The wives of the Prophet ﷺ
The Mothers of the Believers
The wives of the Prophet ﷺ are called the Mothers of the Believers, a title the Quran gives them. He had eleven wives in all. Here they are, one by one, with a link to each life.
How many wives did the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ have? Eleven. Khadijah and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah died during his lifetime, and the other nine outlived him. Each is remembered for something particular, and each was a source of knowledge for the early community.
Khadijah was his first wife and the first person to believe in his message. Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr, became one of the greatest narrators and teachers of the early community; Hafsah, the daughter of Umar, was one of the few women of Makkah who could read and write; Umm Salamah was remembered for her wise advice. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah was called the Mother of the Poor, and Maymunah was the last woman to marry the Prophet ﷺ.
At a glance
| Name | Lived | Remembered as |
|---|---|---|
| Khadijah bint Khuwaylid | Died 619 CE | First wife · first to believe |
| Sawdah bint Zam'ah | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 620 CE | Kind-hearted · early believer |
| Aishah bint Abi Bakr | Died 58 AH (678 CE) | The scholar of the household |
| Hafsah bint Umar | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 3 AH | Keeper of the Quran's first pages |
| Zaynab bint Khuzaymah | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 3 AH; died c. 4 AH | Mother of the Poor |
| Umm Salamah, Hind bint Abi Umayyah | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 4 AH | Wise counsellor |
| Zaynab bint Jahsh | Died 20 AH (641 CE) | Generous with her own hands |
| Juwayriyah bint al-Harith | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 5 or 6 AH | A blessing to her people |
| Umm Habibah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan | Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 6 or 7 AH | Faithful in exile |
| Safiyyah bint Huyayy | Married the Prophet ﷺ 7 AH | Dignity after loss |
| Maymunah bint al-Harith | Married the Prophet ﷺ 7 AH; died c. 51 AH | The last wife |
The eleven, in the order he married them
11 peopleKhadijah bint Khuwaylid
First wife · first to believe
Died 619 CE
خديجةRead profileSawdah bint Zam'ah
Kind-hearted · early believer
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 620 CE
سودةRead profileAishah bint Abi Bakr
The scholar of the household
Died 58 AH (678 CE)
عائشةRead profileHafsah bint Umar
Keeper of the Quran's first pages
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 3 AH
حفصةRead profileZaynab bint Khuzaymah
Mother of the Poor
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 3 AH; died c. 4 AH
زينب بنت خزيمةRead profileUmm Salamah, Hind bint Abi Umayyah
Wise counsellor
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 4 AH
أم سلمةRead profileZaynab bint Jahsh
Generous with her own hands
Died 20 AH (641 CE)
زينب بنت جحشRead profileJuwayriyah bint al-Harith
A blessing to her people
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 5 or 6 AH
جويريةRead profileUmm Habibah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan
Faithful in exile
Married the Prophet ﷺ c. 6 or 7 AH
أم حبيبةRead profileSafiyyah bint Huyayy
Dignity after loss
Married the Prophet ﷺ 7 AH
صفيةRead profileMaymunah bint al-Harith
The last wife
Married the Prophet ﷺ 7 AH; died c. 51 AH
ميمونةRead profileMore on How to Muslim
Questions & answers
Questions about the Prophet’s wives
Short answers from this page, each with a link to read more.
How many wives did the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ have?
Eleven: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Sawdah bint Zam’ah, Aishah bint Abi Bakr, Hafsah bint Umar, Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Umm Salamah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Juwayriyah bint al-Harith, Umm Habibah, Safiyyah bint Huyayy and Maymunah bint al-Harith. Khadijah and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah died during his lifetime, and the other nine outlived him.
Read more: Mothers of the Believers
Who was the Prophet’s ﷺ first wife?
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, a merchant of Makkah. She was also the first person to believe in his message.
Read more: Khadijah bint Khuwaylid
Who was the Prophet’s ﷺ last wife?
Maymunah bint al-Harith, who married him in 7 AH. She was the last woman to marry the Prophet ﷺ, and the aunt of Khalid ibn al-Walid and Ibn Abbas.
Read more: Maymunah bint al-Harith
Why are the Prophet’s ﷺ wives called the Mothers of the Believers?
It is a title the Quran gives them. Each is remembered for something particular, and each was a source of knowledge for the early community.
Read more: Mothers of the Believers
Who was the Prophet’s ﷺ wife Aishah?
Aishah bint Abi Bakr was the daughter of Abu Bakr and the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, and one of the greatest narrators and teachers of the early community. She died in 58 AH (678 CE).
Read more: Aishah bint Abi Bakr