Umm Salamah (RA) : The Mother of the Believers

Early Life and Marriage

Umm Salamah (RA), whose name was Hind bint Abī Umayyah ibn al-Mughīrah al-Makhzūmiyyah, was among the earliest Muslim women. She came from the noble Makhzūm tribe of Quraysh and was married to Abū Salamah ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbd al-Asad (RA), a cousin of the Prophet ﷺ and one of the earliest converts to Islam. Together, they embraced Islam in its earliest days in Makkah and endured persecution for their faith.

Migration to Abyssinia and Madinah

When the persecution in Makkah intensified, Umm Salama (RA) and her husband migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), among the first group of emigrants who sought refuge under the just Christian king al-Najāshī. There she gave birth to their first son, Salama, after whom she was known as “Umm Salama.” (Ibn Hishām, al-Sīrah al-Nabawiyyah, vol. 1)

After returning to Makkah, the couple faced renewed hostility and later prepared to join the second migration to Madinah. However, her family and her husband’s family tried to stop them, leading to one of the most heart-wrenching incidents of early Islam.

As narrated by Ibn Isḥāq, when they were about to leave for Madinah:

“The men of Banū al-Mughīrah seized Umm Salama, saying: ‘She is our daughter — we will not let her go with you!’ Then the men of Banū ʿAbd al-Asad took the child, saying: ‘He is our son!’ Thus Abū Salama went on alone to Madinah, and Umm Salama was separated from her husband and child.”

For nearly a year, she would go out every morning to the valley of Makkah, weeping until her compassion moved the hearts of the Quraysh. Finally, her family took pity on her and allowed her to rejoin her husband in Madinah. A man from Quraysh, ʿUthmān ibn Ṭalḥah, escorted her safely across the desert. This story is considered one of the most touching examples of patience and steadfastness in the early Muslim community.

Marriage to the Prophet ﷺ

In Madinah, Umm Salama (RA) and Abū Salama (RA) lived a devoted and pious life together. They were among the closest companions of the Prophet ﷺ. After the Battle of Uhud, Abū Salama was wounded and later passed away from his injuries in 4 AH.

Upon his death, Umm Salama (RA) remembered a supplication the Prophet ﷺ had taught:

“Whoever is afflicted by a calamity and says: Innā lillāhi wa innā ilayhi rājiʿūn. Allāhumma’jurnī fī muṣībatī wakhluf lī khayran minhā (To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. O Allah, reward me in my affliction and replace it with something better), Allah will surely give him something better.”
(Muslim, 918)

She later said,

“When I said that duʿā’, I wondered: who could be better than Abū Salama?”
But Allah indeed replaced her loss with the best — the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself proposed to her.

When the Prophet ﷺ sent his proposal, Umm Salama (RA) expressed three concerns: she was older, she had children, and she was jealous by nature. The Prophet ﷺ replied gently:

“As for your age — I am older than you. As for your children — they are under the care of Allah and His Messenger. And as for your jealousy — I will pray that Allah removes it from your heart.”

She accepted the proposal and became one of the Mothers of the Believers, joining the household of the Prophet ﷺ with dignity and wisdom

Life as a Mother of the Believers

Umm Salamah (RA) became one of the most respected Mothers of the Believers (Ummuhāt al-Mu’minīn). She was known for her wisdom, eloquence, and devotion. She narrated over 300 hadith from the Prophet ﷺ, including rulings on prayer, purification, family matters, and social ethics.

One of her famous narrations is about the Prophet’s ﷺ teaching regarding humility: “The one who has even the weight of a mustard seed of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 91).

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah

Umm Salamah (RA) played a crucial role during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (6 AH). When the companions hesitated to sacrifice their animals after the treaty terms were agreed, the Prophet ﷺ entered his tent distressed. Umm Salamah (RA) advised him: “Go out, do not speak to anyone, slaughter your animal, and shave your head.” The Prophet ﷺ followed her counsel, and when the companions saw him, they followed suit immediately (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2731). This event highlighted her wisdom and influence.

With the Prophet’s Family

She was deeply attached to the Prophet ﷺ and his household. She narrated the famous hadith of the Cloak (Ḥadīth al-Kisā’), when the Prophet ﷺ gathered ʿAlī, Fāṭimah, Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn under his cloak and recited:
“Indeed Allah intends only to remove from you impurity, O people of the household, and to purify you completely.” (Qur’an 33:33).
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2424).

Later Years

After the Prophet’s ﷺ passing, Umm Salamah (RA) lived for many years and became a source of knowledge for the younger generation of Muslims. She narrated hadiths on various aspects of faith, including patience, worship, and ethics. Her home was a place of learning where many companions and successors sought guidance.

Umm Salamah (RA) stands as an enduring model of faith, perseverance, and intellect. Her trials — separation, migration, widowhood — only deepened her reliance on Allah.Through her life, Muslims learn the value of sabr (patience) in adversity and hikmah (wisdom) in decision-making. She remains one of the finest examples of how a woman of faith can influence history through courage, intellect, and devotion to Allah.

She lived until 59 AH (678 CE), during the caliphate of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiyah, and was the last of the Prophet’s ﷺ wives to pass away according to many historians (Ibn Ḥajar, al-Iṣābah 8/224). She was buried in al-Baqīʿ cemetery in Madinah.