The Marriage of Prophet Muhammad and Umm Habibah: A Story of Faith and Family

The Marriage of Prophet Muhammad and Umm Habibah ~ Hi all readers! In this article, I will explain the humanity behind the marriage of Prophet Muhammad and Umm Habibah. Let's get straight to it! The real name of this wife of Prophet Muhammad was Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan ibn Harb bin Umaiyah ibn Abdu Shams al-Umawi. She was nicknamed Umm Habibah. Her mother was Shafiyah, the aunt of Uthman bin 'Affan. Her father's real name was Shakhr bin Harb, and he was 10 years younger than Prophet Muhammad.

Umm Habibah was born 17 years before Prophet Muhammad was appointed as a Prophet and Messenger. Initially, she was the wife of Ubaidullah bin Jahsh. Both of them converted to Islam and migrated to Habasyah (Abyssinia). However, her husband later returned to Christianity, while she remained a Muslim.

Umm Habibah once said, "I dreamed of seeing my husband, Ubaidullah bin Jahsh, in a very bad state. I was shocked. By Allah, his condition had changed. The next morning, he said, 'O Umm Habibah, I have come to a new belief. I do not see any religion better than Christianity. Indeed, I first entered the religion of Muhammad, but now I have returned to Christianity.' I replied, 'By Allah, there is no good in what you have done.'"

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'Ubaidullah bin Jahsh had been among the prominent early defenders of Islam, but his morals deteriorated. He was influenced by the people and women of Habasyah and eventually abandoned Islam. He died shortly after.

Following Ubaidullah bin Jahsh's apostasy, Umm Habibah was deeply saddened. She secluded herself in her home, feeling embarrassed by her ex-husband's decision. She did not want to meet others during her time in exile and refrained from returning to her homeland, as her father had declared war on Prophet Muhammad, whom she supported. Nor did she wish to return to her ex-husband's community.

At that time, Prophet Muhammad sent two letters to King Najashi, the ruler of Habasyah. The first letter invited the king to accept Islam. The second letter requested that the king arrange a marriage between the Prophet and Umm Habibah. The king warmly received both letters and honored the Prophet's envoy.

King Najashi conveyed this message to the Prophet's messengers and offered to convert to Islam and marry Prophet Muhammad to Umm Habibah. He also provided a dowry of 400 Dinars, which he entrusted to Khalid bin Sa'id bin ‘Ash.

Thus, Prophet Muhammad's marriage to Umm Habibah was to honor her. She was a prominent woman of her tribe, and her father was the leader of his people. She willingly left her former life of prestige to join the Prophet Muhammad. Her hardships intensified when her ex-husband abandoned Islam. Before her marriage to the Prophet, she lived only with her daughter, Habibah.

Another reason for the marriage was to strengthen family ties between Prophet Muhammad and Abu Sufyan, Umm Habibah's father. The Prophet also hoped that her father would eventually embrace Islam.

In summary, Umm Habibah, the mother of the believers, passed away in the year 44 Hijria during the reign of Mu'awiyah bin Abi Sufyan. Throughout her life, she was very devoted to practicing Islam.

May Allah's mercy and forgiveness be upon Umm Habibah. Ameen!

I believe that's enough for this article. I hope it is beneficial! Ameen!

See you in the next article!