People’s motives for learning g about the biography of the Ahl al-Bayt vary. Some may read it merely to enjoy the thrilling events within each story, while others may study it as just a part of Islamic history. However, the best approach is to study their lives with the intention of following their footsteps and forming a heartfelt bond with them. Each story about the great companions and the Ahl al-Bayt carries countless lessons and virtues. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, both past and present, have always shown love and respect for the Prophet’s household (Ahl al-Bayt). They acknowledged their virtues, learned from them, and narrated their traditions — without exaggerating about them or attributing falsehoods to them. Reading biographies and real-life examples has a profound impact on the soul, as they serve as living models that are more firmly rooted in the heart and more influential than abstract words. The Companions were nurtured and educated by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ); they were the best of their time. One of these remarkable biographies is the shining life story of Lady Asma bint Abi Bakr — a true example of bravery, intelligence, strength, and persistence.
Before exploring her remarkable life, it is worth mentioning her full name, she is Asma bint Abi Bakr ʿAbdullāh ibn Abi Quḥafah al-Taymiyyah. She was the mother of Caliph Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, the sister of the Mother of the Believers Ayishah, and the last of the Muhajirat (female emigrants) to pass away. She was born in the year 27 BH (Before Hijrah) and was ten years older than her half-sister Ayishah, the Mother of the Believers. She was the full sister of Abdullāh ibn Abi Bakr. Her husband was al-Zubayr ibn al- Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of the Prophet’s paternal aunt Ṣafiyyah. Al-Zubayr was one of those who were given the glad tidings of Paradise. Asmaa bore him several children: Abdullah, Urwah, Mundhir, Asim, Khadijah al-Kubra (the mother of al-Ḥasan), and Ayishah. Since her first child was Abdullah, she was given the kunyah (honorific title) of Umm Abdullah. ʿAbdullāh was the first child to be born in al-Madinah after the Hijra.
The title of Dhat al-Nitaqayn
Lady Asama was among the earliest people to embrace Islam, as she accepted the message of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) after only seventeen others had believed in him. She was given the title “Dhat al-Nitaqayn” (the One with the Two Belts). The nitaq is a waistband a woman ties around her garment to lift it off the ground so she does not trip while working. She was given this title because she used to carry food and water for the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and her father during the Hijrah. Lady Asma narrated:
”I prepared the journey food for the Prophet (ﷺ) and Abu Bakr when they wanted (to migrate to) Medina. I said to my father (Abu Bakr), “I do not have anything to tie the container of the journey food with except my waist belt.” He said, “Divide it lengthwise into two.” I did so, and for this reason I was named ‘Dhat-un-Nitaqain (i.e. the owner of two belts). (Ibn aAbbas said, “Asma, Dhat-un-Nitaq.”)
It is reported in Sahiḥ al-Bukhari that the people of al-Sham used to mock Asma’s son, Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, saying to him, “O son of the woman with the two belts.” Asma said to him, “My son, they are mocking you with the two belts — do you know what the two belts were? It was my waistband which I tore into two pieces: I tied the water-skin of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) with one part, and I used the other part to wrap his provisions.” So, whenever the people of al-Shām mocked him afterwards by calling him “son of the woman with the two belts,” he would reply, “Indeed! By Allah, that is a title whose disgrace is far removed from you.”
Her Courage and Devotion to Islam
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) set out for the Hijrah, Abu Bakr took all of his wealth with him — which was about five or six thousand dirhams — and departed with it. Afterwards, her grandfather Abu Quhafah, who had lost his eyesight, came to Asma and said, “By Allah, I think he has left you with no wealth, just as he has left you himself.” She replied, “Not at all, dear father. He has left us a great deal of good.” She then took some stones and placed them in the niche where her father used to keep his money, and covered them with a cloth. Then she took his hand and said, “Father, place your hand on this wealth.” So he placed his hand on it and said, “There is no harm, if he has left you this much — then he has done well, and this is sufficient for you.” In reality, Abu Bakr had not left anything for his family, but Asma did this to calm and reassure the old man’s heart.
Lady Asma is regarded as the first self-sacrificing woman in Islam. This is because of her brave role during the Hijrah, She demonstrated this spirit of self-sacrifice on the day of the Prophet’s (ﷺ) migration with Abū Bakr. She concealed their whereabouts from Quraysh and endured harm for the sake of protecting them. Abū Jahl came to her and asked about her father after he had departed with the Prophet (ﷺ), but she did not disclose anything. So he struck her on the face so forcefully that her earring fell from her ear.
The First Child Born to the Muhajirun in al-Madinah
Lady Asma migrated to al-Madinah while she was pregnant, enduring the hardships of travel and the scorching heat of the desert. When she reached Quba, on the outskirts of al-Madinah, labor pains came upon her and she gave birth to her son Abdullāh ibn al-Zubayr — the first child to be born to the Muhajirun in al-Madinah. The newborn was carried to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), who kissed him, chewed a date, and rubbed it on the roof of his mouth (taḥnīk), then spit a little into his mouth — so the very first thing that entered Abdullah’s stomach was the blessed saliva of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). The Prophet Muhammad then supplicated for him and blessed him. The Muslims in al-Madinah carried the newborn around the city rejoicing and proclaiming takbir, for the non-Muslims had been mocking them, saying that no children would be born to them. This made the arrival of the first child of the Muhajirun a moment of great joy. When Abdullah was seven or eight years old, he came to pledge allegiance to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), as instructed by his father al-Zubayr. When the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) saw him coming, he smiled and accepted his pledge of allegiance.
The Generosity of Lady Asma
Lady Asama was known for her generosity. She was among the most generous and charitable of women. Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say:
“I have never seen a woman more generous than Aishah and Asma.”
She (may Allah be pleased with her) used to say to her daughters and family:
“Spend and give in charity, and do not wait until you have surplus; for if you wait for surplus, you will never give anything. But if you give in charity, you will not feel its loss.”
Asma bint Aba Bakr lived to the age of one hundred years, and none of her teeth had fallen out, nor had her mind ever become impaired. May Allah have mercy on her. She (may Allah be pleased with her) was the last of the Muhajirin and Muhajirat to pass away.
