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In the Name of Allah; Most-Merciful, Most-Compassionate.

Nusaybah bint Ka'ab al-Maaziniyyah, more commonly known as Umm Amarah, was from Banu Najjar in al-
Madinah during the time of Prophethood and she was from the Ansar. She was one of two women and among the
seventy-four people who went to Mekkah and pledged allegiance to the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be
upon him) at the second pledge of al-Aqabah. From the time of her acceptance of Islam she began to teach and
spread the religion of Islam, as she was learned in Qur'an and ahadeeth. She was a mother of four; two sons from her
first marriage (with Zaid ibn Asim Mazni) and another son and daughter from her second (with 'Amr).

Nusaybah is most well-know for her feats on the day of Uhud, which she originally attended as a nurse and provider
of water to the soldiers. On this day, the Battle of Uhud, her entire family - her husband and two sons - were also
present. At one point of the battle, when Muslims appeared to have had won, the archers left their position - a
position which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade them from leaving. Due to this, the battle
changed and the Muslims were challenged on a new front. Seeing the situation that the Muslims were in, Nusaybah
(may Allah be pleased with her) joined the battle to protect and defend the Prophet of Allah - peace and blessings be
upon him. About the events of the Battle she said:
"I realized that people fled leaving the Prophet, [peace and blessings be upon him] exposed," she said, "So less than
ten men remained to protect him, while the others were passing by, defeated. The Prophet [peace and blessings be
upon him] saw me without a shield and saw a man leaving the battlefield carrying his shield, he said, 'Surrender
your shield to the one who is fighting.¶ He surrendered it and I picked it up and used it to shield the Messenger of
Allah. But those who gave us the hardest time were the horsemen, if they were on foot like us; we would have
defeated them, insha'Allah. A cavalier came towards me, but he was unable to strike at me because I protected
myself with the shield. As he was turning back I dealt a blow to his horse's hamstring and he fell on his back. The
Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] cried out, 'O son of Umm Amarah, your mother, your mother!' So he
helped me kill the horseman."
She did not simply join the people; she shielded Prophet Muhammad from arrows, she took up armor and weaponry,
and she received thirteen wounds in the process - one large gash on her shoulder would not heal for an entire year
(may Allah be pleased with her). She took down a horse and rider with her sword. She treated her own wounded son
and after bandaging him she told him to rise and fight. Following that she greatly injured the one who attacked her
son. Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) said: Whenever I looked to the right or left, I saw Umm Amarah fighting in front of me." During the Battle she
asked Allah's Messenger to make du'a that she and her family be companions with the Prophet in Paradise, which he
did. Due to her wounds she was made unconscious on the battle field, upon waking she directly asked about the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Her son recounted his event in saying:
"I was wounded during the battle of Uhud, and the blood would not stop. The Prophet [peace and blessings be upon
him] said, 'Bandage your wound.' My mother was busy fighting the enemy, but when she heard the Prophet [peace
and blessings be upon him] she came toward me carrying bandages tied to her side, she bandaged my wound while
the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] was standing by. She then told me, 'Get up my son, and fight¶ The
Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] said, 'Who can endure what you are enduring, Umm Amarah!'
Not only was she involved in the Battle of Uhud, but also Khybar, Hunain and Yamamah. Regarding the latter she
requested permission from the then Leader of the Believers, Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"we know your worth in war, so go out in the name of Allah." At this battle she suffered eleven wounds, including
the loss of her hand, and her son Habib was killed - may Allah be pleased with them. About her the Prophet, peace
and blessings be upon him, said: "'From where can anyone get courage like you, O' Umm 'Amarah?" Her other son
(Abdullah) was killed at the Battle of Hurrat. pp
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