Maymunah bint al-Harith

Maymunah bint Al-Harith Al-Hilaliyyah
Mother of the Believers
مَيْمُونَة بِنْت ٱلْحَارِث ٱلْهِلَالِيَّة
Born
Barrah bint al-Harith
بَرَّة بِنْت ٱلْحَارِث

c. 594 CE
Mecca, Hejaz, Arabia (present-day KSA)
DiedDhu al-Hijjah, 51 A.H.; c. January 671 CE
Sarif, Hejaz, Umayyad Caliphate
(present-day KSA)
Resting placeSarif, Hejaz
Known forEleventh wife of Muhammad
TitleUmmul-Muʾmineen
Spouses
Parents
Relatives
Family

Maymunah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah (Arabic: مَيْمُونَة ٱبْنَت ٱلْحَارِث ٱلْهِلَالِيَّة, romanized: Maymūnah ibnat al-Ḥārith al-Hilālīyah; c. 594–671),[1] was the eleventh and final wife of Muhammad.[2] Her original name was Barrah (Arabic: بَرَّة), which she changed to Maymunah—meaning "good tidings"—upon converting to Islam and marrying him, as his marriage to her marked the first time in seven years when he could enter his hometown of Mecca from Medina.[3]

Family

Her father was Al-Harith ibn Hazn from the Hilali tribe of Mecca. Her mother was Hind bint Awf from the Himyari tribe in Yemen. Lubaba the Elder was her full sister. Her paternal half-sisters were Layla (Lubaba the Younger), Huzayla and Azza. Her maternal half-siblings were Mahmiyah ibn Jaz'i al-Zubaydi, Asma bint Umays (a wife of Abu Bakr), Salma bint Umays (a wife of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib) and Awn ibn Umays.[4]: 201  Ibn Kathir also mentions a tradition that Zaynab bint Khuzayma (a wife of Muhammad) was another maternal half-sister.[5]

Life

Maymunah was first married to Abu Ruhm ibn Abd al-Uzza who later died. Not much is known about him.

In 629, Muhammad married her in a place known as Sarif, about 10 mi (16 km) from Mecca, just after the Lesser Pilgrimage.[4]: 186 [2]: 531  She was in her late 30s when she married him.[1] Maymuna lived with Muhammad for three years until his death in 632.

Despite her position as a wife of the Prophet, Maymunah lived a humble and ascetic life. She performed Hajj annually along with Umrah, accumulating around 50 pilgrimages during her lifetime. Her dedication to family ties was also noteworthy; Aisha, praised Maymunah as one of the most pious and family-oriented among the wives of the Prophet.[6]

Maymunah narrated several hadiths, offering insights into the Prophet’s practices of worship and household life. She described his night prayers, his method of performing ablution and ritual purification (ghusl), and rules on sadaqa.[7] One of her famous contributions includes her narration of an incident where the Prophet consumed milk on the Day of Arafah, clarifying for his companions that he was not fasting that day.[8]

Maymunah also played a significant role in the emancipation of slaves, often offering prayers for them before granting their freedom.[9]

Death

Grave of Maymunah in Sarif (21°34′00.66″N 39°46′19.45″E / 21.5668500°N 39.7720694°E / 21.5668500; 39.7720694 (Grave of Maymunah bint Al-Harith)), next to the road from Mecca to Medina (Highway 15)

Maymuna is believed to have died in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, 51 AH; January 671 CE.[2] Her death date is debated however. According to Al-Tabari: "Maymuna died in the year 61 AH (680–681 CE) during the caliphate of Yazid I. She was the last of the wives of the Prophet to die, and her age was then 80 or 81."[4]: 186  However, Al-Tabari asserts elsewhere that Umm Salama outlived Maymuna.[4]: 177  Abdullah ibn Abbas, her nephew, led her funeral prayer.

Ibn Hajar also cites a tradition implying that Maymuna predeceased Aisha: "We stood on the walls of Medina, looking out … [Aisha said]: 'By Allah! Maymuna is no more! She has gone, and you are left free to do whatever you like. She was the most pious of all of us and the most devoted to her relatives.'"[2]: 192 [10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Raj Bhala. "Maymuna bint al-Harith". Understanding the Islamic Law. According to sources Maymuna bint al Harith (594-674) was the last woman whom Prophet Mohammad married.
  2. ^ a b c d Ibn Hajar. Al-Isabah fi tamyiz al Sahabah (in Arabic). Vol. 8. pp. 192–531.
  3. ^ Bint Al-Shāṭīʾ (2006). The Wives of the Prophet (Facsimile repr. ed.). Piscataway, New Jersey, the U.S.A.: Gorgias Press. pp. 222–224. ISBN 978-1-59333-398-0.
  4. ^ a b c d Al-Tabari, Muhammad ibn Jarir (1998). "Biographies of the Prophet's Companions and Their Successors". Tarik ul-Rasul wa'l-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings). Vol. 39. Translated by Landau-Tasseron, E. New York: State University of New York Press. pp. 177–201.
  5. ^ Ismail ibn Umar ibn Kathir (2000). Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (The Life of the Prophet). Vol. 3. Translated by Le Gassick, T. Reading, Berkshire, England, the U.K.: Garnet. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-8596-4142-2.
  6. ^ "Maymunah bint al-Harith (ra): A Blessed Wedding | The Firsts". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  7. ^ "Maymunah bint al-Harith (ra): A Blessed Wedding | The Firsts". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  8. ^ Elias, Abu Amina (2019-08-10). "Hadith on Hajj: Pilgrims not fasting on the day of Arafat". www.abuaminaelias.com. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  9. ^ "Maymunah bint al-Harith (ra): A Blessed Wedding | The Firsts". Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. Retrieved 2024-11-27.
  10. ^ Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Hakim Al-Nishapuri. Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn (in Arabic). Vol. 4. p. 32.