Outline
- Introduction
- The Beginning
- Barakah: A Name Worthy Living
- Ummu Ayman, The Third to Embrace Islam
- Ummu Ayman, The Free Woman
- Ummu Ayman’s Legacy
- Ummu Ayman After the Prophet’s Passing
- Ummu Ayman’s Passing
- 9 Facts About Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman
- The Takeaway…
Introduction
She was the one present to receive the Prophet at his birth. She was there at his mother’s passing leaving him at six. She has witnessed the whole lifetime of the Prophet, likewise all the stages of revelation. An honour which no one else ever had. The Prophet would call her “Ummi!” (My mother!) And whenever he saw her, he would say “She is my mother after my mother” You’ve guessed right.
She’s Barakah Ummu Ayman. Ummu Ayman is our Shining Star for this episode of The Shining Stars Series, brought to you by GSalam.Net and Al-Bushra by GSalam.
The Beginning
Once upon a time, a young mother with her six-year-old son travelled from Makkah to Yathrib to visit the relatives of her late husband who died in Yathrib while on his way back from trading in Syria. In their company was a slave lady whom the young boy inherited from his late father.
While in Yathrib, the young mother would visit her late husband’s grave from morning till sunset. This continued for forty days. On their way back from Yathrib to Makkah, the young mother fell sick at a place between Makkah and Madinah, called al-Abwā’. Without any notice, her condition deteriorated, and she passed away.
The six-year-old boy was taken care of by the slave lady, who became his mother since then until he became a matured man, in fact, until his death.
The young mother was Sayyidah Āminah bint Wahb, the mother of our Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The little boy was Sayyidunā Muhammad ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. And as you’ve rightly guessed, the slave lady was Sayyidatunā Barakah, popularly known as Ummu Ayman.
As ‘Abdullah, the Prophet’s father died before the birth of his only child, the then yet-to-be-born Muhammad inherited his mother-to-be, Ummu Ayman from his father.
As he grew and went through life cycles, Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman moved with the Prophet wherever he moved to. After the death of Āminah, Ummu Ayman moved with him to stay with his grandfather Abdul Muṭṭalib. And two years later, after the death of Abdul Muṭṭalib they moved to stay with his uncle Abū Tālib.
Subsequently, after the Prophet married Sayyidatunā Khadījah, Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman moved in with him to stay with her.
Barakah: A Name Worthy Living
Her name is Barakah bint Tha’labah ibn ‘Umar ibn Hiṣn ibn Mālik ibn ‘Umar al-Nu’mān.
Sayyidatunā Baraka, Ummu Ayman origins from Abyssinia, the present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea combined, in East Africa. No records or reports of how and when she was born. But what is known and documented is that, she was bought by the Prophet’s father, Abdullah ibn Abdul Muṭṭalib.
Ummu Ayman, The Third to Embrace Islam
After the Prophet hurried from the cave of Hirā’, terrified, shivering and asking to be covered. He informed his household what happened. Sayyidah Khadijah knew the implication of the incident and was the first to render an absolute submission for Islam. Next was Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Ḥārithah, the then adopted son of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
The third person to render her submission for Islam was Sayyidatunā Barakah Ummu Ayman. The woman who witnessed the birth of the Prophet. The woman who became a mother for the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
If anyone has seen some signs of prophethood with the Prophet, I believe Ummu Ayman has seen more. Whether she was able to make sense of them or not, I’m not sure. But I believe the moment the Prophet told them that he was chosen and blessed to be the Final Messenger to the world, she was able to relate and connect many dots for many things she might have seen in the past but was not able to comprehend or make sense of them.
I claim that Ummu Ayman was the third to accept Islam for three reasons.
- She was there when the Prophet hurried from the Cave of Hirā’ after his encounter with Jibrīl ‘alayhi al-salām.
- She was the Prophet’s mother at that time. She’s seen all the indications that leave her without the least doubt that he was a Prophet.
- She was a matured person who could make an informed decision at that point of time.
Ummu Ayman, The Free Woman
When the Prophet got married to Sayyidatunā Khadījah he freed Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman.
She was estimated to be above her mid-50s. Fortunately, she agreed to marry ‘Ubayd ibn Zayd from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib. Therefore, she moved to Yathrib with her husband to start a new life. In Yathrib, she was blessed with a boy who they named Ayman, and hence, she was nicknamed Ummu Ayman.
Ummu Ayman’s marriage didn’t last long, as her husband, ‘Ubayd ibn Zayd died. So, she returned back to Makkah to live with her son and daughter-in-law; the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and Khadījah, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhā.
In the early days of Islam, the Prophet used to conduct a secret gathering with the companions who had newly embraced Islam. This took place in the house of al-Arqam ibn Abī al-Arqam. Despite the meted hostility they faced from the tyrants of Makkah. One night while in the house of al-Arqam, Ummu Ayman needed to pass urgent information to the Prophet from Sayyidatunā Khadījah. So, she risked her life and made it to the house and passed the information to the Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. After she left, the Prophet looked at the companions and said:
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً مِنْ أَهْلِ الجَنَّةِ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ أَمَّ أَيْمَن.
“Whoever desires to marry a woman from the people of Paradise, let him marry Ummu Ayman.”
In addition to her age, Ummu Ayman had a speech impairment. Moreover, she was not outwardly attractive. So, there was total silence. And then, a hand was seen raised. Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Ḥārithah “raised his hand” and said, “I do, O Messenger of Allah.”
With that, Sayyidunā Zayd ibn Hārithah and Ummu Ayman got married. they were blessed with a child whom they named Usāmah.
By now, you already know how fond the Prophet used to be of his mother, Ummu Ayman, raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhā. You also know the degree of affection he had for his son, Zayd ibn Hārithah. Then, you can imagine how much love he’s going to shower Baby Usāmah ibn Zayd with.
Ummu Ayman’s Legacy
Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman had the honour which no other person had. She had the honour to witness the lifetime of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam from birth to death. She had also witnessed the entire period of revelation.
Ummu Ayman devoted her life to take care of the Prophet. Perhaps, not because she was a slave. But because she was responsible and loving.
The Prophet would call her “Ummāh!” or “Ummī!” and he would say:
أُمُ أَيْمَنَ أَمِّي بَعْدَ أُمِّي
“Ummu Ayman is my mother after my mother.”
After the Prophet settled in Madīnah, he dispatched Zayd ibn Ḥārithah and Abū Rāfi’ to go to Makkah and bring him his household. This included Sayyidatunā Sawdah bint Zam’ah (the Prophet’s wife), Ummu Kulthūm and Fāṭimah (the Prophet’s daughters) and Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman.
Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman was courageous that she joined the Prophet in battlefields to treat the injured and supply the companions with water. She participated in the battle of Uḥud and Khaybar.
Ummu Ayman After the Prophet’s Passing
On a regular basis, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to visit Ummu Ayman raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhā. After his passing, Sayyidunā Abū Bakr and Sayyidunā ‘Umar raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhumā continued with that tradition. Once, when they visited her, she started shedding tears. When asked, she said, “not that I don’t know that what’s with Allah is better for the Prophet. But I’m crying because, with the death of the Prophet, revelation has seized to descend.”
Ummu Ayman’s Passing
Some reports imply that Ummu Ayman passed away six months after the Prophet’s passing. And some others imply that she passed away at the beginning of Sayyidunā ‘Uthman’s caliphate.
9 Facts About Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman
Here are 9 facts you may want to remember about Ummu Ayman.
- Ummu Ayman was the one to receive the Prophet at birth
- Ummu Ayman witnessed the entire lifetime of the Prophet.
- Ummu Ayman was the second woman to embrace Islam.
- Ummu Ayman was among the first five to embrace Islam on the first day of Islam.
- Ummu Ayman witnessed the whole period of revelation.
- Ummu Ayman was among the first batch of women to participate in battlefields in Islam.
- Ummu Ayman was given the glad tidings of Paradise.
- Ummu Ayman was the mother of Usāmah ibn Zayd ibn Hārithah.
- Ummu Ayman was one the woman whom the Prophet referred to as his mother(s).
The Takeaway…
Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman could be the best to author about the biography of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the struggles Islam faced. But she was unlettered. And socially unrecognized.
With or without Ummu Ayman, the Prophet would be taken care of by someone. Maybe even better than Ummu Ayman did. But Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman was given a challenge. She accepted it. And she made it successfully. If you want to know whether you can pass a similar challenge, think of how you hand children who are not yours.
Ummu Ayman lived more than 50 years or so of her age as a slave lady. In the context of the 21st century, she was deprived of the least of basic human rights. This is in addition to the fact that she was unlettered, uneducated.
Despite that, Ummu Ayman has written a legacy worthy the envy of the best-educated people of all time. A slave and unlettered lady, who by all standards was subject to racism, discrimination and social injustice had made it from zero to hero, by the will of Allah of course. If you’re watching this, you’re undoubtedly more privileged than she was. If you’re watching this, you’re lettered. If you’re watching this, you’re educated. What could be your reason for not taking up the challenge, and be a shining star for someone, 100 years from now!
This was a glimpse at Sayyidatunā Ummu Ayman raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhā. The third person, the second woman and one of the first five to embrace Islam in its first day. You can read everything said here on GSalam.Net.
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Until we meet in our episode to take another glimpse of another shining star, I leave you in Allah’s protection.
Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂
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