Ruqayyah bint Muḥammad ﷺ

Ruqayyah bint Muḥammad ﷺ was one of the daughters of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and Khadījah bint Khuwaylid (RA). She was born in Makkah before the beginning of Prophethood and grew up within the noble household of Banū Hāshim. In the pre-Islamic period, she was married to one of the sons of Abū Lahab, but the marriage ended after the Prophet ﷺ openly proclaimed Islam. This separation reflected the hostility of Quraysh toward the Prophet ﷺ and his family during the early years of the Islamic mission.

Ruqayyah embraced Islam at an early stage together with her mother and sisters and endured the persecution faced by the first Muslims in Makkah. She later married ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (RA), one of the earliest converts to Islam and among the closest Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Their marriage became well known in Islamic history for its piety and devotion. Due to the severe oppression of Quraysh, Ruqayyah and ʿUthmān participated in the migration to Abyssinia (al-Ḥabashah), becoming among the first Muslims to migrate for the preservation of their faith.

The migration to Abyssinia occupies an important place in the sīrah of Ruqayyah because it illustrates the sacrifices made by the early Muslim community. The Prophet ﷺ reportedly praised ʿUthmān and Ruqayyah for their migration in the path of Allah. After returning from Abyssinia, Ruqayyah later migrated to Madinah following the Hijrah, thus participating in two of the most significant migrations in early Islamic history. Her life reflects patience, steadfastness, and loyalty to Islam during periods of hardship and uncertainty.

During the second year after hijrah, Ruqayyah became seriously ill while the Muslims were preparing for the Battle of Badr. The Prophet ﷺ instructed ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān (RA) to remain in Madinah to care for her rather than participate in the battle. She passed away in 2 AH / 624 CE while the Muslim army was returning victorious from Badr. Her death deeply saddened the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslim community. Because ʿUthmān later married her sister Umm Kulthūm (RA), he became known by the title Dhū al-Nūrayn (“Possessor of the Two Lights”).

In sīrah literature, Ruqayyah bint Muḥammad ﷺ is remembered as a noble member of the Prophetic household and among the earliest Muslim women who sacrificed for the cause of Islam. Her migrations, endurance during persecution, and close connection to major events of the Prophetic era make her an important figure in the history of early Islam. Her life reflects the moral virtues of patience, faith, modesty, and devotion that characterized the family of the Prophet