented herself before the Holy Prophet^sa and said, “O Messenger of Allah, why do you not marry?” “Whom shall I marry?” responded the Holy Prophet^sa. She responded, “If you wish there is an unmarried girl and a widow as well.” The Holy Prophet^sa enquired, “Who?” Khaulah^ra responded, “The unmarried girl is the daughter of your friend Abu Bakr named Aisha^ra, and the widow is Saudah bint Zam‘ah^ra, who was married to your late servant Sakran bin Amr^ra.” The Holy Prophet^sa responded, “Alright, make a proposal to the both of them.”

After this, Khaulah^ra approached Hazrat Saudah bint Zam‘ah^ra and her relatives were also at consent. (The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets, Vol. 1, pp. 241-242)

Consequently, the Messenger of Allah^sa married Hazrat Saudah^ra in Shawwal 10 Nabawi.

An obedient wife

Hazrat Saudah^ra   knew the responsibilities that came with marrying the Messenger^sa of Islam and immediately resumed her role as the caretaker of his household and children. She was extremely dedicated to his cause and was renowned for her sense of obedience.

Once, upon hearing from the Holy Prophet^sa on his pilgrimage to Mecca that this might be the last pilgrimage and obstacles would refrain him from carrying out another pilgrimage in the future, she vowed to never set out for this purpose again.

Relationship with wives of the Holy Prophet^sa

Due to her humble nature and spirited disposition, she soon developed a strong bond with the daughters and wives of the Holy Prophet^sa. She was very close to Hazrat Aisha^ra, Hazrat Hafsa^ra and Hazrat Safiya^ra. The Holy Prophet^sa cherished her buoyant nature and was often amused by her anecdotes.

Once, Hazrat Saudah^ra visited the Holy Prophet^sa at Hazrat Aisha’s^ra home. She offered her a sweet dish she had cooked earlier. Despite Hazrat Saudah’s^ra refusal, Hazrat Aisha^ra insisted and told her that she would smear the dish on her face if she left without tasting it; thus, she followed through with it. When the Holy Prophet^sa saw Hazrat Saudah^ra in her current predicament, he could not hold back his laughter. However, he asked her to do the same to Hazrat Aisha^ra as it would only be fair. Hazrat Saudah^ra then smeared Aisha’s face with it.

The aforementioned incident reflects the relaxed and entertaining atmosphere in which the family of the Holy Prophet^sa thrived.

Observance of prayers

Hazrat Saudah^ra led a simple and pious life. She was punctual in her prayers, both obligatory and voluntary. Once the Prophet^sa woke up to offer Tahajud and she got up to pray behind him. Later, she related to him that she was in ruku for so long that she feared her nose would bleed out from the posture and held onto it. The Holy Prophet^sa was surprised and extremely pleased to hear her devotion.

A wish

The wives of the Holy Prophet^sa held great respect and love for him. For them, not only was he the Messenger of Allah^sa, but they also viewed him as the great exemplar who introduced the rights of women and their status in the society. They loved him dearly and had vowed to serve and perform their household duties. The Holy Prophet^sa too revered their gestures of devotion and had divided his time for each one of them.

When Hazrat Saudah^ra was older, she realised that her old age might hinder her from carrying out her conjugal duties. She knew about the love the Prophet^sa had for Hazrat Aisha^ra and gave up her turn in favour of her for the sake of the Prophet^sa of Islam. She told him that her only wish was to be resurrected among the wives of the Holy Prophet^sa on the Day of Judgement.

Demise

It is widely believed that she died in the 22^nd year of the Hijrah towards the end of the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar^ra. She was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.

Hazrat Aisha^ra, who was extremely close to her and treasured her companionship, summarised her traits in the following words:

“I have never wished that I was like any other woman except for Hazrat Saudah^ra. I would like to have her simple and unpretentious ways and I wish I could be like her and that I could have a heart as pure and clean as hers and her simple ways.”