The
Martyr of the Sea was Umm Haram bint Milhan, sister of Umm Sulaym bint Milhan
al-Ansariyyah al-Khazrajiyyah, maternal aunt of Anas ibn Malik, and wife of
Ubadah ibn al-Samit.
She
was among the first Muslim women in Medina. She, along with her sister Umm
Sulaym, her brother Haram ibn Milhan, and her husband Ubadah ibn al-Samit, was
among those whom the Messenger of God met from Yathrib when he presented
himself to the tribes coming from all over the Arabian Peninsula during the
Hajj season in Mecca. They were among those whose hearts God opened to Islam,
who were imbued with the spirit of the Quran, and who believed in God as their
Lord and in Muhammad as His Prophet. Whenever the Messenger of God recited a
verse or chapter to them, it resonated deeply within them, and they would
repeat it in their gatherings and spread it among the people of Medina after
returning to their homes.
Scholars
agree that Umm Haram was a mahram (a woman whom the Prophet Muhammad, peace and
blessings be upon him, could not marry). They differed on how this happened.
Ibn Abd al-Barr and others said, "She was one of his foster aunts."
Others said, "Rather, she was an aunt of his father or grandfather,
because Abd al-Muttalib's mother was from the Banu Najjar tribe." It was
also said that Umm Haram was the sister of Umm Sulaym, and both were maternal
aunts of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and thus were
considered close relatives (mahrams) to him, either through breastfeeding or
blood relation. Therefore, it was permissible for him to be alone with them,
and he would only enter upon them privately; he would not enter upon any other
women except his wives (An-Nawawi's commentary on Sahih Muslim, Book of
Leadership, Chapter on the Virtue of Naval Warfare).
She
was known for her courage and love of jihad, and she participated in the
battles of Uhud, Hunayn, the Trench, the Conquest of Mecca, and Ta'if alongside
her husband, Ubadah. She was also a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence, and Anas
ibn Malik and others narrated hadiths from her.
Umm,
Haram was known for her generosity and kindness. She and her sister, Rumaysa,
held a special place with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Her
house was among the finest and most beloved to him. Whenever he went to Quba,
he would visit Umm Haram bint Milhan, and she would feed him (narrated by Anas
ibn Malik; source: Muwatta Malik). Hadith books relate that the Prophet entered
upon her while she was married to Ubadah ibn al-Samit. She fed him and sat down
to comb his hair. The Messenger of God then fell asleep, and upon waking, he
was laughing. She said, "I asked, 'What makes you laugh, O Messenger of
God?'" He said, "Some people from my nation were shown to me,
warriors in the cause of God, riding the waves of this sea, kings on thrones,
or like kings on thrones"—Ishaq doubted—"so I said, 'O Messenger of
God, pray to God that He makes me one of them,' so the Messenger of God prayed
for her, then he slept"—and Al-Harith said, "then he
slept"—"then he woke up and laughed, so I said to him, 'What makes
you laugh, O Messenger of God?'" He said, “Some people from my nation were
shown to me as warriors in the cause of God, like kings on thrones, or like
kings on thrones—as he said previously—so I said, ‘O Messenger of God, pray to
God that He makes me one of them.’ He said, ‘You are among the first.’ So she
embarked on a sea voyage during the time of Mu’awiyah, and she fell from her
mount as she came out of the sea, and she perished.” (Narrated by Anas ibn
Malik; Source: Sahih al-Bukhari).
In
the year 27 AH, the Companion Mu’awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan asked the Caliph Uthman
ibn Affan (may God be pleased with them both) for permission to march and
conquer the island of Cyprus, which had been occupied by the Romans, who
practiced various forms of tyranny there. However, Caliph Uthman ibn Affan
refused, fearing for the Muslim army’s safety at sea. After Mu’awiyah’s
insistence, he granted him permission. Thus, he stipulated that he should not
force any of the Muslims to go with him on that expedition and that he should
leave the choice to them. Umm Haram and her husband, Ubadah ibn al-Samit, were
among those who risked going with him, despite her advanced age. When she
embarked on the sea, she remembered the Prophet's vision (peace and blessings be
upon him) and whispered to herself, "Peace be upon you, my master, O
Messenger of God! Here is your prophecy being fulfilled, and here I am,
embarking on the sea to fight in the cause of God." When they disembarked,
she mounted an animal, and it threw her. Thus, the noble female companion
attained the honor of martyrdom in the cause of God. Ibn al-Athir stated in his
book "Usd al-Ghabah" that she was buried there (may God be pleased
with her).
Some
accounts indicate that she was buried in the spot where the Great Mosque of
Larnaca was built, known as the Tomb of the Righteous Woman. It was discovered
in 1760 CE by a man named Sheikh Hassan. She also narrated hadiths from the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Five hadiths. Among the hadiths narrated
by Umm Haram bint Milhan on the authority of the Messenger: “The first army of
my nation to raid the sea has earned Paradise.” Umm Haram said, “I said, ‘O
Messenger of Allah, am I among them?’” He said, “You are among them.” Then the
Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, “The first army of my
nation to raid the city of Caesar will be forgiven.” I said, “Am I among them,
O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “No.” (Narrator: Umm Haram bint Milhan; Source:
Sahih al-Bukhari).
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