Um Hakim, the good wife

Um Hakim was a venerable female Sahabiyyah (Companions of the Prophet) who decided to rescue her husband from the clutches of error, so she made up her mind to take him out of the darkness of disbelief, and insisted on removing the band of polytheism from his eyes.

Um Hakim was the wife of a man who was the most hateful to the religion of Allah (may He be Glorified and Exalted) and to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

She was the wife of `Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl that young man who led big battles against Muslims and dedicated all his money, horses, and equipments to eradicate the believers.

Moreover, he spent huge monies to break and weaken the power of the believers. However, days passed very fast and the truth has come and falsehood has vanished, surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) entered Makkah victoriously and the Arabs have subjected to him.

Then, the polytheists who were the most hateful to the Prophet (peace be upon him) such as: Safwan Ibn Umayyah, Suhayl ibn `Amr, `Abdul-`Uzza ibn Al Akhtal, `Abdullah ibn Sa`d Ibn Abu Al Sarh, and `Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl.

`Ikrimah decided to escape to the south of the Arabian Peninsula in the direction of Yemen, so he rode his fast horse and departed.

Here, it becomes clear the eagerness of the Muslim woman to guide her husband to the truth no matter the hardships are.

So, Um Hakim took a decision which may be difficult to many of today's women; she decided to guide her polytheistic husband to Paradise even if that matter would cost her a lot.

The woman went to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asking for security for her husband. She said: O Messenger Allah, `Ikrimah escaped to Yemen and feared that you kill him, so grant him security. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah, who was the master of forgiveness, said: (He is secured).

The Muslim woman rejoiced at that good news because she had succeeded in the first step then she prepared herself to join her husband.

She did not want him for herself, her house, or her children; she wanted him for his own interest, to save him for Hell and to cast the light of faith into his heart.

She accompanied her servant Roman boy, and while they were in the road, that boy tried to seduce her as if Satan used him to corrupt her Da`wah journey. Satan made him a cheap tool to turn her away from goodness and to make him an obstacle in the way of guidance.

However, this chaste woman decided in herself that nothing will keep her away from her divine target.

So, she kept on deceiving the boy until she reached `Ak neighborhood, so she seized the chance and decided to get rid of the evil boy who did not realize the greatness of this journey and did not comprehend the great goal behind it.

She sought the help of the neighborhood residents, who tied him and she continued marching to her polytheistic husband.

That woman gave up her boy who used to serve her during the journey because she was a chaste Muslim woman and continued her hard journey alone.

After all those hardships, she joined her husband in Tihamah coast while he was getting ready to ride a ship.

Um Hakim spoke to him with soft words full of compassion: O cousin, I came to you from the most compassionate person, the kindest, and the best. Do not perish yourself! Do not perish yourself! She said: I asked security for you from Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

He said wondering and condemning her action which was weird and was not known among the polytheistic women: Did you do that? She said: Yes, I spoke to him and he gave you security.

After argument, thinking, and persistence, he decided to go back. She told him about her Roman boy, so he killed him.

When he reached Makkah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) called his Companions and said: "`Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl came to you, so do not insult his father because insulting a dead person harms the living and does not harm the dead."

In Makkah, a new type of the chastity and purification of Um Hakim showed up when `Ikrimah called her to sexual intercourse but she refused and said: I am a Muslim and you are an infidel. Hence, she did not go after him for herself but to guide him to Islam.

`Ikrimah said: Something prevented you from me.

Due to that chaste situation, `Ikrimah made up his mind to meet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw `Ikrimah, he stood up out of joy, then `Ikrimah stood before him and declared Islam.

Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Ask whatever you want." `Ikrimah said with his face bright of faith: I ask you to forgive any enmity, any march, any action, and any word I said against you.

The Messenger of Allah raised his hands to the sky and invoked Allah: "O Allah forgive any enmity he showed against me, any march he did against me in which he wanted to put off Your Light, and forgive anything he did or said against me whether in my presence or while I am absent." When `Ikrimah saw the limitless generosity of the Messenger of Allah, he said: I am satisfied, O Messenger of Allah. Any expenditure I spent for obstructing the way of Allah, I shall spend the double in the cause of Allah.

I will fight for the sake of Allah double the fight I did against Islam.

After he embraced Islam, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave him back his wife in marriage. [1]

His final destination was martyrdom in the Battle of Al Yarmouk.

Dear sister, ponder over this astonishing changing in the life of that man, what was the reason behind that change? It is the woman who made up her mind to change the conditions of her husband and rescue him from the severe torment of Hell, no matter how hard the matter was.

How many husbands walk in the way of sin and vice, throwing themselves in the abyss and their wives do nothing to save them or even share them the same fate?!

Where is the role of a righteous and good wife?
Do not they have a good example in Um Hakim?