Um Haram bint Milhan was an Ansari woman (from Madinah) and she was the sister of Um Sulaym, the mother of Anas ibn Malik. She was of the Ansar who embraced Islam before Hijra.

Um Haram was first married to Amr ibn Qias bin Zaid with whom she had a son named Qais. Here husband and her son took part in the battle of Uhud and the battle of Badr and were both martyred. She later married Ubadah ibn AsSamit who was the chief of his clan and known for his bravery and military skill. He was one of the first Ansari men to participate in the Pledge of Aqaba.

He was one of the heroes of the War of Apostasy and a martyr of the Battle of Yarmouk.

Ubadah also participated in the Battle of Badr and every battle and campaign with the Prophet ﷺ before and after Hijra. He was a great husband and father and cared for Um Haram's sons from her first marriage in the same way he cared for his own children.

Um Haram and Ubadah lived on a large, beautiful date palm plantation in the city of Quba, which was right outside of Madinah. This was the city that the Prophet ﷺ stopped by on his hijra (migration) to Madinah for the first time. It became special to him and he would often visit it often.

When he did so, one of the houses that he always stopped by and often napped in was Um Haram's. The first time he went was to console Um Haram and Um Sulaym on the loss of their brothers, who died for the cause of Islam.

I think it it is necessary to mention the story of the martyrdom of their brother, Haram ibn Mi1han (RA). For, this event indicates the great extent to which Eeman had reached in the hearts of each member of his noble household. Haram set out with the delegates of reciters who were treacherously killed by 'Amir ibn at-Tufayl on the day of Bi'r Ma' oonah. These reciters were seventy in number, and they were all surrounded and killed. They were among the greatest Companions of the Prophet in terms of knowledge and piety. Their martyrdom had caused the Messenger of Allah (SAW) great sorrow.

Haram's martyrdom on that day is the highest example for the earlier and later generations! When he was struck by swords and spears, he screamed as loud as he could, "I won, by the Lord of the Ka'bah!" It is as he was undergoing a very difficult test, or he was in a market in which he was selling and purchasing. Then he saw himself as making profits. When some of the polytheists asked one another as regards what Haram meant with his proclamation, 'I won', while he was dying someone answered, "He meant Paradise." This is a magnificent extent to which the Eeman of the household of Mi1han had reached!

Then he started to make a point to visit them more often and Um Malhan used to serve the Prophet ﷺ his favorite foods and he would take naps in a special area they had made just for him.

The Ansar (people of Madinah) are known for their hospitality, generosity and sacrifice. There is even a verse in the Quran that talks about this:

{And those who, before them (emigrants), had homes (in Madinah) and had adopted the Faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given, and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be successful} (Quran 59:9)

One day, the Prophet ﷺ was taking a nap in Um Haram's home and she saw him wake up smiling.

Um Haram asked him what was making him smile and he replied,

"Some people among my followers were shown to me, sailing over the green sea like kings over their thrones."

Um Haram then pleaded to the Prophet ﷺ , "O Messenger of Allah, invoke Allah that He makes me one of them." The Prophet ﷺ then went back to sleep and woke up again smiling.

Um Haram thought he saw something new so she asked him again why he was smiling. He replied, "Some people among my followers were shown to me, sailing over the green sea like kings over their thrones." Um Haram then repeated her plea, "O Messenger of Allah, invoke Allah that He makes me one of them."

"You are among the first," he said to her.

Many years later, after the passing of the Prophet ﷺ , Um Haram accompanied her husband through his travels. Ubadah joined the Syrian army, which was led by Amir ibn Abdullah ibn Al Jarrah. He participated in all the battles until Syria had been conquered. Then a request was made to Umar ibn Al Khattab, who was the Calipha at the time, that a scholar was needed in Palestine to teach them the religion and be a judge among them and Ubadah was appointed by Umar for the job.

He became the first teacher and judge in Palestine and settled there with Um Haram. Because of his high position, he became extremely popular. However, being the wife of such a prominent man did not get to Um Haram's head and she remained as humble was she was living in her home in Quba.

She would often dream of and remember what the Prophet ﷺ had said to her about his dream.

A few years later, Ubadah was sent out to lead an army to assist Amr Ibn Al As in Egypt. Um Haram accompanied him to Egypt and afterwards they settled back in Syria, whose governor at that time was Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.

One of the biggest issues that Muawiyah was dealing with was that Syria's coastline was constantly being attacked by Romans who were using Cyprus as their launch point. He wrote to Umar ibn Al Khattab to allow him to lead an army to Cyprus but Umar refused the request because he did not want to gamble with Muslims' lives with all the dangers of traveling and fighting at sea.

When Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) became caliph, Mu'awiyah managed to convince him that it was necessary to attack Cyprus because of the Byzantine threat.However, Uthman told Muawiyah that he was not to force any Muslim to fight- they must volunteer on their own.

So Muawiyah sent out an announcement and many Muslims chose to fight against the Romans.

Mu'awiyah prepared a fleet to be sent to Cyprus and 'Ubadah bin Saamit (may Allah be pleased with him) was put in charge of the Muslim navy. This would be the first naval attack in Islamic history and Muawiyyah(ra) take the credits of being the first Muslim to introduce Naval system in the Islamic world..

He started building and preparing a fleet of ships. Meanwhile, Um Haram began to get very excited. She felt this might be what was in the Prophet's ﷺ dream and started preparing for her journey with the army. On the day that the ships were to depart, she was truly one of the first on them. With tears in her eyes, she watched as the boats sailed through the waves like kings on their thrones she repeated over and over again,

"You spoke the truth, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ ."

After defeating a Roman coast guard that attacked them as they neared the island, the Muslim ships landed on the coast of Cyprus and started preparing for their invasion.

As they were preparing, Um Haram was given a horse for her to ride on during battle. Somehow the horse got frightened and jumped violently and Um Haram was thrown off and broke her neck. She eventually died from the injuries of that accident. It is said that she died smiling.

Umm Haram was buried where she fell in Cyprus and today, there is a Mosque adjacent to her grave which was built by the Ottomans in her honour. Till today, people from all over the world visit her grave when they visit Cyprus and it is one of the most important places for Muslims in Cyprus. If she were to die in Madinah Al Munawwarah for example, then her grave may have been overlooked amidst the graves of other prominent companions of the Prophet. But she strove in the way of Allah and she was honoured with the fact that hundreds continue to visit her grave every year.

Um Haram lived a life full of journeys and adventures and traveling. She witnessed and participated in some of the greatest moments of Islamic history. May Allah be pleased with her and please her.