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Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya

أم عطية الأنصارية

An Ansari Companion named Nusayba, who joined seven campaigns with the Prophet looking after the fighters' baggage, and narrated in the two collections on washing the dead, on women going out to the Eid prayers, and on the women's pledge not to wail; she came to Basra and stayed at the palace of Banu Khalaf.

Depth

At a glance

Roles
Companion
Counted among
Sunni
Era
The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate
Region
Arabia
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Women

Place in the story

  • CompanionTradition

Sunni (transmitted)

Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.

Summary

Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya; her name is Nusayba (with plain s and single b, diminutive) — or it is said with fatha on the n and kasra on the s — known by name and kunya 1. She is bint al-Harith, or it is said bint Ka'b; Abu Umar denied that, for Nusayba bint Ka'b is Umm Umara 2.

Narration

She related from the Prophet and from Umar; from her related Anas, Muhammad and Hafsa — sons of Sirin — Isma'il ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Atiyya and Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr 2. Ibn Hajar mentions that her hadith on washing the Prophet's "aniyya" is famous in the Sahih — so in the printed text; perhaps a misprint for washing his daughter. He says a group of the Tabi'in scholars took that ruling from her, and Ibn Sirin took the washing rules from Umm Atiyya until he washed the dead himself 2.

Her hadiths in the two Sahihs

Among her hadiths: "the Messenger of God commanded that the young women and the screened ones come out on the two Eids"; "the Prophet took our pledge that we not wail"; "we used not to count the brownish and yellowish after purity as anything"; "we were forbidden to follow funerals, but it was not made binding on us" 2. And the hadith of the Prophet entering on A'isha asking "do you have anything?" — she said: nothing but something Nusayba sent us from the ewe sent to her of the charity — he said: "it has reached its place" 2.

Campaigning

In Sahih Muslim, from her: "I campaigned with the Messenger of God in seven campaigns, staying behind with their baggage" 2.

After the Prophet

In the Sahih, from Hafsa bint Sirin: Umm Atiyya came to Basra and lodged at the palace of Banu Khalaf 2. Ibn Sa'd said of Umm Sharahil, freedwoman of Abu Atiyya: "Ali ibn Abi Talib used to nap at Umm Atiyya's, and I would pluck his armpit hair with her" 2.

Distinguishing her from another

Ibn Hajar distinguishes her from "Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya al-Khafida", whom Ibn Manda and al-Mustaghfiri give their own entry; he mentions that Abu Musa allowed that she is the same one 2.

Connections

Member of
The Ansar

People and things also explored

al-Khansa' bint Khidhamal-Rubayyi' bint Mu'awwidhAsma' bint MarthadAsma' bint Yazid ibn al-SakanKhawla bint Tha'labaKu'ayba bint Sa'dLayla bint al-KhatimNusayba bint Ka'b (Umm Umara)

Sources

  1. al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 2019
  2. al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, p. 2020
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Umm Atiyya al-Ansariyya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/umm-atiyya/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-12.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story.
Related

al-Khansa' bint Khidham

An Ansari woman of Banu Amr ibn Awf whose hadith is established in the Muwatta': her father married her off against her wishes, she went to the Prophet and he annulled the marriage; she later married Abu Lubaba ibn Abd al-Mundhir and bore him al-Sa'ib.