Maymunah bint al-Harith

Maymunah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah was the last woman to be married to the Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him-. Their marriage took place in Mecca after he had completed his 'Umrah al-Qada' (the compensatory 'Umrah) pilgrimage.

Information about Maymunah bint al-Harith

Maymunah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah was one of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad -peace be upon him-. She belonged to the Hawazin tribe. She was the sister of Lubaba, who was married to Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet. Among her sisters was also Zainab bint Khuzaima, who married the Prophet and passed away a few months after their marriage.

Before her marriage to the Prophet -peace be upon him-, Maymunah had been married twice. Her first husband was from the Thaqif tribe, and he divorced her. Her second husband was from the Quraish tribe, and he passed away. The Prophet -peace be upon him- proposed to her in the seventh year of the Hijrah (migration). They got married in the region known as Sarf, located to the north of Mecca. The reason they did not marry in Mecca was that the Quraysh had rejected this idea, fearing that it might prolong the Prophet's stay in Mecca. Abbas acted as her guardian in the marriage, as she had entrusted her marriage affairs to her sister Lubaba. At the time of her marriage to the Prophet -peace be upon him-she was twenty-seven years old.

Early Conversion and Participation in Battles

Maymunah bint al-Harith, may Allah be pleased with her, believed in the Prophet -peace be upon him- from the early days of his mission. She was the first woman to embrace Islam after Khadijah; may Allah be pleased with her. Maymunah actively participated in battles during the time of the Prophet, tending to wounded soldiers, nursing the sick, and providing water and food to the warriors.

She was even wounded by an arrow during the Battle of Tabuk, and it was only through Allah's protection that she survived. Notably, Maymunah was the first to organize a group to tend to the wounded during battles.

Life in the Prophet's Household and Hadith Narration

Maymunah lived in the Prophet's household as a devout and content wife. Her sister, Salma, the wife of Hamza, the uncle of the Prophet, lived with her after Hamza's martyrdom. Maymunah was known for her meticulous preservation and transmission of hadith (sayings and actions of the Prophet -peace be upon him-).

She was trustworthy in narrating hadith and narrated a significant number of them, particularly those related to the Prophet's character and appearance (Shama'il). She narrated a total of seventy-six hadiths, and seven of them are found in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Among these hadiths, thirteen are exclusively narrated by her. Additionally, her nieces and nephews also narrated the hadith from her.

Mention in the Quran and Marriage to the Prophet

Maymunah is mentioned in the Quran in connection to a particular incident. When she offered herself in marriage to the Prophet -peace be upon him-, and her uncle Abbas mentioned her proposal to the Prophet, the hypocrites mocked and ridiculed the situation. In response, Allah revealed the following verse (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:50):

"O Prophet, indeed We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their due compensation and those your right hand possesses from what Allah has returned to you [of captives] and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who emigrated with you and a believing woman if she gives herself to the Prophet [and] if the Prophet wishes to marry her, [this is] only for you, excluding the [other] believers. We certainly know what We have made obligatory upon them concerning their wives and those their right hands possess, [but this is for you] in order that there will be upon you no discomfort. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful".

Significance of Maymunah bint al-Harith in Islamic History

Maymunah bint al-Harith holds a special place in Islamic history for her early conversion to Islam, her dedication to the Prophet -peace be upon him-, and her role in narrating the traditions of the Prophet. Her commitment to Islam, both in faith and in action, serves as an inspiring example for Muslims, and her contributions to the preservation of the Prophet's teachings through hadith narration are highly regarded in Islamic scholarship. May Allah be pleased with her and reward her abundantly for her devotion and service to the faith.

The Death of Maymunah bint al-Harith

Maymunah, may Allah be pleased with her, passed away in the region of Sarf, which is the same place where the Prophet -peace be upon him- had married her. She was fifty-one years old at the time of her death, which occurred in the year sixty-one after the Hijrah. Another narration suggests that she passed away in the third year of the sixty-first Hijri year. Abdullah bin Abbas and several other companions performed her funeral prayer.

Maymunah passed away while she was on a visit to Mecca, but she left Mecca before her death because the Prophet -peace be upon him- had informed her that she would not die in Mecca. She passed away during the caliphate of Muawiya -may Allah be pleased with him-. Her nephews, including Abdullah bin Abbas, Yazid bin al-Asam, and Abdullah bin al-Had, entered her grave. Abdullah bin Abbas instructed them to handle her bier with gentleness, avoiding any abrupt movements or shaking.