Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib "Aunt of the Prophet"
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn Abd Manaf al-Qurashiyyah al-Hashimiyyah was one of the aunts of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the sister of Abu Talib and Abdullah. The Prophet (PBUH) had six paternal aunts: Atika, Umaymah, Al-Bayda, Barra (the mother of Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Asad), Safiyyah, and Arwa.
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib Life
Atika was married to Abu Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah, the father of Umm Salama, one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). She had three children: Abdullah, Zuhayr, and Qaribah. She accepted Islam while in Mecca and later migrated to Medina.
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib Characteristics
AAtika was known for her poetic skills. She composed elegies mourning her father, Abd al-Muttalib, and recited poetry in the famous Ukaz market, including poems of pride and honor. She also composed verses about the Battle of Badr, mentioning her vision and its truthfulness.
Her Islam was inferred from her poetry, in which she praised the Prophet (PBUH) and affirmed his prophethood.
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib and The Vision of Badr
Atika is famously remembered for her vision before the Battle of Badr, which was recorded in historical sources. She recounted this vision to her brother, Al-Abbas, warning that disaster would befall Quraysh.
In her dream, she saw a man approaching on a camel, stopping in Al-Abtah, and announcing:
"Rise, O people of betrayal, to your deaths in three days!"
She saw the people gathering around him as he moved with his camel to the Kaaba, then to the top of Mount Abu Qubays, repeating:
"Rise, O people of betrayal, to your deaths in three days!"
Then, he took a stone and hurled it down the mountain, causing it to shatter. Its fragments entered every house in Quraysh.
The people of Quraysh were deeply disturbed by her vision and awaited the three days anxiously. Then, a crier was heard in Al-Abtah, calling out with torn clothes and a wounded camel:
"O people of Quraysh! Your wealth! Your caravan with Abu Sufyan is under threat from Muhammad and his companions! Help, help!"
At this, Quraysh gathered for battle. Abu Lahab, however, refrained from joining due to his belief in his sister’s vision. Ultimately, the truth of Atika’s vision was fulfilled by the events of the Battle of Badr.
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib Influence
Among her poetry:
Why did you not stand firm for the Prophet Muhammad at Badr...?
Those who face battle with true patience endure."
"He has brought you the message of the prophets before him...
And my truthful, righteous nephew is no mere poet."
"What you have forsaken of your Prophet,
Amr and Amir will surely aid him."
Atika's hadiths were transmitted by Umm Kulthum bint Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, though it is said that no verified chain of narration is attributed to her.
Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib Death
The exact date of Atika’s death is uncertain. Some sources suggest she passed away in Mecca before the Hijrah, while others claim she died in Medina and was buried in Al-Baqi Cemetery.
