Ruqayya(598 — 624)
Ruqayya bint Muhammad
5 min read
Daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and his first wife Khadija, Ruqayya was one of the very first converts to Islam. Married to Uthman ibn Affan, the future third caliph, she emigrated to Abyssinia and then to Medina, where she died in 624.
Key Facts
- Born around 601 in Mecca, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and Khadija.
- One of the first people to convert to Islam.
- Married Uthman ibn Affan, who would become the third caliph (644-656).
- Emigrated to Abyssinia (around 615) to flee persecution, then joined Medina after the Hijra (622).
- Died in Medina in 624, during the Battle of Badr.
Works & Achievements
Ruqayya was among the very first members of the new community, following her mother Khadija.
Union with a wealthy Companion who would become the third caliph; it linked the Prophet's family to a future leader of Islam.
Ruqayya took part in the first Muslim emigration, a foundational act to protect the faith in the face of persecution.
According to tradition, she gave Uthman a son, Abdallah, who died in infancy.
She joined the community that founded the first Muslim state in Medina after the Hijra.
Anecdotes
Ruqayya was first promised to Utba, one of the sons of Abu Lahab, an uncle of Muhammad. When Abu Lahab openly turned against the new religion, he forced his son to repudiate the young woman before they had even lived together. Ruqayya thus became free again and was able to marry Uthman ibn Affan, the future third caliph.
With her husband Uthman, Ruqayya crossed the Red Sea to flee the persecution that the Meccans inflicted on the first Muslims. They found refuge with the Negus, the Christian king of Abyssinia, who protected these refugees. Tradition counts them among the very first exiles in the history of Islam.
When Ruqayya fell gravely ill in Medina, Muhammad ordered Uthman to stay by her side rather than set off to fight at the Battle of Badr in 624. According to tradition, the Prophet nonetheless granted Uthman a share of the spoils, as if he had taken part in the battle.
Ruqayya died in 624 while the Battle of Badr was being fought. The news of the Muslims' victory, brought by Zayd ibn Harithah, reached Medina at the very moment of her burial. Muhammad, still on his way back, was unable to attend his daughter's funeral.
After Ruqayya's death, Muhammad married another of his daughters to Uthman, Umm Kulthum, the sister of the deceased. This twofold honor earned Uthman the nickname Dhu al-Nurayn, “the one with two lights.”
Primary Sources
Uthman ibn Affan married Ruqayya, daughter of the Messenger of God, and both were among those who emigrated to the land of Abyssinia for their faith.
Ruqayya, daughter of the Messenger of God, embraced Islam when her mother Khadija converted to it, and pledged her allegiance; she emigrated twice, to Abyssinia and then to Medina.
Uthman was absent from Badr because his wife, the daughter of the Prophet, was ill; the Prophet told him that he would have the reward and the share of one who had fought at Badr.
Ruqayya died in Medina while the Messenger of God was at Badr, and the news of the victory was brought on the day she was buried.
Key Places
Birthplace of Ruqayya, a major caravan and religious center in Arabia, home to the Quraysh tribe.
A Christian land in East Africa where Ruqayya and Uthman took refuge with the Negus during the first emigration.
Oasis where the Muslims settled after the Hijra of 622 and where Ruqayya spent her final years.
Necropolis in Medina where Ruqayya was buried in 624, alongside many of Muhammad's close relatives.