Umm Ghanim was a Bedouin woman from Yemen, who was known by the epithet of the owner of the pebble.1 Amir al- Mu'minin ('a) put his seal for her on a fistful of pebbles.2

Her Merits

Umm Ghanim met Imam Ali Amir al-Mu'minin, Imam al-Hasan, Imam al­Husayn and Imam al-Sajjad ('a). After her, her descendants met other Imams. For example, Mahja' Ibn al-Salt Ibn 'Aqabah Ibn Sam'an Ibn Ghanim Ibn Ummi-Ghanim, who met Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari ('a).3

Abu 'Ali al-Tabarsi narrates a tradition about Umm Ghanim, quoting 'Abdullah Ibn Sulayman al-Hadrami, which is summarized as follows, "(In their search for Imam 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn), Ghanim Ibn Ummi-Ghanim and his mother came to al-Madinah. Umm Ghanim asked for a person named 'Ali from the Banu-Hashim tribe. People introduced 'Ali Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abbas.

When she went to 'Ali, she told him, 'I have a fistful of pebbles upon which (Imams) 'Ali, al-Hasan and al-Husayn have put their seal. I have heard that a person named 'Ali will seal them.' 'Ali Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn al-'Abbas replied, 'O foe of God! You have attributed a falsehood to 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib and al-Hasan and al-Husayn.' Umm Ghanim continued, 'the Banu-Hashim beat me up so severely that I was forced to renounce what I had said, and they took the pebbles from me. That night I saw (Imam) al-Husayn ('a) in my dreams, and he said, 'Take these pebbles and go meet my son 'Ali. He is your friend and will listen to you. When I awoke, I found the fistful of pebbles in my hand. '"4

It may be concluded from the tradition summarized above that Umm Ghanim had a high spiritual standing and was in close contact with the Imams. It can also be concluded that she possessed their trust and was aware of the issue of Imamate and its secrets.

Abu 'Abdullah Ibn 'Ayyash5 writes, "This Umm Ghanim, owner of the pebbles, is different from the other two women who are also called 'owner of the pebbles'. One of these two is called Umm 'l-Nada Habbabah the daughter of Ja'far al-Walibi al-Asadi, and the other is 'the first owner of the pebbles', whose name is Umm Aslam. The Holy Prophet (S) and Amir al-Mu'minin ('a) sealed her pebbles,6 and she was the inheritor of the books. The story of the pebbles being sealed has been related about all three of them."7

Mamqani has listed Umm Ghanim among the transmitters of traditions, and reports the words of al-Tabarasi about her.8 She has related traditions from Imam 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn ('a) and Umm­ Farwah. Al-Qasim Ibn Ghanim (her grandson) has related traditions from her.

Abu 'Ali al-Tabarsi, quotes 'Abdullah Ibn Sulayman al-Hadrami, as relating that Umm Ghanim went to al-Madinah to find Imam 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn, as has already been related in the section on her merits, and that she said, "I (then) went to 'Ali Ibn al-Husayn ('a) and he sealed them (the pebbles) and said, 'There is a lesson and advice in this matter (of the pebbles), do not tell anyone about it."9

• 1. Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 347.
• 2. Kitab al-Ghaybah, p. 122.
• 3. Kitab al-Ghaybah, p. 122; I'lam al-Wara, p. 353.
• 4. l'lam al-Wara, p. 353; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 35.
• 5. Mamqani writes, "Mirza (Astrabadi) mentions her name, but we do not have any biographical information about her. (Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 25).
• 6. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 50, p. 303.
• 7. I'lam al-Wara, p. 354.
• 8. Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 73.
• 9. I'lam al-Wara, p. 353; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 36.