Asma bint Umays (r.anha)

During the first years of Islam, the polytheists tried to force Muslims to exit their religion through unbearable tortures and to intimidate and dissuade those who tended to be Muslims. However, the Companions whose strength originated from their belief persevered in their belief and did not make any concessions.

This situation distressed the Prophet. Once, he told the Companions that they could migrate to Abyssinia if they wished. Upon this, offer, a group of 15 Companions migrated to Abyssinia. The Negus of Abyssinia treated the Muslims very well and entertained them. When the Prophet heard about it, he became very happy and advised the other Muslims to migrate, too. Thus, 92 people, 82 of whom were male and 10 of whom were female, migrated in the way of Allah, leaving their homeland.One of them was Hz. Asma bint Umays. 

• Asma was married to Hz. Jafar, the Prophet’s paternal uncle’s son. 

This happy family had three children in Abyssinia. Hz. Asma and Jafar lived there for a long time with the other muhajirs. They migrated to Madinah in the 7th year of the Migration. Thus, they gained the reward of “two migrations”.

• Hz. Asma often visited the wives of the Prophet. 

Once, she visited Hz. Hafsa. After a while, Hz. Hafsa’s father, Hz. Umar arrived. He said to Asma jokingly, “We were better off than you in terms of migration.” Asma felt very sad. He addressed Hz. Umar as follows:

“O Umar! No, you were not because you were with the Messenger of Allah. He fed those of you who were hungry and advised those of you who were ignorant. However, were in the land of enemy and we went there for the sake of Allah and His messenger.”

Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah arrived. Hz. Asma was sad. She told the Prophet what Hz. Umar had said. The Prophet gave her the following glad tiding, which rejoiced her:

“Umar and his friends had one migration but you, the voyagers through the sea, had two migrations.”

There could not have been a better glad tiding than the one given by the Prophet for Hz. Asma. She was moved and she wept for joy.(Muslim, Fadailu’s-Sahaba: 169.
)

• When Hz. Asma wanted to do something, she would ask the Prophet about it and acted accordingly. 

Once, she asked the Prophet,

“O Messenger of Allah! My children are touched by evil eye. Shall I make somebody read and pray for them?” 

The Prophet said,

“Yes. If anything could prevent qadar, it would be evil eye.”( Tirmidhi, Tibb: 17. )

• Hz. Asma had nine sisters. 

All of them became Muslims. The Prophet called them “believing sisters” .They liked this nickname and liked to be called like that.

• Hz. Asma led a happy life that served as a model with Hz. Jafar. 

She fulfilled all of her duties fully and never disrespected her husband. They led a happy life. Their days passed like that.

• In the 8th year of the Migration, the Prophet prepared an army to fight the Byzantines. He appointed Zayd bin Haritha as the commander. If he were to be martyred, Hz. Jafar would be the commander.

Jafar said goodbye to his wife and kissed her children. Then, he left. When the army left Madinah, Asma felt that she would never see her husband again.

After a few weeks, the Islamic army confronted the Byzantines near Muta. The enemy had more soldiers and weapons than the Muslims did. However, the mujahids who left Madinah with the thought of “martyrdom” did not give any importance to the enemy’s size. They attacked heroically. It was a great battle. The Muslims gained a victory. However, Hz. Jafar was martyred. There were more than 90 cuts of swords and spears on his body. In addition, both of his arms had been cut off.

Allah Almighty showed his beloved Prophet the battlefield. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told his Companions that Hz. Jafar was martyred, that Allah Almighty gave him two wings for his arms that were cut off and that he flew to Paradise with them. After that, Hz. Jafar was given the names “Tayyar [Flyer]” and “Dhul-janahayn [Having Two Wings]”.( Usdu’l-Ghaba, 1: 358. )

• Hz. Asma and her children were waiting for Hz. Jafar. 

They did not know that he had been martyred. The Prophet went Hz. Jafar’s house. He asked Hz. Asma where the children were. Hz. Asma held their hands and brought them to the Prophet. She had washed their faces and combed their hair. The Messenger of Allah held them to his breast and kissed them. Meanwhile, tears fell from his eyes.

This made Asma worried. She said,

 “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Why are you weeping? Did you receive any sad news from Jafar and his friends?”

The Prophet (pbuh) said,

“Yes. They were martyred today. 

Hz. Asma could not control her feelings. She started to cry loudly and beat her chest. The Prophet did not like it when she did so and said to her,

“O Asma! Do not utter any bad words and do not beat your chest.”

The women gathered around Hz. Asma. The Messenger of Allah went home and said to his wives,

“Jafar’s family are not in a position to cook meals. Cook some food and send it to their house.” 

Thereupon, they cooked and sent food to Hz. Jafar’s house for three days. This was the first food sent to a house when somebody died in that house in the history of Islam.( Tabaqat, 8: 282; Sirah, 3: 477. )

• The Prophet (pbuh) went to Hz. Jafar’s house after three days passed. 

He wanted to take Hz. Jafar’s children under his protection. He gave Hz. Asma the following glad tiding that rejoiced her:

“Do not cry for my brother (Jafar) from now on. Do not worry about the sustenance and care of these children. I am their guardian in both the world and the hereafter.”( Tabaqat, 4: 37. )

• Hz. Asma lived as a widow for six months. 

Hz. Abu Bakr wanted to take this woman, who suffered a lot in the way of Islam, under his protection. He asked her to marry him. Hz. Asma accepted his offer. Thus, the family found a good guardian.

Hz. Asma, who received the prayer of the Prophet, said,

“This prayer is the one that I rely on the most among my deeds.” 

She narrated a few hadiths. One of them is as follows:

“When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) confronted something that distressed him or some trouble and grief hit him, he would say, ‘My Lord is Allah. I do not associate any partners with him.’”

• Hz. Asma, who married Hz. Ali after the death of Hz. Abu Bakr, died in the 40th year of the Migration.

May Allah be pleased with her!