The Prophet's Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam Children

Khadija Radhi Allahu Anha gave birth to his son, Qasim. He passed away in infancy. Thereafter, she bore him four daughters : Zaynab, Ruqaiyah, Umm Kulthum and Fatima Radhi Allahu Anhunna.

Fatima Radhi Allahu Anha was the dearest to the Prophet amongst his children. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said about her: "She would be the leader of women in Paradise," and "Fatima is a part of me. One who offends her offends me." After the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam's demise, she was the first amongst his family members to pass away.

Fatima Radhi Allahu Anha was married to Ali Radhi Allahu Anhu. The Sahabah Radhi Allahu Anhum witnessed with great admiration the simple and solemn marriage ceremony of his fifteen year old daughter to his twenty year old cousin. To raise the money for ‘Mehr’ (Dowry) Ali Radhi Allahu Anhu sold his chain armour for 480 dirhams. For his part, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam gave his daughter a gift comprising of a bamboo and reed bedstead, a quilt of date-palm leaves, one leather water bag, two grindstones and two earthen water pots.

Ali Radhi Allahu Anhu had lived with the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam since childhood. Now that he was married, he was given an apartment by Haarith Ibn No’man Ansaari Radhi Allahu Anhu, whose dwellings were situated behind Masjidun Nabawi. As the need arose he donated all the homes, one after the other, to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. These houses were to become the ‘hoojaraat’ (apartments) of the family of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.

Mariyah, the Copt, was the mother of Ibrahim, another son of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. He also passed away in infancy. In his deep sorrow over the child's death the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said : "The eyes weep and the heart grieves, but we say nothing that displeases our Lord. We are grieved over being separated from you, O Ibrahim."

There was a solar eclipse on the day Ibrahim passed away. Some of the Sahabah attributed the eclipse to Ibrahim's death, but the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam corrected them : "The sun and the moon are two of the signs of Allah. Their eclipse is not on account of anyone's death." (1)

All the sons and daughters of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam except Fatima, passed away during his lifetime. She lived six months after the demise of her father.

Selflessness of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam

It was a settled principle with the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam that he always placed his family members and those who were nearer to him in the front line in facing a risk or hazard but allotted them the last place when he distributed favours, rewards and spoils of war. When the three well-known warriors of the Quraish, Utba, Shayba and Walid Ibn Utba, challenged the Muslims to single combat at Badr, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam sent forward Hamza, Ali and Ubayda Radhi Allahu Anhum, although he knew about the valour of the enemy combatants. Hamza, Ali and Ubayda Radhi Allahu Anhum, belonged to the Prophet's Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam own clan, the Banu Hashim, and were his near relatives.

Again, when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam disallowed usury and abolished blood vengeance belonging to the pre-Islamic period, on the occasion of the farewell pilgrimage, he declared : "The usury of the pre-Islamic period is abolished and the first of our usury I abolish is that of Abbas Ibn Abdul Muttalib. Claims of blood vengeance belonging to the pagan past have been abolished and the first of those murdered among us whose blood vengeance I remit is that of the son of Rabi'a Ibn al-Harith."

Ali Radhi Allahu Anhu relates that Fatima Radhi Allahu Anha had to work hard in grinding corn. When she got the news that some slave girls had been brought to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam she went to him and requested him for one to be given to her. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, however, did not accede to her request. Fatima Radhi Allahu Anha then mentioned the matter to Aisha Radhi Allahu Anha who, in turn, spoke to the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam about Fatima's Radhi Allahu Anha difficulty. Relating this incident Ali Radhi Allahu Anhu says:

"The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam visited us when we had gone to bed. We were about to get up but he told us to stay where we were. He then sat down near me and I felt the coldness of his feet on my chest. He then said: 'Let me guide you to something better than what you have asked. When you go to bed, say Subhanallah thirty three times, Alhamdulillah thirty three times and Allahu-Akbar thirty four times. This will be better for you than a servant.' "

In another report of the same incident handed down through another source, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is also reported to have said: "By Allah, I cannot give you anything at the time when the bellies of my Sahabah of Suffa have been hollowed by hunger. I have nothing to meet their expenses and I will sell these to provide for them."