Asmaa bint Abu Bakr - Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

Asmaa bint Abu Bakr belonged to a distinguished Muslim family.Her
father, Abu Bakr, was a closefriend of the Prophet and the first
Khalifah after his death. Her halfsister, Aishah, was a wife of the
Prophet and one of the Ummahat al-Mumineen. Her husband, Zubayr ibn
al-Awwam, was one of the special personal aides of the Prophet. Her
son, Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, became well known for his
incorruptibility and his unswerving devotion to Truth.
Asma a herself was one of the first persons to accept Islam. Only
about seventeen persons including both men and women became Muslims
before her. She was later given the nickname Dhat an-Nitaqayn (the One
with the Two Waistbands) because ofan incident connected with the
departure of the Prophet and her father from Makkah on the historic
hijrah to Madinah.
Asma a was one of the few persons who knew of the Prophet's plan to
leave for Madinah. The utmost secrecy had to be maintained because
ofthe Quraysh plans to murder theProphet. On the night of their
departure, Asmaa was the one who prepared a bag of food and a water
container for their journey. She did not find anything though with
which to tie the containers and decided to use her waistband or nitaq.
Abu Bakr suggested that she tear it into two. This she did andthe
Prophet commended her action. From then on she became known as "the
One withthe Two Waistbands".
When the final emigration from Makkah to Madinah took place soon aster
the departure of the Prophet, Asmaa was pregnant. She did not let her
pregnancy or the prospect of a long and arduous journey deter her from
leaving. As soon as she reached Quba on the outskirts of Madinah, she
gave birth to a son,Abdullah. The Muslims shouted Allahu Akbar (God is
the Greatest) and Laa ilaaha illa Allah(There is no God but Allah) in
happiness and thanksgiving because this was the first child to be born
to the muhajireen in Madinah.
Asma a became known from hertine and noble qualities and for the
keenness of her intelligence. She was an extremely generous person.
Her son Abdullah once said of her, "I have not seen twowomen more
generous than my aunt Aishah and my mother Asmaa. But their generosity
was expressed in different ways. My aunt would accumulate one thing
after another until she hadgathered what she felt was sufficient and
then distributed itall to those in need. My mother, on the other hand,
would not keep anything even for the morrow."
Asma's presence of mind in difficult circumstances was remarkable.
When her father let Makkah, he took all his wealth, amounting to some
six thousand dirhams, with him anddid not leave any for his family.
When Abu Bakr's father, Abu Quhafah (he was still a mushrik) heard of
his departure he went to his house and said to Asmaa:
"I understand that he has left you bereft of money after he himself
has abandoned you."
"No, grandfather," replied Asmaa, "in fact he has left us much money."
She took some pebbles and put them in a small recess in the wall where
they used to put money. She threw a cloth over the heap and took
thehand of her grandfather--he wasblind--and said, "See how much money
he has left us".
Through this stratagem, Asmaa wanted to allay the fears of the old man
and to forestall him from giving them anything of hisown wealth. This
was because she disliked receiving any assistance from a mushrikeen if
it was her own grandfather.
She had a similar attitude to her mother and was not inclined to
compromise her honor and her faith. Her mother, Qutaylah, oncecame to
visit her in Madinah. Shewas not a Muslim and was divorced from her
father in pre-Islamic times. Her mother brought her gifts of raisins,
clarified butter and qaraz (pods of a species of sant tree). Asma at
first refused to admit her intoher house or accept the gifts. She sent
someone to Aishah to ask the Prophet, peace be upon him, about her
attitude to her mother and he replied that she should certainly admit
her to herhouse and accept the gifts. On this occasion, the following
revelation came to the Prophet:
"God forbids you not, with regard to those who do not fight you
because of your faith nor drive you out of your homes,from dealing
kindly and justly with them. God loves those whoare just. God only
forbids you with regard to those who fight you for your Faith, and
drive you from your homes, and support others in driving you out, from
turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to
them (in these circumstances) that do wrong." (Surah al-Mumtahanah 6O:
8-9).
For Asmaa and indeed for many other Muslims, life in Madinah was
rather difficult at first. Her husband was quite poor and his only
major possession to begin with was a horse he had bought. Asma a
herself described these early days:
"I used to provide fodder for thehorse, give it water and groom it. I
would grind grain and make dough but I could not bake well.The women
of the Ansar used tobake for me. They were truly good women. I used to
carry thegrain on my head from az-Zubayr's plot which the Prophet had
allocated to him to cultivate. It was about three farsakh (about eight
kilo meters)from the town's center. One day I was on the road carrying
the grain on my head when I met the Prophet and a group of Sahabah. He
called out to me and stopped his camel so that I could ride behind
him. I felt embarrassed to travel with the Prophet and also remembered
az-Zubayr's jealousy, he was the most jealous of men. The Prophet
realized that I was embarrassed and rode on."
Later, Asmaa related to az-Zubayr exactly what had happened and he
said, "By God, that you should have to carry grain is far more
distressing to me than your riding with (the Prophet)".
Asma a obviously then was a person of great sensitivity and devotion.
She and her husband worked extremely hard togetheruntil their
situation of poverty gradually changed. At times, however, az-Zubayr
treated her harshly. Once she went to her father and complained to him
about this. His reply to her was: 'My daughter, have sabr for if a
woman has a righteous husbandand he dies and she does not marry after
him, they will be brought together again in Paradise."
Az-Zubayr eventually became one of the richest men among the Sahabah
but Asmaa did not allow this to corrupt her principles. Her son,
al-Mundhir once sent her an elegant dress from Iraq made of fine and
costly material. Asmaa by this time was blind. She felt the material
and said, "It's awful. Take it back to him".
Al-Mundhir was upset and said,"Mother, it was not transparent."
"It may not be transparent," sheretorted, "but it is too tight fitting
and shows the contours of the body."
Al-Mundhir bought another dress that met with her approval and she accepted it.
If the above incidents and aspects of Asmaas life may easilybe
forgotten, then her final meeting with her son, Abdullah, must remain
one of the most unforgettable moments in early Muslim history. At that
meeting she demonstrated the keenness of her intelligence, her
resoluteness and the strength ofher faith.
Abdullah was in the running for the Caliphate after the death of Yazid
ibn Muawiyah. The Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq, Khurasan and much of Syria were
favorable to him and acknowledged him as the Caliph. The Ummayyads
howevercontinued to contest the Caliphate and to field a massive army
under the command of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf ath-Thaqafi. Relentless
battles were fought between the two sides during which Abdullah ibn
az-Zubayr displayed great acts of courage and heroism. Many of his
supporters however could not withstand the continuous strain of battle
and gradually began to desert him. Finally he sought refuge in the
Sacred Mosque at Makkah. It was then that he went to his mother, now
an old blind woman, and said:
"Peace be on you, Mother, and the mercy and blessings of God.""Unto
you be peace, Abdullah," she replied. "What is it that brings you here
at this hour while boulders from Hajjaj's catapults are raining down
on your soldiers in the Haram and shaking the houses of Makkah?"
"I came to seek your advice," he said.
"To seek my advice?" she asked in astonishment. "About what?"
"The people have deserted me out of fear of Hajjaj or being tempted by
what he has to offer. Even my children and my family have left me.
There is onlya small group of men with me now and however strong and
steadfast they are they can only resist for an hour or two more.
Messengers of the Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads) are now negotiating with
me, offering to give me whatever worldly possessions I want, should I
lay down my arms and swear allegiance to Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. What
do you think?"
Raising her voice, she replied:"It's your affair, Abdullah, and you
know yourself better. If however you think that you are right and that
you are standing up for the Truth, then persevere and fight on as your
companionswho were killed under your flag had shown perseverance. If
however you desire the world, what a miserable wretch you are. You
would have destroyed yourself and you would have destroyed your men."
"But I will be killed today, there is no doubt about it."
"That is better for you than that you should surrender yourself
toHajjaj voluntarily and that some minions of Banu Umayyah should play
with your head."
"I do not fear death. I am only afraid that they will mutilate me."
"There is nothing after death that man should be afraid of. Skinning
does not cause any pain to the slaughtered sheep."
Abdullah's face beamed as he said: "What a blessed mother! Blessed be
your noble qualities! Ihave come to you at this hour tohear what I
have heard. God knows that I have not weakenedor despaired. He is
witness over me that I have not stood up for what I have out of love
for this world and its attractions but only out of anger for the sake
of God. His limits have been transgressed. Here am I, going to what is
pleasing to you. So if Iam killed, do not grieve for me and commend me
to God."
"I shall grieve for you," said the aging but resolute Asmaa, "only if
you are killed in a vain and unjust cause."
"Be assured that your son has not supported an unjust cause, nor
committed any detestable deed, nor done any injustice to aMuslim or a
Dhimmi and that there is nothing better in his sight than the pleasure
of God, the Mighty, the Great. I do not say this to exonerate myself.
God knows that I have only said it to make your heart firm and
steadfast. "
"Praise be to God who has madeyou act according to what He likes and
according to what I like. Come close to me, my son, that I may smell
and feel your body for this might be the last meeting with you."
Abdullah knelt before her. She hugged him and smothered his head, his
face and his neck with kisses. Her hands began to squeeze his body
when suddenlyshe withdrew them and asked:
"What is this you are wearing, Abdullah?"
"This is my armor plate."
"This, my son, is not the dress ofone who desires martyrdom. Take it
off. That will make your movements lighter and quicker. Wear instead
the sirwal (a long under garment) so that if you are killed your awrah
will not be exposed.
Abdullah took off his armor plate and put on the sirwal. As he left
for the Haram to join the fighting he said: "My mother, don't deprive
me of your dua (prayer)."
Raising her hands to heaven, sheprayed: "O Lord, have mercy on his
staying up for long hours and his loud crying in the darkness of the
night while people slept... "O Lord, have mercy on his hunger and his
thirst on his Journeys from Madinah and Makkah while he fasted... "O
Lord, bless his righteousness to his mother andhis father... "O Lord,
I commend him to Your cause and I am pleased with whatever You decree
for him. And grant me forhis sake the reward of those who are patient
and who persevere."
By sunset, Abdullah was dead. Just over ten days later, his mother
joined him. She was a hundred years old. Age had not made her infirm
nor blunted thekeenness of her mind.

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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