Sawda Bint Zam’a (RA): Mother of the Believers
Perhaps Sawda Bint Zam’a (may Allah be pleased with her) was the least well-known among the wives of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Her full name was Sawda Bint Zam’a ibn Qays Al-Qurashiyyah Al-‘Amiriyyah. She was the second wife of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) and came from a noble lineage. Her mother was Ash-Shamous Bint Qays ibn Zayd Al-Ansariyyah, from Banu ‘Adi ibn An-Najjar, and her brother was Malik ibn Zam’a. May Allah be pleased with her, Sawda was a noble and honorable woman. She was first married to As-Sakran ibn ‘Amr, the brother of Suhayl ibn ‘Amr Al-‘Amiri.
Sawda’s Conversion to Islam and Her Migration to Abyssinia
Sawda Bint Zam’a married her paternal cousin, As-Sakran ibn ‘Amr, the brother of Suhayl ibn ‘Amr Al-‘Amiri. Sawda and her husband embraced Islam and migrated to Abyssinia during the second migration, fleeing the persecution of the polytheists of Quraysh. This took place in the fifth year after the beginning of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mission. Their son, ‘Abdullah, accompanied them. They followed the Prophet’s ﷺ advice: “Go to Abyssinia, for there is a king under whom no one is wronged.”
Sawda had five children with her husband, As-Sakran ibn ‘Amr. Thus, they were a believing and patient family. However, after they returned to Makkah, her husband passed away after a short period, leaving her to face her fate alone. Her father and brother were still upon polytheism, which made her hardship even greater. She found herself with no one to support or care for her.
Her Marriage to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)
She was the first woman whom the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married after Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). He did not marry another woman alongside her for about three years or more, until he married Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Sawda Bint Zam’a (may Allah be pleased with her) had a vision (dream) indicating that she would marry the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), before the death of her first husband, As-Sakran ibn ‘Amr.
Ibn Abbas narrated that Sawda Bint Zam’a was married to As-Sakran ibn ‘Amr, the brother of Suhayl ibn ‘Amr. She saw in a dream that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) approached her and stepped on her neck. She told her husband about the dream, and he said, “By your father, if your dream is true, I will soon die, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) will marry you.” She replied, thereby denying that such a thing would happen. Then, on another night, she saw in a dream that a moon descended from the sky upon her while she was lying down. She told her husband about it, and he said, “By your father, if your dream is true, I will not remain for long before I die, and you will marry after me.” As-Sakran fell ill that very day, and he did not live for long before he passed away. Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married Sawda.
Khawlah Bint Hakim ibn Al-Awqas As-Sulamiyyah, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz’un, came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, I feel that you have been overcome by grief over the loss of Khadijah.” He replied, “Yes. She was the mother of the children and the lady of the household.”
She asked, “Shall I propose a marriage for you?” He said, “Yes, for you women are more capable of arranging such matters.”
When Sawda had completed her waiting period (‘iddah), the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent word to her and proposed marriage to her. She said, “I leave the matter to you, O Messenger of Allah.” He replied, “Ask a man from your family to arrange the marriage for you.”
She then appointed Hatib ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Wudd, who married her to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Her Noble Qualities
Sawda was a woman who possessed the most noble qualities. Alongside these qualities, she was gentle and pleasant in her interactions and had a cheerful and humorous spirit. This enabled her to bring happiness and joy to the heart of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Among the examples of this is what Ibn Sa’d mentioned in At-Tabaqat: On one occasion, she prayed behind the Prophet (ﷺ) during his night prayer. The prayer became difficult for her, and when morning came, she said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), “I prayed behind you last night, and you prolonged the bowing for me until I held my nose, fearing that it might bleed.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) laughed, and Sawda would sometimes make him laugh with her words and humor.
She was also known for her generosity, kindness, and abundant charity. She gave in charity frequently. One day, the Commander of the Faithful, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (RA), sent her a large sack filled with silver coins. When it was brought to her, she asked:
“What is this?”
They replied, “These are silver coins.”
She said in great astonishment, “Silver coins in such a large sack!?”
Then she called her servant girl, opened the sack, and distributed all of its contents among the poor and needy.
her life after the death of the prophet muhammad
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) grieved deeply. She then said:
“I have performed Hajj and ‘Umrah, so I will remain in my home as Allah, the Almighty, has commanded me. No riding animal will carry me anywhere after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).”
By this, she was referring to Allah’s command to the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ):
“And remain in your homes.”
(Qur’an 33:33)
her death
Sawda Bint Zam’a (may Allah be pleased with her) lived for many years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). She passed away in Madinah during the caliphate of Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). She was buried in Al-Baqi cemetery, where many of the Companions and members of the Prophet’s family were laid to rest.
May Allah be pleased with Sawda Bint Zam’a, reward her for her faith, patience, generosity, and devotion, and grant her the highest place in Paradise among the Mothers of the Believers.
