The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 388
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 388 would take place there every year in the beginning of Dhū Qa‘dah , during the carnival, many Companions engaged in trade and were able to generate significant profits. As a matter of fact, in this eight day business venture, they were able to multiply their initial capital two-fold. When the carnival came to an end, and the army of the Quraish did not arrive, the Holy Prophet sa departed from Badr and returned to Madīnah. The Quraish returned to Makkah and began to prepare for an attack upon Madīnah. 1 This Ghazwah is known as the Ghazwah of Badrul-Mau‘id. Marriage to Ummi Salamah ra - Shawwāl 4 A. H. The very same year, in the month of Shawwāl , the Holy Prophet sa married Ummi Salamah ra. 2 Ummi Salamah ra belonged to a noble family of the Quraish and prior to this, was married to Abū Salamah bin ‘Abdul-Asad ra , who was a very faithful and pioneer Companion and had passed away this year. When the ‘Iddat (i. e. , a fixed time period appointed by the Islāmic Sharī‘at , which must elapse before a widow or divorced woman can marry again) had passed, since Ummi Salamah was a very wise, well-mannered and able lady, Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakr ra desired to marry her, 3 but she did not accept. Finally, the Holy Prophet sa thought to marry her, because in addition to her personal qualities, due to which she was worthy of becoming the wife of a law-giving Prophet, she was the widow of a very eminent and pioneer Companion. Then she also had children, due to which it was necessary to make special arrangements for her. In addition to all this, Abū Salamah bin ‘Abdullāh ra was also the foster- brother of the Holy Prophet sa , 4 and for this reason, the Holy Prophet sa was especially concerned for his bereaved family. In any case, the Holy Prophet sa sent a proposal of marriage to Ummi Salamah ra. At first, she was somewhat reluctant on account of various difficulties and excused herself saying, “I have 1 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 279, Ghazwatu Rasūlillāhi sa Badril- Mau‘id, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 * Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 94, Thumma Dakhalatis-Sanatur-Rābi‘atu Minal-Hijrah / Dhikrul-Khabari ‘An Ghazwatis-Sawīq, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 402, Ummu Salamah Ummul-Mu’minīn, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 3 Sunanu An-Nasa’ī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābu Inkāḥil-Ibni Ummahū, Ḥadīth No. 3254 4 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābu-Nikāḥ, Bābu Wa An Tajma‘ū Bainal-Ukhtayain, Ḥadīth No. 5107