Sayyidatuna Atika Bint Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا

Pious Women

Sayyidatuna ꜤĀtika b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا

Mawlana Bilal Saeed Attari Madani

In the illustrious circle of female Companions, a luminous figure shines forth—Sayyidatuna ꜤĀtikah b. Zayd b. ꜤAmr رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. She was known for her righteousness, devotion to worship, asceticism, and poetic skills. She had the honour of emigrating to Madina. Her mother's name was Umm Kurayz b. ʿAbdullah, and she was the sister of the renowned and esteemed Companion Sayyidunā SaꜤīd b. Zayd رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, who was one of the ten companions promised Paradise.^[1]

Sayyidatuna ꜤĀtikah b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was first married to Sayyidunā Abdullah b. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا. After his demise, she married the second Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ with whom she had a son named ꜤIyād b. ꜤUmar. After the martyrdom of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, she married the distinguished companion Sayyidunā Zubayr b. al-ꜤAwwām رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[2]

There came a shipment of musk and ambergris fragrance from Bahrain to Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. He expressed his desire to find someone who possessed exceptional skill in weighing, so that they could divide the fragrance equally among the Muslims. On that occasion, his wife Sayyidatuna ꜤĀtikah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا offered to take the fragrance and divide it equally, stating that she was skilled in such matters. However, Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ expressed his fear that her fingers might absorb the fragrance and she may end up rubbing them on her neck, thereby causing other Muslims to be deprived of it.^[3]

Sayyidatuna ꜤĀtikah b. Zayd رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, possessed immense love for the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Hence, at the time of his noble passing, she eloquently expressed her devotion in the court of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم through Arabic couplets. The following are some of those verses filled with Prophetic love:

اَمْسَتْ مَرَاكِبُهُ اَوْحَشَتْ                                         وَ قَدْ كَانَ يَرْكَبُهَا زَيْنُهَا

وَ اَمْسَتْ تُبَكِّی عَلٰى سَيِّدٍ                                         تُرَدِّدُ عَبْرَتَهَا عَيْنُهَا

وَ اَمْسَتْ نِسَاؤُكَ مَا تَسْتَفِيقُ           مِنَ الْحُزْنِ يَعْتَادُهَا دَيْنُهَا

وَاَمْسَتْ شَوَاحِبَ مِثْلَ النِّصَا لِ         قَدْ عُطِّلَتْ وَكَبَا لَوْنُهَا

هُوَ الْفَاضِلُ السَّيِّدُ الْمُصْطَفٰى                        عَلَى الْحَقِّ مُجْتَمِعٌ دِيْنُهَا

فَكَيْفَ حَيَاتِی بَعْدَ الرَّسُولِ                                وَ قَدْ حَانَ مِنْ مَّيْتَةٍ حِينُهَا

Once noble steeds, graced by the Prophet's ride,

Now weary, shedding tears for his side.

Your wives, they wake not from grief's deep slumber,

For sadness has become their constant number.

Your companions, once radiant and bright,

Like faded threads, stripped of allure's light.

He, the virtuous Master, his religion in truth's embrace,

Now veiled from this world, what purpose for me remains?^[4]

May Allah Almighty shower His mercy upon her and grant us forgiveness for her sake.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم