She was the daughter of Zayd ibn Amr, a member of the Adi clan of the Quraysh in Mecca, and of Umm Kurz Safiya bint al-Hadrami.
[1]: 186 [2] This marriage apparently ended in divorce, for Atika had already remarried by the time of Zayd's death at the Battle of Yamama in December 632.
[1]: 186 [5]: 101 It was said that Abdullah deferred to Atika's judgment and that he spent so much time with her that he was too busy to fight in the Islamic army.
Thy wives are still lying in swoons because of grief that grows greater moment by moment; they turned pale like a javelin that becomes useless and changes its colour; they are remedying chronic sorrow, but the pain reacts on the heart; they beat their fine faces with their palms, for that is what happens at times like this.
[8] Abdullah settled a large amount of property on Atika on condition that she would not remarry after his death.
I vow that mine eye will not cease to weep for thee and my skin will be covered with dust.
[1]: 186 [9] Umar, the future second Caliph and Atika's first cousin, told her that she had been wrong to renounce her right to remarry, "denying yourself what God has permitted.
[1]: 187 [2][7]: 268 He settled an equivalent sum of money on her, which she distributed in alms to expiate the breaking of her vow to Abd Allah.
He remained silent, presumably because he could not forbid something that the Prophet Muhammad had permitted, and so Atika continued to attend.
Death hath afflicted me in the fall of a horseman Distinguished in the day of battle ...[10]: 152 Compassionate to those closest, tough against his enemies, someone to trust in times of bad fortune and answering, whenever he gave his word, his deeds did not belie his word, swift to good deeds, and not with a frown.
[5]: 101 She made it a condition of their marriage contract that he would not beat her, that he would continue to permit her to visit the mosque at will and that he would not withhold "any of her rights".
[14] It was at this point that people began to say: "Let a man who wants to be a shahid marry Atika bint Zayd!