UMM IMMARA

UMM IMMARA

She was Nasiba bint Ka‘b ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Auf ibn ‘Abdhul al-Ansariyya who belonged to Banu Mazin. She was among the first Madinian women to enter Islam. She accompanied the delegate who set out from Madina for Makka in order to give the pledge of faith to the Prophet (pbuh). The delegate consisted of seventy-two persons, two of them were women.

She was a brave woman. In the battle of Uhud she joined the Muslim army with her two sons: ‘Abdullah and Habib. She was to carry water to the Muslim soldiers but when the Muslims were trapped, she had nothing to do but to hold a sword in order to defend the Prophet (pbuh). She received in this battle about thirteen wounds. She remained treating these wounds for a year although she came out bleeding from the battle of Uhud, she went with the Muslim army to fight in the battle of Hamra’ al-Asad, which occurred immediately after the battle of Uhud.

Let us give Umm ‘Imara our ears to recount such amazing story. She said, “I noticed in the battle of Uhud the people leaving the Prophet (pbuh) alone. There were only ten people around him. Subsequently I stood by him beside my two sons and my husband. Many people passed by the Prophet (pbuh) defeated. Meanwhile, the Prophet (pbuh) noticed me unarmed. When he noticed a man fleeing from the battlefield with his weapon, he ordered him saying ‘Throw your weapon to whoever can fight instead.’ Having thrown it, I picked it up and started to defend the Prophet (pbuh). But it is the horsemen who trapped us and put us into difficulty. Were they infantry like us we would defeat them by Allah’s willing. Thereupon, a horseman attacked me. But I received his sword on my shield, and when he turned back I hit the rear of his horse with my sword. The man fell down joggling on his back. Then, the Prophet (pbuh)

Shouted, “O son of Umm ‘Imarah, your mother, your mother!” Then came my son to help me and I killed him.

As years passed, Umm ‘Imara kept on serving the call of Islam at war or peace. When the Prophet (pbuh) died, some Muslim tribes converted led by Musailama, the liar. No sooner did Abu Bakr, the caliph of the Muslims, issue his command to the Muslims to fight the apostates than Umm ‘Imara went forward to Abu Bakr to ask his permission to fight against the apostates. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her, “We know that you fight well, you can go (may Allah bless you).”

She set out accompanied by her son, Habib, to fight in the cause of Allah seeking the honor of martyrdom. But Musailama managed to capture her son Habib as a prisoner of war. He tried to convert him but all his efforts and attempts went in vain. He started to cut off Habib’s body into pieces but Habib kept patient and resorted to Allah and sought His pleasure. It was said that Habib’s body was cut off into piles of detached organs.

Yet, Umm ‘Imara set out to fight in the battle of Yamama accompanied by her other son, ‘Abdullah. In this battle, ‘Abdullah managed to kill Musailama aided by Wahshi ibn Harb. Thereupon, when she knew about the death of this tyrant liar she prostrated to Allah. She (may Allah be pleased with her) came out from this battle having twelve wounds. Moreover, she lost her arm and her son ‘Abdullah as well. She was indeed an example of courage and sacrifices to all women anywhere.