A Woman Warrior in Islam

 

 

Umm Umaarah (R.A.) - A Woman Warrior in Islam

“The Prophet(S.A.W.) said that in whichever direction he turned to on the battlefield he could see her defending and protecting him”

I thought it would be interesting to share with you a story about a female warrior in Islam, as I have not been exposed to many female heroines and throughout history we always read about the achievements of brave men. I often wondered whether there were any females who had the same bravery.

 Hopefully after you read this, you will understand that women in those days were just as active as men in pursuing the establishment of our beautiful religion Islam.

What better an example or subject than Nasibah Bint Ka’b Al – Maziniyah aka Umm Umaarah.

Umm Umaarah (R.A.) was a brave woman who belonged to the Khazraj tribe of Madinah. She along with 73 other Ansaar swore allegiance to the Prophet (S.A.W.) to support him when he came to Madinah.

Her Courageous Love for Rasulallah (S.A.W.)

When the battle of Uhud began, all the women brought water to the wounded, one of those women was Umm Umaarah. As the battle went on, the Muslims were winning but due to the archer’s disobeying Muhammed (S.A.W.) the victory were turning into defeat as is stated in the Quran

“[Remember] when you [fled and] climbed [the mountain] without looking aside at anyone while the Messenger was calling you from behind. So Allah repaid you with distress upon distress so you would not grieve for that which had escaped you [of victory and spoils of war] or [for] that which had befallen you [of injury and death]. And Allah is [fully] Acquainted with what you do.” (Surah Ali Imran: 153)

Umm Umaarah (R.A), brave as she was, pulled out her sword and stepped forward. She ran to join the group who were shielding Muhammed (S.A.W.) from the arrows of the Mushrikeen. She fought fiercly on either side making sure no harm came to Beloved Muhammed (S.A.W.). The Messenger (S.A.W.) saw this and later remarked “: Whenever I turned to the left or to the right, I saw her fighting for me”

Umm Umaarah’s love for Muhammed (S.A.W.) was so deep that after she had gotten injured 12 times, severly, she fainted, although the moment she awoke, the first thing she asked was whether the Prophet (S.A.W.) was okay.

 

Her  Personality

She was a rare kind of woman with a very strong personality. She was an excellent narrator of hadith, intelligent, sincere and extremely loyal as a wife, mother and companion.

She was so truthful that till the very end she stuck to her promise to sacrifice her own life for our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.), fighting fiercely and striking fatal blows to any enemy in sight. She used to pray frequently and would spend her time teaching and training other women to Allah’s oneness. She had an excellent memory and harbored a large amount of patience.

 

Her love for her Children

Umm Umaarah (R.A.) just like any other mother loved her children dearly. Her son tells us about how she ran to his aid at the sight of his wounds. He said, "I was wounded during the battle of Uhud, and the blood would not stop. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, said, 'Bandage your wound.' My mother was busy fighting the enemy, but when she heard the Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, she came toward me carrying bandages tied to her side, she bandaged my wound while the Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, was standing by. She then told me, 'Get up my son, and fight’ The Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhe Wasallam, said, 'Who can endure what you are enduring, Um Umaarah'

 

Passing On

Thus passed on, a true believer, whose exact date of departure from this world is not known, a woman who fought so fiercely and was stabbed 12 times against men who were probably twice her size. Her fearless heart leaves me in total admiration for the level of Iman her heart contained and her story makes an excellent example of how we should develop in our faith. It also made me realize how important it is to stay true to our words and not to break promises,to speak the truth, just the way she kept hers till the very end..

 

May Allah (S.W.T.) grant us to obtain the same level of patience and honesty Inshallah, Ameen.

 

Love Ayesha