CHAPTER 4: THE MOTHERS OF THE BELIEVERS (3)
Marriage to the Prophet
Umm Salamah reported that she once heard Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) say:
‘Whenever an affliction strikes a Muslin, and he says, as Allah commanded him, “innali-llahi, wa-inna ilayhi raji’un. Allahumma ajirni,fi musibati wa-akhlif li khayran minha ’To Allah we belong’ and to Him will we return,’’ O Allah, reward me for my affliction and replace it for me with that which is better,” Allah will then surely replace it for him with that which is better.’
Thus, when Abu Salamah died, she thought, “Who among the Muslims can be better than Abu Salamah? He is from the first people who migrated to Allah’s Messenger (pbuh)!” Yet, she said the above supplication, and Allah substituted him for her with Allah’s Messenger (pbuh). Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sent Hatib Bin Abi Balta’ah to represent him in seeking her hand in marriage. She told him, “I have a daughter to look after, and am a jealous woman (and the Prophet (pbuh) has several wives).” So Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:
‘As for her daughter, we ask Allah to suffice her from her. And I ask Allah to remove her jealousy.’ (Recorded by Muslim, al-Bayhaqi, and Ahmad)
In another report, Umm Salamah said that when Abu Salamah died, she went to the Prophet (pbuh) and told him, “O Allah’s Messenger (pbuh)! Abu Salamah has passed away.” He instructed her to say:
‘O Allah, forgive me and him, and succeed him for me with that which is good.’
She concluded, “Allah then succeeded him for me with one who is better for me than him: Muhammad (pbuh)!” (Recorded by Muslim, al-Bayhaqi, and others.)
The Prophet (pbuh) married her in 4 H when she was thirty years old. All three of her children, ‘Umar, Salamah, and Zaynab, sahabah. And she became one of the most knowledgeable women of Islam.
Death
Umm Salamah was the last of the Mothers of the Believers to die. She lived until she was informed about the killing of al-Husayn Bin Ali. Greatly saddened by this, she died shortly thereafter in 62 H She was then approximately ninety years old. She was buried in al-Baqi.
Hafsah Bint Umar
Hafsah was the daughter of ‘Umar Bin al-Khattab Bin Nufayl from the Quraysh tribe — meeting with the Prophet (pbuh) in ancestry at his eight forefathers! Ka’b Bin Lu’ayy. Her mother was Zaynab Bint Mazun, Uthman Bin Mazun’s sister.
Hafsah was previously married to Khunays Bin Huthafah as-Sahmi. He was one of the early Muslims who migrated first to al-Habashah (Abyssinia). He fought in Badr and Uhud, and died from his wounds right after Uhud on the third year of al-Hijrah.
After Khunays’s death, ‘Umar offered Hafsah to Abu Bakr and Uthman, but they both declined marrying her. This upset ‘Umar, but the Prophet (pbuh) consoled him saying:
‘One who is better than Uthman will marry Hafsah, and Uthman will marry one who is better than Hafsah.’ (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Ibn Sa’d from Ibn ‘Umar.)
When the Prophet (pbuh) married Hafsah, she was approximately twenty years old. The Prophet (pbuh) divorced her once, probably for exposing a secret that he commanded her to keep (as will be discussed in the next chapter), but Allah ordered him to take her back. He said:
‘Jibril told me, “Take back Hafsah, because she fasts frequently and performs long prayers at night, and she will be your wife in Jannah” ‘ (Recorded by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa’i, and others, from ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Umar. Verified to be authentic by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut (Siyaru A’lam in-Nubala 2:228).)
Zaynab Bint Jahsh
Zaynab Bint Jahsh Bin Ri’ab was the daughter of Umaymah Bint ‘Abd ul-Mut talib Bin Hashim, the Prophet’s (pbuh) paternal aunt. She was born approximately 20 years before the beginning of the Prophet’s (pbuh) mission.
She embraced Islam in Makkah early during the mission of the Prophet (pbuh), and was married to Zayd Bin Harithah, the mawla (freed slave) of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh). Their marriage was not successful and it ended with divorce. Immediately after, Allah’s command came for the Prophet (pbuh) to marry her. (Al-Ahzab 33:37. )
She used to boast about this to her co-wives, saying:
“Whereas your parents gave you in marriage, Allah (swt) gave me in marriage from above His Throne.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and others.)
She was righteous, generous, and charitable. The Prophet (pbuh) said:
‘The one among you (my wives) who will join me first is the one with the longest arms (i.e., most charitable).’ ( Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim from ‘A’ishah.)
‘A’ishah said:
“All of them (the Mothers of the Believers) used to compete in being charitable, but Zaynab excelled because she used to work (to earn money) and then give it in charity.” (Recorded by Muslim.)
Thus, it is more correct to say that this hadith applied to her, contrary to what some of the narrators thought (that it applied to Sawdah).
‘A’ishah also described her saying:
“She was the one who rivaled me in status with Allah’s Messenger (pbuh). I have not seen a more righteous woman than Zaynab, nor one with more taqwa of Allah, more truthful speech, more kindness to her relatives, more benevolence, and more dedication in the work that she did for charity … except for a hot temper that she had, but quickly restrained. May Allah be pleased with her.”(Recorded by Muslim and Ahmad.)
The above hadith indicates that Zaynab died before Sawdah. She died in 20 H, and ‘Umar prayed over her. She was buried in al-Baqi.
Juwayriyah Bint al-Harith
Juwayriyah was the daughter of al-Harith Bin Abi Dirar. Her name was Barrah, but the Prophet changed it to Juwayriyah (This is recorded by Muslim and others from Ibn ‘Abbas.). She was from the tribe of al-Mustaliq, and was taken as a war captive during the battle of al-Muraysi in 5 H. When the Prophet (pbuh) married her she was twenty years old, and she died approximately 50 years later.
She was a most beautiful woman, as attested by her co-wife ‘Aishah:
“When Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) divided the war captives of the tribe of al-Mustaliq, Juwayriyah Bint al-Harith was given to Thabit Bin Qays Bin ash-Shammas (or a cousin of his). She made a contract with him to free herself for money. She was a most beautiful woman, no one seeing her but being baffled by her beauty. She came to Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) seeking his help in paying herself off.
By Allah, when I saw her at my door, I hated her (for her beauty), and knew that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) will find in her what I have found (of beauty). She came in and said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! I am Juwayriyah Bint al-Harith Bin Abl Dirar, the chief of his people, and I have been touched by affliction as you are well aware. I have been allotted to Thabit Bin Qays Bin ash-Shammas (or a cousin of his). I have made a contract with him to pay myself off, and came seeking your help in that.’ He said, ‘Would
you like to consider a better deal?’ She asked, ‘What is it, O Allah’s Messenger?’ He said, ‘I pay that off for you and marry you.’ She said, ‘Certainly, O Allah’s Messenger.’ He said, ‘It is done.’
When the news came out that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had married Juwayriyah, the Muslims freed their captives from al-Mustaliq, who had become the Prophet’s (pbuh) brethren in law. Thus, one hundred households from al-Mustaliq were freed, and I do not know any woman who brought more blessings to her people than Juwayriyah did.” (Recorded by Ahmad and Ibn Hisham. Verified to be authentic by Shu’ayb al Arna’ut (Siyaru A’lam in-Nubala 2:262).)
Umm Habibah
Umm Habibah’s name was Ramlah. She was the sister of Mu’awiyah, and both of them were children of Abu Sufyan, Sakhr Bin Harb Bin Umayyah Bin ‘Abd Shams Bin ‘Abd Minaf — meeting with the Prophet (pbuh) in ancestry at his fourth forefather: ‘Abd Minaf Bin Qasiyy. She was the Prophet’s (pbuh) paternal cousin, and the closest of all his wives in relationship to him.
She migrated to al-Habashah (Abyssinia) with her husband Ubaydullah Bin Jahsh. In al-Habashah, he apostated and died as a Christian. The Prophet (pbuh) then sent Amr Bin Umayyah to an-Najashi requesting to marry her. An-Najashi married her to the Prophet (pbuh), gave her four thousand dirhams and presents, and sent her to al-Madinah guarded by Sharhabil Bin Hasanah. She arrived in al-Madinah on the sixth year of al-Hijrah, and was then over thirty years old.
She died during the rule of her brother Mu’awiyah, in 42 or 44 H.
Safiyyah Bint Huyayy
Safiyyah Bint Huyayy Bin Akhtab Bin Sa’yah descended from the prophet Harun, who in turn descended from Lawi (Levi) Bin Ya’qub (Jacob) Bin Ishaq.
She was previously married to Salam Bin Abl al-Haqlq, and then to his brother Kinanah Bin Abl al-Haqiq. Kinanah was killed during the battle of Khaybar, and Safiyyah was taken as a war-captive, but the Prophet (pbuh) freed her and married her. She was then approximately seventeen years old.
She was noble, honorable, wise, beautiful, and righteous. Anas reported that once Safiyyah heard that Hafsah said about her that, “She is nothing but the daughter of a jew.” She wept because of this, and when Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saw her weeping and asked her why, she told him what Hafsah had said. He (pbuh) said:
‘Indeed, you are a prophet’s (Harun) daughter, and indeed, your uncle (Musa) is a prophet; and indeed, you are married to a prophet. So, how can she boast over you?’
He then told Hafsah, ‘Have taqwa of Allah, O Hafsah.’ (Recorded by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi. Verified to be authentic by Shu’ayb al-Arna’ut (Siyaru A’lam in-Nubala 2:233).)
She died approximately in 50 H in al-Madinah and was buried in al-Baqi.
Maymunah Bint al-Harith
Maymunah Bint al-Harith Bin Hazn al-Hilaliyyah was the sister of Umm al-Fadl, the wife of al-‘Abbas. Thus, she was the maternal aunt of both Khalid Bin al-Walid and Ibn ‘Abbas.
Before Islam, she was married to Mas’ud Bin Amr ath-Thaqafi who later divorced her. She then married Abu Ruhm Bin Abd al- Uzza. After Abu Ruhm died, the Prophet (pbuh) married her in Thul qadah of 7 H, right after he (pbuh) had completed his Umrah.
She was a very noble woman. A’ishah described her saying:
“By Allah, Maymunah is now gone. Indeed, she surely was the most righteous among us, and the kindest toward her relatives.” (Recorded by al-Hakim and Ibn Sa‘d. Verified to be hasan by Shuayb al-Arna’ut (Siyaru A’lam an-Nubala 2:244).)
She died approximately in 50 H, and was buried in Sarif, Which is the same Makkan suburb where the Prophet (pbuh) married her.
Mariyah the Coptic
Mariyah Bint Sham’un was one of the Prophet’s (pbuh) female slaves. Al-Muqawqas, who was the king of Alexandria and Egypt, sent her to him as a gift in 7 H.
She was a Coptic Egyptian of fair complexion. She embraced Islam when she reached al-Madinah. She gave birth to Ibrahim, his only son from other than Khadijah, in 8 H. This earned her freedom, and the Prophet (pbuh) veiled her like his other wives. Ibrahim died when he was two years old.
Mariyah died in al-Madinah in 16 H, during the Khilafah of ‘Umar, and was buried in al-Baqi.
Important Dates
The following table summarizes some important dates concerning the Mothers of the Believers. “Marr.” refers to the year that they got married to the Prophet (pbuh). It should be noted that many of the following dates are approximate, and the historians considerably differ over some of them. For example, some historians say that Sawdah died in 5 H; others say that she died near the end of ‘Umar’s rule. We list below the dates that appeared most correct to us.
Important Dates Concerning the Mothers of the Believers
Other wives
There were other women that the Prophet (pbuh) married but did not approach for various reasons. They were:
Al- Aliyah from the tribe of Bakr Bin Kilab
Asma Bint Ka’b al-Jawniyyah
Umm Sharik from al-Ansar
Sana Bint Asma Bin as-Salt as-Sulamiyyah
Fatimah al-Kilabiyyah
Asma Bint an-Nu’man al-Kindiyyah
As the second one, ‘A’ishah reported that when al-Jawniyyah was admitted to the Prophet’s (pbuh) presence and he(pbuh) approached her she said, “A’athu billahi mink — I ask Allah to protect me from you.” He immediately divorced her saying.
‘Indeed, you have sought protection from the GreatOne: Go to your family.’ (Recorded by al-Bukhari, Ibn Majah, and others.)
Some reports indicate that she regretted this for the rest of her life.
By Muhammad Mustafa al-Jibaly
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