Yasir had come to Mecca from Yemen. Here, he was under the protection of Abu Huzayfa bin Mughira, who was from the Sons of Mahzum. Afterwards, Abu Huzayfa wed him to his slave, Sumayya; and two sons were born out of this marriage: Ammar and Abdullah. The polytheists, including the Sons of Mahzum who were at the forefront, did not cease subjecting this family, whose every member had become Muslims, to unbearable torture and intolerable persecution. The Sons of Mahzum would torture the family on a stony place that had become as hot as hellfire, during a time in which the sun’s heat was scorching in order to make them abandon their faith.

One day, while the polytheists were cruelly persecuting the Yasir family, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) appeared. When he came across this heartbreaking situation, he advised them to be patient by saying, “Be patient, O Yasir Family! Be patient, O Yasir Family! Be patient, O Yasir Family! Your reward is heaven; be patient, O Yasir Family!” Yasir, who was suffering on account of this torture, asked, “Oh Allah’s Apostle, how long will this last?”, to which our Holy Prophet (PBUH) answered with a prayer “My Lord! Do not withhold your compassion and mercy from the Yasir Family.” Some time after this situation, Hazrat Yasir gloriously surrendered his soul to His Creator under the unbearable torture that he faced. In this way, he had attained the honor of being the first “martyr” among the Muslim men.

Sumayya, Yasir’s wife, a rather old, weak, and frail woman, was handed over to Abu Jahl to be tortured. Abu jahl would audaciously say, “You have testified to Muhammad because you have fallen in love with the beauty of his physical appearance!” to this old, physically weak, and lonely woman whom he continuously tortured. When Hazrat Sumayya, an example of a true believer, retorted with the harshest remarks that could be said to a polytheist, Abu jahl further became furious and stabbed her with his spear; she was the first martyr among the women.