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*Aminah bint Mihsan: An early immigrant*
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When the Prophet (peace be upon him) started advocating his
message in Makkah, only people with vision and clear minds gave him a
positive response. This is the case with all new ideas that seek to
initiate a fundamental change in human life. When the advocated change
touches on the core of people’s way of life, as is the case with all
religions and with Islam in particular, the new believers are bound to
suffer persecution by those who want to maintain the status quo. This is
what happened to the early Muslims in Makkah. They suffered much
persecution. Even those among them who belonged to noble families were put
under much pressure, mental and often physical, by their own families. Some
families felt it to be their duty to punish their own sons and daughters
who became Muslims. Despite all types of pressure, the message of Islam
continued to gain ground, and there were many families in Makkah whose all
members became Muslim.
When the situation in Makkah became intolerable for Muslims while Islam was
able to make significant gains in Madinah, the Prophet advised his
companions in Makkah to immigrate to Madinah. Aminah bint Mihsan and her
brother Ukkashah were among the early immigrants. They left Makkah together
with a large group of their own people, including whole families,
abandoning their homes and property.
Aminah was keen to have an insight into Islam, and she used to learn
directly from the Prophet. Therefore, scholars of Hadith have related 24
Hadiths which she reported directly from the Prophet. This is evidence of
her achievement, as there are many of the Prophet’s companions, men and
women, who did not report a single Hadith.
The Prophet’s companions sought his guidance on all matters. He did not
lose a moment in delivering his message and establishing it as a way of
life; yet he had time to attend to people’s personal concerns. He was like
a loving father to all people. He addressed their personal concerns and
blessed their children. One day Aminah brought her baby to the Prophet so
that he would bless the child. The baby was still fully breast-fed. The
Prophet took the boy and began to bless him and talk to him, when the boy
wet himself and the Prophet’s clothes were wet. The Prophet smiled, called
for some water, and he sprinkled some water over his clothes, without
washing them. We learn from this that this is the way to remove such
impurity, by a breast-fed child.
Aminah also reports another occasion when she took her son to the Prophet,
as he was suffering from a throat infection that gave him tonsillitis. She
apparently had tried to push the boy’s tonsils back physically, as people
used to do at the time. The Prophet told her that that was useless and
would give the child more pain. He told her what to do with the child.
Her brother, Ukkashah ibn Mihsan, was a dedicated servant of Islam. One day
the Prophet mentioned to his companions that seventy thousand of his
followers will be admitted to heaven without having to face any reckoning
of their deeds. Ukkashah spontaneously said: “Messenger of God, pray to God
to make me one of them”. The Prophet said: “You are one of them.” Another
man made the same request, but the Prophet said: “Ukkashah has beaten you
to it.” Perhaps we should add here that in Arabic, the numbers seven,
seventy and their multiples do not signify actual numbers, but indicate
plenty. So the number seventy thousand in the Hadith could be taken to mean
a huge crowd that may be much more than seventy thousand.
*Ukkashah reported something to the Prophet about his sister, who lost her
son. She said to the man who was preparing the child’s body for burial: “Do
not wash my son with cold water; you will kill him if you do.” The Prophet
smiled and said: “What is the matter with her? May God give her a long
life.” This was a prayer by the Prophet. Like all his prayers, it was
answered in the best form. She lived to very old age. Al-Nassaie, who
reported this Hadith adds: “We do not know of any woman who lived as long
as she did.” *
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-By Adil Salahi
--
Faizan Shaikh,
Servant of Allah subhanau taa'la
“O Allah! Guide me to have beautiful manners and characteristics, no one
can guide me to beautify them except You. And turn me away from all evil
actions and characteristics, no one can turn them away from me except You.”
--
Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (evil) with what is better; then the
enmity between him and you will become as if it were your friend and intimate!
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