Wives of Holy Prophet pbuh

The domestic life of the Holy Prophet can be divided into four periods. Upto the age of twenty-
five he led a celibate life; from twenty-five to fifty-four, he lived with one wife, from fifty-four
to sixty, he married several times; and lastly from sixty till his death, he did not contract any
marriage.
If the Prophet had not been a complete master of himself, he could not have led an exceptionally
chaste and pure life till the age of twenty-five. His worst enemies could not point out a single blot
on his character. According to Muir:
"All authorities agree in ascribing to the youth of Muhammad, a modesty of deportment and
purity of manners rare among the people of Makkah."
At the age of twenty-five Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) married a widow, Khadija, fifteen );ears his
senior. Thereafter, he led with her a life of devotion till her death when he was fifty-four years old.
After the death of Hazrat Khadija, he married an elderly lady, Sawdah, who was the widow of a
convert to Islam. Both husband and wife had migrated to Abyssinia in order to escape from the
persecution of the Quraish.
In the third period, he married Aisha, the daughter of his closest friend, Hazrat Abu Bakr. In the
second year of the Hijrat, began the series of battles with the Quraish and other Arab tribes which
reduced. the number of males among Muslims. These battles continued upto 8 A.H. It was during
this time that the Prophet contracted all the marriages. He had nine wives living at one time.
However, after the Quranic injunction limiting the number of wives to four was revealed in 8 A.H.,
the Holy Prophet did not marry. If he divorced any of his wives, or if they became widows, as the
majority of them did, they did not re-marry. Out of respect for the Holy Prophet, they were called
'Mothers of the Faithful' Ummhat-ul-Muminin.
"His wives are their mothers"; has been stated in the Holy Quran. The responsibilities and duties of
the wives of the Holy Prophet differ from those of other women. They are unique in honour,
respect and dignity. They are as follows:—
Hazrat Khadija
Hazrat Khadija, also known as Tahira, or the pure was the daughter of Khuwalid bin Asad and
Fatima bint Za'idah. She came of a noble and prosperous Quraish family. Her father who was a
successful businessman and a chief of his family had left her a large fortune. She had been married
to Abu Hala bin Zurarah and was the mother of two sons i.e., Hala and Hind. As such Khadija was
also known as Umm- e-Hind. After the death 'of her first husband, she was married to Ateeq bin
Aidh Makhzumi, who died leaving her a widow again. She had a daughter from him who was
named Hindah.
After the death of her father in the battle of Fijar, Khadija needed the services of an honest person
to manage her trade. At that time, Muhammad (pbuh) who was twenty-two years of age
commanded high respect and enjoyed complete confidence of his community. He had the
reputation of being honest and extremely trustworthy. That is why he was known as Al-Amin or the
Trustworthy. He was recommended as a suitable choice by several notable people of Makkah. His
very first expedition to Syria, in which he was accompanied by Khadija's slave, Maisra was very
successful. His subsequent undertakings were of an equally fruitful nature. As a result, Khadija
prospered in her business.
With the passage of time, her admiration for Muhammad (pbuh) developed into a deeper
affection and she sent him a proposal of marriage which was accepted after consultation with the
elders of the family. At the time of their marriage, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was twenty-five years
old, while Hazrat Khadija was forty years of age.
The marriage proved to be a very happy one Hazrat Khadija adored her husband and placed all
her wealth at his disposal. She was the first to declare her faith in Islam, thus gaining the honour of
being the first convert to the faith of Islam and the first to abandon the idolatrous creed of her
forefathers. She was the only wife of the Holy Prophet to have borne in full the persecution and
hardships inflicted by the Quraish of Makkah from the time of the declaration of his Prophethood
till her death. The Holy Prophet did not marry again as long as Hazrat Khadija lived. She bore him
two sons and four daughters. Both the sons died in infancy. Of the daughters, only the youngest,
Fatima, survived to see the great events of her father's life.
Hazrat Khadija died in the 10th year of Prophethood on 11th Ramazan, three years before Hijrat.
She was then sixty-five. She was buried at Makkah. Her death was a terrible loss to the Holy
Prophet. From the beginning she had stood faithfully by him. Whenever he was depressed, she
consoled him and inspired him with renewed hope and courage.
The Holy Prophet's love and gratitude for Hazrat Khadija was so great that Hazrat Aisha, the young
wife of the Prophet whom he married after the death of Khadija became jealous. One day, Hazrat
Khadija's sister Hala whose voice sounded exactly like Hazrat Khadija's, came to visit the
Prophet. As soon as he heard the familiar voice, he said:
"It must be Hala; her voice is just like that of Khadija."
Hazrat Aisha who was with the Prophet burst forth,
"How is it that you always think of the old 1.t.oman who is no more living when Allah has given
you much better wives."
"Never better," replied the Holy Prophet pbuh
.,She hailed my mission at a time when everyone was against it and supported
me when there was hardly a believer How can l forget her?"
On another occasion, he said: "Aisha! Khadija's love was given to me by Allah; never did Allah
give me a better wife than Khadija."
It is a historical fact that Hazrat Khadija was of immense help and strength to the • cause of Islam. It
is said by Ibn-e-Hashim that she was a true counsellor of the Holy Prophet of Islam. There are a
number of traditions praising Hazrat Khadija. According to Bukhari and Muslim:
"The noblest women of the world are Hazrat Mariam and Hazrat Khadija."

Hazrat Sawdah
The death of Hazrat Khadija left the Prophet gloomy and inconsolable. He had to look after the
children and attend to the household chores which caused a hindrance in his Prophetic mission.
His Companions felt his sorrow and worry and desired that he should re-marry. Hazrat Khawla
bint Hakeem, wife of Hazrat Usman bint Ma' zoon proposed the name of Sawdah bint Zama'ah,
one of the earliest converts to Islam. She had been married to Sakran bin Amr, also a convert to
Islam. She had migrated to Abyssinia along with her husband, but had returned to Makkah about
the time of Khadija's death. After sometime, her husband died, leaving her a widow with one son.
As she was the only Muslim in her family which had turned against her, she-needed help and
protection.
When the matter was brought to the notice of the Holy Prophet, he decided to marry her and
bring her under his protection. In marrying this lady, the Prophet had the consideration that an
early convert to Islam may be helped and honoured. Hazrat Sawdah was extremely devoted to the
Prophet. She led a very simple and pious life. Later on, when the Prophet married Aisha, the young
daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Sawdah loved her and attended to all her needs. Afterwards, when
the Prophet divided his time equally among all his wives according to the command of justice
enjoined by the Holy Quran, Hazrat Sawdah gave up her turn in favour of Hazrat Aisha. She
migrated to Madinah in the first year of the Hrjrat. Her dwelling and Hazrat Aisha's were the
first to be built in the mosque.
The Prophet loved her for herpiety as well as simplicity. She was of a meek and humble nature as
well as kind and affectionate. Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) referred to her as the most
charitable and generous of his wives. She is distinguished for her sense of duty and obedience.
On the eve of the last pilgrimage, the Holy Prophet enjoined his wives to remain in retirement
after his death. Hazrat Sawdah followed this directive so much so that she never left her house
even for Haj and Umra.
She was a devout person and was very punctual about her hours of prayers. She would get up for
her prayers with the Prophet befOre dawn and remain absorbed in her devotion tilt after sunrise.
She died in the 22nd year of the Hijrat towards the end of the Khilafat of Hazrat Umar. She was
buried in Jannat-al-Baqi, the graveyard where those close to the Holy Prophet were buried. Five
traditions are said to be narrated by her.

Hazrat Aisha
Shortly before his migration to Madinah, the Holy Prophet married Hazrat Aisha. It was her first
marriage. She was the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr, the most intimate Companion of the Holy
Prophet and the first Khalifa of Islam. She was also known by the titles of Humaira and Umm-e-
Abdullah.
Hazrat Aisha was married to the Holy Prophet ten years after he received the first revelation.
At the time of the death of the Holy Prophet, she was twenty-five years old. Since the wives of
the Holy Prophet were forbidden by a Divine Order to re-marry, she spent the remaining forty-
eight years of her life as a widow, preaching and propagating the message of the Holy Quran
and Hadis.
Hazrat Umar succeeded Hazrat Abu Bakr as the Khalifa. He respected Hazrat Aisha very much.
She herself acknowledges this in these words:
"Ibn-e-Khattab has done me great favours after the death of the Holy Prophet."
Hazrat Umar had fixed an annual allowance of ten thousand dirhams for each wife of the Holy
Prophet; but in the case of Hazrat Aisha, the amount was fixed at twelve thousand dirhams. This
was so, because she was very close to the Holy Prophet.
On 17th Ramazan 58 A.H., towards the end of the Khilafat of Muawiya, Hazrat Aisha died at the
age of seventy-three. According to her will, she was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi in Madinah.
Her place as interpreter of religious issues and as a jurist of Sunnah and Shariat is very high.
Imam Zuhri, a leading jurist says:
"Hazrat Aisha was the most learned person among the people. Senior and learned companions
used to consult her"
Abu Musa Ashari said:
"We never faced any difficulty on which, when we enquired from Aisha we did not get
information relating to it."

Umar bin Zubair Says:

"Aisha was the most scholarly person of her time in Quran, fundamentals of religion, fiqah,
poetry, medicine, Arabian history and genealogy and discrimindlion between lawful and
unlawful things."
Thus Hazrat Aisha was far ahead in knowledge of Islam, not just over the other wives of the
Prophet or other women, but except for a few eminent men, even over the Companions of the
Prophet as testified, by Imam Zuhri:
"If the knowledge of all men and the wives of the Prophet were put together, the knowledge of
Aisha would exceed it all."
Hazrat Aisha is ranked among the prominent Companions of the Holy Prophet.
She used to convey decisions on religious matters even during the days of the first three Khalifas.
About her intelligence and good judgement, Miss Nabia Abbot, an American writer and a teacher at
the University of Chicago says that she stands shoulder to shoulder with eminent jurists of her
time like Hazrat Abu Huraira, Ibne-Umar and Ibn-e-Abbas. Her memory was excellent and she
had memorized several thousand traditions.
As a wife of the Holy Prophet, she had a privileged position and she enjoyed constant
companionship with her husband. As such, her knowledge of the meaning of the Holy Quran and
the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet was better than many others. She is the pioneer of
devising a system of coordination of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.
In Islamic jurisprudence or Ficrah, the interpretation of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy
Prophet, eminent jurists and theologians of Islam, like Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Bukhari
followed the principles laid down by Hazrat Aisha. This privilege gave her first place among the
traditionists of Islam. She never accepted a Hadis which was in conflict with the Holy Quran. She is
one of the most authentic sources of traditions. As many as two thousand, two hundred and ten
traditions are reported by her. Her apartment, was chosen for the distinction of being made the
everlasting resting place of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Aisha lived in the same apartment till her
death.
Hazrat Aisha was a very pious and God-fearing lady. Apart from the five obligatory prayers, she
would offer extra prayers as well. She fasted very often and was particular about the pilgrimage.
She would often purchase slaves in order to free them.

Hazrat Hafsa
Hazrat Hafsa was the daughter of the second Khalifa, Hazrat Umar bin Khattab.. She was born
five years before the prophethood. She was first married to Khunais, son of Huzaifa. Hafsa
became a Muslim along with her parents and her husband. He was among those who had
migrated to Abyssinia. Later, both Hafsa and her husband migrated to Madinah, Khunais took part
in the Battle of Badr in which he was martyred, leaving no issue.
After the prescribed period of iddat was over, the Holy Prophet expressed his desire to marry
Hazrat Hafsa with a view to strengthening his ties with Hazrat Umar and his tribe.
lazrat Hafsa died in the month of Shahan 45 A.H., during the Khilafat of Muawiya. Before her
death, she asked her brother Abdullah bin Umar to distribute her property to the poor and needy.
She had no issues.
Her knowledge of religious matters was very sound. Her thirst for knowledge ranks second to
Hazrat Aisha. She spent much of her time in reading and writing. The Holy Prophet had instructed
her in religion and other related topics. As a result she became a teacher, guide and an authority on
complicated matters. At least, sixty traditions have been quoted by her, which she heard from the
Holy Prophet and her father, Hazrat Umar. She was an extremely religious lady, known for her
devotion to prayer and fasting.
She was also the custodian of the original copy of the Holy Quran compiled by ..'raid bin Sabit
under orders from Khalifa, Abu Bakr. This script first remained in the custody of Khalifa Abu
Bakr. After his death, it passed into the possession of Hazrat Umar who finally bequeathed it to
Hazrat Hafsa for safe custody. This copy subsequently became the authentic. version of the Holy
Quran.

Hazrat Zainab bint Khuzaimah

She was the daughter of Khuzaimah bin Abdullah. She was first married to Abdullah bin
Jahsh who was martyred in the Battle of Uhad. After her widowhood, she was leading a life of
poverty. Some persons offered to marry her, but for some reason or the other, she rejected these
offers.
Considering the services rendered by her late husband, Holy PrOphet proposed to her. Hazrat
Zainab accepted this offer and they were married in the month -.f R.amazan, 3 A.H. But her
companionship with the Prophet proved very short. Site died within three months after her
marriage and was buried in Jannat-ml,Baqi.
The Prophet offered her funeral prayers himself in accordance with the Quranic order. It may be of
interest to add that when Hazrat Khadija died, the Holy Prophet had not received any revelation on
this point. At the time of her death, Hazrat Zainab was thirty years old.
Hazrat Zainab was a very kind lady, ever ready to help the poor and the needy, even at the cost
oilier own needs. No poor person ever returned empty handed from her house. For this reason,
she was called Umm-ul-Masakin, the mother of the. poor". She was courteous and well
mannered and in benevolence and generosity, she had no parallel.
Hazrat Uinm-e-Salainah
Her real name was Hind bint Ali Umayya ibn Mughira. She was from the house Makhzoom, a
tribe of the Quraish. Her father was the leader of his tribe who had "taken part in the Battles of Badr
and Uhad. He was a rich and generous personality of Makkah. Thus, she was born and brought up
in great luxury and comfort.
She was popularly known by the name of Umm-e-Salamah because of her son Salamah from her
first husband Abdullah bin Asad. She embraced Islam with her husband and is considered to have
been one of the earliest Musi;ms. She first migrated to Abyssinia with her husband. From there she,
came to Makkah. From Makkah, she migrated to Madinah. Thus, she had the distinction of being
the first Muslim woman to migrate to Madinah. In Madinah, her stay with her husband was short-
In the Battle of Uhad, her husband received injuries which proved fatal. After about only eight
months' stay with his wife, he died.
After the completion of Iddat, the waiting period, the Holy Prophet proposed to' marry her. She
accepted the offer and they were married in the year 4 A.H.
She outlived all the wives of the Holy Prophet. She died in 63 A.H. at the age of eighty-four. Hazrat
Abu Hurairah led the funeral prayers and she was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.
Among the wives of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Umm-e-Salamah was second only to Hazrat Aisha in
learning. She was very keen to learn traditions. She has quoted a numbers of traditions on the
authority of her first husband Abu Salamah, Hazrat Fatima and the Holy Prophet himself.
Besides, several authors have quoted traditions on her authority. As a historian says,
"The wives of the Prophet were treasuries of Hadis, but Aisha and Umm-eSalamah had no
equal."
She is the narrator of three hundred and seventy-eight Ahadis.
Hazrat Umm-e-Salamah was very modest and generous. She used to lead a simple and pious life.
She had intense love for the Holy Prophet and was extremely devoted to him.
Hazrat Umm-e-Salami h was an impressive reader of the Holy Quran and her style of recitation
was identical with that of the Holy Prophet.
Hazrat Zainab hint Jahsh
She was the daughter of Umaima bint Abdul Muttalib and was therefore one of the first cousins of
the Prophet. She was one of the early converts to Islam. Her original name was Barra which the
Prophet changed when she embraced Islam.
In 3 A.H., she was married to Zaid bin Haris, the freed slave of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh),
and also his adopted son. The people of her family were against this match and were not willing to
give her in marriage to a freed slave. But since Islam laid down piety as the only criterion for
honour and Hazrat Zaid was an extremely pious man, the Holy Prophet did not hesitate to offer his
cousin in marriage to him.
When the Prophet first sent her a proposal on behalf of Zaid, she refused. She said that she did
not like Zaid for he was a freed slave. Her brother Abdullah bin Jahsh supported her in her refusal
to marry Zaid. But as the Prophet loved Zaid and regarded him as his son, he insisted that the offer
must be accepted. Thereupon, Zainab and her brother agreed and she was married to Zaid. But
within a year or so, he found it difficult to maintain his relationship with her and he divorced her.
After the period of waiting was over, the Prophet sent her a proposal of marriage. Zainab replied that
she could not give any reply without consulting Allah. Meanwhile, the Holy Prophet received the
following revelation:
"Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, We rejoined herin marriage to thee
(33: 37)
This Divine order completed the marriage formalities.
She died at the age of fifty-three in the year 20 A.H., during the Khilafat of flazrat Umar. At the
time of her death, she left only her residential house as legacy, because whatever was received by her
was distributed among the poor. This house was later on purchased for 50,000 dirhams by the
Umayyad Khalifa, Walid bin Abdul Malik, for the extension of the Holy Prophet's mosque. Hazrat
Umar led her funeral prayers. She was also buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.
There are many reports about her piety. According to Hazrat Aisha:
"In the eyes of Allah's messenger, only Zainab competes with me in honour and dignity — I have not
seen any woman more religious, pious, truthful, generous, charitable or engaged in the pleasure of
Allah than Zainab."
Hazrat Zainab was very particular about her prayers and fasts. She was extremely generous. She used
to earn her living herself and would spend her money on the poor. When she died, the poor
people of Madinah were shocked and disturbed because they had lost a patron and,a benefactor.
The Holy Prophet had foretold that among his wives the one with a long hand would meet him in
heaven first. By "long hand" he meant benevolence. This prophecy came true after the death of
Hazrat Zainab who was the most generous of the Prophet's wives and who was the first one from
amongst his wives to die after his death.

Hazrat Jawairiyah bint Haris

In the 5th Hijri, the tribe of Banu Mustaliq, headed by its chief Haris, attacked the Muslims. They
were defeated. Some of their men were killed and their women and children made captives. Among
them was Jawairiyah bint Haris, then known as Barra bint Haris. When the Prophet distributed the
captives amongst Muslim soldiers, she fell to the lot of Sabit bin Qais. She requested him to release
her on the payment of ransom. In order to raise the money, she approached the Holy Prophet who
told her that he was ready to pay her ransom and marry her if she liked. She agreed to this proposal.
So, the Holy Prophet paid the amount of ransom and married her. As a result of this marriage, all
the prisoners of war numbering about six hundred were freed by the Muslims. The reason was they
did not like that any member of the family in which the Holy Prophet was married, be made a
slave. Thus, Hazrat Jawairiyah is that fortunate lady who, not only secured an honourable place for
herself, but helped to free six hundred of her kinsmen: After her marriage, the Holy Prophet
changed her name to Jawairiyah.
She died at the age of sixty-five during the reign of Muawiya. She was also buried in Jannat-ul-
Baqi. She was very religious-minded and spent much of her time in prayers. According to
traditions, the Holy Prophet almost always found her busy in prayers. She also fasted very often.
Hazrat Jawairiyah was a woman of great learning. A number of traditions have been quoted by
eminent traditionists on her authority.
Hazrat Umm-e-Habibah
Her name was Ramlah. She was the daughter of Abu Sufyan. She was first married to
Ubaidullah bin Jahsh. She embraced Islam along with her husband. Both of theni migrated to
Abyssinia where she gave birth to a daughter named Habibah, Thus, she came to be known as
Umm-e-Habibah.
In Abyssinia, when her husband converted to Christianity, Umm-e-Habibah, being a good
Muslims, left him.
At the end of Iddat, the prescribed period of waiting, the Holy Prophet sent her a proposal of
marriage. According to Sahih Muslim, the people of Madinah, requested the Holy Prophet to
marry her in order to resettle her. This was also to save her from falling into the hands of her
father, Abu Sufyan, who was at that time one of the bitterest enemies of Islam.
Hazrat Umm-e-Habibah was very pleased on receiving this proposal of marriage. She was
married to the Holy Prophet in the sixth or seventh year of the Hijrat.
She died at the age of seventy-three in 44 A.H., during the reign of her brother Muawiya.
Hazrat Umth-e-Habibah was a staunch believer in the tenets of Islam. She strictly followed the
injunctions laid down by the Holy Prophet and urged others to follow them. She looked after the
widows and the orphans. She was a devoted and loving wife of the Holy Prophet. She is the
narrator of sixty-five traditions.
When Hazrat Usman, the third Khalifa of Islam, was besieged in his house by the rebels and his
family members had no food or water for several days, she tried to take water for the besieged
persons. But the rebels stopped her from entering the house.
Among all the wives of the Holy Prophet, Hazrat Umm-e-Habibah suffered a lot for the cause of
Islam: She was born in the house of a tribal chief. Yet she gladly underwent all the sufferings for
the sake of her faith. She left her country and went to a foreign land for the cause of Islam, and
when her husband deserted her and left her alone in an alien land, she stood firm and bore all the
problems patiently. In the end, Allah rewarded her for her piety and steadfastness when the Holy
Prophet married her.
Hazrat Saliyah
Her real name was Zainab. She was born in Madinah. She belonged to the Jewish tribe of Banu
Nazir. When this tribe was expelled from Madinah, her father, Huyaiy, was one of those who
settled in Khyber, along with Kinana bin Rabi, to whom Safiyah was married a little before the
Muslims attacked Khyber. She had formerly been the wife of Salam bin Mishkam who had
divorced her.
On the third day of the war, Khyber fell and the captives were brought before the Holy Prophet.
Among them was Safiyah. The Prophet gave orders that she should be seated behind him and
threw his mantle over her as a sign that he had decided to marry her. On the way back to
Madinah, the Holy Prophet married her. After the marriage, she was given the-name of $afiyah.
She died at the age of sixty and was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi.
She was sober and patient by nature, very generous and open handed. She was kind and
sympathetic. In 35 A.H., when Hazrat Usman was besieged in his house by the rebels, who had
stopped supplies of food and water to him, she went to his house with some food and water.
However, the rebels did not allow her to go inside the house. She returned and deputed Imam
Hassan, the grandson of the Holy Prophet to take food and water to Hazrat Usman.
All historians are unanimous in acclaiming her as a storehouse of knowledge. All those in search
of knowledge and wisdom would go to her. Allama Abdul Birr says:
"Hazrat Safiyah was full of wisdom and learning."
Ibne-e-Aseer remarks:
"She was a wise and intelligent woman. A number of traditions have been quoted from her."

Hazrat Maimunah bintilaris

Her original name was Barra. She was from the tribe of Quraish. She was the sister-in-law of
Abbas bin Abdul Muttalib, an uncle of the Holy Prophet. She was first married to Masud bin Amr.
After her divorce from her husband she re-married. Her second husband, Abu Rahim bin Abdullah
Uzza died, after which she lived as a widow in Makkah. On the initiative of Hazrat Abbas, the Holy
Prophet sent her a proposal of marriage which was accepted. The marriage took place in 7 A.H.
After her marriage, she was given the name Maimunah, which means the blessed one. She was
named Maimunah because she was married to the Holy Prophet, at a time when he and his
followers were able to enter Makkah after years of exile.

Hazrat Aisha is said to have remarked:

"Maimunah was very God-fearing and had great regard for the rights of her kith and kin."
She was fond of freeing slaves. She was very pious and humble. The Holy Prophet called her a
'Symbol of Goodness'. Forty-six traditions are quoted from her, which show her knowledge and
understanding of complicated problems of religion.
She died in 51 A.H. at the same place where she had been married to the Holy Prophet. Abdullah
bin Abbas led her funeral prayers. According to Ibn Sa'ad, she died in 61 A.H. during the Khilafat
of Yazid.

Hazrat Rehana bint Sham'oon

Hazrat Rehana bint Sham'oon belonged to the well-known Jewish tribe of Banu Quraiza. In 6 A.H.,
when Muslims captured this place, Hazrat Rehana was brought as a prisoner of war. According to
some reports, she.was freed by the Prophet who offered to marry her if she accepted Islam. She
agreed and thereafter the Holy Prophet married her.
She died ten years after the death of the Holy Prophet.

Hazrat Maria Qibtia

After the treaty of Hudaibiya, the Holy Prophet sent letters to a number of kings and chiefs inviting
them to accept Islam. He sent one such letter with one of his Companions to the chief of Egypt.
Although, that chief did not accept Islam, he received the messenger warmly and sent a number
of presents to the Holy Prophet. In accordance with the prevailing custom, he sent Hazrat Maria
as a present to the Holy Prophet. She embraced Islam before reaching Madinah. Later the
Prophet married her. After giving birth to the Holy Prophet's son, Ibrahim, she rose in esteem
and position among the wives of the Holy Prophet.
Hazrat Maria was pious and religious minded. She came from a respectable family. She was the
second lady, after Hazrat Khadija, to have the honour of becoming the mother of the Holy
Prophet's son. Towards the end of his life, the Holy Prophet had to suffer the shock of the death of
his son, Ibrahim, which caused him immense pain and sorrow.
Hazrat Maria's death took place five years after the death of her son. She was also buried in
Jarmat-ul-Baqi. She was greatly respected by the first two Khalifas of Islam, Hazrat Abu Bakr
and Hazrat Umar. Her pension was granted by them which continued to be paid to her relatives
even after her death.