Salma Umm al-Khair


Salma Umm al-Khair bint Sakhar was the mother of Abu Bakr, the first Caliph.

Biography

Salma was the daughter of Sakhar ibn Amir ibn Amr, from the Taym clan of the Quraysh, and the brother of her uncle Uthman ibn Amir, later known as 'Abu Qahafa'. Her kenning was Umm Al-Khayr.
Salma and Abu Quhafa had several sons who did not survive infancy. When Abu Bakr was born in 573, Salma took him to the Kaaba and prayed to the gods: “If this one is granted immunity from death, then bestow him upon me!” Abu Bakr was therefore known as Atiq, while his subsequent surviving brothers were given the related names Mu'taq and Utaiq.
Salma was an early convert to Islam. She was among those who were "brought to the house of Arqam" to meet Muhammad, i.e., after 614 but before the Hijra.
She died during the Caliphate of her son Abu Bakr between 632 and 634.

Legacy

Sunnis honour her as Umm al-Khair, meaning "Mother of Goodness", referring to Abu Bakr, whom Sunni Muslims honour as one of The Ten Promised Paradise among Muhammad's early companions, the Sahaba.

Family tree