Sayyidunā Ḥāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ
Sayyidunā Ḥārithah b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ
In 2 AH, Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا married Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ. Their home was far from the blessed home of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said to Lady Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, “I would like to move you closer.” She replied, “Speak to Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ about vacating a house. If you want, he will vacate his house for me.” The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ has emptied his home for us ˹many times˺, and now I feel shy ˹to ask him again˺.”
This matter reached Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, and he readily emptied his house for Sayyidatunā Fāṭima. Then he went to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and said, “Dear Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Bring Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا closer to your home. My houses are closer to you than the houses of Banū Najjār. My wealth and I are for Allah Almighty and His Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. I swear by Allah! That which you accept from me is dearer to me than that which you do not accept.” Hearing this, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “You have spoken the truth. May Allah bless you.” Then Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا resided in Sayyidunā Hāritha’s رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ home.[1]
The Companion of the Prophet, Sayyidunā Hāritha’s رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ name was Abū ʿAbdullāh Hāritha b. NuꜤmān.[2]
Virtues
He is a great Companion of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم who is from the jurists amongst the Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ.[3]
Some scholars include him amongst the Ahl al Ṣuffa.[4]
Gifting his home
He is the first individual to gift a house and land to the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and the Prophetic Household رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْھُم.[5] The beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم arranged for the noble women who migrated from Makka to stay in his home. From amongst these esteemed women was Sayyidatunā Fāṭima رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا, Sayyidatunā Umm Kulthūm, Sayyidatunā Umm Ayman the foster mother of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Sayyidatunā Asmāˈ b. Abū Bakr, the Mothers of the believers: Sayyidatunā Sawdah b. ZamꜤah, and Sayyidatunā ꜤĀˈishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُّنَّ.[6]
In the year 7 AH, after the Battle of Khaybar, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم married Sayyidatunā Ṣafiyya رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا. When she arrived in Madina, she resided in the home of Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ.[7] Whenever the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم married, Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ would empty his home for the beloved Prophet. This continued to occur until all his (nearby) houses were given to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and his pure wives رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنہُنَّ.[8]
Bread made from the same oven
For a month or more than a year, bread was made for his family and the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم from the same oven. Another narration mentions that this happened for two years.[9]
Military Achievements
Sayyidunā Hāritha رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ participated in the Expeditions of Badr, Uḥud, Khandaq, and all other battles alongside the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.[10]
Replying to Abū Jahl
When some of the Anṣār accepted Islam during the Pledge of al-ꜤAqabah, this news spread to the leaders of the Quraysh. They approached the Ansar, and Abū Jahl said: “People of Aws and Khazraj! You are our brothers, but you have erred. You desire to conspire with someone from our tribe (i.e. the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) and be dominant over us.” Hearing this, Sayyidunā Hāritha b. NuꜤmān رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ said, “May your nose be rubbed in dirt! If we received a command from the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to remove you from this land, we would have done so.”[11]
Humility is an adornment
He had a habit of not being hasty in performing worldly actions. During the Expedition of Ḥunayn, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم