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
halfsister, Aishah, was a wife of the
Prophet and one of the Ummahat al-Mumineen.
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.
Asma a 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.
Asma a 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 aster 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
Allahu 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.
Asma a became known
from her tine 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 Aishah 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."
Asma's presence of
mind in difficult circumstances was
remarkable. When her father let 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
stratagem, 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
mushrikeen if it was her own
grandfather.
She had a similar
attitude to her mother and was not
inclined to compromise her honor 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 pre-Islamic times. Her mother brought
her gifts of raisins, clarified butter
and qaraz (pods of a species of sant
tree). Asma at first refused to admit
her into her house or accept the gifts.
She sent someone to Aishah 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 6O: 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. Asma a 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
kilo meters) from the town's center. 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
realized 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)".
Asma a 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 Asmaas 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 Muawiyah. The Hijaz,
Egypt, Iraq, Khurasan and much of Syria
were favorable 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 worldly 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 aging 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 to 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 armor
plate."
"This, my son, is
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
armor 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 dua (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.
Sheikh Abdulfattah Abu-Abdullah Adelabu (Ph. D. Damas),
a West African Islamic Academic founded AWQAF Africa, of
which he's the first al Amir (i.e. President).
Sheikh Dr. Adelabu was studying Postgraduate Degrees in
Damascus early 1990's during when Syria reviewed its
national security after an ‘Oslo Accord'...
Syria like many other countries around the world
witnessed, during this period, the flood of refugees
from war troubled nations like Somalia, arrival of
people from Algeria during the brutal struggling between
the Mujahidun and the government, resettlement of the
Palestinians fleeing from sophisticated guns of the
Israelis as well as adventure of African migrants for
reasons uncountable…
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