Umm Ri'lah was a woman of great knowledge and reasoning power, who met the Holy Prophet (S).

Her Merits

She was a learned woman, an eloquent poetess who composed the sweetest of poems, and a wise woman. Ibn Hajar has written that her traditions were transmitted through two independent chains going back to Ibn 'Abbas. The translation of her conversation with the Holy Prophet (S) as transmitted by Ibn 'Abbas is as follows, "Umm Ri'lah entered into the presence of the Holy Prophet (S) and said, 'We women who stay in the inner chambers, tending to our husbands, raising our children and managing our households, cannot fight in the way of God. So, teach us something to bring us closer to the Almighty God.'

The Holy Prophet (S) answered, 'Ask for forgiveness night and day, remember God much, lower your gaze before men who are not related to you, and speak in a quiet voice.' She was a beautician and the Messenger of God (S) had approved her occupation."

It is said that, "Umm Ri'lah was not seen for a time. When she returned to al­Madinah, the Holy Prophet (S) had already passed away. Upon learning this, she wept and wailed so loud that the sound of crying emanated from all the houses of the Ansar. Umm Ri'lah went to see Imam al-Hasan and Imam al­Husayn ('a). She circled around them in grief like a butterfly, and recited the following poem to Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' ('a):

O house of Fatimah which was never empty;

You have incited grief in me.

Salutations be upon you, O house.1

'Umar Ridha Kahhalah writes, Umm Ri'lah was a woman of great eloquence.2 Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin, after relating the words of Ibn al-Athir and Ibn Hajar, writes, "From her circling around Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn ('a), and reciting this poem to Fatimah, it is evident that she possesses the conditions of my book (e.g. that she is Shi'ah and a follower of the family of the Holy Prophet)."3

She has related traditions from the Holy Prophet (S) and Ibn 'Abbas has related traditions from her.

Apart from the tradition whose translation was already provided in the section about Umm Ri'lah's merits, another tradition has been related from her through the same chain of transmissions. "Umm Ri'lah said, 'O Messenger of God, I am a beautician and I beautify and adorn women for their husbands. Is this a sin?'

He answered, 'O Umm Ri'lah, beautify and adorn them when they have lost the attention (from old age) of their husbands."'

• 1. Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 582; al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 449; A 'lam al-Nisa', vol. 1, p. 451.
• 2. A'lam al-Nisa',vol. 1, p. 451.
• 3. A'yan al-Shi'ah, vol. 3, p. 478.