'And some of the females held my banner' (qasida 6:6)

This is the motto for this section, which is either for the women view points or for the things that matter the most for them.

You can find all special expressions in the Glossary. We need your comments to develop this site for you.

The mother of believers:

Om-Habiba bent Abo-Soufian [AAH]

Her family tree [AAH]:

She is the mother of the believers; Ramela bent Abo-Soufian ibn Harb ibn Omaya ibn Abd-Shams ibn Am-Manaf, who is the grandfather of the Prophet [PPBUH]. No other mother of believers is more related to the Prophet [PPBUH] in his family tree. Her mother is Safia bent Abo-al-Aas ibn Omaya ibn Abd-Shams. She is one of the cousins of the Prophet [PPBUH], and her brother is the prince of the believers; Moawya ibn Abo-Soufian. She was the wife of the Prophet's cousin; Obid-Allah ibn Jahsh al-Asadi, who is the brother of the mother of believers; Zeinab bent Jahsh. She converted to Islam with her husband; Obid-Allah, while her father was still a nonbeliever. She was afraid of her father's harm, so she immigrated with her husband to Habasha [Abyssinia], the country of al-Najashi. She was pregnant at that time and delivered her daughter, Habiba, whom she was called after later.

Alienation and Loneliness:

She [AAH] tried to find in her husband a compensation for missing her family and people. However, one day, she woke up scared of a bad nightmare. She saw, in her dream, her husband in the worst image. In the morning, he told her that he converted to Christianity, the religion of the people of Abyssinia. So, she lived in sadness, distress and loneliness in such a foreign country and alienated herself from people, as she was ashamed of her husband's deed.

Her marriage to the Prophet [PPBUH]:

One day, after a long time of her loneliness, one of al-Najashi's female servants, called Abraha, came to her to give her the good tidings of the Prophet's proposal to her. Om-Habiba  gave her two silver bracelets, two leg bracelets, and silver rings as a reward for her good tidings.

Her proxy (i.e. the man who is responsible for a woman seeking marriage, who gives her hand in marriage) was Khaled ibn Said ibn al-Aas ibn Ommaya ibn Abd-Shams. It was said that her dowry was 400 dinars and it was also said 4000 dinars, and therefore, she was the one given the biggest dowry among the wives of the Prophet [PPBUH]. She was the only one among his wives whom he married, while she was absent. Al-Najashi celebrated her marriage with a big banquet and said “it is a tradition to make banquets, when the Prophets [PPBUH] get married”. Osman ibn Affan also made a banquet of meat and Thareid (i.e. bread soaked in meat soup).

Al-Najashi asked his wives to give her gifts, so they competed in the perfumes and the other gifts they gave her for the sake of the Prophet [PPBUH]. In the morning, al-Najashi's female servant came to her carrying the gifts of al-Najashi's wives, such as perfumes and amber. The mother of believers gave her 50 dinars of her dowry and said “I gave you yesterday two bracelets, because I didn't have money, but Allah has sent me this”. The female servant, however, refused to take the money and gave her the bracelets back. She told her that al-Najashi had given her a big reward and told her not to take anything from the mother of believers.

When her father knew about such a blessed marriage, while he was still a non-believer, he said that the Prophet [PPBUH] is a generous and a qualified man whom no one refuses as a husband. When Muslims achieved triumph in Khayber battle, they went back to Medina to find the Muslim immigrants to Abyssinia back. They came in the company of Amr ibn Ommaya al-Damary whom the Prophet [PPBUH] sent to al-Najashi to get the remaining immigrants back. When the Prophet [PPBUH] saw his friends back, he jumped out of his ride, hugged his cousin, Jaffar ibn Abo-Talib, kissed him in the eye, and said happily (I don't know what I should be happier for: the triumph in Khayber or the return of Jaffar'). One of those immigrants who came back was Om-Habiba . Several years passed already, since she married the Prophet [PPBUH]. Her entry into the house of the Prophet [PPBUH] was celebrated in Medina, especially by Osman ibn Affan who made a huge banquet. She was almost 40 at that time.

Om-Habiba  in the house of the Prophet [PPBUH]:

Om-Habiba  lived satisfied and dignified in the house of the Prophet [PPBUH], although she had an inner deep sadness for the fact that her father was still a non-believer. She was caring for anything that belonged to the Prophet [PPBUH] even with the closest people to her. It has been narrated that when Qurish breached the treaty of al-Hudaybia, they knew that the Prophet [PPBUH] would not accept injustice, so they sent him Abo-Sufian to discuss with him the renewal of the truce lest that the Prophet [PPBUH] would invade Mecca.

When Abo-Sofian reached Medina, he went to his daughter, Om-Habiba . He wanted to sit on the bed of the Prophet [PPBUH], but she forbad him. When he asked her for the reason, she answered “It is the bed of the Prophet [PPBUH], and you are a non-believer, so I do not like you to sit on it”. He replied “O, daughter, you became insane”.

Allah fulfilled her prayer [AAH]:

Om-Habiba went to Osman ibn Affan, when he was besieged. One man saw her in her bedroom and started describing her to people. She said “What is wrong with him? May Allah cut his hand and reveal his private parts!” Then, a visitor came to this immoral man, hit him with a sword and cut his right hand. He escaped him, holding his clothes in his mouth, so his private parts were revealed. This shows how Allah has fulfilled her prayer.

Sticking to the Sunna of the Prophet [PPBUH]:

In a hadith narrated by al-Bukhary, Zeinab bent Abo-Salama said “I visited Om-Habiba, the wife of the Prophet [PPBUH], when her father died. She asked for a perfume to wear it. Then, she said “I would not have worn perfume, unless I heard the Prophet [PPBUH] saying that (a female believer should not grieve for more than 3 days for someone died, other than her husband, for whom she has to grieve for 4 months and 10 days). She [AAH] wore perfume, though she was not interested in it, only in order to abide by the Sunna of the Prophet [PPBUH].

Her act of worshipping [AAH]:

She was a worshipper to Allah, and she used to pray a lot. She said “I heard the Prophet [PPBUH] saying (whoever prays 12 prostrations in a day and a night, a house in Paradise is built for him). She continued “I never left them, since I heard this Hadith”.

Narration of Hadith:

Om-Habiba [AAH] narrated 65 Hadith.

Her death [AAH]:

Sayyda Aisha [AAH] said “Om-Habiba, the wife of the Prophet [PPBUH], sent for me, when she was dying. She said 'We used to have what is common between second wives, but Allah has forgiven all of these, so I forgive you, too!' Sayyda Aisha replied ‘You pleased me. May Allah please you, too!’ She also sent for Om-Salama and said the same thing to her”.

She [AAH] passed away in the year 44, during the reign of her brother Mayiwa ibn Abo-Sofian. She was buried in al-Baqia. May Allah reward her and gather us with her in Paradise!

Edited by Rawya Ramadan.

Translated by Nahed Abuel-Hassan.