Maymuna: last wife died at 80
Friday, May 16, 2008
MAYMUNA bint al-Harith, may Allâh be pleased with her, married the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him, in 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was thirty six years old. Maymuna's sister, Umm al-Fadl Lubaba (one of the earliest Companions of the Prophet), was the mother of 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, the Prophet's cousin and the one of the wisest of his Companions.
Once Abu Lahab, the enemy of Allâh and the Messenger of Allâh, entered the house of his brother, al-'Abbas, and proceeded to attack 'Abbas client, Abu Rafi, because he had embraced Islam.
Abu Lahab knocked him to the ground and knelt on him, continuing to beat him. Umm al Fadl grabbed a post that was there and cracked it across Abu Lahab's head, saying, "Will you victimize him because his master is absent?"
He was treated in shame and died a week later.
Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Umm al Muminin, was also a half-sister to Maymuna. Her other sisters included Asma bint Umays, the wife of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who later married Abu Bakr, and Salma bint Umays, the wife of Hamza, the "Lion of Allah".
Maymuna or Barra as she was then called, yearned to marry the Prophet. She went to her sister, Umm al Fadl to talk to her about that and she, in turn, spoke to her husband, al-'Abbas.
Al-'Abbas immediately went to the Messenger of Allâh with Maymuna's offer of marriage to him and her proposal was accepted.
When the good news reached her, she was on a camel, and she immediately got off the camel and said, "The camel and what is on it is for the Messenger of Allâh."
They were married in the month of Shawwal in 7 AH just after the Muslims of Medina were permitted to visit Mecca under the terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyya to perform umra. Allâh Almighty sent the following ayat about this:
"Any believing woman who dedicates herself to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her, that is only for thee and not for the believers." (traslation of the Quran surah Al-Ahzab:50)
The Prophet gave her the name, Maymuna, meaning "blessed", and Maymuna lived with the Prophet for just over three years, until his death.
She was obviously very good natured and got on well with everyone, and no quarrel or disagreement with any of the Prophet's other wives has been related about her.
'Aisha said about her, "Among us, she had the most fear of Allâh and did the most to maintain ties of kinship."
It was in her room that the Prophet first began to feel the effects of what became his final illness and asked the permission of his wives to stay in 'Aisha's room while it lasted.
After the Prophet's death, Maymuna continued to live in Madinah for another forty years, dying at the age of eighty, in 51 AH, being the last of the Prophet's wives to die.
She asked to be buried where had married the Prophet at Saraf and her request was carried out. It is related that at the funeral of Maymuna, Ibn Abbas said, "This is the wife of Allâh's Messenger, peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him so when you lift her bier, do not shake her or disturb her, but be gentle."
It is commonly agreed that it was after the Prophet had married Maymuna, giving him now nine wives ('Aisha, Sawda, Hafsa, Umm Salama, Zainab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyya, Umm Habiba, Safiyya and Maymuna), that the following ayat was revealed:
"It is not lawful for you (O Muhammad, to marry more) women after this, nor to exchange them for other wives, even though their beauty is pleasing to you, except those whom your right hand possesses (as maid servants); and Allâh is always watching over everything." (sural Al-Ahzab:52)
After this, the Prophet did not marry again.
Anwary Islam
Once Abu Lahab, the enemy of Allâh and the Messenger of Allâh, entered the house of his brother, al-'Abbas, and proceeded to attack 'Abbas client, Abu Rafi, because he had embraced Islam.
Abu Lahab knocked him to the ground and knelt on him, continuing to beat him. Umm al Fadl grabbed a post that was there and cracked it across Abu Lahab's head, saying, "Will you victimize him because his master is absent?"
He was treated in shame and died a week later.
Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Umm al Muminin, was also a half-sister to Maymuna. Her other sisters included Asma bint Umays, the wife of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who later married Abu Bakr, and Salma bint Umays, the wife of Hamza, the "Lion of Allah".
Maymuna or Barra as she was then called, yearned to marry the Prophet. She went to her sister, Umm al Fadl to talk to her about that and she, in turn, spoke to her husband, al-'Abbas.
Al-'Abbas immediately went to the Messenger of Allâh with Maymuna's offer of marriage to him and her proposal was accepted.
When the good news reached her, she was on a camel, and she immediately got off the camel and said, "The camel and what is on it is for the Messenger of Allâh."
They were married in the month of Shawwal in 7 AH just after the Muslims of Medina were permitted to visit Mecca under the terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyya to perform umra. Allâh Almighty sent the following ayat about this:
"Any believing woman who dedicates herself to the Prophet if the Prophet wishes to wed her, that is only for thee and not for the believers." (traslation of the Quran surah Al-Ahzab:50)
The Prophet gave her the name, Maymuna, meaning "blessed", and Maymuna lived with the Prophet for just over three years, until his death.
She was obviously very good natured and got on well with everyone, and no quarrel or disagreement with any of the Prophet's other wives has been related about her.
'Aisha said about her, "Among us, she had the most fear of Allâh and did the most to maintain ties of kinship."
It was in her room that the Prophet first began to feel the effects of what became his final illness and asked the permission of his wives to stay in 'Aisha's room while it lasted.
After the Prophet's death, Maymuna continued to live in Madinah for another forty years, dying at the age of eighty, in 51 AH, being the last of the Prophet's wives to die.
She asked to be buried where had married the Prophet at Saraf and her request was carried out. It is related that at the funeral of Maymuna, Ibn Abbas said, "This is the wife of Allâh's Messenger, peace and blessings of Allâh be upon him so when you lift her bier, do not shake her or disturb her, but be gentle."
It is commonly agreed that it was after the Prophet had married Maymuna, giving him now nine wives ('Aisha, Sawda, Hafsa, Umm Salama, Zainab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyya, Umm Habiba, Safiyya and Maymuna), that the following ayat was revealed:
"It is not lawful for you (O Muhammad, to marry more) women after this, nor to exchange them for other wives, even though their beauty is pleasing to you, except those whom your right hand possesses (as maid servants); and Allâh is always watching over everything." (sural Al-Ahzab:52)
After this, the Prophet did not marry again.
Anwary Islam
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