Sumayyah bint Khayyat: The First Martyr of Islam
The Unshakable Faith of Sumayyah: Islam’s First Martyr and the Triumph of Spirit Over Oppression
Before embracing Islam, Sumayyah—a Black Abyssinian (modern-day Ethiopian) woman—was enslaved in Makkah under Abu Hudhaifah ibn al-Mughirah, a prominent member of the Makhzum tribe. The Makhzum were among the most powerful clans in Makkah and later became fierce opponents of Islam and the Banu Hashim (the Prophet’s (S) clan).
Abu Hudhaifah arranged Sumayyah’s marriage to Yasir ibn Amir, a man from Yemen, and they had a son named Ammar ibn Yasir, who was born in the same year as the Prophet (S)—the Year of the Elephant. Sumayyah’s family lived in servitude to the Makhzum tribe, yet despite their lowly status, they were among the earliest to answer the call of Islam. Sumayyah, already in her sixties, was one of the first seven people to accept Islam, followed by her son Ammar and later her husband Yasir, making their entire household pioneers of the faith.
When the Prophet (S) began preaching Islam openly, the small Muslim community faced brutal persecution. The Yasir family, lacking wealth, power, or tribal protection, became easy targets for the Quraysh’s cruelty. Abu Jahl, a leading opponent of Islam and a chief of the Makhzum, took particular pleasure in tormenting them, subjecting the elderly Sumayyah and Yasir to relentless torture, threats, and public humiliation in an attempt to force them to renounce their faith.
The Prophet (S), deeply pained by their suffering but unable to intervene directly, comforted them with the words: “Patience, O family of Yasir! Your destination is Paradise.” This divine promise fortified their hearts, enabling them to endure unimaginable hardships while holding firmly to “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur Rasulullah”.
Despite their unwavering faith, Abu Jahl refused to relent. Determined to crush their defiance and intimidate other Muslims, he escalated his brutality. In a final act of barbarity, he subjected Sumayyah to unspeakable torture. Yet, she remained resolute. Weak and broken but unbroken in spirit, she defiantly spat in Abu Jahl’s face and declared:
“May Allah disgrace you, O enemy of Allah! How vile and wretched you are! You are lower in my sight than a beetle I might crush beneath my foot!”
Enraged by her defiance, Abu Jahl impaled her with a spear, making Sumayyah the first martyr in Islam. Her unyielding faith and sacrifice became an eternal testament to the strength of belief, proving that true honor lies not in worldly status but in standing firm for the truth, even in the face of death.