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A Noble House with a Noble Ancestry

 

It is not common to find a person blessed with an ancestry such as this. 

 

Father

Her father is Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim—grandson of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Thus she is Hussaini[1], ‘Alawi[2], and Hashimi[3].

 

Mother

Her mother is Umm Ishaq bint Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Amr ibn Ka’b ibn Sa’d ibn Taym ibn Murrah.[4]

 

Paternal grandfather

Her paternal grandfather is ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth of the Rightly Guided Khalifas. His status, merits, and virtues are well-known and cannot be encompassed in this brief treatise.

 

Paternal grandmother

Her paternal grandmother is Sayyidah Fatimah al Zahra’, daughter of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Queen of the women of Paradise, as stated by the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.[5]

 

Maternal grandfather

Her maternal grandfather is Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah al Taymi, the eminent Sahabi and one of the Ten Promised Jannat. He is amongst the first eight males to embrace Islam and of the five who embraced Islam at the hands of Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. He was martyred in the Battle of Jamal in the year 36 A.H. He renowned for his generosity and his exploits in defending the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam during the Battle of Uhud is well known. [6]

 

Maternal grandmother

Her maternal grandmother is al Jarba’ Umm al Harith bint Qasamah. She was a Sahabiyyah.[7] Her ancestry is as follows:

Al Jarba’ bint Qasamah ibn Qais ibn ‘Ubaid ibn Tarif ibn Malik ibn Judh’an ibn Dhuhal ibn Ruman ibn Jundub ibn Kharijah ibn Sa’d ibn Futrah ibn Tay’.

Based upon this the maternal uncles of Sayyidah Fatimah bint Hussain rahimaha Llah are from the noble tribe of Tay’.

Women would not sit alongside al Jarba’ bint Qasamah due to her immense beauty; and it was for this reason that she was called al Jarba’, the similarity being drawn with a camel (Jarba’) which other camels fear.[8]

She was a Sahabiyyah who came to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam with her brother, Hanzalah ibn Qasamah, and her paternal niece, Zainab bint Hanzalah, who married Usamah bint Zaid radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Usamah ibn Zaid radiya Llahu ‘anhu later divorced her and she married Nuaim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Nuham.

 

Paternal Uncles

As for her paternal uncles: They are the brothers of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and sons of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu, most famous amongst them are:

 

Hassan ibn ‘Ali

The beloved grandson of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

 

Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah

His mother was an Umm Walad given to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu by Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu from the captives of Banu Hanifah when they apostatized. Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah has a lofty status in knowledge, piety, and bravery.[9]

 

‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib

His mother is Fatimah bint Hizam ibn Khalid al Kilabiyyah, commonly called Umm Banin.[10]

 

‘Umar al Atraf

His mother is al Sahba’ Umm Habib bint Rabi’ah al Taghlabiyyah al Wa’iliyyah. He was not present at Karbala’ nor were any of his children. He has a noble disposition and knowledge.[11]

 

Paternal Aunts

As for her paternal aunts, they are the daughters of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu; most famous of them:

 

Zainab bint ‘Ali

The wise woman of the Banu Hashim. She is the daughter of Fatimah al Zahra’ radiya Llahu ‘anha.[12]

 

Umm Kulthum bint ‘Ali

Wife of ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu. She is the daughter of Fatimah al Zahra’ radiya Llahu ‘anha.[13]

 

Fatimah bint ‘Ali

Her mother was an Umm Walad.[14]

 

Maternal Uncles

As for her maternal uncles, the brothers of her mother, Umm Ishaq bint Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah, most famous of them are:

 

Muhammad al Sajjad

He was a pious devout ascetic. His mother was Hamnah bint Jahsh, sister of Umm al Mu’minin Zainab bint Jahsh radiya Llahu ‘anha.[15]

Also among them are: ‘Imran, Musa, Yaqub (who was martyred in Harrah), Ismail, Ishaq, Zakariyya, Yusuf, ‘Isa, Yahya, and Salih; all of whom are the sons of Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah al Taymi radiya Llahu ‘anhu. He would name his sons after the Prophets.

 

Maternal aunts

As for her maternal aunts: the sisters of her mother, they are:

Aisha bint Talhah[16], Sa’bah[17], and Maryam.

 

Brothers and Sisters

As for her brothers: the sons of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu, most famous of them is:

 

‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin

‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin, sole male survivor after the incident of Karbala’ and from whom the progeny of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu continued.[18]

 

‘Ali al Asghar ibn Hussain

He was martyred in Karbala’. His mother was Laylah bint Abi Murrah ibn ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ud al Thaqafiyyah.

 

Jafar ibn Hussain

His mother was Qada’iyyah.

 

‘Umar and Abu Bakr, sons of Hussain

They were both martyred in Karbala’. Their mother was an Umm Walad.

 

Sukaynah bint Hussain

It has been said that her name was Aminah. Her mother was Rubab bint Imra’ul Qais.[19]

 

These were all the brothers and sisters from her father Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu. As for her uterine brothers and sisters from her mother, Umm Ishaq bint Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah al Taymi, it is known that she was first wed to Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu before Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu, thus they are:

Hussain al Athram, Talhah, and Fatimah; children of Hassan radiya Llahu ‘anhu their mother was Umm Ishaq bint Talhah. This makes them her uterine brothers and sisters as well as her paternal cousins.

 

Noble Upbringing

It was in this noble family that Sayyidah Fatimah bint Hussain rahimaha Llah was raised, by a courageous caring father, devoted mothers, pure aunts and uncles from both sides of the family.

Sayyidah Fatimah bint Hussain rahimaha Llah drank from the pond of knowledge of those senior to her from the Ahlul Bayt radiya Llahu ‘anhum. This was her noble habit from childhood until her old age. We will now shed a little light on her blessed life from what has been recorded authentically in the books of history.

 

 

NEXT⇒ Birth and Demise

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[1] One whose ancestry meets with Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

[2] One whose ancestry meets with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib

[3] One whose ancestry meets with Hashim ibn ‘Abdul Manaf.

[4] A number of eminent and esteemed Sahabah were from the tribe of Taym; most famous of them is Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu. The daughter of Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anhu was Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha,—Mother of the Believers, beloved of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whose innocence and chastity was announced from above the Seven Heavens by the Almighty Rabb of the Universe. The other children of Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu are ‘Abdur Rahman, Muhammad, Asma’, and Umm Kulthum. The famous Sahabi Sayyidina Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah radiya Llahu ‘anhu—one of the Ten Promised Jannat—was also from the tribe of Taym. His son, Muhammad al Sajjad, is also a Sahabi. Also from the Banu Taym: ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah, his son ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah the famous Faqih, and ‘Ali ibn Zaid  ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Mulaykah. The Sahabi Zuhayr ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Jud’an, whose narrations are reported in Sahih al Bukhari and Sunan Abi Dawood. The Sahabi Abu Muhajir ibn Qunfudh, ‘Itab ibn Sulaim ibn Qais ibn Khalid who embraced Islam on the Conqquest of Makkah and was martyred during the Battle of Yamamah. Munkadir ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al Hadir ibn Mihraz, father of Muhammad ibn Munkadir, and his brothers were born during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Rabi’ah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn al Hadir was also born during the life of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and is among the senior Tabi’in. Muhammad ibn Bijad ibn ‘Umair and his son Hussain. Umaymah bint ‘Abd ibn Bijad, who is a Sahabiyyah who pledged allegiance to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Refer to Ibn Qudamah: Al Tabyin fi Ansab al Qurashiyyin, pg. 305-344; Hisham al Kalbi: Jamharat Nasab, pg. 79-84; Ibn Hazm: Jamharat Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 135-140; Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh, and others. I made mention of this point: firstly, because the maternal ancestry of Sayyidah Fatimah bint Hussain rahimaha Llah is from the Banu Taym. Secondly, the disparagement cast by some upon the Ban Taym depicting them to be despicable and lacking any virtue whereas they were highly respected during the period of Ignorance as well as Islam. Sufficient for them as a virtue is that Sayyidina Abu Bakr al Siddiq and Sayyidina Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah are from the Banu Taym.

[5] Al Bukhari reports from al Miswar bin Makhramah that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Fatimah is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry.” # 3767. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said, “Fatimah is the leader of the women of Paradise.”

[6] For a detailed biography of Sayyidina Talhah radiya Llahu ‘anhu refer to al Isabah, pg. 641, # 4428.

[7] Al Jarba’ bint Qasamah: Ibn Hajar mentioned a detailed biography for her in al Isabah,pg. 1654, # 11644. Ibn ‘Abdul Barr mentioned her in al Isti’ab, pg.909, # 3331 ,but under the biography of Zainab bint Hanzalah ibn Qasamah (i.e. he recorded the biography of her niece and only mentioned her therein.

[8] Maqatil al Talibiyin, pg. 159.

[9] Abu al Qasim Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: al Hashimi al Qurashi. His mother is Khawlah bint Jafar al Hanafiyyah, which is why he is called al Hanafiyyah; to differentiate between him and the sons of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu from Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha. He was born in 21 A.H and passed away in 81 A.H.

[10] ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: He is titled al Saqa’ as he is reported as having brought water at Karbala’ for the Ahlul Bayt radiya Llahu ‘anhum. He was martyred in this tragic incident with his brother, ‘Uthman.

[11] ‘Umar al Atraf: He is titled al Atraf to differentiate him from Umar al Ashraf ibn Zayn al ’Abidin.

[12] Zainabh bint ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: She was born during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She was intelligent, prudent, and wise. She was present at Karbala’. Her biography was recorded by Ibn Hajar in al Isabah, pg. 1699, # 11922.

[13] Umm Kulthum bint ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: She was born during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She was married to Sayyidina ‘Umar ibn al Khattab radiya Llahu ‘anhu and bore him Zaid and Ruqayyah. After the martyrdom of ‘Umar radiya Llahu ‘anhu she married ‘Awn, then Muhammad, then ‘Abdullah—the sons of Jafar ibn Abi Talib. She passed away, according to the most reliable report, in the year 50 A.H.

[14] Fatimah bint ‘Ali: She is called Fatimah al Sughra. She was a great narrator of Hadith, reporting from her father, Ibn al Hanafiyyah, Asma’ bint ‘Umays, and others. A number of people in turn narrator from her. She passed in 117 A.H. A detailed biography about can be read in Tahdhib al Tahdhib, 12/470; Tarikh Dimashq, 74/27.

[15] Muhammad ibn Talhah: He was given the title al Sajjad due to his excessive worship and performance of salah. He is from the young Sahabah, born during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam who named him Muhammad and his agnomen was Abu Sulaiman. Tarikh al Islam, 1/464.

[16] Aisha bint Talhah: A famous Tabi’iyyah. Her mother is Umm Kulthum bint Abi Bakr al Siddiq, She was one of the most beautiful woman of the Quraysh. She narrates from her maternal aunt, Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha. Her son, Talhah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al Siddiq ,and her nephew, Talhah ibn Yahya ibn Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah, ‘Abdullah ibn Yasar, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, and others narrated from her. She married her maternal cousin, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al Siddiq, and after his demise she married Mus’ab ibn Zubair ibn al ‘Awwam, and after him ‘Umar ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn Ma’mar al Taymi. The most correct opinion is that she lived until after the year 110 A.H.

[17] Al Sa’bah bint Talhah: Talhah radiya Llahu ‘anhu named her after his mother al Sa’bah bint al Hadrami.

[18] ‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin: The famous Tabi’i, Thiqah. There is difference of opinion regarding the name of his mother, who was an Umm Walad. He narrated Hadith from his uncle, Hassan ibn ‘Ali, and his father Hussain ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhuma, also from Dhakwan—the freed slave of Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha—Sa’id ibn Musayyab, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas, ‘Ubaidullah ibn Abi Rafi’—the freed slave of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as well as other Sahabah. Amongst those who narrated from him: Zaid, his son, Hakim ibn Jubayr, Tawus ibn Kaysan, etc. He was an ascetic worshipper. He passed away in 92 A.H according to the preferred opinion. Tahdhib al Kamal, 20/383, # 4050.

[19] Sukaynah bint Hussain: She is famous by her title Sukaynah. There is a difference of opinion whether it is Sakinah or Sukaynah. It has been said that her name was Aminah.