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This transcript was auto-generated using AI and may contain misspellings. As-salamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu and welcome back to another episode of Sayyidati, where we explore the lives of some incredible Muslim women. Today I want to talk about one of my personal favourites and a companion of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Nusaybah bint Ka'b, also known as Umm Ammara. She was from the tribe of Khazraj, so she was a native of Yathrib, or the city that eventually became Medina, the city of the Prophet. After Mus'ab ibn Umair came to Yathrib by the order of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to spread his message, Nusaybah was among the initial batch to convert. In fact, her first honourific memory in history was her participation in Bay'at al-Aqabah al-Thaniyah, or the second pledge of allegiance to the Prophet. She was one of only two women who were present at this pledge, so it's no surprise she soon became a rightful leader in her community. She returned to Medina and devoted her time and effort in teaching others about the message of Islam. Nusaybah's first marriage was to Zayd bin Al-Asim, who later converted as well, and became an Ansari, or helper to the Muslims, who migrated from Mecca. Nusaybah gave birth to two children from her first husband Zayd, Habib bin Abdullah, both of whom were martyred during her life. In his book, Great Women of Islam, Ghanda Farooq well articulates the story of Nusaybah based on Imam Zahabi's Sir al-Alam an-Nubalaa, or Biography of Noble People. According to these sources, Nusaybah not only took part in the second Bay'ah, but she participated in the Battle of Uhud, Hunayn, Yamama, and the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Oh, and in case you're wondering, no she wasn't there as a nurse or in support of her family members who were on the battlefield. She was there herself as nothing less than a warrior. It was said that her skills with the sword were so impressive, anyone who saw her on the battlefield at Uhud was left astonished. In a narration by Umar al-Khattab, the Prophet ﷺ even mentioned that in whatever direction he turned in the battlefield, he could see her defending and protecting him. Nusaybah herself, according to the author, described a crucial moment during the Battle of Uhud.
She, along with her two sons and husband, tried to surround the Prophet ﷺ to protect him from any oncoming attack. She had a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. It wasn't long before she was attacked by an enemy, but she managed to ward off the blow with her shield. She quickly pulled on the brittle of her horse to flip it around, and before the attacker had a moment to think, she plunged her sword in the horse. The horse immediately neighed and fell, throwing the rider off its back. The Prophet ﷺ, after seeing this, called upon Abdullah, Nusaybah's son, to help his mother, and they finished off the attacker together. Later on in the battle, Nusaybah sustained at least 12 major wounds. When the Prophet ﷺ witnessed the courage and bravery of Nusaybah and her children, he made dua for their success and prayed that they would be with him in Paradise as well. He smiled at their strength, and he directly told Nusaybah, Ya Umm Ammarah, where can anyone get courage like you? Countless other narrations demonstrate Nusaybah's outstanding personality and illustrate the gruesome wounds she bore for the sake of protecting the Prophet. When her son Habib was on the verge of death in battle, he was asked to testify that al-Musaylim al-Kaddhab, the false prophet, was indeed a Prophet of God. So Habib pretended that he was deaf and couldn't hear him. As a result, his attacker decided to cut off parts of his body until he gradually died. It's one thing for Nusaybah to be out on the battlefield, enduring her own wounds, but it's entirely different to hear about the pain that your son, your own son, was wrongfully subjected to. Yet, despite the horror any mother would feel at the thought of this, Nusaybah displayed exemplary patience and received consolation from the Prophet ﷺ. Besides her strength in the face of physical trials, Nusaybah was very much involved in her community from a religious and social aspect. Yes, she was out there in a sea of men fighting on multiple occasions and was never questioned for doing so. She wasn't told by the Prophet ﷺ to go home and take care of her kids
or that this public and political realm was only for capable men, but quite the opposite. She was encouraged and praised by him ﷺ for her choice to display that strength and courage. And so because of her direct involvement in these affairs, Nusaybah reflected a lot on the Qur'an and the way the Qur'an addressed gender roles. And it was Nusaybah, r.a, who went up to the Prophet himself ﷺ and asked him the question that has answered the concern of so many people who read the Qur'an. Why is the Qur'an addressed directly to men? At this moment, the Prophet ﷺ didn't respond. The answer was to come from none other than Allah ﷻ by revealing an entire verse to address Nusaybah's question. In the Surah of Al-Ahzab or Confederates, a surah that, mind you, deals with questions of war, so it's sort of relevant. And Allah ﷻ says, إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتَ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتَ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ إِلَى آخِرِ الْآيَةِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةً وَأَجْلًا عَظِيمًا Allah ﷻ revealed that, verily, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, until the very end of the verse, for them Allah ﷻ has prepared forgiveness and a great reward. The implications of this verse are many, but among them is the solid fact affirmed by God that men and women are equal in the sight of God. But just as important is the fact that Nusaybah, someone who had by every means shattered glass ceilings and defied stereotypical expectations, had the opportunity to go to the Prophet ﷺ and blatantly ask this question, and then receive an answer from God on top of that. It's unfortunate that we can still find people today who would laugh at the thought of a woman participating in these worldly affairs to this extent. And it's more unfortunate that they haven't realized the significant role and example of Nusaybah bint Ka'b. A fierce woman who had no fear amidst pain and death in battles, and a woman who played a role in definitively clarifying the position of women in Islam.
She forever remains a Sahabiya, female companion I can't get over. I hope that our youth can recognize the greatness of Nusaybah, and turn to her example as a means of personal strength to defy expectations, and play an active role in their communities. I hope that Nusaybah's courage in reflecting on the Qur'an, and asking a question that would be labeled today as heretical by some, will provide our youth the courage to build a relationship with the Qur'an, and to reach out to people of knowledge to discuss the concerns they may have. May Allah Subhanu wa ta'ala give us all the strength and confidence of Nusaybah radiAllahu anha. Jazakum Allah khayran, ameen for tuning in, and inshallah we'll see you next time. Salama aleykum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.
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