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أُمُّ عُمَارَة

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا

Umm Ammarah

Ansariyyah · At Aqabah · Fought at Uhud

may Allah be pleased with her

Khazraj — Banu an-Najjar, of Madinah · Madinah, from before the Hijrah

One of two women who gave the pledge at Aqabah. At Uhud she stood and fought when the line broke, and took wounds doing it. She was still going out with the army long after.

Known for

  • She was one of two women who gave the pledge at Aqabah

  • She fought at Uhud when the line broke

    She had come out to carry water. When the army scattered she stayed near the Prophet ﷺ and fought, and was wounded.

  • She carried the wounds of that day afterwards

  • She went out again at Yamamah, years later, and lost a hand

Story

Her story in moments

Short episodes from her life, in order. Read one at a time.

  1. The water carrier at UhudUhud, 3 AH, after the archers left their position and the Muslim line collapsed.3 AH2 min read

In full

Life & legacy

Madinah

Nusaybah bint Ka'b, known as Umm Ammarah, was of Banu an-Najjar in Madinah. She was present at the second pledge at Aqabah, one of two women among the men who gave it, before the Hijrah.

She went out with the army at Uhud, as women did, to carry water and tend the wounded. What happened there is set out in the moment below.

Later

She continued to go out with the army in the years that followed, and was present at Hudaybiyyah and at Khaybar.

Long after the Prophet ﷺ had died, in the campaigns of Abu Bakr's caliphate, she went out at Yamamah — where her son was killed and she lost a hand.

The sources do not settle the year of her death.

How the sources describe her

  • She stayed where almost everyone else had gone

  • Being wounded once did not stop her going out again

Connect

People around her

Alongside

  • The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion

    She gave the pledge at Aqabah and fought in his defence at Uhud.

  • Talhah ibn UbaydullahطَلْحَةCompanion

    Among the small number who stayed around the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud after the line broke. Both were wounded there.

Full timeline

  1. Shortly before the Hijrah

    Gives the pledge at Aqabah

  2. 3 AH

    Fights at Uhud and is wounded

  3. Around 12 AH approximate

    Goes out at Yamamah and loses a hand

Part of

Sources & review

Draft content — undergoing review

This content was written for SahabaMate and has not yet been checked by a reviewer against the works below. Treat it as a starting point, not a citation.

  • As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyahالسيرة النبوية

    Classical biography · Ibn Hisham, from the recension of Ibn Ishaq

  • Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى

    Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd

  • Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة

    Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani

  • Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء

    Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi

  • SahabaMate editorial summary

    Editorial summary

Where a reference names a work without a page or number, that is deliberate: SahabaMate does not publish a locator it cannot stand behind.

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