The Day of Uhud was
indeed a severe day for the Muslims, as no less than seventy Sahaabah
(radhiyallahu ‘anhum) were martyred in the battle against the disbelievers.
In the
aftermath of the battle, a few women of Madeenah Munawwarah made their way to
Uhud to enquire after their near and dear ones. Among these women was Sayyidah
‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha).
En-route,
she encountered Sayyidah Hind bintu ‘Amr bin Haraam (radhiyallahu ‘anha) who
was driving a camel which was carrying the bodies of three martyrs on it. Sayyidah
‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked her regarding the state of the Muslims in
Uhud. Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) replied, “(They are in a) good (state). As for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then he is
safe, and every calamity is easy to bear after him (i.e. after knowing that he
(sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is safe)! As for the other
Muslims, then Allah Ta‘ala blessed some of them with martyrdom, and He turned
back the disbelievers with their fury (rage), not having acquired any good. And
Allah Ta‘ala was sufficient for the believers in battle, and Allah Ta‘ala is
Most Powerful and Most Mighty.”
Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) then
(gestured towards the bodies on the camel and) asked her, “Who are these
(martyrs)?” She replied, “My
brother (Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Haraam [radhiyallahu ‘anhu]), my son,
Khallaad (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), and my husband, ‘Amr bin Jamooh (radhiyallahu
‘anhu).” (for more on the amazing incident of Sayyiduna ‘Amr bin Jamooh
[radhiyallahu ‘anhu], click here)
Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu ‘anha) asked
her, “Where are you taking their bodies?” She replied, “I am talking them to
Madeenah Munawwarah to bury their bodies there.” Saying this, she urged the
camel to move, but the camel (refused to move towards Madeenah Munawwarah and
instead) knelt on its knees. Observing this, Sayyidah ‘Aaishah (radhiyallahu
‘anha) commented, “The camel is perhaps kneeling as it cannot manage carrying a
load this heavy?” Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) responded, “That is not
the problem! This camel often carried the load of two camels! I suspect that
there is some other reason for it kneeling.” She then reprimanded the camel, succeeding in making it stand, but
when she directed it towards Madeenah Munawwarah, it knelt once again and
refused to move.
Eventually, when she turned the camel back
towards Uhud, the camel proceeded swiftly. On returning to Uhud, she went to
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and informed him of the camel’s
refusal to take the bodies to Madeenah Munawwarah. On hearing this, Rasulullah
(sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “This camel has been commanded (by Allah
Ta‘ala). Did ‘Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) say anything (before leaving for Uhud)?” Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) replied, “When he was heading
towards Uhud, he faced the qiblah and made du‘aa saying, “O Allah! Do not send
me back to my family as a failure, and bless me with martyrdom!”
Hearing this, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi
wasallam) said, “That is the reason why the camel is refusing to move (towards
Madeenah Munawwarah, as ‘Amr (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) had made du‘aa that he should
not return home).” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) then said, “From
you, O Ansaar, there are certain people who are such (i.e. so beloved to Allah
Ta‘ala) that if he takes an oath in the name of Allah Ta‘ala, then Allah Ta‘ala
will most certainly fulfill his oath, and one such person is ‘Amr bin Jamooh
(radhiyallahu ‘anhu). I have
indeed seen him walking with his limp in Jannah. O Hind! The angels have
continued to shade your brother, from the time he was killed until now, waiting
for him to be buried.”
After they were buried, Rasulullah (sallallahu
‘alaihi wasallam) addressed Sayyidah Hind (radhiyallahu ‘anha) and said, “O
Hind! All of them are together in Jannah.” She
replied, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! Make du‘aa to Allah
Ta‘ala to allow me to be with them!”
(Al-Maghaazi - Waaqidi vol. 1, pg. 265 and Subulul Hudaa war
Rashaad vol. 4, pg. 214)
Lessons:
1. The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) had such
love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), that their love for him surpassed their love for their own kith
and kin and indeed even their love for themselves. Hence,
there are similar incidents recorded of other women who lost their kith and kin
in the Battle of Uhud, yet expressed that their greater concern was for the
safety of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). It was this love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) that
motivated them to follow his every guidance, teaching and command
unquestioningly and display complete submission before him. Hence,
the mark of true love for Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) is that one
sacrifices his own ways, ideas, inclinations and mindset for that of Rasulullah
(sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and the sunnah.
2. In the path of Deen, there was no sacrifice
too great for the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum). They were prepared to
sacrifice their wealth, parents and even their children in the path of Allah
Ta‘ala. At the very least, we should
sacrifice our impermissible desires and unlawful demands of our family members
to remain loyal to Allah Ta‘ala and earn His pleasure.
