An Example of Noble Character

animals they had brought and to shave their heads, not a single person stood up. He repeated the instruction three times, yet all remained silent. Distressed, the Prophet returned to his tent, where his wife Umm Salamah was present. Seeing him grieved, she asked what had happened. He replied, “Today something happened that has never happened before. I gave the Muslims a command, and none of them complied.” Umm Salamah said, “O Messenger of God, if your decision is final, then go out to the field, and without saying a word to anyone, sacrifice your animal and shave your head.” The Prophet followed her advice. He left the tent, said nothing to anyone, slaughtered his sacrifice, and called the barber to shave his head. When the Companions saw this, they all stood and followed suit, sacrificing their animals and shaving their heads—realizing that there was no other option. (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 18910) Similar to Khadijah, Umm Salamah was able to suggest a valuable course of action at a critical moment—precisely because she was not directly involved in the issue. This distance allowed her to form an opinion with a calm and objective mind. Had she been emotionally involved, such clarity might not have been possible.