Saudah Bint Zam’a (R.A.)

We are going take a look into the life of a virtuous and noble woman . -

Her name was Saudah  Bint Zam’a (R.A.) – Wife of Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.), daughter of  Shamoos and Zam’a bin Qais bin ‘Abd Shams and member of the famous Quraishi tribe, Amir bin Luwayy.

She was tall, the tallest wife of Rasulallah (S.A.W.), that Aisha (R.A.) said:" Anyone who saw her could not remain hidden from her sight”

She came into the Prophet (S.A.W.)’s life with maturity, kindness and simplicity at a time when he needed her the most for support for his household and as a mother to his young daughters.

As the Prophet (S.A.W.) said “: Allah (S.W.T. has commanded me to marry only with the woman of Paradise”

Her Marriage to Muhammed (S.A.W.)

Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W.) married Saudah (R.A.) in the tenth year of his Prophethood in the month of Ramadaan, after the death of his 1^st wife Khadijah (R.A.) and before the marriage of

 Aisha( R.A.) thus Saudah being named his 2^nd wife.

She had been previously married to her cousin, Sakran bin Amr (R.A.) who passed on  after being sick and  had also  already given birth to 6  children. When the idea of marrying Saudah (R.A.) to run his household and take care of his family was put forward to Rasulallah (S.A.W.) he did not hesitate in choosing her because to him, she was considered one of the most virtuous women of her time, even though she was middle aged and her beauty had already past its youth.

The Humour that Saudah (R.A.) brought into the household of Muhammed (S.A.W.)

The Prophet (S.A.W.) loved Saudah  (R.A.) very dearly too. She had a side to her that was very humorous, which would often make the Prophet( S.A.W.) burst into laughter. Ibn Sa’ad tells us the story of how, one night she were praying behind Muhammed (S.A.W.).  The next day, she couldn’t help but tell him that the long prayer he performed almost made her believe that her nasal vein would burst and her nose would bleed. She then jokingly told him how while she was bowing in prayer she held onto her nose! This image was so amusing to Muhammed (S.A.W.) that he couldn’t help but to burst out laughing.

Another incident is how when she heard about the story of the Dajjal from Rasulallah (S.A.W.) she was very frightened.  As many people were aware of how easily she scared, they would often talk about it when she was around in order to see her reaction. One day Aisha (R.A.) and Hafsa (R.A.) were with Saudah and brought up the topic of the Dajjal. On hearing this, Saudah was terrified and  ran into a dark room full of cobwebs. Rasulallah (S.A.W.) came into the room where the 3 were gathered and asked where was Saudah (R.A.), to which Aisha ( R.A.) told the Prophet (S.A.W.) the joke. He called out to Saudah in the other room, assuring her there was no monster, causing her to come out of hiding with a grin on her face.

Her heart was free from malice

Saudah (R.A.) had a very pure heart which was free from any type of jealousy so much so that when she became old, she feared that the Prophet (S.A.W.) would divorce her and she would not get her wish to be among the wives of Paradise. She graciously gave up her time spending with Rasulallah (S.A.W.) in order that he spent it with Aisha (R.A.) who was in her youth. It was because of this that Aisha (R.A.) became very close with Saudah (R.A.) and was touched by her kind gesture.

Her Passing On

This amazing lady passed on in Madina at the end of Omar bin Al Khattab’s Caliphate and was buried in Jannatul – Baqi.

What I find very interesting about the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.) is that  as we go further and further into their lives, we realize that they were not perfect and had their moments when they wanted to compete against each other but who chose to adapt to being  such great muslims in manners and speech.

I think the most important lesson we learn from Saudah (R.A.) is how pure our hearts should be and how we should remove all evil thoughts and spitefulness which often creeps into us often causing us to harm other people.

We should also remember that being a muslim doesn’t only mean making your salaah but also starts from within by trying to be kinder people, more understanding as husbands and wives and being gentle in our speech.

May Allah grant us all to be kind sweet virtuous people…

Inshallah, ameen

Love, Ayesha

Asma (R.A.) - The woman with 2 waist belts

Asma Bint Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A)

“The woman with 2 waist belts”

I am going to take you back, to glance into the life of a very sweet yet determined young woman by the name of Asma (R.A), daughter of Abu Bakr (R.A.), sister of Aisha (R.A.), wife of Az- Zubayr Awwam and sister in- law of our Beloved Prophet Muhammed (S.A.W).

Her story unfolds as the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his trusted companion Abu Bakr (R.A.) prepared to set off to Madina.

The reward was set at 100 camels to anyone who brought back Muhammed (S.A.W.) dead or alive. This was the representation of the disbeliever’s hatred for Islam. It was during this time that Abu Bakr (R.A.) and Rasulallah (S.A.W.) hid in the cave of Thawr. It was therefore very difficult to bring food to them as no one knew about their place of refuge and utmost carefulness had to be taken not to put Rasulallah (S.A.W.) life in danger.

Allah chose a young woman by the name of Asma (R.A.) to carry out this difficult task. In the quiet of the pitch black night, Asma would venture into the mountains to take food to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his companion . Imagine how difficult this must have been for a woman, with the fear of being caught and losing her life, let alone being extremely careful for no one to notice her and to cover her tracks.

Her Courage

Upon searching for the Prophet (S.A.W.) and his companion, Abu Jahl went straight  to Asma(R.A.) , banging rudely on the door. When she opened, he furiously demanded ” Where is your father?!!” She was very witty and replied ” How would I know??” The reason I say she was witty is because this was neither an answer nor a lie.. but instead a question to the ruthless man. He became furious and slapped Asma across the face causing her earing to fall to the ground. Feeling hurt by the sting of his heavy hand, Asma stood firmly, not showing any sign of tears or weakness nor apologizing to him, after all.. there was absolutely no need to.

Rasulallah (S.A.W.) was very fond of her and admired her determination to quickly bring forward solutions. He gave her the nickname of “ Dhaatoen – Nataaqeen” ( woman with 2 waist- belts) due to the fact that when he and Abu Bakr (R.A.) set off to Madina, Asma (R.A.) prepared their food for the journey but did not have a rope to tie the bag close so she divided her waist belt into 2 and used the one part to tie the bag closed. The Prophet (S.A.W) was so impressed that he said to her, she would enter Jannah and have 2 waist belts there instead of 1”

 As a wife and mother

When Asma (R.A.) married Az- Zubayr, the only thing he owned was a horse. As a wife, she was very patient and forebearing. I felt so sorry for her, when I read that she actually walked 2 miles to carry date stones as part of her chores and yet, she never complained. She was a very sensitive wife and cared about her husband’s feelings as top of her priorities. Her sense of loyalty, was unwavering, as I discovered the story of how one day, while carrying hay on her head walking in the heat, she was seen by Rasulallah (S.A.W.). Immediately he made his camel kneel down beside her so that she may take a ride instead of walking. She was so shy and loyal that the only thing she thought about was the fact that her husband would be jealous and instead she told the Prophet (S.A.W) to carry on without her.

Asma (R.A.) was also the mother of one of the bravest young men, by the name of Abdullah bin Zubayr who was the leader of an army.  There came a time when a battle broke out between his army and another. Nearing defeat, Zubayr went to his mother and asked her whether he should surrender fearing that his enemy would cut up his body and bring it to her.  With tears in her eyes she looked at him and told him that he was her little Hero and that fear of death should never stand in the way of a truly courageous man. She said “Come close to me my son, that I may smell and feel your body for one last time”. She kissed his forehead and raised her hands to the Heavens saying :”O Allah, I commend him to your cause and I am pleased with whatever you decree for him. Grant me for his sake the reward of those who are patient and who persevere”

Her words caused tears to flow down his face but his heart beamed because these were the words of his mother, who now reassured him that Allah was with him”

By sunset, Abdullah bin Zubayr died courageously as a martyr. A few days later Asma (R.A.) passed on at the age of 100.

Allah set Asma (R.A.) as an example to both women and men. To teach us that having all the riches in the world does not equal to ultimate success but by attaining  piety, couragesness, intelligence and a sense of calmness leads to eternal happiness.

Towards her old age she was blind, yet age never blurred the sharpness of her intellect, the courage in her heart nor the integrity of her soul.

May Allah guide us to to embody these qualities into our own sparkling personalities ..

Inshallah, Ameen

Love always,

Ayesha

Aisha(R.A.)

Aisha (R.A.)

For my 3rd write up, I’ve chosen to

speak about Aisha (R.A.), as I’ve received many requests about her, and her

age of marriage and thought I’d give you a glimpse of her life as best I

could.

The reason I took so long with this one, is because I’ve been reading and

reading about her and there is so much written about her that I really

didn’t know what to leave out. I was astounded at the amount of intellectual

caliber she possessed and also the amount of generosity she harbored but at

the same time she made me realize that she was not perfect but because she

so lovingly followed the actions of her dear husband Muhammad (S.A.W.) she

became an extraordinary person, who tirelessly recounted stories of his life

for us.

Aisha (R.A.) said “: Angel Jibra’eel (A.S) brought my picture wrapped in the

cover of green silk in his dream and said: “She is your wife in this world

and the hereafter.”

Her age of marriage to the Prophet (S.A.W.)

The Prophet (S.A.W.) did not marry Aisha (R.A.) for her charm or beauty, but

rather for her great intellect and truthfull ways, which is where her

nickname “Siddiqah” (The truthfull one) stems from. Now , when it comes to

the topic of her age, there is a general misconception because she was young

around the age of 6 or 7 when  the Prophet (S.A.W.) was engaged to her, many

writers have come up with misleading tales about the Prophet (S.A.W.) which

really upsets me and I will not even talk about what they write because if

they studied his outstanding character they would know that he is the

greatest example by far.

Anyways, as I was saying, from researching this topic over and over, it is

clear that in Arab times back then, the girls from as early age  as 3 were

engaged, and that age difference was not important in marriage as this was

tradition and only started living with their future husbands when they

reached puberty.

Well, it is known that Aisha’s (R.A.) sister Asma, who was born in 595, was

15 when she became a Muslim. This indicates the year 610, when the Prophet

started to receive the revelation and this then shows that Aisha was at

least 5, 6 or 7 that day and that she was at least 17 or 18 when she married

the Prophet in Medina.

Another matter worth mentioning here is that while describing that day,

Aisha (R.A.) stated, “I was a girl playing games.” The word she used to

describe herself, is “jariya”, and this term is  used to describe the entry

 into puberty. Ibn Yara, who is an Arab poet, describes this term as

follows: “When a girl becomes 8 years old, she is not a ‘jariya.’ She is a

bridal candidate that I can marry to Utba or Muawiya.” Some scholars say

that it is used for girls who are older than 11.

So basically my point that I want to stress here is that when Aisha (R.A.)

started living with the Prophet (S.A.W.) she was already physically and

mentally developed and even though,  Hadiths state she was nine, scholars

argue that those are secondary text and her age of marriage is not written

in the Quran which could mean she was 14/15 as dates  were not accurately

recorded in those days .

Her Remarkable Memory

She had a memory like a computer which never failed her and her wisdom was

so great, that someone once said that if the knowledge of Aisha (R.A.) were

placed on one side of a scale and on the other side the knowledge of all

other women, Aisha’s side would outweigh the other.

Her soft heart

Aisha (R.A.) had a very soft heart. She was pure, and would cry

easily if something upset her.  Her voice was soft which

made her  gentle spoken. Musa ibn Talha once said “I have not seen anyone

more eloquent than Aisha (R.A.) She would give away all her fortune in

charity and I’ve read countless times that no beggar would ever leave her

door, empty handed.  At the same time she had a very intelligent trait of

speaking her mind and despite her soft heart, she was a lady of strong

character and strong will. She always had a quick reply to everything even

as a child, once she was playing with a toy horse which had wings, and on

walking by the Prophet (S.A.W.) asked her *“:Do horses have wings Aisha?”

“Why not?” was *the quick reply “had not the horses of Hadhrat Sulayman

wings?”

The Prophet’s (S.A.W.) love for Her

It was clear that it was Aisha (R.A.) that he loved the most from his wives

in Madina.  From time to time, one or the other of his companions would ask

him, this question, and his reply would be Aisha (R.A.).

The Prophet (S.A.W.) loved to listen to her talk and would smile and listen

intently. When she told him stories, he would sit totally engrossed but the

moment the Athan was heard, he would rush to prayer as if she was not there.

She loved him so much and would become jealous when the Prophet (S.A.W.)

would give his attention to others more than her. She would often ask him,

“How is your love for me?” “Like a rope’s knot,” was his reply and she would

often remind him that, she was his only wife who had not been with any other

man compare to his other wives and to this the Prophet (S.A.W.) would just

smile and say nothing. Whenever Aisha (R.A.) beat someone in an argument,

the Prophet (S.A.W.) would smile and say “: She is the daughter of Abu

Bakr!”

His affection for her remained till his last when he had his final illness

and wanted to live in her house, at the suggestion of his wives. When Aisha

(R.A.) would drink water from a cup, he would place his lips on the same

place when he drank the water, so much was his love for her .When I read

this I thought that many husbands could learn from the Prophet (S.A.W.) and

the way love should be between a husband and a wife.

Her Generosity

Aisha (R.A.) was a generous soul with a lot of patience. Once when she was

fasting, she received a large amount of money, about a hundred thousand

Dirham’s and even though she had nothing in her house she distributed the

entire amount to the poor. It is reported that one day, a beggar came to

knock on the door of Aisha (R.A.) and she was fasting. She told her maid to

give the beggar a piece of bread that she had in the house.  The maid

answered saying that there was nothing else left to break  fast with that

night. Aisha (R.A.) didn’t care, and that evening, miraculously food was

sent to her door which was better than the piece of bread that she gave

away.

Her passing on

When Aisha (R.A.) passed away, never was such a vast gathering seen at a

funeral.  After a brief illness, she died at the age of 66 on the 17th of

Ramadaan to leave this earthly life for Paradise.  Abu Hurairah (R.A.) led

the funeral prayers and she was put to rest, the same night in “Jannatul

Baqi”, in the the City of Light and refused to be buried near the two great

people her husband, and her father.

Aisha (R.A.) has left us with an unforgettable memory of the Prophet

(S.A.W.) as she was the only person who was that close to him on a personal

level. She was a leader in every field, in society, in knowledge politics

and war and was at the same time feminine and pure.

May Allah (S.W.T) grant us all to be noble and pure as Aisha (R.A.).

Inshallah Ameen.

*Love, Ayesha*