لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Asmaa Bint Abu Bakr
Scanned from: "Companions of The Prophet", Vol.1, By:
Abdul Wahid Hamid.
Asmaa bint Abu Bakr belonged to a distinguished Muslim
family. Her father, Abu Bakr, was a close friend of the
Prophet and the first Khalifah after his death. Her half-
sister, A'ishah, was a wife of the Prophet and one of the
Ummahat al-Mu 'm ineen. Her husband, Zubayr ibn al-
Awwam, was one of the special personal aides of the
Prophet. Her son, Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, became well-
known for his incorruptibility and his unswerving devotion
to Truth.
Asmaa herself was one of the first persons to accept
Islam. Only about seventeen persons including both men
and women became Muslims before her. She was later given
the nickname Dhat an-Nitaqayn (the One with the Two
Waistbands) because of an incident connected with the
departure of the Prophet and her father from Makkah on
the historic hijrah to Madinah.
Asmaa was one of the few persons who knew of the
Prophet's plan to leave for Madinah. The utmost secrecy
had to be maintained because of the Quraysh plans to
murder the Prophet. On the night of their departure,
Asmaa was the one who prepared a bag of food and a water
container for their journey. She did not find anything
though with which to tie the containers and decided to use
her waistband or nitaq. Abu Bakr suggested that she tear it
into two. This she did and the Prophet commended her
action. From then on she became known as "the One with
the Two Waistbands".
When the final emigration from Makkah to Madinah
took place soon after the departure of the Prophet, Asmaa
was pregnant. She did not let her pregnancy or the prospect
of a long and arduous journey deter her from leaving. As
soon as she reached Quba on the outskirts of Madinah, she
gave birth to a son, Abdullah. The Muslims shouted AllaXu
Akbar (God is the Greatest) and Laa ilaaha illa Allah
(There is no God but Allah) in happiness and thanksgiving
because this was the first child to be born to the muhajireen
in Madinah.
Asmaa became known for her fine and noble qualities
and for the keenness of her intelligence. She was an
extremely generous person. Her son Abdullah once said of
her, "I have not seen two women more generous than my
aunt A'ishah and my mother Asmaa. But their generosity
was expressed in different ways. My aunt would
accumulate one thing after another until she had gathered
what she felt was sufficient and then distributed it all to
those in need. My mother, on the other hand, would not
keep anything even for the morrow."
Asmaa's presence of mind in difficult circumstances was
remarkable. When her father left Makkah, he took all his
wealth, amounting to some six thousand dirhams, with
him and did not leave any for his family. When Abu Bakr's
father, Abu Quhafah (he was still a mushrik) heard of his
departure he went to his house and said to Asmaa:
"I understand that he has left you bereft of money after
he himself has abandoned you."
"No, grandfather," replied Asmaa, "in fact he has left us
much money." She took some pebbles and put them in a
small recess in the wall where they used to put money. She
threw a cloth over the heap and took the hand of her
grandfather --he was blind--and said, "See how much
money he has left us".
Through this strategem, Asmaa wanted to allay the fears
of the old man and to forestall him from giving them
anything of his own wealth. This was because she disliked
receiving any assistance from a mushrik even if it was her
own grandfather.
She had a similar attitude to her mother and was not
inclined to compromise her honour and her faith. Her
mother, Qutaylah, once came to visit her in Madinah. She
was not a Muslim and was divorced from her father in
preIslamic times. Her mother brought her gifts of raisins,
clarified butter and qaraz (pods of a species of sant tree).
Asmaa at first refused to admit her into her house or
accept the gifts. She sent someone to A'ishah to ask the
Prophet, peace be upon him, about her attitude to her
mother and he replied that she should certainly admit her
to her house and accept the gifts. On this occasion, the
following revelation came to the Prophet:
"God forbids you not, with regard to those who do not
fight you because of your faith nor drive you out of your
homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them. God
loves those who are just. God only forbids you with regard
to those who fight you for your Faith, and drive you from
your homes, and support others in driving you out, from
turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such
as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong."
(Surah al-Mumtahanah 60: 8-9).
For Asmaa and indeed for many other Muslims, life in
Madinah was rather difficult at first. Her husband was
quite poor and his only major possession to begin with was
a horse he had bought. Asmaa herself described these
early days:
"I used to provide fodder for the horse, give it water and
groom it. I would grind grain and make dough but I
could not bake well. The women of the Ansar used to
bake for me. They were truly good women. I used to
carry the grain on my head from az-Zubayr's plot which
the Prophet had allocated to him to cultivate. It was about
three farsakh (about eight kilometres) from the town's
centre. One day I was on the road carrying the grain on
my head when I met the Prophet and a group of Sahabah.
He called out to me and stopped his camel so that I could
ride behind him. I felt embarrassed to travel with the
Prophet and also remembered az-Zubayr's jealousy--he
was the most jealous of men. The Prophet realised that I was
embarrassed and rode on."
Later, Asmaa related to az-Zubayr exactly what had
happened and he said, "By God, that you should have to
carry grain is far more distressing to me than your riding
with (the Prophet)".
Asmaa obviously then was a person of great sensitivity
and devotion. She and her husband worked extremely
hard together until their situation of poverty gradually
changed. At times, however, az-Zubayr treated her
harshly. Once she went to her father and complained to
him about this. His reply to her was: "My daughter, have
sabr for if a woman has a righteous husband and he dies
and she does not marry after him, they will be brought
together again in Paradise."
Az-Zubayr eventually became one of the richest men
among the Sahabah but Asmaa did not allow this to
corrupt her principles. Her son, al-Mundhir once sent her
an elegant dress from Iraq made of fine and costly
material. Asmaa by this time was blind. She felt the
material and said, "It's awful. Take it back to him".
Al-Mundhir was upset and said, "Mother, it was not
transparent."
"It may not be transparent," she retorted, "but it is too
tight-fitting and shows the contours of the body."
Al-Mundhir bought another dress that met with her
approval and she accepted it.
If the above incidents and aspects of Asmaa's life may
easily be forgotten, then her final meeting with her son,
Abdullah, must remain one of the most unforgettable
moments in early Muslim history. At that meeting she
demonstrated the keenness of her intelligence, her
resoluteness and the strength of her faith.
Abdullah was in the running for the Caliphate after the
death of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah. The Hijaz, Egypt, Iraq,
Khurasan and much of Syria were favourable to him and
acknowledged him as the Caliph. The Ummayyads
however continued to contest the Caliphate and to field a
massive army under the command of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
ath-Thaqafi. Relentless battles were fought between the two
sides during which Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr displayed
great acts of courage and heroism. Many of his supporters
however could not withstand the continuous strain of battle
and gradually began to desert him. Finally he sought
refuge in the Sacred Mosque at Makkah. It was then that
he went to his mother, now an old blind woman, and said:
"Peace be on you, Mother, and the mercy and blessings
of God."
"Unto you be peace, Abdullah," she replied. "What is it
that brings you here at this hour while boulders from
Hajjaj's catapults are raining down on your soldiers in the
Haram and shaking the houses of Makkah?"
"I came to seek your advice," he said.
"To seek my advice?" she asked in astonishment.
"About what?"
"The people have deserted me out of fear of Hajjaj or
being tempted by what he has to offer. Even my children
and my family have left me. There is only a small group
of men with me now and however strong and steadfast
they are they can only resist for an hour or two more.
Messengers of the Banu Umayyah (the Umayyads) are
now negotiating with me, offering to give me whatever
wordly possessions I want, should I lay down my arms and
swear allegiance to Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. What do you
think?"
Raising her voice, she replied:
"It's your affair, Abdullah, and you know yourself
better. If however you think that you are right and that
you are standing up for the Truth, then persevere and fight
on as your companions who were killed under your flag
had shown perseverance. If however you desire the world,
what a miserable wretch you are. You would have
destroyed yourself and you would have destroyed your
men."
"But I will be killed today, there is no doubt about it."
"That is better for you than that you should surrender
yourself to Hajjaj voluntarily and that some minions of
Banu Umayyah should play with your head."
"I do not fear death. I am only afraid that they will
mutilate me."
"There is nothing after death that man should be afraid
of. Skinning does not cause any pain to the slaughtered
sheep."
Abdullah's face beamed as he said:
"What a blessed mother! Blessed be your noble qualities!
I have come to you at this hour to hear what I have heard.
God knows that I have not weakened or despaired. He is
witness over me that I have not stood up for what I have
out of love for this world and its attractions but only out
of anger for the sake of God. His limits have been
transgressed. Here am I, going to what is pleasing to you.
So if I am killed, do not grieve for me and commend me
to God."
"I shall grieve for you," said the ageing but resolute
Asmaa, "only if you are killed in a vain and unjust cause."
"Be assured that your son has not supported an unjust
cause, nor committed any detestable deed, nor done any
injustice to a Muslim or a Dhimmi and that there is
nothing better in his sight than the pleasure of God, the
Mighty, the Great. I do not say this to exonerate myself.
God knows that I have only said it to make your heart
firm and steadfast. "
"Praise be to God who has made you act according to
what He likes and according fo what I like. Come close to
me, my son, that I may smell and feel your body for this
might be the last meeting with you."
Abdullah knelt before her. She hugged him and
smothered his head, his face and his neck with kisses. Her
hands began to squeeze his body when suddenly she
withdrew them and asked:
"What is this you are wearing, Abdullah?"
"This is my armour plate."
"This, my son, ls not the dress of one who desires
martyrdom. Take it off. That will make your movements
lighter and quicker. Wear instead the sirwal (a long under
garment) so that if you are killed your 'awrah will not be
exposed.
Abdullah took off his armour plate and put on the
sirwal. As he left for the Haram to join the fighting he
said:
"My mother, don't deprive me of your dada (prayer)."
Raising her hands to heaven, she prayed:
"O Lord, have mercy on his staying up for long hours
and his loud crying in the darkness of the night while
people slept . . .
"O Lord, have mercy on his hunger and his thirst on his
journeys from Madinah and Makkah while he fasted . . .
"O Lord, bless his righteousness to his mother and his
father . . .
"O Lord, I commend him to Your cause and I am
pleased with whatever You decree for him. And grant me
for his sake the reward of those who are patient and who
persevere."
By sunset, Abdullah was dead. Just over ten days later,
his mother joined him. She was a hundred years old. Age
had not made her infirm nor blunted the keenness of her
mind.
Scanned from: "Companions of The Prophet", Vol.1, By: Abdul Wahid Hamid.
