Seerah / Madinah
Umm Salama's dua after losing her husband
- Date
- c. 4 AH · approximate
- Location
- Madinah
- People
- Umm Salama (RA), Abu Salama (RA)
Umm Salama (RA) reports in Sahih Muslim the dua the Prophet ﷺ taught for any calamity — returning to Allah and asking for something better — and that when Abu Salama died she said it, doubting anyone could be better, and Allah gave her the Prophet ﷺ.
As it was narrated
The story, in the words of those who were there
Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُمَرُ بْنُ كَثِيرِ بْنِ أَفْلَحَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ سَفِينَةَ، يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ تُصِيبُهُ مُصِيبَةٌ فَيَقُولُ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ا…
Umm Salama, the wife of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:If any servant (of Allah) who suffers a calamity says:" We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return; O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it in exchange for it," ' Allah will give him reward for affliction, and would give him something better than it in exchange. She (Umm Salama) said: When Abu Salama died. I uttered (these very words) as I was commanded (to do) by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So Allah gave me better in exchange than him. i. e. (I was taken as the wife of) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
Lessons
- Say the dua even when your heart does not yet believe the better is coming.
- Allah's replacement can exceed what we imagined.
Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.
Pause for a moment
Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.
Send salawat ﷺBibliography
- Sahih Muslim (Umm Salama) · primary source
- Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)