✍ Written by: Abu Hamzah Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا ﴿٣٤﴾
(Al-Aḥzāb: 33–34)
❀ Translation:
“And remain in your homes and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you impurity, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you with thorough purification. And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Verily, Allah is Subtle and All-Aware.”
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ
(Ash-Shūrā: 23)
❀ Translation:
“Say, ‘I do not ask you for any reward except love for [my] near relatives.’”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood to address us at a place called Khumm between Makkah and Madinah. He praised and glorified Allah, exhorted and reminded us, and then said:
“To proceed: O people! I am a human being. Soon the Messenger of my Lord will come to me (i.e., the Angel of Death), and I will respond to him. I am leaving among you two weighty things: the first is the Book of Allah, in which there is guidance and light. Hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it.”
He urged and encouraged adherence to the Qur’an. Then he said:
“And my Ahl al-Bayt – I remind you of Allah regarding my Ahl al-Bayt, I remind you of Allah regarding my Ahl al-Bayt.”
The Prophet ﷺ came out one morning wearing a cloak made from black camel hair. Then Hasan ibn ʿAlī came, and he wrapped him under the cloak. Then Husayn came, and he joined them. Then Fāṭimah came, and he took her in. Then ʿAlī came, and he also entered under the cloak. Then the Prophet ﷺ recited:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Al-Aḥzāb: 33)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! No one harbors hatred against us – the Ahl al-Bayt – except that Allah will enter him into the Fire.”
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ...
(Al-Aḥzāb: 6)
❀ Translation:
“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers...”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever wishes to receive the fullest measure of reward when sending blessings upon us, the Ahl al-Bayt, let him say:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ وَأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ”
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“The best of its women is Maryam bint ʿImrān, and the best of its women is Khadījah bint Khuwaylid.”
I was never jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ as much as I was jealous of Khadījah, though I never saw her. But the Prophet ﷺ used to mention her often. If he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut it into parts and send it to the friends of Khadījah. I would say to him: “It is as if there was no woman in the world except Khadījah!”
He ﷺ would reply: “She was such-and-such… and I had children from her.”
Jibrīl عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Khadījah is coming to you with a vessel in which there is some food or drink. When she comes to you, convey to her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the glad tidings of a palace in Paradise made of pearls, in which there is no noise nor fatigue.”
Hālah bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadījah, once sought permission to enter upon the Prophet ﷺ. He recognized her manner of asking permission (like Khadījah’s), and was delighted by it. He said: “O Allah! It is Hālah bint Khuwaylid.”
I became jealous and said: “Why do you keep remembering an old woman among the old women of Quraysh, with red gums, who died long ago? Allah has given you better than her!”
He ﷺ replied: “She was such-and-such… and I had children from her.”
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to travel, he would draw lots among his wives. Whoever’s name was drawn would accompany him. Each wife had her appointed day and night with the Prophet ﷺ. However, Sawdah bint Zamʿah رضي الله عنها gave up her day and night to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها seeking the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ...
(Al-Nūr: 11–12)
❀ Translation:
“Verily, those who brought the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you... And he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof, for him is a great punishment. Why did not the believing men and women, when you heard it, think good of themselves and say: ‘This is an obvious falsehood’?”
The Prophet ﷺ, during his final illness, used to ask: “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” out of desire for my day. When it was my turn, Allah took his soul while his head was between my chest and neck, and he was buried in my house.
Whenever something came to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها from Allah’s provision, she would not keep anything but give it away in charity immediately.
A Persian neighbor of the Prophet ﷺ, known for preparing good stew, once invited him. The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Is ʿĀ’ishah invited too?” He replied: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ declined. He invited again; the Prophet ﷺ again asked: “Is ʿĀ’ishah invited?” “No,” he said. The Prophet ﷺ refused again. On the third invitation, he finally agreed when the man said: “Yes, she is invited too.”
The Prophet ﷺ and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها then went together.
Jibrīl عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ with her image wrapped in green silk and said:
“This is your wife in this world and in the Hereafter.”
Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما came to seek permission to enter. She said: “If you wish, let him in.”
He entered and said: “Rejoice! Between you and meeting the Prophet ﷺ is only the departure of your soul from your body. You were the most beloved wife of the Prophet ﷺ and he only loved what is pure. Your necklace fell at al-Abwā’, and the Prophet ﷺ stayed until morning to find it. The people had no water, and then Allah revealed:
فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا (al-Nisāʾ: 43)
This concession was revealed due to you. Your innocence was revealed from above the seven heavens by the Trustworthy Spirit (Jibrīl). Now there is no masjid except that your innocence is recited in it day and night.”
She said: “Leave me, O Ibn ʿAbbās! By Allah, I wish I had been forgotten and left in oblivion.”
I once saw the Prophet ﷺ in a good mood and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Pray for me.” He ﷺ said:
“O Allah! Forgive ʿĀ’ishah’s past and future sins, her hidden and apparent ones.”
I laughed so much that my head fell into his lap. He asked: “Does my duʿā’ please you?”
I replied: “How could it not?”
He said: “By Allah! This is my duʿā’ for my Ummah in every prayer.”
Ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما sent her eighty or one hundred thousand dirhams in two sacks. She was fasting that day. She brought a tray and distributed all the money among the people. By evening, not a single dirham was left.
She asked for her ifṭār and it was brought – only bread and oil. Umm Dhurrah said: “Could you not have bought meat for one dirham from all that money?”
She replied: “Do not scold me! Had you reminded me, I would have done so.”
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “I know when you are pleased with me and when you are angry with me.”
I asked: “How do you know that?”
He ﷺ said: “When you are pleased, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Muhammad,’ and when you are angry, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Ibrāhīm.’”
I replied: “Yes, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I only abandon your name (not the love).”
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
People used to wait to send their gifts on my day, seeking thereby the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to ask during his illness: “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” eagerly waiting for my turn. When my turn came, Allah took his soul while his head was between my chest and throat.
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say before he passed away, while resting on my chest and I was listening to him:
“O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, and join me with the Highest Companion (ar-Rafīq al-Aʿlā).”
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
I used to hear that no Prophet dies until he is shown his place in Paradise and given the option.
Then I heard the Prophet ﷺ, in his illness, his voice hoarse, reciting:
﴿مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُوْلَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا﴾
(al-Nisāʾ: 69)
I then understood he had been given the choice.
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ once said to me:
“Jibrīl sends you greetings of peace.”
I replied: “And upon him be peace and the mercy of Allah.”
Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Ḥafṣah! Jibrīl just came to me and said: ‘Take Ḥafṣah back, for she is one who fasts often, prays at night, and she is your wife in Paradise.’”
Narrated by Abū ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه:
Jibrīl came to the Prophet ﷺ while Umm Salamah was with him. They conversed, and then he left.
The Prophet ﷺ asked her: “Do you know who that was?”
She replied: “I thought it was Dihyah.”
She said: “By Allah, I thought he was Dihyah until the Prophet ﷺ informed in the sermon that it was Jibrīl.”
Narrated by Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها:
After the Prophet ﷺ married Umm Salamah, he stayed with her for three days and said:
“This does not mean you are insignificant to me. If you wish, I can stay with you for a week, but then I will have to do the same for all my wives.”
Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه:
Zaynab used to boast to the other wives of the Prophet ﷺ, saying:
“Your families gave you in marriage, while my marriage was made by Allah from above the seven heavens.”
Narrated by Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ left her place after Fajr prayer while she was seated on her prayer mat. He returned later in the morning and found her still sitting. He asked:
“Have you remained in the same state since I left you?”
She replied: “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“I have said four phrases three times which, if weighed against all that you have said since morning, would outweigh them:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ، وَرِضَا نَفْسِهِ، وَزِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ، وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ”
Narrated by Umm Ḥabībah رضي الله عنها:
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“Whoever prays twelve rakʿāt (of voluntary prayers) in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.”
She said: “Since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I never left them.”
Narrated by Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥuyayy رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me, and I had heard some remarks from Ḥafṣah and ʿĀ’ishah. I mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ.
He said:
“Why did you not say: ‘How can you both be better than me when my husband is Muhammad, my father is Hārūn, and my uncle is Mūsā?’”
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The (following) are believing sisters: Maymūnah – the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, her sister Umm al-Faḍl bint al-Ḥārith, her other sister Salmā bint al-Ḥārith – the wife of Ḥamzah, and Asmā’ bint ʿUmays – their maternal sister.”
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ...
(Al-Aḥzāb: 59)
❀ Translation:
“O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more appropriate so that they may be recognized and not harmed. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.”
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
When the people of Makkah sent ransom for their captives, Zaynab, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, sent some money and a necklace that belonged to Khadījah, which she had brought as her dowry for Abū al-ʿĀṣ.
When the Prophet ﷺ saw it, he became deeply emotional and said:
“If you deem it appropriate, release her captive and return her possession.”
They agreed. The Prophet ﷺ took a pledge from Abū al-ʿĀṣ to send Zaynab to him. He then dispatched Zayd ibn Ḥārithah and an Anṣārī companion to accompany her from Ya’jj.
Narrated by al-Zuhrī:
ʿUthmān married Umm Kulthūm, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She passed away in his house and bore no children.
Narrated by Laylā bint Qānaf al-Thaqafiyyah:
I was among those who washed Umm Kulthūm, daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when she passed away.
The Prophet ﷺ gave us first a waist wrapper, then a shirt, then a head cover, then a large sheet, and finally another cloth in which she was wrapped.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat at the door, handing us the cloths one by one.
Narrated by al-Miswar ibn Makhramah رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Fāṭimah is a part of me. Whoever angers her, angers me.”
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
“I never saw anyone more truthful than Fāṭimah – except her father.”
Narrated by ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn from al-Miswar ibn Makhramah:
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه proposed to marry the daughter of Abū Jahl while he was already married to Fāṭimah.
When Fāṭimah heard this, she went to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“People say you don’t get angry for your daughters. Now ʿAlī wants to marry Abū Jahl’s daughter.”
The Prophet ﷺ stood up and said:
“Fāṭimah is part of me. I fear she would be trialed. By Allah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah and the daughter of the enemy of Allah will never be joined by one man.”
ʿAlī abandoned the proposal.
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ called Fāṭimah, whispered to her and she cried. Then he whispered again and she laughed.
I asked her what had happened.
She said:
“First he told me of his impending death, so I wept. Then he informed me I would be the first of his family to join him, so I smiled.”
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ...
(Āl ʿImrān: 61)
❀ Translation:
“Say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us supplicate and invoke Allah’s curse upon the liars.”
Narrated by Iyās from his father رضي الله عنه:
I saw the Prophet ﷺ with Ḥasan and Ḥusayn riding his white mule – one in front of him and one behind him – until he entered his room.
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“They (Ḥasan and Ḥusayn) are my two sweet basil (flowers) from this world.”
Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ḥasan and Ḥusayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise.”
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding Ḥasan:
“O Allah, I love him, so love him and love whoever loves him.”
وصلى الله تعالى على خير خلقه محمد وآله وصحبه أجمعين
بَابُ مَنَاقِبِ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ
Section: Virtues of Ahl al-Bayt (The Family of the Prophet ﷺ)
◈ Qur’anic Verses on the Virtues of Ahl al-Bayt
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا ﴿٣٣﴾ وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا ﴿٣٤﴾
(Al-Aḥzāb: 33–34)❀ Translation:
“And remain in your homes and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakāh and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah intends only to remove from you impurity, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you with thorough purification. And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom. Verily, Allah is Subtle and All-Aware.”
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ
(Ash-Shūrā: 23)❀ Translation:
“Say, ‘I do not ask you for any reward except love for [my] near relatives.’”
✿ Hadith ① – Virtue of Ahl al-Bayt
Narrated by Zayd ibn Arqam رضي الله عنه:The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood to address us at a place called Khumm between Makkah and Madinah. He praised and glorified Allah, exhorted and reminded us, and then said:
“To proceed: O people! I am a human being. Soon the Messenger of my Lord will come to me (i.e., the Angel of Death), and I will respond to him. I am leaving among you two weighty things: the first is the Book of Allah, in which there is guidance and light. Hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it.”
He urged and encouraged adherence to the Qur’an. Then he said:
“And my Ahl al-Bayt – I remind you of Allah regarding my Ahl al-Bayt, I remind you of Allah regarding my Ahl al-Bayt.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of Virtues, Ḥadīth: 6225
✿ Hadith ② – The Prophet ﷺ Gathers His Family Under His Cloak
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:The Prophet ﷺ came out one morning wearing a cloak made from black camel hair. Then Hasan ibn ʿAlī came, and he wrapped him under the cloak. Then Husayn came, and he joined them. Then Fāṭimah came, and he took her in. Then ʿAlī came, and he also entered under the cloak. Then the Prophet ﷺ recited:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
(Al-Aḥzāb: 33)
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Ḥadīth: 6261
✿ Hadith ③ – Warning Against Hatred of Ahl al-Bayt
Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه:The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! No one harbors hatred against us – the Ahl al-Bayt – except that Allah will enter him into the Fire.”
Reference: al-Mustadrak 3/150, Ṣaḥīḥah 2488
بَابٌ فِي مَنَاقِبِ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
Section: Virtues of the Mothers of the Believers
◈ Qur’anic Verse Regarding the Wives of the Prophet ﷺ
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ...
(Al-Aḥzāb: 6)❀ Translation:
“The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers...”
✿ Hadith ④ – Comprehensive Salutation on the Prophet ﷺ and His Family
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever wishes to receive the fullest measure of reward when sending blessings upon us, the Ahl al-Bayt, let him say:
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ وَأَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ كَمَا صَلَّيْتَ عَلَىٰ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّكَ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ”
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 982; al-Sunan al-Kubrā (Bayhaqī): 2686
Virtues of the Greatest of Mothers of the Believers: Sayyidah Khadījah al-Kubrā رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ⑤ – The Best of Women
Narrated by ʿAlī رضي الله عنه:I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“The best of its women is Maryam bint ʿImrān, and the best of its women is Khadījah bint Khuwaylid.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of the Virtues of the Anṣār: 3815; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2430
✿ Hadith ⑥ – The Prophet ﷺ Frequently Remembered Her
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:I was never jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet ﷺ as much as I was jealous of Khadījah, though I never saw her. But the Prophet ﷺ used to mention her often. If he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut it into parts and send it to the friends of Khadījah. I would say to him: “It is as if there was no woman in the world except Khadījah!”
He ﷺ would reply: “She was such-and-such… and I had children from her.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Virtues: 3818
✿ Hadith ⑦ – Glad Tidings of a Palace in Jannah
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:Jibrīl عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Khadījah is coming to you with a vessel in which there is some food or drink. When she comes to you, convey to her greetings of peace from her Lord and from me, and give her the glad tidings of a palace in Paradise made of pearls, in which there is no noise nor fatigue.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6273
✿ Hadith ⑧ – The Prophet ﷺ Remembered Her Even Through Her Sister
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:Hālah bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadījah, once sought permission to enter upon the Prophet ﷺ. He recognized her manner of asking permission (like Khadījah’s), and was delighted by it. He said: “O Allah! It is Hālah bint Khuwaylid.”
I became jealous and said: “Why do you keep remembering an old woman among the old women of Quraysh, with red gums, who died long ago? Allah has given you better than her!”
He ﷺ replied: “She was such-and-such… and I had children from her.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6282
Virtues of the Mother of the Believers: Sayyidah Sawdah bint Zamʿah رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ⑨ – Her Sacrifice to Please the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to travel, he would draw lots among his wives. Whoever’s name was drawn would accompany him. Each wife had her appointed day and night with the Prophet ﷺ. However, Sawdah bint Zamʿah رضي الله عنها gave up her day and night to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها seeking the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 2453, 2542; Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2138; al-Sunan al-Kubrā (Nasā’ī): 8923
Virtues of the Mother of the Believers: Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah al-Ṣiddīqah رضي الله عنها
◈ Qur’anic Declaration of Her Innocence
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ...
(Al-Nūr: 11–12)❀ Translation:
“Verily, those who brought the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you... And he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof, for him is a great punishment. Why did not the believing men and women, when you heard it, think good of themselves and say: ‘This is an obvious falsehood’?”
✿ Hadith ⑩ – The Prophet ﷺ Passed Away in Her Lap
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:The Prophet ﷺ, during his final illness, used to ask: “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” out of desire for my day. When it was my turn, Allah took his soul while his head was between my chest and neck, and he was buried in my house.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2443
✿ Hadith ⑪ – Her Generosity in Charity
Narrated by ʿUrwah ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما:Whenever something came to ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها from Allah’s provision, she would not keep anything but give it away in charity immediately.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3505
✿ Hadith ⑫ – The Prophet ﷺ Refused an Invitation Without Her
Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه:A Persian neighbor of the Prophet ﷺ, known for preparing good stew, once invited him. The Prophet ﷺ asked: “Is ʿĀ’ishah invited too?” He replied: “No.” The Prophet ﷺ declined. He invited again; the Prophet ﷺ again asked: “Is ʿĀ’ishah invited?” “No,” he said. The Prophet ﷺ refused again. On the third invitation, he finally agreed when the man said: “Yes, she is invited too.”
The Prophet ﷺ and ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها then went together.
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3880; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 7094; Musnad Isḥāq ibn Rāhawayh: 1237
✿ Hadith ⑬ – Jibrīl Presented Her Image to the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:Jibrīl عليه السلام came to the Prophet ﷺ with her image wrapped in green silk and said:
“This is your wife in this world and in the Hereafter.”
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3880; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 7094
✿ Hadith ⑭ – Ibn ʿAbbās Comforts Her Before Death
Narrated from Dhakwān, the servant of ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما came to seek permission to enter. She said: “If you wish, let him in.”
He entered and said: “Rejoice! Between you and meeting the Prophet ﷺ is only the departure of your soul from your body. You were the most beloved wife of the Prophet ﷺ and he only loved what is pure. Your necklace fell at al-Abwā’, and the Prophet ﷺ stayed until morning to find it. The people had no water, and then Allah revealed:
فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا (al-Nisāʾ: 43)
This concession was revealed due to you. Your innocence was revealed from above the seven heavens by the Trustworthy Spirit (Jibrīl). Now there is no masjid except that your innocence is recited in it day and night.”
She said: “Leave me, O Ibn ʿAbbās! By Allah, I wish I had been forgotten and left in oblivion.”
Reference: Musnad Aḥmad: 2496; Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 7108
✿ Hadith ⑮ – The Prophet ﷺ’s Special Duʿā’ for Her
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:I once saw the Prophet ﷺ in a good mood and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Pray for me.” He ﷺ said:
“O Allah! Forgive ʿĀ’ishah’s past and future sins, her hidden and apparent ones.”
I laughed so much that my head fell into his lap. He asked: “Does my duʿā’ please you?”
I replied: “How could it not?”
He said: “By Allah! This is my duʿā’ for my Ummah in every prayer.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān: 7111; Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 6738
✿ Hadith ⑯ – Her Generosity Even While Fasting
Narrated by Umm Dhurrah, the servant of ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:Ibn al-Zubayr رضي الله عنهما sent her eighty or one hundred thousand dirhams in two sacks. She was fasting that day. She brought a tray and distributed all the money among the people. By evening, not a single dirham was left.
She asked for her ifṭār and it was brought – only bread and oil. Umm Dhurrah said: “Could you not have bought meat for one dirham from all that money?”
She replied: “Do not scold me! Had you reminded me, I would have done so.”
Reference: Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ 2/47; Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 2/187
✿ More Virtues of Sayyidah ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ⑰ – The Prophet ﷺ Knew When She Was Pleased or Angry
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “I know when you are pleased with me and when you are angry with me.”
I asked: “How do you know that?”
He ﷺ said: “When you are pleased, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Muhammad,’ and when you are angry, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Ibrāhīm.’”
I replied: “Yes, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I only abandon your name (not the love).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Ḥadīth: 6285
✿ Hadith ⑱ – People Preferred Giving Gifts on Her Day
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
People used to wait to send their gifts on my day, seeking thereby the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6289
✿ Hadith ⑲ – The Prophet ﷺ Desired Her Day During His Illness
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to ask during his illness: “Where will I be tomorrow? Where will I be tomorrow?” eagerly waiting for my turn. When my turn came, Allah took his soul while his head was between my chest and throat.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6292
✿ Hadith ⑳ – His Final Words Were Spoken While Leaning on Her
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say before he passed away, while resting on my chest and I was listening to him:
“O Allah, forgive me, have mercy on me, and join me with the Highest Companion (ar-Rafīq al-Aʿlā).”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6293
✿ Hadith ㉑ – She Heard the Verse Indicating His Death Was Near
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
I used to hear that no Prophet dies until he is shown his place in Paradise and given the option.
Then I heard the Prophet ﷺ, in his illness, his voice hoarse, reciting:
﴿مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُوْلَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا﴾
(al-Nisāʾ: 69)
I then understood he had been given the choice.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6295
✿ Hadith ㉒ – Jibrīl Sent Her Salām
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ once said to me:
“Jibrīl sends you greetings of peace.”
I replied: “And upon him be peace and the mercy of Allah.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6301
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉓ – Jibrīl Praised Her Qualities
Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O Ḥafṣah! Jibrīl just came to me and said: ‘Take Ḥafṣah back, for she is one who fasts often, prays at night, and she is your wife in Paradise.’”
Reference: Ṭabarānī al-Awsaṭ: 101; Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id: 9/244
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉔ – She Mistook Jibrīl for a Human
Narrated by Abū ʿUthmān رضي الله عنه:
Jibrīl came to the Prophet ﷺ while Umm Salamah was with him. They conversed, and then he left.
The Prophet ﷺ asked her: “Do you know who that was?”
She replied: “I thought it was Dihyah.”
She said: “By Allah, I thought he was Dihyah until the Prophet ﷺ informed in the sermon that it was Jibrīl.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3633
✿ Hadith ㉕ – Her Status Acknowledged by the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by Umm Salamah رضي الله عنها:
After the Prophet ﷺ married Umm Salamah, he stayed with her for three days and said:
“This does not mean you are insignificant to me. If you wish, I can stay with you for a week, but then I will have to do the same for all my wives.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 3621
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Zaynab bint Jaḥsh رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉖ – Her Marriage Was from the Heavens
Narrated by Anas رضي الله عنه:
Zaynab used to boast to the other wives of the Prophet ﷺ, saying:
“Your families gave you in marriage, while my marriage was made by Allah from above the seven heavens.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Book of Tawḥīd: 7420
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Juwayriyyah bint al-Ḥārith رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉗ – A Powerful Dhikr She Learned
Narrated by Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ left her place after Fajr prayer while she was seated on her prayer mat. He returned later in the morning and found her still sitting. He asked:
“Have you remained in the same state since I left you?”
She replied: “Yes.”
He ﷺ said:
“I have said four phrases three times which, if weighed against all that you have said since morning, would outweigh them:
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، عَدَدَ خَلْقِهِ، وَرِضَا نَفْسِهِ، وَزِنَةَ عَرْشِهِ، وَمِدَادَ كَلِمَاتِهِ”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book of the Prayer of the Traveler: 728
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Umm Ḥabībah (Ramlah) رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉘ – Persistence in Sunnah Prayers
Narrated by Umm Ḥabībah رضي الله عنها:
I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
“Whoever prays twelve rakʿāt (of voluntary prayers) in a day and night, a house will be built for him in Paradise.”
She said: “Since I heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I never left them.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Khuzaymah: 1187
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥuyayy ibn Akhṭab رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉙ – Her Noble Lineage and Honor
Narrated by Ṣafiyyah bint Ḥuyayy رضي الله عنها:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me, and I had heard some remarks from Ḥafṣah and ʿĀ’ishah. I mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ.
He said:
“Why did you not say: ‘How can you both be better than me when my husband is Muhammad, my father is Hārūn, and my uncle is Mūsā?’”
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 3892; Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 6790 – Ḥākim declared it ṣaḥīḥ
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Maymūnah رضي الله عنها
✿ Hadith ㉚ – The Believing Sisters
Narrated by Ibn ʿAbbās رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The (following) are believing sisters: Maymūnah – the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, her sister Umm al-Faḍl bint al-Ḥārith, her other sister Salmā bint al-Ḥārith – the wife of Ḥamzah, and Asmā’ bint ʿUmays – their maternal sister.”
Reference: Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 12178; al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (Ṭabarānī): 8387 – Ḥākim graded it authentic
✿ Virtues of the Daughters of the Prophet ﷺ
◈ Qur’anic Verse About the Prophet’s Daughters
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ...
(Al-Aḥzāb: 59)❀ Translation:
“O Prophet! Tell your wives, your daughters, and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks over themselves. That is more appropriate so that they may be recognized and not harmed. And Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.”
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Zaynab bint Rasūl Allāh ﷺ
✿ Hadith ㉛ – Her Ransom for Her Husband
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
When the people of Makkah sent ransom for their captives, Zaynab, daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, sent some money and a necklace that belonged to Khadījah, which she had brought as her dowry for Abū al-ʿĀṣ.
When the Prophet ﷺ saw it, he became deeply emotional and said:
“If you deem it appropriate, release her captive and return her possession.”
They agreed. The Prophet ﷺ took a pledge from Abū al-ʿĀṣ to send Zaynab to him. He then dispatched Zayd ibn Ḥārithah and an Anṣārī companion to accompany her from Ya’jj.
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 2692; Musnad Aḥmad: 26405 – Graded ḥasan by al-Albānī
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Umm Kulthūm bint Rasūl Allāh ﷺ
✿ Hadith ㉜ – Her Marriage to ʿUthmān
Narrated by al-Zuhrī:
ʿUthmān married Umm Kulthūm, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. She passed away in his house and bore no children.
Reference: al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr: 22/436; Majmaʿ al-Zawā’id: 9/21
✿ Hadith ㉝ – The Prophet ﷺ Personally Managed Her Shroud
Narrated by Laylā bint Qānaf al-Thaqafiyyah:
I was among those who washed Umm Kulthūm, daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when she passed away.
The Prophet ﷺ gave us first a waist wrapper, then a shirt, then a head cover, then a large sheet, and finally another cloth in which she was wrapped.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat at the door, handing us the cloths one by one.
Reference: Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 3157
✿ Virtues of Sayyidah Fāṭimah bint Rasūl Allāh ﷺ
✿ Hadith ㉞ – Whoever Angers Her, Angers Me
Narrated by al-Miswar ibn Makhramah رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Fāṭimah is a part of me. Whoever angers her, angers me.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3714; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2449
✿ Hadith ㉟ – Her Truthfulness
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
“I never saw anyone more truthful than Fāṭimah – except her father.”
Reference: Ḥilyat al-Awliyāʾ: 2/41; Mustadrak al-Ḥākim: 3/161
✿ Hadith ㊱ – The Prophet ﷺ Opposed Her Co-Wife Being the Daughter of His Enemy
Narrated by ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn from al-Miswar ibn Makhramah:
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib رضي الله عنه proposed to marry the daughter of Abū Jahl while he was already married to Fāṭimah.
When Fāṭimah heard this, she went to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“People say you don’t get angry for your daughters. Now ʿAlī wants to marry Abū Jahl’s daughter.”
The Prophet ﷺ stood up and said:
“Fāṭimah is part of me. I fear she would be trialed. By Allah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah and the daughter of the enemy of Allah will never be joined by one man.”
ʿAlī abandoned the proposal.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6310
✿ Hadith ㊲ – She Would Be the First to Join Him After His Death
Narrated by ʿĀ’ishah رضي الله عنها:
The Prophet ﷺ called Fāṭimah, whispered to her and she cried. Then he whispered again and she laughed.
I asked her what had happened.
She said:
“First he told me of his impending death, so I wept. Then he informed me I would be the first of his family to join him, so I smiled.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6312
✿ Virtues of Sayyidunā Ḥasan and Ḥusayn رضي الله عنهما
◈ Qur’anic Verse Referring to the Prophet’s Children
قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى:
فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ...
(Āl ʿImrān: 61)❀ Translation:
“Say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us supplicate and invoke Allah’s curse upon the liars.”
✿ Hadith ㊳ – Riding with the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by Iyās from his father رضي الله عنه:
I saw the Prophet ﷺ with Ḥasan and Ḥusayn riding his white mule – one in front of him and one behind him – until he entered his room.
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6260
✿ Hadith ㊴ – The Prophet’s Flowers
Narrated by ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar رضي الله عنهما:
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“They (Ḥasan and Ḥusayn) are my two sweet basil (flowers) from this world.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: 3753
✿ Hadith ㊵ – Leaders of the Youth of Paradise
Narrated by Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī رضي الله عنه:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Ḥasan and Ḥusayn are the leaders of the youth of Paradise.”
Reference: Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 2965
✿ Hadith ㊶ – The Prophet’s Love for Ḥasan
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه:
The Prophet ﷺ said regarding Ḥasan:
“O Allah, I love him, so love him and love whoever loves him.”
Reference: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 6256
وصلى الله تعالى على خير خلقه محمد وآله وصحبه أجمعين
