Sharing Session on 23 November 2013

NYPMSN Sharing Session

Date: 23rd November 2013
Led By: Fathona 'Aulya & Farzana Yasmin
Topic: The Wives of the Prophet SAW

The Wives of the Prophet S.A.W

Introduction

The best of women have lived their lives within the limits of Allah and have achieved greatness, often through actions, which even the best of men could not have equalled. They have gained the love and respect not only of those who knew them, but also of those who came to hear about them long after they have died. Among the best of women were the wives of the Prophet Muhammad, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for he was the best of creation. Today, even hundreds of years later, young girls still learn a little about them and then, as they grow up and become women, they follow their example, seeking the pleasure of Allah.

©       Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

©       Sawada bint Zam'a

©       A'isha Siddiqa bint Abu Bakr

©       Hafsa bint 'Umar

©       Zaynab bint Khuzayma

©      
Umm Salama bint Abi Umayya

©    Zainab bint Jahsy

©    Juwairiyah bint al-Harith

©    Safiyyah bint Huyai

©    Ummu Habibah

©    Maria bint Syam'un

©    Maimunah bin al-Harith

1) Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid

Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, came from a noble family. Her father Khuwaylid had been one of the most honored leaders of their tribe until he was killed in battle. Her husband had also died, leaving her a very wealthy woman. When Muhammad (peace be upon him) was still a young man, she entrusted him with some of her wealth, asking him to trade with it in Syria on her behalf. He was already well known for his honesty, truthfulness and trustworthiness. He returned from Syria after having made a large profit for Khadijah. After hearing his account of the journey, she decided that he would make the best of the husbands, even though many of the most important nobles of the Quraish had already proposed to her and had been refused, and in due course she proposed to him. After the Prophet's uncle, Abu Talib, had given the proposed marriage his blessing, Muhammad and Khadijah were married. At the time of the marriage, the Prophet was twenty-five years old, while Khadijah was forty years old. For the next fifteen years they lived happily together, and Khadijah bore several children. Their first child, a son whom they named Qasim, died when he was only two years old. Two more sons, called Tayyib and Tahir, were also born, but they too died in their infancy. However, Muhammad and Khadijah also had four daughters who survived: Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum and Fatima.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         constant source of help and comfort – first to embrace islam, difficulties faced, the leaders of the Quraiysh tried to stop Islam

·         Once Aisha asked him if Khadijah had been the only woman worthy of his love. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: "She believed in me when no one else did; she accepted Islam when people rejected me; and she helped and comforted me when there was no one else to lend me a helping hand."

·         It had been related by Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that on one occasion, when Khadijah was still alive, Jibril came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Khadijah is just coming with a bowl of soup (or food or drink) for you. When she comes to you, give her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the good news of a palace of jewels in the Garden, where there will be neither any noise nor any tiredness." – She was blessed with the distinction of having been greeted with Salam (greetings) by Allah and the Angel Jibril.

·         'Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated that one day the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew four lines on the earth and asked his Companions if they understood what these lines stood for. They respectfully replied that he knew better. He then told them that these lines stood for the four foremost ladies of the universe. They were Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint Imran, the mother of the Prophet Issa and 'Asia bint Muzahim (the wife of the Pharaoh).

·         Her astuteness and business ability made her business one of the most widespread businesses among the Quraysh.

·         faced the economic hardships with patience and courage

·         The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never stopped loving Khadijah, and although he married several more wives in later years and loved them all, it is clear that Khadijah always had a special place in his heart. Indeed whenever 'Aisha, his third wife, heard the Prophet speak of Khadijah, or saw him sending food to Khadijah's old friends and relatives, she could not help feeling jealous of her, because of the love that the Prophet still had for her.

2) Sawda Bint Zam'a

Sawda bint Zam'a, may Allah be pleased with her had been the first woman to immigrate to Abyssinia in the way of Allah. Her husband had died and she was now living with her aged father. She was middle-aged, rather plump, with a jolly, kindly disposition, and just the right person to take care of the Prophet's household and family.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         Love of charity

·         Sawda was of praise worthy ethics, a good woman that loves charity so much. ‘aisha talked about her and said:'' the wives of the prophet (pbuh) told the prophet one day:''o messenger of allah, which one of us will be the next to die to follow you? he (pbuh) said: ''the one of you with the longest hand''. after the prophet’s (pbuh) death we knew that the length of her hand was because of charity.

·         Tamed her jealousy with piety when Prophet SAW married Aisha.

·         Patience

3) 'Aisha Bint Abu Bakr

'A'isha, who was now nine years old, married to the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who was now fifty-four years old. Some might have viewed the marriage of Muhammad and 'A'isha as an exceptional marriage, but however, the two partners were exceptional people. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the last of the Prophets and the best of creation; and 'A'isha was a very intelligent and observant young girl with a very good memory. 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) spent the next nine years of her life with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and she grew into womanhood, she remembered all that she saw and heard with great clarity, for to be the wife of the Prophet was even more than extraordinary. So much happened around him - the Quran continued to be revealed, ayat by ayat, and people's hearts were constantly being turned over and transformed, including hers and she was a witness of so much of all that took place. It is not surprising, therefore, that a great deal of the knowledge that we still have today, about how our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) lived and behaved, was first remembered and then taught to others by 'A'isha. It is thanks to this exceptional marriage, between a man nearing the end of his life and a woman still near the beginning of hers, that we know so much about the both of them, and this is what makes it so much easier for those who wish to follow in their footsteps to try and follow their example.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         Whereas Khadijah was already a wise and mature woman when she married the Prophet Muhammad, 'A'isha was a spirited young girl who still had a great deal to learn when she married the Prophet, (may Allah be pleased with her, and peace be upon him) she was very quick to learn, however, for she had a clear heart, and a quick mind and an accurate memory.

·         Not afraid to talk back in order to find out the truth or make it known, and whenever she beat someone else in argument, the Prophet would smile and say, "She is the daughter of Abu Bakr!"

·         Musa ibn Talha once said, "I have not seen anyone more eloquent than 'A'isha." 'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) became so wise that one of her contemporaries used to say that if the knowledge of 'A'isha were placed on one side of the scales that of all other women on the other, 'A'isha 's side would outweigh the other.

·          She used to sit with the other women and pass on the knowledge that she had received from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and long after he had died, and as long as she lived, she was a source of knowledge and wisdom for both women and men. Abu Musa once said, "Whenever a report appeared doubtful to us, the Companions of the Prophet, and we asked 'A'isha about it, we always learned something from her about it."

·         She filled Prophet SAW’s eyes with youthfulness, funniness and cleverness, whose affection , preference and pride of her father made her to the prophet (pbuh).

4) Hafsa Bint 'Umar

Hafsa, may Allah be pleased with her, was the daughter of Sayyiduna Umar ibn al Khattab. She had been married to someone else, but was widowed when she as still very young, only eighteen. Umar asked both Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan, one after another, if they would like to marry her, but they both declined because they knew that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had expressed an interest in marrying her.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         Hafsa, like A'isha with whom she became close friends, was never at a loss for words

·          not afraid to argue with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who was content to allow her to say what she thought

·         Memory - Like A'isha, Hafsa memorized the entire Qur'an by heart

5)    Zaynab Bint Khuzayma

Zaynab bint Khuzayma, may Allah be pleased with her, was married to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Ramadan, 4 AH, soon after his marriage to Hafsa when he was fifty-six years old and she was thirty years old. After she had been made a widow when her husband was martyred at Badr, she offered herself in marriage to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who accepted her proposal and married her.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         generous to orphans and the poor

·         came to be known as the 'Mother of the Poor'

·         died only eight months after her marriage, may Allah be pleased with her, and although not a great deal is known about her today, there will be many who will testify to her generosity on the Last Day.

6) Umm Salama Bint Abi Umayya

Umm Salama bint Abi Umayya, may Allah be pleased with her, was married to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 4 AH at the age of twenty nine, after her first husband, Abdullah ibn Abdul Asad, had died from the wounds he had received while fighting at the battle of Uhud. Umm Salama and Abdal Asad had been among the first people to embrace Islam in the early days of the Muslim community in Mecca. They had suffered at the hands of the Quraish who had tried to force them to abandon their new faith.

SPECIAL TRAITS

·         Beauty - A'isha said, "When the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married Umm Salama, I felt very unhappy when he mentioned her beauty to us. I waited until I saw her and she was even more beautiful than her description."

·         From a very noble family

·         known for her keen intelligence – Prophet SAW asked her for advice on many occasions

·         Like A'isha and Hafsa, Umm Salama learned the whole of the Qur'an by heart

·         She was permitted to see the angel Jibril in human form

·         It has been related by Salman that Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) while Umm Salama was with him, and had a conversation with him. After Jibril had left, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to Umm Salama, "Do you know who that was?" and she replied that it was a man called Dihya al Khalbi. "By Allah," said Umm Salama, "I didn't think it was anyone else until the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told me who it really was."

·         She continued to live for a long time, outliving all the other wives of the Prophet, may Allah be pleased with them, until she died in 61 AH, at the age of eighty four, may Allah be pleased with her, and Abu Hurairah said the funeral prayer over her.

7) Zainab Binti Jahsy

·         Nama penuh: Zainab binti Jahsy bin Ri’ab bin Ya’mar Al-Asadiyyah.

·         Ibunya adalah Umaimah binti Abdul Muttalib, bibik Rasulullah saw.

·         Beliau menikahinya menurut perintah Allah setelah dinikahi hamba beliau yang sudah dimerdekakan dan anak angkat beliau, Zaid bin Harithah. Kemudian Allah memerintahkan beliau agar menikahinya setelah dicerai Zaid. Pernikahan beliau ini mempunyai hikmah tersendiri yang tidak ada dalam pernikahan beliau yang lain, yaitu untuk menghapus bid’ah larangan menikahi janda anak angkat, yang berlaku dalam kehidupan Jahiliyah.

·         Surah al-Ahzab ayat 37:

Dan (ingatlah wahai Muhammad) ketika engkau berkata kepada orang yang telah dikurniakan oleh Allah (dengan nikmat Islam) dan yang engkau juga telah berbuat baik kepadanya: “Jangan ceraikan isterimu itu dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah”, sambil engkau menyembunyikan dalam hatimu perkara yang Allah akan menyatakannya; dan engkau pula takut kepada (cacian manusia padhal Allah jualah yang berhak engkau takuti (melanggar perintahNya)). Kemudian setalah Zaid selesai habis kemahuannya terhadap isterinya (dengan menceraikannya), Kami kahwinkan engkau dengannya supaya tidak ada keberatan atas orang-orang yang beriman untuk berkahwin dengan isteri-isteri anak-anak angkat mereka, apabila anak-anak angkat itu telah selesai habis kemahuannya terhadap isterinya (lalu menceraikannya). Dan sememangnya perkara yang dikehendaki Allah itu tetap berlaku.

8) Juwairiyah Bint al-Harith

·         Nama penuh: Juwairiyah binti al-Harith bin Abu Dhirar.

·         Suami pertamanya adalah Masafeah Ibn Safuan. Rasulullah SAW menghendaki agar kelompok dari Juayreah (Bani Al Mostalaq) masuk Islam. Juayreah menjadi tahanan ketika Islam menang pada perang Al-Mustalaq (Battle of Al-Mustalaq). Bapak Juayreyah datang pada Nabi SAW dan memberikan wang sebagai penebus anaknya, Juayreyah. Nabi SAW pun meminta sang Bapak agar membiarkan Juayreayah untuk memilih. Ketika diberi hak untuk memilih, Juayreyah menyatakan ingin masuk islam dan menyatakan bahwa Nabi Muhammad SAW adalah utusan Allah yang terakhir. Akhirnya Nabi pun mengawininya, dan Bani Almustalaq pun masuk islam.

9) Safiyyah Bint Huyai

·         Nama penuh: Safiyyah binte Huyai bin Akhthab

·         Berasal dari keturunan nabi Harun, saudara nabi Musa alayhissalam.

·         Dia ditawan setelah suaminya terbunuh pada perang Khaibar. Sebahagian sahabat berkata kepada Rasulullah, “Dia adalah wanita terhormat Bani Quraizhah, yang tidak sesuai kecuali engkau mengambilnya.” Maka baginda mengambilnya atas kesepakatan mereka.

·         Berusia 17 tahun dan sudah menjanda ketika berkahwin dengan Rasulullah saw.

10) Ummu Habibah

·         Nama penuh: Ummu Habibah Ramlah binti Sufyan.

·         Berhijrah bersama suaminya Abdullah bin Jahsy ke Habsyah. Suaminya beralih ke agama Nashara di sana dan mati dalam keadaan beragama Nashara. Namun Ummu Habibah tetap teguh memeluk Islam dan akhirnya menjadi janda. Rasulullah mengirim utusan kepada raja Najasyi untuk melamarnya. Beliau berusia 31 tahun ketika berkahwin dengan Rasulullah saw.

·         Beliau sebenarnya berkahwin dengan Nabi bagi memperbaiki hubungan dengan Abu Sufiyan (bapa kepada Ummu Habibah)

11) Maria Bint Syam'un

·         Raja agung mesir, raja Muqawqis menghadiahkannya kepada Rasulullah saw (bersama saudarinya Shirin)

·         Maria (dan Shirin) memasuki Islam ketika Hathib bin Abu Balta’ah (yang sebelumnya menjadi utusan Rasulullah saw kepada Muqawqis) menawarkan Islam dan menghendaki mereka agar masuk Islam.

·         Rasulullah memilih Maria (dan memberikan saudarinya Shirin kepada Hasan bin Tsabit).

·         Pada bulan Dzulhijjah pada tahun Hijiriyah, Maria melahirkan Ibrahim, yang kemudian meninggal dunia pada umur 18 bulan.

12) Maimunah Bint al-Harith

·         Wanita terakhir yang dinikahi Rasulullah saw.

·         Ibnu Syihab dan Qatadah berkata, “Dialah yang menyerahkan dirinya kepada Rasulullah saw.”

·         Ayat yang diturunkan tentangnya di surah al-Ahzab ayat 50:

“Dan, wanita Mukminah yang menyerahkan dirinya kepada Nabi.”