Eight months after their marriage in the 4th year after the migration, Lady Zaynab was taken ill and passed away. She was buried near the grave of the Prophet's daughter, Lady Rukiyyah, in the graveyard of Baki, may Allah be pleased with them and grant them perfect peace.

Abu Salamah's family were originally from Medina, from the tribe of Asad. However, they had, at one time, settled in Mecca under the sponsorship of his uncle, Abu Talib. It was there that Abu Salamah, met and married Umm Salamah, from the tribe of Mughirah, who was then eighteen years of age. From the very beginning their marriage had been a happy one, and they had been among the early converts that migrated to Abyssinia.

Allah Accepts the Tender Prayer of Abu Salamah

Such was their love for each other that one day Umm Salamah told her husband that if he should die before her she would not remarry. It was a touching gesture, times were difficult, especially for a woman, so Abu Salamah told her that if this should be the case she should remarry and then supplicated saying, "May Allah grant Umm Salamah, after I am gone, a man better than myself who will neither sadden nor harm her."

Several months before, during the hostilities at Uhud, Abu Salamah had been severely wounded and his wife nursed him as best she could. The wound appeared to heal and he went about his daily life, however, a deep infection lay dormant below the injury and the festering wound broken open. The infection could not be contained and soon the poison spread rapidly through his body until he passed away.

Abu Salamah was a cousin of the Prophet (sa) and when he learned of his death he went straight to his house to pray for him. Upon reaching the grieving household he bent over Abu Salamah and gently closed his eye lids as he told his family, "When the soul of a person is taken away, the vision of the eye also follows it." There was great sadness in the household and tears began to flow and the Prophet (sa) consoled them saying, "Supplicate for that which is good for yourselves, because the angels say Ameen to your supplications."

The Prophet Muhammad (sa) supplicated, "O Allah, forgive Abu Salamah and exalt his rank among those who are guided, and be the Guardian of those he has left behind. O Lord of the worlds, forgive him and all of us, and make his grave spacious and illumine it for him."

The Prophet (sa) knew well the great bond between Umm Salamah and her husband, and understood the loss she now felt so he turned to her and told her to supplicate saying, "O Allah, forgive me and him and give to me in return a good replacement," and so Umm Salamah offered the supplication. But deep in her heart she knew that none of the companions could ever replace Abu Salamah for he was so very loving and caring and chocked back her tears as she said, “No one could be better than Abu Salamah.”

The Marriage of Mercy the Prophet (sa) Marries Lady Umm Salamah

Four months after the death of Abu Salamah, the Prophet (sa) asked Umm Salamah to be his wife. Umm Salamah was completely overwhelmed and totally unprepared for the proposal and modestly said, "I am no longer young, and the mother of orphans.

By nature I am a jealous person and you, O Messenger of Allah (sa) have other wives." The Prophet (sa) replied, "I am older than you; as for your jealously, I will supplicate to Allah that it is taken away from you. As for your orphaned children, Allah and His Messenger (sa) will take care of them."

The sincere response of the Prophet (sa) touched Lady Umm Salamah’s heart and shortly afterward, the Prophet (sa) and Lady Umm Salamah were married whereupon she lived in Lady Zaynab's apartment adjoining the Mosque.

The Birth of Al Hussain

During the 4th year, Lady Fatima and Imam Ali were blessed with a second son whom the Prophet (sa) named Al Hussain. It was a joyous event and everyone gave thanks for the safe delivery of Hasan’s baby brother.