A Tradition Invented 49 men, thereby earning the honorific “ Dbat al-nitaqayn” (she of the two belts). Her proximity to the Prophet, through ‘A’isha, Abu Bakr, and al-Zubayr, made her a perfect focus for later seekers of traditions. Asma’ ranks as the third most prolific female Companion-Transmitter after ‘A’isha and Umm Salama. She narrates on several subjects and her authority is not confined to one or two encounters with Muhammad. Her biographers present her life in colorful detail, giving us a clear impression of her personality and position in the early community. She lived to the ripe old age of a hundred, making her one of the longest-surviving female Companions.1, Asma”s biographies focus on four aspects of her life: her preparation of the provisions for the migration of Muhammad and Abu Bakr to Medina; her marital relationship with al-Zubayr, who was known for his harshness toward her; her refusal to accept her pagan mother, Qutayla bint ‘Abd al-TJzza, as a visitor until the Prophet explicitly allowed her to do so; and her vigorous defense of her son ‘Abd Allah, whose beheaded corpse was displayed on a gibbet as a warning to all rebels by al-Hajjaj b. Yusuf (d. 95/714), the Umayyad governor responsible for suppressing his revolt.104 Lauding her conduct in these incidents, biographers portray her as a devout, ascetic, long-suffering woman. Her conjugal relationship was far from harmonious or easy; she mainly occupied herself with tending to alZubayr ’s meager parcel of land, his horse, and his camel. In one account, she tells how she used to carry heavy loads of date-stones from al-Zubayr ’s land to their home (a distance of approximately two miles). Muhammad happened upon her once as she was making her way home and offered her a ride behind him. She declined out of fear of al-Zubayr ’s jealousy. When she reported this encounter to her husband, he relented, saying it was harder for him to hear of her labors than to have her share Muhammad’s mount.1 In another anecdote, Muhammad passes his hand over a swelling she has on her neck and asks God to heal and pardon her. We can glean from this incident and others like it that the Prophet 103 Abu Nu‘aym al-Isbahanl, Ma 'rifat al-Sahaba, 6:3253. See also Juynboll’s article on the utility of very old Companions in the process of hadith transmission: “The Role of the Mu ‘ammarun in the Early Development of the Isnad in Studies on the Origins and Uses of Islamic Hadith, 155-75. The incident between Asma’ and her mother, and the Prophet’s subsequent fatwa, are said to have occasioned the revelation of the Qur’anic verses 60:8-9 ( Surat alMumtahana). These express divine sanction for continuing relationships and dealing justly and kindly with non-Muslims who do not actively fight the believers. 105 Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat, 8:183. 106 Ibn Sa‘d, al-Tabaqat, 8:183.