Great Women in Islam

I know there hasn't been a Great Women in Islam quiz question for a long time, but I was going to put one up and with Ramadhaan and everything just didn't get down to doing it, so anyway the Great Woman that I will be posting about this time is:

• Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) was an Egyptian who was sent with her sister as a gift to the Prophet of Allah (Peace be Upon Him) by the ruler of Egypt at the time, named Muqawqis.
• This happened when the Prophet (PBUH) sent an envoy to Egypt with the message of Islam around the year 6 (After Hijrah*)  
• Muqawqis did not accept Islam, but he treated the envoy well and sent gifts back to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Thus Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) was one of the gifts. The Prophet (PBUH) gave her sister, named Seereen as a gift to Hasan ibn Thabit (May Allah be pleased with him).
• Mariyah embraced Islam and she practised the religion devotedly.
• The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cohabited with Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her), in accordance with the Shar’iah, as his maidservant that “his right hand possessed”.
• The Prophet (PBUH) was very fond of Mariyah .

• Mariyah became pregnant, while none of the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives had become pregnant since he came to Madinah.
• He was very happy about this and his love and affection for Mariyah increased.
• Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) delivered a baby boy who the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) named Ibraheem, as a way of seeking blessing with his ancestor, Prophet Ibraheem (Peace be upon Him).
• That was in the month of Dhul-Hijjah, in the eighth year after Hijrah.
• The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) then said about Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) that “Her son has set her free”.

• The Prophet’s (PBUH) joy at the birth of his son Ibraheem was great and this joy increased day by day in his heart.
• When Ibraheem was 18 months old, he became a victim of a fever. All remedies were of no avail. He breathed his last in the arms of his father. The women broke into tears and wept in solidarity with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
• Looking at the dead body of his son Ibraheem, the Prophet (PBUH) said something to this effect: “The eyes flow with tears and the heart with grief, but I say nothing except that which pleases my Lord. Ibraheem we are grieved over you. We are not against His will as He is our Master.”
• Then he looked lovingly and with pity at Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) and comforted her by saying; “He has a nurse in paradise. The remaining days of his nursing will be done in paradise.”
• Mariyah (May Allah be pleased with her) lived for about 5 years after the death of Allah’s Messenger (PBUH).
• Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) used to pay her maintenance and Umar (May Allah be pleased with Him) continued to do this after Abu Bakr.

*Hijrah- Immigration from Makkah to Madinah.

Information sourced from:

1.       Muhammad ‘Ali Qutb, (2007). Women Around the Messenger. Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House.

2.       Mothers of the Faithful: The Pure And Spotless. Johannesburg: A Saaberie Chisty Publication:

For more detailed reading- books can be downloaded from:

http://www.kalamullah.com/sisters.html