Umm Haram bint Milhan

Umm Haram bint Milhan (died 28 AH / 649 CE) was a distinguished Ansari woman of Medina and sister of Umm Sulaym. She was among the close companions of the household of the Prophet ﷺ, who would visit her home and rest there. The Prophet ﷺ once fell asleep at her house and woke smiling, telling her he had been shown his community sailing the sea like kings upon thrones, raiding in the path of Allah. She asked to be among them, and he prayed that she would be.

Years later, during the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, Umm Haram joined the first Muslim naval expedition — the great fleet that sailed to Cyprus under Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan and Abd Allah ibn Qays al-Harith. She had never forgotten the Prophet's dream and his prayer for her. She is recorded as traveling to Cyprus as a participant in this historic campaign.

When the Muslims landed on Cyprus and the army began to move, Umm Haram fell from her mount and died from her injuries. She was buried on Cyprus, and her tomb at Hala Sultan Tekke near Larnaca has been a site of veneration for centuries. She is regarded as one of the earliest martyrs of Islam's naval expansion, and her presence on that expedition is cited as the fulfillment of the Prophet's prayer over her more than two decades earlier.

Her story stands as a testament to the active participation of Ansari women in the early Muslim community and their deep longing to serve the religion even at the cost of their lives.