The women in the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) (4)

The women in the life of the Holy Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was the one who granted women their due rights.  Here, we present a series on the women in the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

The first part ran here, the second here, the third here and this is the fourth part.

 

Hadhrat Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Her name is Zainab (May Allah be well pleased with him), Kuniyah Umm Al Hakam and she belongs to the clan of Sa’ad bin Khuzaima.

 

Her mother is Umaima bint ‘Abdul Muttalib.  She is the paternal aunt of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Thus, Hadhrat Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allah be well pleased with her) is the paternal cousin of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

She was one of those people who had embraced Islam in the earliest days.

 

She was earlier married to Hadhrat Zaid bin Haritha (May Allah be well pleased with him) who was the freed slave and adopted son of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

For some reason, both of them wanted to end the marriage.  Eventually, Hadhrat Zaid (May Allah be well pleased with him) divorced her.

 

It was among the customs of pre-Islamic Arabia that they would consider the adopted son as the own son and marriage with the widow/ex-wife of the adopted son was considered a sacrilege.  Allah Most High wanted to wipe out the customs of ignorance.  A verse of the Holy Quran was revealed which said that Allah Most High had given Hadhrat Zainab bint Jahsh (May Allah be well pleased with her) in marriage to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Thus, she became the wife of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

Hadhrat ‘Aisha says about her:  In matters of religion, I haven’t seen a woman better than Zainab.  May Allah be well pleased with them.

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had said:  The one among you with the longest hands will join me first in the hereafter.

 

Here “long hands” means generosity.  Thus, Hadhrat Zainab (May Allah be well pleased with her) who was highly generous was the first to pass away after the demise of the Prophet.

 

Hadhrat Zainab (May Allah be well pleased with her) knew the art of tanning the skins of animals.  She would earn money from this and give it all away in the path of Allah Most High.

 

She passed away in 20 Hijri at the age of 53.  It was the caliphate of Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) and he led the Funeral Salaat. 

 

Eleven Hadith are related on her authority.

 

Hadhrat Juwairiya (May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Her name was Barra.  She was the daughter of Harith, who was the leader of the clan of Mustaliq. 

 

Her father had resolved to attack the Muslims on the persuasion of the Quraish.  However, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) made a preemptive attack and defeated them.  Hadhrat Juwairiya (May Allah be well pleased with her) was also among the prisoners.

 

As she was the daughter of a chief and couldn’t be enslaved, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) paid her ransom and married her.  He changed her name from Barra to Juwairiya.  The Muslims freed all the prisoners as they had now become relatives to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) said about this:  I have never seen any woman who benefited her clan like Juwairiya did.

 

When her father heard that she had been taken prisoner, he gathered a lot of wealth and came to ransom her.  On the way, he hid 2 of his best camels and appeared before the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  He requested the Prophet to free her.  The Prophet asked him:  What about the 2 camels of yours? 

 

Hadhrat Harith (May Allah be well pleased with him) was astonished at this and embraced Islam wholeheartedly.

 

Hadhrat Juwairiya (May Allah be well pleased with her) was a very worshipful woman.  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would often find her engaged in worship.

 

She passed away at the age of 65 in 50 Hijri.  She is buried in Jannatul Baq’ee.

 

Hadhrat Umm Habeeba (May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Her name was Ramla and her Kuniyah was Umm Habeeba.

 

She was the daughter of Abu Sufyan bin Harb (May Allah be well pleased with him).  Her mother was Safiya bint Abil A’as.  Hadhrat ‘Uthman bin ‘Affan was her cousin and Hadhrat Ameer Mu’awiya (May Allah be well pleased withthem both ) was her blood brother.

 

She was earlier married to ‘Abdullah bin Jahsh.  She emigrated to Abyssinia along with her husband.  There, ‘Abdullah apostatized from Islam and became a Christian.  She tried to counsel her husband but to no avail.  He led a life of drunkenness and died as a Christian.

 

When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) learnt of her plight in an alien country, after her waiting period (Iddah) was over, He sent her the proposal for marriage.  She was very glad on hearing this and gave gifts to the slave-girl who had conveyed this proposal to her.

 

She was one of the earliest reverts to Islam although her father remained an avowed enemy of Islam for a long time.  Once when Abu Sufyan (May Allah be well pleased with him) came to visit her in Madina, he was making to sit on a rug when Hadhrat Umm Habeeba (May Allah be well pleased with her) pulled it away.  When Abu Sufyan expressed his displeasure on this, she said:  I don’t like that a polytheist should sit on the rug of the Holy Prophet.

 

She passed away in 44 Hijri at the age of 73.  It was the rule of Hadhrat Ameer Mu’awiya (May Allah be well pleased with him).  Sixty-five Hadith are related on her authority.

 

[To be continued…]