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This story begins with an Abyssinian slave girl, a stranger among the Bedouin Arab tribes before the beginning of Islam.

She was from Abyssinia (modern-day northern Ethiopia) and had been taken as a slave.

With no family, no friends, and no connections, her life was one of servitude and loneliness.

She served her master’s family, traveling with them wherever they went, and despite her difficult circumstances, she carried herself with dignity and patience.

One day, an incident occurred that would change her life.

The daughter of her master owned an expensive red leather scarf, a symbol of beauty and status.

One night, as the daughter slept, a bird, mistaking the scarf for a piece of meat due to its red color, picked it up and flew away.

When the daughter woke and discovered the missing scarf, she immediately accused the slave girl of stealing it.

The tribe elders interrogated her and refused to believe her explanation that a bird had taken it.

They mocked her, saying, “Couldn’t you come up with a better lie?”

They searched her, beat her, and left no part of her body untouched in their quest to find the scarf.

In a moment of divine intervention, the bird returned and dropped the scarf right in front of them.

The slave girl cried out, “This is what you accused me of, and I was innocent the entire time!”

Overwhelmed with guilt, her master and the tribe freed her, leaving her alone in the world.

Now a free woman, she was still in a strange land with no tribe or family to turn to.

During this time, she heard about the call of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) in Medina and learned that his message was one of empowerment for the oppressed, the weak, and the enslaved.

Drawn to this message of hope and justice, she went to Medina and embraced Islam.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw her and heard her story, he felt for her unique situation.

Unlike the slaves who had accepted Islam in Mecca, she was a stranger in Medina with no support. The Prophet (ﷺ) built her a small home within the Masjid.

This is the part of the story many of us have heard of the nameless slave woman.

Living within the Masjid, her days were filled with quiet acts of service that went far beyond mere cleaning.

Every corner she touched bore the imprint of her dedication and love for the House of Allah.

She often recited a line of poetry: “The day of the scarf was one of the wonders of our Lord. Verily, from the shores of disbelief, He saved me.”

When she passed away, the Sahabah performed her Janazah (funeral prayer) as it was late, and they did not want to disturb the Prophet (ﷺ).

Upon learning of her death, the Prophet (ﷺ) was deeply upset because he wanted to lead her Janazah himself, as he recognized her immense value and special status with Allah (SWT).

He then went to her grave and prayed over her again.

This incident is unique in the Seerah of the Prophet (ﷺ)—it is the only known instance where a person had their Janazah performed twice: once led by the Sahabah and again by the Prophet (ﷺ) himself.

The story of this incredible woman is a reminder of Allah’s boundless mercy and the transformative power of faith.

It challenges us to reflect on how we perceive and treat those around us.

Hidden among us are the friends of Allah, so we must be careful in our judgments and remember that every soul holds a divine spark.

May Allah (SWT) grant us the ability to see the hidden gems in our midst and to live lives of gratitude, compassion, and devotion.