A Young Sahabiyyah

Barakah al Habashiyyah
May 23, 2019
Tabi’in – ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah
May 23, 2019

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A Young Sahabiyyah

 

An African slave girl of one of the Arabs embraced Islam, and came to Madinah where she lived in a little hut in the Masjid. She would visit the female Sahabiyyat radiya Llahu ‘anhunna and talk to them, and at the end of the gathering, she used to say, “The day of the scarf was one of our Lord’s wonderful spectacles. Verily! He has delivered me from the land of disbelief.” When she repeated the above couplet many times, Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha asked her to explain to her the details of the day of the scarf.

She explained, “Once the daughter of one of my masters went out and she was wearing a leather scarf (round her neck). The leather scarf fell from her and a kite (bird) descended and picked it up, mistaking it for a piece of meat. My masters accused me of stealing it and they tortured me to such an extent that they even looked for it in my nether regions. While they all were around me, and I was in my great predicament, suddenly the kite came over our heads and threw the scarf. My masters then picked it up. I said to them, “This is what you accused me of stealing, though I was innocent.”[1]

We see the high level of gratitude this young woman possessed, instead of recalling those terrible moments in a negative way, she recalls them in a positive way by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. What a spectacular formula. Combat negative emotions with positive ones and live freely, rather than allowing emotions of sadness and misery to linger in the heart and mind.

This young girl has taught us practical lessons of reliance and gratitude. The Qur’an announces:

 

وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللّٰهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا

And whoever relies upon Allah; then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.[2]

 

Her faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala rescued her and restored her dignity. The condition is to persevere, to be relentless, having conviction that Allah’s subhanahu wa ta ‘ala assistance will come. This is faith. This is reliance. Among the 70 000 of this ummah who will enter Jannat without any reckoning will be those who had full reliance on Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.[3]

 

NEXT⇒ Tabi’in – ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah


[1]Sahih al Bukhari, vol. 5, Book 58, Hadith: 176; Tanwir al Ghabash, pg. 150.

[2]  Surah al Talaq: 3.

[3]Sahih al Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 479; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 423.

BACK Return to Table of contents

 

A Young Sahabiyyah

 

An African slave girl of one of the Arabs embraced Islam, and came to Madinah where she lived in a little hut in the Masjid. She would visit the female Sahabiyyat radiya Llahu ‘anhunna and talk to them, and at the end of the gathering, she used to say, “The day of the scarf was one of our Lord’s wonderful spectacles. Verily! He has delivered me from the land of disbelief.” When she repeated the above couplet many times, Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha asked her to explain to her the details of the day of the scarf.

She explained, “Once the daughter of one of my masters went out and she was wearing a leather scarf (round her neck). The leather scarf fell from her and a kite (bird) descended and picked it up, mistaking it for a piece of meat. My masters accused me of stealing it and they tortured me to such an extent that they even looked for it in my nether regions. While they all were around me, and I was in my great predicament, suddenly the kite came over our heads and threw the scarf. My masters then picked it up. I said to them, “This is what you accused me of stealing, though I was innocent.”[1]

We see the high level of gratitude this young woman possessed, instead of recalling those terrible moments in a negative way, she recalls them in a positive way by praising Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. What a spectacular formula. Combat negative emotions with positive ones and live freely, rather than allowing emotions of sadness and misery to linger in the heart and mind.

This young girl has taught us practical lessons of reliance and gratitude. The Qur’an announces:

 

وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللّٰهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللّٰهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا

And whoever relies upon Allah; then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent.[2]

 

Her faith in Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala rescued her and restored her dignity. The condition is to persevere, to be relentless, having conviction that Allah’s subhanahu wa ta ‘ala assistance will come. This is faith. This is reliance. Among the 70 000 of this ummah who will enter Jannat without any reckoning will be those who had full reliance on Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.[3]

 

NEXT⇒ Tabi’in – ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah


[1]Sahih al Bukhari, vol. 5, Book 58, Hadith: 176; Tanwir al Ghabash, pg. 150.

[2]  Surah al Talaq: 3.

[3]Sahih al Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 76, Hadith 479; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 423.