Asma bint Abi Bakr

Asma bint Abi Bakr (595-692 CE) was the eldest daughter of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq and the elder half-sister of Aisha, the Prophet's wife. She played a crucial role during the Hijrah (migration) from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE, secretly bringing food and water to the Prophet and her father while they hid in the Cave of Thawr. She tore her waist belt (nitaq) into two pieces to tie the provisions, earning the title Dhat an-Nitaqayn (She of the Two Girdles) from the Prophet himself.

Asma married Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, one of the ten promised Paradise, and bore him several children, including Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr, who was the first child born among the Muslim emigrants in Medina. She was known for her courage, generosity, and strength of character. The Prophet praised her for her selflessness, and she narrated numerous hadith that are recorded in the major collections.

Asma lived to the remarkable age of approximately one hundred years, losing her eyesight in her later years but never her resolve. She witnessed some of the most turbulent events in early Islamic history, including the siege of Mecca by the Umayyad forces and the death of her son Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr in 692 CE. Even in that moment of tragedy, she displayed extraordinary composure and steadfastness. She passed away shortly after her son, and is remembered as one of the most courageous and devoted women among the companions.