Question 291: Aslammuelaikum… Thank you admin for approving my request… I have a question regarding daughters of Prophet (p.b.u.h) Is Hazrat Fatima(SA) is the only daughter of Prophet??other sects believe that Prophet has more than one Daughter.. and they justify their believe with the reference(ayat) given from Quran.. JazakAllah

Answer 291: The holy Prophet (pbuh) had seven children from Khadeejah (sa) and one son from Maariyah.

His three sons were born from Khadijah (sa): Qasim (from whom he took his kunya Abu’l-Qaasim), Tahir and Tayyib. Qasim was the oldest son.

His four daughters were born from Khadijah (sa): Zaynab, Umm Kulthoom, Roqayyah and Fatimah (sa). The Holy Prophet (pbuh) had another son was born from Maariyah al-Qibtiyyah named Ibraaheem. It is said he was died when he had only 16 or 18 months of age.

All of His sons were died before the bethat, but the daughters perceived His prophetic mission. They were: 1) Zaynab, the oldest daughter who got married to her cousin Abul A’as, before bethat. 2) Roqayyah who got married to Otbah, the son of Abu Lahab. 3) Umm Kulthoom who got married to Otaybah, the other son of Abu Lahab (the Holy Prophets (pbuh) uncle).

Note: when the Surah Masad was sent down by Allah, the Almighty Abu Lahad and his wife wanted their sons to abandon their wives (the holy Prophets (pbuh) daughters. So, Roqayyah remarried to Uthman and migrated to Habashah. When Roqayyah died (after second years of Hegirah) Uthman remarried to other daughters of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) named Umm Kulthoom. As a result Uthman was called Zul Noor (whom has two lights).

4) Hazrat Fatima (sa) was born five years before Bethat, when Muhammad (pbuh) was about 35 years old and her mother Khadija (sa) was about 50 years of old. She has many other titles. Zahra (Lady of Light) and Sayyidatun Nisa al Alamin (Leader of the women of the worlds). The Date of her birth was 20th Jamad al Akhar. After the death of her mother Khadija, she looked after her father the Prophet of Islam so devoutly that Muhammad (S) used to call her “Umme Abiha”, i.e. the mother of her father.[1]

So, the sons and daughters of the Prophet (PBUH) were all born to him from his wife Umm al-Mu’mineen Khadeejah (sa), apart from Ibraaheem, who was born from Maariyah (May her soul rest in peace), who was given to him as a gift by al-Muqawqis, the king of Alexandria and the leader of the Copts. According to the most correct opinion, he had seven children, three boys and four girls. The boys were:

1- al-Qaasim 2- ‘Abd-Allaah 3- Ibraaheem And the girls were: 1- Zaynab 2- Ruqayyah 3- Umm Kulthoom 4- Fatimah (sa) All of his children died during his lifetime, apart from Fatimah (sa) who died after him.[2]

For further information in this regards, please refer to the following answer:

Index: Titles of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) mentioned in the Holy Quran and Traditions, answer 025.

[1] . Islamic encyclopedia, regarding Umm Kulthoom; Loghat Nameh Dehkhoda; Fatimah, Ihyagar Shakhsiyyat Zan, Faridah Mostafavi (Khomeini), and Fatimah Jaafari, Tehran, Ajor Publication, forst edition, 2005.

[2] . Qorbul Asnad, Pg. 27, Imam Baqir (as) has said: the holy Prophet (pbuh) had children from from His wife Umm al-Mu’mineen Khadeejah (sa) as follows: Qasim, Tahir, Umm Kulthum, Roqayyah, Zeinab and Fatimah (sa); Khisal, Vol. 2, Pg. 37, Imam Sadiq (as) has said: the Holy Prophets (pbuh) children were: Qasim, Tahir (Abdellah), Umm Kulthum, Roqayah, Zeinab and Fatimah (sa). Kuleini, Muhammad bin Yaqoub, Al-Kafi, Vol. 5, Pg. 421.