The Messenger’s Conduct With Female Companions

Prophetic Conduct

The Messenger’s conduct with female Companions

 (Second and final instalment)

Shehroz Ali Attari Madani

Light-heartedness

A female Companion named Umm Ayman رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا came to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and mentioned that her husband was calling him. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, “Who? Is he the one with whiteness in his eyes?”

She replied, “O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, there is no whiteness in his eyes.”

He responded, “There certainly is whiteness in his eyes.”

“By Allah!”, she beamed, “There is nothing like this!”

He said, “Is there anyone except that he naturally has whiteness in his eyes?”^[1]

Arranging the marriages of female Companions

Umm Ayman’s real name was Barakah b. ThaꜤlabah. She was a freed maidservant of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. After freeing her, he married her off to ꜤUbayd b. Zayd al-Khazrajī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. She gave birth to Ayman b. ꜤUbayd  رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا. Her husband was martyred in the Battle of Ḥunayn, after which the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم married her off to Zayd b. Ḥārithah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. From this marriage, Usāmah b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا was born.^[2]

ḌubāꜤah b. al-Zubayr رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was the daughter of the paternal uncle of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. He married her off to Miqdād b. al-Aswad رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Her children were ꜤAbdullāh and Karīmah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا.^[3]

Marriages of female Companions in the Madīnan period

Umāmah bint Ḥamzah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was the daughter of the Prophet’s uncle Ḥamzah رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم placed her in the care of JaꜤfar b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ and Asmāˈ bint ꜤUmays رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. He also conducted her marriage with Salamah b. Abī Salamah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا, the son of the Prophet’s wife, Umm Salamah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا.^[4]

Fāṭimah b. Qays رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was the sister of Ḍaḥḥāk b. Qays رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Her husband Abū Ḥafṣ b. al-Mughīrah     رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ divorced her, and she subsequently received offers of marriage.  She saw it necessary to take advice from the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and mentioned two offers had come, one from Jahm b. Hudhayfah and the other from MuꜤāwiyah b. Sufyān رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم informed her, “Jahm b. Ḥudhayfah is stern in temperament. As for MuꜤāwiyah, he has no wealth in his possession.” He then advised her to marry Usāmah b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا, which she did.^[5]