One of the most distinguished women who took part in the
battle of Uhud, if not the most distinguished of them, was
Nasibah bint Ka'b al-Maziniyyah, Umm 'Umarah (May Allah be
pleased with her). At the beginning of the battle, she was
bringing water and tending the wounded, as the other women were
doing. When the battle was going in the favour of the Muslims,
the archers disobeyed the command of the Prophet (SAW), and
this turned the victory into defeat, as the Qur'an described
it:
"Behold! You were climbing up the high ground, without even
casting a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger in your rear
was calling you back..." 3:153
At this point, Nasibah went forward, with her sword
unsheathed and her bow in her hand, to join the small group who
were standing firm with the Prophet (SAW), acting as a human
shield to protect him from the arrows of the mushrikin. Every
time danger approached the Prophet (SAW) she hastened to
protect him. The Messenger of ALlah (SAW) noticed this, and
later said, "Wherever I turned, to the left or the right, I saw
her fighting for me."
Her son 'Umarah also described what happened on that
tremendous day: "On that day, I was wounded in my left hand. A
man who seemed to be as tall as a palm-tree struck me, then
went away without pursuing me to finish me off. The blood began
to flow copiously, so the Messenger of Allah (SAW) told me,
'Bind up your wound.' My mother came to me, and she was wearing
a waist-wrapper, which she had brought, for the purpose of
wrapping wounds. She dressed my wound, whilst the Prophet (SAW)
was looking on. Then she told me, 'Get up, my son, and fight
the people.' The Prophet (SAW) said, 'Who could bear what you
are putting up with, O Umm 'Umarah?' She said: The man who had
struck my son came by, and the Messenger of ALlah (SAW) said,
'This is the one who struck your son.' I intercepted him and
hit him in the thigh, and he collapsed. I saw the Messenger of
ALlah (SAW) smiling so broadly that I could see his back teeth.
He said, 'You have taken your revenge, O Umm 'Umarah!' Then we
struck him with our weapons until we killed him, and the
Prophet (SAW) said: 'Praise be to Allah (SWT), who granted you
victory over him, gave you the satisfaction of taking revenge
on your enemy, and let you see the vengeance for yourself." On
this day, Nasibah herself received many wounds whilst she was
fighting the people and striking their chests. The Prophet
(SAW) saw her, and called to her son, "Your mother! Your
mother! See to her wounds, may Allah (SWT) bless you and your
household! Your mother has fought better than so-and-so." When
his mother heard what the Prophet (SAW) said, she said, "Pray
to Allah (SWT) that we may accompany you in Paradise." He said,
"O Allah (SWT), make them my companions in Paradise." She said,
" I do not care what befalls me in this world." Umm 'Umarah's
jihad was not confined to the battle of Uhud. She was also
present on a number of other occasions, namely the treaty of 'Aqabah,
Al-Hudaybiyah, Khaybar and Hunayn. Her heroic conduct at Hunayn
was no less marvellous than her heroic conduct at Uhud. At the
time of Abu Bakr's Khilafah, she was present at Al-Yamamah
where she fought brilliantly and received eleven wounds as well
as losing her hand. It is no surprise that the Prophet (SAW)
gave her the good news that she would enter Paradise, and that
she was later held in high esteem by the khalifah Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq
and his commander Khalid ibn Al-Walid and then by 'Umar ibn al-Khattab
(RA)!!!