Sumayyah bint Khubbat , mother of ‘Ammar radiya Llahu ‘anha

Sumayyah bint Khubbat[1], mother of ‘Ammar

She is Sayyidah Sumayyah bint Khubbat radiya Llahu ‘anha the freed slave of Abu Hudhayfah ibn al Mughirah al Makhzumi and the mother of Sayyidina ‘Ammar ibn Yasir radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. She is among those who were severely persecuted in the path of Allah. She embraced Islam in its early stages in Makkah and was tortured to give up her religion but she remained resolute. It is said that she was the seventh individual to enter the faith. She was a slave girl of Abu Hudhayfah ibn al Mughirah al Makhzumi, and Yasir was an ally of his, so he got him married to Sumayyah who gave birth to his son, ‘Ammar. Consequently, Abu Hudhayfah freed her.

She was severely tortured due to her Islam but she persevered. Until one day, Abu Jahl passed by her and stabbed her in her abdomen which proved fatal, may Allah shower his mercy on her. She is the first martyr in Islam. At the time, she was old and frail.

It is reported that Abu Jahl stabbed her in her private organ with a spear and killed her. This happened prior to hijrah. And she openly declared her Islam in Makkah in the beginning stages of Islam.

Mujahid says:

أول من أظهر الإسلام بمكة سبعة رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم و أبو بكر و بلال و خباب و صهيب و عمار و سمية فأما رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم و أبو بكر فمنعهما قومهما و أما الآخرون فألبسوا أدراع الحديد ثم صهروا في الشمس و جاء أبو جهل إلى سمية فطعنها بحربة فقتلها

The first to openly declare Islam in Makkah were seven viz. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, Abu Bakr, Bilal, Khabbab, Suhayb, ‘Ammar, and Sumayyah. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and Abu Bakr were protected by their tribe. As regards the rest of them, they were made to wear steel armour and swelter in the burning sun.[2]

Abu Jahl came to Sumayyah and stabbed her with a spear, thus killing her.[3][4]

Glad tidings of Jannat for her has come through a number of chains, all strengthening each other. It appears in the hadith of Sayyidina ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, Sayyidina Jabir, Sayyidah Umm Hani’ radiya Llahu ‘anhum, and the mursal reports of ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar, Yusuf, ibn Mahik, Ibn Ishaq, and Mujahid. I will suffice on reproducing the most authentic narration.

فعن أبي الزبير عن جابر أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم مر بعمار و أهله و هم يعذبون فقال أبشروا آل عمار و آل ياسر فإن موعدكم الجنة

From Abu al Zubair from―Jabir that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam passed by ‘Ammar and his family while they were being tortured, so he declared, “Rejoice O family of ‘Ammar and O family of Yasir, for certainly your abode is Jannat.”[5]

Narrated by al Tabarani and Abu Nuaim from the chain of Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al Muqawwim. Al Hakim narrated it and from him al Bayhaqi from Ibrahim ibn ‘Ismat al ‘Adl―al Sari ibn Khuzaimah narrated to us. Ibn Sa’d and Ibn ‘Asakir narrated it. All three of them said―Muslim ibn Ibrahim narrated to us―Hisham narrated it to us.

Al Hakim says, “Sahih according to the standards of Muslim, but they have not recorded it.”[6]

Al Haythami says, “Its narrators are the narrators of al Sahih, besides Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al Muqawwim who is reliable.”[7]

NEXT⇒ Aisha bint al Siddiq radiya Llahu ‘anha

[1] Ibn Hajar states in al Isabah in her biography, “With a kha’ upon it a dammah, and a ba’ with a tashdid. And it is said: with a ya’. According to al Fakihi, Sumayyah bint Khubt, without an alif.” Either Sumayyah bint Khubbat, or Khayyat, or Khubt.

[2] Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 7 pg. 537.

[3] Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 8 pg. 329.

[4] Al Tabaqat, vol. 8 pg. 264; Usd al Ghabah, vol. 7 pg. 152 (Publisher: al Shu’ab); al Isabah, vol. 7 pg. 712.

[5] Al Mu’jam al Awsat, Hadith: 1566; Ma’rifat al Sahabah, Hadith: 6664; al Mustadrak, Hadith: 5666; al Dala’il, vol. 2 pg. 282; al Tabaqat, vol. 3 pg. 249; Ibn ‘Asakir, vol. 43 pg. 371.

[6] Al Mustadrak, Hadith: 5666.

[7] Majma’ al Zawa’id, vol. 9 pg. 293.

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