The story of Hadhrat Asma bint Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anha)

Hadhrat Asma bint Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anha) is the daughter of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu), mother of Hadhrat Abdullah bin Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu) and step-sister of Hadhrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu anha). She is one of the famous women of her time. She was the eighteenth person to embrace Islam. She was twenty-seven years old at the time of the Hijrah. After the migration from Mecca, when the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) reached Madinah safely, they sent Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallahu anhu) and some other Sahabah to bring their families from Mecca. Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu anhu) came to Madinah with Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu's) family. When she reached Quba, she gave birth to Hadhrat — Abdullah bin-Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu), the first Muslim baby born since the Hijrat. She says:
"When I was married to Hadhrat Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu), he had neither money nor property of any kind. He had only one camel for carrying water and one horse. I would bring fodder for the animals and date stones to feed them in lieu of grass, bring water from the well, mend bucket myself when needed, and attend to other domestic duties. Attending to the horse was the most difficult of all jobs. I was not good at baking and, therefore, after kneading the flour, I would take it to Ansar women in my neighbourhood, who would bake bread for me. When we arrived in Madinah, the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) allotted a piece of land to Hadhrat Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu) two miles away from the town. I would bring date stones from there on my head. One day when I was coming in this fashion, I met the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) with a group of Ansar in the way. He stopped his camel. From his gesture, I understood that he intended to give me a lift. I felt shy of going with men, and I also remembered that Hadhrat Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu) was very sensitive in this matter. The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) understood my hesitation and left me alone. When I reached home, I narrated the story to Hadhrat Zubair (Radhiyallahu anhu) and told him that, due to my own shyness and his sensitiveness, I did not avail of the offer of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). He said, 'By Allah I am more sensitive about your carrying the load over such a long distance, but I cannot help it. (In fact, Sahabah remained occupied in striving in the path of Allah and all other such jobs had to be done by their womenfolk). Sometime later, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) transferred to us a servant that the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had given to him. I was therefore relieved of attending to the horse, which had been really very hard for me."

Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu anha) Pacifies her Grandfather

When Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) emigrated to Madinah in the company of the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), he took with him all his money, thinking that the Prophet might need it. It was about 6 000 dirhams. After his departure, his father Abu Quhafah (who was blind and who had not till then accepted Islam) came to express his sympathy with his granddaughters.

Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu anha) says: "Our grandfather came to us and said, 'Your father has shocked you with his migration to Madinah, and seems to have put you to further hardship by taking all his money with him.' I said, 'No grandfather, do not worry. He has left a lot of money for us.' I collected some pebbles and deposited them in the recess where my father used to keep his money; I covered it with a. cloth. I then took my grandfather to the place and placed his hand over the cloth. He thought that the recess was really full of dirhams. He remarked: 'It is good that he has left something for you to live on.' by Allah, my father had not left a single dirham for us: I played this trick simply to pacify my grandfather."

Look at this brave Muslim girl. Strictly speaking, the girls needed more consolation than their grandfather. Judged by normal course of things, they should have complained of their destitution to their grandfather to win his sympathy, as there was nobody else in Mecca to extend them any sympathy or help. But Allah had given such a frame of mind to Muslim men and women of those days| that everything they did was really wonderful and worthy of emulation.

Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu) was quite a well-to-do person in the beginning, but he always spent liberally in the path of Allah. At the time of Tabuk, he contributed all that he possessed. The Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) once said: "Nobody's wealth has benefited me so much as that of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu). I have compensated everybody for the good done to me, except Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallahu anhu). He shall be compensated by Allah Himself."

Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu anha's) Spending in Charity

Hadhrat Asma (Radhiyallahu anha) had a very large heart for spending in the path of Allah. In the beginning, she used to spend carefully with measure and weight. Once the Prophet (Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to her: "O, Asma, do not put by and be calculating; spend in the path of Allah liberally."

After this, she started spending most generously. She would advise her daughters and house maids: "Don't wait for any surplus or excess of requirements before spending in the path of Allah. As the requirements go on increasing in the chances of having something; excess will become more and more remote, and the time for spending in the path of Allah will never come. Remember that you will not lose by spending in charity.”

Although these people were poor and lived hand to mouth, yet they were liberal in spending and generous of heart. The Muslims today complain of their poverty, but there will be hardly any group of people among them who are so poor and needy as the Sahabah used to be. We have already read how they had to go without food for several days together, and how some of them had to keep stones tied on their bellies to relieve their pangs of hunger.