Volume - VI / CHAPTER - 1 / LESSON NO: 4 / PAGE 1 of 2
"UMMAHAA-TUL-MU'MINEEN"
Q 1: What does "Ummahaa-tul-Mu'meneen" mean?
A. "Ummahaa-tul-Mu'meneen" is appellation of the respected wives of the Holy Prophet. Each of them is called "Ummul Mu'meneen" meaning the mother of the faithfuls. The wisdom in calling them "mothers of the faithfuls" is to distinguish."Mu'min" (believer) from others. Mu'min is he who holds them in high esteem as mother. A Mu'min's fulfillment of filial duty toward Ummahaa-tul-Mu'meneen is, in fact, love and veneration for the Holy Prophet and perfection in Eimaan. Mischievous ones can not attain to this honour.
Q 2: What are the specific excellences of Ummahaa-tul-Mu'meneen?
A. Their first excellence is that Allah Almighty Himself has described those pure and venerated souls as the "wives of the Holy Prophet" which vindicates that their being wives of the Holy Prophet is with the consent of Allah Almighty. This is, indeed, a great excellence of theirs, for no other couple can claim about the position of their marriage in the Divine Court. Their second excellence is that Allah Almighty said about them in the Holy Quran: "Las-tunna ka-Ahadim Minan Nisaaa" (O' the wives of the Prophet! you are not like other women). The word "An-Nisaa" encompasses the whole fair sex excluding no woman which is indicative of the fact that the respected wives of the Holy Prophet are superior to all women on the earth. No woman has any resemblance to them at all. They have been rewarded far greater than all women of the world for enjoying the companionship of and affinity with the Holy Prophet.
The third excellence is that Allah Almighty described their houses as "Mahbit" (the place of the descent of Divine revelations) and cradle of the Divine knowledge and wisdom. And it is a well-known fact that a house is esteemed because of its inmates. Their fourth excellence is that Allah Almighty descended "Ayatul Tat-heer" (the verse of purification) in their honour. The Holy Quran said: "Innamaa Yureedul Laahu Li-yuzhiba 'Ankumur Rijsa Ahlal Baieti wa yu-Tah-hirakum Tat-heeraa" (O' the family members of the Prophet! Allah desires to cleanse you of every impurity and to make you all clean by purifying you well). The wives of the Holy Prophet are focally addressed in the Quranic verses preceded this verse. That's why the word "Ahlal Baiet" (family of the Holy Prophet) is an address to them as is "Booyu-tikunna" (an address to them). It is a well-known fact that the word "Sahib-e-Khaanah" or "Ghar-waalee" is always used for housewife. "Ahlal Bait" is an Arabic translation of "Ghar-waalee" (house-wife) and when the meaning of this word is enlarged then the word "Gharwaalay" (families) comes into being. A family consists of parents and children. Without housewife it will be a misnomer. Well, the creed of the "Ulama" of Ahle Sunnat is that the word "Ahlal Bait" embraces all respected wives of the Holy Prophet, "Khaatoon-e-Jannat" Hadrat Fatimah, Hadrat Ali, Imaam Hasan and Imaam Husain (may Allah be pleased with them all) which is based on and proved by the Quranic verses and Ahaadees.
Their fifth excellence is that in a Quranic verse "Wamaa-kaana Lakum Un Tu'zoo Rasoolal Laah" (it does not behove you to annoy the Messenger of Allah) believers have been warned against hurting the Holy Prophet and then the rights of wives of the Holy Prophet have been specifically explained therein. Thus it is clear that the worst vexation of the Holy Prophet is to adopt an unbecoming attitude for any of his wives.
A Hadees says that once Ummul Mu'meneen Zainub bint Jahash called Ummul Mu'meneen Safiah jew. No doubt her lineage belonged to Yahood bin Yaqoob but her tone was scornful. On this, the Holy Prophet stayed away for some days from Ummul Mu'mineen Zainub. She was pardoned only when she repented. In short, insolence to any of Umma-haa-tul Mu'meneen is, in fact, impudence and insolence to the Holy Prophet and Allah and tantamount to depriving oneself of Islaam and Eimaan. Their numerous other excellences are also proved by Quran-o-Hadees which are not dilated upon for brevity.
Q 3: What is the total number of Umma-haatul Mu'meneen?
A. There were eleven Umma-haatul Mu'meneen whose names are:
1). Hadrat Khudaija-tul Kubra bint Khuvaielad.
2). Hadrat Sauda bint Zam'ah.
3). Hadrat Aiesha bint Siddique Akbar.
4). Hadrat Hafsah bint Farooque 'Azam.
5). Hadrat Zainub bint Khuzaima.
6). Hadrat Umme Salman bint Abi Umaieyah.
7). Hadrat Zainub bint Jahash.
8). Hadrat Juwaireeyah bint Al-Haaris.
9). Hadrat Umme Habeebah bint Abu Sufyaan.
10).Hadrat Safiah bint Huyyai.
11).Hadrat Maimoonah bint Al-Haaris.
(May Allah be pleased with them all).
Some of these Umma-haatul Mu'meneen are also closer to the Holy Prophet on account of their family ancestral ties with him.
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