Muhammad's children
The children of Muhammad include the three sons and four daughters, born to the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[1] All were born to Muhammad's first wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid[2] except one son, who was born to Maria al-Qibtiyya.[3]
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Overview
His attitude and treatment towards his children, enshrined in the hadith, is viewed by Muslims as an exemplar to be imitated.[4]
All of Muhammad's children, except Fatimah (married to Ali ibn Abi Talib) and two daughters Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum married to Uthman bin Affan, another elder daughter of Muhammad married Abu al-As ibn al-Rabi', died in childhood and it is through Fatimah that Muhammad's lineage continued in the form of the respected Sayyid (meaning Leader or Sir) and Sharif (meaning noble).[5] His sons never reached adulthood and died as infants. The early deaths of Muhammad's sons has been viewed as being detrimental to the cause of those who advocated for a hereditary-based system of succession to Muhammad.[6]
List of children
Muhammad's children were (in chronological order):
- Qasim ibn Muhammad, (AD 598 – 601)
- Zainab bint Muhammad, (AD 599 – 629)
- Ruqayyah bint Muhammad, (AD 601 – 624)
- Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, (AD 603 – 630)
- Fatimah bint Muhammad, (Friday, 20 Jumada II (10 September AD 605) – 14 Jumada I AH 11 (5 August AD 632))
- Abdullah ibn Muhammad, (d. AD 615)
- Ibrahim ibn Muhhamad, (AD 630-632)
Controversy
There is much controversy between Sunni and Shia regarding how many daughters Muhammad had. While most Sunnis accept that he had four daughters, most Shia accept Fatimah as his only biological daughter and that 3 women were already living in the house of Khadijah before her marriage with Muhammad.
See also
- Muhammad's wives
- Sahabah (companions, disciples, scribes and family of Muhammad)
- Islam and children
References
- Haykal, Muḥammad Ḥusayn (1933). al-Fārūqī, Ismaʻīl Rājī (ed.). The Life of Muhammad (1994 revision of 1976 English translation ed.). Islamic Book Trust. pp. 76–7. ISBN 9789839154177.
- Paul Gwynne (23 Dec 2013). Buddha, Jesus and Muhammad: A Comparative Study. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118465493.
According to Sunni Islam, Khadija bore Muhammad four daughters (Zaynab, Ruqayya, Umm Kulthum and Fatima) and two sons ('Abdallah and Qasim).
- G. Smith, Bonnie, ed. (2008). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History: 4 Volume Set (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780195148909.
- Yust, Karen-Marie, ed. (2006). Nurturing Child and Adolescent Spirituality: Perspectives from the World's Religious Traditions. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 72. ISBN 9780742544635.
- Morimoto, Kazuo, ed. (2012). Sayyids and Sharifs in Muslim Societies: The Living Links to the Prophet (illustrated ed.). Routledge. p. 2. ISBN 9780415519175.
- Noel Freedman, David; J. McClymond, Michael, eds. (2000). The Rivers of Paradise: Moses, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and Muhammad as Religious Founders. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 497. ISBN 9780802829573.
Muhammad's lack of male offspring—which would continue with his later wives as well—was to have serious implications for the future of Islam. When controversy surged over the question of succession, there was no male heir to the Prophet. The Shi'ites, who were to claim that the succession belonged by right to the closest male relative, could do no better than to point to Muhammad's cousin Ali as their candidate—which did not carry the day for them. Had there been a son, things might have turned out rather differently.
Further reading
- M. J. Kister. "THE SONS OF KHADIJA" (PDF). Retrieved 22 February 2015.