Class 5
Those who took part in Battles

In this class, we will read about some Glorious stories of Sahaabiyaat taking part in Battles for the path Allah.

SUMAYYAH BINT KHUBBAT                              
The First Martyr in Islam

She is Sumayyah bint Khubbat, the freed slave of Abi Hudhaifah bin Al-Mughirah. She is the mother of Ammar bin Yasir and her husband was Yasir bin Amr. She accepted Islam in Makkah early. She was among the most severely tortured for the sake of Allah to make her recant her deen (religion) but she refused. Abu Jahl stabbed her in her private parts and she died. She was an old frail woman so she became the first martyr in Islam. Allah have mercy on her.

Mujahid said: “The first martyr in Islam in the beginning of Islam was Umm Ammar, Sumayyah. Abu Jahl stabbed her with a spear in her ‘heart’.”

Ammar bin Yasir R.A. saw his mother being killed while he had no power whatsoever to aid her. Even though his father had died under the strain of torture yet for Ammar, the fate of his mother was heart-bruising just like any other Arab and like any other Muslim. However, lofty principle places a burden on its subscribers to live for it and die in its cause. Here, just picture the depth of the trial:

A man would hear a word detracting from his honour and he would rush to defend himself coupled with the fact that public opinion is also there in his aid. Even if there is no public opinion in his favour, still he can take recourse to the law to fight for him. 

As for Ammar, he saw with his eyes a perfidious hand stabbing her (his mother) and he heard her moans with his ears but he had no power whatsoever to save her. Moreover, the Messenger of Allah also had no power other than supplication. Trials at that time were very great for everyone to bear. But Ammar prevailed over his supplication. He came out of it with his belief even though he had to bid his father and mother farewell. In the sustenance of lies belief, lies solace and consolation.

UMM UMARA                                                                                        
Her Hand was Amputated in Battle

 She was the noble struggler (in the path of Allah) from the Ansar, belonging to the Khazraj tribe, Nusaybah bint Ka’b. May Allah be pleased with her.

Her brother, ‘Abdullah bin Ka’b Al-Muzani was among the participants in the Battle of Badr and her brother ‘Abdur Rahman was among those who were given to weeping a lot.

Umm Umara witnessed the night of Aqabah and she witnessed the Battle of Uhud, Hudaybiyyah, the Battles of Hunayn and Al-Yamamah. She participated in other wars and she recorded feats and her hand was amputated while she was out in the cause of Allah.

Dr. Mahmud Ammarah said: “This is how the Muslim women used to be – for a long time – a time when the future was for the Muslims. The woman was mentally healthy, physically fit and highly intelligent. Then they were succeeded thereafter by a generation in which the woman daubed her face with powder distorting her look and her intestine destroyed by imported drugs which weaken the bones. The result: withered body and nothing remained of intelligence … except remnants of strained nerves … unable to exercise patience at the slightest disturbance. They are poor trainers (of children) and poor spousal companions.

The Legend 

Al-Waqidi said: “Allah be pleased with her. She witnessed the Battle of Uhud along with her husband, Ghazzayah bin’ Amr and her two sons. She went out with an attacking contingent (of the Muslim army) offering water, armed with her water skin. She also fought and obtained good fortune. She was stabbed in twelve places (on her body).”

The Prophet of Allah’s ﷺ, used to say: “The standing of Nusaybah bint Ka’b today (i.e. the Day of Uhud) is better than the standing of such and such person.” On that day, she fought ferociously. She tied her cloth around the waist until she was injured thirteen times.

Damrah bin Sa’eed Al-Mazani used to narrate about her grandmother who had witnessed Uhud. She said: “I was looking at Ibn Qumay’ah when he struck her shoulder and it was a great wound and she nursed it for a whole year. Thereafter, the call of the announcer of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ went to the knights of the clan of Asad. She put on her cloth and whatever she was able to get of gauze bandage. Allah be pleased with her and have mercy on her.

Umm Umara said: “If you had seen me, when Allah’s Messenger became vulnerable, i.e. on the day of Uhud; no one remained (by him) except a small band numbering less than ten. Myself, my son and my husband were at his front defending him.

The people were running past him defeated. The Prophet ﷺ saw me without a shield and then he saw a man with a shield on his heels, so he said: “Give your shield to the one who is fighting.” The man dropped the shield and I took it and I kept protecting Allah’s Messenger with it. The cavalry of the Quraish dealt us a series of blows. Were they infantrymen like us, we would have routed them if Allah wished.

“Then a man on horseback approached and he struck me and I defended with my shield and he could not do anything further so he turned back. I struck the hamstring of his horse and he fell on his back. The Prophet kept shouting: ‘0 son of Umm Umara, your mother, your mother!”’ She continued: “I pounced on him until I succeeded in killing him.

Her son, ‘Abdullah bin Zayd said: “I sustained a wound on that day and blood kept flowing uncontrollably. The Prophet said: ‘Tie your wound.’ Then my mother came to me with a bandage tied around her loins. She tied my wound while the Prophet stood watching. Then she said: ‘Get up my son and strike the enemies!’ and he said: ‘Who can endure what you can endure, Umm Umara’?”

Umm Umara narrated: “Then the man who had struck my son approached and the Messenger of Allah said: ‘That is the one who struck your son.’ I accosted him and struck his shin and he fell down on his knees. I saw the Messenger of Allah smiling so broadly that I could see his molars. Allah’s Messenger said: ‘You have retaliated, Umm Umara.’ Then we advanced on him until we finished him off with weapons. The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Praise be to Allah Who has made you prevail.’

“The Prophet ﷺ saw the wound of Umm Umara and he said to her son, ‘Your mother! Your mother! Bandage her wound! 0 Allah make them my companions in Paradise.’ So I said (after hearing Allah’s Messenger’s words): ‘I do not care whatever happens to me in this world.”’

After the death of the Prophetﷺ, Umm Umara continued her journeys in battles.

Muhanunad bin Yahya bin Hibban said: “Umm Umarasustained twelve wounds in the Battle of Uhud and her hand was amputated at Yamamah. At the same battle, she received eleven injuries other than her hand. She arrived in Madinah bearing the wounds. Abu Bakr thought he should go to inquire after her. He was the Khalifah at the time.”

Her son Habib bin Zayd was the one Musailamah the Liar dismembered.

After the voyage in a blessed offering, now the struggling body wants to pass on to its home “Which the Most Beneficent (Allah) has promised to His slaves in the unseen: Verily! His Promise must come to pass.” She answered the call of her Lord and her soul passed away: “In a seat of truth (i.e. Paradise), near the Omnipotent King (Allah, the All-Blessed, the Most High, the Owner of Majesty and Honor).”

Congratulations to you Umm Umara. May Allah have mercy on your weaknesses and shortcomings.

UMM HARAM BINT MILHAN                                                                
The Martyr Woman of the Ansar

She was the sister of Umm Sulaim and the maternal aunt of Anas bin Malik and wife of Ubadah bin As-Samit. Anas nanated: “Allah’s Messenger visited us and there was no one besides myself, my mother and my maternal aunt, Umm Haram. So he said: ‘Stand up so that I may lead you in prayer.’ So he led us in prayer outside the time of (the regular) salat.”

The Martyr

She was martyred, Allah be pleased with her, during the khliafah (reign) of ‘Uthman in the Battle of Qabrasa. The commander of that army was Mu’awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. That was in the year 27 hijrah.

Anas bin Malik, Allah be pleased with him, reported: “Umm Haram bint Milhan narrated to me that Allah’s Messenger took a nap in her house one day and he woke up smiling. So I said: ‘0 Messenger of Allah what makes you smile?’ And he said: ‘Some people among my Ummah were shown to me (in my dream) sailing on this sea like kings on thrones.’ I said to him: ‘0 Messenger of Allah, beseech Allah to make me one of them.’ And he said: ‘You are one of them.’

“Then he took a nap again and woke up smiling. Again I said: ‘0 Messenger of Allah, what makes you smile?’ and he said: ‘Some people from my Ummah were shown to me sailing on this sea like kings on thrones.’ I said: ‘0 Messenger of Allah, beseech Allah to make me one of them.’ and he said: ‘You are among the first (group).” 

Ubadah bin As-Samit married her and he went on a military expedition with her on the high sea. On her return, a mule was brought for her to mount and it threw her and she broke her neck and died as a result of it. May Allah be pleased with her.

ASMA BINT YAZID                                                                                    
She Killed Nine Romans in the Battle of Yarmukh

 She was Asma bint Yazid bin As-Sakana, mother of Amir and Salamah. She was fromthe Ansar and Al-Ash’haliyyah. She was the daughter of Mu’adh bin Jabal’s aunt. She was one of the women who gave bay’a (allegiance) and a struggler in the path of Allah.

Asma bint Yazid obtained a testimony to her eloquence from the noble Companions. She was known for her beautiful talk, herpower of elucidation and mesmerizing speech. Her mark was even reinforced by the fact that she had drank what she could from the Qur’an and Hadith in that regard until she was nicknamed ”The Speaker of the Women.“ What gave her this nickname is her distinctive standing among the women of the Ansar.

Delegate of the Women

Asma, may Allah be pleased with her, came to Allah’s Messenger while he was in the midst of his Companions and she said: “May my mother and father be your ransom, 0 Messenger of Allah. I am a messenger for those women who are behind me from among the Muslims. I speak their words and we share the same opinion: Allah has sent you to both men and women alike. We believe in you and follow you. We womenfolk are kept in the house and secluded as the pillars of the home. We satisfy the desire of men and bear their children. The men are preferred for Jumu’ah and congregational prayers, participating in funerals and striving in battles. When they march out for battle, we take care of their wealth for them and we train their children. Shouldn’t we also share with them in the reward, 0 Messenger of Allah?”

The Messenger of Allah turned to his Companions and said: “Have you ever listened to a woman’s speech more beautiful in questioning regarding her religion than this one?” “Never, 0 Messenger of Allah. We never thought that a woman could attain something like this,” they replied. Then the Prophet ﷺ  turned to her and said: “Go back, 0 Asma, and inform the women behind you that good companionship (demonstrated by) anyone of you to her spouse and her quest for his pleasure and her fulfilment of his wish equals all that you have mentioned regarding the men.”

Asma left while she was extolling the Oneness and Greatness of Allah as a tiding for what the Messenger of Allah told her.

A Lesson in Obedience to the Husband

Asma bint Yazid said: “The Prophet met me while I was by the side of my mates so he greeted us and said: ‘Be careful of ungratefulness to benefactors.’ Out of all the women, I was the only one who had the courage to ask him. So I said: ‘0 Messenger of Allah what is ungratefulness to benefactors?’ He said: ‘Perhaps one of you would stay in the house of her parents for a long time, then Allah grants her a husband and blesses her with children from him then she gets angry (one day) and becomes ungrateful and she says (to her husband): I have never received any good from you whatsoever.”’

Asma and Struggles in the Path of Allah

She, Allah be pleased with her, participated in the Battle of Yarmuk and earned great feats. Ibn Kathir said: “The Muslim women fought on this day and they killed a great multitude of the Roman soldiers. They would hit those who were fleeing from amongst the Muslims. They would say: ‘Where are you going? You want to abandon us to the infidels?’ When they reproached them they had no choice but to fight.”

About Asma and her part in this fighting, Ibn Hajar· says in Al-Isiibah (4/229): “Asma bint Yazid bin Sakana witnessed the battle of Yarmuk and on that day, she single-handedly killed nine Roman soldiers with the pole of her tent.”

Imam Adh-Dhahabi said: “She killed, with the post of her shelter, nine Romans, on the day of Yarmuk.”

She lived until the reign of Yazid bin Mu’awiyah and then she was taken into Allah’s mercy. With that ends the shining page of her story. However, her work remains a guiding light for those who seek guidance.