Women of Prophet Muhammad - Refused Proposals
Habiba bint Sahl (Proposal c. 623) - Habiba was a prominent member of the Najjar clan in Medina. When the chief died with no obvious heir, Muhammad proposed to Habiba. His companions warned him that the women of Medina were not used to polygamy and that the men were very jealous for the happiness of their daughters; if this marriage turned out badly, key citizens might withdraw their support from Islam. Muhammad retracted his proposal, but the Najjar clan made him their chief anyway.
| Name | Date | Details | Notable early sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fakhita (Umm Hani) bint Abi Talib | before 595;
January 630; c. 631 |
Muhammad proposed to his cousin Fakhita, but her father married her off to a wealthy Makhzumite poet.
Nearly forty years later, after Muhammad conquered Mecca, Fakhita's husband fled rather than convert to Islam, causing an automatic divorce. Muhammad proposed to Fakhita again, but she refused, saying she could not be equally fair to a new husband and her young children. Later still, Fakhita came to Muhammad, saying her children had grown up and she was finally ready to marry him; but he said she was too late. |
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| "As Many Wives as You Want" | c.618-619. | The chiefs of Mecca offered Muhammad "as many wives as you want in marriage," together with wealth, political power and the services of a competent exorcist, if only he would stop insulting their gods (by preaching monotheism). Muhammad refused this offer, which was made while Khadijah was still alive. |
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| Habiba bint Sahl | c. 623. | Habiba was a prominent member of the Najjar clan in Medina. When the chief died with no obvious heir, Muhammad proposed to Habiba. His companions warned him that the women of Medina were not used to polygamy and that the men were very jealous for the happiness of their daughters; if this marriage turned out badly, key citizens might withdraw their support from Islam. Muhammad retracted his proposal, but the Najjar clan made him their chief anyway. | |
| Al-Ansariya | After 625. | This unnamed woman proposed to Muhammad in Hafsa's presence. Hafsa decried the shame of a woman who would throw herself at a man, but Muhammad retorted, "She is better than you because she wanted me while you only find fault." He refused the proposal, but promised the woman a reward in Paradise for asking.
In fact several ansar women are said to have proposed to Muhammad; while this example is anonymous, it clearly refers to a woman who is distinct from Layla bint Khutaym. |
|
| Khawla bint Hakim | After 627. | This is the same Khawla bint Hakim who arranged Muhammad's marriages to Aisha and Sawda. Her first husband was Hafsa's uncle, and their elder son fought at Badr. After being widowed, Khawla asked Muhammad to marry her, but he refused without giving a reason. However, he found her a new husband the same day. | |
| Dubaa bint Amir | After 627. | Dubaa was a wealthy noblewoman to whom Muhammad sent a marriage proposal when he heard about her beautiful long hair that filled a whole room when she sat down. But by the time she accepted him, he had been advised that she was “elderly” (her grown-up son had been born from her third marriage) so he retracted his proposal before he had even met her. | |
| Izza bint Abi Sufyan | After July 628. | She was the sister of Muhammad’s wife Ramlah. Ramlah proposed Izza as a bride, "since, as I cannot be your only wife, I would like to share my good fortune with my sister." But Muhammad said he could not marry two sisters concurrently. |
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| Durrah bint Abi Salama | After July 628. | She was the daughter of Muhammad's wife Hind. Another wife, Ramlah, noticed that Muhammad admired Durrah and asked if he intended to marry her. He replied that he could not marry his stepdaughter; and besides, her father had been his foster-brother. On the day Muhammad died, Durrah was only six years old. |
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| Umama bint Hamza | After March 630. | She was Muhammad's cousin and said to be the prettiest girl in the family. Ali proposed her as a bride while she was still a child, but Muhammad said that he could not marry her because her father had been his foster-brother. She later married his stepson, Salama ibn Abi Salama. |
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| Safiyah bint Bashshama | September 630. | She was a war-captive from Mesopotamia. Muhammad asked her to marry him, but when she said she wanted to return to her husband, he allowed her family to ransom her. It is said that her family cursed her for placing her personal happiness above the political needs of the tribe. |
References
- ↑ Guillaume/Ishaq 181, 184, 404-405, 551-552, 557, 689.
- ↑ Al-Tabari, Vol. 9, p. 140; Al-Tabari, Vol. 39, pp. 196-197
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:109-110.
- ↑ Al-Tabari, Vol. 6, pp. 106-107
- ↑ Guillaume/Ishaq 235.
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:288-289.
- ↑ Sunan Abu Dawud 12:2219; Sunan Abu Dawud 12:2220; Sunan Abu Dawud 12:2221
- ↑ Al-Muwatta 20:31
- ↑ Majlisi, Hayat al-Qulub 2:52
- ↑ Guillaume/Ishaq 590
- ↑ Sahih Bukhari 7:62:24; Sahih Bukhari 7:62:58; Sahih Bukhari 7:62:63; Sahih Bukhari 7:62:66
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:114.
- ↑ Ibn Kathir, Tafsir on Quran 33:50
- ↑ Al-Tabari, Vol. 9, p. 140
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:111.
- ↑ Sahih Muslim 8:3412; Sahih Muslim 8:3413
- ↑ Sahih Muslim 8:3412; Sahih Muslim 8:3413
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:115-116
- ↑ Al-Tabari, Vol. 9, p. 140
- ↑ Bewley/Saad 8:109-111