Atika bint Zayd al-Adawiyya (Arabic: عاتكة بنت زيد, romanized: ʿĀtika bint Zayd) was a woman in 7th century Arabia who was an Islamic scholar and poet. She was a disciple (Sahaba) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. She was one of the wives of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Caliph. She was a poet who is notable for having married three Muslim men who died martyrs (shaheed).
Atika bint Zayd | |
|---|---|
عاتکة بنت زيد | |
| Title | The wife of the martyrs |
| Personal | |
| Born | ʿĀtīḳah bint Zayd ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzzā ibn Rāz ibn ‘Adiyy ibn Ka‘ab ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghālib ibn Fihr ibn Mālik c. 600 |
| Died | c. 672 |
| Resting place | Medina |
| Religion | Islam |
| Spouse |
|
| Children | ʿIyāḍ ibn ʿUmar |
| Parents |
|
| Era | Early Islamic period |
| Known for | Sahabiyah of Muhammad |
| Occupation | Poet, scholar |
| Relatives |
|
Early life
She was the daughter of Zayd ibn Amr, a member of the Adi clan of the Quraysh in Mecca, and of Umm Kurz Safiya bint al-Hadrami.[1]: 186 [2] Sa'id ibn Zayd was her brother.[3]: 296 [2] Their father was murdered in 605.[4]: 102–103
Atika was probably still a child when Muhammad declared himself to be a prophet in 610.[4]: 281 Sa'id was among the early converts,[4]: 116 [3]: 299 and Atika became a Muslim too.[1]: 186
Personal life
Atika married several times in her lifetime.
First marriage
Her first husband was her cousin, Zayd ibn al-Khattab,[2] who was at least twenty years older than herself. He was also a Muslim,[3]: 294 and it was presumably in his company that Atika joined the general emigration to Medina in 622.[1]: 186 [2]
This marriage apparently ended in divorce, for Atika had already remarried by the time of Zayd's death at the Battle of Yamama in December 632.[2]
Second marriage
Her second husband was Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr.[1]: 186 [5]: 101 It was said that Abdullah deferred to Atika's judgment and that he spent so much time with her that he was too busy to fight in the Islamic army.[2][6]
Divorce
Abu Bakr punished his son by ordering him to divorce her.[2][6] However, Al-Baladhuri says that the reason Abu Bakr ordered the divorce was because Atika was barren.[7]: 267 Abdullah did as he was told but was grief-stricken. He wrote poetry for her:[2][6]
I have never known a man like me divorce a woman like her,
nor any woman like her divorced for no fault of her own.[2]
In the end Abdullah was allowed to take Atika back before her waiting period was completed.[2][6]: 87
Death of Muhammad
When Muhammad died in 632, Atika composed an elegy for him.
His camels have been lonely since evening;
he used to ride them and he was their adornment.
I have been weeping for the Chief since evening,
and tears are flowing in succession.
Thy wives are still lying in swoons
because of grief that grows greater moment by moment;
they turned pale like a javelin
that becomes useless and changes its colour;
they are remedying chronic sorrow,
but the pain reacts on the heart;
they beat their fine faces with their palms,
for that is what happens at times like this.
He was excellent and the chosen Chief.
Their religion was united on truth.
How can I live longer than the Messenger,
who died at his appointed hour?[8]
Death of Abdullah
Abdullah settled a large amount of property on Atika on condition that she would not remarry after his death.[1]: 186 [9][7]: 267 [2] He died in Medina in January 633 from an old battle-wound originally incurred at the Siege of Ta'if.[10]: 76 [2] Atika composed an elegy for him.
I vow that mine eye will not cease to weep for thee
and my skin will be covered with dust.[1]: 187 [7]: 267
She refused several suitors in the following months.[1]: 186 [9]
Third marriage
Courtship
Umar, the future second Caliph and Atika's first cousin, told her that she had been wrong to renounce her right to remarry, "denying yourself what God has permitted."[1]: 187 [2]
The broken vow
After Umar became Caliph,[11]: 70 when Aisha learned that Atika had broken her vow of celibacy, she sent her a message:
I vow that mine eye will not cease to be dry for thee,
and my skin will be yellow with dye.
Return our property to us!"[7]: 267–268 When Ali also recited this poem to them, Umar told Atika to return the land.[1]: 187 [2][7]: 268 He settled an equivalent sum of money on her, which she distributed in alms to expiate the breaking of her vow to Abd Allah.[7]: 267
Married life
From her marriage to Umar, Atika gave birth to a son named Iyad.[3]: 204
Atika used to ask Umar's permission to attend public prayers at the mosque. Umar preferred his wives to remain at home and expressed his displeasure with silence. Atika told him that she was not going to stop asking permission, and that she would go to the mosque unless he specifically forbade her. He remained silent, presumably because he could not forbid something that the Prophet Muhammad had permitted, and so Atika continued to attend.[12][1]: 188–189 [2][13]
Death of Umar
She was present at the Mosque when Umar was assassinated there in November 644.[3]: 285 [13] She composed elegies for him.
Eye! let thy tears and weeping be abundant
and weary not - over the noble chief.
Death hath afflicted me in the fall of a horseman
Distinguished in the day of battle ...[10]: 152
Compassionate to those closest, tough against his enemies,
someone to trust in times of bad fortune and answering,
whenever he gave his word, his deeds did not belie his word,
swift to good deeds, and not with a frown.[5]: 130
Fourth marriage
Courtship
After Umar's death, Atika married Zubayr ibn al-Awwam.[5]: 101 She made it a condition of their marriage contract that he would not beat her, that he would continue to permit her to visit the mosque at will and that he would not withhold "any of her rights".[2][6]: 88 [9]
Death of Zubayr
Zubayr was killed at the Battle of the Camel in December 656.[3]: 83–86 Atika also composed an elegy for him.
If he could have been awakened, he would have been found
not shaking with a quivering heart or hand.
You will be lucky to find anyone like him
among those who remain, who come and go ...
If you have killed a Muslim, then you must suffer the penalty for murder.[14]
It was at this point that people began to say: "Let a man who wants to be a shahid marry Atika bint Zayd!"[6]: 89
Afterwards, the fourth caliph of Islam Ali himself proposed to her, but she told him, "I would not want you to die, O cousin of the Prophet."[7]: 268 Despite that, Ali ended up dying a shaheed anyway, which changed her as well as people's views.
Last marriage
Atika's fifth and final husband was Ali's own son, Husayn, who was over twenty years younger than she was. He was also reckoned a shahid because he was killed at the Battle of Karbala in October 680;[6]: 89 [9][7]: 268 However, Atika apparently predeceased him.
Death
Atika died in 672[9] during the reign of Umayyad caliph Mu'awiya I.
References
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