In the Name of Allāh.
If you can look at death in the face, then you can meet all situations – you will have no care for the affluence of this world and no fear of the enemies. This encapsulates a great quality of the Ṣaḥābah. Fear of death was unknown to them. They (men and women) were, therefore, most fearless and heroic.
In Islām, Muslim women are not allowed to partake in battle except to supply the men with war materials, attend to the sick or wounded, and get them drinking water and food. However, it may become necessary for them to fight alongside men as we have in the history of Islām women who are the archetypes of great strength and valor. Indeed, the women of that time were blessed with the spirit, which even the men of our time do not possess. They were mentally healthy, physically fit, and highly intelligent. Let’s see an example of such women…
From where can anyone get courage like you, O Umm ‘Umāra? This was exactly what the Prophet (ﷺ) told an Anṣār woman from the Khazraj tribe named Nusaybah Bint Ka’b (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anha). I respect her courageous activities on the battlefield. She witnessed the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyah, the second pledge of al-‘Aqabah, the Battle of Uhud, the conquest of Makkah, the Battle of Hunayn, the Battle of Yamāmah, etc.
Despite the conventional wisdom of the time, which dictated that women should not participate in battle, Umm ‘Umāra’s passion and bravery drove her to defend the Prophet (ﷺ) during the Battle of Uhud. She, along with her two sons and husband, Ghazzayah Ibn ‘Amr, tried to surround the Prophet (ﷺ) to repel any attack on him.
Her skill with the sword at the Battle was extremely superb. She had a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that in whichever direction he turned in the battlefield, he could see her defending and protecting him.
She narrated one of her encounters in the Battle of Uhud: “…Then a man on horseback approached, and he struck me, and I defended with my shield, and he couldn’t do anything further so he turned back. I struck the hamstring of his horse and he fell on his back. The Prophet kept shouting: ‘O son of Umm ‘Umāra, your mother, your mother!’ I pounced on him until I succeeded in killing him.” [Siyar A‘lām an-Nubalā’ 2/297]
Muḥammad Ibn Yaḥya Ibn Ḥibbān (Raḥimahullāh) mentioned that she sustained twelve wounds in the Battle of Uhud and her hand was amputated at Yamāmah. At the same Battle of Yamāmah, she received eleven wounds. What a legend of Jihād! Her selfless act of courage and devotion has earned her a place of honor in Islāmic history and serves as a powerful reminder of the vital role that women can play in the defense and promotion of our faith.
O Muslim women of my generation! Where is our courage? As we reflect on the legacy of Umm ‘Umāra, we must ask ourselves, what role can we play, as women of faith, in protecting and preserving the integrity of Islām in our times? This world itself is a battlefield. Then, what position are we holding?
I beseech Allāh to be Especially Merciful to Umm ‘Umāra Nusaybah Bint Ka’b. I love this remarkable woman! I also beseech Allāh to grant us the wisdom and grace to emulate her virtues and make her example inspire us all to find our inner strength and courage and to stand firm in our faith, even in the face of adversity. Aameen
Picture Credit: Freepik
