FATIMAH TUZ ZAHRAH (r.a) – DUAGHTER OF MUHAMMAD (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Fatimah (R.A.) was youngest in age of all her sisters but highest in grades. She was dearest to her father of all his daughters. He once said, “Fatimah is like soul and heart to me.” once, he said, “Fatimah will be the leader of the women in Paradise.” he further said, “What troubles Fatimah troubles me as well.”

It was the sixth year of Prophethood and Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had launched his preaching mission but his own clan were impeding in his way. The people of the Quraysh were trying every trick to trouble him. One day while he was performing Salãh in the Haram, on the instigation of the pagans of Mecca, Aqabah ibn Moeet brought the entrails of a camel and placed it on his neck whilst he was prostrating. Someone told Fatimah (R.A.) who was then just six years old. She came running and removed the stuff and cursed the non-believers. She, at such an early age beheld the tribulations and torments Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) was being subject to.

UMME KULTHUM (r.a) – DAUGHTER OF MUHAMMAD (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Umme Kulthum (R.A) was Rasulullah’s (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) third daughter. She too, was married like her sister to the son of Abu Lahab, Utaiba. Utaiba too like his brother, divorced Umme Khulthum (R.A).

When her elder sister Ruqayyah (R.A) passed away, Umme Kulthum was given in marriage to Uthman (R.A.).

A narratable situation had arisen on that occasion.
Hafsa (R.A) the daughter of Umar (R.A) had become a widow when she was only 18 years old. Umar (R.A) offered Uthman (R.A) to take her in marriage who was very disconsolate after the death of Ruqayyah but he refused. Umar (R.A) was hurt by his refusal.

RUQAYYAH (r.a) – DAUGHTER OF MUHAMMAD (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Ruqayyah (R.A.) was Rasulullah’s (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) second daughter. She was married to Utba the son of Abu Lahab. Abu Lahab was the uncle of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) but had become his violent enemy and of Islãm and its followers.

Both father and son did not enter into Islãm and Utba repudiated Ruqayyah (R.A.) on the incitement of his father. Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) gave Ruqayyah (R.A.) in marriage to Uthman ibn Affãn (R.A.).

When the battle of Badr took place, Ruqayyah (R.A.) was seriosly ill. Uthman (R.A.) had the desire to fight but Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) asked him to stay at home and take care of his sick wife. He told him that he would be rewarded equal to the participants. He marked him ’Fighter of Badr’ and gave him his share in the booty.

Ruqayyah (R.A.) passed away on the day the Muslims returned victorious.

ZAYNAB (r.a) – DAUGHTER OF MUHAMMAD (صلى الله عليه وسلم)
Zaynab (R.A.) was the eldest of the four daughters of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Zaynab (R.A.) was married to Abdul As ibn Rabi, who was also the first cousin of Zaynab (R.A.), son of Khadija’s (R.A.) sister Hala. After Prophethood her husband did not accept Islãm and the leaders of his clan put great pressure upon him to divorce her and in return promised him to arrange the bride of his choice. But he didn’t.

Later Zaynab (R.A.) went to Madinah with other emigrants. Abdul As let her go with a heavy heart. The news of her journey leaked and some miscreants of the Quraysh followed them to bring her back. One of them, Habbãr by name, galloped ahead brandishing his spear. Zaynab (R.A.) was troubled much by his arrival. The camel, she was mounted on was startled and she fell down from her howdah (carriage). She was expecting her third child and later she had a miscarriage.

Not long after Hijrah, Abdul As came to Madinah and embraced Islãm. His wife Zaynab (R.A.) ever praying to Allah that He may turn his heart to Islãm owing to the deep love between the spouses, was grateful to Allah. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) allowed his daughter Zaynab (R.A.) to reinstate the suspended bond of marriage.

Hadhrat Juwairiah (Radhiyallaho anha) was the daughter of Harith, the chief of Banu Mustaliq and was married to Musafe’ bin Safwan.

She was one of the large number of captives who fell into Muslim hands after the battle of Muraisee’, and she was given to Hadhrat Thabit bin Qais (R.A). He offered to release her for 360 Dirhams. She came to the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and said: “O, Prophet of Allah! I am the daughter of Harith who is the chief of the, and you know my story. The ransom demanded by Hadhrat Thabit (R.A) is too much for me. I have come to seek your help in the matter.”

The Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) agreed to pay her ransom, set her free, and offered to take her as his wife. She was very glad to accept this offer. She was married to the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in 5 A.H. and as a consequence of this marriage, the prisoners of Banu Mustaliq (Juwairiah’s tribe), about a hundred families, were all set free by the Muslims. “The tribe which so honoured by the Prophet Mohammad’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) relationship, they said, should not remain in slavery.”

She was the daughter of Harith bin Hazan. Her original name was Barrah but she was later renamed Maimoonah by the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) . She was first married to Abu Rahim bin Abdul Uzza. According to some reports, she was married twice before she became Ummul Mominin. She had been widowed lately when the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) married her at Saraf, a place lying on his journey to Mecca for ‘Umrah in Zul Qa’dah 7 A.H. He had intended to start living with her when in Mecca after performing ‘Umrah but, as Qureysh did not allow him to enter Mecca, he called her over to him in the same place on his return journey. Many years later she died and was buried exactly at the same place in 51 A. H. (when she was 81).

She was the daughter of Hayi, Who was a descendant of Hadhrat Harun (a.s) the brother of Moosa (a.s). She was first married to Salam bin Mishkam and then to Kinallah bin Abi Huqaiq at the time of Khevbar. Kinallah was killed in the battle and she was captured by the Muslims. Hadhrat Dahya Kalbi (Radhiyallaho anha) requested for a maid, and the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) made her over to him. At this, the other Sahabah approached the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and said:

“O, Prophet of Allah! Banu Nazir and Banu Quraizah (the Jewish tribes of Madinah) will feel offended to see the daughter of a Jewish chief working as a maid. We therefore suggest that she may be taken as your own wife.”

After the demise of Hazrat Khadijah , the Holy Prophet Muhammad was much worried and grief stricken. He had to look after his child and attend to the household chores, adding considerably to the agony of the death of his loving wife. This also caused hindrance in his Prophetic mission. Seeing him worried and distressed, Hazrat Khawlah bint Hakeem , wife of Hazrat Uthman bin Maz’oon , suggested to the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) that he badly needed a companion to help him in running his house and looking after his children, and proposed the name of Hazrat Sawdah who was an elderly widow.

When none believed me, Khadijah (R.A) did. She made me a partner in her wealth.”Those are the words of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) about his wife the great Muslim lady, Hazrat `Khadija-tul-Kubra’ (R.A).

Khadijah (R.A), married the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) when she was 40 and he was 25. They had six children: two sons, Qasim and Abdullah (also known as Tahir and Tayyib), and four daughters: Zainub, Ruqaiyyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatimah (Radhiyallahu-Anhum-Ajmaeen).

Khadijah (R.A) lived with the Prophet (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) for 25 years and was his only wife during that time. When the revelations came from Allah and Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) was made the Last Prophet, it was Khadijah (R.A) who accepted the faith and became the first Muslim. She was 55 years old at that time. Her acceptance of Islam greatly helped its spread among the Makkans.

Hadhrat Umme Salamah was the daughter of Hadhrat Abu Ummayyah (Radhiyallaho anhu). She was first married to her cousin Hadhrat bin Abdul Asad known as Abu Salamah (Radhiyallaho anhu). The couple embraced Islam in the very beginning and emigrated to Abyssinia, due to the persecutions of Qureysh. A son was born to them in exile, who was named Salamah. After returning from Abyssinia, the family emigrated to Madinah. After reaching Madinah, Hadhrat Umme Salmah (Rad laho anha) got another son ‘Umar and two daughters Durrah and Zainab (Radhiyallaho anhum).

Hafsah was the daughter of ‘Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) who was born in Makkah five years before the Nubuwwat. She was first married to Hadhrat Khunais bin Huzaifah (Radhiyallaho anho), who was one of the very early Muslims. He first emigrated to Abyssinia and then to Madinah. He participated in Badr, and was fatally wounded in Badr (or in Uhud) and died of the wound in the year l or 2 A. H. Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha) had also emigrated to Madinah with her husband. When her husband died, Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) went to Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) and said:

“I want to give Hafsah in marriage to you.” Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) kept quiet and said nothing. Meanwhile Ruqayyah (Radhiyallaho anha) the daughter of the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) and the wife of Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho anho) died.

Hadhrat Zainab (Radhiyallaho anha) was the next to be married to the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) . There are divergent reports about her previous husbands. According to one report she was first married to Hadhrat Abdullah bin Jahsh (Radhiyallaho anho) who was killed in Uhud, as we have already seen in his story in chapter VII. According to another report, she was first married to Tufail ibnul al Harith and when divorced by him was remarried to his brother Ubaidah ibnul Harith, who was killed in Badr.

The Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) married her in Ramadan, 3 A.H. She lived with the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) for eight months only, as she died in Rabi-ul-Akhir, 4 A.H. Hadhrat Zainab and Hadhrat Khadijah (Radhiyallaho anha) are the two wives of the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) who died during his life time. All the other wives lived on after him and died later. Hadhrat Zainab (Radhiyallaho anha) spent very liberally on the poor, and was Ummul Masakin’ (mother of the poor) even before Islam.

The life of Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha) is proof that a woman can be far more learned than men and that she can be the teacher of scholars and experts. Her life is also proof that the same woman can be totally feminine and be a source of pleasure, joy and comfort to her husband.
In her youth, already known for her striking beauty and her formidable memory, Aisha came under the loving care and attention of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu-Alayhi-Wasallam) himself. As his wife and close companion she acquired from him knowledge and insight such as no woman has acquired. Hazrat Aisha (Radhiyallahu-Anha) was born as a Muslim. She says: “When I got to the age of understanding my parents were already Muslims.” From this is it clear that not even a brink of Kufr was shadowed upon her.

She was the Prophet Mohammad’s (صلى الله عليه وسلم) cousin. She was first given in marriage by the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to his adopted son Hadhrat Zaid bin Harithah (Radhiyallaho anho). When Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) divorced her, she was married to the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) by command of Allah, as mentioned in Surah Al Ahzab. This took place in 5 A.H., at that time she was 35. She was therefore born 17 years before Nubuwwat. She was always proud of the fact that, the other wives while all the other wives were given in marriage to the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) by their guardians, it was Allah Himself Who did this for her.

When Hadhrat Zaid (Radhiyallaho anho) divorced her and she had completed her Iddat, the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) sent the proposal to her. She said: “I cannot say anything until I have consulted my Allah.” She performed Wudhu, said two rakaat of Salaat, and prayed to Allah: “O, Allah! Thy Prophet proposes to marry me. If I am fit for the honor, then give me in his marriage.” Allah answered her prayer by revealing the following verse to the Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) :