THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME WITH PROPHET MUHAMMAD THE PROPHET OF ALLAH 036 THE MARRIAGE OF THE PROPHET TO LADY HAFSA H by Khadeijah A. Stephens Copyright © 1984-2012 by Allah.com Muhammad.com Mosque.com Khadeijah A. Stephens Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem The Marriage of the Prophet to Lady Hafsah The Ghatfan Incident It was approaching the month of Safar in the 3rd year after the Migration when the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) received news that the tribes of Tha’labah and Muharib had banded together intent upon raiding the farm land of Medina. With this disturbing news the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) lead four-hundred and fifty cavalry and foot soldiers out to attend to the matter after having left Othman, Affan’s son in charge of Medina during his absence. As the rode out they captured a Bedouin, who embraced Islam and offered to act as a guide for the army. The enemy that had been full of bravado heard of the Prophet’s approach and made a hasty retreat to the safety of the mountains and there was no engagement, and so the Prophet and his Companions rested at Dhi Amr for the month of Safar. Lady Hafsah, Daughter of Omar Hafsah was the daughter of Omar and among the few who were literate. When Khunays returned from his migration to Abyssinia a few years before, she had married him, however the marriage was destined to be short lived as he had been recently martyred at Badr and it grieved Omar to see his eighteen year old daughter alone. During the second year after the Migration, Othman, a friend of Omar, had lost his beloved wife Lady Rukiyah, daughter of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) so Omar proposed that he might like to marry his daughter Hafsah. When Othman told Omar that he did not wish to remarry for the time being, he was disappointed and felt somewhat hurt by his answer. Omar, as is the case of all fathers, was anxious to secure a good marriage for his daughter so he approached another of his dearest friends, Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr's answer was not forthcoming which really hurt Omar very deeply. He had offered two of his best friends his beloved daughter's hand in marriage and could not understand why they neither had been forthcoming. A little while after, Omar went to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and told him how upset he was at the reluctance of his close friends to marry his daughter whereupon the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) spoke with words of indication saying, "Can I guide you to better for you than Othman, and better for Othman than you?” Happiness spread over Omar's face as he realized that the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) after the completion of Hafsah's waiting period, would offer her his own hand in marriage; then the second realization dawned upon him that the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) would give another of his daughters, Lady Umm Kulthum to Othman in marriage. Later, when Omar met Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr told him the reason he had not accepted his offer was that he had heard the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) inquiring about Lady Hafsah and that it was on this account alone that he had been evasive. After the prescribed four months of the waiting period were concluded, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) asked for Lady Hafsah's hand in marriage, whereupon a room was added on to the Prophet's quarters and the marriage took place. Lady Ayesha was happy to have someone nearer her own age as a companion, whilst Lady Sawdah loved her as if she were her own daughter. The marriage took place in the 3rd year after the Migration. Lady Hafsah was among those blessed to learn the entire Koran by heart. The Request of Lady Fatima The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) had been given several people who tended to the needs of his household. One might not have realized that those who served were not freemen as they were treated no differently than anyone else in his family and shared the same food. The Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) was always mindful of other peoples' feelings and on this account he never referred to them with the degrading word "slave", rather he respectfully called them his "youth". Some of his youths had already embraced Islam and been freed, however, such was their love of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) and his family that not even their freedom would tear them away from serving him, so they chose to remain in his household. It was now several months into the third year and Lady Fatima and Ali like so many others, struggled hard to make a living. Every day Ali would go to the well, draw water then sell it in the market, whilst Lady Fatima, who was to give birth later that year, would grind grain for the community. There had been a time when her gentle hands had been soft, but now the arduous work of grinding grain had caused her hands to become tired. Lady Fatima learned that the Prophet, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), had received several youths so she went to him to tell him about her hands, but she did not find him so she mentioned the matter of Lady Ayesha and asked her to tell him when he returned. Lady Fatima and Ali had retired to bed when the Prophet, (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam), arrived at their home. He told them not to disturb themselves but to remain as they were and sat between them on their bed. Ali tells us that he could feel the coolness of the Prophet’s feet as they touched his stomach. The Prophet spoke saying, “Can I tell you better than what you asked of me? When you go to bed say, ‘Exalted is Allah thirty three times, Praise be to Allah thirty-three times and Allah is Great thirty-four times.’” In the years that followed Ali was heard to say from that day onward he never failed to exalt Allah after each prayer and at night and never again die he experience tiredness. A House Nearer to the Prophet Although Lady Fatima's house was not too distant from the Mosque, the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) wished that his beloved daughter lived nearer to him. When Haritha, a distant relative of the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) learned of his wish, he went to him and offered his own home which was much nearer to the Mosque. The Prophet accepted Haritha's generosity and supplicated for blessings upon him. Not long after, Lady Fatima and Ali moved to their new home and awaited the birth of their first child. The Caravan En-Route to Iraq The Muslims had succeeded to ally themselves with several tribes on the trade routes that lay to the north of Medina. As a result the Koraysh caravans, who relied heavily upon the merchandize they intended to trade and the merchandize brought back by their caravans, were now forced to journey northwards through the practically waterless and desolate desert known as the Najd. It was for that reason the Koraysh caravans had all but ceased to travel northwards during the hot summer months. As the cooler months of early autumn approached, the Koraysh made plans for a northward bound caravan to Iraq. They were anxious because of their delayed trading to sell their silver ornaments, ingots, and utensils so it was decided that Safwan should lead the richly laden caravan through the Najd, onto Iraq to trade their wares. It was now Jumada Ath-Thaniyah, in the third year after the migration when Sulit bin An-Nu'man, an Ansar happened to overhear the intoxicated Na’im, son of Masood Al-Ashja’i mention Safwan's caravan. Sulit went straight to the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) to report the matter. When the Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) heard the news, he appointed Zayd with a hundred horsemen under his command, to ride out to the water hole of Karadah and lay in wait for the caravan. At Karadah, Zayd put Safwan and his men to flight and returned in triumph to Medina with not only the silver merchandise, but camels and several captives. The Prophet’s Marriage to Lady Hafsah 036 Back Cover Subtitles The Ghatfan Incident Lady Hafsah, Daughter of Omar The Request of Lady Fatima A House Nearer to the Prophet The Caravan En-Route to Iraq