Umm Kulthoom bint 'Uqbah59
May Allaah be pleased with her!
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Allaah Says (what means):
{O' you who believe! When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them; Allaah knows best as to their Faith, then if you ascertain that they are true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers. They are not lawful [wives] for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers lawful [husbands] for them.
But give the disbelievers that [amount of money] which they have spent [as their Mahr] to them. And there will be no sin on you to marry them if you have paid their Mahr to them. Likewise hold not the disbelieving women as wives, and ask for [the return of] that which you have spent [as Mahr] and let them [the disbelievers] ask back for that which they have spent. That is the Judgement of Allaah. He judges between you. And Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
And if any of your wives have gone from you to the disbelievers [as apostates and you ask them to return back your Mahr but they refused] — then you went out for a Ghazwah [military expedition] [against them and] gained booty; then pay from that booty to those whose wives have gone, the equivalent of what they had spent [on their Mahr]. And fear Allaah in Whom you believe.
O' Prophet! When believing women come to you to give you the Bay `ah [pledge], that they will not associate anything in worship with Allaah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit illegal sexual intercourse, that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood [i.e. by making illegal children belonging to their husbands], and that they will not disobey you in Ma `roof [Islamic Monotheism and all that which Islam ordains], then accept their Bay `ah [pledge], and ask Allaah to forgive them, Verily, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
O' you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allaah [i.e. the Jews]. Surely, they have despaired of [receiving any good in] the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have despaired of those [buried] in graves [that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection].} [Quran 60: 10-13]
Umm Kulthoom was a noble branch from an ignoble tree, and a bird flying outside its flock. She was a fragrance exuding rose, surrounded by poisonous thorns!
Her father, `Uqbah ibn Abu Al-Mu`eet was among the gang of sinful and evil men who waged war against Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and against his call. He was in the group of Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and Ubay ibn Khalaf who were the leaders of disbelief, obstinacy, arrogance, aggression and injustice.
Umm Kulthoom was the Al-Mumtahanah (the woman who was examined) after whom the Soorah was named. It was her case that prompted the revelation of those clear verses.
Her migration from Makkah to Madeenah and her being in the company of Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, were a blessing in the sense that verses upon which laws that determine how the relationship between spouses, who follow different religions should be, are based.
The verses also contain rules regarding women's pledge of allegiance to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa
59 She is a half `Uthmaan ibn `Affan's half sister.
sallam, among many other rules.
Let us start with Umm Kulthoom, may Allaah be pleased with her, from the beginning.
She was among the earliest Muslims in Makkah. She was in fact one of the very first Muslims. She was then unmarried. This pointed to personal freedom and her pride in that.
She was not among the weak and persecuted Muslims, for none among her relatives dared coerce her or inconvenience her. She was in contact with those who believed and stayed in Makkah for different purposes.
The situation continued like this until the day of the Truce of Hudaybiyah, that was a decisive day for Umm Kulthoom in particular and a unique day for the Muslims in general.
When she knew of the articles and conditions of the truce, she realized that the truce offered her an opportunity for migration and joining Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and her fellow Muslims in Madeenah. So she set out.
Ibn Sa’d wrote60:
"She was the first person to migrate to Madeenah after the Prophet's migration. We did not know of any Muslim Qurayshi woman who went out of her parents' house and migrated to Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, except Umm Kulthoom. She went out of Makkah alone and she (later) travelled in the company of a man from Banu Khuza`ah tribe until she arrived at Madeenah.
On her heels were her brothers, `Ammaarah and Al-Waleed. They arrived at Madeenah on the second day of her arrival.
They went to Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam and told him, `O' Muhammad, fulfil your obligation to us!'
They meant one of the conditions of the truce that stipulated that he should send back anyone from among the Quraysh who came to him as a migrant, even if he was upon his religion.
Umm Kulthoom immediately interjected, `O' Messenger of Allaah, I am a woman. And women are naturally weak. I fear that (if I am sent back) they might tempt me in my religion and I might not be able to bear that.'
So, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, rejected the argument of `Ammaarah and Al-Waleed. It was on this occasion that Allaah revealed His Saying (what means): {O’ you who believe!
When believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them}.” The examination did really take place but how?
Ibn `Abbaas was asked about how the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, examined the women and he answered: "The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, would examine them thus, `Tell me by Allaah, did you migrate because you don't like your husband? Tell me by Allaah, did you migrate just because you want to abandon a land for another? Tell me by Allaah, did you migrate because of a material of this world that you wish to attain? Tell me by Allaah, you did not migrate but for your love for Allaah and His Messenger?"
Al-Bazzaar narrated that the one who made the women swear on the order the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him.
Umm Kulthoom was examined and she passed the examination!
Her examination really consisted of many things. Some of them perhaps took place on the day of the Truce of Hudaybiyah!
In retrospection, we realized that the greatest test that faced Umm Kulthoom was the day her father, `Uqbah ibn Abu Mu`eet was killed in captivity after the Battle of Badr, for he was taken a captive. When he was presented for execution, no ransom was accepted on his behalf, as a recompense for the evil he had committed against Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.
He then asked the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, in desperation, "Muhammad, Who will be there for the children?!" The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, replied, "Hell!"
60 In his famous work, At-Tabaqaat.
Perhaps, Umm Kulthoom wept when the news of her father's death reached her because he died a disbeliever. Nevertheless, his death did not affect her faith and Islam, neither did it shake her at little bit.
She did not migrate in order to escape from an oppressive husband!
She did not migrate in search of a wealth!
And she did not migrate in search of worldly material she could get or a husband she could marry!
Umm Kulthoom belonged to the Banu Umayyah tribe, one of the leading tribes of Quraysh. She was of noble birth, yet she was pleased to marry a freed slave, Zayd ibn Haarithah. This was her first marriage after her migration. She then married Zubayr ibn `Awwaam for whom she had a daughter named Zaynab after the martyrdom of Zayd in the Battle of Mu'tah. She was later widowed by the death of Zubayr.
After the death of Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, she married `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn `Awf, in accordance with the Prophet's instruction.
This is evidenced by a narration reported by Ibn Mandah that `Umar ibn Al-Khattaab told Umm Kulthoom, "Did the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, ask you to marry the leader of the Muslims, `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn `Awf?" And that she answered in the affirmative.
She had for `Abdur-Rahmaan his two sons, Humayd and Ibraaheem. When `Abdur-Rahmaan also died, `Amr ibn al-`Aas married her. But she died only a month after this marriage.
Her repeated marriages after Zayd's martyrdom indicate that she was much sought after because of her religiosity, good morals and high status. This is in addition to the Arabs' custom of showing sense of obligation to a deceased friend by marrying his widows.
As for the Prophet's saying: "Marry the leader of the Muslims, `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn `Awf", it might be an emotional consolation for her to marry a leader after she had married a freed slave. Allaah Knows best.
The `Examined Woman', Umm Kulthoom opened —with this incidence— a number of chapters for Islamic legal rules and principles of law by which social relationships could be arranged and put in order in the best and perfect form. This is a manifestation of Allaah's favour upon her and upon all Muslims, without being unjust to or being biased against anyone. All praise is due to Allaah Lord of all the worlds.
