Children of Muhammad

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Muhammad's children
أولاد محمد
Children
Children of Muhammad Birth–Death
Qasim598–601
Zainab599–629
Ruqayyah601–624
Umm Kulthum603–630
Fatimah605/15–632
Abd Allah611–615
Ibrahim630–632
FamilyAhl al-Bayt
(Banu Hashim)

The children of Muhammad include the three sons and four daughters of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[1] The common view is that all were born to Muhammad's first wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid, except one son, named Ibrahim, who was born to Maria al-Qibtiyya.[2][3] Most Shia Muslims, however, hold that Fatima was the only biological daughter of Muhammad.[4][5] Muhammad also had a foster son, Zayd ibn Harithah.[6][7]

Sunni view[edit]

In chronological order, most Sunni sources list Muhammad's children as

Shia view[edit]

A number of Shia sources argue that Zainab, Ruqayyah, and Umm Kulthum were adopted by Muhammad after the death of their mother, Hala, a sister of Khadija.[4][9] According to Abbas, most Shia Muslims hold that Fatima was Muhammad's only biological daughter,[4] whereas Fedele limits this belief to Twelver Shi'ism.[9] Hyder reports that this belief is prevalent among the Shias of South Asia.[5]

Descendants[edit]

Muhammad's sons all died in childhood.[10][7] Their early deaths, according to Freedman and McClymond, was detrimental to a hereditary-based system of succession to Muhammad.[7] Alternatively, after the past prophets, writes Madelung, their descendants became the spiritual and material heirs to them in the Quran, a matter that is settled therein by divine selection and not by the faithful.[11][12]

Muhammad's daughters reached adulthood but they all died relatively young.[7] Fatima married Ali ibn Abi Talib, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum married Uthman one after another, and Zainab married Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi. Umm Kulthum remained childless whereas Ruqayya gave birth to a boy Abd Allah, who died at the age of six.[13][14] Zaynab gave birth to a son Ali (who also died in childhood) and a daughter Umama, whom Ali ibn Abi Talib married after Fatima's death.[15] Fatima gave birth to two boys, Hasan and Husayn, and it is through her that Muhammad's progeny has spread throughout the Muslim world.[8] The descendants of Fatima are given the honorific titles sayyid (lit. 'lord, sir') or sharif (lit. 'noble'), and are respected in the Muslim community.[8][9][16] Muhammad's attitude and treatment towards his children, enshrined in the hadith literature, is viewed by Muslims as an exemplar to be imitated.[17]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Haykal 1933, pp. 76, 77.
  2. Gwynne 2013.
  3. Smith 2008, p. 17.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Abbas 2021, p. 33.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Akbar 2006, p. 75.
  6. Hazleton 2013, pp. 67, 68.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Freedman & McClymond 2000, p. 497.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Buehler 2014.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Fedele 2018, p. 56.
  10. Hughes 1885, p. 869.
  11. Madelung 1997, pp. 9, 17.
  12. Jafri 1979, pp. 14-16.
  13. Madelung 1997, pp. 364.
  14. Q. Ahmed 2011, p. 50.
  15. Haylamaz 2007, p. 83.
  16. Morimoto 2012, p. 2.
  17. Yust 2006, p. 72.

Bibliography[edit]

Further reading[edit]

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