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{{Short description|Wife of Prophet Muhammad}}
{{TotallyDisputed}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Maria bint Shamʿūn
| title = Maria al-Qibtiyya
| birth_place = ]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Menoufia, birthplace of most leading figures|url=https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/4/42923/Menoufia-birthplace-of-most-leading-figures|access-date=2021-05-06|website=Egypt Today|date=15 February 2018 }}</ref>
| death_date = 637
| spouse = ]
| children = ]
}}


'''{{transliteration|ar|Māriyya bint Shamʿūn|italics=no}}''' ({{Langx|ar|ماریة بنت شمعون}}), better known as '''{{transliteration|ar|Māriyyah al-Qibṭiyyah}}''' or '''{{transliteration|ar|al-Qubṭiyya}}''' ({{langx|ar|مارية القبطية}}), or '''Maria the Copt''', died 637, was one of the slaves of prophet Muhammad. Maria was an ]ian woman who, along with her sister ], was initially given as a slave to ] ] in 628 by ], a Christian governor of ], during the territory's ]. She spent the rest of her life in ], and had a son, ] with Muhammad. Some scholars argue that she was married to prophet after birth of Ibrahim while some others claim she remained as a concubine. The son died in his infancy, aged 2, and she died almost five years later.<ref>], ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 653.</ref>
{{WivesMuhammad}}
'''Maria al-Qibtiyya''' (alternatively, especially in non-Arabic traditions, "''Maria Qupthiya''"), or "Maria the Copt", was a ] slave girl who was part of ]'s harem, given to Muhammad by a viceregent of the ].


] says that she was a native of ] ({{Langx|cop|ⲡⲙⲁⲛϩⲁⲃⲓⲛ}}, {{langx|grc-x-koine|Ἀλάβαστρων πόλις}} ''Alábastrōn pólis'', {{Langx|ar|الحفن|translit=al-Khafn}}), a village located near ].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Al-Maqrīzī |title=Book of Exhortations and Useful Lessons in Dealing with Topography and Historical Remains |publisher=Hans A. Stowasser |pages=330–331 |translator-last=Stowasser |translator-first=Karl}}</ref>
== Maria is sent from Egypt ==
Near the time of his death, Muhammad's power had become formidable, and Muhammad wrote a letter to the viceregent of ] appointed by the ], Muqawqis, demanding that Muqawqis either convert to Islam or face war . Muqawqis sent a letter in reply in which he was evasive about Muhammad's summoning him to Islam ; but with his letter, Muqawqis sent a tribute of a thousand measures of gold, twenty robes of fine cloth, a mule, a she-ass, and two Coptic Christian slave girls along with a ] escorting them. The two slave girls were sisters, Maria and Sirin. Both were beautiful, but Maria more so. Muhammad kept Maria for himself as a ], and gave Sirin to the poet Hassan ibn Thabit (Lings 277). It is not at all clear that Muhammad later freed and married Maria (some traditions claim that Muhammmad offered to do this but Maria prefered to remain as a slave), though some contend that this was the case.


==Biography==
== Maria in Muhammad's harem ==
In the Islamic year 6 ] (627 – 628 ]), Muhammad is said to have had letters written to the great rulers of the ], proclaiming the continuation of the monotheistic faith with its final messages and inviting the rulers to join. The purported texts of some of the letters are found in ]'s '']''. Tabari writes that a deputation was sent to an Egyptian governor named as ''al-Muqawqis''. Maria was a slave who was offered as a gift of goodwill to Muhammad in reply to his envoys inviting the governor of Alexandria to Islam.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=al-Tabari |first1=Abu Jafar |title=The History of al-Tabari, Volume 9: The Last Years of the Prophet |publisher=SUNY Press |page=141 |translator=Ismail K. Poonawala |author-link=Al-Tabari}}</ref><ref name=":1">], ''The Life of Muhammad'', p. 499.</ref>
Muhammad had a son with Maria, Ibrahim, who died in infancy - this was the only son that Muhammad had ever had, though he had had many daughters. Maria was with Muhammad for only three years until his death, and she died five years later.


Tabari recounts the story of Maria's arrival from Egypt:
The ] of ] relates that the sixty-sixth chapter of the ] (] ]) was revealed on account of Maria. The story goes that Muhammad was particularly fond of Maria, who is described as being fair skinned and having curly hair. Muhammad lodged Maria in a nearby house and would visit her by day and by night. Muhammad's wives became openly jeleous, as Muhammad was spending less time with them and had copulated with Maria without any ceremony, Maria being sent as a ] (though all recognized that Muhammad had this right, just as ] had kept ] as a concubine) (Lings 277). This reached a climax when, one day, Muhammad was in the home of his wife ] (as it was her day to be visited by him). Hafsa was away visiting her father, ]. It happened that Muhammad was feeling amourous so he made advances to Maria, and they slept together in Hafsa's hut. Hafsa returned unexpectedly and burst into anger and tears, crying, ''"In my hut, on my own day and in my own bed!"'' Becoming weary of this, Muhammad then promised that he would ban Maria from his life, and only asked Hafsa that she not tell anyone else about what had transpired. But Hafsa could not contain herself, and told the secret to ] (Muhammad's most favoured wife, and a close friend of Hafsa's). Aisha, like the rest of the harem, also detested Maria, "the little nobody who had managed to give the Prophet a son." From Aisha the news spread amongst the harem. Muhammad became furious at his wives.
{{blockquote|In this year ] came back from al-Muqawqis bringing Māriyah and her sister ], his female mule ], his donkey ], and sets of garments. With the two women al-Muqawqis had sent a eunuch, and the latter stayed with them. Hātib had invited them to become Muslims before he arrived with them, and Māriyah and her sister did so. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, lodged them with ]. Māriyah was beautiful. The prophet sent her sister Sīrīn to ] and she bore him 'Abd al-Rahmān b. Hassān.<ref name="Tabari p.131">Tabari, p. 131.</ref>}}
The death of Ibrahim caused Muhammad to weep.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sunnah.com/bukhari/23/62|title=Sahih Bukhari|publisher=Sunnah.com|access-date=14 September 2018}}</ref>


=== Status as a wife or concubine ===
At this point, the story goes that the sixty-sixth Surah of the Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad: ''"O Prophet, why do you make prohibited that which Allah has made lawful for you , just to please your wives? Allah is forgiving and merciful. Allah has given absolution from such oaths . He is your master. He is all-knowing and wise. The Prophet made a story secret to one of his wives and she repeated it, but Allah revealed it to him ... If he divorses you , perhaps his Lord will give him instead better wives than yourselves..."'' (Qur'an, 66:1-5). Having been absolved of his oath to ban Maria from his life, and still being furious over dissent amongst his wives caused by Hafsa's spreading the secret about what had happened in her hut, Muhammad now vowed to teach his wives a lesson by abstaining from them for a month and instead spending all of his time with Maria. Muhammad then lodged Maria in upper Medina with the eunuch, away from his wives. After the month had ended, Muhammad went back to visiting his wives, ] being the first wife that he resumed seeing when the month ended. (Rodinson, 279-282).
]'s earliest biographers, ], ], and ] mentioned Mariyah as Muhammad's wife in their ].<ref>Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad. A translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, page 653.</ref><ref>Bewley/Ibn Sa'd 8:148-151.</ref><ref>The History of Al-Tabari, vol. 9, page 137, 141; vol. 39, page 193-195.</ref>


] states in his ] that Muhammad married Mariyah:
There is an alternative and contradictory explanation, in Islamic cannonical ], as to what the sixty-sixth chapter of the Qur'an is specifically referring to. This alternative explanation is a quoation attributed to ] in the ] collection of hadith, and is known as ]. This story is very similar to the one involving Maria. In this version of the story, Muhammad was spending too much time with his wife ] because Zaynab had a skin filled with honey which Muhammad enjoyed eating. So Aisha and Hafsa decided to conspire against Muhammad by telling him that his breath smelled bad after he had eaten the honey. This caused Muhammad to take an oath to not eat Zaynab's honey, but he told Aisha and Hafsa to keep his oath a secret, and this the oath is allegedly the one referred to in the sixty-sixth chapter. "One feels inclined to treat this tradition with some caution, however, as it may well have been invented, or more probably adjusted, to fit the permission given to Muhammad in Surah 66 to absolve himself from an oath taken to please his wives ... the verse has generally been taken to refer to a far more serious matter relating to another wife where the same consorts Aiyshah and Hafsa again teamed up against him. It is not uncommon to find traditions in ]'s Sahih which are very similar in style to others in earlier ] literature but which neatly remove any details considered to be dishonouring to Muhammad. " (Gilchrist 77).


{{block quote|Maria al-Qibtiyya (may Allah be pleased with her) is said to have married the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and certainly everyone gave her the same title of respect as the Prophet's wives, 'Umm al Muminin' 'Mother of the Believers'.{{pb}}Muhammad must have come in contact with many of these Copts and listened to their stories. Muhammad's friendship to Christians of Coptic faith is reflected in many aspects of his life. He is known to have had cordial relations with the Negus of Abyssinia, as indicated by the fact that he advised his followers at a time of persecution to flee there. He married a Coptic wife named Mariya, and he is reported to have advised his followers to be especially kind to the Copts of Egypt, considering them his in-laws.}}<ref>R.H. Charles, "Vitae Adae et Evae," The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Volume 2, p. 294</ref>
== References ==

* ]. ''Muhammad: his life based on the earliest sources''. Inner Traditions International, Vermont, 1983.
] married Mariyah al-Qibtiyya, as narrated in Sahih ]:
* ] ''Muhammad''. Random House, Inc., New York, 2002.

* Gilchrist, John. ''Muhammad and the Religion of Islam''. Benoni, Republic of South Africa, 1986.
{{blockquote|"It is reported from 'Abdullah al-Zubairi who said: that after this the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married (tazawwaju) Mariah daughter of Sham'un. This is the same Mariyah who was sent by Maqauqis, the ruler of Alexandria to the Prophet as a gift"}}<ref>Sahih al-Mustadarak Hakim Vol. iv, as quoted in Namus, page 86).</ref>

] is another ] and biographer of Muhammad who writes a sirah called ] where he mentioned Mariyah as a slave girl.<ref>Zad al-Ma'ad/Provisions Of The Afterlife, page- 30</ref>
Some Islamic scholars point to a different ] (circumstance of revelation) for the above incident, saying it was only caused by Muhammad drinking honey, as narrated in ] by Muhammed's wife ]:<ref>{{Cite book|title= al-Bukhari: Sahih al Bukhari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 . This passage have been occasioned by Muhammad's protesting never to eat honey any more, because, having once eaten some in the apartment of Hafsa bint Umar or of Zaynab bint Jahsh, three other of his wives, namely, Aisha, Sawda bint Zamʿa, and Safiyya bint Huyayy, all told him they smelt he had been eating of the juice which distils from certain shrubs in those parts, and resembles honey in taste and consistence, but is of a very strong savour, and which the Prophet had a great aversion to.}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stay (for a period) in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh (one of the wives of the Prophet ) and he used to drink honey in her house. Hafsa bint Umar and I decided that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon either of us, she would say, "I smell in you the bad smell of Maghafir (a bad smelling raisin). Have you eaten Maghafir?" When he entered upon one of us, she said that to him. He replied (to her), "No, but I have drunk honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will never drink it again."}}<ref>{{Cite web | title=Oaths and Vows (كتاب الأيمان والنذور) - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) | url=https://sunnah.com/ | access-date=2024-10-07 | website=sunnah.com }}</ref>

Like ], there is some debate between historians and scholars as to whether Mariyah ever became Muhammad's wife or remained a ].<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Bennett|editor1-first=Clinton|title=In Search of Muhammad|date=1998|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=9780304704019|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/insearchofmuhamm00benn/page/251}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Fred James Hill|author2=Nicholas Awde|title=A History of the Islamic World|date=2003|publisher=Hippocrene Books|isbn=9780781810159|page=|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780781810159/page/24}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=David S. Powers|title=Muhammad Is Not the Father of Any of Your Men: The Making of the Last Prophet|date=2011|publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press|isbn=9780812205572|page=8}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://icraa.org/maria-copt-muhammad-wife-concubine/|title=Maria, the Copt: Prophet Muhammad's Wife or Concubine?|last=Akbar|first=Waqar|date=2018-08-10|website=ICRAA|language=en-US|access-date=2019-12-02}}</ref> An indication that she was a concubine is that when she bore her son to Muhammad, she was set free.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Schacht|first1=J.|last2=al-Andalusi|first2=Ibn Hazm|last3=Haqqi|first3=Mamduh|date=1957-12-31|title=Haccat al-wada'|journal=Oriens|volume=10|issue=2|pages=400|doi=10.2307/1579716|issn=0078-6527|jstor=1579716}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Ibn 'Abbas said: When Maria gave birth to Ibrahim the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Her son has set her free.'<ref>Al-Andalusi, Ibn Hazm, ''al-Muhalla bil Athar'', (Beirut: Dar al-Fekr, n.d.) Vol.7, 505; Vol.8, 215; Ibn Hazm termed it 'sahih al-sanad' and 'jayyid al-sanad.' Ibn Hazm has the report with an isnad different from that with Ibn Majah etc. Some scholars have differed with Ibn Hazm and pointed out hidden defects in its isnad – see, al-Fasi, Ibn al-Qattan, ''Bayan al-Wahm wa Iham fi Kitab al-Ahkam'', (Riyadh: Dar al-Tayba, 1997) Vol.2, 84-86 – it is, however, supported by a statement of 'Ubaidullah b. Abi Ja'far al-Kinani that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Maria, the mother of Ibrahim, 'Your son has set you free.' See, al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, ''al-Sunan al-Kubra'', (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Hadith 21788</ref> }}There is also strong evidence that there was no living quarter for her in the proximity of the ].<ref name="Juzjani">{{Cite book|last=Juzjani|first=Uthman ibn Siraj al Din|editor-first1=W. Nassau |editor-last1=Lees |title=Tabaqat-I Nasiri|date=2010-12-31|isbn=9781463229207|doi=10.31826/9781463229207}}</ref> Only the wives of Muhammad had their quarters adjacent to one another in the proximity of his mosque at Medina. Maria was made to reside permanently in an orchard, some three kilometers from the mosque.<ref name="Juzjani" /> Evidence that suggests she was a concubine is in the narration:

{{Blockquote|text=Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a female-slave (amat) with whom he had intercourse, but 'Aishah and Hafsah would not leave him alone until he said that she was forbidden for him. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: "O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allah has allowed to you.' until the end of the Verse."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sunan an-Nasa'i 3959 - The Book of the Kind Treatment of Women - كتاب عشرة النساء - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)|url=https://sunnah.com/nasai:3959|access-date=2021-08-20|website=sunnah.com}}</ref>}}

The 'female-slave' referred to in this narration was Maria, the Copt, as specified in a hadith attributed to ] and classified as ''sahih'' by Ibn Kathir, which names her ''Umm Ibrahim'' (the mother of Ibrahim).<ref>{{cite book|quote=The Prophet said to Hafsa: 'Do not mention it to anyone, the mother of Ibrahim (i.e. Maria) is forbidden unto me.' She said, 'Do you forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful to you?' He replied, 'By Allah I will not be intimate with her.' 'Umar said, 'He did not have intimacy with Maria whereas Hafsa mentioned it to 'Aisha upon which Allah revealed, 'Allah has already sanctioned (a way) for you (believers) to absolve yourselves from your oaths'(Qur'an 66:2)|author=al-Maqdisi, Dia Uddin|title=al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara|publisher=Dar al-Kidr|year=2000|volume=1|page=299-300}}</ref>

In a report from Ibn 'Abbas and 'Urwah b. al-Zubair concerning the same incident, Muhammad said to Hafsa:

{{Blockquote|text=I make you witness that I my concubine (surriyyati) is now forbidden unto me.<ref>Reported by Ibn 'Abbas: Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir, ''Jami' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an'', (Beirut: al-Resalah Publishers, 2000) Vol.23, 477-478; al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, ''al-Sunan al-Kubra'', (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Hadith 15075; Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Farj, ''al-Tahqiq fi Ahadith al-Khilaf'', (Beirut: DKI, 1415 AH) Vol.2, 379; It comes through an isnad involving 'Atiyah al-'Awfi and his descendants. Though criticized otherwise, the tafsir reports through this isnad are accepted since they are known to have been transmitted in writing. See, al-Turifi, 'Abdul 'Aziz, ''al-Taqrir fi Asanid al-Tafsir'', (Riyadh: Dar al-Minhaj, 2011) 67-68</ref>}}

Some Islamic scholars point to a different ] (circumstance of revelation) for the above incident, saying it was only caused by Muhammad drinking honey, as narrated in ] by Muhammed's wife ]:<ref>{{Cite book|title= al-Buchari: Sahih al Buchari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 . This passage have been occasioned by Muhammad's protesting never to eat honey any more, because, having once eaten some in the apartment of Hafsa bint Umar or of Zaynab bint Jahsh, three other of his wives, namely, Aisha, Sawda bint Zamʿa, and Safiyya bint Huyayy, all told him they smelt he had been eating of the juice which distils from certain shrubs in those parts, and resembles honey in taste and consistence, but is of a very strong savour, and which the Prophet had a great aversion to.}}</ref>

{{blockquote|The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stay (for a period) in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh (one of the wives of the Prophet ) and he used to drink honey in her house. Hafsa bint Umar and I decided that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon either of us, she would say, "I smell in you the bad smell of Maghafir (a bad smelling raisin). Have you eaten Maghafir?" When he entered upon one of us, she said that to him. He replied (to her), "No, but I have drunk honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will never drink it again."}}<ref>Sahih al-Bukhari 6691, In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682</ref>

] lists Maria as both one of Muhammad's wives and his slave, perhaps using "wife" in the sense of one whom Muhammad slept with and who mothered his child.<ref>{{Cite book|author=at-Tabari|title=History of al-Tabari: The Last Years of the Prophet|page=137|quote=God granted Rayhanah bt. Zayd of the Banu Qurayzah to his Messenger. Mariyah the Copt was presented to the Messenger of God, given to him by al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, and she gave birth to the Messenger of God's son Ibrahim. These were the messenger of god's wifes, six of them were from the Quraysh.}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Mariyah the Copt was presented to the Messenger of God, given to him by al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, and she gave birth to the Messenger of God's son Ibrahim. These were the Messenger of God's wifes.}}

{{Blockquote|text=The Prophet admired Umm Ibrahim , who was fair-skinned and beautiful. He lodged her in al-'Aliyah, at the property nowadays called of Umm Ibrahim. He used to visit her there and ordered her to veil herself, he had intercourse with her by virtue of her being his property...<ref>{{Cite book|last=Al-Tabari|url=https://archive.org/details/tabarivolume39/page/n223/mode/2up|title=History of Tabari - Volume 39 - Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors|date=January 1998 |pages=193–194}}</ref>}}

One hadith attributed to Mus'ab b. 'Abdullah al-Zubairi states that the two were married,<ref>{{Cite book|author=al-Hakim, Abu|title=hadith nr. 6819|author2='Abdullah, al-Mustadrak|year=1990|location=Beirut|quote=Abdullah al-Zubairi related to us and said: Thereafter the Messenger of Allah married Maria bt. Sham'un. She had been gifted to the Messenger of Allah by Maquqas, the chief of Alexandria.}}</ref> though another rendering of the hadith by Mus'ab's nephew Zubair b. al-Bakkar makes no mention of marriage.<ref>{{cite book|quote=My uncle related to me saying: The chief of Alexandria Maquqas sent as gifts to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Maria bt. Sham'un, the Copt, her sister Shirin, and a eunuch named Mabur. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took Maria bt. Sham'un for himself. She was the mother of (Prophet's son) Ibrahim. He gifted Shirin to Hassan b. Thabit|author=Zubair b. al-Bakkar|title=al-Muwaffaqiyat|publisher=Alam al-Kitab|year=1996|volume=147}}</ref>

] said about Muhammed:

{{Blockquote|text=He had four : Mariyah, who was the mother of his son ]; ]; another beautiful slave woman whom he acquired as a prisoner of war; and a slave woman who was given to him by ]."<ref>Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/114</ref> }}

==See also==
* ]
* ]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* ] (2007). '']''. ] (Translation). ].
* ] (2001). ''Kitāb al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kabīr''. ].
* ] (1997). Vol. 8 of the '']''. ].
* ] (1963). ''Vitae Adae et Evae''. The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Vol. 2). ].

==Further reading==

*{{cite book | last=] | first=Ismail ibn Umar | year=2006 | title=The Life of Muhammad: Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (Vol. 1) | translator=] | publisher=Garnet Publishing Limited | location=Reading, UK | url=https://archive.org/details/life-of-muhammad-4-ibn-kathir/Life%20of%20Muhammad%201%20%28Ibn%20Kathir%29/page/n1/mode/1up | access-date=2021-07-25 }}

{{Wives of Muhammad}}
{{Authority control}}

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Latest revision as of 09:56, 29 December 2024

Wife of Prophet Muhammad
Maria bint Shamʿūn
BornEgypt
Died637
TitleMaria al-Qibtiyya
SpouseMuhammad
ChildrenIbrahim ibn Muhammad

Māriyya bint Shamʿūn (Arabic: ماریة بنت شمعون), better known as Māriyyah al-Qibṭiyyah or al-Qubṭiyya (Arabic: مارية القبطية), or Maria the Copt, died 637, was one of the slaves of prophet Muhammad. Maria was an Egyptian woman who, along with her sister Sirin bint Shamun, was initially given as a slave to prophet Muhammad in 628 by Al-Muqawqis, a Christian governor of Alexandria, during the territory's Sasanian occupation. She spent the rest of her life in Medina, and had a son, Ibrahim with Muhammad. Some scholars argue that she was married to prophet after birth of Ibrahim while some others claim she remained as a concubine. The son died in his infancy, aged 2, and she died almost five years later.

Al-Maqrizi says that she was a native of Hebenu (Coptic: ⲡⲙⲁⲛϩⲁⲃⲓⲛ, Koinē Greek: Ἀλάβαστρων πόλις Alábastrōn pólis, Arabic: الحفن, romanized: al-Khafn), a village located near Antinoöpolis.

Biography

In the Islamic year 6 AH (627 – 628 CE), Muhammad is said to have had letters written to the great rulers of the Middle East, proclaiming the continuation of the monotheistic faith with its final messages and inviting the rulers to join. The purported texts of some of the letters are found in Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari's History of the Prophets and Kings. Tabari writes that a deputation was sent to an Egyptian governor named as al-Muqawqis. Maria was a slave who was offered as a gift of goodwill to Muhammad in reply to his envoys inviting the governor of Alexandria to Islam.

Tabari recounts the story of Maria's arrival from Egypt:

In this year Hātib b. Abi Balta'ah came back from al-Muqawqis bringing Māriyah and her sister Sīrīn, his female mule Duldul, his donkey Ya'fūr, and sets of garments. With the two women al-Muqawqis had sent a eunuch, and the latter stayed with them. Hātib had invited them to become Muslims before he arrived with them, and Māriyah and her sister did so. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of Allah be upon Him, lodged them with Umm Sulaym bt. Milhān. Māriyah was beautiful. The prophet sent her sister Sīrīn to Hassān b. Thābit and she bore him 'Abd al-Rahmān b. Hassān.

The death of Ibrahim caused Muhammad to weep.

Status as a wife or concubine

Muhammad's earliest biographers, Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, and al-Tabari mentioned Mariyah as Muhammad's wife in their sirah.

Ibn Kathir states in his sirah that Muhammad married Mariyah:

Maria al-Qibtiyya (may Allah be pleased with her) is said to have married the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and certainly everyone gave her the same title of respect as the Prophet's wives, 'Umm al Muminin' 'Mother of the Believers'.

Muhammad must have come in contact with many of these Copts and listened to their stories. Muhammad's friendship to Christians of Coptic faith is reflected in many aspects of his life. He is known to have had cordial relations with the Negus of Abyssinia, as indicated by the fact that he advised his followers at a time of persecution to flee there. He married a Coptic wife named Mariya, and he is reported to have advised his followers to be especially kind to the Copts of Egypt, considering them his in-laws.

Muhammad married Mariyah al-Qibtiyya, as narrated in Sahih Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn:

"It is reported from 'Abdullah al-Zubairi who said: that after this the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married (tazawwaju) Mariah daughter of Sham'un. This is the same Mariyah who was sent by Maqauqis, the ruler of Alexandria to the Prophet as a gift"

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya is another scholar and biographer of Muhammad who writes a sirah called Zad al-Ma'ad where he mentioned Mariyah as a slave girl. Some Islamic scholars point to a different Asbāb al-nuzūl (circumstance of revelation) for the above incident, saying it was only caused by Muhammad drinking honey, as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari by Muhammed's wife Aisha:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stay (for a period) in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh (one of the wives of the Prophet ) and he used to drink honey in her house. Hafsa bint Umar and I decided that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon either of us, she would say, "I smell in you the bad smell of Maghafir (a bad smelling raisin). Have you eaten Maghafir?" When he entered upon one of us, she said that to him. He replied (to her), "No, but I have drunk honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will never drink it again."

Like Rayhana bint Zayd, there is some debate between historians and scholars as to whether Mariyah ever became Muhammad's wife or remained a concubine. An indication that she was a concubine is that when she bore her son to Muhammad, she was set free.

Ibn 'Abbas said: When Maria gave birth to Ibrahim the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, 'Her son has set her free.'

There is also strong evidence that there was no living quarter for her in the proximity of the Prophet's Mosque. Only the wives of Muhammad had their quarters adjacent to one another in the proximity of his mosque at Medina. Maria was made to reside permanently in an orchard, some three kilometers from the mosque. Evidence that suggests she was a concubine is in the narration:

Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had a female-slave (amat) with whom he had intercourse, but 'Aishah and Hafsah would not leave him alone until he said that she was forbidden for him. Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: "O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allah has allowed to you.' until the end of the Verse."

The 'female-slave' referred to in this narration was Maria, the Copt, as specified in a hadith attributed to Umar and classified as sahih by Ibn Kathir, which names her Umm Ibrahim (the mother of Ibrahim).

In a report from Ibn 'Abbas and 'Urwah b. al-Zubair concerning the same incident, Muhammad said to Hafsa:

I make you witness that I my concubine (surriyyati) is now forbidden unto me.

Some Islamic scholars point to a different Asbāb al-nuzūl (circumstance of revelation) for the above incident, saying it was only caused by Muhammad drinking honey, as narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari by Muhammed's wife Aisha:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to stay (for a period) in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh (one of the wives of the Prophet ) and he used to drink honey in her house. Hafsa bint Umar and I decided that when the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon either of us, she would say, "I smell in you the bad smell of Maghafir (a bad smelling raisin). Have you eaten Maghafir?" When he entered upon one of us, she said that to him. He replied (to her), "No, but I have drunk honey in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will never drink it again."

Al-Tabari lists Maria as both one of Muhammad's wives and his slave, perhaps using "wife" in the sense of one whom Muhammad slept with and who mothered his child.

Mariyah the Copt was presented to the Messenger of God, given to him by al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, and she gave birth to the Messenger of God's son Ibrahim. These were the Messenger of God's wifes.

The Prophet admired Umm Ibrahim , who was fair-skinned and beautiful. He lodged her in al-'Aliyah, at the property nowadays called of Umm Ibrahim. He used to visit her there and ordered her to veil herself, he had intercourse with her by virtue of her being his property...

One hadith attributed to Mus'ab b. 'Abdullah al-Zubairi states that the two were married, though another rendering of the hadith by Mus'ab's nephew Zubair b. al-Bakkar makes no mention of marriage.

Abu ‘Ubaydah said about Muhammed:

He had four : Mariyah, who was the mother of his son Ibraaheem; Rayhaanah; another beautiful slave woman whom he acquired as a prisoner of war; and a slave woman who was given to him by Zaynab bint Jahsh."

See also

Notes

  1. "Menoufia, birthplace of most leading figures". Egypt Today. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  2. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, p. 653.
  3. Al-Maqrīzī. Book of Exhortations and Useful Lessons in Dealing with Topography and Historical Remains. Translated by Stowasser, Karl. Hans A. Stowasser. pp. 330–331.
  4. al-Tabari, Abu Jafar. The History of al-Tabari, Volume 9: The Last Years of the Prophet. Translated by Ismail K. Poonawala. SUNY Press. p. 141.
  5. Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad, p. 499.
  6. Tabari, p. 131.
  7. "Sahih Bukhari". Sunnah.com. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  8. Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad. A translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, page 653.
  9. Bewley/Ibn Sa'd 8:148-151.
  10. The History of Al-Tabari, vol. 9, page 137, 141; vol. 39, page 193-195.
  11. R.H. Charles, "Vitae Adae et Evae," The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha Volume 2, p. 294
  12. Sahih al-Mustadarak Hakim Vol. iv, as quoted in Namus, page 86).
  13. Zad al-Ma'ad/Provisions Of The Afterlife, page- 30
  14. al-Bukhari: Sahih al Bukhari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102.
  15. Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682.
  16. George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 . This passage have been occasioned by Muhammad's protesting never to eat honey any more, because, having once eaten some in the apartment of Hafsa bint Umar or of Zaynab bint Jahsh, three other of his wives, namely, Aisha, Sawda bint Zamʿa, and Safiyya bint Huyayy, all told him they smelt he had been eating of the juice which distils from certain shrubs in those parts, and resembles honey in taste and consistence, but is of a very strong savour, and which the Prophet had a great aversion to.
  17. "Oaths and Vows (كتاب الأيمان والنذور) - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
  18. Bennett, Clinton, ed. (1998). In Search of Muhammad. A&C Black. p. 251. ISBN 9780304704019.
  19. Fred James Hill; Nicholas Awde (2003). A History of the Islamic World. Hippocrene Books. p. 24. ISBN 9780781810159.
  20. David S. Powers (2011). Muhammad Is Not the Father of Any of Your Men: The Making of the Last Prophet. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 8. ISBN 9780812205572.
  21. Akbar, Waqar (2018-08-10). "Maria, the Copt: Prophet Muhammad's Wife or Concubine?". ICRAA. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
  22. Schacht, J.; al-Andalusi, Ibn Hazm; Haqqi, Mamduh (1957-12-31). "Haccat al-wada'". Oriens. 10 (2): 400. doi:10.2307/1579716. ISSN 0078-6527. JSTOR 1579716.
  23. Al-Andalusi, Ibn Hazm, al-Muhalla bil Athar, (Beirut: Dar al-Fekr, n.d.) Vol.7, 505; Vol.8, 215; Ibn Hazm termed it 'sahih al-sanad' and 'jayyid al-sanad.' Ibn Hazm has the report with an isnad different from that with Ibn Majah etc. Some scholars have differed with Ibn Hazm and pointed out hidden defects in its isnad – see, al-Fasi, Ibn al-Qattan, Bayan al-Wahm wa Iham fi Kitab al-Ahkam, (Riyadh: Dar al-Tayba, 1997) Vol.2, 84-86 – it is, however, supported by a statement of 'Ubaidullah b. Abi Ja'far al-Kinani that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to Maria, the mother of Ibrahim, 'Your son has set you free.' See, al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, al-Sunan al-Kubra, (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Hadith 21788
  24. ^ Juzjani, Uthman ibn Siraj al Din (2010-12-31). Lees, W. Nassau (ed.). Tabaqat-I Nasiri. doi:10.31826/9781463229207. ISBN 9781463229207.
  25. "Sunan an-Nasa'i 3959 - The Book of the Kind Treatment of Women - كتاب عشرة النساء - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)". sunnah.com. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  26. al-Maqdisi, Dia Uddin (2000). al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara. Vol. 1. Dar al-Kidr. p. 299-300. The Prophet said to Hafsa: 'Do not mention it to anyone, the mother of Ibrahim (i.e. Maria) is forbidden unto me.' She said, 'Do you forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful to you?' He replied, 'By Allah I will not be intimate with her.' 'Umar said, 'He did not have intimacy with Maria whereas Hafsa mentioned it to 'Aisha upon which Allah revealed, 'Allah has already sanctioned (a way) for you (believers) to absolve yourselves from your oaths'(Qur'an 66:2)
  27. Reported by Ibn 'Abbas: Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir, Jami' al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, (Beirut: al-Resalah Publishers, 2000) Vol.23, 477-478; al-Baihaqi, Abu Bakr, al-Sunan al-Kubra, (Beirut: DKI, 2003) Hadith 15075; Ibn al-Jawzi, Abu al-Farj, al-Tahqiq fi Ahadith al-Khilaf, (Beirut: DKI, 1415 AH) Vol.2, 379; It comes through an isnad involving 'Atiyah al-'Awfi and his descendants. Though criticized otherwise, the tafsir reports through this isnad are accepted since they are known to have been transmitted in writing. See, al-Turifi, 'Abdul 'Aziz, al-Taqrir fi Asanid al-Tafsir, (Riyadh: Dar al-Minhaj, 2011) 67-68
  28. al-Buchari: Sahih al Buchari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102.
  29. Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682.
  30. George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 . This passage have been occasioned by Muhammad's protesting never to eat honey any more, because, having once eaten some in the apartment of Hafsa bint Umar or of Zaynab bint Jahsh, three other of his wives, namely, Aisha, Sawda bint Zamʿa, and Safiyya bint Huyayy, all told him they smelt he had been eating of the juice which distils from certain shrubs in those parts, and resembles honey in taste and consistence, but is of a very strong savour, and which the Prophet had a great aversion to.
  31. Sahih al-Bukhari 6691, In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682
  32. at-Tabari. History of al-Tabari: The Last Years of the Prophet. p. 137. God granted Rayhanah bt. Zayd of the Banu Qurayzah to his Messenger. Mariyah the Copt was presented to the Messenger of God, given to him by al-Muqawqis, the ruler of Alexandria, and she gave birth to the Messenger of God's son Ibrahim. These were the messenger of god's wifes, six of them were from the Quraysh.
  33. Al-Tabari (January 1998). History of Tabari - Volume 39 - Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors. pp. 193–194.
  34. al-Hakim, Abu; 'Abdullah, al-Mustadrak (1990). hadith nr. 6819. Beirut. Abdullah al-Zubairi related to us and said: Thereafter the Messenger of Allah married Maria bt. Sham'un. She had been gifted to the Messenger of Allah by Maquqas, the chief of Alexandria.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  35. Zubair b. al-Bakkar (1996). al-Muwaffaqiyat. Vol. 147. Alam al-Kitab. My uncle related to me saying: The chief of Alexandria Maquqas sent as gifts to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), Maria bt. Sham'un, the Copt, her sister Shirin, and a eunuch named Mabur. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) took Maria bt. Sham'un for himself. She was the mother of (Prophet's son) Ibrahim. He gifted Shirin to Hassan b. Thabit
  36. Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/114

References

Further reading

Wives of Muhammad
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