Description

LINEAGE

Umm Kulthum (R.A), daughter of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A) and Bibi Fatima bint Muhammad (R.A), was born in 630 AD. Umm Kulthum (R.A) was the fourth child of Bibi Fatima (R.A) and Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (R.A), and their youngest daughter. This lineage places Umm Kulthum (R.A) within the noble family of the Prophet, known as the Ahl al-Bayt or the Family of the Prophet.

LIFE

Umm Kulthum (R.A) was very young when her mother, Bibi Fatima (R.A), passed away. Umm Kulthum (R.A) was raised in the lap of her father, Hazrat Ali (R.A). To Umm Kulthum (R.A), her father was everything because she never had the chance to have a relationship with her mother.

According to some sources, Umm Kulthum (R.A) married the son of Jaffar ibn Abu Talib (R.A). Her husband died in the Battle of Karbala. He was alongside Imam Hussain (R.A) in the Battle of Karbala, where he died.

Reportedly, on the night of the nineteenth of Ramadan when Hazrat Ali (R.A) was struck on his head, he was at the house of Hazrat Umm Kulthum (R.A).

Umm Kulthum (R.A) was the main narrator of the hadiths of that night. She said, “On that night, I brought him (Hazrat Ali) his food,” (she brought him salt, yogurt, and bread). He replied, “My daughter, why have you brought me so much to eat? Since when have you seen your father eat meals this big? Don’t you know a person who has such meals will have a longer exam on the Day of Judgment?” She then went and took some of it away.

She also said, “That night, I saw my father walking to the window and coming back, walking to the window and coming back, saying, ‘This is the night the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) told me about.’ She said, “I looked at him and said, ‘My father, you are the greatest of warriors, and I have never seen you look as scared as I have seen you tonight.'” He replied, “My daughter, this is the night I know I will return to my Lord.” She then went towards her older brother, Imam Hasan (R.A). Imam Hasan (R.A) was also a very important figure in her life as he was her older brother. She told him about the way her father was. Then Imam Hasan (R.A) hurried to the house. She narrates, “He came to my father and said, ‘Is it true what she is saying?’ Hazrat Ali (R.A) said, ‘Yes, I saw Angel Gabriel rubbing two stones together, and dust fell on the people of Mecca and on the people of Medina and of the people of Kufa. Therefore, I gather there must be an announcement which is going to be made.'”

Umm Kulthum (R.A) was also present when Imam Hasan (R.A) was facing oppression. Umm Kulthum (R.A) also had a strong stance at Karbala with Imam Hussain (R.A). Umm Kulthum (R.A) survived the Battle of Karbala in 680, where her brother Imam Hussain (R.A) and most of her male relatives were massacred by the forces of the Yazid ibn Muawiyah. A public speech ascribed to Umm Kulthum (R.A) in Kufa condemns Yazid, defends Imam Husain (R.A) and chastises the Kufans for their role in his death. She was later freed and returned to her hometown Medina.

LEGACY

Her legacy lives on as a beacon of faith and righteousness. Her life serves as an inspiration for Muslims around the world, reminding them of the importance of upholding the values of Islam in their daily lives.