Umm Kulthum bint Ali

Introduction to Umm Kulthum, her Lineage, and Birth

Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her, was the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. The following information provides details about her name, her father, her mother, and the time of her birth

Family of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of Ali

Her father: She was the daughter of the companion Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, who was the cousin of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Her mother: She was the daughter of the companion Fatimah al-Zahra, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Time of her birth: Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her, was born before the death of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, specifically before the eleventh year of the Islamic Hijri calendar.

Marriage of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of Ali

Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her and her father, was married to Omar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, during his caliphate. He proposed to her through her father Ali, seeking the honor of marrying the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. As she was quite young, Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, stipulated that Umar should send her to him to see her, and if he approved of her, he would marry her.

Umar then went to her and gave her a gift to take to the Commander of the Faithful, Ali, with the instruction to inform him that this was the gift Umar had mentioned to him. She did as instructed, and Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, told her to inform her father that he was interested in marrying her.

The marriage was solemnized, and Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, provided a dowry estimated at forty thousand. Umm Kulthum bore him two children: a son named Zaid ibn Umar and a daughter named Ruqayyah bint Umar. When Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, passed away, Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her, married Muhammad ibn Ja'far ibn Abi Talib. However, Muhammad passed away, and she subsequently married Awn ibn Ja'far.

Children of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of Ali

Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Ali, may Allah be pleased with her, had a daughter and a son from her husband, Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him. It is not known that she had any other children from her other marriages. Here is a brief overview of her two children:

1. The son, named Zaid ibn Umar, was often referred to as Zaid the Elder. Another son with the same name, Zaid ibn Umar the Younger, was born later. It is known that Zaid the Elder passed away at a young age, and there are two different accounts regarding his death. The first account suggests that he and his mother fell ill and died simultaneously, making it unclear who preceded the other and, thus, who would inherit from the other. The second account claims that he was accidentally killed by Khalid ibn Aslam, a freedman of Amr, and it is certain that he did not have any offspring.
2. The daughter, named Ruqayyah bint Umar, is not well-documented. It is known that she married Ibrahim ibn Nu'aym ibn Abdullah ibn al-Nahham, and she passed away while married to him. She was buried in the Baqi' Cemetery, and there is no record of her leaving behind any children.

Death of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of Ali

Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her, passed away on the same day as her son Zaid ibn Umar the Elder. It is said that they both died at the same time, and it is not known which one of them passed away first. Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, led their funeral prayer. He was chosen to lead the prayer instead of her brother Hassan ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who was the Imam at the time.

In the funeral prayer, Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, positioned Zaid behind Umm Kulthum, and this practice became a precedent for subsequent funerals. In this manner, men are placed in front of the Imam, and women are positioned behind them, all facing the qibla (the direction of prayer).

Notable Events from the Life of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of Ali

Umm Kulthum, may Allah be pleased with her, had several remarkable moments in her life, and here are some of them:

1. The First Event: Her refusal to accept charity. Umm Kulthum declined to accept charity when Ata' ibn As-Sa'ib offered her a donation. She firmly held onto the principle that charity was not permissible for the family of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. This stance aligns with the narration by Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, who reported that Hasan ibn Ali took a date from the charity and placed it in his mouth. The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, "Expel it, expel it! Do you not know that we do not eat the charity?"
2. The Second Event: Her sacrifice and assistance to a woman in labor. This story takes place during the time of Umar ibn al-Khattab; may Allah be pleased with him. One night, he found a tent with a woman inside who was crying due to labor pains, and she had nothing to assist her. Umar hurriedly returned home, expecting his wife, Umm Kulthum, Ali's daughter, to accompany him. She responded positively and gathered what was needed to help the woman. They returned to the woman, and with Umm Kulthum's assistance, she gave birth. Umar provided them with financial support, and then he and his wife, Umm Kulthum, returned home.
3. The Third Event: Her powerful address following the death of her brother, Hussein ibn Ali. After the treacherous killing of Hussein ibn Ali, may Allah be pleased with him; the news of his death reached Kufa, and the wailing and lamentations of the people were heard. Umm Kulthum, Ali's daughter, may Allah be pleased with her, stood up in front of them and silenced their grief with a strong and eloquent speech.