Pictures from the lives of female companions - Episode (6) - Ramla bint Abi Sufyan, may God be pleased with her

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:15 The Mawaddah Association is pleased

0:17 to present to you

0:19 "Portraits from the Lives of the Female Companions,"

0:22 by Dr. Abd al-Rahman Ra'fat al-Basha,

0:26 may Allah have mercy on him.

0:28 Ramlah,

0:32 daughter of Abu Sufyan,

0:34 may Allah be pleased with them both.

0:50 It had never crossed the mind of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

0:53 that anyone among Quraysh possessed the audacity

0:55 to defy his authority

0:57 or oppose him in any matter of consequence.

1:00 For he was the undisputed, obeyed master of Makkah

1:03 and its leader to whom total allegiance was pledged.

1:06 Yet his own daughter, Ramlah,

1:09 known by the kunya Umm Habibah,

1:11 shattered this illusion,

1:14 when she renounced the idols of her father

1:17 and believed, alongside her husband, Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh,

1:20 in Allah alone, having no partner,

1:23 and affirmed the message of His Prophet, Muhammad ibn Abdillah.

1:27 Abu Sufyan strove

1:29 with all the power and might at his command

1:32 to turn his daughter and her husband back

1:34 to his religion and the religion of their forefathers,

1:36 but he failed completely.

1:38 For the faith deeply rooted in Ramlah’s heart

1:41 was too profound to be uprooted

1:43 by the tempests of Abu Sufyan,

1:45 and far too steadfast to be shaken by his wrath.

1:48 Abu Sufyan was consumed with grief and anxiety over Ramlah’s Islam,

1:52 for he no longer knew how to face Quraysh

1:56 after proving powerless to bend his own daughter to his will

1:59 or prevent her from following Muhammad.

2:03 When Quraysh realized that Abu Sufyan

2:06 was deeply incensed with Ramlah and her husband,

2:09 they grew emboldened against them,

2:11 and began tightening the noose around them,

2:14 subjecting them to the harshest forms of persecution,

2:17 until life in Makkah became utterly unbearable for the couple.

2:21 When the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, permitted

2:24 the Muslims to emigrate to Abyssinia,

2:27 Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan,

2:30 her young daughter Habibah,

2:32 and her husband Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh

2:35 were at the forefront of those migrating to Allah for their faith,

2:38 fleeing with their religion to the sanctuary of the Negus.

2:42 However, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb

2:45 and the leaders of Quraysh who accompanied him

2:47 could not bear to let

2:50 that group of Muslims slip through their fingers

2:52 and taste the sweet relief of peace in the land of Abyssinia.

2:55 So they dispatched their emissaries to the Negus,

2:58 inciting him against the emigrants,

3:00 demanding that he surrender them back,

3:03 and claiming that they uttered disparaging words

3:06 concerning the Messiah and his mother, Mary.

3:09 Thereupon, the Negus summoned the leaders of the emigrants

3:12 and questioned them about the reality of their religion,

3:15 and what they said regarding Jesus, the son of Mary, and his mother,

3:19 asking them to recite something of the Qur'an

3:22 that was revealed to the heart of their Prophet.

3:25 When they explained to him the reality of Islam

3:28 and recited some verses of the Qur'an to him,

3:31 he wept until his beard was drenched,

3:34 and said to them, "Indeed, this which

3:37 has been revealed to your Prophet Muhammad,

3:40 and that which Jesus, son of Mary, brought,

3:43 emanate from the very same niche of light."

3:46 Then he proclaimed his faith in Allah alone, without partner,

3:49 affirmed his belief in the prophethood of Muhammad,

3:52 peace and blessings be upon him,

3:55 and pledged his protection to the Muslims who had emigrated to his land,

3:58 even though his own bishops refused to accept Islam

4:01 and remained upon their Christian faith.

4:04 Following this, Umm Habibah thought

4:07 that life had finally smiled upon her after a long frown of adversity,

4:10 and that her arduous journey

4:13 through the corridor of pain had at last led her

4:16 to an oasis of peace and security.

4:19 Little did she know what destiny had concealed in store for her,

4:22 for Allah, blessed be His wisdom, willed

4:25 to test Umm Habibah with a severe trial—

4:28 one that would baffle the minds of the wisest of men,

4:31 and shatter the resolve of people of understanding—

4:34 only to bring her forth from that

4:37 momentous tribulation

4:40 victorious, seated at the pinnacle of triumph.

4:43 For one night, Umm Habibah retired

4:46 to her bed,

4:50 and saw in a dream that her husband, Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh,

4:53 was flailing in the depths of a fathomless ocean,

4:56 engulfed in layers of darkness, one upon another,

4:59 in the most wretched condition.

5:02 She awoke from her sleep terrified and deeply distressed,

5:05 but chose not to mention to him or to anyone else

5:08 anything of what she had seen.

5:11 Yet her vision was soon to come to pass,

5:14 for before the day following that night had ended,

5:18 her husband apostatized and threw himself into taverns,

5:21 indulging in the mother of all vices, wine,

5:24 unable to quench his thirst or satisfy his craving.

5:27 He then gave her a choice between two options,

5:30 the sweeter of which was exceedingly bitter:

5:33 either to be divorced or to convert to Christianity.

5:36 Umm Habibah suddenly found herself

5:39 facing three agonizing paths:

5:42 she could either yield to her husband

5:46 and thereby apostatize from her faith—

5:49 Allah forbid!—incurring the disgrace of this world

5:52 and the torment of the Hereafter, which was something

5:55 she would never do, even if her flesh were raked from her bones

5:58 with iron combs;

6:01 or she could return to her father’s home in Makkah,

6:04 which remained a bastion of polytheism,

6:07 where she would live subjugated and forced to abandon her religion;

6:10 or she could remain in the land of Abyssinia,

6:14 without family, homeland, or supporter.

6:17 So she chose that which brought the pleasure of Allah, Mighty and Majestic,

6:20 above all else,

6:23 and resolved to remain in Abyssinia

6:26 until Allah brought forth relief from Him.

6:29 Umm Habibah’s wait did not last long,

6:32 for no sooner had her waiting period ended following the death of her husband—

6:35 who lived only a short time after embracing Christianity—

6:38 than divine relief arrived,

6:41 and happiness descended upon her,

6:44 flapping its vibrant green, emerald wings

6:47 over her sorrowful home unexpectedly.

6:50 On a bright, luminous morning,

6:53 pleasant and cheerful, there came a knock at her door.

6:56 When she opened it, she was surprised to find Abrahah,

6:59 the maidservant of the Negus, King of Abyssinia.

7:02 She greeted her with utmost courtesy and joy,

7:05 asked permission to enter, and said,

7:08 "The King conveys his greetings to you and says:

7:11 'Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has sought your hand in marriage,

7:14 and has sent him a letter appointing him as his proxy

7:17 to conduct the marriage contract with you;

7:20 so appoint whomever you wish as your guardian.'"

7:23 Umm Habibah was overjoyed and exclaimed,

7:26 "May Allah bring you glad tidings of good!

7:29 May Allah bring you glad tidings of good!"

7:32 She immediately began taking off her jewelry:

7:35 she gave her two bracelets to Abrahah,

7:38 followed by her anklets,

7:41 and then added her earrings and rings;

7:44 had she possessed all the treasures of the world,

7:47 she would have given them to her at that moment.

7:50 Then she said to her, "I have appointed as my guardian

7:53 Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As,

7:56 for he is the closest of people to me."

8:00 In the palace of the Negus, perched atop a hill

8:04 overlooking one of the lush, blooming meadows of Abyssinia,

8:07 and within one of its spacious halls,

8:10 adorned with vibrant carvings,

8:13 illuminated by gleaming brass lamps,

8:16 and furnished with the most luxurious furnishings,

8:19 the prominent Companions residing in Abyssinia assembled.

8:22 Foremost among them were Ja'far ibn Abi Talib,

8:25 Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As,

8:28 and Abdullah ibn Hudhafah al-Sahmi,

8:31 among others, to witness the marriage contract of Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan

8:34 to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.

8:37 When the gathering was complete,

8:40 the Negus presided over the assembly and delivered a sermon,

8:43 saying: "All praise is due to Allah, the Sovereign, the Holy,

8:46 the Source of Peace, the Omnipotent.

8:49 I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,

8:52 and that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

8:55 and that he is the one whom Jesus, the son of Mary, foretold.

8:58 To proceed:

9:01 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,

9:04 has requested me to marry him to Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan,

9:07 and I have consented to his request,

9:10 granting her on his behalf a mahr

9:13 of four hundred gold dinars,

9:16 in accordance with the Sunnah of Allah and His Messenger."

9:19 Then he poured the gold dinars before Khalid ibn Sa'id ibn al-'As.

9:22 At this, Khalid stood up and said,

9:25 "Praise be to Allah, I praise Him, seek His aid,

9:28 ask His forgiveness, and repent to Him.

9:31 I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His messenger,

9:34 whom He sent with guidance and the religion of truth,

9:37 that He may make it prevail over all religions,

9:40 even if the disbelievers detest it. To proceed:

9:43 I have agreed to the request of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,

9:46 and have given in marriage my ward,

9:49 Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan.

9:52 May Allah bless His Messenger with his wife,

9:55 and congratulations to Umm Habibah for the abundant good

9:58 that Allah has decreed for her."

10:01 Then Khalid took the money and intended to take it to her,

10:04 and his companions stood up with him

10:07 intending to leave as well.

10:10 But the Negus said to them, "Sit down,

10:13 for it is the Sunnah of the Prophets, whenever they marry,

10:16 that they share a meal.

10:20 Umm Habibah said:

10:23 "When the wealth reached me,

10:26 I sent to Abrahah, the maidservant who had brought me the glad tidings,

10:29 fifty mithqals of gold.

10:32 I told her: 'I gave you what I gave you when you brought me the good news

10:35 only because I possessed no money at the time.'

10:38 But before long,

10:41 Abrahah came back to me and returned the gold,

10:44 and she brought out a small casket containing the jewelry

10:48 and returned that to me as well.

10:51 She said: 'The King has strictly bidden me

10:54 not to accept anything from you,

10:57 and he has instructed his wives to send you

11:00 all the perfume they possess.'

11:03 The next day, she brought me yellow scent (wars),

11:06 agarwood, and ambergris, and then said to me:

11:09 'I have a favor to ask of you.'

11:12 I asked: 'And what is that?'

11:15 She said: 'I have embraced the religion of Muhammad;

11:18 so convey my greetings of peace to the Prophet,

11:21 and inform him that I have believed in Allah and His Messenger,

11:24 and do not forget this.'

11:27 Then she helped prepare me for my journey.

11:30 Later, when I was brought to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

11:33 and met him, I told him all about the marriage proposal

11:36 and how I had interacted with Abrahah,

11:39 and I conveyed her greetings of peace to him.

11:43 He said: 'And upon her be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.'

11:46 Umm Habibah

11:51 prioritized Allah and His Messenger above all else,

11:54 and hated to return to disbelief

11:57 just as one would hate to be cast into the Fire.

12:00 The historians

Pictures from the lives of female companions - Episode (6) - Ramla bint Abi Sufyan, may God be pleased with her

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