Her real name was Hind; while her title was Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her. She may Allah be pleased with her came from the family of Makhzoom, which belongs to the Quraysh tribe. Her father’s name was Abu Mugheerah Ibn 'Abdullaah Ibn 'Umar Ibn Makhzoom and her mother was 'Aatikah Bint 'Aamir who belonged to the family of Faraas.

Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her was first married to her cousin Abu Salamah Ibn 'Abdul-Asad. He was a young man with exceptionally good nature and unblemished conduct. It was improbable for this young man of exceptionally lofty morals to remain unmoved by the noble and life-giving message of the Noble Prophet, Muhammad sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Defying his tribesmen, Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him embraced the new faith and entered the fold of Islam. Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her followed suit.

Thus, the couple joined the rank of those noble souls, who had won the unique distinction of embracing the new faith in its early phase.

These noble souls suffered all kinds of hardships and harassment in the cause of Islam, but they did not budge even an inch from the right path. As the number of the people who had embraced the new life-giving faith increased, the persecution and torture meted out to them also increased in intensity.

When this persecution reached intolerable levels, the Noble Prophet sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam gave permission to his followers to migrate to Abyssinia, which was ruled at that time by a kind-hearted king, in order to protect their lives and preserve their religion. According to an authentic narration, Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him and Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her, who has already entered the fold of Islam, also migrated to Abyssinia. They may Allah be pleased with them came back to Makkah after spending some time in exile. From Makkah, they may Allah be pleased with them left for Madeenah on their second migration. Those days, Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him had only one camel with him. He they may Allah be pleased with him seated Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her and his young son, Salamah, at the saddle. Holding the reins of his camel, he may Allah be pleased with him started his long journey on foot.

When her family came to know about the couple’s planned destination, they intercepted the camel and told Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him that he could proceed, but they would not allow their daughter (Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her). They took away the reins of the camel from Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him and forced Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her to dismount. In the meantime, Banu 'Abdul-Asad, the members of Abu Salamah’s clan, appeared on the scene and snatched Umm Salamah’s child from his mother and threatened Banu Mugheerah that if they did not allow their daughter to accompany her husband, they would also not allow the child to accompany his mother. As for Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him, they said that he was free to go anywhere liked.

By this time, the Noble Prophet, sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam, had given permission to his Companions may Allah be pleased with them to migrate to Madeenah, where they could live in peace and safety from the torture of Quraysh. Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him left for Madeenah, leaving his wife and child behind. Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her was staying with Banu Mugheerah while her child was in the custody of Banu 'Abdul-Asad. Thus, the three of them – the father, the mother and the child – were undergoing the pain of living separately.

Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her was grief-stricken due the separation from her child and husband. Everyday she may Allah be pleased with her would go and sit forlorn on a hillock, crying and longing to join her husband and son. A whole one year passed like this.

One day, a kind-hearted and influential man from the clan of Banu Mugheerah saw her pathetic condition and was moved by her agony. He called out the people of his tribe and said: “This woman is our own flesh and blood, how long will we keep her away from her husband and child? By Allah! Our tribe is very brave and honorable; we can’t tolerate persecution of innocent people.”

Hearing this, her tribesmen gave permission to Umm Salamah they may Allah be pleased with her to join her husband in Madeenah. When Banu 'Abdul-Asad heard of this, they also took pity and sent her child, Salamah, to her. She may Allah be pleased with her took the child and a camel to ride alone to Madeenah. At At-Tan'eem (in the outskirts of Makkah), she met 'Uthmaan Ibn Talhah Ibn Abu Talhah may Allah be pleased with him, a chivalrous and decent man of Makkah. When he saw Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her traveling alone with a small baby, he thought: “How unbecoming of me, if I did not escort this lonely woman traveler of Quraysh to Madeenah!”

He may Allah be pleased with him took the reins of Umm Salamah’s camel and started for Madeenah. Whenever they stopped on the way, 'Uthmaan may Allah be pleased with him would withdraw to rest under the shade of a tree. When they reached Qubaa', where Abu Salamah may Allah be pleased with him was staying, 'Uthmaan may Allah be pleased with him returned to Makkah and Umm Salamah may Allah be pleased with her rejoined her husband, who thanked Allah for once again reuniting his family.

Umm Salmah may Allah be pleased with her always remained grateful to 'Uthmaan may Allah be pleased with him for his thoughtful and kind gesture. She may Allah be pleased with her used to say: “I have never seen a more gallant and compassionate man than 'Uthmaan Ibn Talhah.”

Umm Salamah- II

Excerpted with modification from: The Honorable Wives of the Prophet- by: Darussalam