9.14. A GOOD FOLLOWER
Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) adhered strongly to the Prophet’s Sunnah since nothing was more precious to her than adopting the Prophet’s manners and ethics.
Zaynab bint Abu Salmah said, “I went to Umm Habibah when her father, Abu Sufyan, died. She ordered her maid to bring her a perfume. She scented her maid with it, and put some on her temple, then she said, “By Allah, I have no desire in perfume but I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying, ‘”It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for a dead person for more than three days unless he is her husband for whom she should mourn forfour months and ten days.
Thus, despite her grief over the death of her father, Umm Habibah could not do anything but to obey the commands of the Prophet (peace be upon him) proving her deep faith and profound conviction.
With reference to the rakas mentioned in the hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever performs (regularly) twelve rakas in a day and night will have a house built for him in Paradise. ” Umm Habibah said, “Verily, I never stopped performing them since I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioning By observing the obligatory acts, Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) got bound herself very closely to Allah (the Exalted and Glorified). However, she wanted to rise higher and reach the love of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. She maintained the performance of the supererogatory acts as by performing the obligatory acts one can attain Allah’s closeness while by performing supererogatory acts one can attain His love. This was asserted in the Qudsi hadith in which Allah says, My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory acts so that I shall love him…
Ibn Kathir said that Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) was a pious worshiper whose heart was attached to Allah, the Almighty. She devoted herself and dedicated all her life to worshiping Allah and obeying His Commands. She was the one who reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever performs (regularly) four rakas before the noon prayer and four after it, will be withheld from hell.
She also used to remember Allah, the Almighty, and mention Him all the time. She reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “All the speech of the son of ‘Adam will be counted against him, not for him, except enjoining good and forbidding evil and the mentioning of Allah (the Exalted and Glorified).
So, this was the attitude of the Mothers of the Believers, pursuing steadily the performance of the pious deeds and never deviating from the Prophet’s line of conduct and his instructions and this is how any Muslim woman must be because Allah, the
Almighty, says, end recite what is rehearsed to you in your homes, of the Signs of Allah and His Wisdom: for Allah understands the finest mysteries and is well acquainted (with them). (Al-Ahzab: 34).
After the Prophet (peace be upon him) Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) witnessed with the Prophet (peace be upon him) the great conquest of Makkah. She lived a peaceful life with him (peace be upon him), following his guidance and his example in every action and utterance. When he (peace be upon him) passed away he was content with her and after his death she led the life of an ascetic worshiper.
She witnessed the Caliphate of Abu Bakr who honored Ummahat al-Mu’minin and looked after them. He was then succeeded by ibn al-Khattab and after him came Wthman ibn in whose era the (Fitnah) disorder began. When 
Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) also experienced a malicious occurrence when a man, during the disorder happened in X Uthmant s era, entered her boudoir and described her to the people. She was extremely dismayed. She made Du•a’ that Allah might cut this man’s hand and expose his private parts before the people. Soon her DLDa’ was accepted; the man’s hand was cut with a sword. He then escaped holding his loincloth in his mouth and then his private parts were exposed.( l ) Umm Habibah lived until she witnessed the caliphate of her brother, Miawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). She, however, did not participate in the political life after the disorder during Uthman’s era.
She maintained an affectionate relation with the rest of Ummahat al-Mu’minin. said, “Umm Habibah, on her deathbed, invited me and said, ‘We used to treat each other as fellow wives the thing that I ask Allah to forgive us.’ I CA’ishah) said, ‘And may Allah forgive you and regard all this as undone.’ Upon this Umm Habibah said, ‘May Allah let you rejoice for what you have done for me.’ Also, she invited Umm Salamah and told her the same. ” Umm Habibah then died in 44 AH in Madinah and she was buried in al-Baqr. May the Mercy of Allah be upon her.
(SOURCE: Wives of Prophet Muhammad, Their Strives and Their Lives by Muhammad Fathi Mus’ ad)
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