The life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) illuminates the path for countless individuals globally. While his teachings and prophetic mission echo throughout history, his personal life provides deep insights into themes of family, love, and compassion. His children stand as a testament to his devotion to Allah and Islam. This blog will take a deeper dive into the lives of the Prophet’s children and the obstacles they faced.
Children and Their Mothers
The Prophet PBUH had seven children. Four girls and three boys.
- Al-Qasim
- Zainab RA
- Ruqayyah RA
- Umm Kulthum RA
- Fatima RA
- Abdullah
- Ibrahim
All children of the Prophet PBUH were born from Khadija RA, except for his son Ibrahim. Ibrahim was born from the Prophet’s concubine, Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah RA, who was given to him as a gift by al-Muqawqis.
Al-Qasim (CE 598 – 601)
Al-Qasim was the first son of the Prophet PBUH and the son from which he took his kunya, Abu-Al Qasim. It is said that Al-Qasim lived until he was old enough to ride.
Zainab (RA) (CE 599 – 629)
The eldest daughter of Prophet PBUH and Khadija RA was Zainab RA. She was married to Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi, who was from the clan Abd Ash-Shams of the Quraysh. They had two children, Ali and Umaymah. When Islam was revealed, Zainab RA became Muslim, but her husband refused to accept it. She stayed with him in Makkah and didn’t go through with the migration.
In the battle of Badr, the Quraysh were defeated, and her husband was taken prisoner. To free him, Zainab RA had to send money, but because she didn’t have any money, she sent her necklace to pay the ransom. When the necklace reached the Prophet PBUH, he knew that this was the same necklace that Khadija RA had given her daughter on the day of her marriage. He felt great tenderness and said to his people,
“If you believe that you should release her captive on her behalf and restore to her what is rightfully hers, it will be for the best.” [Sunan Abi Dawud 2692]
The people did what the Prophet PBUH said and released Abu al-As. In return, he stipulated that Abu al-As send Zainab RA to Madinah. Therefore, when he reached Madinah, he sent his wife to the Prophet PBUH. In 6th A.H., the Muslims captured a Quraysh caravan, but Abu al-As managed to escape and took refuge in Zainab’s house. Later, he accepted Islam, and he and Zainab RA reunited in Muharram in 7 A.H. and lived happily until Zainab RA passed away in 8 A.H.
Ruqayyah (RA) (CE 601 – 624)
The second daughter of the Prophet PBUH was born three years after her sister, Zainab RA. She was married to Utbah ibn Abu Lahab. But after Islam was revealed and Abu Lahab became an enemy of the religion, he told his son to divorce his wife. After the divorce, Ruqayyah RA got married to Uthman ibn Affan RA and migrated with him to Abyssinia, where she had her son, Abdullah. Later on, she came to live in Madinah.
During the battle of Badr, she became very ill, and the Prophet PBUH told Uthman RA to stay back and take care of her. On the day of victory in the battle of Badr, Ruqayyah RA passed away. The Prophet PBUH was in battle, so he couldn’t attend her funeral. She was the first daughter of the Prophet PBUH to pass away and is buried in Al-Baqi cemetery in Madina.
Umm Kulthum (RA) (CE 603 – 630)
The third daughter of the Prophet PBUH was Umm Kulthum RA. She was married to Utaybah, the son of Abu Lahab. She also met the same fate as her sister Ruqayyah RA, and Utaybah divorced her when his father said so. After this, she was also married to Uthman ibn Affan RA after the death of her sister. That is why Uthman RA is also called ‘the holder of two lights.’ Because he married two daughters of the Prophet PBUH, an honor that no other companion had.
The marriage took place in 3 A.H., and she lived there until she saw the victory of Islam. She died in 9 A.H. without having any children and was buried next to her sister, Ruqayyah RA.
Fatima (RA) (CE 605-632)
The fourth daughter of the Prophet PBUH was Fatima RA. She is one of the most prominent women in the history of Islam. She also had a very beautiful relationship with her father, and the Prophet PBUH used to call her a part of him.
“Fatima is part of myself, and whoever displeases her also displeases me.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari 3767]
Born before her father’s Prophethood, Fatima RA witnessed the emergence of Islam and her father’s call to monotheism. After she migrated to Madinah, the cousin of the Prophet PBUH, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, she married Fatima in the 2nd Hijri when she was in her late teens. Her married life was a serious and difficult one. Her husband was poor, and she didn’t have any servants to help her. Despite this, she never complained and did all the housework herself.
In the 3rd Hijri, she gave birth to her son, Al-Hasan Ibn Ali, and in Shaban of the 4th Hijri, she gave birth to her second son, Al-Hussain Ibn Ali. In the 5th Hijri, she gave birth to a baby girl, whom the Prophet PBUH named Zainab. Two years later, she gave birth to another girl, who was named Umm Kulthum. Both daughters of Fatima RA were named after their aunts.
Fatima resembled her father more than anyone, and she embodied many of his characteristics. Whenever she came to visit the Prophet PBUH, he would stand up, take her hand, kiss her, and make her sit where he was sitting. She lived until the Prophet PBUH died, but she passed away six months after he died in Ramadan 11 A.H., at 28 years old, and was buried in Al-Baqi.
Abdullah (CE 611–615)
The second son of the Prophet PBUH was Abdullah. Scholars disagree on whether he was born before or after the Prophethood began. They also disagree on whether he was called al-Tayyib or al-Tahir or whether they were other children. However, the correct view is that both al-Tayyib and al-Tahir were nicknames given to Abdullah.
Ibrahim (CE 630 – 632)
The third son of the Prophet PBUH and the last of his children was Ibrahim, who was born in Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah RA. Mariyah RA embraced Islam, and the Prophet married her. The Prophet PBUH was very happy when Ibrahim was born. But Ibrahim didn’t live very long and returned to Allah only when he was 18 months old.
He took his last breath when the Prophet PBUH was holding him. The Prophet PBUH had tears in his eyes. Seeing this, Abdur Rahman bin Auf remarked, “O Messenger of Allah, even you are crying.” To which he replied, “O Ibn Auf, this is a sign of mercy.” He then cried even more and continued to say,
“The eyes are filled with tears, and the heart is heavy with sorrow, and we will only speak words that are pleasing to our Lord. O Ibrahim! Truly, we mourn your loss.”
7 children’s
7 children’s
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