Short answer: the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ married eleven women in his lifetime. Two of them, Khadijah and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, died before him, and he left nine wives when he passed away. In the order of their marriage they are: Khadijah, Sawdah, Aishah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyah, Umm Habibah, Safiyyah and Maymunah. The Quran calls them the mothers of the believers (33:6). This is how al-Mubarakpuri and most books of seerah list them; the sources differ on some years, and we note where.
Why they are called the Mothers of the Believers
Allah gave the Prophet's ﷺ wives a rank no other women share. They are mothers of the believers in honour and respect, and no one could marry them after him (33:53). They are not mothers in law for inheritance, and men outside their family still spoke to them from behind a screen.
ٱلنَّبِىُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَٰجُهُۥٓ أُمَّهَٰتُهُمْ ۗ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍۢ فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُهَٰجِرِينَ إِلَّآ أَن تَفْعَلُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَوْلِيَآئِكُم مَّعْرُوفًۭا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِى ٱلْكِتَٰبِ مَسْطُورًۭا ﴿٦﴾
An-Nabiyyu awlaa bil mu'mineena min anfusihim wa azwaajuhoo ummahatuhum wa ulul arbaami ba'duhum awlaa biba'din fee Kitaabil laahi minal mu'meneena wal Muhaajireena illaaa an taf'alooo ilaaa awliyaaa'ikum ma'roofaa; kaana zaalika fil kitaabi mastooraa
The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers. And those of [blood] relationship are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah than the [other] believers and the emigrants, except that you may do to your close associates a kindness [through bequest]. That was in the Book inscribed.
Quran 33:6 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Ahzab
All eleven at a glance
| Wife | Married | Died |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid | About 595 CE, in Makkah | 10th year of prophethood (619 CE) |
| 2. Sawdah bint Zamah | 10th year of prophethood, in Makkah | Late in Umar's caliphate, or 54 AH |
| 3. Aishah bint Abi Bakr | Contracted in Makkah; joined him 1 or 2 AH | 58 AH (or 57 AH) |
| 4. Hafsah bint Umar | 3 AH | 41 AH (or 45 AH) |
| 5. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah | 4 AH (or late 3 AH) | 4 AH, in his lifetime |
| 6. Umm Salamah, Hind bint Abi Umayyah | Shawwal 4 AH | 59 AH (or 61 or 62 AH) |
| 7. Zaynab bint Jahsh | 5 AH (or 4 AH) | 20 AH |
| 8. Juwayriyah bint al-Harith | 5 or 6 AH | 50 AH (or 56 AH) |
| 9. Umm Habibah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan | 6 or 7 AH | 44 AH |
| 10. Safiyyah bint Huyayy | 7 AH | 50 AH (or 52 AH) |
| 11. Maymunah bint al-Harith | 7 AH | 51 AH |
Dates are as the books of seerah give them. Where reports differ, both are given in the profile below.
The wives, one by one
1. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
- Lineage
- Of Banu Asad, Quraysh. A noble and wealthy merchant of Makkah.
- Before the marriage
- A widow.
- Married
- About 595 CE, fifteen years before the first revelation, when the Prophet ﷺ was 25. Ibn Sad gives her age as 40; other reports give 28. He married no one else while she lived (Muslim 2436).
- Died
- Ramadan of the tenth year of prophethood, three years before the Hijrah (Bukhari 3896). Buried at al-Hajun (al-Mualla), Makkah.
The first person to believe in him, and the mother of all his children except Ibrahim. "The best of its women is Maryam daughter of Imran, and the best of its women is Khadijah" (Bukhari 3432). Jibril brought her greetings of peace from her Lord (Bukhari 3820).
2. Sawdah bint Zamah
- Lineage
- Of Banu Amir ibn Luayy, Quraysh.
- Before the marriage
- Widow of al-Sakran ibn Amr; both were early Muslims who emigrated to Abyssinia.
- Married
- In Makkah, after Khadijah's death, in the tenth year of prophethood.
- Died
- In Madinah, at the end of Umar's caliphate by one report, or 54 AH by another. Buried in al-Baqi.
Known for her generosity and good humour. In later years she gave her day with the Prophet ﷺ to Aishah (Bukhari 5212).
3. Aishah bint Abi Bakr
- Lineage
- Of Banu Taym, Quraysh. Daughter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and Umm Ruman.
- Before the marriage
- Not married before; the only one of his wives who had not been (Bukhari 5077).
- Married
- The marriage was contracted in Makkah in Shawwal, and she joined his household in Madinah in Shawwal, 1 or 2 AH (Muslim 1423). She narrated that she was six when it was contracted and nine when she joined him (Bukhari 5134; Muslim 1422).
- Died
- 17 Ramadan 58 AH (some say 57 AH), in Madinah. Buried in al-Baqi.
"The superiority of Aishah over other women is like the superiority of tharid over other food" (Bukhari 3770). Allah declared her innocence in Surah An-Nur (24:11-26). One of the greatest scholars among the Companions. The Prophet ﷺ died in her room.
4. Hafsah bint Umar
- Lineage
- Of Banu Adi, Quraysh. Daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab.
- Before the marriage
- Widow of Khunays ibn Hudhafah, who fought at Badr and died in Madinah (Bukhari 4005).
- Married
- 3 AH, in Madinah.
- Died
- 41 AH in Madinah by the common report (some say 45 AH). Buried in al-Baqi.
Known for her fasting and night prayer. The written copy of the Quran gathered under Abu Bakr was kept with her, and Uthman's standard copies were made from it (Bukhari 4986, 4987).
5. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah
- Lineage
- Of Banu Hilal ibn Amir.
- Before the marriage
- A widow whose husband was martyred; the reports differ on whether he was Abdullah ibn Jahsh, killed at Uhud, or another Companion.
- Married
- 4 AH (some say late 3 AH), in Madinah.
- Died
- A few months after the marriage, in the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime. She and Khadijah are the only two of his wives who died before him. Buried in al-Baqi.
Called Umm al-Masakin, the mother of the poor, for her generosity to them even before Islam.
6. Umm Salamah, Hind bint Abi Umayyah
- Lineage
- Of Banu Makhzum, Quraysh.
- Before the marriage
- Widow of Abu Salamah, an early Muslim who died of a wound from Uhud. They had emigrated to Abyssinia and then to Madinah.
- Married
- Shawwal 4 AH, in Madinah.
- Died
- 59 AH by one report, 61 or 62 AH by others; by most accounts the last of the Mothers of the Believers to die. Buried in al-Baqi.
When Abu Salamah died she said the dua the Prophet ﷺ had taught, asking Allah for something better, and "Allah gave me the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his place" (Muslim 918). Her advice at Hudaybiyyah ended the crisis (Bukhari 2731). Wise, learned and a narrator of many hadith.
7. Zaynab bint Jahsh
- Lineage
- Of Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah. The Prophet's ﷺ cousin: her mother was Umaymah bint Abd al-Muttalib.
- Before the marriage
- Formerly married to Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet's ﷺ freed slave and adopted son, who divorced her.
- Married
- Dhul Qadah 5 AH (some say 4 AH), by the command of Allah in 33:37. The marriage showed that an adopted son is not a son by law. She used to say that her family married the other wives to him, but Allah married her to him from above the seven heavens (Bukhari 7420).
- Died
- 20 AH, in Madinah, the first of his wives to die after him. Buried in al-Baqi.
Very generous and hard-working. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The first of you to join me will be the one with the longest hand", and it was Zaynab, "because she worked with her hands and gave in charity" (Muslim 2452).
8. Juwayriyah bint al-Harith
- Lineage
- Of Banu al-Mustaliq, of Khuza'ah. Daughter of their chief, al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar.
- Before the marriage
- Taken captive in the expedition against Banu al-Mustaliq; her husband had been killed.
- Married
- 5 or 6 AH. She came to the Prophet ﷺ for help to buy her freedom; he paid it and married her. The Companions then freed their captives from her people, and Aishah said she knew of no woman who was a greater blessing to her people (Abu Dawud 3931, graded hasan).
- Died
- 50 AH by one report, 56 AH by another, in Madinah. Buried in al-Baqi.
Devoted to dhikr. The Prophet ﷺ found her still at her prayer place from Fajr to mid-morning, and taught her four phrases that outweigh it: "Subhanallahi wa bihamdihi, adada khalqihi, wa rida nafsihi, wa zinata arshihi, wa midada kalimatihi" (Muslim 2726).
9. Umm Habibah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan
- Lineage
- Of Banu Umayyah, Quraysh. Daughter of Abu Sufyan.
- Before the marriage
- She emigrated to Abyssinia with her husband Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh, who died there.
- Married
- 6 or 7 AH, while she was still in Abyssinia. The Negus (al-Najashi) married her to the Prophet ﷺ on his behalf and paid her dower of four thousand dirhams (Abu Dawud 2107, graded sahih by al-Albani).
- Died
- 44 AH, in Madinah. Buried in al-Baqi.
She held to Islam far from home, while her father still led Quraysh against it.
10. Safiyyah bint Huyayy
- Lineage
- Of Banu al-Nadir, a descendant of the Prophet Harun. Daughter of Huyayy ibn Akhtab, their chief.
- Before the marriage
- Widowed at Khaybar and taken captive.
- Married
- 7 AH, after Khaybar. The Prophet ﷺ freed her and made her freedom her dower (Bukhari 5086).
- Died
- 50 AH by the common report (some say 52 AH), in Madinah. Buried in al-Baqi.
When she wept because she was called "the daughter of a Jew", the Prophet ﷺ told her: "You are the daughter of a prophet, your uncle is a prophet, and you are married to a prophet" (Tirmidhi 3894, graded sahih).
11. Maymunah bint al-Harith
- Lineage
- Of Banu Hilal. Sister of Umm al-Fadl, the wife of al-Abbas, and aunt of Ibn Abbas and Khalid ibn al-Walid.
- Before the marriage
- A widow.
- Married
- 7 AH, at Sarif near Makkah, after the Umrah of fulfilment. She was the last woman he married.
- Died
- 51 AH by the common report, at Sarif, where the marriage had taken place. She is buried there.
Known for her taqwa and for keeping family ties. Ibn Abbas learned much of the Prophet's ﷺ night worship staying in her house.
The choice in Surah Al-Ahzab
When the wives asked the Prophet ﷺ for more of this world's comforts, Allah revealed the verses of choice: they could leave him with a gracious release, or choose Allah, His Messenger and the Hereafter. Every one of them chose Allah and His Messenger. The verses that follow set out their special rank and duties, and include the verse of purification (33:33).
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًۭا جَمِيلًۭا ﴿٢٨﴾ وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَٱلدَّارَ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَٰتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًۭا ﴿٢٩﴾
Yaaa aiyuhan Nabiyyu qul li azwaajika i kuntunna turidnal hayaatad dunyaa wa zeenatahaa fata'aalaina umatti'kunna wa usarrihkunna saraahan jameela Wa in kuntunna turidnal laaha wa Rasoolahoo wad Daaral Aakhirata fa innal laaha a'adda lil muhsinaati min kunna ajjran 'azeemaa
(28) O Prophet, say to your wives, "If you should desire the worldly life and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and give you a gracious release. (29) But if you should desire Allah and His Messenger and the home of the Hereafter - then indeed, Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a great reward."
Quran 33:28-29 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Ahzab
يَٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ يُضَٰعَفْ لَهَا ٱلْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًۭا ﴿٣٠﴾ وَمَن يَقْنُتْ مِنكُنَّ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَتَعْمَلْ صَٰلِحًۭا نُّؤْتِهَآ أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًۭا كَرِيمًۭا ﴿٣١﴾ يَٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ ۚ إِنِ ٱتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِٱلْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ ٱلَّذِى فِى قَلْبِهِۦ مَرَضٌۭ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًۭا مَّعْرُوفًۭا ﴿٣٢﴾ وَقَرْنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِيَّةِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِعْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًۭا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَٱذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا ﴿٣٤﴾
Yaa nisaaa'an Nabiyyi mai yaati minkunna bifaa hishatim mubaiyinatiny yudaa'af lahal 'azaabu di'fain wa kaana zaalika 'alal laahi yaseera Wa mai yaqnut minkunna lillaahi wa Rasoolihee wa ta'mal saalihan nu'tihaaa ajrahaa marratayni wa a'tadnaa lahaa rizqan kareema Yaa nisaaa'an Nabiyyi lastunna ka ahadim minan nisaaa'i init taqaitunna falaa takhda'na bilqawli fa yatma'al lazee fee qalbihee maradunw wa qulna qawlam ma'roofaa Wa qarna fee bu yoo tikunna wa laa tabarrajna tabarrujal Jaahiliyyatil oolaa wa aqimnas Salaata w aaateenaz Zakaata wa ati'nal laaha wa Rasoolah; innamaa yureedul laahu liyuzhiba 'ankumur rijsa Ahlal Bayti wa yutahhirakum tatheeraa Wazkurna maa yutlaa fee bu yootikunna min aayaatil laahi wal Hikmah; innal laaha kaana lateefan Khabeera
(30) O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality - for her the punishment would be doubled two fold, and ever is that, for Allah, easy. (31) And whoever of you devoutly obeys Allah and His Messenger and does righteousness - We will give her her reward twice; and We have prepared for her a noble provision. (32) O wives of the Prophet, you are not like anyone among women. If you fear Allah, then do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech. (33) And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet's] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification. (34) And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Indeed, Allah is ever Subtle and Acquainted [with all things].
Quran 33:30-34 · Sahih International · Read Surah Al-Ahzab
Mariyah and other names
Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah, the mother of the Prophet's ﷺ son Ibrahim, was sent to him by the ruler of Egypt. Most scholars count her as a concubine (milk al-yamin) rather than a wife, so she is not usually listed among the Mothers of the Believers, though she is honoured as the mother of his son. Rayhanah of Banu Qurayzah is also mentioned in the seerah; the reports differ on whether she was a wife or a concubine. A few other women are named in some books as having been proposed to or married without the marriage being completed, and the scholars discuss them separately.
Why the Prophet ﷺ married more than one wife
For twenty-five years his only wife was Khadijah. All his later marriages came after she died, and all but one were to widows or divorced women. The scholars of seerah point to the reasons the sources themselves show: caring for widows of Companions killed or lost for Islam (Sawdah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Umm Habibah); ties with the families of his closest Companions, Abu Bakr and Umar; bringing tribes and peoples closer, as Juwayriyah's marriage freed her people and Safiyyah's honoured hers; laws revealed through them, as with Zaynab bint Jahsh and adoption; and teaching: much of what Muslims know of his life at home and his worship at night was passed on by his wives. Allah set the rules for his marriages in Surah Al-Ahzab (33:50-52).
For his whole life in order, see the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ life timeline. For more of the people around him, see the Companions.
Questions
How many wives did the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ have?
Eleven, in the order Khadijah, Sawdah, Aishah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyah, Umm Habibah, Safiyyah and Maymunah. Two died before him, and he left nine at his death.
Who was the first wife of the Prophet ﷺ?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. They were married for about twenty-five years, and he married no other woman while she lived (Muslim 2436).
Who was the last wife of the Prophet ﷺ?
Maymunah bint al-Harith, whom he married in 7 AH at Sarif after the Umrah of fulfilment.
Why are the wives of the Prophet ﷺ called Mothers of the Believers?
Because Allah says: "his wives are [in the position of] their mothers" (33:6). It is a title of honour and respect, and they could not marry anyone after him (33:53).
Which wife of the Prophet ﷺ died first after him?
Zaynab bint Jahsh, in 20 AH. The Prophet ﷺ had said the one with the longest hand would join him first, and she was the most generous with her hands (Muslim 2452).
Which of the Prophet's ﷺ wives were widows?
All of them except Aishah had been married before. Most were widows: Sawdah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Umm Habibah, Juwayriyah, Safiyyah and Maymunah. Zaynab bint Jahsh had been divorced by Zayd ibn Harithah.
Sources
- Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, al-Raheeq al-Makhtum, the chapter on the Prophet's ﷺ household.
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah; Ibn Sad, al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, volume 8.
- Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah; al-Dhahabi, Siyar Alam al-Nubala.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3432, 3770, 3820, 3896, 4005, 4986, 4987, 5077, 5086, 5134, 5212, 7420 and 2731.
- Sahih Muslim 918, 1422, 1423, 2436, 2452 and 2726.
- Sunan Abi Dawud 2107 (graded sahih by al-Albani) and 3931 (hasan); Jami at-Tirmidhi 3894 (sahih).
- Quran 33:6, 33:28-34, 33:37, 33:50-53 and 24:11-26.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, transliteration from Tanzil, English by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic is the standard wording of the collection named; gradings are given for every hadith outside al-Bukhari and Muslim.