Wives of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam

1. Khadija Bint Khuwailid

She was the first among the wives of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. He married her before the beginning of revelation when he was twenty-five and she was forty years of age. Being deeply devoted to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam she supported him during the most difficult period of his life. She shared his adversities and troubles with kindness and provided monetary assistance when it was needed. She passed away three years before the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam migrated to Madinah. She bore him all his children except Ibrahim. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam always held her in high esteem and very often praised her. Later in his life, whenever he would slaughter a sheep he would send some meat to Khadija's Radhi Allahu Anha friends. (1)

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2. Sawdah bint Zamá

After the death of Khadija, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam married Sawda bint Zam'a Radhi Allahu Anha. This was in the tenth year of prophethood.

3. Aisha bint Abu Bakr

His marriage to Aisha Radhi Allahu Anha took place in Makkah in the tenth year of prophethood after the demise of Khadija Radhi Allahu Anha. Aisha Radhi Allahu Anha was very young at that time. She went as a bride in the first year of Hijrah to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam when his Masjid was ready. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam adored and loved her dearly. She was very intelligent and derived great wisdom and learning from the company of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. In later years her knowledge and understanding of Islam in its pure form proved to be of great inspiration to the Sahabah Radhi Allahu Anhum and later Muslims. She passed away in 57 Hijri at the age of sixty five.

4. Hafsa bint Umar Al-Khattaab

The daughter of Umar Radhi Allahu Anhu was next to join the nuptial tie with the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Her husband had passed away in the battle of Uhud. She passed away at the age of sixty four in 45 Hijri.

5. Zainab bint Khuzaima

Zainab bint Khuzaima Radhi Allahu Anha was called Ummul Masaakeen because of her kindness towards the poor. Her husband, Abdullah Ibn Jahsh Radhi Allahu Anhu was martyred at Uhud. She married the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in the fourth year of Hijri and passed away two months after her marriage to him.

6. Umm Salama Hind bint Abi Omaiyah

She had been married to Abu Salama who had passed away in the fourth year of Hijri. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam married her in the same year. She was the last of his wives to pass away.

7. Zainab bint Jahsh bin Riyab

Zainab was the Prophet's Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam paternal cousin. She had been married to Zaid Ibn Haritha Radhi Allahu Anhu, the adopted son of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Zaid divorced her and she was then married to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in the fifth year of Hijri. Allah sent down Qur'anic verses regarding this marriage.

8. Juwairiyah bint al-Harith

She belonged to the tribe of Banu Mustaliq and was captured as booty by the Muslims. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam married her in the sixth year of Hijri. In this way her relatives now became his relatives and all the Muslims freed the remaining prisoners of the Banu Mustaliq tribe. Islam spread quickly amongst them for this reason.

9. Umm Habibah

Umm Habibah Radhi Allahu Anha was the daughter of Abu Sufyan. She had migrated to Abysinnia with her husband Ubaydullah Ibn Jahsh. He became a Christian and forced her to follow him. She refused. He died in Abysinnia. To honour her the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam married her.

10. Safiyah bint Huyay Ibn Akhtab

His next wife was Safiyah Radhi Allahu Anha, the daughter of the chief of the Banu Nadhir tribe, Huyayy Ibn Akhtab. She came into the hands of the Muslims as booty from the conquest of Khaibar. She was a Jewess and the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam defended her honour when his other wives spoke ill of her.

11. Maimunah bint al-Harith

The honour of being the last wife of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam went to Maimunah bint al-Harith Radhi Allahu Anha of the tribe of Hilal. He married her in the seventh year of Hijri.

Nine of the Prophet's Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam wives survived him. Khadija and Zainab bint Khuzaima Radhi Allahu Anhuma passed away during his lifetime. All his wives, being Ummahaatul-Mumineen (mothers of the faithful), were forbidden to remarry anyone after the demise of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. This was in keeping with the honour and respect due to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam as well as the loving regard every Muslim had for him.

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The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam had two slave women. One of these was Mariyah, the Copt, who had been presented to him by Muqauqis, the ruler of Egypt. She bore a son, Ibrahim, to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The other was Rayhana bint Zayd who belonged to the tribe of an-Nadir.