Jamila bint Thabit bin Abi al-Aflah al-Ansariyya
جميلة بنت ثابت بن أبي الأفلح الأنصارية

Jamila bint Thabit bin Abi al-Aflah, was the sister of Asim. Ibn Sa'd mentions that her mother was mother was ash-Shamus bint Ali Amir ar-Rahib.

Jamila married Umar ibn al Khattab (radiAllahu anhu). She was an Ansarite woman, and married him his arrival in Madinah. Jamila bore a son and named him Asim. She was also called Umm Asim.

Her name used to be Assiya (which means "intractable") and the Prophet changed it to Jamila (which means "beautiful").

After she embraced Islam, she went to Umar (radiAllahu anhu) and said "I hate my name, give me a name."

He said, "You are beautiful (Jamila)." She got angry and kept going through names and couldn't find any but her mother's name. So she went to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and said , "O messenger of Allah, I hate my name."

He said, "You are beautiful (Jamila)." She got angry again, and said "That's what Umar said!"

The Prophet said, "Dont you know that Allah is on Umar's tongue and [in his] heart?"


She married Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) in the year 7 A.H. After Umar (radiAllahu anhu) divorced her she married Yazid bin Harithah, with whom she had a son, Abdulrahman.


Ibn Sa'd mentions her among the women who took the Bay'ah (Pledge) to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam), in his Tabaqat.
Ibn Sa'd mentions on the authority of Jabir that Umar said to the Prophet [seeming to indicate remorse] "O Messenger of Allah, I gave Jamila a hard blow because she asked of me what I cannot do."

He divorced her for some unknown reason, however, that cryptic remark is a clue to what caused their divorce. After they were divorced, Asim who was a child, lived with his mother.


One day Umar (radiAllahu anhu) saw his son playing and wanted to take him but Jamila did not want to give the young child to Umar. She took the case to Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu), who was the Caliph at this time. He ruled in Jamila's favor and Umar had to return the child to his mother.

RadiAllahu anha.



Resources: Al Isaba fi Tamyiz al Sahaba - Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani
(translated by Mohja Kahf)
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabir Muhammad ibn Sa'd
The women of Madina - translated by Aisha Bewley