Islamica

Wives of the Prophet of Islam

That what is accepted anonymously by great Shia and Sunni historians is that the number of the wives of the Prophet (s) with whom the Prophet had a house and bed, was eleven. And it was till that time beyond which it was prohibited for him to marry, the prohibition which was declared through revelation of verse 52 of chapter of Ahzab. Names of those eleven individuals is as follows: Khadijah, Sawdah, ‘A’ishah, Hafsah, Umm Salmah, Zaynab daughter of Jahsh, Zaynab daughter of Khuzaymah, Juwayriyyah, Umm Habibah, Safiyah and Maymunah. Out of them, Khadijah and Zaynab daughter of Khuzaymah passed away while the Prophet (s) was still alive. There were other women who were married to the Prophet (s) but they did not share a house and bed with the Prophet (s), they had requested to live separately; the historians do not count them as wives of the Prophet (s). Also the slave girls with whom the Prophet (s) had shared a bed are not considered his wives.

Reason behind multiple marriages of the Prophet (s)

The general reason behind marriages of the Prophet (s) was to take into account the factors which were in the interest of carrying out his divine duty; because if his purpose was to enjoy and to pursue his sensuality then instead of marrying old and widowed women, he would have married beautiful girls like kings and emperors. [1] Now we will begin to expound concisely about lives of Prophet’s wives and about why the Prophet (s) married them.

The wives of the Messenger of Allah

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

The first wife of Muhammad (s) was Khadijah. Khadijah was a learned, foreseeing and honourable lady. In terms of ancestry also she was higher than women of Quraysh. [2] [3] [4] And because of the ethical and social distinctions that she had, even in that era of ignorance, she had acquired titles like Tahirah (pure/immaculate lady) and Sayyidat Quraysh (head lady of Quraysh). [5] [6] It is renowned among historians that she had married twice before marrying the Prophet (s) and her husbands had passed away. [7] [8] [9] The elites among Quraysh were willing to marry her. [10] [11] Individuals like ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu‘it, Abu Jahl, Abu Sufyan had already asked her hand in marriage, but she had not accepted. [12]

Khadijah was related to Muhammad (s) as their ancestries intercepted in Qusay. She had information regarding radiant future of Muhammad (s) and was willing to marry him. [13] [14] [15] As Khadijah was a business-woman, she used to hire people for trade, give them capital money to buy goods, and used to pay them wages. [16] [17] [18]

When Muhammad (s) reached twenty five years of age [19], Abu Talib said to him,

‘I am emptyhanded now and difficult days have arrived. At this time, a caravan from Quraysh is going towards Sham (Syria). I wish you too would have gone to Khadijah who sends people for trade and would have taken up responsibility of her trade!’

On the other hand, Khadijah too was aware of Muhammad’s (s) truthfulness, trustworthiness and good ethics, and she sent for him saying,

‘If you take up the responsibility of my trade, I will pay you more than the others and I will also send my slave Maysarah as your assistant.’

Muhammad (s) accepted this offer and with Maysarah started towards Sham with that caravan of Qurash. [16] [20] In this journey, their profit was more than that in their previous journeys. [21] Maysarah witnessed many extraordinary things from Muhammad (s) which astonished him; on their return, he related these extraordinary things to lady Khadijah. [22] [10] [23] [24] [25]

After this journey, Khadijah asked Muhammad (s) for marriage and Muhammad (s) accepted it with agreement of his uncles. The marriage took place in a family gathering. It has be narrated that at the time of this marriage, Khadijah was forty years old and Muhammad (s) was twenty five. Khadijah was the first woman to marry Muhammad (s) and also, she was the first woman to embrace Islam. Khadijah is the mother of lady Fatimah (a) who is the only child left behind from Muhammad (s), and thus, Khadijah is the mother of all Shi’a Imams after Ali ibn Abi Talib, who are all from lady Fatimah (a). Ali ibn Abi Talib too grew up under her caretaking as he was in Prophet Muhammad’s house in his childhood and youth. [26] [22] [27] [11] [28] [29] [30] Khadijah lived alongside Muhammad (s) for twenty five years and eventually passed away in the tenth year of commencement of his prophethood, a short while after Bani Hashim came out of Shi‘b Abi Talib where they were exiled. Her passing away was a very difficult and saddening calamity for Muhammad (s). Khadijah was not only a kind, sacrificing and compassionate wife but she was also a true and sincere support for Islam, and a source of assurance and tranquillity for the Prophet (s) during the hard times of his early prophethood. The Prophet (s) held her memory in high esteem till the end of his life, and he did never forget her precedence in the affairs of Islam and her hard work and efforts in this path. [31] [32]

Sawdah bint Zam‘ah

After a year of demise of Khadijah and before Prophet’s migration to Madinah, the Prophet (s) married to Sawdah daughter of Zam‘ah ibn Qays who belonged to the segment of ‘Abd Shams. Sawdah had embraced Islam before the migration of the Muslims to Habashah (Abyssinia) and had migrated to Habashah (Abyssinia) with her husband Sakran ibn ‘Amr. Sakran passed away in Habashah (Abyssinia) and Sawdah remained alone without a guardian. For continuation of her life, she would have to either return to her unbeliever and polytheist family in which case she would either have to abandon her religion or be tortured by her family, or she would have to choose a suitable spouse from among Muslims. On the other hand, the Prophet (s) too was alone after Khadijah and his sorrow for losing her had compelled him to not think about marrying again. Those around the Prophet were worried about him. One day Khulah bint Hakim came to the Prophet (s) and said to him,

‘O Messenger of Allah! I think you may be in need of a spouse after Khadijah?!’

The Prophet (s) said,

‘Yes! I need a spouse for taking charge of the house.’

Khulah took his permission to find a suitable spouse for him. Khulah chose Sawdah, who was more than fifty years old, for the Prophet (s) and they got married. [33] [34] [35] [36] [37] [38]

‘A’ishah bint Abi Bakr

She was the daughter of Abu Bakr, the first caliph. It is renowned that she was seven years old when the Prophet (s) asked her hand in marriage in Makkah (this was something Abu Bakr himself wanted too). It has been narrated that when Khulah bint Hakim came to the Prophet (s), she suggested to him for marriage name of Sawdah from among the widowed and name of ‘A’ishah from among the virgins. The Prophet (s) accepted both the suggestions. Prophet’s marriage contract with ‘A’ishah took place after his marriage contract with Sawdah. After the marriage contract took place, ‘A’ishah was in her father’s house for two years and after that when the Prophet (s) had migrated to Madinah, she came to his house. ‘A’isha’s individual as well as social life is full of events and narratives. ‘A’ishah passed away in the year 57 A.H. and was buried in Baqi‘.

If the Prophet (s) had married ‘A’isha for the purpose of consummating the marriage then it was more suitable for him to marry someone of age (baligh) or a widowed in her youth rather than ‘A’ishah so that he would not have to wait for two years for ‘A’isha to come of age. Thus it can be said that things like the following were the reason behind this marriage: to bond with the tribe of Bani Tamim, the tribe one of whose elders was Abu Bakr; to eradicate problems faced by Abu Bakr and to make him more assured with respect to Islam. [39] [40] [36] [41] [38]

Hafsah bint ‘Umar

Hafsah was daughter of ‘Umar, the second caliph. She was amongst those women who had migrated to Madinah with the Prophet (s). Her husband, Khunays ibn ‘Abdillah was one of those who had migrated to Habashah (Abyssinia). He passed away as a result of wounds inflicted upon him in the battle of Badr. After the demise of Hafsah’s husband, ‘Umar asked Abu Bakr to marry her but he refused and ‘Umar became concerned. Then ‘Umar asked ‘Uthman to marry her but he too refused. This made ‘Umar very worried and he went to the Prophet (s) to complain about it. The Prophet (s) said, ‘A person who is better than ‘Uthman shall marry Hafsah.’ (He meant himself).

Thus, Prophet’s marriage with Hafsah was to comfort ‘Umar, especially at a time when Abu Bakr and ‘Uthman were not proving helpful in solving his problem. This marriage took place in the third year of migration (3 A.H.) in Madinah. Hafsah passed away in the year 45 A.H.. [42] [43] [44] [45] [46]

Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan

Her actual name is Ramlah. She was daughter of Abu Sufyan who was a bitter enemy of Islam. Umm Habibah migrated to Habashah (Abyssinia) along with her husband ‘Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, son of Prophet’s paternal aunt. While in Habashah, ‘Ubaydullah left Islam and became a Christian and then because of excessive drinking, he died in the state of unbelief. After becoming aware of this incident, the Prophet (s) sent ‘Amr ibn Umayyah Damri to Habashah in the sixth year of migration (6 A.H.) and asked Najashi, the king of Habashah, to marry the Prophet (s) to Umm Habibah. Najashi married her to the Prophet (s). Then she remained in Habashah for a year and returned to Madinah in 7 A.H. along with the last group of migrants returning from Habashah to Madinah. During this period, she was between thirty to forty years old. It is clear that this initiative of the Prophet (s) was for comforting and helping a Muslim woman because she had cut off from her father and otehr relatives and had moved to Habashah with her husband, and there in that non-native land, she had lost her husband resulting in her becoming lonely, forlorn and sorrowful. In such a situation, what would have been better for her than to become wife of the Prophet (s) himself?! Also, nobody had courage enough to marry and take guardianship of Umm Abihah because she was daughter of Abu Sufyan, a powerful man who was a very staunch enemy of Islam. In such a situation, the Prophet (s) came forward and married Umm Habibah to bring her out of such a dire situation. Through this initiative, the Prophet (s) also took a step towards softening the hearts of tribe of Bani Umayyah (the tribe to which Abu Sufyan and Umm Habibah belonged) who were very staunch and stubborn enemies of Islam. As a result of this matrimony, the Prophet (s) became relative to the tribe of Bani Umayyah, to Hind, wife of Abu Sufyan (herself being a staunch enemy of Islam too) and other such bitter enemies, and Umm Habibah herself also proved fruitful in propagating Islam in families in Makkah. [47] [48] [49] [50] [51] [44] [52] [53]

Umm Salmah bint Abi Umayyah Makhzumi

Her actual name is Hind. Her mother was ‘Atikah daughter of paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah (s). Her previous husband Abu Salmah (‘Abdullah) Makhzumi was also son of Prophet’s paternal aunt. Umm Salmah and Abu Salmah Makhzumi were cousins. This couple had four children one of whom was Salmah and that’s why they were called Abu Salmah (father of Salmah) and Umm Salmah (mother of Salmah). Abu Salmah was wounded in the battle of Uhud as a result of which he passed away in the month of Jamadi al-Thani of the year 3 A.H.

Apparently there was no one from the tribe and relatives of Umm Salmah and her husband in Madinah because it has been narrated from Umm Salmah that she said,

‘When Abu Salmah passed away, I was very much saddened and I said to myself, ‘forlornness in forlornness! I will cry so bitterly that it will be talked about in all the gatherings’. ’

After the demise of her husband, for a few months, she herself took responsibility of her children’s affairs. Some men also asked her hand in marriage but she did not accept. Eventually, in the year 4 A.H. the Prophet (s) married to her. It is clear that the purpose of the Prophet (s) in this marriage was to accept the responsibility of her and her children’s affairs. In terms of devoutness and virtues, after Khadijah, Umm Salma was the best among Prophet’s wives. She had a special connection with the pure progeny of the Prophet (s), the Ahl al-Bayt, the Imams. Several times, she was entrusted with the valuables and secrets related to knowledge of wilayah by the progeny of the Prophet (s). Umm Salmah passed away in Madinah in the year 61 A.H. and was buried in Baqi‘. She was the last wife of the Prophet (s) to depart this world. [54] [55] [56] [57] [58] [59] [60] [61] [62]

Safiyyah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab

Safiyyah was the daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab, the head of the tribe of Bani al-Nadir which was one of the bigger Jewish groups of Madinah who were staunch enemies of the Prophet (s). Her encestry reaches Harun (a), the brother and deputy of prophet Musa (a). Before the Prophet (s), she had first married to Sallam ibn Mishkam and then to Kananah ibn Rabi‘ who was killed by Muslims in the battle of Khaybar. In the year 7 A.H. after the victory of Khaybar, Bilal brought her to the Prophet (s). The Prophet (s) saw bruise on her face and asked about its cause. Safiyyah answered,

‘At night I saw a dream that the moon is in my laps. In the morning I related my dream to my husband and he slapped hard on my face and said, ‘Looks like in your heart you cherish the desire for Muhammad (s)?!’’

The Prophet (s) said,

‘If you embrace Islam, I will take you as my wife, and if you remain a Jew, I will free you so that you can return to your tribe.’

Safiyyah answered,

‘Being with the Messenger of Allah is more valuable for me.’

This is how in that same year, i.e. 7 A.H., the Prophet (s) married to Safiyyah. Safiyyah loved the Prophet (s) very much. When the Prophet (s) was in his last days, Safiyyah cried restlessly and was praying from her heart that all the pains of the Prophet (s) be given to her and that she be in the death bed instead of him. Safiyyah was alive till the period of rulership of Mu‘awiyah. She passed away in the year 50 A.H. and was buried in the cemetery of Baqi‘. The reason behind this marriage was this that the Muslims were not happy with the fact that Safiyyah, who was the daughter of the head of the tribe of Bani al-Nazir, be married to anyone else except the Prophet (s) himself. Bringing into existence good relations between Muslims and Jews and encouragement of Jews for accepting Islam could be considered other benefits of this marriage. [42] [63] [44] [64] [53]

Maymunah bint Harith Hilali

Maymunah is considered as the last wife of the Prophet (s). She was daughter of Harith Hilali who belonged to a big tribe called Bani Makhzum. She was a widowed woman who, after demise of her second husband Abi Rahbah, had gifted herself to the Prophet (s). This event took place in 7 A.H. when Maymunah was 51 years old. She passed away in 51 A.H. and was buried in Saraf, a region of Makkah. This kind of marriage where a woman gifts herself, marries herself to the Prophet (s) without any mahr (marriage portion) is one of the laws specific to the Prophet (s) as per verse 50 of chapter of Ahzab, thus there is nothing objectionable about the event. Also, Maymunah was from the tribe of Bani Makhzum which was one of the biggest tribes of Arab world and her becoming a wife of the Prophet (s) could play a constructive role in fortifying relations of the Prophet (s) and the tribe of Bani Hashim with the tribe of Bani Makhzum. The effect of this marriage was so strong that after this marriage took place, Khalid ibn Walid went on a hill-top and said the following to his companions regarding the Prophet (s): This man, who has brought such a religion, is not a man of forgery and deception. [65] [66] [67]

Juwayriyyah bint Harith ibn Abi Dirarah

Juwayriyyah was daughter of Harith ibn Abi Dirarah. She was a widowed who had married to her cousin Malik ibn Safwan before. She was an immaculate lady who had good ethics and firmness. She got married to the Prophet of Islam in 6 A.H. She passed away in 56 A.H. in Madinah. In the battle of Bani Mustalaq [68], Juwayriyyah along with some women and men were taken captive by Muslims. When the war-spoils were being distributed, Juwayriyyah who was the daughter of the head of the tribe of Bani Mustalaq, was given to Thabit ibn Qays. Juwayriyyah contracted a deal with her master Thabit ibn Qays that by paying certain amount she will become free. One day Juwayriyyah with signs of helplessness apparent on her face and in her actions, came to the Prophet (s) and said, ‘I am the daughter of Harith, the head of the tribe of Bani Mustalaq. The tribulations and difficulties that have befallen me are not hidden from you. I have written a Mukatabah contract [69] for my freedom. Assist me in availing the money.’ Because the Prophet (s) wanted her to assist in more than just in the form of money, he offered her to marry him and she accepted it.

When this news reached Muslims, they said to themselves,

‘From now onwards the Prophet (s) is the among in-laws of the tribe of Bani Mustalaq and we have, in fact, taken captive those who are relatives of the Prophet (s). It is not appropriate for Prophet’s relatives to be in Muslims’ captivity.’

Thus, they freed all the captives who were approximately two hundred people. When these freed captives returned to their tribe and witnessed this generosity and kindness of the Muslims, they embraced Islam and they even fought alongside Muslims under the leadership of the Prophet (s). This initiative of the Prophet (s) not only had positive effect on the tribe of Bani Mustalaq but also upon the heads of other tribes and made their hearts be inclined towards Islam. Thus, a marriage caused thousands of hearts to incline towards Islam. [42] [70] [71] [72] [73] [53]

Zaynab bint Jahsh

Zaynab was daughter of Prophet’s paternal aunt. She got married to the Prophet (s) after separating by divorce from her previous husband Zayd ibn Harithah, Prophet’s adopted son. Zayd ibn Harithah was a slave of Khadijah. She gifted him to the Prophet (s) after her marriage with him. The Prophet (s) freed him before commencement of his prophethood and then adopted him as his son. After this event he was called Zayd ibn Muhammad. In the pre-Islamic era of ignorance, Arabs had a tradition as per which they considered adopted son as real son and they would apply all the laws that apply to real sons to adopted sons as well. But after the advent of Islam, Allah declared this custom of adaptation as invalid. It is there in the verses 4 and 5 of the chapter of Ahzab, “Allah has not put two hearts within any man, nor has He made your wives whom you repudiate by zihar your mothers, nor has he made your adopted sons your [actual] sons. These are mere utterances of your mouths. But Allah speaks the truth and He guides to the [right] way. Call them after their fathers. That is more just with Allah. If you do not know their fathers, then they are your brethren in the faith and your kinsmen. Excepting what your hearts may intend deliberately, there will be no sin upon you for any mistake that you may make therein. And Allah is all-forgiving, all-merciful.” [74] After revelation of this verse, the Prophet (s) said to Zayd,

‘You are Zayd ibn Harithah, not Zayd ibn Muhammad.’

Then onwards he was called

‘one who is freed by the Messenger of Allah’ instead of ‘son of Muhammad’.

The Prophet (s) asked Zaynab’s hand in marriage for Zayd. Zaynab, who was grand daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib and belonged to Quraysh, did not accept in the beginning because Zayd was not only not from Qurash but also he was a freed salve. But because the Prophet (s) showed much interest in this matrimony, she agreed. This marriage was an example of eradication of distinctions made on the basis of casts and status in Islam and this was the reason behind Prophet’s interest in this matrimony.

As a result of ethical incompatibilities between Zayd and Zaynab, there married life was shaken and they were on the brink of separation. Many a times Zayd showed his willingness to divorce Zaynab, but the Prophet (s) advised him to reconcile and said,

‘Keep your wife with you.’

But they could not continue their married life and eventually got separated by divorce.

After her divorce from Zayd, the Prophet (s) was commanded by Allah to marry Zaynab so that the wrong custom of adaptation gets invalidated in practice. As was mentioned before, they used to consider adopted son as actual son, and as it was prohibited to marry a woman who was wife of one’s son, they also considered it prohibited to marry a woman who was wife of one’s adopted son. Quran says the following regarding the motive and purpose behind this marriage: “When you said to him whom Allah had blessed, and whom you [too] had blessed, ‘Retain your wife for yourself, and be wary of Allah,’ and you had hidden in your heart what Allah was to divulge [75], and you feared the people though Allah is worthier that you should fear Him, so when Zayd had got through with her, We wedded her to you, so that there may be no blame on the faithful in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have got through with them, and Allah’s command is bound to be fulfilled.” [76]

The hypocrites started misusing this marriage for slandering and dispraising the Prophet (s) by saying,

‘Muhammad has married wife of his son!’

Allah said in their reply: “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Apostle of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, and Allah has knowledge of all things.” [77] [78] [79] [80] [81] [82] [42] [36] [83] [84] [85]

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah was grand-daughter of ‘Abd al-Muttalib and daughter of paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah. Her previous husband was ‘Ubaydah ibn Harith ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib who attained martyrdom in the battle of Badr. She was an old aged woman when she got married to the Prophet (s). This marriage took place in 3 A.H. in Madinah. Zaynab had no renown with respect to wealth and beauty and when she married the Prophet (s), days of her youth were gone. She was a woman who cared very much about orphans. Her affability with helpless and destitute was renowned among people to such an extent that they had given her the title of Umm al-Masakin (Mother of the destitute). The Prophet (s) married her for comforting her, to protect her dignity and prestige, and also to support her. Zaynab lived with the Prophet (s) for around two years, i.e. till 5 A.H. when she passed away. After Khadijah, she was the only wife of the Prophet (s) who passed away in his lifetime. [86] [87] [88] [89]

Other wives

Names of some women are found in the history of Islam who are not presented as Prophet’s wives by historians, but they are among those women who were around the Prophet (s) such that either they were his slave-girls or there was marriage contract recited between them and the Prophet (s), but the marriage was not consummated and they did not live with him. In continuation, names of some such women will be mentioned and a brief description about their lives will be presented.

Mariyah Qibtiyyah

In 7 A.H. the Messenger of Allah sent Hatib ibn Abi Balta‘ah with a letter to Muqawqis, the ruler of Egypt and Iskandariyyah (Alexandria), to invite him to Islam. In reply to Prophet’s invitation, Muqawqis sent Mariyah who was daughter of one of the royals of Egypt along with her sister Shirin and other gifts for the Prophet (s). Muqawqis also wrote a letter to the Prophet (s), a part of it reads,

‘I honoured your messenger and I have sent to you two women as slave-girls who hold high ranks in the great land of Qibt’.

It has been narrated that on the way back, Hatib ibn Balta‘ah presented Islam to these two and they too embraced it and became Muslims.

After they entered Madinah, the Messenger of Allah chose Mariyah for himself and married Shirin to Hisan ibn Thabit. First house of Mariyah was the house of Harith ibn Nu‘man where she stayed for one year. But because of the distress caused by some of the wives of Prophet (s), Mariyah was forced to insistently request the Prophet (s) to move her to some other place. Thus, the Messenger of Allah moved her to upper part of Madinah, in a small palm grove which belonged to the Prophet (s) after the battle of Bani Nadir which is now called ‘Mashrabah Umm Ibrahim’ and laid down the special laws of hijab for her. Mariyah used to stay there during summers and palm harvesting season and the Prophet (s) would go to visit her there. After sometime of her moving to Mashrabah Umm Ibrahim, Mariyah gave birth to Ibrahim, son of the Messenger of Allah, in the month of Dhi al-Hijjah of 8 A.H.. Jibra’il descended and greeted the Prophet (s) with the name Aba Ibrahim. Time passed and within few months, Ibrahim passed away and was buried in Baqi‘.

Mariyah was a pure, religious and righteous woman. Historians and biographers have praised her for purity of her religion. She was very much liked by the Prophet (s). He expresses his love of her in following sentence narrated from him,

‘When you conquer Egypt, treat them nicely as I am there groom (they are my in-laws).’

Eventually Mariyah passed away in the period of caliphate of ‘Umar in the month of Muharram of 16 A.H. in Madinah and was buried in Baqi‘.[90] [91] [92] [93] [94] [95]

The historical reports may not be enough to prove that Mariyah was married to the Prophet (s) rather than just being his slave-girl, but narrations which show that she was talked to from behind a veil, and that the Prophet (s) called Egyptians his in-laws, and that it was prohibited for any other man to marry her after the Prophet (s) just like the other wives of the Prophet(s), shows that she was at the same rank and status as the wives of the Prophet (s) and that she enjoyed a special place in the eyes of the Prophet (s).

Asma’ bint Nu‘man

Father of Asma’, Nu‘man, came to Madinah from Najd in 9 A.H. along with some people of his tribe and embraced Islam. Then he requested the Prophet (s) to marry his daughter who had recently lost her husband. The Prophet (s) accepted Nu‘man’s request and sent Abu Usayd Sa‘idi with Nu‘man to bring Asma’ to Madinah. Abu Usayd stayed in Najd for three days and after teaching some of the Islamic rulings and etiquettes to Asma’, in the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal of the same year, brought her to Madinah on a camel inside a veiled cabin, and gave her a place to stay in his locality, i.e. the region of the tribe of Bani Sa‘idah. [96] [97]

Asma’ was renowned for her beauty. The women in Madinah, both from among the Muhajir and the Ansar would go to see her as they had heard of her beauty. This caused some of the wives of the Prophet (s) to develop a jealousy for her and they began to think of a solution to stop this marriage from happening. These wives of the Prophet (s) deceived her and told her that if she wants to gain more proximity to the Prophet (s), she should say,

‘I seek refuge in Allah from you’

when he enters. When the Messenger of Allah heard these words, he said,

‘You have sought protection with a great refuge.’

Then he left the house. He gifted her two sets of cloth and asked Abu Usayd to return her to her family. Historical reports suggest that this event took place in the month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal of 9 A.H. There are other historical evidences that reflect such jealousies harboured by certain wives of the Prophet (s), especially for Asma’. Also, some of the historical sources suggest that Asma’ was a conceited individual and during her meeting with the Prophet (s) she presented herself as a noblewoman and saw him as an ordinary person, and this attitude of hers was the cause of their separation. In some sources, weakness of her faith (Iman) and her doubting the prophethood of the Messenger are presented as the cause of their separation. Some researchers bring forward following words of her as an argument for her doubts regarding the prophethood: when she heard the news of demise of Prophet’s son, Ibrahim, she said,

‘If Muhammad was sent by Allah then the most beloved person for him would have not died.’

Ibn Hisham in his book considers leprosy to be the reason of their separation and says that when he saw signs of this illness in her, he sent her to her family.

After this event, Asma’ returned to her people and faced reproach and rebuke from her family and relatives. From that time onwards, she would call herself al-Shaqiyyah (one who has incurred loss). Afterwards she married to several people like Ash‘ath ibn Qays Kindi, Muhajir ibn Abi Umayyah, Kays ibn Makshuh Muradi, ‘Akramah ibn Abi Jahl. The second caliph ‘Umar used to oppose her marriages severely during his caliphate because he considered her a wife of the Prophet (s) and Umm al-Mu’minin, and hence considered it prohibited for her to marry someone other than the Prophet (s). But Asma’ did not consider herself as Umm al-Mu’minin based on this argument that the special ruling of veil that was there for other wives of the Prophet (s) was never implemented for her. Also, some of the historians like Baladhari are of the opinion that she never got married to anyone after her separation from the Prophet (s) and that she would only meet with those who were Mahram to her. She passed away during the caliphate of ‘Uthman in her hometown Najd. [98] [99] [100] [101] [102] [103] [104] [105] [106] [107] [108] [109]

Qatilah bint Qays

She was sister of Ash‘ath ibn Qays Kindi. When the Prophet (s) left the house of Asma’ with anger, Ash‘ath presented the proposal of his sister as a wife for the Messenger of Allah. The Prophet (s) accepted the proposal and Ash‘ath left for his hometown to bring her sister to Madinah to get married to the Messenger of Allah. During his journey back to Madinah, Ash‘ath became aware of the demise of the Messenger of Allah. So he returned his sister to Hadramut and he himself became murtadd (apostate). His sister also, along with some other people, left the religion of Islam. Because of her leaving the religion, her marriage with the Prophet (s) got invalidated and she got excluded from among the Ummhat al-Mu’minin. Some historical reports suggest that she got married to ‘Akramah ibn Abi Jahl. Some say that Qatilah was among those women who had gifted themselves to the Prophet (s). [110] [111]

Rayhanah bint Zayd

She was from among the Jews of the tribe of Banu Nadir. Her husband was a man named Hakam from among the Jews of the tribe of Banu Qurayzah. When her husband was killed and the women of Banu Qurayzah were taken captive, the Prophet (s) freed her and married to her. Some have said that she was a slave-girl of the Prophet (s). Rayhanah was in the Prophet’s house till the time when he returned home from Hajjatul Wida’ after which she passed away and the Prophet (s) buried her in the cemetery of Baqi‘.[112]


References

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  2. ↑ ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Hishām, eds. Muṣṭafā Saqā et al., Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 1 (Beirut: Dār al-Ma‘rifah), 200-201
  3. ↑ Muḥammad ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 1 (Beirut: Dār Bayrūt, 1985), 131
  4. ↑ ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh, Volume 2 (Beirut: Dār Ṣādir, 1979), 39
  5. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 5 (Tehran: Al-Maktabat al-Islāmiyyah, 1957), 434
  6. ↑ ‘Alī ibn Burhān al-Dīn al-Ḥalabī, Al-Sīrat al-Ḥalabiyyah, Volume 1 (Beirut: Dār al-Ma‘rifah), 224
  7. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 5, 434
  8. ↑ Aḥmad ibn ‘Alī ibn Ḥajar ‘Askalānī, Al-Iṣābah fī Tamyyīz al-Ṣaḥābah, Volume 4 (Beirut: Dār Iḥyā’ al-Turāth al-‘Arabī, 1910), 281
  9. ↑ Al-Ḥalabī, Al-Sīrat al-Ḥalabiyyah, Volume 1, 229
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 1, 131
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ibn Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh, Volume 2, 40
  12. ↑ Muḥammad Bāqir al-Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār, Volume 16 (Tehran: Dār al-Kutub al-Islāmiyyah, 1964), 22
  13. ↑ Al-Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār, Volume 16, 20-23
  14. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 1, 203
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  17. ↑ Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq, ed. Dr. Suhayl Zakār, Al-Siyar wa al-Maghāzī, (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1989), 81
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  21. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 1, 130
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Ibn Isḥāq, Al-Siyar wa al-Maghāzī, 82
  23. ↑ Ibn Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh, Volume 2, 39
  24. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 5, 435
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  26. ↑ Aḥmad ibn Yaḥyā Balādharī, ed. Al-Shaykh Muḥammad Bāqir al-Maḥmūdī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, Volume 1 (Beirut: Mu’assasat al-A‘lamī li al-Maṭbū‘āt, 1974), 98
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  28. ↑ Al-Ḥalabī, Al-Sīrat al-Ḥalabiyyah, Volume 1, 227
  29. ↑ Ibn Shahr Āshūb, Manāqib Āl Abī Ṭālib, Volume 1, 42
  30. ↑ Al-Majlisī, Biḥār al-Anwār, Volume 16, 19
  31. ↑ Mahdī Pīshawā’ī, Tārīkh-i-Islām, Volume 1 (Qom: Daftar-i-Nashr-i-Ma‘ārif, 2016, thirtieth print), 169
  32. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 57
  33. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 52-53
  34. ↑ Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, Volume 3 (Beirut: Maktabat al-Ma‘ārif, 1977), 149
  35. ↑ Muḥammad ibn Jurayr Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2 (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1988, second print), 211
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 644
  37. ↑ ‘Alī Dawānī, “Baḥthī Dar Pīrāmūn-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Darshā’ī az Maktab-i-Islām (Issue no. 12, 1967), 20
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Abulqāsimzādah & Kāẓimnizhād, “Kankāshī Darbārih-i-‘Ilal-i-Ta‘addud-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Ma‘rifat, 88
  39. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 58-59
  40. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2, 211-212
  41. ↑ Dawānī, “Baḥthī Dar Pīrāmūn-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Darshā’ī az Maktab-i-Islām, 20-21
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2, 213
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  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 645
  45. ↑ Dawānī, “Baḥthī Dar Pīrāmūn-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Darshā’ī az Maktab-i-Islām, 21
  46. ↑ Abulqāsimzādah & Kāẓimnizhād, “Kankāshī Darbārih-i-‘Ilal-i-Ta‘addud-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Ma‘rifat, 89
  47. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 96-99
  48. ↑ Shaykh ‘Abbās Qummī, Safīnat al-Biḥār, Volume 1 (Tehran: The Sanā’ī library, 1984), 204
  49. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 5, 458
  50. ↑ ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn Mas‘ūdī, ed. Yūsuf As‘ad Dāghir, Murūj al-Dhahab, Volume 2 (Beirut: Dār al-Andulus, 1965), 289
  51. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, Volume 4, 144 & 163-165
  52. ↑ Pīshawā’ī, Tārīkh-i-Islām, Volume 1, 175-176
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 Abulqāsimzādah & Kāẓimnizhād, “Kankāshī Darbārih-i-‘Ilal-i-Ta‘addud-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Ma‘rifat, 91
  54. ↑ ‘Askalānī, Al-Iṣābah fī Tamyyīz al-Ṣaḥābah, Volume 4, 458
  55. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 5, 588
  56. ↑ Ibn Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh, Volume 2, 218
  57. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 644-645
  58. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 86-87 & 90-91
  59. ↑ Ibn ‘Abd al-Birr, Istī‘āb fī Ḥāshiyat al-Iṣābah, Volume 4 (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Arabī, 1983), 82
  60. ↑ Amīr Mahnā al-Khayyāmī, Zawjāt al-Nabī wa Awlāduhu (Beirut: Mu’assasat ‘Izz al-Dīn, 1991), 199
  61. ↑ ‘Abdullah Māmaqānī, Tanqīḥ al-Maqāl, Volume 3 (Tehran: Intishārāt-i-Jahān), 72
  62. ↑ Pīshawā’ī, Tārīkh-i-Islām, Volume 1, 176-177
  63. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 120
  64. ↑ Dawānī, “Baḥthī Dar Pīrāmūn-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Darshā’ī az Maktab-i-Islām, 84
  65. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2, 214
  66. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 132
  67. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 646-647
  68. ↑ Bani Mustalaq was a renowned Jewish tribe who were enemies of Islam
  69. ↑ Mukatabah contract is that contract in which a slave or slave-girl contracts with their master upon an amount such that if the slave or the slave-girl pays that amount to the master, they shall become free.
  70. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 116
  71. ↑ Ibn Athīr, Al-Kāmil fī al-Tārīkh, Volume 4, 587
  72. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 645-646
  73. ↑ Dawānī, “Baḥthī Dar Pīrāmūn-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Darshā’ī az Maktab-i-Islām, 86
  74. ↑ Trans. ‘Alī Qulī Qarā’i, Qur’ān, Chapter: Aḥzāb, Verse: 4-5
  75. ↑ As per the exegetists and based on narration from Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad, that what the Prophet (s) had concealed in his heart was this that Allah had informed him that Zayd shall divorce Zaynab and that he will marry her so that this custom is eradicated, but the Prophet (s) did not speak it to people out of fear. Please see تفسیر روح المعانی، ج22، ص24، مجمع البیان، ج8، ص360
  76. ↑ Trans. ‘Alī Qulī Qarā’i, Qur’ān, Chapter: Aḥzāb, Verse: 37
  77. ↑ Trans. ‘Alī Qulī Qarā’i, Qur’ān, Chapter: Aḥzāb, Verse: 40
  78. ↑ Sayyid Muḥammad Shukrī Ālūsī Baghdādī, Tafsīr Ruḥ al-Ma‘ānī, Volume 21 (Beirut: Dār Iḥyā’ al-Turāth al-‘Arabī), 147
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  85. ↑ Pīshawā’ī, Tārīkh-i-Islām, Volume 1, 177-179
  86. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 115-116
  87. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 647
  88. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2, 214-215
  89. ↑ Abulqāsimzādah & Kāẓimnizhād, “Kankāshī Darbārih-i-‘Ilal-i-Ta‘addud-i-Hamsarān-i-Payāmbar”, Majallah-i-Ma‘rifat, 88-89
  90. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 1, 134-136
  91. ↑ Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk, Volume 2, 141 & 214
  92. ↑ Balādharī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, Volume 1, 449
  93. ↑ Usd al-Ghābah, Volume 8, 311
  94. ↑ Mu‘jam al-Buldān, Volume 5, 138
  95. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, Volume 7, 74
  96. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 145
  97. ↑ Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, Volume 5 (Beirut: Dār Ṣādir), 339
  98. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 143-147
  99. ↑ Ibn Ḥanbal, Musnad Aḥmad, Volume 5, 339
  100. ↑ Al-Ḥākim al-Nīshābūrī, by efforts of Mar‘ashalī, Al-Mustadrak ‘alā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn, Volume 4 (Beirut: Dār al-Ma‘rifah, 1985), 36
  101. ↑ Kulaynī, Al-Kāfī, Volume 5, 421
  102. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 4, 590
  103. ↑ Balādharī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, Volume 1, 456-457
  104. ↑ Balādharī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, Volume 2, 95
  105. ↑ Ibn Qutaybah Daynwarī, by efforts of Tharwat ‘Akāshah, Al-Ma‘ārif (Cairo: Dār al-Mā‘rif), 140
  106. ↑ Ibn Ḥabīb, by efforts of Īlzah Līkhtin Shatītar, Al-Maḥbar (Beirut: Dār al-Āfāq al-Jadīdah), 94
  107. ↑ Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrat al-Nabawiyyah, Volume 2, 1062
  108. ↑ Ibn Wāḍiḥ, Tārīkh Ya‘qūbī, Volume 2, 85
  109. ↑ Ibn Khaladūn, by the efforts of Khalīl Shaḥādah, Dīwān al-Mubtadā wa al-Khabar, Volume 2 (Beirut: Dār al-Fikr, 1988), 92
  110. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 147-148
  111. ↑ Balādharī, Ansāb al-Ashrāf, Volume 1, 456
  112. ↑ Ibn Sa‘d, Al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā, Volume 8, 129-131
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