1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,000
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

2
00:00:15,580 --> 00:00:17,579
The Mawaddah Association is pleased

3
00:00:17,579 --> 00:00:19,579
to present to you

4
00:00:19,579 --> 00:00:22,579
"Portraits from the Lives of the Female Companions,"

5
00:00:22,579 --> 00:00:26,699
by Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,

6
00:00:26,699 --> 00:00:28,699
may Allah have mercy on him.

7
00:00:28,699 --> 00:00:32,020
Ramlah,

8
00:00:32,020 --> 00:00:34,020
daughter of Abu Sufyan,

9
00:00:34,020 --> 00:00:36,020
may Allah be pleased with them both.

10
00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,920
It had never crossed the mind of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

11
00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:55,920
that anyone among Quraysh possessed the audacity

12
00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,920
to defy his authority

13
00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:00,920
or oppose him in any matter of consequence.

14
00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:03,920
For he was the undisputed, obeyed master of Makkah

15
00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,920
and its leader to whom total allegiance was pledged.

16
00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:09,109
Yet his own daughter, Ramlah,

17
00:01:09,109 --> 00:01:11,109
known by the kunya Umm Habibah,

18
00:01:11,109 --> 00:01:14,109
shattered this illusion,

19
00:01:14,109 --> 00:01:17,109
when she renounced the idols of her father

20
00:01:17,109 --> 00:01:20,109
and believed, alongside her husband, Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh,

21
00:01:20,109 --> 00:01:23,109
in Allah alone, having no partner,

22
00:01:23,109 --> 00:01:27,109
and affirmed the message of His Prophet, Muhammad ibn Abdillah.

23
00:01:27,109 --> 00:01:29,109
Abu Sufyan strove

24
00:01:29,109 --> 00:01:32,109
with all the power and might at his command

25
00:01:32,109 --> 00:01:34,109
to turn his daughter and her husband back

26
00:01:34,109 --> 00:01:36,109
to his religion and the religion of their forefathers,

27
00:01:36,109 --> 00:01:38,109
but he failed completely.

28
00:01:38,109 --> 00:01:41,109
For the faith deeply rooted in Ramlah’s heart

29
00:01:41,109 --> 00:01:43,109
was too profound to be uprooted

30
00:01:43,109 --> 00:01:45,109
by the tempests of Abu Sufyan,

31
00:01:45,109 --> 00:01:48,109
and far too steadfast to be shaken by his wrath.

32
00:01:48,109 --> 00:01:52,109
Abu Sufyan was consumed with grief and anxiety over Ramlah’s Islam,

33
00:01:52,109 --> 00:01:56,109
for he no longer knew how to face Quraysh

34
00:01:56,109 --> 00:01:59,109
after proving powerless to bend his own daughter to his will

35
00:01:59,109 --> 00:02:03,109
or prevent her from following Muhammad.

36
00:02:03,109 --> 00:02:06,109
When Quraysh realized that Abu Sufyan

37
00:02:06,109 --> 00:02:09,110
was deeply incensed with Ramlah and her husband,

38
00:02:09,110 --> 00:02:11,110
they grew emboldened against them,

39
00:02:11,110 --> 00:02:14,110
and began tightening the noose around them,

40
00:02:14,110 --> 00:02:17,110
subjecting them to the harshest forms of persecution,

41
00:02:17,110 --> 00:02:21,240
until life in Makkah became utterly unbearable for the couple.

42
00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,240
When the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, permitted

43
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,240
the Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia,

44
00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:30,240
Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan,

45
00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:32,240
her young daughter Habibah,

46
00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,240
and her husband Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh

47
00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,240
were at the forefront of those migrating to Allah for their faith,

48
00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:42,240
fleeing with their religion to the sanctuary of the Negus.

49
00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,370
However, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

50
00:02:45,370 --> 00:02:47,370
and the leaders of Quraysh who accompanied him

51
00:02:47,370 --> 00:02:50,370
could not bear to let

52
00:02:50,370 --> 00:02:52,370
that group of Muslims slip through their fingers

53
00:02:52,370 --> 00:02:55,370
and taste the sweet relief of peace in the land of Abyssinia.

54
00:02:55,370 --> 00:02:58,370
So they dispatched their emissaries to the Negus,

55
00:02:58,370 --> 00:03:00,370
inciting him against the emigrants,

56
00:03:00,370 --> 00:03:03,370
demanding that he surrender them back,

57
00:03:03,370 --> 00:03:06,370
and claiming that they uttered disparaging words

58
00:03:06,370 --> 00:03:09,370
concerning the Messiah and his mother, Mary.

59
00:03:09,370 --> 00:03:12,370
Thereupon, the Negus summoned the leaders of the emigrants

60
00:03:12,370 --> 00:03:15,370
and questioned them about the reality of their religion,

61
00:03:15,370 --> 00:03:19,370
and what they said regarding Jesus, the son of Mary, and his mother,

62
00:03:19,370 --> 00:03:22,370
asking them to recite something of the Qur'an

63
00:03:22,370 --> 00:03:25,370
that was revealed to the heart of their Prophet.

64
00:03:25,370 --> 00:03:28,370
When they explained to him the reality of Islam

65
00:03:28,370 --> 00:03:31,370
and recited some verses of the Qur'an to him,

66
00:03:31,370 --> 00:03:34,370
he wept until his beard was drenched,

67
00:03:34,370 --> 00:03:37,370
and said to them, "Indeed, this which

68
00:03:37,370 --> 00:03:40,370
has been revealed to your Prophet Muhammad,

69
00:03:40,370 --> 00:03:43,370
and that which Jesus, son of Mary, brought,

70
00:03:43,370 --> 00:03:46,370
emanate from the very same niche of light."

71
00:03:46,370 --> 00:03:49,370
Then he proclaimed his faith in Allah alone, without partner,

72
00:03:49,370 --> 00:03:52,370
affirmed his belief in the prophethood of Muhammad,

73
00:03:52,370 --> 00:03:55,370
peace and blessings be upon him,

74
00:03:55,370 --> 00:03:58,370
and pledged his protection to the Muslims who had emigrated to his land,

75
00:03:58,370 --> 00:04:01,370
even though his own bishops refused to accept Islam

76
00:04:01,370 --> 00:04:04,370
and remained upon their Christian faith.

77
00:04:04,370 --> 00:04:07,560
Following this, Umm Habibah thought

78
00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,560
that life had finally smiled upon her after a long frown of adversity,

79
00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,560
and that her arduous journey

80
00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:16,560
through the corridor of pain had at last led her

81
00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,560
to an oasis of peace and security.

82
00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:22,560
Little did she know what destiny had concealed in store for her,

83
00:04:22,560 --> 00:04:25,560
for Allah, blessed be His wisdom, willed

84
00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,560
to test Umm Habibah with a severe trial—

85
00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,560
one that would baffle the minds of the wisest of men,

86
00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,560
and shatter the resolve of people of understanding—

87
00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,560
only to bring her forth from that

88
00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,560
momentous tribulation

89
00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,589
victorious, seated at the pinnacle of triumph.

90
00:04:43,589 --> 00:04:46,589
For one night, Umm Habibah retired

91
00:04:46,589 --> 00:04:49,589
to her bed,

92
00:04:50,589 --> 00:04:53,589
and saw in a dream that her husband, Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh,

93
00:04:53,589 --> 00:04:56,589
was flailing in the depths of a fathomless ocean,

94
00:04:56,589 --> 00:04:59,589
engulfed in layers of darkness, one upon another,

95
00:04:59,589 --> 00:05:02,589
in the most wretched condition.

96
00:05:02,589 --> 00:05:05,589
She awoke from her sleep terrified and deeply distressed,

97
00:05:05,589 --> 00:05:08,589
but chose not to mention to him or to anyone else

98
00:05:08,589 --> 00:05:11,589
anything of what she had seen.

99
00:05:11,589 --> 00:05:14,589
Yet her vision was soon to come to pass,

100
00:05:14,589 --> 00:05:17,589
for before the day following that night had ended,

101
00:05:18,589 --> 00:05:21,589
her husband apostatized and threw himself into taverns,

102
00:05:21,589 --> 00:05:24,589
indulging in the mother of all vices, wine,

103
00:05:24,589 --> 00:05:27,589
unable to quench his thirst or satisfy his craving.

104
00:05:27,589 --> 00:05:30,660
He then gave her a choice between two options,

105
00:05:30,660 --> 00:05:33,660
the sweeter of which was exceedingly bitter:

106
00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:36,660
either to be divorced or to convert to Christianity.

107
00:05:36,660 --> 00:05:39,660
Umm Habibah suddenly found herself

108
00:05:39,660 --> 00:05:42,660
facing three agonizing paths:

109
00:05:42,660 --> 00:05:45,660
she could either yield to her husband

110
00:05:46,660 --> 00:05:49,660
and thereby apostatize from her faith—

111
00:05:49,660 --> 00:05:52,660
Allah forbid!—incurring the disgrace of this world

112
00:05:52,660 --> 00:05:55,660
and the torment of the Hereafter, which was something

113
00:05:55,660 --> 00:05:58,660
she would never do, even if her flesh were raked from her bones

114
00:05:58,660 --> 00:06:01,660
with iron combs;

115
00:06:01,660 --> 00:06:04,660
or she could return to her father’s home in Makkah,

116
00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:07,660
which remained a bastion of polytheism,

117
00:06:07,660 --> 00:06:10,660
where she would live subjugated and forced to abandon her religion;

118
00:06:10,660 --> 00:06:13,660
or she could remain in the land of Abyssinia,

119
00:06:14,660 --> 00:06:17,660
without family, homeland, or supporter.

120
00:06:17,660 --> 00:06:20,660
So she chose that which brought the pleasure of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

121
00:06:20,660 --> 00:06:23,660
above all else,

122
00:06:23,660 --> 00:06:26,660
and resolved to remain in Abyssinia

123
00:06:26,660 --> 00:06:29,660
until Allah brought forth relief from Him.

124
00:06:29,660 --> 00:06:32,660
Umm Habibah’s wait did not last long,

125
00:06:32,660 --> 00:06:35,660
for no sooner had her waiting period ended following the death of her husband—

126
00:06:35,660 --> 00:06:38,660
who lived only a short time after embracing Christianity—

127
00:06:38,660 --> 00:06:41,660
than divine relief arrived,

128
00:06:41,660 --> 00:06:44,660
and happiness descended upon her,

129
00:06:44,660 --> 00:06:47,660
flapping its vibrant green, emerald wings

130
00:06:47,660 --> 00:06:50,879
over her sorrowful home unexpectedly.

131
00:06:50,879 --> 00:06:53,879
On a bright, luminous morning,

132
00:06:53,879 --> 00:06:56,879
pleasant and cheerful, there came a knock at her door.

133
00:06:56,879 --> 00:06:59,879
When she opened it, she was surprised to find Abrahah,

134
00:06:59,879 --> 00:07:02,879
the maidservant of the Negus, King of Abyssinia.

135
00:07:02,879 --> 00:07:05,879
She greeted her with utmost courtesy and joy,

136
00:07:05,879 --> 00:07:08,879
asked permission to enter, and said,

137
00:07:08,879 --> 00:07:11,879
"The King conveys his greetings to you and says:

138
00:07:11,879 --> 00:07:14,879
'Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has sought your hand in marriage,

139
00:07:14,879 --> 00:07:17,879
and has sent him a letter appointing him as his proxy

140
00:07:17,879 --> 00:07:20,879
to conduct the marriage contract with you;

141
00:07:20,879 --> 00:07:23,879
so appoint whomever you wish as your guardian.'"

142
00:07:23,879 --> 00:07:26,879
Umm Habibah was overjoyed and exclaimed,

143
00:07:26,879 --> 00:07:29,879
"May Allah bring you glad tidings of good!

144
00:07:29,879 --> 00:07:32,879
May Allah bring you glad tidings of good!"

145
00:07:32,879 --> 00:07:35,879
She immediately began taking off her jewelry:

146
00:07:35,879 --> 00:07:38,879
she gave her two bracelets to Abrahah,

147
00:07:38,879 --> 00:07:41,879
followed by her anklets,

148
00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:44,879
and then added her earrings and rings;

149
00:07:44,879 --> 00:07:47,879
had she possessed all the treasures of the world,

150
00:07:47,879 --> 00:07:50,879
she would have given them to her at that moment.

151
00:07:50,879 --> 00:07:53,879
Then she said to her, "I have appointed as my guardian

152
00:07:53,879 --> 00:07:56,879
Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As,

153
00:07:56,879 --> 00:08:00,170
for he is the closest of people to me."

154
00:08:00,170 --> 00:08:03,170
In the palace of the Negus, perched atop a hill

155
00:08:04,170 --> 00:08:07,170
overlooking one of the lush, blooming meadows of Abyssinia,

156
00:08:07,170 --> 00:08:10,170
and within one of its spacious halls,

157
00:08:10,170 --> 00:08:13,170
adorned with vibrant carvings,

158
00:08:13,170 --> 00:08:16,170
illuminated by gleaming brass lamps,

159
00:08:16,170 --> 00:08:19,170
and furnished with the most luxurious furnishings,

160
00:08:19,170 --> 00:08:22,170
the prominent Companions residing in Abyssinia assembled.

161
00:08:22,170 --> 00:08:25,170
Foremost among them were Ja'far ibn Abi Talib,

162
00:08:25,170 --> 00:08:28,170
Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As,

163
00:08:28,170 --> 00:08:31,170
and Abdullah ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi,

164
00:08:31,170 --> 00:08:34,169
among others, to witness the marriage contract of Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan

165
00:08:34,169 --> 00:08:37,169
to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

166
00:08:37,169 --> 00:08:40,200
When the gathering was complete,

167
00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,200
the Negus presided over the assembly and delivered a sermon,

168
00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,200
saying: "All praise is due to Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy,

169
00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,200
the Source of Peace, the Omnipotent.

170
00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:52,200
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,

171
00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,200
and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

172
00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,200
and that he is the one whom Jesus, the son of Mary, foretold.

173
00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:01,200
To proceed:

174
00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,200
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,

175
00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,200
has requested me to marry him to Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan,

176
00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,200
and I have consented to his request,

177
00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,200
granting her on his behalf a mahr

178
00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,200
of four hundred gold dinars,

179
00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,200
in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah and His Messenger."

180
00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,200
Then he poured the gold dinars before Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As.

181
00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,200
At this, Khalid stood up and said,

182
00:09:25,200 --> 00:09:28,200
"Praise be to Allah, I praise Him, seek His aid,

183
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,200
ask His forgiveness, and repent to Him.

184
00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,200
I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

185
00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,200
whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth,

186
00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,200
that He may make it prevail over all religions,

187
00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,200
even if the disbelievers detest it. To proceed:

188
00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,200
I have agreed to the request of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,

189
00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,200
and have given in marriage my ward,

190
00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,200
Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan.

191
00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:55,200
May Allah bless His Messenger with his wife,

192
00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,200
and congratulations to Umm Habibah for the abundant good

193
00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:01,200
that Allah has decreed for her."

194
00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,200
Then Khalid took the money and intended to take it to her,

195
00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:07,200
and his companions stood up with him

196
00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,200
intending to leave as well.

197
00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,200
But the Negus said to them, "Sit down,

198
00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,200
for it is the Sunnah of the Prophets, whenever they marry,

199
00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:19,200
that they share a meal.

200
00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,200
Umm Habibah said:

201
00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:26,200
"When the wealth reached me,

202
00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:29,200
I sent to Abrahah, the maidservant who had brought me the glad tidings,

203
00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,200
fifty mithqals of gold.

204
00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:35,200
I told her: 'I gave you what I gave you when you brought me the good news

205
00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,200
only because I possessed no money at the time.'

206
00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,200
But before long,

207
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,200
Abrahah came back to me and returned the gold,

208
00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,200
and she brought out a small casket containing the jewelry

209
00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,200
and returned that to me as well.

210
00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,200
She said: 'The King has strictly bidden me

211
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:57,200
not to accept anything from you,

212
00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,200
and he has instructed his wives to send you

213
00:11:00,200 --> 00:11:03,200
all the perfume they possess.'

214
00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,200
The next day, she brought me yellow scent (wars),

215
00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,200
agarwood, and ambergris, and then said to me:

216
00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,200
'I have a favor to ask of you.'

217
00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:15,200
I asked: 'And what is that?'

218
00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,200
She said: 'I have embraced the religion of Muhammad;

219
00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,200
so convey my greetings of peace to the Prophet,

220
00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,200
and inform him that I have believed in Allah and His Messenger,

221
00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,200
and do not forget this.'

222
00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,200
Then she helped prepare me for my journey.

223
00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,200
Later, when I was brought to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

224
00:11:33,200 --> 00:11:36,200
and met him, I told him all about the marriage proposal

225
00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:39,200
and how I had interacted with Abrahah,

226
00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,200
and I conveyed her greetings of peace to him.

227
00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,200
He said: 'And upon her be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.'

228
00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:51,340
Umm Habibah

229
00:11:51,340 --> 00:11:54,340
prioritized Allah and His Messenger above all else,

230
00:11:54,340 --> 00:11:57,440
and hated to return to disbelief

231
00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:00,440
just as one would hate to be cast into the Fire.

232
00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:04,179
The historians