> Umm Ibrahim

[IbnAbdulHakim]

We will end this chapter with the famous story of Umm Ibrahim. This story was mentioned by scholars like Abu Jafar al Luban. He narrates:

It is mentioned that one of the righteous women in Basra was Umm Ibrahim al Hashimeeyah. The enemy attacked one of the Muslim towns so people were encouraged to join jihad. Abdul Wahid bin Zayd al Basri delivered a speech encouraging jihad and among the audience was Umm Ibrahim. Among the things Abdul Wahid talked about was al Hoor (the women of Paradise). Umm Ibrahim stood up and said to Abdul Wahid: ?You know my son Ibrahim and you know that the nobility of al Basra wish to have him marry one of their daughters and I have not agreed to one of them yet. But I like this girl you described and I would be happy to marry her to my son. Can you please describe her again??

Abdul Wahid then narrated a poem in the description of the Hoor. Umm Ibrahim said: ?I want my son to marry this girl and I would pay you 10,000 dinars as her dowry and you take him with you in this army. He might die as a Shaheed and intercede for me on the Day of Judgment.? Abdul Wahid said: ?If you do so, that is great success for you and your son.? She then called her son from the audience. He stood up and said: ?Yes my mother!? She said: ?Are you pleased to marry this girl with the condition of giving your soul to Allah?? He said: ?Yes! I am very pleased!? She said: ?O Allah you are my witness that I have married my son to this girl from Paradise with the condition he spends his soul in your sake? Then she went and brought back with her 10,000 dinars and gave it to Abdul Wahid and said: ?This is her dowry. Take it and use it to provide for the mujahideen? She then purchased for her son a good horse and she armed him. When the army started its march Ibrahim came out with the reciters of Quran surrounding him and reciting:
?Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise.?

When Umm Ibrahim was greeting her son she told him: ?Be careful and don?t allow any shortcomings from yourself to be seen by Allah? She them embraced him and kissed him and said: ?May Allah never bring us together except on the Day of Judgment!?

Abdul Wahid said: ?When we reached the enemy?s territory and people were called to fight. Ibrahim was in the front and he killed many of the enemy but then they overwhelmed him and killed him. On our way back I told my soldiers not to tell Umm Ibrahim that her son was killed until I tell her. When we entered al Basra she met me and said: ?Did Allah accept my gift so I can celebrate or was it rejected so I should cry?? I said: ?Allah did accept your gift and your son died as a Shaheed? She then prostrated to thank Allah and said: ?Thank you Allah for accepting my gift? The following day she came to me in the mosque and said: ?Rejoice!? I said: ?What good news do you have?? She said: ?I saw my son Ibrahim last night in a dream. He was in a beautiful garden dressed in green clothes, sitting on a throne made of pearl and he had a crown on his head. He told me: ?Rejoice my mother! I got married to my bride!?

Taken from: Mashari Al-Ashwaq Ila Masari Al-Ushaq Wa Mutheer Al-Gharam Ila Dar Assalam

THE BOOK OF JIHAD
By
Abi Zakaryya Al Dimashqi Al Dumyati
?Ibn-Nuhas?
(D. 814 Hijri)
Translated By Noor Yamani
(Abridged)
Revised ?Abu Rauda