Umm Salamah (RA)
Early Life and Acceptance of Islam:
Umm Salamah was married to Abu Salamah and they both were among the first people to accept Islam.
The Quraysh would often persecute Umm Salamah and her husband, but they remained steadfast in their belief of worshipping Allah SWT alone.
Migration to Abyssinia:
Eventually, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave the Muslims permission to migrate to Abyssinia and Umm Salamah and her husband were part of the first Muslims to seek refuge in Abyssinia.
Return to Makkah:
A group of the Muhajirin (those who migrated) then decided to return to Makkah. At this time, the number of Muslims increased significantly.
Because of this, the increasing number of Muslims only angered the Quraysh, and they increased their persecution and torture.
Emigration to Madinah:
When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ gave permission to his companions to migrate to Madinah, Umm Salamah and her husband were amongst the first to leave.
Abu Salamah prepared a camel for Umm Salamah and placed her and their son, Salamah on the camel.
Family Separation:
Before they left Makkah, some men from the tribe of Banu Makhzum stopped them and said to Abu Salamah: Though you are free to do what you like, you have no power over your wife. She is our daughter. Do you expect us to allow you to take her away from us?
The tribe of Banu Makhzum then took Umm Salamah and separated her from her husband.
Abu Salamah’s tribe, Banu Abd Al-Asad were angered by this and they said: No, by Allah, we shall not abandon the boy. He is our son and we have a first claim over him.
The tribe of Banu Abd Al-Asad took her son, Salamah away from her.
Umm Salamah’s husband had left for Madinah and his tribe had taken her son away from her.
A Year of Grief and Reunion:
Umm Salamah would spend every day sitting at the same spot where this incident occurred, where she would reflect on this traumatic incident and continuously cry.
Umm Salamah continued to do this for a whole year until one day, a man from Banu Umayyah passed by and saw her condition. He went to Umm Salamah’s tribe and said: Why don’t you free this poor woman? You have caused her husband and her son to be taken away from her. The man tried to soften their hearts.
Reunion with Her Son:
The tribe of Banu Makhzum agreed to let Umm Salamah join her husband. However, Umm Salamah did not want to leave her son behind in Makkah and a petition began against Abu Salamah’s tribe, Banu Abd Al-Asad.
Eventually, the tribe gave her son, Salamah back to her.
Umm Salamah’s Journey to Madinah:
Umm Salamah then got her camel ready, placed her son on her lap and left towards Madinah, where she reached Tan’im, an area three miles from Makkah, and met Uthman ibn Talhah.
Uthman asked her: where are you going? Umm Salamah replied: I am going to my husband in Madinah.
Uthman ibn Talhah asked: Is there anyone with you? Umm Salamah replied: No, by Allah. Except Allah and my little boy here.
Uthman ibn Talhah then said: By Allah, I shall never abandon you until you reach Madinah.
Uthman took the reins of the camel and led Umm Salamah towards Madinah.
Umm Salamah on Uthman ibn Talhah:
Umm Salamah said: By Allah, I never met an Arab more generous and noble than Uthman ibn Talhah.
Reunion with Abu Salamah:
When they got to a village near Quba, Uthman ibn Talhah said: Your husband is in this village, enter it with the blessings of Allah.
Umm Salamah was very happy to see her husband and her family was now reunited.
Loss of Abu Salamah:
At the Battle of Uhud, Abu Salamah was wounded significantly.
However, two months after the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ ordered him to lead an army to fight the tribe of Banu Asad.
Abu Salamah was victorious, but the wound he suffered at Uhud opened up during this battle, which ultimately led to his death.
When Umm Salamah was nursing him, Abu Salamah said to her: I heard the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saying: Whenever a calamity affects anyone he should say: Surely from Allah we are and to Him we shall certainly return. And he would pray: O Lord, give me in return something better from it which only You, exalted and Mighty, can give.
Abu Salamah Passes Away in the Presence of the Prophet:
Abu Salamah remained sick in bed for several days.
One morning, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to see him and while he was at his bedside, Abu Salamah passed away.
The Prophet’s Dua for Abu Salamah:
The Prophet closed Abu Salamah’s eyes, raised his hands to the heavens and prayed: O Lord, grant us forgiveness to Abu Salamah, elevate him among those who are near to You. Take charge of his family at all times. Forgive us and him, O Lord of the Worlds. Widen his grave and make it light for him.
Marriage Proposals:
Umm Salamah remembered the prayer Abu Salamah used to repeat on his deathbed from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Umm Salamah started repeating it and she would ask herself: Who could be better than Abu Salamah?
Abu Bakr’s Proposal:
When she had completed her iddah, a period of three months and ten days that a woman must observe after the death of her husband, Abu Bakr proposed to marry her but she rejected this.
Umar ibn Al-Khattab’s Proposal:
Then, Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked to marry Umm Salamah but she also rejected his proposal.
Marriage to the Prophet:
The Prophet then approached her for marriage and Umm Salamah replied: O Messenger of Allah, I have three characteristics.
Characteristics of Umm Salamah:
Jealousy:
Umm Salamah said: I am a woman who is extremely jealous and I am afraid you will see in me something that will anger you and cause Allah to punish me.
Advanced in Age:
Umm Salamah continued: I am a woman who is already advanced in age.
Young Family:
Umm Salamah said: I am a woman who has a young family.
Response of the Prophet:
Regarding Jealousy:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ replied: Regarding the jealousy you mentioned, I pray to Allah to let it go away from you.
Regarding Age:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Regarding the question of age, I am afflicted with the same problem as you.
Young Family:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: Regarding the family you have mentioned, my family is your family.
Allah SWT Answers Umm Salamah’s Dua:
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Umm Salamah got married and Allah SWT answered the prayer of Umm Salamah, as He blessed her with someone better than Abu Salamah.
From that day, Umm Salamah became one of the ‘Mother of the Believers’.
Life as the Wife of the Prophet:
Umm Salamah remained determined to learn more about Islam and put her knowledge into practice.
Transmission of Hadith:
In terms of remembering Hadith, it was said among the Prophet’s wives that none equaled Aisha bint Abu Bakr and Umm Salamah.
Teachings Transmitted by Umm Salamah:
Voluntary Fasting:
Umm Salamah said that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to command her to fast for three days every month beginning with Monday or Thursday.
Most Frequent Supplication of the Prophet:
While in her house, the Prophet’s most frequent supplication was: ‘Controller of hearts, make my heart firm in Your faith’.
Supplication Before Leaving Home;
Umm Salamah also reported that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ never went out of her house without raising his eyes to the heavens and saying: O Allah! I seek refuge in You lest I stray or be led astray or slip or to be made to slip, or cause injustice or suffer injustice or do wrong or have done wrong to me.
Hadiths on Umm Salamah:
When Abu Salamah passed away, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made Dua for Umm Salamah and her family: He said: O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah, raise his rank among the rightly guided, and take good care of his family after him. (Muslim)
When Umm Salamah’s husband passed away, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught her a supplication. This was: O Allah, reward me for my affliction and replace it with something better. (Muslim, Abu Dawud)
During the treaty of Hudaybiyyah, when the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were not listening to his instructions about shaving their heads, Umm Salamah said: O Messenger of Allah, go out and do not speak a word to anyone until you have slaughtered your sacrifice and shaved your head. (Bukhari)