108. Khawlah Bint Ja'far Al-Hanafiyyah
Khawlah was the daughter of Ja'far Ibn Qays Ibn Maslamah Ibn...Ibn Hanifah...Ibn Bakr Ibn Wa'il, the wife of Amir al-Mu'minin ('a), and the mother of Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyyah.1
Her Merits
Khawlah was a very eloquent lady who at the time of birth had witnessed that, "There is no god but One." During the reign of Abu Bakr she was taken captive, and eventually married Amir al-Mu'minin ('a). A summary of her captivity is as follows:
During the reign of Abu Bakr, Khalid Ibn al-Walid was sent to the tribe of Banu-Yarbu' to collect the taxes. However, instead of collecting taxes from the Muslims, Khalid killed the men, took the women captive, and brought them back with himself to the caliph. Khawlah, the daughter of Ja'far Ibn Qays, who was among the captives, entered al-Madinah.2
Khawlah went toward the grave of the Messenger of God, moaned, and exclaimed, "Peace to you, O one who was sent by God. And, Peace to your family. After you, your followers have cursed us as the people of Nuba and Daylam curse. We had no sin other than fondness for your household. So, they responded to goodness with badness and badness with goodness, and cursed us."
Then she turned to the people and said, "Don't curse us. Truly we have witnessed to, there is no god but the One, and Muhammad is His messenger."
Talhah and Khalid wanted to take Khawlah as a slave as a part of their share. Khawlah said, “Your supposition is baseless, and your arrow has gone astray. I swear to God that no one will own me except the person who can tell me what my mother said at the time when she was expecting me. And, what did she say when I was born? And, what trust did she give to me when I was six years old? And, where is that trust now? The person who can give the answers to these questions will be my owner. Otherwise, I will tear open my own stomach with a knife, and the money spent on me shall be wasted.”
The companions were stunned by her speech and looked at her in amazement. Khalid and Talhah in hopelessness removed the cloths which they had put on Khawlah in order to claim her.
Amir al-Mu'minin ('a) entered the mosque having heard Khawlah's wails and cries. Khawlah's words were retold for him. He said, "Whatever she has said is correct. I will answer her questions."
When Khawlah saw him, she asked, "Who are you?"
'Ali said, "It is me 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib."
Khawlah moaned and said, "O Amir al-Mu'minin, because of our affection for you they captured us, and because we accept your leadership they killed our men and took our wealth."
He ('a) comforted her and said, "Your reward will not be ruined."
Then he continued, "When your mother was pregnant with you, it was a year of drought in which the sheep would return from the fields hungry, and the springs had gone dry. Your mother said, 'What an inauspicious pregnancy in such an illfated year. When the time for delivery came near your mother said, 'O God, make this delivery easy for me. Then, you will make it live; or, you will take it.' When you were born, you spoke and witnessed to the oneness of God, and asked your mother, 'Why were you satisfied for me not to live. In a short time, the foremost of the children of Adam will come to own me, marry me, and we will have a son.' Your mother wrote this on a piece of copper and buried it. When you reached the age of six years old, she gave you the writing and told you to protect it. When they took you captive all of your struggles were to protect this writing. It is now hidden in your hair."
Then, Khawlah took the writing from out of her hair and all of the people saw it. Khawlah was given to 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib and they were married.3 During the time of Imam al-Baqir ('a) the subject of Amir al-Mu'minin's marriage with Khawlah was raised and Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari explained.
