Fulfilment of the Prophecy

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) passed away on 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, 632 CE, in Madinah. Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) continued to eagerly await the time when she would go to war at sea. She wished to take part in it to win the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

At last, the dream of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) was fulfilled at the time of the third rightly guided Khalifah, Hazrat Usman (ra). Twenty-eight years after the migration of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) to Madinah, the governor of Syria, Ameer Muawiyah, with the permission of Hazrat Usman (ra), dispatched a naval force to conquer the island of Cyprus.

Since there was a Hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) that the first Islamic army to fight a naval war would enter paradise, many prominent sahaabah also joined this army. Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) joined this army with her husband, Hazrat Ubaadah Ibn As- Saamit (ra) and went to Cyprus.

God Almighty granted success to the Muslims and Cyprus became part of the Islamic state. After the battle was over, Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) mounted her horse to return home, when it flung her to the ground.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) was wounded. She could not recover from her injuries and passed away. In this way she attained the rank of a martyr. This incident took place in the 28th year of Hijra. She was buried in the land of Cyprus.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) holds a place in history as a pioneer. She was the first female warrior and among the first martyrs at sea. She was the first Muslim woman to fight in the Mediterranean Sea for Islam and the first sahaabiyah to attain martyrdom in a naval battle.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) had three sons. Two of her sons, Qais (ra) and Abdullah (ra), were from her first husband, Hazrat Amr bin Qais Al-Ansaari (ra) and the third son Muhammad (ra) was from her second husband, Hazrat Ubaadah Ibn As-Saamit (ra).1

Her son, Hazrat Qais (ra) attained martyrdom in the Battle of Uhud with his father. There are five ahadith reported by Hazrat Umme Haraam2.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) is among those illustrious sahaabiyaat who excelled others in good deeds. Because of her high morals and excellent qualities, she became a beacon of light for other Muslims to follow. The purpose of her life and later, her death, was to attain the pleasure of God and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas). During her life, she bore the grief of the martyrdom of her loved ones with great patience and courage and was content with the will of God Almighty.

Hazrat Umme Haraam (ra) possessed many high excellences that were recognized by the Holy Prophe tsas who had immense kindness and grace for her. It is because of these excellent virtues and great deeds that she will be remembered forever in the history of Islam. May Allah the Almighty be pleased with her. Aameen.