Ibn `Abbas said to me, "Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?" I said, "Yes." He said,
"This black lady came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, 'I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes
uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to her), 'If you wish, be patient and you will
have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.' She said, 'I will remain
patient,' and added, 'but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become
uncovered.' So he invoked Allah for her."
Narrated 'Ata:
That he had seen Um Zafar, the tall black lady, at (holding) the curtain of the Ka`ba.
Narrated by Narrated 'Ata bin Abi Rabah:
Context
In this hadith, Ibn `Abbas narrates a significant encounter between a black woman suffering from epilepsy and the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). She approached him seeking a cure for her condition, which caused her to become uncovered during seizures. The Prophet (ﷺ) offered her a choice between patience, promising her Paradise, or a prayer for healing. She chose patience but requested a prayer to prevent her from becoming uncovered. This story highlights the importance of patience in the face of adversity and the Prophet's compassionate response.
Modern Application
Today, this hadith encourages individuals facing challenges to practice patience and seek support through prayer. It serves as a reminder that enduring hardships can lead to spiritual rewards, and that seeking help from others can be a part of that journey. People can find strength in their faith and community when dealing with personal struggles.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Paradise and Prophetic Conduct because it illustrates the promise of Paradise for those who are patient and highlights the compassionate approach of the Prophet (ﷺ) in addressing the woman's concerns.
And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people."
She was told, "Enter the palace." But when she saw it, she thought it was a body of water and uncovered her shins [to wade through]. He said, "Indeed, it is a palace [whose floor is] made smooth with glass." She said, "My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, and I submit with Solomon to Allah, Lord of the worlds."
O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.
And women in the city said, "The wife of al-'Azeez is seeking to seduce her slave boy; he has impassioned her with love. Indeed, we see her [to be] in clear error."
