Maria al-Qibtiyya explained

, better known as or (ar|مارية القبطية), or Maria the Copt, died 637, was a wife of the 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, became a formal wife, and had a son, Ibrahim with Muhammad. The son died in his infancy, aged 2, and she died almost five years later.^[2]

Al-Maqrizi says that she was a native of Hebenu (grc-x-koine|Ἀλάβαστρων πόλις Alábastrōn pólis,), a village located near Antinoöpolis.^[3]

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.^{[4] [5]}

Tabari recounts the story of Maria's arrival from Egypt:The death of Ibrahim caused Muhammad to weep.^[6]

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.^{[7] [8] [9]}

Ibn Kathir states in his sirah that Muhammad married Mariyah:

^[10]

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

^[11]

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.^[12] 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:^{[13] [14] [15]}

^[16]

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.^{[17] [18] [19] [20]} An indication that she was a concubine is that when she bore her son to Muhammad, she was set free.^[21]

There is also strong evidence that there was no living quarter for her in the proximity of the Prophet's Mosque.^[22] 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:

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).^[23]

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

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:^{[24] [25] [26]}

^[27]

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.^[28]

One hadith attributed to Mus'ab b. 'Abdullah al-Zubairi states that the two were married,^[29] though another rendering of the hadith by Mus'ab's nephew Zubair b. al-Bakkar makes no mention of marriage.^[30]

Abu ‘Ubaydah said about Muhammed:

See also

• Aisha bint Abu Bakr
• List of non-Arab Sahaba

References

• Ibn Ishaq (2007). Sirat Rasul Allah. Alfred Guillaume (Translation). Oxford University Press.
• Ibn Sa'd (2001). Kitāb al-Ṭabaqāt al-Kabīr. Oxford University Press.
• Tabari (1997). Vol. 8 of the Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk. State University of New York Press.
• R. H. Charles (1963). Vitae Adae et Evae. The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Vol. 2). Oxford University Press.

Further reading

• Book: [[Ibn Kathir]], Ismail ibn Umar . 2006 . The Life of Muhammad: Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya (Vol. 1) . . Garnet Publishing Limited . Reading, UK . 2021-07-25 .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Menoufia, birthplace of most leading figures. 2021-05-06. Egypt Today. 15 February 2018 .
2. [Ibn Ishaq]
3. Book: Al-Maqrīzī . Book of Exhortations and Useful Lessons in Dealing with Topography and Historical Remains . Hans A. Stowasser . 330–331 . Stowasser . Karl.
4. Book: al-Tabari . Abu Jafar . The History of al-Tabari, Volume 9: The Last Years of the Prophet . SUNY Press . 141 . Ismail K. Poonawala . Al-Tabari.
5. [Ibn Ishaq]
6. Web site: Sahih Bukhari. Sunnah.com. 14 September 2018.
7. Ibn Ishaq. The Life of Muhammad. A translation of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, page 653.
8. Bewley/Ibn Sa'd 8:148-151.
9. The History of Al-Tabari, vol. 9, page 137, 141; vol. 39, page 193-195.
10. R.H. Charles, "Vitae Adae et Evae," The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha [Oxford, 1963] Volume 2, p. 294
11. Sahih al-Mustadarak Hakim Vol. iv, as quoted in Namus, page 86).
12. Zad al-Ma'ad/Provisions Of The Afterlife, page- 30
13. Book: al-Bukhari: Sahih al Bukhari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102..
14. Book: Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682..
15. Book: George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 [1896]. 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..
16. Web site: Oaths and Vows (كتاب الأيمان والنذور) - Sunnah.com - Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم) . 2024-10-07 . sunnah.com .
17. Book: Bennett. Clinton. In Search of Muhammad. 1998. A&C Black. 9780304704019. 251.
18. Book: Fred James Hill. Nicholas Awde. A History of the Islamic World. 2003. Hippocrene Books. 9780781810159. 24. registration.
19. Book: David S. Powers. Muhammad Is Not the Father of Any of Your Men: The Making of the Last Prophet. 2011. University of Pennsylvania Press. 9780812205572. 8.
20. Web site: Maria, the Copt: Prophet Muhammad's Wife or Concubine?. Akbar. Waqar. 2018-08-10. ICRAA. en-US. 2019-12-02.
21. Schacht. J.. al-Andalusi. Ibn Hazm. Haqqi. Mamduh. 1957-12-31. Haccat al-wada'. Oriens. 10. 2. 400. 10.2307/1579716. 0078-6527. 1579716.
22. Book: Juzjani, Uthman ibn Siraj al Din. W. Nassau . Lees . Tabaqat-I Nasiri. 2010-12-31. 9781463229207. 10.31826/9781463229207.
23. Book: 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). al-Maqdisi, Dia Uddin. al-Ahadith al-Mukhtara. Dar al-Kidr. 2000. 1. 299-300.
24. Book: al-Buchari: Sahih al Buchari. In: Book 86. Volume 9, Nr. 102..
25. Book: Sahih al-Bukhari 6691 In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682..
26. Book: George Sale - Muhammed, The Quran, vol. 4 [1896]. 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..
27. Sahih al-Bukhari 6691, In-book reference: Book 83, Hadith 68, USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 8, Book 78, Hadith 682
28. Book: at-Tabari. History of al-Tabari: The Last Years of the Prophet. 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..
29. Book: al-Hakim, Abu. hadith nr. 6819. 'Abdullah, al-Mustadrak. 1990. 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..
30. Book: 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. Zubair b. al-Bakkar. al-Muwaffaqiyat. Alam al-Kitab. 1996. 147.