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10. Umm ul Mumineen Hazrat Umm-e-Habiba Ramlah Binte Abi Sufyan (رضی اللہ عنہا)

UMM HABIBAH

The Patient Emigrant

She was a leader among the women, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan bin Harb. She is one of the female cousins of Allah’s Messenger. None of his wives was closer to him in lineage than her. None of his wives had a more expensive dowry. There was also none (of his wives) whose residence was farther than hers at the time of marriage.

She was married to him at Al-Habasha (Abyssinia) and the king of Habasha gave her as her dowry on his behalf, four hundred dinars and also furnished her with many things. The words of Allah were revealed at her instance and that of other wives of the Prophet specifically that:

“Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, 0 members of the family (of the Prophet ﷺ).” (Al-Ahzab:33)

Imam Adh-Dhahabi said: “Umm Habibah had esteem and majesty especially during the reign of her brother. It was because of her they referred to him (i.e. Mu’awiyah) as ‘maternal uncle’ of the believers.”

The Prophet’s Marriage to Her

When she accepted Islam, she emigrated with her husband Ubaidullah bin Jahsh to Al-Habasha but he apostatized and became a Christian. Her trial was aggravated and her home sickness was compounded by the apostasy of her husband and estrangement from her homeland. When the Prophet knew of her situation, he sent a message to Najashi asking him to seek her hand in marriage and to pay her dowry on his behalf as a compassion for her situation and a recompense for her steadfastness and struggle.

Strangely, when Abu Sufyan heard of this marriage, in spite of his deep-rooted hostility against the Prophet of Allah and the believers, he said boastfully: “That stallion will not be tamed.”

Urwah reported from Umm Habibah that she used to be under Ubaidullah and that Allah’s Messenger married her at AIHabasha. An-Najashi married her on his behalf and her mahr was four hundred thousand dirham and she was sent with Shurahbil bin Hasanah and all her furnishing was from the presence of Najashi.

A Lasting Incidence

Az-Zuhri said: “When Abu Sufyan arrived in Madinah, at the time when the Prophet intended to invade Makkah, Abu Sufyan wanted to negotiate an extension of the truce which was not accepted from him. Then he rose and went in to see his daughter, Umm Habibah. When he wanted to sit on the bed of the Prophet, she pulled it from underneath him. He said: “My daughter, do you consider this bed unfit for me (i.e. my status) or me unfit for it?” She said: “It is the bed of Allah’s Messenger and you are an unclean polytheist.” He said: “My daughter, you have been afflicted with evil after (you left) me.”

Before Meeting Allah

Auf bin Al-Harith reported: I heard ‘A’ishah say; “Umm Habibah sent for me at the point of her death and said: ‘What usually occurs between rivals have occurred between us. May Allah forgive me and you over what happened in that regard.’ So I said: ‘May Allah forgive you all of that and may He exonerate you from all that.’ Then she said: ‘You made me happy, may

Allah make you happy.’ She invited Umm Salamah and said a similar thing to her.”

This is a Virtuous Prophetic Sunnah

Al-Bayhaqi reported that Allah’s Messenger addressed (the people) in his last illness prior to his death: “0 people, I praise Allah beside Whom there is none worthy of worship (in truth). Whoevers’ back I have whipped, here is my back so let him retaliate. Whoevers’ reputation I have smeared, here is my reputation so let him retaliate. Begrudging anyone is not the nature of my character. The most beloved of you to me is the one who takes his right from me, if he has any and relieves me of it so that I may meet Allah with a clear conscience.” She died in the year 44 AH during the Khilafah of Mu’ awiyah. Allah be pleased with her.

 

SOURCE:
https://learn-islam.org

 

 

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