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Companions

Sumayyah bint Khayyat

سمية

The first martyr

  • Killed in the early years of the call in Makkah

At a glance

Companions
Dates
Killed in the early years of the call in Makkah
Who
Early believer, widely known as the first martyr of Islam
Stages
The Call in Makkah

ProfileSumayyah bint Khayyat

Sumayyah (may Allah be pleased with her) was an enslaved woman in Makkah, owned by a family of the Makhzum clan. She was married to Yasir, a man from Yemen who had settled in the city, and their son was Ammar. The whole family accepted Islam early, in the first years of the call.

They had no tribe to protect them. In Makkah, clan protection was the thing that kept a believer safe, and without it, the family of Yasir were exposed to the full anger of Quraysh. They were taken out into the heat and tortured to make them give up their faith. The Prophet ﷺ passed by them, told them to be patient and reminded them of the reward waiting for them in Paradise.

Sumayyah would not give in. Abu Jahl killed her, and she is remembered as the first person to die for Islam. Her husband Yasir also died as a result of the mistreatment. Her son Ammar lived on to be one of the great Companions.

Meet them inWhere they appear in the seerah

SourcesSources for this profile

Keep walking

One footstep at a time

Meet the rest of his family and Companions, or walk the whole road from Makkah to Madinah.