Women in early Islam: The slave who became like a mother to the Holy Prophet

This series highlights incidents from early Islam related to the sahabiyaat of the Holy Prophet (sa) and other women in early Islamic history. Extracts of incidents from the Friday Sermons of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa) have been collected and compiled.

Collected by Amtushakoor Tayyaba Ahmed

“Whilst citing incidents of the Companions, the women who were related to these Badri Companions are also mentioned so that we may become aware of their lofty status, and this is why I also relate the accounts of these female companions alongside the Badri Companions.” – Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa (Friday Sermon, 14 June 2019)

Hazrat Umme Aiman – The Abyssinian slave who attained the status of a mother to the Holy Prophet

Striking is the treatment of the Holy Prophet^sa of a simple Abyssinian slave girl who looked after him when he was young. She was not his real mother, and her service could not have been the same, yet as the Prophet^sa of Allah, he showed her love and respect to a high degree, would give her gifts, arranged her marriage, and would visit her and give glad tidings from Allah of her lofty status and future in Paradise. Surely, in the Holy Prophet^sa has Allah given us an excellent exemplar!

Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V^aa, in his Friday Sermon of 14 June 2019, narrated the following account:

“Hazrat Umme Aiman’s name was Barakah. She was known by the title of Umme Aiman due to her son, Aiman^ra. She was originally from Abyssinia. She was a servant of Hazrat Abdullah, the father of the Holy Prophet^sa. Following the demise of Hazrat Abdullah, she stayed with Hazrat Amina. When the Holy Prophet^sa was six years old, his mother took him with her from Mecca to Medina. Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra accompanied them as a servant on that occasion. She would have been young at that time. On the return from Medina, when they reached Abwa, which is at a distance of five miles from Masjid Nabawi, Hazrat Amina passed away. Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra brought the Holy Prophet^sa back to Mecca on the two camels they originally set out with. Prior to the Holy Prophet’s^sa claim to prophethood, Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra married Ubaid bin Zaid in Mecca, who was a slave of Abyssinian descent. A son was born to them, who was named Aiman. Hazrat Aiman^ra attained the status of martyrdom during the Battle of Hunain. The husband of Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra passed away, and she was subsequently married to Hazrat Zaid^ra.”

Marrying a woman from the inhabitants of Paradise

“According to one narration, Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra treated the Holy Prophet^sa with utmost kindness and took great care of him. As a result of this, the Holy Prophet^sa said that whoever wishes to rejoice by marrying a woman from among the inhabitants of paradise, he should marry Umme Aiman^ra. 

“Thereafter, Hazrat Zaid^ra bin Haritha married her and they were blessed with a son, Hazrat Usama^ra. Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra migrated towards Abyssinia along with the other Muslims. Following this migration, she returned to Medina and participated in the Battle of Uhud. During the battle, she gave water to people and tended to the wounded. She also had the opportunity to participate in the Battle of Khaybar. She wept profusely when Hazrat Umar^ra was martyred in the twenty-third year after Hijra. When the people enquired as to the reason why she was crying, she replied that owing to the martyrdom of Hazrat Umar^ra, Islam had become weakened. Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra passed away towards the beginning of the caliphate of Hazrat Uthman^ra.” (Al-Tabaqaat-ul-Kubra, Vol. 8, pp. 179-181, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1990; Sirat al-Halabiyya, Vol. 1, p. 77, Baab Wafaate Walidati Rasoolullah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002; Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 7, p. 291, Umme Aiman, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008; Mu‘jam-ul-Buldan, Vol. 1, p. 102, Abwah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut)

O my mother!

“When the Holy Prophet^sa saw Hazrat Umme Aiman, he would say: ‘O Umm!’ – That is, ‘O my mother!’ And would then say:

هٰذِهٖ بَقِيَّةُ اَهْلِ بَيْتِىْ

meaning, ‘This is what is left behind of my close family.’ According to another narration, the Holy Prophet^sa would state:

أُمُّ أَيْمَنَ أُمِّيْ بَعْدَ أُمِّيْ

meaning, ‘After my own mother, Umme Aiman holds the status of being my mother.’ He would also visit her house to meet her.” (Al-Tabari, Vol. 13, p. 375, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, 2002; Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 7, p. 291, Umme Aiman, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008)

“In another narration from Bukhari, it mentions further details in which Hazrat Anas^ra narrates:

“One of the Companions had presented some date trees to the Holy Prophet^sa. When the Holy Prophet^sa was granted victory against the tribes of Quraizah and Nadhir, he no longer required those trees. Upon this, some of the members of my family asked me to go to the Holy Prophet^sa and request him to give back some of the trees that they had presented to him, as he was no longer in need of them. Since those trees had been granted to Umme Aiman^ra, when she heard about this, she came and placed a cloth on my neck and said, ‘I will certainly not give these back. I swear by the One Who alone is worthy of worship that you will never get these trees because the Holy Prophet^sa has already given them to me’ – or she said something along these lines. The Holy Prophet^sa said to Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra, ‘It is fine; return these trees and I will give you the same number of trees from somewhere else.’ However, she replied, ‘By God, I will certainly not give them back.’

“Hazrat Anas^ra further relates, “Thereafter, the Holy Prophet^sa offered to give Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra ten times as many trees – or perhaps something to this effect – upon which she returned the trees.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Maghazi, Hadith no. 4120)

“In another narration, it states that whilst migrating to Medina on foot, Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra became extremely thirsty. She was a very pious lady and had a very strong bond with God Almighty. At the time, she did not have any water with her, and it was extremely hot, however, she heard a sound from above her head and saw a pail-like vessel descend upon her from the heavens, from which clear drops of water began to fall upon her. She drank from it until her thirst was quenched. She would often say that thereafter, she never felt thirst or the desire [to drink]. Subsequently, she would not feel the pangs of thirst, and if she ever felt dehydration whilst observing the fast, she would go on without feeling thirsty.  

“Thus, whilst citing incidents of the Companions, the women who were related to these Badri Companions are also mentioned so that we may become aware of their lofty status, and this is why I also relate the accounts of these female Companions alongside the Badri Companions.” (Ibid.)

“Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra had a slight stammer in her speech. Whenever she would meet someone, instead of saying Salamullahi Alaikum, as was the custom at the time, she would say Salamun la Alaikum due to her stammer. The Holy Prophet^sa permitted her to say Salamun Alaikum or Assalamu Alaikum, which is now the custom.

“Hazrat Aisha^ra narrates that one day, whilst the Holy Prophet^sa was drinking water, Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra was also present and said, ‘O Messenger^sa of Allah, give me water so I may drink also.’ Hazrat Aisha^ra states that she questioned her, saying, ‘Is this the manner in which you ask the Messenger^sa of Allah for something?’ To this she replied, ‘Have I not served the Holy Prophet^sa for a long time?’ The Holy Prophet^sa then said, ‘You speak the truth,’ and gave her water to drink.” (Sirat al-Halabiyya, Vol. 1, pp. 77-78, Baab Wafaat Walidati Rasoolullah Maghazia, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2002)

Sadness at cessation of the Quran’s revelation

“Hazrat Anas^ra relates that when the Holy Prophet^sa passed away, Hazrat Umme Aiman^ra would not stop crying. When she was asked why she wept so much for the Holy Prophet^sa, she answered, ‘I knew of course that the Holy Prophet^sa would one day pass away, yet I weep because the revelations have been taken away from us’; in other words, besides her pain over the demise of the Holy Prophet^sa, she also wept over the fact that the word of God and the revelation of the Holy Quran which would descend upon them, had come to an end.” (Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 7, p. 291, Umme Aiman, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2008)

“Hazrat Anas^ra bin Malik narrates, ‘On one occasion, after the demise of the Messenger^sa of Allah, Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra said to Hazrat Umar^ra, ‘Accompany me to visit Hazrat Umme Aiman and let us meet her just as the Prophet^sa would.’ When we arrived there, she began weeping. They enquired, ‘Why are you crying? For whatever is with Allah is better for His Messenger^sa.’ She was a very pious person, as mentioned before and replied, ‘I am aware that indeed whatever Allah possesses is better for His Messenger^sa, however, I cry because the door of revelation has now closed.’ This moved both of them to tears also.” (Sahih Muslim, Kitab-ul-Fazail Al-Sahaba, Hadith no. 2454)”

(Taken from the Friday Sermon on 14 June 2019, Men of Excellence)