Introduction
Asma was the eldest daughter of Abu Bakr and the half-sister of Aisha. She was one of the earliest to accept Islam and she became known for her resourcefulness on the night of the Hijrah, when she prepared the travel provisions for the Prophet and her father and tore her waist-belt in two to tie them, earning the title Dhat an-Nitaqayn.
In Madinah she married az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, who had little wealth, and she managed the household and the farm by her own labour, carrying date-stones on her head over a considerable distance. She is also remembered for her devotion in prayer, for her generosity, and for good treatment of her non-Muslim mother.
She lived to a very old age and witnessed the death of her son Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr in 73 AH, dying only days later.
The story
c. 610 CE
Accepts Islam in Makkah, among the earliest believers.
622 CE / 1 AH
Prepares the journey food for the Prophet and Abu Bakr and uses her waist-belt to tie it, giving her the title Dhat an-Nitaqayn.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 2979Sahih Arabic text
… صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي بَيْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ حِينَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُهَاجِرَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، قَالَتْ فَلَمْ نَجِدْ لِسُفْرَتِهِ وَلاَ لِسِقَائِهِ مَا نَرْبِطُهُمَا بِهِ، فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَجِدُ شَيْئًا أَرْبِطُ بِهِ إِلاَّ نِطَاقِي. قَالَ فَشُقِّيهِ بِاثْنَيْنِ، فَارْبِطِيهِ بِوَاحِدٍ السِّقَاءَ وَبِالآخَرِ السُّفْرَةَ. فَفَعَلْتُ، فَلِذَلِكَ سُمِّيَتْ ذَاتَ …
“Cut it into two pieces and tie the water-skin with one piece and the food-container with the other”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3907Sahih Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، وَفَاطِمَةَ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، رضى الله عنها صَنَعْتُ سُفْرَةً لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ حِينَ أَرَادَا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي مَا أَجِدُ شَيْئًا أَرْبُطُهُ إِلاَّ نِطَاقِي. قَالَ فَشُقِّيهِ. فَفَعَلْتُ، فَسُمِّيتُ ذَاتَ النِّطَاقَيْنِ.
“I prepared the journey food for the Prophet”
1 AH / 622 CE
Migrates to Madinah while heavily pregnant and gives birth to Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr at Quba, the first child born to the Muhajirun in Madinah.
Read the wording
Sahih al-Bukhari 3909Sahih Arabic text
… فَأَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَنَزَلْتُ بِقُبَاءٍ، فَوَلَدْتُهُ بِقُبَاءٍ، ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَوَضَعْتُهُ فِي حَجْرِهِ، ثُمَّ دَعَا بِتَمْرَةٍ، فَمَضَغَهَا، ثُمَّ تَفَلَ فِي فِيهِ، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ شَىْءٍ دَخَلَ جَوْفَهُ رِيقُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثُمَّ حَنَّكَهُ بِتَمْرَةٍ ثُمَّ دَعَا لَهُ وَبَرَّكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَوْلُودٍ وُلِدَ …
“I migrated to Medina while I was at full term of pregnancy and alighted at Quba”
73 AH / 692 CE
Her son Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr is killed in Makkah; she dies a few days later.
A day in their footsteps
6 small, repeatable practices from Asma bint Abi Bakr's life. Each comes with the Arabic text and English wording of its source, and links to read the full report.
Standing long in prayer, even to exhaustion
During a solar eclipse Asma found Aisha praying and joined, standing so long that she grew faint and poured water on her head. She then heard the Prophet's talk on the trial of the grave.
Try this today
Pray the special prayers, such as the eclipse prayer, with concentration and endurance.
Sit with this
When did you last stand long enough in prayer to feel it?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 1053Sahih … أَىْ نَعَمْ. قَالَتْ فَقُمْتُ حَتَّى تَجَلاَّنِي الْغَشْىُ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَصُبُّ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي الْمَاءَ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ " مَا مِنْ شَىْءٍ كُنْتُ لَمْ أَرَهُ إِلاَّ قَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا حَتَّى الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ، وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّكُمْ تُفْتَنُونَ فِي الْقُبُورِ مِثْلَ ـ …
“I too then stood up for the prayer till I fainted and then poured water on my head”
Night prayer at Muzdalifah
On the night in Muzdalifah, Asma stood in prayer, asking her servant several times whether the moon had set, then left for Mina only after it did, citing the Prophet's permission for women.
Try this today
Make the last third of the night, even during travel or hajj, a time for prayer.
Sit with this
Could part of tonight's last third be yours?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 1679Sahih … قَالَتْ يَا بُنَىَّ هَلْ غَابَ الْقَمَرُ قُلْتُ لاَ. فَصَلَّتْ سَاعَةً، ثُمَّ قَالَتْ هَلْ غَابَ الْقَمَرُ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ. قَالَتْ فَارْتَحِلُوا. فَارْتَحَلْنَا، وَمَضَيْنَا حَتَّى رَمَتِ الْجَمْرَةَ، ثُمَّ رَجَعَتْ فَصَلَّتِ الصُّبْحَ فِي مَنْزِلِهَا. فَقُلْتُ لَهَا يَا هَنْتَاهْ مَا أُرَانَا إِلاَّ قَدْ غَلَّسْنَا. قَالَتْ يَا بُنَىَّ، إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَذِنَ …
“Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave permission to the women to do so”
Honest, hands-on work
Her husband had little land and no servants, so Asma carried date stones on her head from his farm, which was about two-thirds of a farsakh away, and managed domestic work herself.
Try this today
Dignity in labour; no honest work is beneath the believer.
Sit with this
Is there honest work you treat as beneath you?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 3151Sahih قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أَنْقُلُ النَّوَى مِنْ أَرْضِ الزُّبَيْرِ الَّتِي أَقْطَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَهْىَ مِنِّي عَلَى ثُلُثَىْ فَرْسَخٍ. وَقَالَ أَبُو ضَمْرَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَقْطَعَ الزُّبَيْرَ أَرْضًا مِنْ أَمْوَالِ بَنِي النَّضِيرِ.
“I used to carry the date stones on my head from the land of Az-Zubair”
Spending without hoarding
Asma asked whether she could give charity from what her husband gave her, and the Prophet told her to give and not to withhold, and not to close her purse lest Allah withhold from her.
Try this today
Give from what you have, regularly, without calculating.
Sit with this
Do you count before you give, or give before you count?
Sources
Sahih al-Bukhari 2590Sahih قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا لِي مَالٌ إِلاَّ مَا أَدْخَلَ عَلَىَّ الزُّبَيْرُ فَأَتَصَدَّقُ. قَالَ " تَصَدَّقِي، وَلاَ تُوعِي فَيُوعَى عَلَيْكِ".
“Give in charity and do not withhold it”
Sahih al-Bukhari 1434Sahih أَنَّهَا جَاءَتْ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " لاَ تُوعِي فَيُوعِيَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكِ، ارْضَخِي مَا اسْتَطَعْتِ".
“Do not shut your money bag”
Doing good to a non-Muslim mother
When her mother, who was still a polytheist, visited her in Madinah during the truce, Asma asked the Prophet if she should keep ties with her. He told her to do so.
Try this today
Keep ties with relatives, even where beliefs differ.
Sit with this
Which relative who believes differently could you visit with kindness?
Sources
Sahih al-Bukhari 2620Sahih قَالَتْ قَدِمَتْ عَلَىَّ أُمِّي وَهْىَ مُشْرِكَةٌ، فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَاسْتَفْتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ{إِنَّ أُمِّي قَدِمَتْ} وَهْىَ رَاغِبَةٌ، أَفَأَصِلُ أُمِّي قَالَ " نَعَمْ صِلِي أُمَّكِ".
“Yes, keep good relation with her”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3183Sahih قَالَتْ قَدِمَتْ عَلَىَّ أُمِّي وَهْىَ مُشْرِكَةٌ فِي عَهْدِ قُرَيْشٍ، إِذْ عَاهَدُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمُدَّتِهِمْ، مَعَ أَبِيهَا، فَاسْتَفْتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ أُمِّي قَدِمَتْ عَلَىَّ، وَهْىَ رَاغِبَةٌ، أَفَأَصِلُهَا قَالَ " نَعَمْ، صِلِيهَا".
“My mother has come to me”
Ingenuity and loyalty in service
Faced with no rope for the provisions, Asma did not wait or fuss; she used her own waist-belt, as her father suggested, and tore it in two for the water-skin and the food bag.
Try this today
Use what you have, immediately, in a worthwhile cause.
Sit with this
What do you already have that could solve someone's problem now?
Source
Sahih al-Bukhari 2979Sahih … صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي بَيْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ حِينَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُهَاجِرَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، قَالَتْ فَلَمْ نَجِدْ لِسُفْرَتِهِ وَلاَ لِسِقَائِهِ مَا نَرْبِطُهُمَا بِهِ، فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَجِدُ شَيْئًا أَرْبِطُ بِهِ إِلاَّ نِطَاقِي. قَالَ فَشُقِّيهِ بِاثْنَيْنِ، فَارْبِطِيهِ بِوَاحِدٍ السِّقَاءَ وَبِالآخَرِ السُّفْرَةَ. فَفَعَلْتُ، فَلِذَلِكَ سُمِّيَتْ ذَاتَ …
“I do not find anything to tie (these things) with except my waist belt”
Virtues
She was named Dhat an-Nitaqayn for her act on the night of the Hijrah.
“for this reason I was named 'Dhat”
Arabic text
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، وَفَاطِمَةَ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، رضى الله عنها صَنَعْتُ سُفْرَةً لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ حِينَ أَرَادَا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي مَا أَجِدُ شَيْئًا أَرْبُطُهُ إِلاَّ نِطَاقِي. قَالَ فَشُقِّيهِ. فَفَعَلْتُ، فَسُمِّيتُ ذَاتَ النِّطَاقَيْنِ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3907Sahih
The Prophet put her newborn son in his lap and placed a date, chewed, in his mouth as the first thing to enter it.
“The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for a date, chewed it, and put some of its juice in the child's mouth”
Arabic text
… فَمَضَغَهَا، ثُمَّ تَفَلَ فِي فِيهِ، فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ شَىْءٍ دَخَلَ جَوْفَهُ رِيقُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم، ثُمَّ حَنَّكَهُ بِتَمْرَةٍ ثُمَّ دَعَا لَهُ وَبَرَّكَ عَلَيْهِ، وَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَوْلُودٍ وُلِدَ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ. تَابَعَهُ خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُسْهِرٍ عَنْ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّهَا هَاجَرَتْ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ …
Sahih al-Bukhari 3909Sahih
Sayings and moments
Passing al-Hajun, Asma would ask Allah to bless the Prophet and recall how they had stopped there with little provision.
“May Allah bless His Apostle Muhammad”
Arabic text
… أَبِي بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّهُ، كَانَ يَسْمَعُ أَسْمَاءَ تَقُولُ كُلَّمَا مَرَّتْ بِالْحَجُونِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ لَقَدْ نَزَلْنَا مَعَهُ هَا هُنَا، وَنَحْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ خِفَافٌ، قَلِيلٌ ظَهْرُنَا، قَلِيلَةٌ أَزْوَادُنَا، فَاعْتَمَرْتُ أَنَا وَأُخْتِي عَائِشَةُ وَالزُّبَيْرُ وَفُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ، فَلَمَّا مَسَحْنَا الْبَيْتَ أَحْلَلْنَا، ثُمَّ أَهْلَلْنَا مِنَ الْعَشِيِّ …
Sahih al-Bukhari 1796Sahih
Words on this page
- Hadithحديث
- A report of what the Prophet ﷺ said, did or approved, passed down through a chain of narrators.
- Hajjالحج
- The pilgrimage to Makkah in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, required once in a lifetime of every adult Muslim who is able.
- Hijrahالهجرة
- The migration of the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, the starting point of the Islamic calendar.
- Madinahالمدينة
- The city, formerly Yathrib, to which the Prophet ﷺ migrated and where the first Muslim community was built.
- Makkahمكة
- The city of the Ka'bah, where the Prophet ﷺ was born and revelation began.
- Muhajirunالمهاجرون
- "The emigrants": the Muslims who left Makkah for Madinah for the sake of Allah.
- Muzdalifahمزدلفة
- An open area between Arafah and Mina where pilgrims spend the night after the day of Arafah.
- Tahajjudتهجد
- Voluntary prayer at night after waking from sleep, especially in the last third of the night.
Related companions
- أبو بكر الصديقAbu Bakr al-SiddiqThe Prophet's closest companion and first caliph, remembered for truthfulness, tender-hearted worship and giv…
- عائشة بنت أبي بكرAisha bint Abi BakrWife of the Prophet and daughter of Abu Bakr, a leading scholar of the first generation who asked, learned an…
- عبد الله بن الزبيرAbdullah ibn al-ZubayrAbdullah ibn al-Zubayr, first child born to the Muhajirun in Medina: devotion, generosity and rebuilding the…
- الزبير بن العوامal-Zubayr ibn al-Awwamal-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, the Prophet's disciple (hawari): his courage, trustworthiness with money and reliance…
Sources and review
- Asma bint Abu Bakr - Wikipedia (dates and family) (opens in a new tab)
- Hadith texts via the open Hadith API mirroring sunnah.com numbering (opens in a new tab)
Hadith numbers follow sunnah.com. Each report links to sunnah.com, and, where the numbering matches, to al-Hadees or HadithUnlocked as well. Quran verses link to quran.com, Tafsir Ibn Kathir and Tanzil. The Arabic is taken from the hadith editions and trimmed around the quoted words, so read the full report at the source before relying on it. Grades are the ones those editions give.
This page is pending scholar review. It was compiled from public sources, and its citations were last checked on 7 October 2026. If you notice a mistake or a missing source, please tell us.