158. 'Amrah Bint Af’a
'Amrah's name was not found in the books of genealogy. Her name was found in a tradition related by Shaykh al-Saduq ('a).1 In the tradition related by AbuJa'far Muhammad Ibn al-Hasan Ibn Farrukh al-Saffar she is referred to as 'Amrah Bint Abi Rafi.2
She has related traditions from Umm Salamah. Abu Bakr al-Hadrami and 'Umar Ibn Mu'awiyah al-Dahni have related traditions from her. Shaykh alSaduq relying on his sources has related from 'Umar Ibn Mu'awiyah al-Dahni from 'Amrah Bint Af'a from Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (S), as saying:
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلاَ تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الأُولَي وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلاَةَ وَءَاتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ اِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهّـِرَكُمْ تَطْهِيراً
“And stay in your abodes and do not display your finery, like the former times of Ignorance, and establish the prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Verily Allah intends but to keep off from you (every kind of) uncleanness, O’ you the people of the House! And purify you (with) a thorough purification.” (Surah Al-‘Ahzab, 33:33).
Umm Salamah said: “The verse was revealed in my house, and there were seven people in my house at that time: the Messenger of God (S), Archangel Gabriel, Archangel Michael, 'Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn.' I was standing in the doorway and said, 'O Messenger of God, aren't I one of the people of your House?' He answered, 'You are one of the wives of the prophet.' But he did not say you are one of my Household."
Shaykh al-Saduq has written, "This tradition is unique, and this is the only chain of transmission. It is usually related that the Ahl al-Bayt about whom this verse was revealed were five people and the sixth one was Jibra’il.3
The author of Basa'ir al-Darajat using his own sources relates from al-Barqi who quotes from Fadalah Ibn Ayyub from Sayf Ibn 'Umayrah from Abu Bakr al-Hadrami from 'Amrah Bint Abi Rafi' from Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (S) as saying, "The Prophet (S) was suffering from the illness which caused his death. He said, 'Call my friend.' 'A'ishah sent for her father. When he came, the Prophet (S) covered his face and said, 'Call my friend.' Abu Bakr left in great surprise. Hafsah sent for her father. When he came, the Prophet (S) covered his face and said, 'Call my friend.' 'Umar left in great surprise. Fatimah sent for 'Ali. When he came, the Prophet stood up and honored 'Ali.' 'Ali said, 'He told me a thousand traditions. Each tradition opened a thousand doors for me, until I was sweating and so was the Messenger of God (S). 'Ali's sweat made the Prophet wet and the Prophet's sweat made Ali wet."'4
