Maria al-Qibtiyya
based on a book by Ahmad Thompson
Maria al-Qibtiyya (radiAllahu anha) is said to have married the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and certainly everyone gave her the same title of respect as the Prophet's wives, 'Umm al Mumineen' 'Mother of the Believers'.
Maria was born in upper Egypt of a Coptic father and Greek mother and moved to the court of the Muqawqis when she was still very young. She arrived in Madinah to join the Prophet's household just after the Prophet returned from the treaty with Quraish which was contracted at al-Hudaybiyya.
Maria gave birth to a healthy son in 9 AH, the same year that his daughter Zaynab died, and the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) named his new son Ibrahim, after the ancestor of both the Jews and the Christians, the Prophet from whom all the Prophets who came after him were descended.
Unfortunately, when he was only eighteen months old, Ibrahim became seriously ill and died. Even though he knew that his small son would go to the Garden, the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) could not help shedding some tears. When some of his Companions asked him why he was weeping, he replied, "It is my humanness."
As Ibrahim's body was being buried, the sun was eclipsed and it grew dark and gloomy. Some people thought this was connected with Ibrahim's death, but the Prophet soon clarified this. "The sun and the moon are two of Allah's signs," he said, "they are not eclipsed because of anyone's birth or death. When you see these signs, make haste to remember Allah in prayer."
Although the kafirun used to mock the Prophet Muhammad because he had no sons, and say that he was 'cut off', Allah made it clear in the following surah that the station of the Prophet Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) was far above that of any other man;
In the name of Allah, The Merciful, the Compassionate: Surely We have given you Al Khawthar, so pray to your Lord and offer sacrifice. Surely he who mocks you is the one cut off.
[Quran 108:1-3]
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets, and Allah has knowledge of all things.
[Quran 33:40]
Maria was honored and respected by the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and his family and Companions (radiAllahu anhum). She spent three years of her life with the Prophet, until his death, and died five years later in 16 AH, (radiAllahu anha).
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For the last five years of her life, she remained a recluse and almost never went out except to visit the grave of the Prophet or her son's grave.
After her death, Umar ibn al Khattab (radiAllahu anhu) led the prayer over her and she was buried in al Baqi.
RadiAllahu anha.
Zaynab bint Khuzayma
based on a book by Ahmad Thompson
Zaynab bint Khuzayma (radiAllahu anha) was married to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) in Ramadan, 4 AH, soon after his marriage to Hafsa when he was fifty-six years old and she was thirty years old.
After she had been made a widow when her husband was martyred at Badr, she offered herself in marriage to the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) who accepted her proposal and married her.
Zaynab bint Khuzayma was so generous to orphans and the poor that she came to be known as the 'Mother of the Poor'.
She died only eight months after her marriage (radiAllahu anha), and although not a great deal is known about her today, there will be many who will testify to her generosity on the Last Day.
RadiAllahu anha.
