Story of patience in life.

 Story of patience in life.. 

tested.

Great and momentous events followed one after the other. There was the battle of Badr,in which Abu Salamah(r.a) fought. The Muslims returned victorious and strengthened. Then there was the battle of Uhud,in which he Muslims were sorely tested.Abu Salamah(radi Allahu anhu) came out of this severely wounded. He appeared at first to respond to treatment, but his wounds never healed completely and he remained bedridden.

Once while Umm Salamah was nursing him, he said to her: I heard the messenger of Allah Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam saying, whenever a calamity afflicts anyone he should say “surely from Allah we are and to him shall we return. “and he would pray,”O lord, give me in return something good from it which only you, exalted and mighty, can give.”

Abu Salamah(radi Allahu anhu) remained sick in bed for  several days. One morning the prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam came to see him. The visit as longer than usual. While the prophet (s.a.w) was still at his bedside, Abu Salamah(radi Allahu anhu)  passed away. With his blessed hands, the prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam closed the eyes of his companion. He then raised his hands to the heavens and prayed:

“O lord, grant forgiveness to Abu Salamah.Elevate him among those who are near to you.tak charge of his family at all times. Forgive us and him O lord of the worlds. Widen his grave and make it light for him.”

Umm Salamah(radi Allahu anha) remembered the prayer her husband had quoted on his deathbed from the prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam and began repeating it,”O lord with you I leave this my plight for  consideration…..”but she could not bring herself to continue….”O lord give me something good from  it”.She kept asking herself, “who could be better than Abu Salamah?’’But it did not take long before she completed the supplication.

The Muslims were greatly saddened by the plight of Umm Salamah.She became known as “Ayyin Al-Arab”-the one who lost her husband. She had no one in Madinah except her children.

Both the Muhajireen and Ansar felt they had a duty to Umm salamah (radi Allahu anha).When she had completed her iddah,Abu bakr(radi Allahu anhu)  proposed marriage to her, but she refused. Then Umar(radi Allahu anhu)  proposed marriage to her, but she declined as well.

The prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam then approached her and she replied:

O messenger of Allah,I have three characteristics’ I am a woman who is extremely jealous and I am afraid that you will see in me something that will anger you and cause Allah to punish me.I am a woman whois already advanced in age and I am a woman who has a young family.”

The prophet Sallallāhu Alayhi Wasallam replied:

“Regarding the jealousy you mentioned, I pray to Allah to let it go away from you. Regarding the question of age you have mentioned. I am afflicted with the same. Regarding the dependant family you have mentioned, your family is my family.”

They were married and so it was that Allah answered the prayer of Umm Salamah(radi Allahu anha)  and gave her better than Abu Salamah(radi Allahu anhu) .From that day on she was no longer only the mother of Salamah,but she became the Mother of all believers, Ummul Mu’mineen.