Umm Sharik (r.anha)

One of the lucky women who believed in the Messenger of Allah and underwent a lot of trouble in the way of Islam is Umm Sharik (r.anha). This blessed woman, who persevered in her belief despite the trouble she underwent and who did not give up surrendering to Allah Almighty and trust in Him, received the grace of Allah Almighty a few times. 

We observe the following karamah of her during migration:

Umm Sharik could not find a companion to migrate with her. Therefore, he travelled together with a Jewish family to Madinah. During the journey, she ran out of water. The Jewish family had enough water but the Jewish man said he would not give water to Umm Sharik unless she gave up her religion. He threatened his wife by saying,

 “I will destroy you if you give her any water.”

The weather was very hot. The sun was scorching. To travel under these circumstances without water weakened Umm Sharik. She could hardly walk and talk. This situation filled the Jewish man with hope. He guessed she would soon give up her religion. However, Umm Sharik had tasted belief. She had such a strong belief that she would never prefer the hereafter to the world. She believed that Allah Almighty would send her help from somewhere.

As a matter of fact, she received the reward of her trust in Allah. While everybody was asleep, she felt that some water was placed on her chest. She took the water and drank it. After a while, she called out in order to awaken the other people. When the Jewish man heard her sonorous voice, he said,

“I hear the voice of someone who has drunk water. 

He was astonished. He asked his wife and shouted at her. He was furious. Umm Sharik said his wife had not given her water. She said it was the grace of Allah Almighty. The Jewish man believed it. He uttered kalima ash-shahada and became a Muslim due to this karamah. Thus, Umm Sharik acted perseveringly in her religion and caused a Jew who forced her to give up her religion to become a Muslim. Besides, she attained the grace of Allah Almighty.

• Umm Sharik treated the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) some food and drink when she could. She preferred the Messenger of Allah to her own self. 

Once, she did not eat and saved some butter for the Messenger of Allah. She called her maid and asked her to take it to the Messenger of Allah. The maid did as she was told. The Messenger of Allah was pleased with Umm Sharik’s present. He told the maid not to tie the skin bag. She took it home and hung it somewhere in the house. When Umm Sharik entered the house, she saw the skin bag. It was full of butter. She called the maid and scolded her,

“Did I not tell you to take this butter to the Messenger of Allah?” 

The maid told her that she took the skin bag to the Messenger of Allah and she could not understand how it could be full of butter. They went to the Messenger of Allah together. The Prophet (pbuh) said it was the grace of Allah. He told them not to tie the skin bag. Umm Sharik went home happily. It was the reward of love toward the Messenger of Allah. ( Tabaqat, 8: 154-157; Hayatu’s-Sahaba, 3: 466. )