Umm Aiman, A Pious Virtuous Woman

[Roohi]

Anas bin Malik (Raziallahu Anhu) reported: After the death of Messenger of Allah (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam), Abu Bakr said to ‘Umar (Raziallahu Anhu) : “Let us visit Umm Aiman (raa) as Messenger of Allah (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) used to visit her”.

As we came to her, she wept. They (Abu Bakr and ‘Umar Raziallahu Anhu)) said to her, “What makes you weep? Do you not know that what Allah has in store for His Messenger (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) is better than (this worldly life)?”

She said, “I weep not because I am ignorant of the fact that what is in store for Messenger of Allah (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) (in the Hereafter) is better than this world, but I weep because the Revelation has ceased to come”.

This moved both of them to tears and they began to weep along with her.

The Book Pertaining to the Merits of the Companions (Raziallahu Anhu) of the Holy Prophet (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) (Kitab Al-Fada’il Al-Sahabah) – Muslim: Book 31, Hadith 6009
Commentary: The Book of Miscellany
Visiting The Pious Person – Loving Them And Adoption Of Their Company
Riyadh as-Saaliheen (The Gardens of the Righteous), by Imam an-Nawawi

Umm Aiman (Raziallahu Anha) belonged to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and was a slave-girl of the Prophet’s father (‘Abdullah bin ‘Abdul-Muttalib). After the death of ‘Abdullah, Umm Aiman (Raziallahu Anha) remained with the Prophet’s mother, Aminah, and took great care in his upbringing. Subsequently, the Prophet (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) set her free and she was married to Zaid bin Harithah (Raziallahu Anhu)

This Hadith holds justification for weeping over the death of the pious and also shows that it is desirable to visit such persons to whom one’s friends go to pay respect.

The incident mentioned in this Hadith also shows the love that the Companions (Raziallahu Anhu) of the Prophet (Salal la hua aleyh wasalam) had for him.