At a glance
Companions- Dates
- Lived in Madinah; the year of her death is not recorded
- Who
- A freed woman, once the slave of Safiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib and wife of Abu Rafi, who served as midwife in the Prophet's ﷺ household
- Stages
- Treaty & Victory
ProfileSalma Umm Rafi
Salma (may Allah be pleased with her) was the wife of Abu Rafi, the Prophet's ﷺ freed man, who had been a slave of al-Abbas before. According to the early biographies, she had been a slave of Safiyyah bint Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet's ﷺ aunt, and was freed by the Prophet ﷺ. Her parents' names are not recorded. According to the early biographies, she went with the Prophet ﷺ in many of his expeditions.
According to the early biographies, she was the midwife of the Prophet's ﷺ household. She was present at the birth of Hasan and Husayn, the sons of Fatimah. According to the early biographies, she was also present when Ibrahim, the son of the Prophet ﷺ and Mariya, was born in Madinah, and the good news was brought to the Prophet ﷺ from her house. According to the early biographies, she nursed Fatimah in her last illness, and helped to wash her body after her death.
It was narrated from Salma that the Prophet ﷺ said that a house in which there are no dates is like a house in which there is no food (Sunan Ibn Majah, graded hasan).
According to the early biographies, she narrated only a few hadith, and nothing is recorded about her death.
WatchA lecture about Salma Umm Rafi
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