Sawdah bint Zam'ah ibn Qais ibn Abd Shams al-Amiriyya al-Qurashiyya, her mother was Shamus bint Qais ibn Amr from the Banu al-Najjar tribe. She was raised in the honorable city of Mecca until she reached the age of adolescence. Then, Sakran ibn Amr came to propose to her, and her father agreed to the proposal. Sakran married her, and he was one of the early converts to Islam and among the first to embrace it. However, he passed away while she was still in her prime years.
The Islam of Sawdah bint Zam'ah
Sawdah bint Zam'ah and her husband, Sakran, were among those who responded to the call of the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- to Islam. This took place in the honored city of Mecca at the beginning of the Prophet's mission. As the persecution of the disbelievers of Quraysh intensified against the Muslims, with attempts to oppress and torture them, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- permitted those Muslims who wished to migrate to Abyssinia (Ethiopia). He informed them that there was a just king there who would not wrong anyone. This migration included Sawdah and her husband.
They settled in Abyssinia for a period, driven by their longing and yearning for their homeland, where the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- was. When Umar ibn al-Khattab and Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib -may Allah be pleased with them- embraced Islam, and the Muslims grew stronger, the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- gave the Muslim emigrants in Abyssinia the choice to stay or return. Sawdah and her husband chose to return to their homeland, motivated by her husband's illness, which made him want to be close to the Messenger of Allah -peace be upon him- and his companions. This marked their second migration to Abyssinia.
The Marriage of Sawdah bint Zam'ah to the Prophet
It is narrated by Aqil from Az-Zuhri, and the same is reported by Qatada, Abu Ubaidah, and Ibn Ishaq, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, married Sawdah -may Allah be pleased with her- after the death of Khadijah -may Allah be pleased with her- and before Aisha -may Allah be pleased with her-. Yunus also reported from Az-Zuhri that the marriage of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to Sawdah took place after Aisha -may Allah be pleased with her-. Regarding her, she was previously married to Sakran ibn Amr- may Allah be pleased with his passing away and ending their marriage.
Ibn Abbas -may Allah be pleased with him- narrated, saying, "Sawdah feared that the Prophet -peace be upon him- would divorce her. So, she said, 'Do not divorce me and keep me. Allocate your day with Aisha.' The Prophet agreed to this, and the verse was revealed, 'Then there is no blame upon them for an agreement among them after the [final] decision. And indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.'" (Quran 33:49)
The marriage of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to Sawdah took place in Mecca. Khadijah -may Allah be pleased with her- had passed away, and Khawlah bint Hakim came to the Prophet -peace be upon him- and said, "O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry?" He asked, "Whom?" She replied, "If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman." The Prophet then inquired about the virgin, and she mentioned Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr. When he asked about the previously married woman, she mentioned Sawdah bint Zam'ah, who had believed in him and supported him. The Prophet sent for both of them. Sawdah was sent to Aisha's house, and she informed her mother, Umm Ruman, who then waited until her father, Abu Bakr, arrived. Abu Bakr inquired whether it was permissible. Khawlah returned to the Prophet to ask, and he replied, "You are my brother in the religion of Allah, and she is lawful for me." Abu Bakr then married Sawdah to the Prophet -peace be upon him-. This marriage took place in the same month in which the Prophet's wife, Khadijah -may Allah be pleased with her- passed away.
The Virtues of Sawdah bint Zam'ah
Sawdah bint Zam'ah -may Allah be pleased with her- was known for her generosity, kindness, and her abundance in giving charity. Aisha -may Allah be pleased with her- narrated: "Some of the Prophet's wives asked him, 'Who amongst us will be the first to follow you (i.e., die after you)?' He replied, 'Whoever has the longest hand.'" So they got a stick and measured. Sawdah's hand was found to be the longest, and we came to know that the meaning of having the longest hand was the giving of charity. She used to be the quickest among us to fulfill her duties, and she loved to give charity." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
In Khaybar, when she received her share of the spoils, she distributed it all to the poor without taking anything for herself. During the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab -may Allah be pleased with him-he used to send allowances to the Mothers of the Believers from the treasury. When he sent Sawdah her allowance, she instructed her servant to distribute the entire amount to the needy and the poor.
She was content and prayed for steadfastness in her generosity. She understood that the Hereafter is the eternal abode and that the reward from Allah is multiplied. Sawdah also upheld her commitment to the covenant of the Prophet -peace be upon him- even after his passing. She declined to go for Hajj or Umrah because she believed that she was content in her home as per Allah's command.
When she did go for Hajj with the Prophet -peace be upon him- she sought his permission to move ahead of the group during the night at Muzdalifah because of her slow pace. Despite the fact that the Prophet had previously canceled this practice (of women going ahead), he granted her permission. Aisha -may Allah be pleased with her- praised her, saying, "I have never seen a woman more beloved to me to accompany me in my hajj than Sawdah bint Zam'ah." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Sawdah bint Zam'ah -may Allah be pleased with her- stands as an exemplar of generosity, contentment, and devotion to the teachings of Islam.
The Death of Sawdah bint Zam'ah
Sawdah bint Zam'ah -may Allah be pleased with her- passed away at the age of one hundred. This occurred during the later part of the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab -may Allah be pleased with him-specifically in the year 54 AH (After Hijra) during the month of Shawwal. Some sources suggest that her passing took place during the caliphate of Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.
