The real name of “Hala Sultan”, whom we know as the spiritual guard of Cyprus, is “Umm Haram". This great mujahid of Islam, who went as far as Cyprus from Madinah though she was old (86 years old) in order to be one of the people the Messenger of Allah mentioned, is the maternal aunt of Anas bin Malik, the great Companion. She is also the sister of Haram bin Milhan, one of the great Companions. Wife of Ubada bin Samit, one of the great Companions. She is one of the relatives of the Prophet through her maternal aunts and she is also the foster-aunt of the Prophet.
The Prophet occasionally visited the house of this great woman of Islam who was also his foster-aunt and talked to her. He sometimes took a nap in her house. Umm Haram always showed respect to him and entertained him in her house. He regarded it as honor to serve him.
Once, the Prophet visited her house and talked to her. After a while, he slept. When he woke up, he was smiling. Umm Haram was surprised. She asked, “O Messenger of Allah! May my mother and father be sacrificed for you! Why are you smiling?” The Prophet answered: “O Umm Haram! I saw some of my ummah boarding ships and sailing in order to fight unbelievers.
Umm Haram became excited. She wanted to be among them. She said, “O Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah so that I will be one of them.” The Messenger of Allah accepted her wish and prayed: “O Lord! Make her one of them!” Then, he slept again.
After a short while, he woke up smiling again. Umm Haram asked him why he was smiling. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, “I saw some of my ummah going to war pompously like kings sitting on their thrones.” Umm Haram asked the Prophet to pray for her again. She said she wanted to be among them. However, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not accept this. He said, “You will be among the first ones.”
Many years passed. After the death of the Prophet, Muslims conquered Cyprus
during the caliphate of Hz. Uthman by their first sea expedition. Ubada bin Samit and his wife Umm Haram joined that navy.
After the victory, the Islamic army started to return to Damascus. Suddenly, her horse became restive. Umm Haram fell off her horse and became a martyr. Thus, she joined the caravan of martyrs, about whom Allah Almighty said, “Do not say they are dead.”1
The tomb of Umm Haram, who is the symbol of the conquest of Cyprus, is near the Salt Lake, which is in Larnaca. It has been emitting abundance for hundreds of years. Her tomb is constantly visited.
Cyprus was ruled by Muslims for many years. Once, it was invaded by Christians. However, it was conquered again by the Ottomans in 1570; it became Muslim land again. The Ottomans restored the tomb of Umm Haram. They called it “Hala Sultan”. It is narrated that the Ottoman ships saluted her by cannon fire when they passed near it.
May Allah be pleased with her!
