There is no disagreement that all of the Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) children, except for Ibrahim, were born from Khadija bint Khuwaylid. Only his son named Ibrahim was born from Mariya bint Shamʿūn al-Qibṭiyya.
Muhammad b. Saʿd, through the channel of Hisham b. al-Kalbi, narrated from Ibn ʿAbbas as follows:
"The children of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), in order, are Qasim, Zaynab, ʿAbdullah, Umm Kulthum, Fatima, and Ruqayya. Qasim died. He was the first child of the Messenger of God to die in Mecca. After him, ʿAbdullah died. ʿĀṣ b.
Wāʾil al-Sahmī said: 'Muhammad’s lineage has been cut off. He is without progeny!' Thereupon, the Mighty and Majestic Allah revealed the following surah:
"Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off." (al-Kawthar, 1–3)
Muhammad b. Saʿd said: Mariya gave birth to Ibrahim in the month of Dhu’l-Hijja of the eighth year after the Hijra. Ibrahim died when he was eighteen months old.
Abu’l-Faraj al-Muʿaffa b. Zakariyya al-Jurayrī, through the channel of ʿAbd al-Baqī b. Nafīʿ, narrated from Ibn ʿAbbas as follows:
"While Khadija was married to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), she gave birth to ʿAbdullah. After that, she did not give birth for a long time. Once, while the Messenger of God was speaking with a man, ʿĀṣ b. Wāʾil was watching them. The man asked him: 'Who is this?' ʿĀṣ replied:
'He is without progeny!'
If a man’s wife did not give birth for a long time after having a child, the Quraysh would call that man 'cut off.' Thereupon, Allah the Exalted revealed the following verse:
"Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off." That is, O Muhammad, the one who is hostile to you and harbors enmity against you is the one cut off from all good.
The narrator said: After that, the Messenger of God’s daughter Zaynab was born, then Ruqayya, then Qasim, then Tahir, then Mutahhar, then Tayyib, then Mutayyab, then Umm Kulthum, and then Fatima. Fatima was the youngest of them all.
When Khadija gave birth to a child, she would entrust the child to a wet nurse. But when Fatima was born, she did not give her to anyone else. She nursed her herself."
Haytham b. ʿAdiyy, through the channel of Hisham b. ʿUrwa, narrated from Saʿid’s father, Musayyab, as follows:
"The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had two sons named Tahir and Tayyib. He gave one of them the name ʿAbd al-Shams and the other the name ʿAbd al-ʿUzza."
This narration is objectionable. Allah knows best the truth.
Muhammad b. ʿAyz narrated from Saʿid b. ʿAbd al-ʿAziz as follows:
"Lady Khadija gave birth to Qasim, Tayyib, Tahir, Mutahhar, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Fatima, and Umm Kulthum."
Zubayr b. Bakkār said: My uncle Musʿab b. ʿAbdullah informed me as follows: Khadija gave birth to these children: Qasim and Tahir. Tahir was also called Tayyib. Tahir was born after prophethood. He died at a young age. His name was ʿAbdullah. Khadija also gave birth to Fatima, Zaynab, Ruqayya, and Umm Kulthum.
Zubayr, through the channel of Ibrahim b. Munzir, narrated from Abu’l-Aswad as follows:
"Khadija gave birth to Qasim, Tahir, Tayyib, ʿAbdullah, Zaynab, Ruqayya, Fatima, and Umm Kulthum." Muhammad b. Fadala narrated from some elders as follows: Khadija gave birth to Qasim and ʿAbdullah. Qasim lived until he was able to walk. ʿAbdullah died at a younger age."
Zubayr b. Bakkār said: In the Age of Ignorance, Khadija was called Tahira bint Khuwaylid. She gave birth to a child named Qasim for the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). He was his eldest son. The Messenger of God was given the kunya by this son’s name. Khadija then gave birth to Zaynab, then ʿAbdullah. ʿAbdullah was also called Tayyib, and sometimes Tahir. This child was born after prophethood and died at a young age. Khadija then gave birth to her daughter Umm Kulthum, then Fatima, and then Ruqayya. This is the order of their births. Then Qasim died while in Mecca. He was the first of the Messenger of God’s children to die. After him, ʿAbdullah died.
After these, Mariya bint Shamʿūn gave birth to Ibrahim for the Messenger of God. This woman was the Coptic slave-girl whom Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, had gifted to the Messenger of God. Along with her, he had also gifted her sister Sirin and a eunuch slave named Maʾbur. The Messenger of God gave Sirin to Hassan b. Thabit. Sirin bore Hassan a son named ʿAbd al-Rahman. The lineage of Hassan b. Thabit was cut off."
Abu Bakr b. al-Barqī said: In fact, the child of the Messenger of God named Tahir was also called Tayyib. His other name was ʿAbdullah. It is said that Tayyib and Mutayyab were twins born in the same womb. Tahir and Mutahhar were also twins born in the same womb.
Mufaddal b. Ghassan narrated from Mujahid as follows:
"The Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Qasim lived for seven nights after he was born. Then he died."
Mufaddal said: This is incorrect. The truth is that he lived for seventeen months.
Abu Nuʿaym narrated from Mujahid as follows: Qasim died when he was seven days old. Zuhri, however, said that he died at the age of two. As for Qatada, he said: Qasim lived until he was able to walk, then he died.
Hisham b. ʿUrwa said: The Iraqis did not say that Tayyib and Tahir were born. Our teachers, however, said:
"The children of the Messenger of God are: ʿAbd al-ʿUzza, ʿAbd Manaf, Qasim, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum, and Fatima."
Ibn ʿAsakir narrated thus. This is objectionable. Zaynab is not mentioned here, though she should have been. Allah knows best the truth.
Regarding Zaynab, ʿAbd al-Razzaq narrated from Ibn Jurayj as follows:
"More than one person told me: Zaynab was the eldest daughter of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him). Fatima was the youngest and the most beloved to the Messenger of God. Zaynab married Abu’l-ʿAs b. al-Rabiʿ. She bore him two children named ʿAli and Umama. The Messenger of God would carry Umama on his shoulders while praying. When he prostrated, he would put her down, and when he stood up, he would lift her again. According to Waqidi, perhaps the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) carried Umama in this way during prayer after her mother Zaynab died in the eighth year after the Hijra. Qatada, ʿAbdullah b. Abu Bakr b. Hazm, and others have narrated thus. Most likely, at that time, Umama was a very small child." Allah knows best the truth.
After Fatima’s death, ʿAli married Zaynab’s daughter. Zaynab died in the eighth year after the Hijra. Qatada narrated from Ibn Hazm that Zaynab died at the beginning of the eighth year after the Hijra.
Hammad b. Salama narrated from Hisham’s father, ʿUrwa, as follows:
"When Zaynab emigrated, a man pushed her. She fell onto a rock and miscarried her child. She suffered from this pain until her death. It has been claimed that she died as a martyr.
As for Ruqayya, the Messenger of God’s uncle’s son, ʿUtba, son of Abu Lahab, married her. Also, his brother ʿUtayba b. Abu Lahab married her sister Umm Kulthum. Then, before either of them consummated the marriage, they divorced them out of anger towards the Messenger of God. This divorce event occurred during the revelation of the following surah:
"May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame. And his wife [as well]—the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber." (al-Masad, 1–5)
ʿUthman b. ʿAffan (may Allah be pleased with him) married Ruqayya. He migrated with her to Abyssinia. It is said that ʿUthman was the first person to migrate to Abyssinia. Then the two returned to Mecca, as we have previously mentioned. Later, they migrated to Medina. There, Ruqayya gave birth to ʿUthman’s son ʿAbdullah. When ʿAbdullah reached the age of six, a rooster pecked his eyes and the child died because of this. Previously, ʿUthman was given the kunya by his son ʿAbdullah’s name, i.e., he was called Abu ʿAbdillah. Later, he was given the kunya Abu ʿAmr by his son ʿAmr.
The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) was victorious on the Day of Badr, when the army of Islam and the army of shirk (associating partners with God) confronted each other, and at that time Ruqayya died.
When the bringer of glad tidings brought the news of victory to Medina—this bringer was Zayd b. Haritha—he saw that the Muslims were throwing earth over Ruqayya’s grave. ʿUthman had remained in Medina to nurse Ruqayya. The Messenger of God gave him a share of the spoils of war. He also benefited from this reward. When the Messenger of God returned to Medina from the Battle of Badr, he married Ruqayya’s sister Umm Kulthum to ʿUthman. For this reason, ʿUthman was given the nickname "Dhu’l-Nurayn" (the possessor of two lights). Then Umm Kulthum also died, without bearing any children, in the month of Shaʿban of the ninth year after the Hijra, while married to ʿUthman. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: "If I had a third daughter, I would have married her to ʿUthman as well." According to another narration, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said at that time: "If I had ten daughters, I would have married them all to ʿUthman."
As for Fatima, the Messenger of God’s cousin, ʿAli, son of Abu Talib, married her in the month of Safar of the second year after the Hijra. Fatima bore ʿAli two sons named Hasan and Husayn. It is also said that she bore a son named Muhsin. She also bore two daughters named Umm Kulthum and Zaynab.
During his caliphate, ʿUmar b. al-Khattab married Umm Kulthum, the daughter of ʿAli. He gave her a dowry of forty thousand dirhams. He gave this because she was of the lineage of the Messenger of God. Umm Kulthum bore him a son named Zayd.
When ʿUmar, son of al-Khattab, was martyred, his cousin ʿAwn b. Jaʿfar married Umm Kulthum. But ʿAwn also died, leaving Umm Kulthum a widow. After that, his brother Muhammad married Umm Kulthum. He too died, leaving her a widow. After that, their brother ʿAbdullah b. Jaʿfar married her. Umm Kulthum died while married to ʿAbdullah. ʿAbdullah b. Jaʿfar then married Zaynab bint ʿAli, Umm Kulthum’s sister. She too died while married to him.
Lady Fatima died six months after the Messenger of God’s death. This is the most famous of the reports on this matter. The authentic narration from Lady ʿAʾisha is to this effect. Zuhri and Abu Jaʿfar al-Baqir have also said so. Only Zuhri said that Fatima died three months after the Messenger of God, while Abu Zubayr said she died two months later. Abu Burayda said: Lady Fatima lived seventy days and nights after the Messenger of God’s death. ʿAmr b. Dinar said: Lady Fatima lived eight months after the Messenger of God, then died. ʿAbdullah b. Harith also said so. According to the narration of ʿAmr b. Dinar, Lady Fatima lived four months after the Messenger of God.
As mentioned earlier, Ibrahim was born from Mariya al-Qibṭiyya. His birth was in the month of Dhu’l-Hijja of the eighth year after the Hijra.
Ibn Lahiʿa and others narrated from ʿAbd al-Rahman b. Ziyad as follows: When Mariya became pregnant with Ibrahim, Gabriel came and said to the Messenger of God:
- Peace be upon you, O father of Ibrahim! Indeed, Allah the Exalted has given you the glad tidings of a son from your slave-girl Mariya. May Allah bless him for you and make your eyes delighted with him in this world and the Hereafter.
Hafiz Abu Bakr al-Bazzar narrated from Anas as follows:
"When the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim was born, a doubt entered his heart. Thereupon, Gabriel came to him and said:
- Peace be upon you, O father of Ibrahim!"
Asbat narrated from Ismaʿil b. ʿAbd al-Rahman (al-Suddi) as follows:
"I asked Anas b. Malik:
- How long did the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim live?
- He had reached the age to fill his cradle. If he had lived, he would certainly have been a prophet. But it was not possible for him to live, because our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the last prophet."
Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal, through the channel of ʿAbd al-Rahman b. Mahdi, narrated from Anas b. Malik as follows:
"If the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim had lived, he would have been a truthful one (ṣiddīq) and a prophet."
Abu ʿAbdillah b. Mandah narrated from Anas as follows:
"The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim died when he was sixteen months old. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Bury him in the Baqiʿ cemetery. He has a wet nurse who will nurse him. She will complete the nursing in Paradise.'"
Abu Yaʿla, through the channel of Abu Haythama, narrated from Anas as follows:
"I have not seen anyone more compassionate to his children and family than the Messenger of God. Ibrahim was nursing in the upper part of Medina. He would take us with him and go to the house where Ibrahim was. The weather was rainy. The woman who nursed him was with us. The Messenger of God would take Ibrahim, kiss him, and then return."
ʿAmr said: When Ibrahim died, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Ibrahim is my son. He died while nursing at the breast. He has two wet nurses. They will complete the nursing in Paradise."
Jarir and Abu ʿAwana narrated from Baraʾ as follows: "The Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim died when he was sixteen months old. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bury him in the Baqiʿ cemetery. Indeed, there is someone who will nurse him in Paradise."
Abu Yaʿla al-Mawsili narrated from Ibn Abi Awfa, who, in response to a question about Ibrahim, said:
"Ibrahim died at a young age. If it had been decreed that a prophet would come after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he would certainly have lived."
Ibn ʿAsakir narrated from Jabir b. ʿAbdullah that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
"If Ibrahim had lived, he would certainly have been a prophet." Ibn ʿAsakir also narrated from Anas as follows: "When Ibrahim died, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Do not shroud Ibrahim before I see him myself.' Then the Messenger of God came, bent over Ibrahim’s body, and began to weep, so much so that his beard became wet with tears."
I say: The narration of Abu Shayba, who is mentioned in the chain of this hadith, is not acted upon.
Again, Ibn ʿAsakir narrated from Asmaʾ bint Yazid b. al-Sakan as follows:
"When Ibrahim died, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) wept. Abu Bakr and ʿUmar said to him:
- O Messenger of God, you are the foremost in knowing the right of Allah! (Why are you weeping?) Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) replied:
- The eye weeps, the heart grieves. We do not say anything that would anger our Lord. If this were not a true promise, if there were not a gathering place for reunion, if those who come later did not follow those who came before, O Ibrahim, we would be even more grieved for you. O Ibrahim! Indeed, we are saddened by your death!"
Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal narrated from Baraʾ as follows:
"The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the funeral prayer for his son Ibrahim. Ibrahim died when he was sixteen months old. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, there is a wet nurse in Paradise who will complete Ibrahim’s interrupted nursing. Ibrahim was a truthful one (ṣiddīq)." Abu Yaʿla narrated from Ibn Abi Awfa as follows: "The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the funeral prayer for his son Ibrahim. I also performed the funeral prayer behind him. The Messenger of God performed four takbirs in this prayer."
Yunus b. Bukayr, through the channel of Muhammad b. Ishaq, narrated from Muhammad b. Talha b. Yazid b. Rukana as follows:
"The Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim died when he was an eighteen-month-old child. The Messenger of God did not perform the funeral prayer for him."
Ibn ʿAsakir narrated from ʿAli as follows:
"When the Messenger of God’s son died, the Messenger of God sent me to Ibrahim’s mother, Mariya al-Qibṭiyya. Mariya was in the district of Mashraba. I placed Ibrahim’s body in a basket and put it in front of me on the horse. Then I brought him to the Messenger of God. The Messenger of God washed and shrouded him, then took him out before the people. He buried him near the house of Muhammad b. Zayd. I entered Ibrahim’s grave and covered him with earth. After I came out, the Messenger of God sprinkled water over his grave. The Messenger of God placed his hand on Ibrahim’s grave and said:
- By Allah, Ibrahim is the son of a prophet, the son of a prophet!
After saying this, he began to weep. The Muslims around him also wept. Their voices grew very loud. Then the Messenger of God said:
- The eye weeps, the heart grieves, and we do not say anything that would anger our Lord. O Ibrahim! Indeed, we are saddened by your death!"
Waqidi said: The Messenger of God’s (peace and blessings be upon him) son Ibrahim died on the Tuesday after ten days had passed from the month of Rabiʿ al-Awwal in the tenth year after the Hijra. At that time, Ibrahim was eighteen months old. He was in the house of Umm Barza bint Munzir of the Banu Mazin b. Najjar tribe (he was being nursed there). When he died, he was buried in the Baqiʿ cemetery.
As we have mentioned earlier, on the day of Ibrahim’s death, there was a solar eclipse. People said:
- The sun was eclipsed because of Ibrahim’s death. Thereupon, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to the people. In his sermon, he said:
- Indeed, the sun and the moon are two of the signs (āya) of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. They are not eclipsed for the death or life of anyone.