“My son! Do not accept humiliating conditions laid down by the enemy for fear of slaughter. It is better to embrace the edge of the sword with honour than to endure disgrace… and pass a life of humiliation under the whip”

Asma bint Abi Bakr is one of the most renowned Sahabiyaat (female Companions) of the Prophet (SAW). Her father Abu Bakr was the first adult male to accept Islam. Her sister A’eesha (RA) was the wife of Rasoolullah (SAW), thus making Rasoolullah (SAW) her brother-in-law. Her husband Az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam (RA) was the first-cousin of the Prophet (SAW) and one of asharah mubasharah (10 companions promised Paradise). Her mother-in-law was Safiyyah (RA), the paternal aunt of Muhammad (SAW). With such a distinguished lineage, it is little wonder that Asma (RA) was such an inspirational Muslimah.

When Rasoolullah (SAW) determined to embark on a hijrah (migration) to Madinah, Asma (RA) was one of the chosen few to be privy to his plans. The utmost secrecy had to be upheld, as the Quraish tribe had made their murderous intentions known. Asma prepared food for the journey and earned herself an unusual nickname. She relates: I prepared the journey-food for Allah's Apostle in Abu Bakr's house when he intended to migrate to Medina. I could not find anything to tie the food-container and the water skin with. So, I said to Abu Bakr, "By Allah, I do not find anything to tie (these things) with except my waist belt." He said, "Cut it into two pieces and tie the water-skin with one piece and the food-container with the other" (the sub-narrator added, "She did accordingly and that was the reason for calling her Dhatun-Nitaqain [i.e. two-belted woman])." [Bukhari]

Asma (RA) was a strong character who fully supported her father’s decision to migrate. When Abu Bakr left for Madinah with the Messenger of Allah (SAW), Asma (RA) was pregnant with her first child. Nevertheless, she maintained a cool head and bravely faced an interrogation from Abu Jahl, one of the chiefs of Quraish. Upon discovering that Muhammad (SAW) had slipped out of Makkah, Abu Jahl pressured Asma to disclose the whereabouts of her father. He was certain that Abu Bakr would know where Muhammad (SAW) was. Abu Jahl did not know that Abu Bakr had left to accompany Muhammad (SAW) on his journey to Madinah and became enraged at Asma’s evasive responses to his questions. He delivered a hard blow to her face, the force of which broke her earring.

Abu Quhafa — Abu Bakr’s father — had heard that his son had migrated and left his family penniless. The old man had not yet accepted Islam and criticised the actions of his son to Asma. Abu Quhafa had lost his eyesight, so Asma took some pebbles and covered them with a piece of cloth. She urged her grandfather to feel the pile of ‘money’ that had been left behind for the family to use. Asma (RA) did this in order to allay the concerns of her grandfather. Given that he was still a mushrik (idol-worshipper) at the time, Asma was reluctant to ask him for financial assistance. She was proud in the praiseworthy sense of the word and would rather struggle than let her father’s decision to accompany Rasoolullah (SAW) be criticised.

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