The Life of Durrah Bint Abu Lahab: A Sahabiya of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Pious Women

Durra bint Abī Lahab رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا

Muhammad Hassan Hashim Attari Madani

Introduction

From the relatives of Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم who accepted his message and believed in him is Sayyidatunā Durra bint Abī Lahab رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. Despite her parents’ vicious enmity for Islam, she embraced the faith without fear and joined the sacred ranks of the Companions.

By Allah’s grace, she became a believer despite being raised in a house which worked hard to extinguish the light of Islam and counter the message of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Her father, Abū Lahab, and mother, Umm Jamīl, are listed amongst the worst enemies of Islam.  The extent of Abū Lahab’s enmity towards Islam was such, that when the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم called people towards the truth, Abū Lahab would openly attempt to denounce him and try to distance people from him.^[1] Umm Jamīl would cover the Prophet’s path with thorns and devise new schemes to harm him.^[2]

In these difficult circumstances, Sayyidatunā Durra رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا discarding the religion of her parents, abandoning their false practices, embracing Islam and standing in support of Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم are self-evident proofs of her recognition of the truth and courage.

Name and Lineage

Her name is Durra b. Abī Lahab b. ꜤAbd al-Muṭṭalib b. Hāshim. She is thus the paternal cousin of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.

Marriage and Children

Initially, she was married to Ḥārith b. Nawfal, grandson of the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم uncle, Nawfal b. Ḥārith b. ꜤAbd al-Muṭṭalib رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Together, they had three children: ꜤUqbah, Walīd, and Abū Muslim.^[3]  Later, she married the famously handsome Companion Diḥya b. Khalīfa al-Kalbī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.^[4] The archangel Jibrīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would often appear in his form when visiting the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.^[5]

Islam and Migration

She is from the Emigrants (muhājirūn), having migrated from Makka to Madina to escape persecution.^[6]

An Incident

Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه explains:

When Durra رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا arrived in Madina, she stayed at the home of RāfiꜤ b. MuꜤallā رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Some women from the Zurayq tribe said to her, “So you are the daughter of that Abū Lahab, regarding whom Allah stated:

تَبَّتۡ یَدَاۤ  اَبِیۡ  لَہَبٍ وَّ  تَبَّ ؕ(۱)

‘May both the hands of Abu Lahab be destroyed, and he has been destroyed.’^[7]

How will you attain any reward for migrating?” Durra رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was saddened by this and shared this experience with the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم reassured her and told her to sit. After leading Zuhr, he ascended the pulpit and declared, “O people! Why am I being troubled about the affairs of my family? By Allah! My intercession will reach my relatives, to the extent it will also reach the tribes of Ṣudā, Ḥakam, and Silhim on the Day of Judgement.”^[8]

Narration of Hadith

Two ḥadith are related by Sayyidatunā Durra رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا:

1.   Whilst the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was on the pulpit, someone stood and asked, “O Messenger of Allah   صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Who is the best of people?” He explained, “The best of people is the one who is most mindful ˹of Allah˺; who commands right; forbids evil; and maintains family ties the most.”^[9]

2.   The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “A living person cannot be harmed in retaliation for the actions of the deceased.”^[10]

Eminent Description

Sayyidatunā Durra رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was an immensely pious and generous woman. Ibn Ḥajar al-ꜤAsqalāni رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه describes how she would feed others.^[11]

May the mercy of Allah be upon her, and may we be forgiven without accountability for her sake.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم