2. Reading.

As you read, try to find the information you listed above in the text.

Umm Ayman (RAA) originally came from Abyssinia. At about the age of ten, she was taken to Makkah to be sold as a slave. Luckily, she was bought by a good man whose name was Abdullah, the son of Abdulmuttalib. At that time, her name was Barakah.

After a short time, Abdullah married a lady called Aminah. Barakah looked after the new bride and bridegroom. They were all very happy. Then, after two weeks, Abdullah’s father came to him and told him to go with a trading caravan that was leaving for Syria. Abdullah obeyed his father, but he felt sad about leaving his bride after only two weeks. Aminah was extremely upset. Barakah comforted her.

Two months later, Aminah had a strange dream. She told Barakah about it. “I saw lights shining from my womb and lighting up the mountains, hills, and valleys around Makkah”.

Barakah told Aminah that she was pregnant. She said that Aminah was going to give birth to a very special child.

Eventually, the news came from Yathrib that Aminah’s husband Abdullah had died. Everybody was shocked. When Aminah heard the painful news, she fainted and was very ill for a long time. Barakah nursed and looked after her day and night. She helped Aminah to prepare for the birth of her son.

Finally Aminah gave birth to her child, Muhammad (SAAS), on a night when the dark sky was filled with the light of Allah (SWT). Barakah was the first person to hold Muhammad (SAAS) in her arms. When Muhammad (SAAS) was six years old, Aminah took him and Barakah to Yathrib. She went to visit the grave of her husband. On the way back to Makkah, she fell ill at a place called Al-‘Abwa. She knew that she was going to die. She asked Barakah to look after Muhammad (SAAS). When she died, Barakah wept bitterly. She dug a grave in the sand with her own hands and buried Aminah.

When she returned to Makkah she took Muhammad (SAAS) to the house of his grandfather, Abdulmuttalib. She stayed at his house to look after Muhammad (SAAS). When Abdulmuttalib died two years later, she went with the child to the house of his uncle, Abu Talib, and continued to look after his needs.

When Muhammad (SAAS) married Khadijah (RAA), Barakah stayed with them in Khadijah’s house and she looked after them. She was very happy. She said to Muhammad (SAAS), “I shall never leave you. Does a mother abandon her son?”

Eventually, Muhammad (SAAS) found her a husband. He was Ubay bin Zayd from the Khazraj tribe of Yathrib. They got married and went to live in Yathrib. There, she gave birth to a son called Ayman. From that time, people called her “Umm Ayman”, the mother of Ayman.

Unfortunately, the marriage did not last very long. Her husband died and she returned to Makkah to live with Muhammad (SAAS) and Khadijah. There were some other people living there too — Ali bin Abu Talib, Hind (Khadijah’s daughter), and Zayd bin Harithah.

When Muhammad (SAAS) began to receive the revelations from Allah (SWT), Umm Ayman and Zayd were among the first people to become Muslim.

She helped the Prophet (SAAS) many times. One night, the idolaters blocked off the roads leading to the house of Al-Arqam, where the Prophet (SAAS) used to speak to his companions about Islam. Umm Ayman got past the blockade without being seen. If the idolaters had seen her, they would have killed her. She delivered a message to the Prophet (SAAS) from Khadijah. He smiled and said to her, “You are blessed, Umm Ayman; surely, you will have a place in Paradise”.

When she left the house, the Prophet (SAAS) asked his companions if one of them would like to marry her. By now, she was about fifty years old. She was no longer beautiful. All the companions lowered their eyes and said nothing. Then, Zayd bin Al-Harithah came forward and said, “Messenger of Allah, I shall marry Umm Ayman. By Allah, she is better than any graceful or beautiful woman”. Zayd and Umm Ayman were married and had a son called Usamah.

When the Prophet (SAAS) migrated to Yathrib, he left Umm Ayman behind in Makkah to look after his household. Eventually, she followed him to Yathrib (Medina) on her own. She walked all the way, through the desert and over the mountains. When she arrived in Medina, her feet were sore and swollen and her face was covered with sand and dust. The Prophet (SAAS) wiped her face and eyes and said, “O my mother, there is indeed a place for you in Paradise”. In Medina, Umm Ayman helped the Prophet (SAAS) and all Muslims everywhere. At Uhud, she distributed water to the thirsty and nursed the wounded soldiers. She accompanied the Prophet (SAAS) on the expeditions to Khaybar and Hunain. Her son Ayman died at Hunain, and her husband Zayd died at the battle of Mu’tah.

When the Prophet (SAAS) died, Umm Ayman, who was then about seventy years old, cried bitterly. When asked why she was crying she replied, “By Allah, I knew that the Messenger of Allah would die, but I am crying because the revelation from Allah has come to an end for us”.

She died during the time that Uthman was caliph. She was unique. She was the only one who was so close to the Prophet (SAAS) throughout his life from birth to death.