She was a young woman of immense beauty, but her looks were of little concern to her as she reflected on the tragedy that had just befallen her. How could all this have happened so quickly, and for what purpose? Her people were quickly defeated in a battle lasting only a couple of hours. The number of the dead was very small, only 10, but they included her husband, Musafi ibn Safwan, and scores of her people, including herself were taken prisoners, facing a life of slavery as was the universally recognized custom of the time.
Yet why should it all have happened? It was all her father’s fault. He, Al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar ibn Habeeb, was the chief of his tribe, Al-Mustalaq, a medium-sized tribe of Arabia. He wanted to launch a surprise raid on Madinah, feeling that the Muslim state was still in a weak position following their defeat by the Quraysh in the Battle of Uhud. The Prophet (peace be upon him), however, had regular intelligence, monitoring enemy movements. He heard of Al-Harith’s plan and managed to foil it by marching to his own quarters at speed. Members of the Al-Mustalaq tribe were taken by surprise when they found the Muslim army at their doorstep, before they could complete their preparations. Although the situation called for a compromise, and the Prophet would not initiate a battle unless the enemy started it, war did break out because the enemy was extremely hotheaded. It was quick and decisive. For the pretty woman who was Al-Harith’s own daughter, it was a personal tragedy compounded by the disaster that befell her people. She was one of many who now faced a life of slavery.
When the Muslim army was back in Madinah, the prisoners were kept in different homes. They soon realized that their captors did not treat them badly, but were kind and good people. They also began to recognize the difference Islam brought into the lives of those people. They had higher concerns than those of other Arabs, whether they lived in towns or in the desert.
The young lady reflected hard on her new situation. She was at the home of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas who was kind and very devout. He did not even consider taking her to bed, because she had first to complete her waiting period, and because he felt that she deserved better than being his slave. She learned from him something about the Prophet and his kindness. Soon, she resolved on a plan to change her lot. She negotiated with her master to buy her freedom. This was a rule of Islam. When a slave wanted to buy his or her freedom, the master could not refuse. They would agree a price and the slave would be allowed to earn money through work in order to complete the deal.
Having negotiated the price, now Barrah bint Al-Harith needed to find the money. Learning that Islam requires the Muslim state to help such slaves with zakah money to ensure that they become free people, she sought to get such help. Therefore, she headed to meet the Prophet. We will learn how the meeting went next week, God willing.
