saadat@tcgould.TN.CORNELL.EDU (Irfan Saadat) (02/26/90)
The question of Khaadija having children before her marriage to Muhammad (S) has two answers. For the Sunnis All the prophet's children except Ibrahim were from Khadija. But I was reading booklets published by Al-Balagh Foundation of Tahran, in which it claimed only Fatima was the daughter from Khadija, Ruqayya and Um Kalthoum (the consecutive wives of Othman the caliph) were from the previous marriage of Khadija. Personally speaking I was not aware of this story (Um Kalthoum and Ruqayyah were step daughters) till I read the pamphelets on the life of prophet from the Al-Balagh Foundation. I would appreciate if somebody sheds more light on this subject. The significance of this can explain why for the Shia's the only desendents of the prophet are from Fatima and not from Um Kalthoum and Ruqayyah. Khadija was 40 when the prophet married her, he was 25. Only Ibrahim was born to the MAria the Copt. The rest were from Khadija. As you know all His sons died in their infancy, Ruqayyah died while he was at the battle of Badr. He ordered Othman to stay behind with her. Then Othman married Um Kalthoum, and that's why he is called Zou Al-Nourain (a person with two lights). As far Ibrahim's death, it happened in Madina, and inthe Ahadith his death is narrated in different contexts (against astrology). Irfan
nabiel@sics.se (Nabiel Elshiewy) (03/01/90)
According to the book 'The Life of Mohammad' by Dr. Mohammad Husein Haikal, She gave birth to the Prophet's sons Alkasem and Abdullah and to HIS daughters Zainab, Rucqayya, Om Kalthoum and Fatema. In a footnote, the author states that there are other claims that the number of the sons is three or four sons. Zainab, the eldest, married to Abilaas bin Alrabee bin Abd Shams whose mother was a sister to Khadija. Rucqayya and Om Kalthoum married to Otba and Otayyeba, the sons of Abu Lahab. They have been separated after Islam by ordres from Abu Lahab. Both ladies have been married to Othoman one after the other (The author does not mention in which order). Fatema was still a young girl and married Ali after Islam. --nabiel -- Nabiel A. Elshiewy Swedish Institute of Computer Science SICS, PO Box 1263, S-164 28 KISTA, Sweden. Internet: nabiel@sics.se Tel: +46 8 752 15 31 Ttx: 812 61 54 SICS S Fax: +46 8 751 72 30