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Maimoonah
bint Harith
Abu Hurairah and 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated that the original name of
Maimoonah was Barah, and was changed by the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Her father was Harith bin Hazan, and he belonged to
the tribe of Banu Hilal. Her mother's name was Hind bint 'Auf. Umm AlFadl
Lubabah Kubra and Sughra, Asma' and 'Uzzah were her sisters. Umm AlFadl was
married to 'Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib, and she had the honor of being the second
lady to accept Islam after Khadijah. Sughra married Waleed bin Mughairah; whose
son was Khalid bin Waleed one of the greatest Generals of Islam. Asma 'bint
Harith married Ubay bin Khalaf and 'Uzzah married Ziyad bin 'Abdullah bin Malik.
Asma' bint 'Omais, Salamah bint 'Omais and Salmah bint 'Omais were her sisters
from her mother's side. Asma' bint 'Omais was first married to
Ja'far bin Abi Talib. She had three sons by him 'Abdullah, 'Awn and Muhammad.
When he was martyred she married Abu Bakr Siddique. She bore him a son, Muhammad
bin Abi Bakr. When Abu Bakr Siddique died, she married for the third time. Her
third husband was 'Ali bin Abi Talib, and they had a son named Yahya. Salamah
bint 'Omais married Hamzah bin'Abdul Muttalib. And her third sister Salima bint
'Omais married 'Abdullah bin Ka'b.
Thus Hind bint 'Auf had the unique distinction of being the only woman who was
the mother-in-law of the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] Muhammad, the
first Caliph Abu Bakr Siddique, Hamzah bin'Abdul Muttalib, 'Abbas bin'Abdul
Muttalib, Ja'far bin Abi Talib and 'Ali bin Abi Talib. One of her grandsons was
‘Abdullah bin 'Abbas, who was the greatest standard bearer of the Muslim army.
He was a learned commentator on the Noble Qur'an and well versed in Hadith
and Fiqh. Another grandson was the greatest General mentioned above,
Sughra's son, Khalid bin Waleed. So, Maimoonah came from a very illustrious
family of martyrs, warriors and intellectuals.
She was first married to Mas'ood bin 'Amr bin 'Omair Thaqafi, but
they soon separated on grounds of incompatibility. Her second husband was Abu
Riliam bin 'Abdul 'Uzzah 'Amri Quraishi. He died shortly after their marriage
and Maimoonah was widowed at a very early age.
In the year 711, after hijra the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam] went with his Companions to Makkah to perform 'Umrah. It is said that
Maimoonah wished to marry him and become one of the honorable Mothers of the
Believers. Soon this wish became an absorbing desire. She even mentioned it to
her sisters.
She felt her tribe; Banu Hilal should also be connected to the
Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] in the same way that the other tribes like
Banu Teem, Banu 'Adi, Banu Umayyah, Banu Makhzoom, Banu Asad and Banu Mustalaq
were connected by marriage. Um Alfadl who was married to 'Abbas bin ‘Abdul
Muttalib mentioned her sister's wish to her husband, saying that
since he was the uncle and very highly respected by the Prophet [sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam] if he requested him, her sister's wish could be fulfilled.
When 'Abbas spoke to the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], he requested
Ja'far bin Abi Talib to make the arrangements for the marriage. The
Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] had finished his 'Umrah and was free, and
Maimoonah was on a camel. When she saw him, she involuntarily exclaimed that the
camel and its rider were bequeathed to Allah's Messenger. Thus, she gifted
herself to the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], and he accepted her very
gracefully. But a more popular tradition says that when he arrived in Makkah for
his 'Umrah, he sent ja'far bin Abi Talib with his proposal of marriage to
Maimoonah. She asked her brother-in-law, 'Abbas bin 'Abdul Muttalib to handle
matters. When the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] finished his 'Umrah, 'Abbas
arranged the ceremony. Allah said,
"O Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]! Verily, We have made lawful to you
your wives, to whom you have paid their mahr, and those (slaves) whom
your right hand possesses - whom Allah has given to you, and the daughters of
your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters
of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts
who migrated with you, and a believing woman if she offers herself to the
Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] , and the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam] wishes to marry her, a privilege for you only, not for the (rest of the
believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their wives and
those whom their right hands possess, in order that there should be no
difficulty on you. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (33:50)
After his 'Umrah the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] stayed in
Makkah for three days. Then, on the fourth morning Hawaitab bin ‘Abdul 'Uzza
came with some of the polytheists and told him that since he had finished his
'Umrah, he ought to leave, according to the terms of the Treaty of Hudaibah.
The Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] requested that they be allowed to stay
for a few more days, and he invited them to attend the dinner he had arranged to
celebrate the marriage. Hawaitab answered that they were not interested in any
dinner; they just wanted him to go. The Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]
left and pitched camp at a place called Saraf, about nine miles from Makkah, and
here he celebrated the marriage. His slave, Abu Rafi' brought Maimoonah on
a camel to Saraf. It was here that her name was changed from Barah to
Mainoonah. Both had completed the rites of 'Umrah; they changed, their
garments of lhram and the marriage could take place according to
Shari'ah. Maimoonah was the last woman that Muhammad married. She was
twenty-six years old at the time. When they reached Madinah an apartment, which
was built next to the Prophet’s [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] mosque, was given
to her. The other wives of the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] it warmly
welcomed her. She used to pray in the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] 's
mosque because she heard him saying that one prayer in it was the equivalent to
a thousand prayers in all other mosques, except in Masjid Haram at Makkah. One
prayer in Masjid Haram was equal to a hundred thousand prayers in any other
mosques. One year several delegations came to Al-Madinah; one of them was from
the tribe Banu Hilal. One of the members of this delegation was the son of the
sister of Maimoonah, Ziyad bin 'Abdullah bin Ma1ik 'Amri. He visited his aunt in
her apartment when the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] happened to be out
on some task. When he came and saw a stranger seated with her he was not
pleased. Maimoonah, sensitive as she was, sensed his displeasure and
immediately introduced him as her sister's son and a member of the visiting
delegation. He expressed his pleasure and prayed for Allah Almighty's blessings
for him. Maimoonah was valued highly for her traits like God-Fearing and
nurturing good relations with all members of the family. Maimoonah had an
excellent memory, and knew by heart many of the Ahadith of Prophet [sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam]. The most Ahadith - two thousand two hundred and ten
are attributed to 'Aishah. Next came Umm
Salamah with three hundred and seventy-eight Ahadith. Next came Mainoonah
seventy-six Ahadith were attributed to her. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas,
'Abdullah bin Shaddad, 'Obaid bin Sabaq, Yazid bin Asam, 'AbdurRahman Sa'ib Al-Hilali,
'Obaidullah Khauldni, Sulaiman bin Yasir and 'Ata' bin Yasar have quoted her.
In Sahih Al-Bukhari a Hadith is narrated from 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas and
attributed to Maimoonah. Someone asked the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]
regarding a mouse that had fallen into some clarified butter. He said the mouse
and what surrounds it should be thrown out and the rest could be eaten.
Musnad Abu Ya'la, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Nisa'i have quoted another
Hadith from Maimoonah This was narrated by the wife of 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas.
One morning the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] t looked very worried and
he seemed to be in the same mood in the evening. The next day the same mood
continued. Maimoonah asked him what was troubling him. He said the Angel Jibril
promised to come and visit him, but he had not turned up. Such a thing never
happened before. Then the family noticed there was a puppy sitting under a bed.
He was chased out and that part of the floor was washed on the directions of the
Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]. Soon after that the Angel Jibril came.
Then the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] asked him why he had not come
earlier as promised, and he said that this had never happened before. Then the
Angel told him that angels do not enter places where there are dogs or pictures.
Maimoonah sometimes used to take loans. Once a member of her family remarked on
this and asked her why she did this. She did not quite like this question and
replied that the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] used to say if a Muslim
borrowed money and he sincerely believed that Aishah would help him to repay the
loan, then Allah would surely arrange things in an unexpected manner. 'Aishah
relates that the last fatal illness
of the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] started while he was in the
apartment of Maimoonah He asked permission of his other wives to spend those
days in the apartment of 'Aishah. They all readily agreed. When he passed away
he was pleased with all his wives. When his pure soul left his body he was in
the apartment of his favorite wife 'Aishah is resting his head in her lap. And
he was buried in his favorite place, her apartment. Nine of his wives were
alive at the time. They were 'Aishah, Maimoonah, Safiyyah, Juwairiah, Saudah,
Zainab, Ramlah, Hind, and Hafsah. It was during the caliphate of Mu'awiyah, in
the year 51 after Hijrah that Maimoonah died. She was in Makkah and she fell ill
there. She was very restless and wanted to be taken some place else. Her
relatives took her to Saraf, the same place where she had got married to the
Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]. After reaching the exact spot where she
spent her wedding night, she passed away. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas conducted the
funeral prayers, and she was buried with great honor.
"O the one in (complete) rest and satisfaction! Come back to your Lord - well
pleased and well pleasing. Enter you then among My (honored) servants, and enter
you My Paradise." (89:30)
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