Biography of Umm Habeebah

29-6-2002 | IslamWeb

Question:

Could you please send me some information about the biography of Umm ul-Mu'mineen Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her)?
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her is one of the Mothers of the Believers, Ramlah bint Abu Sufyaan ibn Harb, the leader of the children of Umayyah. She married Ubaydallaah ibn Jahsh when she was sixteen. She and her husband became Muslims and after encountering great hardship from the polytheists of Quraysh, migrated to Habashah (Abyssinia) where her daughter Habeebah was born. Later, her husband abandoned Islam and tried to convince her to join him, but Allaah The Almighty strengthened her faith in Islam and so she refused to obey him and remained Muslim. Then she separated from her apostate husband and stayed in Habashah.

When the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) heard her story, he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) wanted to do good to her. He sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) then sent somebody to tell her that he sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) wanted to marry her even before seeing her. Her Wali (guardian) was Khaalid ibn Sa'eed ibn al-'Aas may Allaah be pleased with him and when the marriage was concluded an-Najashi (Negus) gave a lavish celebration on the occasion. He then provided two ships for her and the other Muhajireen (Emigrants) who were with her to return to the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ).

Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her entered into wedlock with the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) just after his triumphal return from his war against the Jews. Her faith was so strong that she once refused to let her father – who was the leader of the Quraysh – to sit on the bed of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) when her father visited her in Madeenah. She said to him, 'This is the bed of the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) and you are a Mushrik (polytheist)'. Then she asked Allaah The Almighty to guide her father to Islam, and He gave her what she wanted.

Thus, she attained a great rank as the wife of the master of the children of Aadam may Allaah exalt his mention and the daughter of the leader of the Quraysh. 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her used to become very jealous of Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her. However, when Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her was on her deathbed she said to 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her 'O 'Aa'ishah, you know there was between me and you what usually happens between fellow wives, would you forgive me?' 'Aa'ishah may Allaah be pleased with her then forgave her and supplicated Allaah The Almighty for her. Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her then said, 'Indeed you have made me happy. May Allaah make you happy!'

Umm Habeebah may Allaah be pleased with her died in the year 44 A.H. and was buried in al-Baqi'.

Allaah Knows best.

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