Heroic Deeds of Muslim Women ( I Love Them 4 the Sake of Allah)

[Salafi_Online]

The history of Islam abounds in scores of such gallant actions on the part of Muslim women, but, unfortunately, they are not commonly known.

 

Prior to Islam, the Arab women used to accompany men to the battlefield. With their children, they remained behind the fighting lines and looked after the wounded soldiers, attended the horses, comforted their valiant husbands, roused their spirit by narrating the thrilling achievements of their ancestors, disarmed the dead soldiers of the enemy, rallied the panic-stricken fugitives, and guarded the prisoners.

 

The famous poet of Arabia, 'Umar Bin Kulthum, recites in pride:

 

our ranks are beautiful and whitefaced women; we are always afraid lest they should be insulted, and the enemy take possession of them. These women have taken oaths from their husbands to show gallantry in the field of battle. They accompany us, so that they may take possession of, and arrest, enemies' horses and armaments. These are the ladies of the family of Jashm b. Bakr, who not only possess beauty, but also have traditions both of family and religion. They look after our horses and they say, 'If you cannot protect us from the enemy you are not our husbands'."

 

Islam also maintained this tradition. Women always followed men in the Jihad. In the battle of Uhud, according to Bukhari, 'Ayesha (may God be pleased with her) carried a leather bag full of water to quench the thirst of wounded soldiers. She was helped in the task by Umm Salim and Umm Salit.

 

The traditionist Abu Nayeem relates that in the battle of Khaibar, half a dozen women of Medina followed the marching army. The Prophet did not know of this and, when he was informed, he angrily asked them why they had come at all. They reverently answered that they had medicines with them, that they would nurse and dress the wounded, take out arrows from the bodies of the soldiers, and arrange for their rations. The Prophet allowed them to accompany the army, and, when Khaibar was conquered, he gave a share of the war booty to these women also. [1]

 

In a number of battles, Umm Salim and a few other ladies of the Ansar rendered similar service.[2] Rabi, daughter of Muaz, along with other women, performed the duty of carrying the martyrs and the wounded from the battlefield of Uhud to Medina.[3] Umm Raqida had a pavilion for the wounded, where she washed and dressed their wounds.[4]

 

Umm Zaid, Ashjiya, and five other ladies helped the Muslims during the battle of Khaibar, by working at spinning wheels. They picked up arrows from the field, and offered grain flour (Sattu) to the soldiers. [5] Umm Attiya cooked for the Companions in seven battles. [6]

 

Tabari writes of one occasion when the corpses of the Muslim soldiers lay in great numbers in the van. The group of men appointed for burying the martyrs commissioned women to look after the wounded. In the battles of Aghwath and Armath, fought in connection with that of Qadisiya, women and children dug graves. [7]

 

The battle of Qadisiya is described thus by a woman who was present: "When the battle was over, we (women) rushed forward daringly to the battlefield with rods in our hands and picked up the wounded Muslim soldiers." [8]

 

The above incidents, however, not only testify to the religious zeal, national enthusiasm, and heroism of Muslim women, but also detail the various duties they were called upon to perform from time to time. They did not shirk the humble and unpleasant chores: the digging of graves and the procurement of rations for the army. Not only did the women nurse the wounded in the rear, they also brought in the casualties from the battlefield. Not content with urging men to take a firm stand, sometimes, they actually helped them by joining in the battle. In short, no task was too difficult or too unpleasant for them to attempt.

 

If you examine the battles of the early period of Islamic history, you will find women engaged in these duties in the rear. The last mentioned services rendered by Muslim women require, however, some elaboration, and we will go into detail to show how nobly the weaker sex among the Muslims discharged this task.

 

The mother of Anas b. Malik (the Prophet's servant), Umm Salim, usually accompanied the Prophet to the field. When Taleeb b. 'Umair adopted Islam and informed his mother of this, she said, "You have sided with the man who deserved the most. Would that I had the strength and the ability of man, I would protect him and fight for him."[10]

 

In the battle of the Ditch, the Prophet and his Companions were fighting against the Jews, when Banu Quraiza advanced to the place where Muslim women and children had entrenched themselves. There were no soldiers to protect these women against Banu Quraiza. Meanwhile, a Jew chanced to appear near them. It was feared that the Jew might betray them to Banu Quraiza who would then attack at the earliest opportunity. Safia, the aunt of the Prophet, and the mother of Zubair, asked Hassan b. Thabit to kill the Jew. Seeing his hesitation, Safia herself climbed down with a pole of the pavilion in her hand and killed the Jew with it. This was the first heroic action, says the historian Ibn Athir, done by a, Muslim woman. [11]

 

One of the most distinguished women who took part in the battle of Uhud was Nusaybah bint Ka'b al-Maziniyyah (May Allah be pleased with her). She was known as Um'Umarah.

 

At the beginning of the battle, she was bringing water and tending the wounded, as the other women were doing. When the battle was going in the favor of the Muslims, the archers disobeyed the command of Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] which immediately became a source of defeat, as Allah subhana wa ta'ala said;

 

"Behold! You were climbing up the high ground, without even casting a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger in your rear was calling you back ..." (3: 153)

 

It was at this moment when Nusaybah went forward, with her sword unsheathed and her bow in her hand, to join the small group of archers as they were standing firm with Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], acting as a human shield to protect him from the arrows of the idolaters. Every time danger approached Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] she was there to protect him.

 

Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] later said, "Wherever I turned, to the left or the right, I saw her fighting for me."

 

Her son 'Umarah also described what happened on that day: "On that day, I was wounded in my left hand. A man who seemed to be as tall as a palm-tree struck me, then went away without pursuing me to finish me off. The blood began to flow copiously, so Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] told me, 'Bind up your wound.'

 

My mother came to me, and she was wearing a waist-wrapper, which she had brought, for the purpose of wrapping wounds. She dressed my wound, whilst Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] was looking on. Then she told me, 'Get up, my son, and fight the people.'

 

Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said, 'Who could bear what you are putting up with, 0 Umm 'Umarah?' She said: The man who had struck my son came by, and Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said, 'This is the one who struck your son.' I intercepted him and hit him in the thigh, and he collapsed. I saw Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam smiling so widely that I could see his back teeth. He said, 'You have taken your revenge, 0 Umm 'Umarah!' Then we struck him with our weapons until we killed him, and Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said: 'Praise be to Allah who granted you victory over him, gave you the satisfaction of taking revenge on your enemy, and let you see the vengeance for yourself."

 

On this day, Nusaybah herself received many wounds while she was fighting the people and striking their chests. Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] saw her, and called to her son, "Your mother! Your mother! See to her wounds, may Allah subhana wa ta'ala bless you and your household! Your mother has fought better than so-and-so." When his mother heard what Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said, she said, "Pray to Allah that we may accompany you in Paradise." He said, "O Allah make them my companions in Paradise."

 

She said, "I do not care what befalls me in this world."'

 

Umm 'Umarah's success was not confined to the battle of Uhud. She was also present on a number of other occasions, namely the treaty of 'Aqabah, Al-Hudaybiyah, Khaybar and Hunayn. Her heroic conduct at Hunayn was no less marvellous than her heroic conduct at Uhud. At the time of Abu Bakr's khilafah, she was present at Al-Yamamah where she fought brilliantly and received eleven wounds as well as losing her hand.

 

It is no surprise that Rasulullah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] gave her the good news that she would enter Paradise, and that she was later held in high esteem by the Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, his commander Khalid ibn al-Walid and subsequently by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, radi Allahu anhum.[12]

 

Footnotes:

 

[1] Abu Dawud, Fath-e-Khaibar.

[2] Abu Dawud, Vol. 1, p. 252

[3] Bukhari, Kitab-ut-Tib.

[4] Abu Dawud, Vol. I p. 270.

[5] Sahih Muslim, Vol. 11, p. 105 (Egypt)

[6] Tabari Vol VI, p. 2317 (European Edn.).

[7] Tabari, Vol. V, p. 2363.

[8] Ibid.

[9] Usud-ul-Chabs, Vol. V. p. 591.

[10] Isti'ab Taleeb, b.'Umair.

[11] Usud-ul-Ghabn, description of Safia, Vol. V. p. 591.

[12]from the seerah ibn hisham.

 

 

www.troid.org