The One Imprisoned in the Shi’b
Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) was big-boned (compact) and of a beautiful appearance with satiny
cheeks. Her father (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called her, “Umm Kulthum“. Umm Kulthum was born
After her sister Ruqayyah, and they grew up close together and empathic towards each other as though
they were twins. When they both reached the age of puberty, they were courted by the two sons of Abu
Lahab, i.e. Utbah and Utaibah. [Later, after the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was granted Prophethood], Allaah willed good for them and they both returned back to their father’s house due to the provocation by the enemy of Allaah saying to his sons: “You will not see my face if you do not divorce the daughters of Muhammad (Salla-Allaahu saying ‘alayhi wa sallam).”
This is how Umm Kulthum was rescued from the troubled living situation with the Hammalatal-Hatab (i.e. her mother-in-law, the wife of Abu Lahab as referred to in the Qur’an). Her sister Ruqayyah also returned to her father’s house and later married ‘Uthmaan ibn Affaan (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu). She then migrated with him to Habasha (Abyssinia).
Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) stayed with her younger sister Fatimah in their father’s (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) house in Makkah sharing the burden of life with their mother Ummul-Mu’mineen Khadijah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) and easing the harms cast on their father by the Quraish.
The ignorance of the Quraish reached its peak and they decided to boycott the Muslims and the Banu Hashim, the kind of boycott which, in those days, was the toughest of exclusion and the severest of financial and social pressure. Umm Kulthum, like other Muslims, suffered from the siege and was forced to eat leaves from the trees due to severe starvation. They endured this for three continuous years!
Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) bore the biggest responsibility at that time because her mother was exhausted due to the siege. Moreover, she was afflicted with a serious illness which caused Khadijah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) to be bedridden. Umm Kulthum’s (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) younger sister, Fatimah az-Zahra needed care and Umm Kulthum was the only one left to tend to her and their mother and ease the agony and grief of her father.
The siege lasted three years, but their great ordeal had only increased them in their Eeman, and the severe conditions further strengthened their determination.
In the Prophet’s house in Makkah, Ummul-Mu’mineen Khadijah was taking her last breaths while her three daughters (Zaynab, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah) surrounded her and her beloved husband (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) beside her; easing the throes of death with glad tidings of the blessings that Allaah has prepared for her.
On the 10th of Ramadaan in the tenth year after the Messenger was bestowed Prophethood, the pure soul of Khadijah was taken up toward her Lord, and Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) became the sole person responsible for managing the Prophet’s (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) noble household.
When the Quraish sensed that the political, financial and social pressures had settled, they decided to assassinate the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). But Allaah informed him (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) beforehand about what his enemies were planning in secret, and Allaah ordered him to migrate to Yathrib.
The Muslims migrated to where they found dignity and strength. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) migrated in the company of his friend Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) while Umm Kulthum and Fatimah stayed behind in Makkah for their safety until Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent Zayd ibn Harithah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) to bring them both to Madinah.
In the course of the next two years, Umm Kulthum witnessed the returning of her father from Badr as a victorious ruler on one hand – and on the other, she also witnessed her sister Ruqayyah – the wife of ‘Uthmaan ibn Affaan – succumb to death due to a fatal illness.
In the beginning of the third year after Hijrah, Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) noticed ‘Uthmaan ibn Affaan (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) coming more often to her father (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) seeking condolence and (spiritual) support for the loss of his dear wife.
One day ‘Umar al-Khattaab (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) entered upon the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) complaining angrily about the behavior of Abu Bakr and ‘Uthmaan. When he proposed his daughter’s marriage to them neither of them responded favorably to his suggestion.
Umm Kulthum heard her father (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) kindly informing ‘Umar: “Hafsah will marry someone who is better than ‘Uthmaan, and ‘Uthmaan will marry someone who is better than Hafsah.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari in the Chapter (Nikah): One’s proposing (the marriage of) his daughter or sister to the people of good (6/130)]
The heart of Umm Kulthum shook at this; for she knew due to her brilliant acumen that she would be the wife of ‘Uthmaan because there was no woman better than the daughter of ‘Umar (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) other than the daughter of the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and while she was retrieving the reminiscences (thinking) about her companion ‘Ruqayyah’, the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) called her and gave her the good news.
Her marriage was fixed with ‘Uthmaan (Radia-Allaahu ‘anhu) and from that day onwards, ‘Uthmaan was known as “Dhun-Noorain (i.e. Possessor of Two Lights)” because it was not known that anyone apart from him had ever married two daughters of a Prophet. [See the Tarjma ‘Uthmaan in Istiy’aab (3/1079) and the reason for his title.]
Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) moved to her husband’s house and stayed with him for six long years – where she witnessed the glory of Islam reach its zenith (peak), and saw her father returning victorious from one battle after another – and her husband Dhun-Noorain, accompanying him in his struggles and victories.
Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha) anticipated the day of Great Victory – Fath Makkah (the conquest of Makkah) and her heart craved to visit the grave of her mother but death came to her just days before that in the month of Shabaan, 9th year of Hijrah – and the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) buried her beside her companion of youth – her sister, Ruqayyah (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha).
May Allaah have mercy on Umm Kulthum (Radia-Allaahu ‘anha), she witnessed the trials of Dawah for a very long time; she bore the cruelest of persecutions, lived through the toughest circumstances of Dawah and the harshest days of struggle.
Source:
“Women around the Messenger and replying to the Slanders of the Orientalists” by Mahmood Mahdi al-Istambuli and Mustafa Abu an-Nasr Shibli
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