In the city of Madinah, before Islam had even arrived there, lived a clever and strong-hearted woman named Umm Sulaym (radiyallahu anha). She could read and write when hardly anyone could, and she knew beautiful poetry. She had a little boy named Anas, whom she loved with all her heart.
When a teacher came to Madinah with news of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his message, that there is only one God, Allah, Umm Sulaym listened, and she believed at once. Some say she was the very first woman in the whole city to believe. She began teaching little Anas the words of faith while he was still small, the way you learn your favorite song.
Later, a rich and important man named Abu Talha wanted to marry her. He owned more gardens than anyone in Madinah! But he still worshipped idols, statues made of wood. Umm Sulaym told him something surprising. She did not want gold or silver as her wedding gift. She said: if you accept Islam, that will be my dowry, and I will ask for nothing else. She even asked him gently, what happens to a wooden idol if it falls in a fire? It would burn, he admitted. Was it not a bit silly to bow to a piece of wood? Abu Talha went away and thought, and thought. And then he came back and said: I believe in what you believe. Her son Anas said no woman ever had a nobler wedding gift than his mother. Her treasure was faith.
Umm Sulaym gave the Prophet ﷺ another gift too, the most precious thing she had. She brought young Anas to him and said: O Messenger of Allah, this is my son. He is in your service. So Anas got to grow up right beside the Prophet ﷺ, helping him every day. And the Prophet ﷺ prayed for Anas to be blessed in everything, and he was, his whole long life.
The Prophet ﷺ loved visiting Umm Sulaym's home. It was a simple little house, with one mat that was their bed at night, their floor by day, and their table at mealtimes. But it was full of warmth. She even kept a special corner just for praying.
One day, Abu Talha thought the Prophet ﷺ sounded hungry. Umm Sulaym had only a little bread in the house. She wrapped it in a cloth and sent it with Anas. But the Prophet ﷺ arrived with all the people from the mosque! How could a little bread feed so many? The Prophet ﷺ blessed it, and from that small bread, about eighty people ate until they were full. And the family ate from the same bowl for two months more. When Allah blesses something small, it becomes big.
And here is the most wonderful part of all. The Prophet ﷺ once said that he entered Paradise, and there he saw Umm Sulaym. The mother with the little house and the giant heart was already known in Jannah.
So tonight, snuggled in your bed, remember: the best treasure is not gold. It is faith, and a warm heart, and a home where Allah is remembered.