The Family of the Prophet of Islam

This post lists the wives and children of the Prophet of Islam.

Wives

  1. Khadija (556-619) – Khadija was a merchant.  The Prophet of Islam oversaw her caravans before marrying her around 595. According to tradition whe was somewhere around 40 or 45 years old; but, she might have been around 30 because she is said to have borne him six children.)  She died when she was around 65.
  2. Sauda bint Zam’a (596-674) – She was the second wife of the Prophet of Islam, the widow of Sakran who was one of the Companions.
  3. ‘Aisha (614-678) – She was Abu Bakr’s daughter.  The tradition is somewhat unclear. She was possibly six years old when she was engaged to him and nine when the marriage was consummated in Madina (623/4). He consummated the marriage only because Abu Bakr and his wife wanted the Prophet of Islam to do so.
  4. Hafsa (607-?? i.e., 647/8 or 661/2 or 665) – She was the daughter of ‘Umar bin al-Khattab and the widow of Khunais.  She had recently returned with other Muslim exiles from Abyssinia.  Her husband became a Christian in Abyssinia and she left him.  Hafsa married the Prophet of Islam in 625.
  5. Zainab bint Khuzaima (595-626) – She was the widow of ‘Ubaida. She was known as Umm al-Masakin’ or the “Mother of the Poor”.  She died soon after her marriage to the Prophet of Islam in 626 at the age of 31.
  6. Umm Salama (598/9-682/3) – She was the widow of Abu Salama.
  7. Zainab bint Jahsh (590/1-640/1) – She was a cousin of the Prophet of Islam.  She initially married his adopted son, Zaid. Zaid may have divorced her when he realized that the Prophet of Islam was interested in her (and she in him).  She married the Prophet of Islam when she was about 35.  She died when she was around 50.
  8. Juwairiyya bint Harith (605-670) – She was the daughter of the chief of the Musta’liq tribe.
  9. Umm Habiba (591-665) – She was the widow of ‘Ubaid and the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Meccans who opposed the Prophet of Islam.  She married the Prophet of Islam by proxy while she was still in Abyssinia.
  10. Safiyya bint Huyai ibn Akhtab (628-670/2) – She married the Prophet of Islam at 17 years of age in 628.  She was the widow of Kinana, the chief of the Jews of Khaibar.  She was so stunning that the Prophet of Islam made her a full wife.  Her beauty generated some jealousy among the Prophet’s other wives.
  11. Maimuna (602-681) – She was the sister of ‘Abbas and a widow. She offered herself to the Prophet of Islam when he was on pilgrimage to Mecca in 629. Her accepted the offer and married her when she was 26.

Concubines

  1. Raihana – She was a Jew taken captive from the Quraiza tribe.
  2. Marya – She was a Christian Coptic slave who was a present from the ruler of Egypt.

Children

Khadija was the only wife to bear the Prophet of Islam children. She bore him two sons: Qasim and Abdullah (who was also called Tahir).  These two died in infancy.

Khadija bore him four daughters:

  1. Umm Kulthum – married Uthman after Ruqayya died.
  2. Ruqayya – She married Uthman.
  3. Zainab
  4. Fatima – She married Ali.

Marya, a concubine, was the mother of the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim. Ibrahim died when he was two after being pecked in the face by a chicken.

 

Bibliographical Source:

2000. Women in Islam: An Anthology from the Quran and Hadiths.  Nicholas Awde, trans. and ed.  New York: St. Martins Press.

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