Three Great Husbands
Atika bint Zayd was a cousin of Umar. Her first husband was Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr, who loved her so deeply that he gave her an orchard on the condition she not marry again after him. When he died of his Ta’if wound, Ali ruled she could remarry only if she returned the orchard — and Umar married her. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 2 · pp. 708–709 — Kandhlawi — Abdullah's orchard; Ali's ruling; Umar marries Atika. At her walima, Ali playfully recited her mourning couplet for Abdullah aloud, and she wept; Umar gently rebuked Ali for the kindness given roughly. After Umar’s murder, az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam married her. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 2 · pp. 709 — Kandhlawi — Ali's recitation at the walima; Atika's tears; she later marries az-Zubayr.
Times Have Changed
Even under her later husbands she did not give up attending the mosque, citing the Prophet’s ﷺ word that women were not to be barred from it. Only when one of az-Zubayr’s ploys to dissuade her — teasing her in the dark on her way home — at last shook her, did she say: “Times have changed,” and stay home. 3 Stories of the Sahabah · pp. 200–201 — Zakariyya Kandhlawi — Atika continues to attend the mosque; the night-time teasing; 'Times have changed.'
Life Timeline
Born of Banu Adi
Cousin of Umar.
Marries Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr
He gives her an orchard on condition she not remarry after him.
Widowed when Abdullah dies of his Ta'if wound
Marries Umar — and the famous walima
Marries az-Zubayr after Umar's murder
References
- Hayatus Sahaba — Kandhlawi — Atika and her three husbands; Abdullah's orchard; Umar's marriage; the walima and Ali's recitation Vol 2 · pp. 708–710
- Stories of the Sahabah — Zakariyya Kandhlawi — Atika continues to attend the mosque under Umar and az-Zubayr pp. 200–201