Hamidah bint Sa’id (RA) was from the early generations of Muslims. She was a black woman who was born from a mother who was enslaved. Her ethnic background was Berber though there are conflicting narrations of whether she was born in North Africa or Muslim Spain.
Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq bin Muhammad Al-Baqir bin Ali As-Sajjad bin Al-Husayn As-Sibt bin Ali Al-Murtada bin Abi Talib (SA) proposed to Hamidah due to her intellect, manners and chastity. It is reported that Imam As-Sadiq said to her, “You are praiseworthy in the world, and should be worthy of praise in the next-life.”
Hamidah gave birth to 4 children, with Imam As-Sadiq; those children were Imam Musa Al-Kathim (SA), Ishaq (SA), Muhammad Ad-Dibaj (SA) and Fatimah (SA).
It is reported that Hamidah was visited in a dream by the Prophet (SAWS) in which he (SAWS) told her to marry her son Musa Al-Kathim to Najmah Khatun, an enslaved lady who was Nubian. Hamidah later emancipated Najmah from slavery, and her son Musa Al-Kathim then married Najmah. Najmah later gave birth to Imam Ali Ar-Rida (SA).