The women in the life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) - (7)

 

The women in the life of the Holy Prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) - (7)

 

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 1st part ran here, the 2nd here, the 3rd here, the 4th here, the 5th here, the 6th here and this is the 7th.

 

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

 

She was the third daughter of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Her mother is Hadhrat Khadija Kubra (May Allah be well pleased with her).  Most of the biographers agree that she was born 6 years before the declaration of Prophethood.

 

Before the declaration of Prophethood, she was married to her cousin ‘Utaiba bin Abu Lahab.  Later, when the Prophet started preaching Islam, Abu Lahab and his wife started vehemently opposing Him.  Then Surah Abu Lahab was revealed.  Abu Lahab insisted that his sons divorce the daughters of the Prophet.  Thus, as previously mentioned, ‘Utba divorced Hadhrat Ruqayya (May Allah be well pleased with her) and ‘Utaiba divorced Hadhrat Umm Kulthoom (May Allah be well pleased with her).

 

After this, the Prophet married Hadhrat Ruqayya to Hadhrat ‘Uthman (May Allah be well pleased with them both).  However, only a few years later, she passed away. 

 

Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) married Hadhrat Umm Kulthoom (May Allah be well pleased with her) to Hadhrat ‘Uthman.

 

At the time of the solemnization of marriage, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said to Hadhrat ‘Uthman (May Allah be well pleased with her):  Allah Most High sent Me an order through Jibreel (May peace be upon him) that I should marry Umm Kulthoom to you with the same dower as that of Ruqayya.

 

Hadhrat Umm Kulthoom (May Allah be well pleased with her) passed away 6 years after this marriage.  It was the month of Sha’abaan in 9 Hijri.

 

Hadhrat Safiya bin ‘Abdul Muttalib, Hadhrat Umm ‘Atiya and Hadhrat Asma bin ‘Umais (May Allah be well pleased with them) gave her the funeral bath.

 

Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him), Hadhrat Abu Talha, Hadhrat Usama bin Zaid and Hadhrat Fadhl bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) interred her in Baq’ee.

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that when Hadhrat Umm Kulthoom (May Allah be well pleased with her) was interred, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) came near her grave and tears were flowing out His blessed eyes.

 

She did not have any children.

 

Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her)

 

Her name is Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her).  She is the fourth and the youngest daughter of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  Her mother is also Hadhrat Khadija Kubra (May Allah be well pleased with her).

 

There are various narrations about the year of her birth.  One among them is that she was born in the 1^st year of declaration of Prophethood.

 

From her childhood itself, she loved seclusion.  She never played and never stepped out of the house.  She would be at the side of her mother. 

 

Hadhrat Khadija Kubra (May Allah be well pleased with her) paid special attention to her education and instruction.  She would ask questions that would show her intelligence and her love for Allah Most High and His Prophet. 

 

When Hadhrat Khadija (May Allah be well pleased with her) passed away in the 10^th year of Prophethood, she was very much grieved by this.  Keeping her upbringing in mind, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) married Hadhrat Sauda (May Allah be well pleased with her).

 

In His free time, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would sit with her and console and teach her.  In their free time, Hadhrat ‘Aisha, her sister Hadhrat Asma, Hadhrat Hafsa (May Allah be well pleased with them) would also come and sit with her.

 

When the disbelievers of Makkah would trouble the Prophet, Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her) would console Him and when she would be grieved at their treatment of the Prophet, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would console her.

 

In 2 Hijri and as per some other narrations, in 3 Hijri, she was married to Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him).  She was then about 15 years old and Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) about 21 years old.

 

She was very selfless.  Once someone asked her:  If I have 40 camels, what Zakaat should I give?  Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her) replied:  For you, one camel.  If I had 40 camels, I would give away all of them for the sake of Allah Most High.

 

Once, Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) entered the house and asked for something to eat.  Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her) replied:  This is the third day that there is nothing to eat in the house.

 

Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  Why didn’t you tell this to me?

 

She replied:  My lord!  At the time of our marriage, my father instructed me not to embarrass you by making demands.

 

A few days before the demise of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with her) visited Him.  The Prophet seated her beside Himself and whispered something in her ear that made her cry.  Then the Prophet again whispered in her ear that made her laugh.

 

When she was leaving, Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) asked her about this.  She said she couldn’t reveal what the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has kept secret.  After the demise of the Prophet, she revealed to Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) that the first time, the Prophet had told her that He would pass away this year.  That made her cry.  Then the Prophet whispered to her that she would be the first from the Prophet’s Family to meet her and that made her laugh.

 

Only 6 months after the demise of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), on 3^rd Ramadhan, 11 Hijri, she passed away into the presence of Allah Most High.  She was aged 29. 

 

Just before her passing away, she had called Hadhrat Asma bint ‘Umais (May Allah be well pleased with her) and told her that while carrying her bier and while burying her, Hijab should be observed most meticulously.  She also gave the instructions that only Hadhrat Asma and Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with them) should give the funeral bath.

 

Thus, she was interred in the night itself without informing a lot of people.

 

She had 6 children:  Imam Hasan, Imam Hussain, Hadhrat Mohsin, Hadhrat Umm Kulthoom, Hadhrat Ruqayya and Hadhrat Zainab (May Allah be well pleased with them).

 

Hadhrat Mohsin and Hadhrat Ruqayya (May Allah be well pleased with them) passed away in infancy.

 

The progeny of the Prophet is through Hadhrat ‘Ali and Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah be well pleased with them).

 

[To be continued...]