Sayyidatuna Furaya Bint Maalik رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا

Pious Women

Sayyidatunā Furayʿa bint Maalik رَضِیَ الـلّٰـه عَـنْـهُمَا

Wasim Akram Attari Madani

Sayyidatunā Furayʿa رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, also known as Fāriʿa ^[1] and Farʿa,^[2] was a Companion who hailed from the Ansari tribe of Khudra^[3] and the sister of the renowned Companion Sayyidunā Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[4]

Her parents, Sayyidunā Mālik ibn Sinān and Sayyidatunā Unaysa bint Abī Khārija رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا, were also Companions.^[5] Abū ʿUmar Yūsuf al-Qurṭubī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه listed her mother’s name as Ḥabība bint ʿAbd Allah.^[6]

Sayyidatunā Furayʿa رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was first married to Sayyidunā Sahl ibn Rāfiʿ رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and after his murder at the hands of fugitives, she married Sayyidunā Sahl ibn Bashīr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[7] After her first husband’s death, she asked the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم if she could return to her home with the Khudra tribe to complete her sitting period. “Should I return home, for my husband has neither left behind a house which he owns nor any expenditure?” she queried. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم initially agreed, but as she turned to leave, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم called her back and asked, “What did you say?” She repeated what had happened to her husband, and the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم remarked, “Stay in your home until your sitting period is completed.” So she remained in that home for 4 months and 10 days.^[8]

Commenting on this report, it is stated in Mirāt al-Manajīḥ::

This hadith was utilised by Imam Abū Ḥanīfa رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْـه to prove that the woman must complete her sitting period in the home where she received the news of her husband’s death. Perhaps the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم received news that the owner of the house would not remove the female Companion from the house, which is why he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم gave this instruction. Otherwise, if the woman observing the sitting period is living in rented accommodation or in someone else’s house, and the owner no longer allows her to stay there, she will have permission to move out.^[9]

However, if anyone finds themselves in this situation, they should only act after consulting a Sunni mufti.

She and her mother also had the honour of taking part in the Pledge of Ridwan.^[10]

Sayyidatunā Furayʿa رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا narrated many hadith of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم which are recorded in various hadith compendiums.^[11]

Her blessed life teaches our Muslim sisters to study and memorise the hadith of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and to consult the ulema when needed without trepidation.