Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Al-Khansaa': Poetess and Mother of Martyrs

According to the connoisseurs of Arabic poetry, there has never been a
woman whose poetry wasas replete with knowledge, or who was more
knowledgeable than Al-Khansaa' . The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
salam , used to ask her to recite her poetry, which he admired, in
front of him. She composed a great deal of poetry, and the most
eloquent of her poetry were odes in lamentation of her two brothers,
Sakhr and Mu'aawiyah, who were killed during the pre-Islamic era.
She spent the greatest part of herlifetime during the pre-Islamic
days, and when Islam appeared, she embraced it and went to the
Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa salam , as a member ofthe
delegate of her tribe, Banu Sulaym.
She was recognized for her deep faith in Allaah The Almighty and His
Messenger, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa salam , and her zeal for Jihaad
(struggle) in the cause of supporting the truth. She attended the
Battle of Qaadisiyyah in 16 AH, in the company of her four sons.
Duringthe first part of the night, she said to them,
"O my sons! You have embraced Islam willingly and emigrated freely. By
Allaah, other than Whom there is none worthy of worship, you are the
sons of one man and one woman. I have never betrayed your father nor
have I disgraced your maternal uncle, nor have I dishonored yournoble
lineage, nor have I tampered with your parentage. You indeed know the
abundant reward prepared by Allaah The Almighty for the Muslims. It
should be known to you that the everlasting abode is better than the
perishable abode. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } O you who
have believed, persevereand endure and remain stationedand fear Allaah
that you may be successful. { [Quran 3:200]
Should tomorrow morning come upon you while you are safe, Allaah
willing, go early to fight your enemy with courage, and seek the
support of Allaah The Almighty against His enemies. When the battle
becomes fierce, betake yourselves amidst it and be eager to fight
bravely when the army is engaged in combat, perchance you receive gain
and honor in the abode of eternity."
Her sons set out in response to her advice, and continued fighting
while reciting poetry in Rajaz (a meter employed in Arabicpoetry), and
did their best in combat until they were all martyred. When the news
of their martyrdom reached her, shesaid, "Praise be to Allaah The
Almighty who honored me with their being killed in His cause, and I
hope that He will join me with them in the resting place of His
mercy." 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab continued to give her the stipend of her
four sons, two hundred dirhams each, until he died.
Al-Khansaa' was a strong, believing woman, whose life was changed by
Islam and who was turned by faith into an exemplaryrole model for
Muslim women. When her brother, Sakhr, was killed in the pre-Islamic
period, she composed many poems lamenting him. Yet, after she embraced
Islam, she sacrificed her sons, the dearest of people toher, in the
cause of Allaah The Almighty. This is not strange. Thisis what Islam
does to those who embrace and love it. It turns theirlives into
avenues for doing good deeds, plants in them patience and faith, and
helps them to transcend afflictions and trials.
One day, Al-Khansaa' visited 'Aa'ishah, the Mother of the Believers
and she was wearing a vest that was made ofhair. 'Aa'ishah said to
her, "O Khansaa'! The Messenger of Allaah says that it is forbidden to
wear such clothes." She said,
"I did not know, but there is a story behind it. My father gave me in
marriage to a spendthrift man, who wasted his wealth. I went to [my
brother] Sakhr who divided his wealth into two halves, and gave me the
better part. When my husband did the same once again and I went to
Sakhr, my brother, who divided his wealth into two halves and once
again gave me the better part. His wife said to him, "Are you not
pleased to give her a half,why must you give her the betterportion?"
He said, "By Allaah, I shall never give her the worse, because I have
never been put to shame because of her; and should I die, she would
cut off her outer garment (in grief for me), and wear a vest of hair
instead."
Her real name was Tumaadhir bint 'Amr ibn Ash-Shareed ibn Al-Haarith
As-Sulamiyyah. She wasnicknamed Al-Khansaa' because of her bent nose
bone and narrow nostrils. Al-Khansaa' was a model of eloquence, and
faithful patience in aspiring for the reward of Allaah The Almighty,
and was a virtuous woman who continues to inspire generations.

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http://translate.google.com.my/m?sl=auto&tl=ta&hl=en ▓███▓


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