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Sayyidah Asma – may Allah be pleased with her – was amongst the foremost of Muslims. She was also amongst the seventeen people who first entered Madina Shareef. She was married to Hadrat Sayyiduna Zubair bin Al ‘Awwam – may Allah be pleased with him. During the migration, she was pregnant with her son Abdullah. Sayyidah Asma – may Allah be pleased with her –  was also given to the title of “Zaatul Nataaqatain”. This title was given to her by the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. The reason is that when he was preparing to migrate from Makkah Shareef, she was the first person to prepare some food for him on his journey. Since she also needed to secure this parcel, she had nothing to tie it with, hence she took her scarf and tore it into two pieces. Sayyidah Asma’s – may Allah be pleased with her – vision became very weak in the latter part of her life. She was still alive after her son had been martyred. However, after a little time, she also passed away. One of her miracles is that she never lost any tooth during her entire life and even her senses were completely intact at this old age.

(Al Isaabah)

 

Sayyidah Asma – may Allah be pleased with her – was the daughter of Hadrat Sayyiduna Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – and was considered highly educated and eloquent. She also made sure that she gave her son the best of education and taught him to be brave and fearless. In fact, even during the time he was martyred, both mother and son displayed immense bravery and strong will.

 

It is reported that the tyrant Hajjaaj bin Yusuf sent an army to defeat Hadrat Sayyiduna ibn Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – who had sought refuge in the Haram Shareef. This army of tyrants surrounded the blessed Haram and attacked the Haram with large boulders using a special sling which they had set on the mount of Abu Qubais. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – fought very bravely against this large army until each of his companions were martyred. He then entered the Haram and began to read his Salaah and again these tyrants rained down stones and boulders on the Haram Shareef. When Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – saw this, he took his sword and came out of the Haram Shareef to challenge these people. He then single-handedly attacked this large army creating panic wherever he went. In fact, most of the soldiers began to run when they saw Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – coming.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – then approached his mother who was extremely old and her vision was not that good and said to her, “What is your command? All my friends and supporters have been martyred and the enemy has also offered me a pledge of peace.”

 

Sayyidah Asma – may Allah be pleased with her – replied, “It is my opinion that you attain the rank of martyrdom. Never follow a despicable tyrant who is low and disgraceful. The last moment of your day should be more respectful than the first moments of your day.”

 

Her son, Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – also expressed the concern that they might try to disfigure his body after he passes away. However, his blessed mother informed him, “When a sheep is slaughtered, it feels no pain when its skin is removed.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – then kissed his mother and she embraced him for the last time in this world and he left. He then stood on the Mimbar and addressing a few people who came to join him, he said, “The shadow of death is over your heads. Death is waiting to establish itself all around you. Please place your sword back in its sheath and display patience.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – then attacked the enemy alone pushing them out of the Haram Shareef. As much as they tried to attack him in numbers, so much so, he attacked them even more furiously. His body had numerous injuries and suddenly a stone from one of the slings hit him on his head. When he fell to the ground, these tyrants attacked him and he was finally martyred. Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair’s – may Allah be pleased with him – blessed body was then hung on one of the walls of the Haram Shareef.

 

Hajjaaj also declared that his blessed body should not be buried until he is not seen by his mother. He wanted to see the reaction of his mother. When his mother entered the Haram Shareef, she could see the blessed body of her son above the heads of others. However, she did not weep and displayed no regret whatsoever. This is the lady who had given birth to a real lion of Allah. She knew that at the end, the only person who was victorious in all of this was her son and no one else. Hence, when she saw the blessed body of her son, she remarked, “Is it not time that such a brave person be allowed to walk on his own.”

 

When Hajjaaj heard this statement, he was completely speechless. He then ordered that Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Zubair – may Allah be pleased with him – be buried. This incident took place in 64 A.H.

 

This is the blessing of being in the sacred court of the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – that enabled such lions of Islam to appear. The blessed lady also gave a clear sign to other mothers of Islam as to how they should behave when it comes to protecting the dignity of Islam. Sadly, if we look at the example of these shinning stars of Islam and what we see today, the picture is completely different.

 

Abu Mohammed Hajjaaj bin Yusuf bin Al Hakam Thaqafi was nominated as the Governor of Iraq and Khorasan by Abdul Malik bin Marwan. He died during the reign of Waleed bin Abdul Malik. He was noted for his immense bloody thirsty behavior and many Saints and scholars of Islam were martyred by this tyrant. Among them was the famous Taabe’i scholar, Hadrat Sayyiduna Sa’eed bin Jubair – may Allah be pleased with him. Later in life, Hajjaaj bin Yusuf developed a disease in his stomach which finally killed him. He died in the year 99 A.H.