Umm Kulthum Daughter of the Prophet
The Lineage of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of the Messenger of Allah
Umm Kulthum, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and her mother was Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the son of Asad, the son of Abdul-Uzza, the son of Qusay (may Allah be pleased with her). Narrations have differed regarding the order of her birth, but the most authentic is that she was the third daughter among the daughters of the Messenger (peace be upon him). She was older than Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and younger than Zainab and Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with them) because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) married her to Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) after the death of her sister Ruqayyah.
If she had been the eldest, Ruqayyah would not have married Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) before her. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had four daughters, all of them from Lady Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). They were Zainab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them). Scholars have agreed on the order of Zainab among them as she was the eldest, but they have differed regarding the order of Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah and who was the youngest among them in age.
The Marriage of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of the Messenger of Allah
Umm Kulthum was initially married to Utaybah ibn Abi Lahab before the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). However, she was divorced from him before consummating the marriage because Abu Lahab ordered his son to do so after Allah revealed the verse, "Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!" (Quran, Surah Al-Masad, 111:1), and he said to his sons Utaybah and Utbah, "I am free from you both if you do not divorce the daughter of Muhammad". His wife, Umm Jameel bint Harb, also conveyed a similar message. It was during this time that Ruqayyah was married to Utbah, and Umm Kulthum was married to Utaybah.
Both Utbah and Utaybah divorced the daughters of the Prophet, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with them), respectively. Later, Allah brought them together with Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him). Ruqayyah married Uthman initially, and after the passing, Umm Kulthum married Uthman. This marriage took place in the third year of the Hijrah (migration to Medina), and Umm Kulthum did not bear any children from this marriage.
It is also narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw Uthman ibn Affan grieving after the death of Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her). He inquired about the reason for his sadness, and Uthman explained that he felt disconnected from the Prophet (peace be upon him) after the death of Ruqayyah (may Allah be pleased with her). In response to this, the divine command came through the angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) that Uthman should marry the sister of Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, with the same dowry and marital terms. Consequently, Uthman married Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her).
The Death of Umm Kulthum, the Daughter of the Messenger of Allah
Lady Umm Kulthum (may Allah be pleased with her) passed away during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This occurred in the ninth year of the Hijrah, in the month of Sha'ban. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed the woman to wash her body. He entered the room where his daughter was being washed and said, "Wash her three, five, or more times," indicating that they should wash her thoroughly as needed. He directed them to wash her in a manner that ensured complete purification, using water and sidr (a type of cleansing herb). In the final washing, they were instructed to add some camphor to the water.
After they completed washing her, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave them his garment (izar) to be used as her burial shroud. He then participated in her burial alongside Ali, Al-Fadl, and Osama ibn Zaid (may Allah be pleased with them). Abu Talha al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) also asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) for permission to assist in the burial, and the Prophet granted his request.
The Grief of the Prophet Upon the Death of His Daughter Umm Kulthum
The sadness was evident on the face of the Prophet (peace be upon him) upon the death of his daughter, Umm Kulthum. He provided instructions to the woman on how to take care of her and how to wash her body. All of these directives were given by him (peace be upon him) from behind a door. Afterward, he sat in front of her grave, and tears welled up in his eyes over her passing.
