'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 one with the two Hijra:

Sd. Roqaiya [AAH]

She is Roqaiya the daughter of Sayyduna Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdel-Muttalib ibn Hashim, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH]. She was born when the Prophet [PPBUH] was 33 years old. The Prophet [PPBUH] was sent when he was 40 years old. Her mother is Sd. Khadija bent Khuwaylid. She was born after Sd. Zaynab, and she embraced Islam with her mother and sisters. She immigrated in two Hijra: first to Habasha, then to Medina. She grew up before the message of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH]. She was nicknamed "Om-Abdullah". She was also nicknamed "the one with the two Hijra", in mentioning the Hijra of Habasha and of Medina.

Sd. Roqaiya got many of the virtues of her mother. She followed her example in her talking and doing through her whole life, from the first day Islam was born until her last journey to Allah, Almighty.

The marriage of Sd. Roqaiya [AAH] before the prophecy:

It was not long after the marriage of Sd. Zaynab, her elder sister, when the door of Sd. Khadija and Sayyduna Muhammad was knocked by a delegation from the people of Abdel-Muttalib, who came to ask for the hand of Sd. Roqaiya and her a little younger sister, to two of their cousins: Utba and Utaiba the sons of Abo-Lahab the uncle of the Messenger [PPBUH].

Sd. Roqaiya and her sister felt that their mother was uneasy.  A mother would know who is the mother of the two grooms, who was the wife of Abo-Lahab. Maybe all the houses of Mecca knew who was Om-Gamil bent Harb, the one with the hard heard, aggressive nature, and sharp tongue.

Sd. Khadija did not want to disturb the Prophet's calmness with her fears from the wife of Abo-Lahab, so it was agreed. Sayyduna Muhammad blessed his two daughters and there was a wedding. After that the brides moved to another house and another atmosphere with the care of Allah.

Sd. Roqaiya entered with her sister Om-Kalthoum the house of the uncle. However they did not stay there for long. As our Messenger Sayyduna Muhammad [PPBUH] started receiving the message from his Lord, and started calling for the new religion. The Sayyduna Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] started calling for Islam in secret. When Abo-Lahab knew about it he started laughing and mocking at the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH], then he went home and Om-Gamil shared his mocking and deriding.

But Qur'an was revealed down to the Beloved Chosen One showing the inauspicious fate of Om-Gamil bent Harb and her husband Abo-Lahab. Allah said [Perish the hand of Abo-Lahab! and perish he! ¤ Neither his wealth will exempt him nor what he gains ¤ He will be plunged in flaming Fire ¤ And his wife, will be the wood-carrier ¤ upon her neck a halter of palm-fiber] al-Masad 111:1-5.

Roqaiya and Om-Kalthoum were under the auspices of their cousins, when this Sura was revealed. Then Abo-Lahab sent to his sons Utba and Utaiba, and said to them that Muhammad cursed them: he and their mother. Then he turned to Utba and said my head to your head will be forbidden if you do not divorce the daughter of Muhammad. So he divorced her before her wedding.

Utaiba surrendered to his fury, and said in rage and muddle: I will go to Muhammad and hurt him in his lord. Utaiba ibn Abo-Lahab went to the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] and cursed him and gave him back his daughter and divorced her. The Messenger of Allah said (O, Allah, empower a dog of your dogs over him). Allah answered the prayer of the Messenger [PPBUH], and a lion ate Utaiba in one of his journeys to Sham.

The marriage of Sd. Roqaiya to Sd. Osman [AAT]:

Allah's will was to provide Roqaiya after her patience with a righteous generous husband from the first eight ones who were pioneers to Islam, and one of the ten who were auspicious of paradise. That was Osman ibn Affan: one of the youth of Quraish who had money, glory, honor, force, high relation, good looks, plenty of money, and noble manners. The Generous Messenger would not withhold his affinity from a companion like Osman. The Messenger consulted his daughter and understood that she agree in love and honor. Osman moved his wife to his house. Roqaiya [AAH] was happy with that marriage to the pure pious Osman ibn Affan [AAH]. Roqaiya gave birth to a boy and Osman named him Abdullah. He was nicknamed with his son, who lived until six and then passed away.

The immigration of Sd. Roqaiya with Sd. Osman to Habasha:

When Allah permitted Muslims to immigrate to Habasha. Osman ibn Affan [AAH] wanted to go to the land of Habasha. The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] (Go and take Roqaiya with you), then he said (I do not think that any of you would be patient without the other). Then the Prophet sent Asmaa bent Abo-Bakr [AAT] and said (Get me their news). Sd. Asmaa said: O, Messenger of Allah, he got a saddled donkey, and carried her on it, and he took her towards the sea. When Asmaa came back to the Prophet [PPBUH], Abo-Bakr was there, so the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] said (O, Abo-Bakr, they are the first to immigrate after Lout and Ibrahim [PBUT]). Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak.

Then Sd. Roqaiya, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] and her husband Sd. Osman ibn Affan immigrated to Habasha. She gave birth to Abdullah there, so Sd. Osman [AAH] used to be nicknamed after him: Abo-Abdullah.

Returning back to Mecca:

Lying rumors came to Habasha about Quraish having believed in Muhammad. Some immigrants could not overcome their excited longing, and soon they were in a caravan going to Mecca, with Osman and Roqaiya on their front. As soon as they reached the outskirts of Mecca, they were surrounded by the shooting with threats and perdition.

Roqaiya knocked the door of her father under the cover of night. The beloveds held each other and shed tears as soon as the door opened. Sayyduna Muhammad received his daughter with kindness and passion to help her calm back to patience and tranquility. Her mother Khadija suffered with the Messenger of Allah and the people of Aal-Hashim a lot of persecution, although she did not immigrate. Sickness dropped her down to bed, so she left the world while her daughter was still in Habasha.

The return of Roqaiya to Habasha:

Roqaiya and Osman went to the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] to ask his permission for them to immigrate to Habasha, and he gave them the permission. Osman ibn Affan [AAH] said: O, Messenger of Allah, our first Hijra and this other one to an-Nagashi, while your not with us? The Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] said (You are immigrants to Allah and to me, you have both these Hijra all). Osman said: That is enough for us, o, Messenger of Allah.

This is how Roqaiya, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, was the only one of his pure daughters to have the Hijra to the country of Habasha, and so she was counted as one of those who had the two Hijra.

The don of Roqaiya passed away when he was six years old. He died after a roster pecked his face (eye). He got swollen, his face was covered, and he was sick then passed away. His father and mother wiped for him, and his grand father missed this nice gentle boy whom he used to carry in his hands, whenever he visited his daughter. Roqaiya [AAH] never got pregnant after that.

The passing away of Sd. Roqaiya:

Roqaiya had nothing to do but patience and was good at it. But maybe because of the many calamities she had in her life at Om-Gamil's and in Habasha, she became weak and got sick. It was time for her body to rest on a bed prepared by her husband Osman. Her generous husband sat by her nursing and caring for her. The sickness of Roqaiya was the measles. After a struggle with this sickness, she caught up with the highest companion. She was the first to join the mother of believers Khadija of her daughters. But Roqaiya passed away in Medina, while Khadija passed away in Mecca a few years earlier. While Roqaiya could see her mother at her death, she did not see her father, the Messenger of Allah, at her own death. As the Messenger of Allah [PPBUH] was at Badr with his honorable companions, fight for the raising of the words of Allah, so he [PPBUH] did not attend her burial. She passed away while she was 22 years old. When her funeral reached al-Baqie, she was buried. In the narration of ibn Saad, he said that: when Roqaiya, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, passed away, He [PPBUH] said (Catch up with our precedent Osman ibn Maz'oun). The women wept for her, so Omar started beating them with his whip. The Prophet [PPBUH] held his hand and said (Let them weep). Then he said (Weep, but never do the cawing of Satan. As whatever comes of the heart and the eye is from Allah and the mercy, and whatever comes from the hand and the tongue is from Satan).

Written by Rawya Ramadan

Translated by Samy