The Order and Names of the Prophet’s Wives

The Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the best and final of all Prophets. Allah granted him many unique attributes that distinguished him from others, including that he was allowed to marry more than four women. He married eleven women whom Allah honoured in His words: “The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are their mothers” (Surah al-Ahzab, verse 6) (“Ummahat al-Muʾminin,” Islamweb.net). These women are also his wives in Paradise (“Zawjat al-Rasul fi al-Jannah,” Islamweb.net). The Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away while pleased with them, and at that time he had nine wives: Sawdah, Aishah, Hafsah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Umm Habibah, Juwayriyah, Safiyyah, and Maymunah, may Allah be pleased with them all (“Zawjat al-Nabi allati kana yaqsim lahunna qabl mawtih,”).

The historians of prophetic biography differed about the chronological order of the Prophet’s marriages to the Mothers of the Believers. This disagreement came from differing views on what counts as the start of marriage—whether it is the marriage contract or consummation. According to the view that considers consummation the basis, their order is as follows: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Sawdah bint Zamʿah, Aishah bint Abi Bakr, Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyah bint al-Harith, Safiyyah bint Huyayy, Umm Habibah, and Maymunah bint al-Harith (Muhibb al-Din al-Tabari, al-Simt al-Thamin fi Manaqib Ummahat al-Muʾminin, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, pp. 13–15).

A Brief Biography of the Prophet’s Wives

Khadijah bint Khuwaylid

She is the Mother of the Believers, Khadijah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn Abd al-ʿUzza al-Qurashiyyah. Her mother was Fatimah bint Zaydah (Ibn ʿAsakir al-Shafiʿi, al-Arbaʿin fi Manaqib Ummahat al-Muʾminin, Damascus: Dar al-Fikr, 1986, vol. 2, pp. 39–47). She was a wealthy woman who hired men to work in her trade. When she heard of the Prophet’s honesty and trustworthiness, she wanted to hire him. The Prophet agreed, and her trade increased and became more profitable than ever before.

She admired the Prophet’s character and proposed marriage to him through her friend Nafisah bint Munyah. He accepted, and her father Khuwaylid oversaw the marriage (“Kayfa tazawwaja al-Nabiyy sallallahu ʿalayhi wa sallam min Khadijah,” Islamqa.info, 18 October 2002, accessed 4 December 2019).

She was a model of the righteous wife and had many virtues. She was the first to believe in “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” She was the mother of all the Prophet’s children except Ibrahim, who was born to Maria al-Qibtiyyah. She was given glad tidings of Paradise and received greetings of peace from Allah and Jibril (Abdullah al-ʿAwadhi, “Khadijah bint Khuwaylid zawjat al-Rasul sallallahu ʿalayhi wa sallam,” Alukah.net, 10 July 2019).

Sawdah bint Zamʿah

She is the Mother of the Believers, Sawdah bint Zamʿah ibn Qays ibn Abd Shams ibn Abd Wud ibn Nasr ibn Malik. Her mother was al-Shamus bint Qays ibn Zayd from Banu al-Najjar. She was previously married to al-Sakran ibn ʿAmr, who died after embracing Islam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, married her three years after the death of Khadijah. Khawlah bint Hakim proposed the idea to him, and he accepted because he had been living alone after Khadijah’s death (“Sirat al-Sayyidah Sawdah bint Zamʿah,” Nabulsi.com).

Among her virtues is that she gave her day with the Prophet to Aishah when she grew older, wishing to remain his wife out of love for him and seeking his pleasure. Muslim narrated from Aishah that she said: “I never saw a woman more beloved to me to be in her place than Sawdah bint Zamʿah. She had a sharp nature, and when she grew old, she gave her day with the Messenger of Allah to Aishah. She said: O Messenger of Allah, I have given my day with you to Aishah. So the Messenger of Allah would divide his time between Aishah’s day and Sawdah’s day” (Muslim, Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 1463. Also: “Fadl Sawdah radiyallahu ʿanha,” Dorar.net,).

She passed away near the end of the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, or in the year 54 AH during the caliphate of Muʿawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (“Sharh Hadith ‘Aṭwalukunna Yadan,’” Dorar.net, accessed 23 October 2022).

Aishah bint Abi Bakr

She is the Mother of the Believers, Aishah bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with them both. Her mother was Umm Ruman bint ʿAmir ibn ʿUwaymir (Ibn ʿAsakir al-Shafiʿi, al-Arbaʿin fi Manaqib Ummahat al-Muʾminin, Damascus: Dar al-Fikr, 1986, vol. 2, pp. 39–47). The Prophet married her after the death of Khadijah. Khawlah bint Hakim suggested her to him, and he accepted. She was six years old at the time.

People during the time of ignorance believed that brotherhood through faith blocked marriage, so Abu Bakr was unsure, but the Prophet clarified that he was his brother in religion and that Aishah was lawful to him. This happened in Shawwal, three years before the Hijrah. Her dowry was twelve and a half uqiyyahs. The Prophet consummated the marriage with her three years later, in the first year after the Hijrah. She was eighteen when he passed away.

Aishah had many noble traits and was one of the most knowledgeable women in the ummah. When companions were confused about matters, they would consult her. Her virtues are mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. Among them is the verse: “Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and women think good of themselves and say, ‘This is an obvious lie’?” (Surah al-Nur, verse 12), which shows her high status in faith and purity (Sulayman al-Nadwi, Sirat al-Sayyidah Aishah Umm al-Muʾminin, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 2003, pp. 44–54. Also: “Fadl Aishah radiyallahu ʿanha,” Dorar.net).

Al-Bukhari narrated from Amr ibn al-ʿAs that he said: “The Prophet, peace be upon him, appointed me over the army of Dhatu al-Salasil. I came to him and asked: Who is the most beloved of people to you? He said: Aishah. I said: From the men? He said: Her father” (Al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 3662). This proves she was the most beloved of his wives. She died on the seventeenth night of Ramadan in the year 58 AH at the age of sixty-seven and was buried in al-Baqiʿ (Sulayman al-Nadwi, Sirat al-Sayyidah Aishah Umm al-Muʾminin, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 2003, pp. 201–203).

Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab

She is the Mother of the Believers, Hafsah bint Umar ibn al-Khattab. Her mother was Zaynab bint Mazʿun ibn Habib. She was born five years before the Prophet’s mission. She was married to Khunays al-Sahmi, may Allah be pleased with him, who died after being wounded at the Battle of Uhud in the third year after the Hijrah.

Some said he died after Badr. Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, grieved for his daughter, still young and now a widow. After her waiting period, he offered her in marriage to Abu Bakr and then to Uthman, but neither responded as he had hoped. He later found out they had heard the Prophet mentioning her. The Prophet then proposed and married her. Her dowry was a mat, two pillows, a cloak, and two green garments

Hafsah was known for her knowledge and eagerness to learn. She narrated sixty hadiths from the Prophet and from her father. She was eloquent, articulate, and her speech reflected the Quran. She was a woman of sound judgment and consultation (Aminah al-Kharrat, Umm al-Muʾminin Hafsah bint Umar al-Sawwama al-Qawwama, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 2000, pp. 71–110). She died at around sixty years old in Shaʿban in the year 45 AH, or it was said 41 AH in the month of Jumada. Her grave is in Madinah (Aminah al-Kharrat, Umm al-Muʾminin Hafsah bint Umar al-Sawwama al-Qawwama, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 2000, p. 127).

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah

She is the Mother of the Believers, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah ibn al-Harith ibn Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Abd Manaf. Her husband, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, was martyred at the Battle of Uhud. When the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, learned of her widowhood, he married her. That was in the third year after the Hijrah, in the month of Ramadan. Her life with the Prophet lasted only two months or slightly more, then she passed away in Madinah at the age of about thirty. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 218, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

She was known as the Mother of the Poor in the time of ignorance because of her compassion and kindness toward them. After she accepted Islam, she participated in the Battle of Badr by caring for the wounded. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 218, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

Umm Salamah

She is the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salamah, Hind bint Abi Umayyah ibn al-Mughirah ibn Abdullah, a woman from Quraysh of the Banu Makhzum. Her mother was Atikah bint Amir ibn Rabiʿah. She had been married to Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, and when he died, she asked Allah to grant her someone better. The Messenger of Allah proposed to her out of honour for her and her husband, for they had both sacrificed much for the call to Islam, and out of compassion for her children. He married her in Shawwal or Jumada al-Akhirah in the fourth year after the Hijrah. Her son Umar undertook the matter of her marriage. Her dowry included a thick wooden bowl used for food (see: al-Maʿani Dictionary, entry for “ṣuḥfah,” accessed 2 January 2020), a mattress stuffed with palm fibres (Al-Maʿani Dictionary, entry for “līf,”), and a millstone (Al-Maʿani Dictionary, entry for “raḥā,”).

Umm Salamah was known for many virtues that Allah gave her above the other Mothers of the Believers. These included her sound judgment, eloquence, and fluency, which she gained from her noble family and from living in the Prophet’s household. She was also renowned for her deep Islamic knowledge, as she narrated many hadiths from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and many narrated from her. Some verses of the Quran were revealed because of her. (Aminah al-Kharrat, Umm Salamah al-ʿAqilah al-ʿAlimah Umm al-Muʾminin, Damascus: Dar al-Qalam, 1995, pp. 33–38, 39–70)

She passed away during the caliphate of Yazid ibn Muʿawiyah in the year 59 AH, at around ninety years old. She was buried in al-Baqiʿ. She was the last of the Prophet’s wives to die, though some said it was Maymunah, and others said it was Hafsah. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 211, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

Zaynab bint Jahsh

She is the Mother of the Believers, Zaynab bint Jahsh ibn Riʾab ibn Yaʿmar ibn Sabrah ibn Murrah. She was the cousin of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Her mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim. She had been married to Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet’s freedman. When Zayd divorced her, Allah commanded the Prophet to marry her, as revealed in the verse: “So when Zayd had fulfilled his desire from her, We married her to you so that there would not be any blame upon the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they have fulfilled their desire from them. And the command of Allah is always carried out” (Surah al-Ahzab: 37).

She died in the year 20 AH during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 211, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

Her virtues were clearly mentioned in the Quran and in hadith. From them is the verse above, which gave her the great honour that Allah Himself arranged her marriage to the Prophet.

The Messenger of Allah said: “The one among you who will be the fastest to join me is the one with the longest hand.” Aʿishah said: “So we used to measure whose hand was longest.” She said: “The longest of us in hand was Zaynab because she used to work with her hands and give much in charity.” (Muslim, Sahih Muslim, hadith no. 2452. Also: Ibn Hibban, Sahih Ibn Hibban, hadith no. 4054)

Juwayriyah bint al-Harith

She is the Mother of the Believers, Juwayriyah bint al-Harith, from the tribe of Banu al-Mustaliq. Her father al-Harith was their leader. He wanted to fight the Prophet out of pride and love for authority, but he was defeated, and more than 700 of his people were taken prisoner. Among them was his daughter Barrah, whom the Prophet later named Juwayriyah. She came to the Messenger of Allah asking him to help her pay her ransom. He said: “Shall I offer you something better?” She asked: “What is it?” He said: “I will marry you and pay your ransom.” She said: “Yes.” He said: “I have done so.” He then freed her people as her dowry. (Khalid al-Hamudi, Umm al-Muʾminin Juwayriyah bint al-Harith, Riyadh: Dar al-Qasim, 2019, pp. 5–14)

She was known for her fasting, prayer at night, kindness to the poor and needy, love for goodness and peace, and her concern for unity among the Muslims. This was clearly seen in her neutral stance during the civil strife in the time of Uthman and the martyrdom of Ali. She used to ask Allah to preserve the lives of the Muslims. (Khalid al-Hamudi, pp. 10–14. Also: Shams al-Din al-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 262, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab
She is the Mother of the Believers, Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab, from the descendants of the Prophet Harun, peace be upon him. Her mother was Barrah bint Samuʾil. Before Islam, she was married to Kinanah ibn al-Rabiʿ, a Jewish poet who was killed at Khaybar. She was taken as captive and came into the share of Dihyah al-Kalbi. He gave her to the Messenger of Allah, and her dowry was her freedom. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, pp. 232, 262, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

The Prophet cared for her especially, as she was not Qurashiyyah like the rest of his wives. He would remind her of her noble lineage as the granddaughter of prophets. Anas ibn Malik said: “I saw the Messenger of Allah spread his cloak behind her, then he sat near his camel, placed his knee, and Safiyyah put her foot on his knee to mount.”(al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith no. 4211)

She died in the caliphate of Muʿawiyah in the year 50 AH, or it was said 52 AH, and was buried in al-Baqiʿ. (Ahmad Ali, al-Risalah al-Jaliyyah fi al-Difaʿ ʿan Umm al-Muʾminin Safiyyah, Kuwait: Dar Mabarrah al-Al wa al-Ashab, 2016, pp. 28–41)

Umm Habibah

She is the Mother of the Believers, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan ibn Harb ibn Umayyah. Her mother was Safiyyah bint Abi al-ʿAs ibn Umayyah. She had been married to Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh ibn Riʾab. She was the closest of the Prophet’s wives in lineage, being from his family, and the farthest in distance, as he married her while she was in Abyssinia. The Negus married her to the Prophet and paid her dowry, which was four hundred dinars, the highest of any of the Prophet’s wives. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 239, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

She migrated to Abyssinia with her husband in the second migration, but he later left Islam. She remained firm in her religion and migration. (“Fadl Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyan,” dorar.net,)

She died in Madinah in the year 44 AH, or it was said 42 AH. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 239, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

Maymunah bint al-Harith

She is the Mother of the Believers, Maymunah bint al-Harith ibn Hazn ibn Bujayr ibn al-Hizam. Her mother was Hind bint ʿAwf ibn Zuhayr. She was first married in the time of ignorance to Masʿud ibn ʿAmr al-Thaqafi, who divorced her. She then married Abu Ruhm ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzza, who died, then the Prophet married her. She was among the noble women. Her sister was Umm al-Fadl, wife of al-ʿAbbas, the Prophet’s uncle. She gave authority to al-ʿAbbas to marry her to the Prophet, and he did so. This took place in Dhu al-Qaʿdah of the seventh year after the Hijrah at Sarf. She was the last woman the Prophet married. (“Fadl Maymunah bint al-Harith,” dorar.net,)

She died at Sarf, or it was said in Makkah, then she was taken to Sarf by her nephew Ibn ʿAbbas. That was in the year 51 AH, or it was said 61 AH, and she was about eighty years old. (Ad-Dhahabi, Siyar Aʿlam al-Nubalaʾ, vol. 2, p. 219, Beirut: Muʾassasat al-Risalah, 2001)

She was virtuous and narrated several hadiths from the Prophet. She was devout and maintained kinship ties. Ibn Hajar narrated from Yazid ibn al-Asamm that Aʿishah said about her: “Indeed she was the most God-fearing among us and the best at maintaining ties of kinship.” (Ibn Hajar al-ʿAsqalani, al-Isabah, vol. 4, p. 412)

Maria al-Qibtiyyah

Was Maria al-Qibtiyyah one of the Prophet’s wives?

Maria bint Shamʿun al-Qibtiyyah, the mother of Ibrahim, was born in Egypt. She was gifted to the Prophet by al-Muqawqis in the seventh year after the Hijrah. She accepted Islam, and the Prophet had relations with her as a bondwoman. She gave birth to his son Ibrahim. (Ahmad Ali, al-Risalah al-Jaliyyah fi al-Difaʿ ʿan Umm al-Muʾminin Safiyyah, Kuwait: Dar Mabarrah al-Al wa al-Ashab, 2016, p. 35)

The Status of the Prophet’s Wives

The Mothers of the Believers, as the wives of the Messenger of Allah, are the best wives of all. Allah revealed the Quran in their homes, as in His saying: “And remember what is recited in your homes of the verses of Allah and wisdom” (Surah al-Ahzab: 34).

He forbade marrying them after him, as in: “It is not lawful for you to harm the Messenger of Allah, nor to marry his wives after him ever” (Surah al-Ahzab: 53).

He described them with the term “wives” to reflect harmony and connection, saying: “O Prophet, say to your wives…” (Surah al-Ahzab: 28). (“Fadaʾil Azwaj al-Nabi Ijmālan,” dorar.net)

The Rights of the Prophet’s Wives upon Muslims

The Mothers of the Believers are his wives in this life and the next. Therefore, it is obligatory for every Muslim to honour them, respect them, love them for the sake of Allah, say “may Allah be pleased with them” when mentioning them, defend them, and prevent any harm said about them. (“Wajib al-Muʾmin Tijah Azwaj al-Nabi,” binbaz.org)

The Wisdom Behind the Prophet Marrying Multiple Wives

The Prophet’s polygyny was through revelation and a command from Allah, as indicated in His saying: “It is not lawful for you to marry women after this, nor to exchange them for other wives, even if their beauty pleases you, except for those whom your right hand possesses. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things” (Surah al-Ahzab: 52). (Abd al-Ghani Muhammad, Zawjat al-Nabi wa Hikmat Tʿadudhunna, Cairo: Maktabat Madbuli, pp. 30–32)

By studying the Prophet’s life and his marriages, we find several types of wisdom behind them:

Educational Wisdom: Women are half of society, and they need someone to answer their questions regarding menstruation, postpartum bleeding, marital matters, and more. Not all women would overcome their modesty to ask the Prophet directly.

Since the Prophet was very modest, by marrying these women, he prepared female scholars who could teach other women. (Amin al-Shaqawi, “Fadaʾil Ummuhat al-Muʾminin,” alukah.net)

Legal Wisdom: Adoption was common among the Arabs. The Prophet had adopted Zayd ibn Harithah. Allah wanted to abolish the custom and its consequences, so He commanded the Prophet to marry Zaynab bint Jahsh, the divorcee of his adopted son. This served as clear legislation against adoption.

Social Wisdom: Marriage establishes ties that bring hearts together. The Prophet’s marriage to ʿAʾishah and Hafsah strengthened his connection with their fathers, Abu Bakr and Umar.

Political Wisdom: Marriage strengthens tribal bonds. The Prophet’s marriage to Juwayriyah, Safiyyah, and Umm Habibah brought unity and support from their tribes.