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*

The First Female Martyr In Islam

We’re going to look into the  life of Summayah (R.A.), because we do not hear about her too often and even less is known about her.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said that when dimensions and disputes appeared among the people, Ibn Summayah (R.A.) would always stand by the right and just.

Her early Life

Summaya (R.A.) was the wife of Yasir (R.A.) whom she met when she was a slave girl under Abu Huthaifah.  She was also amongst the first 7 people to accept Islam. Most importantly, she was the first female to be martyred in Islam. She had 3 sons, named Ammar, Abdullah and Hareeth.  Ammar was the only one who lived, as the other two were murdered at a young age before Islam came into place. This death of her family members were just the beginning of murderous events which would later haunt Summaya (R.A.) in her later years.

Her personality

The most common traits I’ve come across for Summaya (R.A.) was her bravery and imaan (faith), also her fearlessness. She never ever gave in to the torture placed upon her and had an exceptional amount of patience, withstanding all the evil hurt that her frail self endured. Such, was her love for her religion, that suffering severely was nothing to her.

Torture

When Rasulallah (S.A.) and Abu Bakr (R.A.) entered in to the fold of Islam they were fortunate to have Abu Talib as a protector, but for the common muslim like Summayah (R.A.) who had no support, torture was the call of the day. She was forcefully baked in the blazing heat of Makkah with iron shields only to worsen the pain. The Prophet (S.A.W.) would often pass by and advise Summaya (R.A.) to be patient, as Jannah was awaiting her.

Her Brutal Death

Summaya (R.A.) was murdered in the most brutal way possible, especially considering the fact that she was a weak fragile old lady. For me, this was too heartless to picture .  Abu Jahl, could not take the fact that she did not fear him at all and could resist him. She wouldn’t give up her religion against all odds, and because of this in a fit of rage he thrust his spear into her private parts, killing her…

Thus died, the first female martyr in Islam, an extremely brave and fearless women…

When something goes wrong in our lives, we should think of Summayah (R.A.) and her pain, and how our petty issues are quite nothing compare to the agonizing burns on her skin.

May Allah (S.W.T.) awaken our souls and make our Iman as strong as hers, Inshallah . Ameen.

Love, Ayesha

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

Umm Sulaym Bint Malhan (R.A)

Asallam Mualaykum,

I hope everyone is having a beautiful day today , you’re going to read about an outstanding woman whose life was filled with courage and many amazing qualities ..

Umm Sulaym (R.A.) was the mother of the famous companion of Rasulallah (S.A.W), Anas ibn Malik.

She was an intelligent, strong minded woman who was first married to Malik ibn an-Nadr. It was during this time that Rasulallah (S.A.W.) migrated to Madina and word reached her about this new religion called Islam. She noticed how Islam gave women their rights and dignity and became very interested in it. She decided to shun idol worship and to follow the Oneness of Allah (S.W.T.)

Umm Sulaym loved her husband Malik dearly, but when he refused to accept Islam after much persuasion from her, she had no choice but to leave him. He later passed on.

Then one day, came along a wealthy and most honourable man by the name of Abu Talha who belonged to the same clan as Umm Sulaym. He was an excellent horseman and skillfull archer who  possessed a striking house. He was almost certain that if he proposed to her, she would definitely accept.

On the way to her house, he remembered that she had become muslim. “So what?” he thought to himself, was her deceased husband not of the old faith?” When he explained to her why he had come, she said “A man like you is not easily turned down Abu Talha, but I shall never marry you while you are a non-believer!”

He did not believe her really, and asked her if the gold and silver he possessed put her off. She then said “I swear to you Abu Talha, that if you accept Islam, I would be pleased to accept you as a husband, without any gold or silver. I shall consider your acceptance of Islam as my mahr.”

I loved this part! Because, which woman would ever say this?? Accept Islam and you don’t have to give me any of the gold or silver you possess! We could definitely learn from her J

She went on to say” Don’t you know Abu Talha that the God you worship besides Allah, grew from the earth? “That’s true…” he replied.

“And don’t you feel stupid while worshipping part of a tree while you use the rest of it for fuel to bake bread or warm yourself???”

He left, and thought deeply about what she said, and returned to her, radiating happiness he said” I have taken your advice to heart. I declare that there is no God but Allah and I declare that Muhammed (S.A.W.) is the Messenger of Allah (S.W.T.).

Umm Sulaym and Abu Talha were married, and everyone was pleased as she was the only woman who had the most valuable gift as her Mahr, the gift of Islam. That is so beautiful..

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

Rasulallah (S.A.W.) would often visit them and sometimes take a nap while he was there, during which he would perspire and she would wipe his forehead and on awakening he would say “Umm Sulaym, what are you doing? “I am taking these drops of perspiration as a blessing which comes from you. The Prophet (S.A.W.) in return, had a special place for her in his heart as well. When asked about this, He replied “Her brother was killed beside me.”

The Type of woman she was - Extraordinary

I was very pleased to read about how, even before Islam, she was well known for having an excellent character and very powerful intellect.  She was an independent decision maker, which is great and shows us women, how important it is to educate yourself. When troubles hit her, she always had a sense of calmness and content displayed.

As a mother, an incident occurred which was sad, but displayed her true strength. Her young son Umayr fell ill and it was at this time that Abu Talha had to go on a mission in the cause of Islam, and he was therefore hesitant and didn’t want to leave little Umayr. While away, little Umayr passed on causing Umm Sulaym to feel very heartbroken. She gave him a bath and wrapped him in shrouds and thereafter begged the other’s in the house to control their emotions infront of their father as she would be the one to break the news to him. She was so considerate that the reason for this, was that she felt he needed rest after his long journey. So when he arrived, she assured him things are okay and hid her tears. After he had rested she said “Suppose that we borrowed something. Can we keep it?” He answered, “Certainly not. For a loan has to be returned.” She then said:”Know then that our child who was loaned to us from Allah has returned to his real owner.” He looked at her in shock and just as he was about to blame her, he saw the hurt she was feeling and how all this time she was silently suffering... this made him understand her words and also how caring and considerate she was, not bothered about her own hurt for a moment.

She was also a heroin who played an unforgettable role in war. She was a nurse serving the wounded soldiers and when defeat was close, she stood firm as a rock, while men fled from the enemy in all directions. During  the Battle of Uhud, she carried a dagger in the folds of her dress, thus displaying her  great courage and braveness. During the Battle of Khandaq, the Prophet (S.A.W.) saw this and asked her what she was doing? She replied that it was for those who desert”, meaning, she was not scared to take the place of a man on the Battlefield. “May Allah grant you satisfaction in that “was Rasulallah’s (S.A.W.) reply. During the Battle of Hunain, she was pregnant, but did not worry about that, and stood firmly with her husband next to Muhammed (S.A.W.) making sure no harm touched him.  This truly touched me, I actually had to stop writing for a bit to come to terms with this because I felt a few  tears  flow , at the amount of selflessness a woman could hold in her heart..

She is a perfect example of the values a true woman should display..

After writing this one, I felt like I understood the true meaning of how a woman ought to be.. intelligent, brave , courageous but most importantly independent minded enabling you to make decisions which are right and not to be influenced by anyone, to be caring, kind and to have a heart of gold..

Love,

Ayesha

The Leader of Women of Paradise

Im going to tell you about a woman, whereby I couldn’t help being brought to tears at the great amount of maturity and courage her little heart contained.

Her name was Fatima (R.A.) and she was the youngest and beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.).

Narrated by Aisha (R.A.)”: She bore a remarkable resemblance to Allah (S.W.T.) Messenger. Her way of speaking, sitting, standing and walking – in other words all her manners and gestures were exactly like his.”

Her Sparkling Personality

What I have come across numerous times about her remarkable personality was her undying perseverance and courage, patience and maturity. She would protect her father against all odds because when Rasulallah (S.A.W.) became the Messenger of God, she was not even 10 years old. His life kind of turned around, because he immediately became the most unpopular man in Makkah.

A typical example, is when Abu Jahl’s evil friends piled the filth and bowels of a camel on Muhammad (S.A.W.) while he was praying. When Fatima (R.A.) came to hear about this, she rushed to him and with her clean little hands, removed the filth and cleaned his back, furiously scolding the disbelievers.

Like Ahmed Ghadanfar wrote in his book “Great Women of Islam” about Fatima (R.A.) “She fought like a courageous little tigress to defend her father and protect him. She would stand infront of him to shield him from the attacks of devilish men like Abu Jahl, Utbah and Shaibah.”

So basically, Fatima (R.A.) passed her childhood years in the shadow of all these events. Being  at a tender age of 6/7, where young girls were normally found playing and having fun, she would always be found following her father, so that she could try and help him if he needed anything and protect him if anyone tried to harm him. Her love for her father was so great, that once, 10 non-believers gathered around the Prophet (S.A.W.) and one started hitting him and the other punching him, Fatima (R.A.) became angry & started reprimanding them . The Prophet (S.A.W.) said to her” Make it easy upon yourself, for verily Allah (S.W.T.) will make your father victorious.”

Her Patience

Fatima (R.A.) had an enormous amount of patience. She went through a lot, as her mother Khadija (R.A.) died when she 10 years old and she had to constantly see her father being hurt. She lost her 3 sisters and her brothers as well. Her husband Ali (R.A.) was not rich, and she would often have nothing to eat, although this didn’t stop her from having a happy marriage.

The Prophet (S.A.W.)’s love for Fatima (R.A.)

He loved her dearly. They were really close. Whenever she visited him, he would stand up to welcome her. If he saw her happy he was pleased and if he saw her sad it grieved him. He would often say |”Fatima is a part of me and he who upsets her, upsets me”.

In his book, Asad Al – Ghabah Ibn Atheer writes that after the Prophet (S.A.W.) passed away, no one ever saw Fatima (R.A.) smile and her grief remained visible on her face till she passed away, 6 months later. When Rasulallah (S.A.W.) told her that his life on earth was coming to an end, she wept bitterly but when he told her that she would be the first to meet up with him, she smiled. He, (Muhammad [S.A.W.] said “ One day, the Angel came to me and told me the glad tiding that Fatimah (R.A.) will be the leader of the Women of Paradise.”

Her Passing On

When I got to the part of her death, it made me sad but at the same time I thought it was the most beautiful way a person could be taken away from this world. It was peaceful and what more of a better way to leave, knowing you would move on to meet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in Paradise, 

the place where happiness is absolute.

Fatima (R.A.) woke up one morning unusually happy.  During that day she had a bath and asked for her bed to be placed in the centre of their courtyard. When her husband saw her , he asked her what was wrong,  and she smiled and said “ I have an appointment today with the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.). Ali (R.A.) then began crying and she tried to console him. She then turned to face the Qiblah, closed her eyes, and fell fast asleep, never to awake…

May Allah (S.W.T) grant us all the courage, piety, patience and maturity of Hadhrat Fatima (R.A.) I.A.

Love, Ayesha