Asma bint Abu Bakr (RA) : The Story of Courage and Sacrifice

Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (رضي الله عنها) was among the earliest Muslims and one of the most courageous women of her time. She was the daughter of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (RA), the closest companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and sister of ʿĀʾishah (RA), the beloved wife of the Prophet ﷺ. Her mother was Qutaylah bint ʿAbd al-ʿUzzā, who remained a non-Muslim until after Asmāʾ’s acceptance of Islam.

Asmāʾ was born 27 years before the Hijrah. Known for her intelligence, strength, and firm faith, she grew up in a household that became a cradle of belief during Islam’s earliest and most difficult years.

Asma bint Abu Bakr (RA) was among the first seventeen people to embrace Islam, accepting the faith in its earliest days through her father Abū Bakr (RA). She witnessed the persecution of the Muslims in Makkah and stood steadfast in her faith despite great hardship.

The Hijrah and Her Courage

Her most famous role came during the Hijrah (migration) of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah. When the Prophet ﷺ and her father Abū Bakr (RA) hid in the Cave of Thawr for three days to escape the Quraysh, Asmāʾ played a critical role in their survival.

Every night, she would secretly carry food and water to the cave, facing great danger. To secure the provisions, she tore her waist belt into two pieces—one to tie the food and the other to keep for herself. When the Prophet ﷺ learned this, he said:

“Allah has given you two girdles in place of one — one in this world and one in Paradise.”

From that day, she was known as “Dhāt al-Niṭāqayn” — The Woman of Two Girdles.

Abū Jahl once struck her violently when she refused to reveal their hiding place, causing her necklace to break. Her bravery was a testament to her unwavering faith.

Her grandfather, Abū Quḥāfah, who was blind, worried after Abū Bakr left with his wealth for the Hijrah. To comfort him, Asmāʾ placed stones in a pouch and presented them as if they were coins, saying: “He has left us much good.” She did this to reassure her grandfather of their security .

Marriage and Family

Asma bint Abu Bakr (RA) married the great companion al-Zubayr ibn al-ʿAwwām (RA), one of the ten promised Paradise. Their household was marked by simplicity and hardship. She narrated: “When I married al-Zubayr, he had no wealth, no slave, nothing except his horse. I would feed his horse, fetch water, sew the water-skin, and make dough… I carried date-stones on my head from land given to him by the Prophet ﷺ.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī ).

Despite her noble background, she embraced hardship with patience and faith. The Prophet ﷺ once saw her carrying a heavy load and offered her a ride, but she declined out of modesty and respect for her husband.

From this marriage, she bore several children, the most famous being ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr (RA), the first child born to the Muslims in Madinah after Hijrah, who would later become one of the most prominent Muslim leaders. The Muslims rejoiced at his birth since rumors had spread that Jews had cast a spell preventing Muslims from having children (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3909).

Her Wisdom and Counsel

Asmāʾ (RA) lived through the eras of the Prophet ﷺ, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and even into the turbulent period of civil strife. Her courage, eloquence, and unwavering principles earned her deep respect among the companions.

When her son ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr (RA) declared his leadership in Makkah during the rule of the Umayyads, Asmāʾ was by his side, despite being nearly 100 years old. When al-Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf besieged Makkah, ʿAbdullāh sought advice from his mother. She told him:

“My son, you know yourself better. If you know that you are upon the truth, then be patient. Those killed wrongfully are not truly dead. But if you only sought worldly power, then how wretched a servant you are.”
(Ibn Saʿd, Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, vol. 8)

After her son was martyred, al-Ḥajjāj came to Asmāʾ to intimidate her, but she stood firm, saying:

“You have destroyed his worldly life, and he has destroyed your Hereafter.”
(Ibn Kathīr, al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, vol. 9)

Her fearless response became a symbol of a believer’s strength and honor even in the face of tyranny.

Character and Piety

Asmāʾ (RA) was known for her truthfulness, generosity, modesty, and bravery. Her household was one of the first to accept Islam, and her life reflected the deep conviction and sacrifice that defined the early believers.

She narrated several hadiths from the Prophet ﷺ, which are preserved in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Among them are :

“A woman who gives in charity from the food of her house without causing waste will have her reward, and her husband will have his reward.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī)

“Do not sever ties, do not turn away from one another, do not hate one another, and do not envy one another. Be, O servants of Allah, brothers.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī ; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim ).

Asmāʾ was also known for her generosity. She never hoarded wealth, saying:

The Prophet ﷺ said to women: “Spend (in charity), and do not count, lest Allah count against you. Do not hoard, lest Allah withhold from you.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim).

Asmāʾ (RA) was known for her asceticism, simplicity, and truthfulness. Despite her noble lineage and family, she lived a life of patience and contentment, dedicated to serving her family and her faith.

Death

Asmāʾ bint Abī Bakr (RA) lived a long life and outlived many of the companions. She passed away in 73 AH (692 CE), shortly after the death of her son ʿAbdullāh ibn al-Zubayr (RA). According to reports, she was the last surviving companion from among the Muhājirīn (early emigrants).

Her funeral was attended by the people of Makkah, who remembered her as a woman of faith, wisdom, and unwavering courage. She was the daughter of Islam’s first Caliph, the sister of the Prophet’s ﷺ beloved wife, the wife of a noble companion, and the mother of a martyr. Her entire life was intertwined with the history of Islam — from its earliest secret gatherings in Makkah to its establishment across Arabia.

Her life teaches that faith demands not comfort, but courage — not privilege, but perseverance.