Hazrat Umm-e-Salmah (r.a)

She was the daughter of Hadhrat Abu Ummayyah (Radhiyallaho anho). She was first married to her cousin Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abdul Asad known as Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anho). The couple embraced Islam in the very beginning and emigrated to Abyssinia, due to the persecutions of Quureysh. A son was born to them in exile, who was named Salamah. Afte returning from Abyssinia, the family emigrated to Madinah. Hadhrat Umme Salamah's (Radhiyallaho anha) story about her journey to Madinah*.Afetr reaching Madinah. Hadhrat Umme Salamah's (Radhiyallaho anha) got another son 'Umar and two daughters, Durrah and Zainab (Radhiyallaho anhum). Hadhrat Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anho) was the eleventh man to embrace Islam. He participated in the battle of Badr as well as in Uhud. He got a severe wound in Uhud, which did not heal for a long time. He was sent by the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) in an expedition in Safar, 4. A.H. When he returned from the expidition. the old wound again started giving trouble and at last he died of the same on 8th Jamadil-Akhir. 4 A. H. Hadhrat Umme Salamah (Radhiyallaho anha) was pregnant at the time. Zainab was born to her after the death of her husband. After she had completed her Iddat (waiting period). Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) proposed to marry her, but she declined.
Later, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) offered to marry her. She said :

"O, Prophet of Allah! I have quite a few childern with me and I am very sensitive by nature. Moreover, all my people are in Mecca, and their permission for getting remarried is necessary."

The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) said:

"Allah will look after your children and your sensitiveness will vanish in due course. None of your sensitiveness will vanish in due course. None of your people will dislike the proposed marriage".

She then asked her (eldest) son Hadhrat Salamah (Radhiyallaho anho) to serve as her guardian and give her in marriage to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). She was married in the end of Shawwal, 4 A.H.

She says: "I had heard from the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) that a person struck with a calamity should recite this prayer:

"O, Allah! Recompense me for this affliction by giving me something better than what I have lost: then Allah would accept his prayer." I had been reciting this prayer since the death of Hadhrat Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anho), but I could not imagine a husband better than he, till Allah arranged my marriage with the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam)."

Hadhrat Aishah (Radhiyallaho anha) says:

"Umme Salamah (Radhiyallaho anha) was famous for her beauty. Once I contrived to see her. I found her much more beautiful than I had heard. I mentioned this to hafsah who said. "In my opinion, she is not as beautiful as people say."

She was the last of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam's) wives to die. It was in 59 or 62 A.H. She was 84 at the time of her death, and as such she was born 9 years before Nubuwwat.

As has already been said, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) married her after the death of Hadhrat Zainab bint Khuzaimah (Radhiyallaho anha). She therefore lived in hadhrat Zainab (Radhiyallaho anha's) house. She found a hand-mill, a kettle and some barley in an earthen jar, lying in the house. She milled some barley and after putting some fat cooked a preparation, which she served to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) on the very first day of her marriage with him.

In the beginning, the couple emigrated to Abyssinia. After their return, they again emigrated to Madinah hadhrat Umme Salmah (Radhiyallaho anha) says:

"When my husband made up his mind to emigrate to Madinah; he loaded the camel with the luggage. He then made me and our son Salmah ride the camel. He led the camel out of the town, hloding the string in his hand. The people of my father's clam (Banu Mughirah) happened to see us leaving. They came and snatched the string from Hadhrat Abu Salamh (Radhiyallaho anho's) hand saying. 'You can go wherever you like but we cannot allow our girl to go and perish with you.' They forcibly took me and my son back to their clan. When the people of my husband clan (Banu Abdul Asad) learnt this, they came to Banu Mughirah and began to argue with them saying. "You can keep your girl if you like, but you have no claim over the child who belongs to our clan. Why should we allow him to stay in your clan, when you have not allowed your girl to go with her husband". They forcibly took the boy away. hadhrat Abu Salmah (Radhiyallaho anho) had already gone to madinah. All the members of the family were thus separated from each other, daily, I would go out in the desert and weep there from morning till night. I lived in this condition for one full year, separated from my husband and my son. One day, one of my cousins taking pity on me said to the people of the clan, 'You have separated this poor woman from her husband and son. Why don't you have mercy on her and let her go? Due to the humanitarian efforts of this cousin of mine, the people of Banu Mughirah to let me go and join my husband. Banu Abdul Asad made over my son to me. I got a camel ready and, with my son in my lap, I sat on its back and set off for Madinah all alone. I had hardly gone four miles , when "Hadhrat Usman-bin-Talhah (Redhiyallaho anho) met me at Tan'een. He inquried, 'Where are you going?' I said, 'To Madinah! He remarked, 'With none accompanying you!, I said 'No I have nobody except Allah to accompany me.' He took the rope of my camel and began to lead. By Allah, I have never come across a person more noble than Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho anho). When I had to get down, he would make the camel sit and himself go behind a bush and when I had to climb up he would bring the camel and make it sit close to me. He would then hold the rope and lead the animal. Thus we reached Quba (a suburb of Madinah). He informed me that Hadhrat Abu Salmah (Radhiyallaho anho) was staying there. He then made us over to my husband and then returned all the way back to Mecca. By Allah, no one else could bear the hardships that I bore during that single year".

Look at Hadhrat Umme Salman (Radhiyallaho anha's) faith and trust in Allah. She set out on a long and hazardous journey all alone.. See how Allah sent his help to her. No doubt Allah can depute anybody to render help to those who place trust in him, for the heart of all people are in His control.

As a rule, a lady is not permitted to travel alone on a long journey, except in the event of obligatory emigration for the sake of Allah.