Hazrat Umme Haraam’s Pious Family

From the narrations about the siblings of Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra), we learn that her family, the children of Hazrat Milhaan (ra), were among the first people truly devoted to the Holy Prophet (sas) and Islam.

Just as Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) has a special place in history, her brothers Hazrat Haraam (ra) and Hazrat Sulaim (ra) are also famous in history because not only did they spend time in the company of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas), they also attained martyrdom through their selfless sacrifice for the sake of Islam.

The faith of the companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) was unshakeable. That was because they acquired the benefit of the company of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) and his moral training had a life-changing impact on them. Another distinctive quality that can be found in these companions is their passionate desire to attain the rank of a martyr. The intensity of this desire can be seen in Hazrat Haraam (ra), the brother of Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra). His martyrdom became the catalyst for his killer, Jabbaar bin Salma’s conversion to Islam.

It so happened that in the Battle of Bi’r-e-Ma’oonah, Jabbaar bin Salma threw a spear that went through Hazrat Haraam’s (ra) chest, causing a fatal wound. As Hazrat Haraam (ra) was dying, he exclaimed:

That is, ‘By the Lord of the Ka’abah, I have attained my objective.’1

These words show that he had longed for martyrdom all his life, and now that Allah the Almighty had granted it to him, he had fulfilled the purpose of his life. Upon witnessing this declaration, filled with so much passion, Jabbaar bin Salma’s heart was greatly moved and he accepted Islam right away.

Hazrat Sulaim (ra), the second brother of Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra), was also martyred in this expedition.2

Such a passion for Islam was not only seen in Hazrat Umme Haraam’s (ra) brothers, it was also evident in her sister, Hazrat Umme Sulaim (ra). She presented her ten- year-old son, Anas, to the Holy Prophet (sas) and said to him, ‘It is my great desire that he should serve you. Please include him among your servants and pray for him.’

The first marriage of Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) was with Hazrat Amr bin Qais (ra), who was among the first followers of Islam. By the Grace of Allah, their young son, Hazrat Qais bin Amr (ra) was also among the first people to accept Islam. It is evident that the light of Islam illumined the entire household and all of them, men, women and children, were ready to sacrifice their lives for Islam and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas). After the migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) to Madinah, when the Battle of Badr took place, both the husband and son of Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) fought bravely on the side of their beloved Prophet in this battle. Then in the third year of Hijra, they got the opportunity once again to fight for Islam, this time in the Battle of Uhud. They entered the battlefield, ready to sacrifice their lives, and there they were martyred, fighting bravely.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) bore the loss resulting from the martyrdom of both of her brothers, husband, and son with great courage and bravery. This was because of her love for Allah the Almighty and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas). She herself was eager to lay down her life as well for the cause of Islam.

Sometime later, she was married to an illustrious sahaabi, Hazrat Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit (ra).3 His house, where Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) came to live after getting married, was in the village of Quba, two miles from Madinah. The village of Quba is also important in the history of Islam because this is where the first mosque was built.