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.
Ruqayya(598 — 624)
Ruqayya bint Muhammad
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Frequently asked questions
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.
Typical Objects
A piece of cloth covering the head and shoulders, worn by the women of Quraysh; Ruqayya adopted it like the first Muslim women.
A cabin fixed on a camel's back to carry women during long journeys, such as the Hegira to Medina.
The vessel that allowed Ruqayya and Uthman to cross from the port of Shuayba to Abyssinia to flee persecution.
Essential provisions for desert travelers; they accompanied the emigrants along the scorching trails between Mecca and Medina.
Recited from memory and learned in secret by the first believers; Ruqayya heard them from childhood in her father's house.
Gold bracelets and necklaces signaling the wealth of Khadija's family, a prosperous merchant whose daughter Ruqayya was.
Tools of daily women's work in Mecca as in Medina; wool was spun and the household's clothing woven.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Tags
Daily Life
Morning
In Khadija's well-off household in Mecca, people rose before dawn to grind the grain, draw water and knead the bread. After her conversion, dawn also became a time for discreet prayer, away from the hostile eyes of the Meccans.
Afternoon
During the scorching hours, the women stayed in the shade of the stone houses, busy spinning wool and weaving. It was the time for visits among female relatives and for news brought back by the merchant caravans of the Quraysh.
Evening
Evening brought the family together around the meal and storytelling. In the early days of Islam, the newly revealed verses were recited there in hushed voices, for fear of persecution.
Food
The diet rested on dates, barley or wheat bread, camel's and goat's milk, and sometimes mutton during festivals. Water, precious in the desert, was kept in skin waterbags.
Clothing
Ruqayya wore long tunics of wool or linen and the veil (*khimar*) covering the head and chest. Coming from a wealthy family, she could display gold jewelry, bracelets and necklaces.
Housing
In Mecca, people lived in houses of stone and mud brick packed tightly around the Kaaba. During the exile in Abyssinia and then in Medina, the home became more modest: dwellings of mud brick opening onto courtyards planted with palm trees.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Conversion précoce à l'islam
vers 613
Mariage avec Othman ibn Affan
vers 614
Première hijra vers l'Abyssinie
615
Naissance de son fils Abdallah
vers 615-619
Émigration vers Médine
622
