Wife of the Prophet
Sayyidah Umm Kulsum bin Muhammad
The two eyes of the Prophet Muhammad were happy for the salvation of his holy wife, Khadijah r.a because it had given birth to the third daughter of the holy sulbi radiating light and faith. Meanwhile, Makkah was in chaos due to the conflict between the polytheists and the followers of Islam.
The little girl, Umm Kulthum, grew up with her sister Ruqayyah. The two are always together like two twins Prophet SAW.
Even the two daughters of the Prophet was always together until they grew into teenagers and entered the threshold of age to marry. Then came Utaibah ibn Abi Lahab came to propose and got the approval of the Prophet to marry Umm Kulthum.
Umm Kulthum pounding happy and happy. He imagined if Abu Lahab came to his father, Prophet Muhammad SAW to say the word shahadah. It was because her sister, Ruqayyah, had become the wife of the un`Utbah ibn Abi Lahab while she was waiting for marriage with Utbah's brother, Utaibah.
But the beautiful shadow is just a drift. Fakatnya feud between the Prophet and his uncle Abu Lahab was even more fierce.
The conflict was further intensified by Umm Jamil the woman carrying firewood, wife of Abu Lahab. He said to his two sons, “My head is haram against your head if you do not divorce Muhammad's two daughters.”
The two daughters of the Prophet, Umm Kulthum and Ruqayyah were eventually returned to the Prophet. But thankfully, the two had not been interfered with by their husbands Utbah and Utaibah.
Utaibah ibn Abi Lahab not only divorced Umm Kulthum, but he also went to meet the Prophet to humiliate him in public. Therefore, the Prophet prayed that Allah would empower a dog against him.
Some time later, Utaibah was attacked by a tiger in the middle of some of his friends sleeping around him. Thus, with the divorce was saved Umm Kulthum from the misery of the life of her wicked husband and her wicked mother-in-law, the firewood bearer.
Likewise Ruqayyah also survived after divorcing Utbah ibn Abi Lahab the son of Abu Lahab. Especially after the divorce, Ruqyyah instead married the Prophet's noble friend Uthman ibn Affan. They both migrated to Habasyah.
Umm Kulthum still lives with her little brother, Fatima, in the house of her father, Muhammad the Prophet, in Makkah. They accompanied Khadijah's mother Ummul Mukminin r.a. in bearing the burden of life and alleviating the pain of the father due to the interference of the Quraysh.
The folly of the Quraysh had reached its height in the form of torture against the Prophet and the Muslims who were his followers.
The torture was even more violent after Hamzah ibn Abdul Muttalib declared his conversion to Islam and was followed by Umar ibn Khaththab r.a.
When the Quraysh had run out, the Quraysh offered to the Manaf Children to hand over the Messenger of Allah to them with multiplied verses. However, Bani Abdi Manaf rejected the offer.
Furthermore, they offered to Abu Talib that they would give the most honorable youth among all the youths of Quraysh provided Abu Talib would hand over his nephew Muhammad SAW to them.
However, Abu Talib replied, “I wonder to you, you guys give your children for me to feed while I give my son for you to kill!”
After seeing Abu Talib's attitude, they agreed to excommunicate the Bani Hashim and the Bani Muttalib, Abdu Manaf's two sons, and expel them from the land of Makkah and suppress their lives.
The Quraysh could not sell to or buy anything from the Children of Hashim until they were willing to surrender the Messenger of Allah to be killed. They wrote the deal in a document hung on the door of the Kaaba.
As a result, the Banu Hashim fled to the land of Abu Talib, followed by the Bani Muttalib, both Muslim and infidel, except Abu Lahab who joined the group of Quraysh.
In this boycott, the Muslims and the Hashimites who sided with them experienced severe economic and social hardship.
In fact, they eat the leaves of the trees. They survived in such a state for about three years without any supplies reaching them, except those that came secretly.
Describing this hunger, Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqash recounts, “I went hungry until one night I touched something wet and I took it and put it in my mouth. Until now, I don't know if something is.”
They recount that Hisham ibn `Amar ibn Rabi`ah al-`Amiri one night sent a camel transporting food. When the camel entered the area of the Muslims, Hisham removed the camel's bridle and attacked it.
The camel brought in the food that it transported to the middle of Bahi Hashim and Bani Muttalib.
In the midst of the boycott, Umm Kulthum r.a. had to bear the heaviest responsibility. The holy mother, Khadijah, fell ill and lay in bed because of the growing pain.
Meanwhile, his little brother, Fatima az-Zahra, is in desperate need of attention and protection. No one other than himself might give care to the mother and give attention to her sister, coupled with the task of lightening the burden of the grief and sorrow of the father, the Prophet.
Eventually, the Muslims came out of boycott with an increasingly strong faith. The bitter experience strengthened them even more.
Inside the Prophet's house, in Makkah al-Mukarramah, the holy Ummul Mukminin, Khadijah was undergoing the final moments of his life while his three daughters, Zainab, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah, surrounded him.
The beloved husband, Prophet Muhammad was also at his side to ease the burden of the saccharulmaut that he was experiencing and gave good news of the blessings that had been waiting.
Umm Kulthum covered her face with both palms. He was unable to look at the holy mother who was experiencing the sakaratulmaut.
Some eyes turned to Khadijah as if to stop the painful groan of the holy woman. Umm Kulthum left the room with tears flowing.
However, he met his father, the Prophet at the doorway, standing with tears in his eyes.
After the passing of the late holy woman, Ummul Mukminin Khadijah r.a., the house became quiet as if uninhabited even though Umm Kulthum, Fatima, and Zainab still filled the house.
The house has been turned into a house without life, a lamp without oil, and a heart without love. The crush was felt more and more as the Prophet entered the house with a slow, checking all over the corner as if looking for the housekeeper who had left.
Some time after the departure of the late Umm Mukminin holy, the Prophet was again struck by a similar disaster, namely the death of his uncle, Abu Talib, who had been a supporter in his preaching, a protector for him, for him, and a shield and a helper to face his people.
Even the most foolish of the Quraysh dared to stand against the Prophet and put dust on his head. The Prophet entered the house with dust still filling his head. While crying, Umm Kulthum immediately approached and washed the dust on the head of the Prophet.
he said, “Don't weep, my daughter, surely Allah will protect you and your father.”
Ibn Ishaq said, “Khadijah bint Khuwailid and Abu Talib died in the same year. With the departure of Khadijah, the Prophet suffered a terrible disaster. For the Prophet, Khadijah was a loyal companion to preach Islam and where he complained.
So was Abu Talib who was his defender and protector. He was his guardian and helper in the face of his people. All this happened three years before the hijrah to Medina.
Patience has been the most faithful companion of the Prophet accompanied by his daughters and those who believe in Allah as he faces these great difficulties. Finally, the Prophet allowed the companions to migrate to Yastrib first. After that, followed by him who also migrated to Yastrib.
The Prophet left his residence in Mecca al-Mukarramah to emigrate. He entrusted Umm Kulthum and Fatima to his second wife, Saudah bint Zam`ah, whom he married after the death of Khadijah.
After arriving in Medina and settling there, the Prophet sent some friends to go to Makkah to bring his family and the family of Abu Bakr which he left in Makkah.
When the daughters of the Prophet had arrived at Yastrib (Madinah) with his wife, Saudah bint Zam`ah, as well as the daughters of Abu Bakr ash-Shiddiq, namely Asma` and Ayesha, the Anshar women greeted them warmly and happily.
The Prophet himself welcomed his daughters and wives with longing and warmth. He immediately took them to a house that had been prepared for the family after establishing the glorious Nabawi Mosque.
After two years passed with many major events after the migration and the victory of the Muslims in the Battle of Badr, there was a major disaster with the death of Umm Kulthum's sister, Ruqayyah, and the death of her brother, which was little forgotten by the happiness of the victory of the Muslims in the fight against the evil on the day of al-Furqan.
Various terrible memories alternated in the mind of Umm Kulthum so that both of her lips released a weak complaint as if melting her soul. Umm Kulthum closed her eyes weakly and saw the shadow of the mother giving her life to God in the midst of the boycott.
So did the shadow of her sister, Ruqayyah, as her soul trembled at the whistle of victory in the Battle of Badr that echoed out there.
Umm Kulthum sat alone in the corner of the house wiping her sorrowful tears from parting with her beloved sister. Meanwhile, Fatima az-Zahra poured into her sister's bed, weeping over her departure.
Next, the grieving father entered the room with a face that flashed signs of sadness. He approached Fatima az-Zahra to carry her and approached her brother to wipe his tears with the end of his scarf.
The days went so fast with all the suffering and pain that Umm Kulthum finally entered a new phase in her life in climbing the door of happiness, joy, and marriage.
The Prophet married the princess, Umm Kulthum, to Uthman ibn Affan. Umm `Iyasy, the slave of Ruqayyah, narrated that she heard the Prophet saying, “I did not marry Uthman other than following the revelation from the heavens.”
Narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet said, “Jibril came to me then said: ‘Verily, Allah ordered you to marry Uthman to Umm Kulthum with the same dowry as Ruqayyah and her companions’.”
Umm Kulthum became a noble and revered wife on the side of Uthman ibn Affan after his sister, Ruqayyah. That is what caused Uthman ibn Affan to be named Dzun Nurain (owner of two lights) for having been the husband of two daughters of the Prophet in a row.
The wedding took place in Rabi`ul Awwal month of the 3rd year H. Umm Kulthum lived with Uthman ibn Affan for six years without a child.
When his departure has arrived. When Bilal uttered the chastisement, his voice penetrated into the ears of the Muslims like magic. The doors of the houses opened immediately and the Muslims immediately went out to the Prophet's Mosque in the morning air caress.
With an affectionate look, Uthman ibn Affan looked at his wife, Umm Kulthum, who was weakly helpless on the bed. Furthermore, Uthman came out to perform prayers behind the Prophet.
Umm Kulthum looked pale from weakness and pain. His body was stretched out on the bed, focusing his hearing on the voice of the chastisement of Bilal, who had knocked on his ears and awakened his soul.
Umm Kulthum tried to get up, but her body was so weak that she could not stand up. At that moment he heard the sound of their takber who was performing the prayer. His two eyes were twinkling, drowning in happiness as he experienced the last seconds of breath.
Umm `Iyasy, the Messenger of Allah came into the room and soon he realized Umm Kulthum was experiencing sacaratulmaut. Umm `Iyasy then called the Muslims who were in the mosque. The husband of Umm Kulthum, Uthman ibn Affan, rushed home and he found Umm Kulthum who was experiencing sacaratulmaut.
With compassion, Dzun Nurain called out to his wife. Uthman was devastated by the death of Umm Kulthum. Because, that way, he could not get offspring from the Prophet.
The Prophet, Abu Bakr ash-Shiddiq, Umar ibn Khaththab, and Ali ibn Abi Talib and a number of other companions came. The Prophet immediately approached the princess who was facing the sakaratulmaut. Both of his eyes were glistening while his lips incessantly offered a prayer of salvation for his daughter.
Not long after, there entered Asma` bint Umais, wife of Abu Bakr, and Shafiyah bint Abdul Muttalib. They also cried with loving tears.
Next, Ummu `Athiyah carried the body of Umm Kulthum to be bathed. Prophet s.a.w. said, “Bow oddly: three times, five times, or more.”
The Prophet gave the cloth to them to treat the body of the princess. The companions then carried the body towards the mosque. The wives of the Prophet herded the departure with tears. Fatima az-Zahra could not help but cry over the departure of her beloved brother.
At the mosque, the Prophet pronounced the body of the princess followed by the companions. After that, the corpse was escorted towards the land of Baqi` and buried there.
The body of Umm Kulthum has been buried. The husband, Uthman ibn Affan, drowned in grief. The companions returned from the land of Baqi` with such deep sorrow.
The Prophet saw Uthman walking with his head down as a sign of his heart's sorrow over the wife's departure. He approached her and said, “Wahai Uthman, if I had a third daughter, I would marry her to you.”
This story is quoted from the Biography of 39 Women Engraver Figure of Islamic History: Umm Kulthum Sosok Penyabar and Steadfast, by Dr. Bassam Muhammad Hamami's.