Umm Qirfa

Umm Qirfa was an old Arab leader of the pagan tribe of Banu Fazara in Wadi Al-Qura.[1] She was the wife of Malik ibn Hudhayfa ibn Badr al-Fazari.[2] Umm Qirfa and her tribe (called the Tribe of Badr of Fazara) was said to have attacked Zayd ibn Haritha and his companions when he was traveling to Syria for a trading journey. Umm Qirfa and her tribe managed to kill some of Zayd's companions and stole all of their merchandise. Zayd was badly wounded and had to leave the field.

In the Siraat ul Mustafa it states:

"Hadhrat Zaid ibn Haarithah was on his way to Syria and the tribe of Banu Fazaarah (led by Ummu Qirfah whose name was Faatimah bint Rabi'ah) snatched his goods and badly wounded him. He just about managed to way his back to Madinah alive."[3]

When Zayd recovered, he traveled to Fazara and defeated the tribe and took Umm Qirfa as a prisoner. Zayd then executed Umm Qirfa for her attack and murder of his companions. The manner in which Zayd executed her varies from source to source.

According to the seerah of Ibn Kathir, the story goes as:

"Hafidh Ibn Kathir recounts the same as the above but that there were more Sahaabah who were travelling with Hadhrat Zaid and that they were attacked and martyred. When Rasulullah was informed of this and Hadhrat Zaid recovered from his wounds he was sent back with an army. He slew some of them and took as prisoner Ummu Qirfah Fatimah bint Rabi'ah wife of Maalik Ibn Huzayfah and her daughter. Zayd had Umm Qirfah killed and spared her daughter."[4]

Similar accounts have been given by historian Ibn Ishaq.

The story has also been criticized as being unauthentic and forged. Researcher ‘Ali ibn Naayif Ash-Shahood, states about this matter:

“This narration was reported in Tabaqaat Ibn Sa’d, and Ibn Al-Jawzi reported it from him in his book entitled Al-Muntathim, and the source of the narration is Muhammad ibn ‘Umar Al-Waaqidi, who was accused of lying according to the scholars of Hadeeth. The story was also reported in brief by Ibn Katheer in Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah, but he did not comment on it at all. Ibn Hishaam mentioned it as well in his book entitled As-Seerah; both of them narrated it from Muhammad ibn Is-haaq who did not mention the chain of narrators of this narration. To conclude, the narration is not authentic so it is not permissible to use it as evidence.”[5]


See also

References

  1. Ibn Kathir, Ismāʻīl ibn ʻUmar Ibn Kathīr (2000). The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira Al-Nabawiyya. trans. Trevor Le Gassick. Garnet & Ithaca Press. p. 314. ISBN 9781859641453.
  2. Ibn 'Abd Rabbih (2012). The Unique Necklace, Volume 3. trans. Issa J. Boullata. UWA Publishing. p. 6. ISBN 9781859642405.
  3. Imaam Zarqaani, Siraat ul Mustafa, Zam Zam
  4. Ibn Kathir, Ibn Kathir's Seeraatun Nabi, Darul Ishaat, p. 693
  5. ‘Ali ibn Naayif Ash-Shahood, The Detailed Response to the Allegations of the Enemies of Islam
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