01-25-2007, 09:51 PM
STORY OF UMMU AMMARAH (radhiallaho anha)
Ummu Ammarah (radhiallaho anha) is one of those Ansar who embraced Islam in the very beginning. She was among the group that vowed allegiance to the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam)at ' Al-Aqabah.' 'Aqabah' in Arabic means ' Mountain pass.' In the early days of Islam the new Muslims were persecuted by Quraish very badly. They would put all hurdles in the way of Tabligh. The Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam), therefore, carried on his mission quietly and secretly. People from Medina who used to come to Mecca for Hajj usually embraced Islam secretly in mountain pass near Mina so that Quraish might not see time. She was in the third such group from Medina. She participated in most of the battle that were fought after emigration. She took prominent part in Uhud, Hudybiah, Khaiber, Umratulqadha, Huneyn and Yamamah.
In the battle of Uhud she was forty-three. Heer husband and two son were also fighting on the battle. She took a leather bag full fo water and headed for Uhud. In the beginning the Muslims had an upper hand but the tables were turned in another moment and the enemy were in the winning position. She had reached the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) when wave after wave of enemy troops rushed to attack and kill him. She shielded the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) if anybody approached him. she had cloth belt round her waist full of pieces of lint. She tended the wounded. She herself got about twelve wounds one of which was very serious. Ummu Said (radhiallaho anha) says: " I once saw a very deep cut on the shoulder of Ummu Ammarah. I inquired how she had got that. She said, ' I got in Uhud. When people were running about in confusion I saw Ibn Quraish coming towards us and shouting 'where in Muhammad (sallallaho alaihi wallalam). Let somebody tell me his whereabouts. If he is saved today I am no more.' I, Musab0bin-Umair and some others intercepted him. He gave me this deep cut on my shoulder. I also attacked him but he escaped on account of the double coat of arms that he was wearing."
In spite of a year's treatment the wound would not heal. In the meantime the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) decided about the expedition to Hamra-ul-Asad. Ummu Ammarh also got ready to join the expedition. But as her wound was still unhealed she could not participate.
When the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) returned from the expedition he straight away went to visit Ummu Ahhamrah (radhialllaho anha). He was very happy to find her better.
she says: " In fact we were very much handicapped in Uhud. The enemy had very strong cavalry while we fought on foot. There would have been a fair fight of they too had been on foot. When somebody came riding on his horse to attack me I took his sword on my shield and when he turned about I attacked his horse from the rear and cut its leg. This caused the horse as well as the rider to fall on the ground. As soon as this happened the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) would shout to my son who would run to my help and then we both finished the man in no time."
Her son Abdullah-bin- Zaid (radhiallaho anho) says: " I had a wound on my left arm whish would not stop bleeding. The Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) said to my mother, ' Put a bandage over it.' My mother took out a bandage from her belt and after bandaging my wound, said, ' Now, son ! go and fight with the idilators.' the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) was watching us. He said. ' O, Ummu Ammarah who can have a heart like yours?'
The Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) at the time prayed again and again for Ummu Ammarah and her family. Ummu Ammarah says:--" I was standing with the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) when a person of the enemy passed sin front of me. The prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) said to me, ' Ummu Ammarah ! He is the man who wounded your son.' I jumped at him and hit his leg. It made him fall down. We then went forward and finished him The Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) smiled and said, ' Ummu Ammarah has avenged her son.' When the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) was praying for us I said to him, ' O, Prophet of Allah ! Pray for my company with you in Paradise. He favored me with this prayer too and after that I cared little for what happened to me in this life."
As has already been said she also participated in may other battles with the same zeal and spirit. After the death of the Prophet (sallallaho alaihi wasallam) she took part in the fierce battle of Yamamah which was fought with the renegades. She lost one of her arms and received eleven other wounds in this battle. She was forty-three in Uhud and fifty-two in Yamamah. The stories of her heroism in these battles are really wonderful.