A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIVES OF THE WIVES OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (s)

Prophet Muhammad's Wives

UMMAHAATUL MU'MINEEN (MOTHERS OF THE FAITHFUL)

AND

CHILDREN OF RASULULLAH (s)

A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIVES OF THE WIVES OF SAYYIDUNA RASULULLAH (S).

Sayyida KHADIJAH (r)

This noble lady belonged to the Quraish tribe. She is also known as "Khatijatul Kubra" or "Khadijah the Great." Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her when he was 25 years old and she was 40 years old. She was a very devoted wife, companion and counselor, ever ready to stand by Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) in all trials and tribulations. She proved to be an immense support and help to the Cause of Islam. She passed away at the age of 65 years on the 11th of Ramadaan - 10 years after the first revelation. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) has said about her: "The noblest women of the world are Sayyida Mariam (alaiha as-salaam) and Sayyida Khadijah (r)." (Bukhari Shareef)

 

Sayyida SA'UDA (r)

Sayyida Sa'uda (r) was a widow and the daughter of Sayyida Zama (r). She married Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) after Sayyida Khadijah (r) had passed away. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was then 55 years old. She was generous, affectionate and kind. The reason for his marriage was that he needed someone to care for his children so that he could concentrate on the heavy responsibilities of Prophethood. Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (r) has said about her: "It is only Sa'uda, on seeing whom, I wish my soul lived in her body." Sayyida Sa'uda (r) passed away in 55 A.H. 

Sayyida AISHA SIDDIQA (r)

She was the daughter of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (r) and was unmarried. In the 10th year of the mission, Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her. Since she was very young at the time of her marriage, she only began to live with him in Madinatul Munawwarah in 2 A.H. He married Sayyida Aisha Siddiqa (r) in order to strengthen the ties of friendship with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (r), his closest friend and also so that she could teach other women. Sayyida Aisha (r) led a very simple life without comfort and luxury. She dressed very simple. She served Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) with utmost devotion and he loved her very much. She led a very pious life.

When Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) passed away, she was 25 years old. Thereafter, she lived for another 48 years and saw the rule of all the four Khulafaa. She is remembered for her intelligence, intuition, her knowledge of Hadith and principles of religion, secrets of Islamic knowledge, Arabic literature, piety and Islamic Fiqh. She became a great Madani (person of Madinatul Munawwarah) scholar and knew several thousand Ahadith by heart. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) himself used to teach her and answer her questions. She used to also teach other women. A great Scholar, Imam Zahri (r), has said about her: "Sayyida Aisha's (r) knowledge will surpass the knowledge of all the males and Mothers of the Faithful put together."

Sayyida HAFSA (r)

She was the daughter of Sayyiduna Umar (r) and was a widow. In 2 or 3 A.H. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her. He also gave his own daughter, Sayyida Umm Kulthum (r), in marriage to Sayyiduna 'Uthman (r). She was a very learned person and spent most of her time in reading and writing. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) had personally taught her with the result that she was an authority on Islamic knowledge. She was also given the original hand-written copy of the Holy Quran to keep. She was very pious and saintly. She passed away in the month of Shabaan 45 A.H. 

Sayyida ZAYNAB (r)

She was the daughter of Khuzaimah. She was a widow and was poverty stricken. Moved by her piety and self-sacrifice, Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her in 3 A.H. Sayyida Zaynab (r) was a very kind-hearted lady and ever ready to help the poor and destitute. She would spend all her income on charity and was called "Ummul Masaakin" or "Mother of the Poor." She passed away within three months of her marriage and was buried in Jannatul Baqi. 

Sayyida UMME SALMAH (r)

She was the daughter of Abu Ummayyah Sohail. When her husband passed away she was left with four children and had no means of maintenance. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s), now 57 years old, married her in the month of Shawwal in 4 A.H. She was very beautiful and used to live a very pious life. She did all kinds of good works. She was very learned and had a good knowledge of Hadith. She was able to teach others on Islamic matters. She read the Holy Quran in the same style as Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s). She was almost as learned as Sayyida Aisha (r). She outlived all the Ummahaatul Mu'mineen and passed away at the age of 84 years in 63 A.H. 

Sayyida ZAINAB (r)

She was the daughter of Jahsh bin Rabah and married Sayyiduna Zaid bin Harith (r), the adopted son of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s). After her divorce, she married Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) in 5 A.H., when he was 58 years old. Her marriage to Sayyiduna Zaid (r) [Bahasu Indonesia] was a lesson to all not to distinguish between a free person and a slave in social matters. She was very generous to the poor people of Madinatul Munawwarah. She passed away at the age of 53 years in 20 A.H. and lies buried in Jannatul Baqi. When she passed away, Sayyida Aisha (r) said about her: "Alas, the pious respected lady is no more and has left the orphans and widows broken-hearted." 

Sayyida JUWAIRIYAH (r)

She was the daughter of Harith and was a widow. She was a captive of war and set free by Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) who married her in 5 A.H. As a result of her marriage, the prisoners which belonged to her tribe were set free. This made many accept Islam. Sayyida Juwairiyah (r) was a highly self-respecting person. She was very religious-minded and spent most of her time in Salaah. She was also very learned. She passed away at the age of 65 years in 56 A.H. and lies buried in Jannatul Baqi. 

Sayyida UMME HABIBAH (r)

She was the daughter of Sayyiduna Abu Sufyaan (r) and a widow. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her when she was 36-37 years old in 6-7 A.H. This marriage also resulted in Sayyiduna Khalid bin Walid (r) accepting Islam. She was a dedicated wife and feared Almighty Allah much. She had much regard for the poor, down-trodden and destitute and prayed a lot for the Muslims. She passed away at the age of 73 in 44 A.H. 

Sayyida SAFIYAH (r)

She was a Jewess and taken captive during the Battle of Khaibar. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her in 7 A.H. This made a great impact on the Jews, with the result that many accepted Islam. She was very dignified in her behaviour, patient and polite. She was very much attached to Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) and he had great regards for her. She was also very generous and kind-hearted. She was also very learned. She passed away at the age of 50 and is buried in Jannatul Baqi. 

Sayyida MAYMUNA (r)

She was a widow. Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) married her in the month of Shawwal when she was 51 years old. Her marriage also drew many towards Islam. She was very pious and humble and fond of advising Muslim women and freeing slaves. She was also very learned. She passed away in 51 A.H. 

Sayyida MARIA QIBTIYA (r)

She was given to Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) as a gift by the Christian King of Egypt. She accepted Islam and was very pious. Her marriage also improved the relationship with the Egyptians. She passed away 5 years after her son passed away and is buried in Jannatul Baqi.

CHILDREN OF RASULULLAH (s)

Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) had children from only two of his wives. They were Sayyida Khadijah (r) and Sayyida Maria Qibtiya (r).

Sayyida KHADIJAH (r)

Sayyida Khadijah (r) had 6 children. They were:

• Sayyiduna Qasim (r): He was the eldest son and passed away in infancy.

• Sayyiduna Abdullah (r): He was born during the period of Prophethood and was called "Tayyab" and "Taahir." He also passed away in infancy.

• Sayyida Zaynab (r): She was the eldest daughter. She married Sayyiduna Abul Aas (r) who only accepted Islam just a year after she passed away in 8 A.H. She passed away from a wound she received while on the Hijrah to Madinatul Munawwarah. She had two children - Sayyiduna Ali (r) and Sayyiduna Umama (r).

• Sayyida Ruqayyah (r): She was first married to Utba, son of Abu Lahab. She did not live with him and he divorced her. She then married Sayyiduna 'Uthman (r) and migrated with him to Abyssinia and finally settled in Madinatul Munawwarah. They had one son, Sayyiduna Abdullah (r) who passed away at the age of 6. She passed away in 2 A.H. after an illness.

• Sayyida Umme Kulthum (r): She was first married to Utaibah, another son of Abu Lahab. She did not want to live with him and he divorced her. In 3 A.H. she married Sayyiduna 'Uthman (r). His first wife, Sayyida Ruqayyah (r), passed away. She passed away in Shabaan of 9 A.H.

• Sayyida Fathima (r): She was the youngest daughter of Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s). She married Sayyiduna Ali (r). They had 3 sons and 2 daughters. Sayyiduna Imam Hassan, Sayyiduna Imam Hussain, Sayyiduna Mohsin, Sayyida Umme Kulthum and Sayyida Zainab (r). She passed away a few months after Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) left this world. She is considered to be "Sayyidatun Nisaa min Ahlil Jannah" or "Leader of the Women of Paradise."

Sayyida MARIA QIBTIYA (r):

Sayyiduna Ibrahim (r): Sayyida Maria (r) bore Sayyiduna Rasulullah (s) a son, Sayyiduna Ibrahim (r), who passed away in infancy.

Compiled by the Imam Ahmed Raza Academy South Africa

Source: http://onislam.net

Brief Sketch of Mothers of Believers by www.quransearchonline.com/HomeBiography.asp

Safiyah - The Prophet's Wife From the Jews - Prophet Muhammad's Wives

Prophet Muhammad's Wives

Lady Safiyah

The Prophet's Wife From the Jews

An Empowered Woman for All Times

As an individual, Lady Safiyah represented qualities 
which in today's times, could easily be defined as 
a fine example for women's empowerment.

Today when we think of empowered women, what's the image we have in our minds: power suits, breaking the glass ceiling, raising children and building a lucrative career, both with equal finesse?

What are the key qualities that come to mind: knowledgeable and assertive perhaps? After all, these are common qualities that all women today either possess or strive towards. But is it only women of today?

There is nothing wrong with the above picture. And even if not 100% accurate, it represents what many of us may define as today's empowered woman. However, it is only part of the picture.

As hard as it may be to believe, such women are not solely the result of modern society and even existed way back in 14th century Arabia, in the time of the Prophet Muhammad and in the form of his wives, referred to by Muslims as the Mothers of the Believers.

Sure, in that time, they didn't come suited and booted ready to take on the world. But they did come fully clad in the attire the Quran instructed for them, and were ready to take on the Arabian Peninsula, in their own subtle but dynamic way.

Such is the story of Lady Safiyah, the ninth wife of Prophet Muhammad and daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab and Barah bint Shamwal. (Ghadanfar, 115)

A noble woman of Jewish lineage, she became a widow and subsequently, a prisoner of war during the Battle of Khaibar. Upon receiving a proposal of marriage from the Prophet Muhammad himself, she converted to Islam and began a new life with him at the age of seventeen. (Debas 130; Ghadanfar 118)

Like the women of today, Safiyah managed a wide array of roles in her lifetime and struck an amazing balance between each. She is an example for all women, as to how Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, if imbibed properly, can be used fully to the advantage of womankind and become a tool for empowerment.

Spiritual Role

Her studies of the Quran were so intense 
that her eyes would fill with tears

Lady Safiyah was extremely spiritual and spent most of her time reading the Quran, which Muslims believe to be the exact words of God, and memorizing many chapters of it. (Ghadanfar 120)

Her studies of the Quran were so intense that her eyes would fill with tears and she would weep (Ghadanfar 120).  She recommended such an emotional reading of the Quran to all believers. (Webb)

The purity in her faith in God is evident in her own husband's testimony, in which he was quoted stating in defense of Lady Safiyah:

"She faithfully converted to Islam and became a good Muslim." (Debas 132)

Role as an Individual

As an individual, Lady Safiyah represented qualities which in today's times could easily be defined as a fine example for women's empowerment. Most notable were her level of knowledge, well as her assertiveness, and how she used one to strengthen the other. (Webb)

The fact that Safiyah was especially knowledgeable in the area of Islam is evident from her avid reading of the Quran. However, in her case this is especially commendable because she did not limit herself to ritually reciting the verses of the Quran, but also made practical applications of them.

While she memorized chapters of the Quran and wept at its words and verses, she also used the Almighty's words as the very foundation for understanding and interpreting religion for practice in her daily life.

Moreover, it was this very sound knowledge base of Islam that gave her the confidence to be assertive in a number of areas in her life, whether it was to demand fair treatment, to defend her practice of Islam, own property, or even later, to participate in war and politics.

Her righteous nature was evident when Umar ibn Al-Khattab assigned twelve thousand dirhams (a currency of the time) to each wife of the Prophet as their share of the spoils received from recent Muslim conquests at the time. Every wife received the same amount, except for Lady Safiyah and Lady Juwayriyah, both of whom were given only six thousand dirhams.

both Safiyah and Juwayriyah objected to this 
and even refused to accept the money

Umar defended his decision, stating that the other wives received this amount because they had emigrated from Makkah to Madinah. However, both Safiyah and Juwayriyah objected to this and even refused to accept the money.

They countered Umar's argument and stated that the others received the standard amount because they were Prophet Muhammad's wives. Safiyah and Juwayriyah made it clear that because they shared equal status, they deserved equal treatment. Upon this assertion, Umar reversed his decision and allotted them the rightful amount. (Al-Hindi 5/594)

What's most impressive about this particular incident is that the Prophet himself was not even there to aid Safiyah in demanding her rights at this time, because this occurred after his death. However, her knowledge of Islam and her rights within it supported her in being assertive, and ensured that she received fair treatment, whether in the presence or absence of her beloved husband.

Often subjected to the eye of accusation due to her Jewish lineage, Lady Safiyah used her understanding of Islam to not only defend her faith in Allah (Arabic for God) when need be, but also to balance it with the rights of her heritage.

she still maintained relations with the Jews 
who were her relatives

There was an incident when her maid went and told the Caliph Umar that even though Safiyah converted to Islam, she still observed the Saturday Sabbath, and kept good terms with the Jews. As a result, the Caliph questioned Safiyah regarding these accusations. (Ibn Hajar 7/741)

Again, based on her knowledge, she responded that after Allah told the Muslims about the sanctity and blessings of Friday, she stopped giving importance to Saturday.

She further added that indeed, she still maintained relations with the Jews who were her relatives and by doing so, she was simply following the command of Allah and His Messenger for maintaining good relations with family. (Ibn Hajar 7/741)

These examples highlight how Lady Safiyah made full use of the divine gift of knowledge. Not only did she actively seek knowledge of Islam, but she also applied it widely to all areas of her life.

This knowledge, in turn, served as a fuel igniting her assertiveness. Therefore, whenever she demanded her rights or defended herself, she backed it up with solid evidence straight from the Quran and teachings of the final Messenger.

Role as a Wife

"Oh, Prophet of Allah, I surely wish that what you suffer 
from might be in me rather than you!"

As a wife, she treated her marriage as a partnership, and was not afraid to confide in the Prophet Muhammad or seek his advice when necessary. Safiyah did not view seeking advice from her husband as submissive or a reflection of her weaknesses. Rather, she intelligently made use of the strengths he had, and drew upon them wherever relevant and necessary in her own life.

In fact, it was her ability to confide in him that gave her even more strength in dealing with criticisms of her Jewish lineage assertively. At a point in her life, when Safiyah felt the taunts were unbearable, she actually brought the issue to the Prophet's attention. (Webb)

Wiping her tears, he advised her: "Wouldn't it be better for you to say, 'How could they be better then I, when my father is Prophet Aaron, my uncle is Prophet Moses, and my husband is Prophet Muhammad'?" (At-Tirmidhi, 3894)

His intelligent response gave a tremendous boost to Safiyah's abilities to handle such challenges boldly.

Despite the taunts or accusations she may have received, her heart was filled with pure undiluted love for the Prophet Muhammad and Allah. Moreover, the Prophet knew this very well and never even requested evidence of loyalty from her.

As a result, Safiyah's devotion to the Prophet's well-being continued up to his final moments of life. Seeing him in his deathbed, Safiyah cried out in anguish,

"Oh, Prophet of Allah, I surely wish that what you suffer from might be in me rather than you!"

Even when others remained skeptical of her remark, the Prophet defended her without any hesitation or doubt:

"By Allah, I know that Safiyyah is loyal and truthful and she meant what she just said." (Ibn Sa'd 8/128; Ibn Hajar 7/741)

The fact that the Prophet was consistently able to testify of Safiyah's faithfulness, spoke volumes of her credibility as a wife. In today's times, women often have to convince or even coerce their husbands into taking their sides when it comes to controversial issues with in-laws or other third parties surrounding a marriage.

Yet for Safiyah, her husband continually rose to her defense, even without a request from her part to do so.

Her dignified and upright character was enough testimony that she not only believed in Allah and His Messenger, but personified her faith through her role as a dutiful wife to Prophet Muhammad.

Role in Society

She was also ready to go out to defend him 

and prepared her mule for this purpose

Safiyah was also an active participant in the civil society of her time. An example of this is her participation in the political battles which began in the time of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan (Webb). Such was her involvement that in fact, she tried her best to stop the great sedition. (Debas 135)

A supporter of Uthman, Safiyah's efforts were not limited to only verbal statements. She was also ready to go out to defend him and prepared her mule for this purpose. Her efforts were unfortunately countered by opponents of Uthman.

Not one to be discouraged, she continued to support Uthman's besieged family as best she could. To this end, she built a bridge between her house and his, so she could provide his family with food and water while they suffered from the battles. (Ibn Sa'd 8/128)

Safiyah's role as a philanthropist in her society also branched out to her care for the poor, to whom she donated a house that she herself owned, prior to her death. (Debas 138)

Conclusion

she did not merely live a life behind the curtains, so to speak.

To conclude the story of Lady Safiyah, she was a woman who was truly empowered. In her sixty years, she lived a full, thriving, and dynamic life. Indeed, from the age of seventeen, the primary identity attributed to her was that of Prophet Muhammad's wife.

Yet, by the will of God, the Prophet's support and her own sheer talent and tenacity, she did not merely live a life behind the curtains, so to speak.

Within the framework of Allah's word and her beloved husband's teachings, she was able to set a fine example of what women's empowerment really means. Safiyah struck a fine balance between all the different roles she was called to play — and in fact chose to play — in her lifetime.

Far from neglecting any of the essentials, Safiyah established a strong relationship with her Creator, nurtured a loving partnership with her husband, maintained healthy relations with her peers, family, and all those that surrounded her, and played an active role in her society.

Perhaps most importantly, she also ensured her own rights and cared for herself as an individual. Both assertive and diplomatic, Safiyah was multidimensional and truly a woman of substance for her time.

Clad in her traditional attire, armed with the knowledge of Islam, and fuelled with an assertive demeanor, Lady Safiyah's life and character demonstrate that while we have some undeniably successful and empowered women today, they are not merely a modern phenomenon.

Given today's context, perhaps we cannot entirely emulate the life and times of this beloved wife of the Prophet Muhammad, but we can certainly apply her exemplary principles of knowledge, assertiveness, and balance, to the modern lives we lead.

Source: http://onislam.net