Umm Husham was the daughter of Harithah Ibn al-Nu'man1 Ibn Naf Ibn Zayd... Malik Ibn al-Najjar al-Ansari. Her mother was Umm Khalid Bint Khalid Ibn Ya'ish Ibn Qays... Ibn Malik Ibn al-Najjar. She married 'Umarah Ibn Hibhab Ibn Sa'd Ibn Qays... Ibn Malik Ibn al-Najjar.

Al-'Asqalani2 has written, "She is the maternal sister of 'Umarah Bint 'Abd al-Rahman."3 However, Ibn Sa'd has written that 'Umarah was the daughter of Harithah Ibn al-Nu'man and Umm Khalid Bint Khalid Ibn Ya'ish.4 Thus, according to Ibn Sa'd, Umm Husham and 'Umarah are from one mother and father. Umm­Husham died in the year 98 A.H.L.5

Her Merits

Umm Husham al-Ansari was a transmitter of traditions from the Messenger of God (S). She has related eleven traditions from the Prophet (S). She became Muslim in the beginning of Islam, and during the Allegiance of Ridwan she pledged allegiance with the Messenger of God (S).6

She had memorized the Qur'an. According to the Qur'an, she was given good news of her entering heaven:

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

“Verily, Allah was pleased with believers when they gave pledge to you under the tree [at Hudaybiyya]: He knew what was in their hearts [of faith and sincerity] and He sent down serenity upon them, and He rewarded them with a near triumph.” (Surah Al-Fath, 48:18)

A number of the transmitters of traditions have related traditions from her, and the jurisprudents considered her words to be reliable. Therefore, she was recognized as to her knowledge in the sciences.

Shaykh al-Tusi has written that her father was one of the companions of the Messenger of God (S), fought in the battles of Badr, Uhud and all of the other battles in which the Prophet (S) participated, and that his nickname was Abu­'Abdullah.

He saw the Archangel Gabriel two times in the form of Dihyah al­Kalbi.7 The first time was when the Prophet (S) had started out towards the tribe of Banu-Qurayzah, and the second time was when he was returning from Hunayn. After the death of the Prophet (S) he accompanied Amir al-Mu'minin ('a) in those battles, and eventually passed away during the rule of Mu'awiyah.8

Shaykh al-Tusi, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Abu Na'im, Ibn Mandah, Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Ibn al-Athir, and Mamqani have listed her among the transmitters of traditions from the Messenger of God (S). Some of them have called her Umm Hashim.9

In descriBintg the companions of the Prophet (S) in his book of biographies, Shaykh al-Tusi has called her (Umm Husham) Bint Harithah the sister of 'Umar. And, in some of the copies it is written the sister of 'Amrah.

However, in the following books two names are listed: Manhaj al-Maqal by Astarabadi, Mu'jam Rijal by Khu'i, Tanqih al-Maqal by Mamqani, A'yan al-Shi'ah by Sayyid al-Amin, and Jami' al-Ruwat by Muqaddas Ardabili. The two names they have given are the sister of 'Umar (or 'Amarah) and Umm Husham.10

Some of them have said that it is possible that she was the sister of 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab. But, in Shaykh al-Tusi's book, Bint Harithah is written, and there is no reason to doubt this. 'Umar was the son of al-Khattab Ibn Nufayl Ibn 'Abd al-'Uzza and his mother was Hantamah Bint Husham Ibn al-Maghirah.

It is noteworthy that the following books have only listed the name Umm Husham (Umm Hashim) Bint Harithah Ibn al-Nu'man: al-Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa'd, al-Mu'jam al-Kabir by al-Tabarani, al-Isti'ab by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr, Usd al-Ghabah by Ibn al-Athir, and A'lam al-Nisa' by Kahhalah. When we compare this with what has been said by Shaykh al-Tusi, we can see that this name is correct.

Umm Husham has related traditions from the Messenger of God (S). 'Amrah (her sister), Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Sa'd Ibn Zurarah al-Ansari, Yahya Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Sa'd Ibn Zurarah, and Khubayb Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Yasaf have related traditions from her.

Al-Tabarani based on his own sources relates from Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman from Umm Husham Bint Harithah that she said, "I memorized Surah Qaf from the Prophet (S), and he used to read this Surah during the Friday Prayer." Ibn al­Athir and Ibn Sa'd have related a similar tradition based on their own sources.11

Ibn al-Athir relying on his sources relates from Yahya Ibn 'Abdullah Ibn 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Sa'd Ibn Zurarah from Umm Husham Bint Harithah Ibn al­Nu'man that she said, "It was over a year that the Messenger of God (S) and us shared one oven. And, it was only from the words of the Prophet (S) that I memorized Surah Qaf. The Prophet (S) would read this Surah every FRidhay when he had a speech for the people."12

Ibn Sa'd and al-Tabarani have related a similar tradition. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr has said, "Yahya didn't hear this tradition from her directly. 'Abd al-Rahman related this to him from her."13

Umm Husham's traditions have been recorded in such reference books of hadith like Sunan Abi Dawud, Sunan al-Nasa'i and Sunan Ibn Majah.14

• 1. Harithah Ibn al-Nu'man was one of the virtuous followers of the Messenger of God (S) in al-Madinah, and one of the first to accept Islam. He provided the houses for the wives of the Prophet (S).
• 2. Ibn Hajar's full name is Ahmad Ibn 'Ali al-'Asqalani.
• 3. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 12, p.481.
• 4. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8, p. 442.
• 5. Rayahin al-Shari'ah, vol. 6, p. 142.
• 6. A'lam al-Nisa', vol. 5, p. 211; Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 74.
• 7. Dihyah Ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi was born in 45 A.H.L. He was a poet and companion of the Prophet (S) who was well-known for his pleasant countenance. The Prophet (S) sent him on a mission to the Roman Caesar. He was alive until the reign of Mu'awiyah.
• 8. Rijal al-'Tusi, p. 17.
• 9. Rijal al-'Tusi, p. 53; al-Jami' fi’l- 'Ilal wa Ma'rifat al-Rijal, p. 245; Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 74.
• 10. Rijal al-'Tusi, p. 53; al-Jami' fi’l- 'Ilal wa Ma'rifat al-Rijal, p. 245; Tanqih al-Maqal, vol. 3, p. 74.
• 11. Al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, vol. 25, p. 141; Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 625; al-Tabaqat al­Kubra, vol. 8, p. 442.
• 12. Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 5, p. 623.
• 13. Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, vol. 8, p. 442; al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, vol. 25, p. 142 (four traditions); Al-Isti’ab, vol. 4, p. 1963.
• 14. Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 12, p. 481.