Layla Ghifariyyah was one of the companions of the Prophet (S) and Amir al­Mu'minin ('a) and a warrior who accompanied the Prophet (S) in the wars and nursed the injured and cared for the sick.

Her Merits

When Imam 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib ('a) started out for al-Basrah, Layla was with him. She went to 'A'ishah and said, "Have you heard anything from the Messenger of God about the merits of 'Ali?"

'A'ishah said, "Yes. 'Ali came before the Prophet (S) when the Messenger of God (S) was with me. 'Ali sat with us, and I asked, 'You couldn't find a more spacious place than here?'

The Prophet (S) said, 'Let my brother be free for me. He is the first person to accept Islam, the last person in (keeping) his allegiance with me, and the first person to visit me on the Resurrection Day.'"

She has related traditions from the Messenger of God (S) and Imam 'Ali ('a), and Musa Ibn al-Qasim al-Ta'i has related traditions from her.

Muhammad Ibn al-Qasim al-Ta'i has related from Layla al-Ghifariyyah that the Messenger of God (S) told 'A'ishah, “Ali is the first person to have accepted Islam."1

Abu 'Umar and Harithah Ibn Abi Rihal have related from 'Umarah who related from Layla Ghifariyyah that she said, "I entered upon the Messenger of God (S) while he was in the house of 'A'ishah and 'Ali was outside their house. I heard the Prophet (S) tell A'ishah, 'This person ('Ali) is the dearest and greatest of men to me.'"2

• 1. Al-Isti'ab, vol. 4, p. 464; al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 402; Mawsu'at Hayat al-Sahabiyyat, p. 685.
• 2. Al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 403; Mawsu'at Hayat al-Sahabiyyat, p. 686.