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02. Hazrat Ruqhayyah Bint Rasool Allah ﷺ

RUQAYYAH BINT RASOOLALLAH ﷺ

 

Ruqayyah was born after her sister Zaynab. She was also a source of happiness for her noble parents. Soon afterwards, Umm Kulthoom was born, and both of them grew together as if they were twins.

Their closeness to one another greatly increased especially since their eldest sister, Zaynab had married and moved to her matrimonial home. They then became ever more closed and more attached to each other. It is as if both of them had been destined for the same fate from the beginning to the end.

The books of Seerah testified to this unique closeness that was between them, for, all historical narrations agreed on the fact that the two noble sisters – Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom – shared almost everything in common.

After Zaynab had been married to Abu al-As ibn Rabee’ and Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom neared marriage age, Abu Talib, Prophet’s uncle came to him seeking the hands of the two girls in marriage to sons of his brother, ‘Abdul-‘Uzza ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, otherwise known as Abu Lahab.

Abu Tlilib said, “We came to ask for the hands of our daughters, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthoom in marriage. We hope that you will not make their marriage difficult to your cousins, ‘Utbah and ‘Utaybah sons of ‘Abdul-‘Uzza.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ responded, Uncle, can you please give me some time so that I can talk to my daughters?

The Prophet ﷺ proposed the matter to his family, his wife and her daughters, the concerned ones. Even though Khadeejah R.A. was a little reluctant because she knew Umm Jameel – the wife of Abu Lahab and the mother of Utbah & Utaybah – that she was herd hearted and arrogant, she agreed because she did not want to cause divide in the family of her husband.

In Makkah, a light gleamed that illuminated the city and removed its darkness. That was when Muhammad ﷺ was commissioned a Prophet and a Messenger of light and guidance.

When the Verse: Perished be the hands of Abu Lahab.” (Masad: 1) was revealed ,  his (Utbah’s) father said: “My head is lawful to your head if you do not divorce his daughter.” So he parted from her without having consummated the marriage. She became a Muslim with her mother and her sisters.

Abu Lahab and his wife, the wood-carrier, did not stop at bothering of the Muslims and harming them; they also extremely hurt the Prophet ﷺ. In fact, the two young ladies felt a fundamental change in the house. Their house was now surrounded with cruelty from all angles. It had become the main target of persecution, torment and mocking.

These two ladies endured the situation with their parents, doing so as an act of worship for Allah. They bore it with perseverance, in the cause of Allah, pains, hardship and sacrifice. And they were refined by this tribulation.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not grieve because of his daughters that were sent back to him for Allah soon compensated him with a husband who was better than the first two husbands. He compensated him with a righteous, dignified, gracious, highborn, abundantly rich and amiable husband who was very bashful. The person was ‘Uthman ibn ‘Aff’an ibn Abu al-‘As  ibn ‘Abd Shams.

 

The first migration

 

When the Quraysh’s persecution of the Muslims intensified, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ permitted his Companions to migrate to Abyssinia in order to escape with their religion so that they would not be tempted.

Ibn Sa’ d said: She made hijrah with him i.e. with ‘Uthman, to Abyssinia and the two hijrahs together. Allah’s Messenger said: “Both of them were the first to make hirah toward Allah after Lut.

The distant between Makkah and Abyssinia was not short! There are, between the two lands, dry sand, scorching sun, deep sea and deserts and jungles. In addition to its farness, the road was also intractable and full of hardships.

This had made some emigrants fall ill and some of them almost perished, all in the cause of Allah.


‘Uthman and Ruqayyah’s return

 

The emigrants spent days, months and years of their life yearning to go back to their homeland, despite the security, peace and freedom that they enjoyed.

When they heard that Hamzah ibn’ Abdul-Muttalib and ‘Umar had accepted Islam, they were very happy. Some of them hastily returned to Makkah hoping to part take in shaping the future of the war that was raging in Makkah between the truth and falsehood or to see their missed families they had left for a long time.

Other opted to stay until the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would permit them to come back home. This latter group was led by Ja’far ibn Abi Talib. ‘Uthman and Ruqayyah were among those who decided to return.

However, the returning refugees were stunned by the increase in the Quraysh’s heartless persecution of the Muslims. So they were greatly disappointed.

The saddest of these returnees was Ruqayyah. For, when she entered her father’s house and kissed her sisters, Umm Kulthoom and Fatimah, she anxiously asked of their great mother. Her sisters remained silent and did not respond to her question. Their tears served as the most vivid answer. Their mother, Khadeejah was dead!!!

‘Uthman and Ruqayyah did not stay long in Makkah. The Muslims migrated to Yathrib after the Ansar – the Aws and Khazraj – had given the Messenger of Allah ﷺ their allegiance that they would support him and help his cause. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself followed them soon afterwards.

Two years before migration to Madeenah, Ruqayyah gave birth to her only child for ‘Uthman, ‘Abdullah.

She had a child from ‘Uthman R.A. named ‘Abdullah and he was nicknamed by that. The child lived up to six years of age but was pecked in the face by a rooster and his face became swollen and he died.

Afterwards, she emigrated to Madinah after ‘Uthman. She took ill just before the battle of Badr. Consequently, the Prophet left ‘Uthman behind to take care of her. She eventually died while the Muslims were still at Badr.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the bereaved father, performed funeral prayers on his daughter and followed her corpse to the Baqee’ until she was buried.

May Allah be pleased with Ruqayyah, the Prophet’s daughter, the lady of two emigrations and the wife of the owner of the lights! May He reward her for her faith, struggle, tribulations, and her perseverance with the best and the fullest reward!

 

Source:
https://learn-islam.org/

 

 

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