21. Umm Ayman

Umm Ayman's real name was Baraka bint Sa'laba, and she was from Ethiopia. She was Prophet Muhammad's nanny and the mother of Usama ibn Zayd, who was known as the "love of the Prophet of Allah".

Umm Ayman was part of the inheritance that Prophet Muhammad received from his father, together with 5 camels and a herd of sheep. When the Prophet married Khadija, he set Umm Ayman free. Al Bukhari says in his Al Tarikh al Kabir that Umm Ayman was a slave of Abdullah, Prophet Muhammad's father, and she took care of the Prophet from his birth to his marriage (Ibn al Asir, Usd al Ghabe, VI, p. 303; Dhahabi, Siyar, II, p. 224; Ibn Hajar, al Isaba, VIII, p. 358).

Umm Ayman first married Ubayd ibn Zayd , and their marriage produced their only son, Ayman, who was martyred in the Battle of Hunayn (8 AH). Later she married Zayd ibn Harisa, who was, like her, a former slave of Prophet Muhammad and emancipated by him. Prophet Muhammad had said that "whoever wants to marry a woman who is a member of the people of the Paradise, he should marry Umm Ayman". Upon hearing this, Zayd ibn Harisa wanted to marry her and asked for permission from the Prophet (Ibn Sa'd, Tabaqat, VIII, p. 224).

Umm Ayman was one of the earliest believers in Islam. Prophet Muhammad used call her "mother", and would say that she was always a second mother to him. She participated in the Battle of Uhud (3 AH) by distributing water and taking care of the wounded soldiers. She was also one of the women who took part in the Battle of Khaybar (6 AH) alongside Prophet Muhammad and helped to treat the wounded and cook for them (Mahmud Hadi al Istanbuli, M.Abu al Fazl, es-Sulabi, Nisa Havla al Rasul, p. 236; M.Asim Koksal, Islam Tarihi, XIV, pp. 133-134).