Asma' bt. Abi Bakr: Difference between revisions

'''Asmā' bt. Abū Bakr b. Abī Quḥāfa''' (Arabic: اَسْماء بنت ابی بکر بن ابی قحافه, d. 73/692) was one of [[the Prophet Muhammad (s)]]’s [[Sahaba]] and one of the first people who converted to Islam. She was also a narrator of [[hadiths]] and was known as “Dhāt al-Niṭāqayn” (Arabic: ذات النطاقین). She [[Zubayr b. 'Awwam]]’s wife and [['Abd Allah b. Zubayr]]’s mother. On one account, Zubayr divorced her at the request of his son, 'Abd Allah. Asma' lived a long life. She lived a few days after the murder of her son, 'Abd Allah, and died at the age of 100.

Asma' was born 27 years before [[Hijra]] in [[Mecca]]. She was 10 years older than her sister, [['A'isha]]. She converted to Islam when she was a child at the request of her father, [[Abu Bakr b. Abi Quhafa]]. She was the 18th person who converted to Islam. Asma' was married to Zubayr b. 'Awwam, and they had children. Their marriage was the first [[temporary marriage]] in Islam.

Her best-known children are 'Abd Allah and [[Mus'ab b. Zubayr|Mus'ab]]. Asma' was one of the Muslims who migrated from Mecca to [[Medina]]. She accompanied Zubayr in the [[Battle of Yarmuk]]. However, she and Zubayr got divorced after a while, and she stayed in Mecca together with her son, 'Abd Allah, until his murder. It is said that 'Abd Allah forced his father to divorce Asma'. It is said that Zubayr strongly beat her, so she took refuge to her son, 'Abd Allah, and stayed with him until his murder.

She lived a long life. After her son’s murder, she became frail and blind. There is controversy over the time of her death. However, it is certain that she died a few days after her son’s murder.

==The Revelation of a Quranic Verse about Asma'==

One some accounts, the Quranic verse, 60:8, was revealed about her. When Qatila bt. 'Abd al-'Uza, Asma'’s mother, went to her with some gifts, she rejected her gifts and refused to let her come inside her house because she was not a Muslim. She then asked the Prophet Muhammad (s) about this and the Prophet (s) permitted her to accept her mother’s gifts. The story was narrated by her son, 'Abd Allah. [[Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti]] cited the story both from 'Abd Allah and Asma' herself. However, some exegetes of the [[Quran]] hold that the verse was revealed about [[Banu Hashim]].

* A narrator of hadiths from the Prophet (s): about 60 hadiths are narrated from Asma' (who is considered by ibn Habban as reliable) concerning [[prayer]], [[hajj]], [[zakat]] and Islamic issues. People such as [['Ibad b. 'Abd Allah b. Zubayr]], [['Urwa b. Zubayr]], [[ibn Abi Malika]], [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] and [[Fatima bt. Mundhir]] narrated hadiths from her.