Marital Relations Between the House of Dhu al Nurayn and the Ahlul Bayt as well as with the Banu Umayyah
Marital Relations Between the House of Dhu al Nurayn and the Ahlul Bayt as well as with the Banu Umayyah
The number of marital relations between these two great houses are numerous and impossible to cover in this treatise. The reason being that the Banu Umayyah are a huge clan from the Banu ‘Abd Manaf, sharing a common ancestry with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam—their common ancestor being ‘Abd Manaf. I will make mention of the most common and well known of these marital relations, approximately twenty-five.
1. Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah, the Rasul of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam married Umm Habibah Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb ibn Umayyah ibn ‘Abdul Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf.
- Ibn Sa’d: Tabaqat ibn Sa’d (vol. 1, 2, wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
- Ibn Hajar al Asqalani: Al Isabah fi Tamyiz al Sahabah
- Ibn al Athir al Jazari: Usd al Ghabah (vol. 7)
- Ibn ‘Abdul Barr al Qurtubi: Al Isti’ab
2. Ruqayyah ibn Rasulillah
The pure daughter of the Final Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was married to Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, thus awarding him the honour of being the son-in-law of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
- Sahih al Bukhari (3799)
- Sunan al Bayhaqi (7/73)
- Ansab al Ashraf (pg. 89)
- Dhakha’ir al ‘Uqba (pg. 162)
- Al Tanbih wa al Ashraf (pg. 205)
- Muntaha al Amal (1/108)
- Tahdhib al Ahkam (pg. 154)
- Anwar al Nu’maniyyah (1/367)
The mother of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu is Arwa bint Kurayz ibn Rabi’ah ibn Habib ibn ‘Abdul Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf. Her mother is Umm Hakim al Bayda’ bint ‘Abdul Muttalib ibn Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf; the paternal aunt of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and twin sister of his father ‘Abdullah. Thus the ancestry of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu links with ‘Abd Manaf through his father and mother, and links up to Hashim through his maternal grandmother.
3. Umm Kulthum bint Rasulillah
After the demise of Sayyidah Ruqayyah, the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam got Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu married to his other daughter, Umm Kulthum, thus making ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu the only person in history to have wedded two daughters of a nabi.
- Sahih al Bukhari (3799)
- Sunan al Bayhaqi (7/73)
- Mustadrak al Hakim (4/49)
- Dhakha’ir al ‘Uqba (pg. 165)
- Nasab Quraysh (pg. 352)
- Anwar al Nu’maniyyah (1/367)
4. Zainab bint Rasulillah
The pure daughter of the Final Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was married to Sayyidina Abu al ‘As radiya Llahu ‘anhu ibn al Rabi’ ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf, thus awarding him the honour of being the son-in-law of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
The mother of Sayyidina Abu al ‘As radiya Llahu ‘anhu is Halah bint Khuwaylid ibn Asad ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza ibn Qusayy. Her ancestry meets with that of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam at Qusayy. She is the sister of Umm al Mu’minin Sayyidah Khadijah bint Khuwaylid radiya Llahu ‘anha and the maternal aunt of the Prophet’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam children.
This union is so well-known that it is not in need of any references, as it is mentioned in all the books of Hadith, history, and genealogy. Refer to Sahih al Bukhari, 3729.
5. ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib
Amir al Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu—after the demise of Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha—married Umamah bint Abi al ‘As ibn al Rabi’ ibn ‘Abdul ‘Uzza ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf. Her mother is Zainab, the daughter of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
This union is so well-known that it is not in need of any references, as it is mentioned in all the books of history and genealogy. In fact, it is commonly known that Sayyidah Fatimah al Zahra’ radiya Llahu ‘anha was the one who advised Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu—before her demise—to marry Umamah, who was extremely close and deeply loved by the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and her father was the son-in-law of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam[1]
6. Khadijah bint ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The daughter of Amir al Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir ibn Kurayz of the Bani ‘Abd Shams—who was the governor of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu over Basrah.
- Ibn Habib: Al Muhabbar (pg. 57)
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 46)
- Ibn ‘Inabah: ‘Umdat al Talib (pg. 60, footnotes)
- Ibn al Tiqtaqa: Al Asili (pg. 60)
- Muhammad ibn al A’lami al Ha’iri: Tarajim A’lam al Nisa’ (pg. 345)
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 68)
He is ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir ibn Kurayz ibn Rabi’ah ibn Habib ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy, his ancestry meets with that of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam at ‘Abd Manaf. He is from the progeny of ‘Abd Shams, who was the father of Umayyah. Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir ibn Kurayz radiya Llahu ‘anhu was the maternal cousin of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu—son of his maternal uncle—as the mother of ‘Uthman was Arwa bint Kurayz, the sister of ‘Amir ibn Kurayz. The mother of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir is Dijajah bint Asma’ ibn al Salt al Sulamiyyah. ‘Abdullah was born during the lifetime of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and was brought before the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam when he was young. The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “He resembles us,” and blew over him while seeking Allah’s protection for him. He swallowed the saliva of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam remarked, “He will be a finder of water,” and as a result whenever he dug (for water), water gushed forth.[2]
Ibn Habib mentions under the sons-in-law of Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu:
‘Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Aqil was married to Khadijah bint ‘Ali. Abu al Sanabil ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir ibn Kurayz wed Khadijah after him.[3]
The same text has been quoted by Mus’ab al Zubairi in Nasab Quraysh.
In al Majdi of Abu al Hassan al ‘Umari, in the annotations of ‘Umdat al Talib, a number of Sayyidina ‘Ali’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu daughters are mentioned:
- Umm Kulthum, daughter of Fatimah ‘alayh al Salam, her name was Ruqayyah. She was married to ‘Umar ibn al Khattab, and she bore him Zaid.
- Zainab al Kubra, she was married to ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib. She bore him ‘Ali, ‘Awn, and ‘Abbas.
- Ramlah, she was married to ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Sufyan ibn Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib.
- Umm al Hassan, she was married to Ja’dah ibn Hubayrah al Makhzumi.
- Umamah, she was married to Salt ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Nawfal ibn Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib.
- Fatimah, she was married to Abu Sa’id ibn ‘Aqil.
- Khadijah, she was married to ibn Kurayz from the ‘Abd Shams.[4]
- Maimunah, she was married to ‘Abdullah al Akbar ibn ‘Aqil.
- Ruqayyah al Sughra, she was married to Muslim ibn ‘Aqil.
- Zainab al Sughra, she was married to Muhammad ibn Aqil.
- Umm Hani’ (Fakhitah), she was married to ‘Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Aqil.
- Nafisah (Umm Kulthum al Sughra), she was married to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Aqil al Asghar.
There is no mention of marriages for his other daughters.[5]
Ibn al Tiqtaqa records:
Khadijah: She was married [first] to ‘Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Aqil, and thereafter to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir ibn Kurayz, Amir of Basrah for ‘Uthman and Muawiyah. He had no children from this union.
7. Ramlah bint ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The daughter of Amir al Mu’minin Sayyidina ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to Muawiyah ibn Marwan ibn Hakam.
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 45)
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 87)
His complete ancestry is Muawiyah ibn Marwan ibn Hakam ibn Abi al ‘As ibn Umayyah ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Manaf ibn Qusayy.
Mus’ab al Zubairi writes:
Ramlah was [first] married to Abu al Hayyaj al Hashimi, whose name was ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Sufyan ibn al Harith ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib, and she bore him children. The progeny of Abu Sufyan ibn al Harith did not flourish. Thereafter she was married by Muawiyah ibn Marwan ibn Hakam.[6]
8. ‘Ali ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ali (Zayn al ‘Abidin) ibn Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The great grandson of ‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin—considered to be the fourth infallible Imam by the Shia—was married to Ruqayyah bint ‘Umar al ‘Uthmaniyyah.
- Abu Nasr al Bukhari: Sirr al Silsilat al ‘Alawiyyah (pg. 103)
- Ibn ‘Inabah: ‘Umdat al Talib (pg. 312, Ansariyan)
Abu Nasr al Bukhari says:
‘Ali ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali al Kharazi is the one who married Ruqayyah bint ‘Umar al ‘Uthmaniyyah, who was previously married to al Mahdi ibn al Mansur. [Musa] Al Hadi objected to this marriage and instructed him to divorce her but ‘Ali ibn Hassan refused and said, “Al Mahdi is not the Messenger of Allah such that his wives cannot be married after him, nor is al Mahdi any nobler than me.”[7]
Ibn ‘Inabah has cited the same with more detail, he says after mentioning the incident:
Musa al Hadi then ordered that he be punished, and he was lashed until he fell unconscious.[8]
9. Zainab bint Hassan (al Muthanna) ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Sayyidina Hassan ibn ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to the Umayyad Khalifah Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan.
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 52)
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 108
This too is recorded in a number of references.
Mus’ab al Zubairi writes:
And Zainab bint Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali was married to Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, who was the Khalifah.[9]
She was also married to Muawiyah ibn Marwan ibn Hakam. Ibn Hazm said:
Walid ibn Muawiyah was born to Muawiyah ibn Marwan ibn Hakam, and his mother was Zainab bint Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.[10]
10. Nafisah bint Zaid ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Sayyidina Hassan radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to the Umayyad Khalifah Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan.
- Ibn ‘Inabah: ‘Umdat al Talib (pg. 60, Ansariyan)
- ‘Abbas al Qummi: Muntaha al Amal (1/461, Mu’assat al Nashr al Islami)
This marriage is also well documented and famous. It is on account of this union that Walid honoured Zaid ibn Hassan immensely, due to him being his father-in-law. This marriage was discussed at length by Ibn ‘Inabah:
Zaid had a daughter by the name of Nafisah, who was married to Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan. She bore him children, and later passed away in Egypt. Her grave is there which is visited, and who the people of Egypt refer to as Sayyidah Nafisah.
He then said:
Zaid would thus visit Walid ibn ‘Abdul Malik, and sit on his place. Walid would honour him due to his daughter [being in his wedlock] and give him 30000 Dinars [gold coins] as a gift at one time.[11]
11. Umm Abiha bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib
- Al Baladhuri: Ansab al Ashraf (pg. 59-60)
- Muhammad al Hakimi: A’yan al Nisa’ (pg. 20)
- Al Yaqubi: Tarikh al Yaqubi (pg. 322)
Al Baladhuri records:
‘Abdullah had a daughter who was called Umm Abiha, she married ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan.[12]
It has been said that her name was Umm Kulthum. She married ‘Abdul Malik but he divorced her, and she was then married by Aban ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan. It has also been said that they are two: the one who married ‘Abdul Malik and thereafter `Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas was her sister also called Umm Abiha.
Muhammad al Hakimi said:
‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan married her in Damascus and then divorced her, so ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas married her thereafter. She passed away while still in his wedlock.[13]
Al Yaqubi says:
‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas had 22 children… ‘Abdullah al Akbar whose mother was Umm Abiha bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib.[14]
12. Umm al Qasim bint Hassan (al Muthanna) ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Sayyidina Hassan radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to the grandson of Sayyidina ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan whose name was Marwan ibn Aban ibn ‘Uthman.
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 53)
Mus’ab al Zubairi: writes:
Umm al Qasim bint Hassan was married to Marwan ibn Aban ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan. She bore him Muhammad ibn Marwan. She then [later] married Hussain ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib and she passed away while in his wedlock. She had no children from this marriage.[15]
13. Fatimah bint Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The daughter of Shahid Karbala’, Sayyidina Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu, was married to the grandson of ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman.
- Ibn al Tiqtaqa: Al Asili fi Ansab al Talibiyin (pg. 65)
- Ibn ‘Inabah: ‘Umdat al Talib (pg. 90)
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 51)
- ‘Abbas al Qummi: Muntaha al Amal (1/498, 1/503)
- Al Baladhuri: Ansab al Ashraf (2/419)
[The mother of Fatimah bint Hussain was Umm Ishaq, the daughter of the illustrious Sahabi Sayyidina Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah radiya Llahu ‘anhu.]
Fatimah bint Hussain was blessed with a son from this union, Muhammad al Dibaj ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman. He was martyred alongside his half-brothers, ‘Abdullah al Mahd, Hassan al Muthallath, and Ibrahim al Ghamr; the grandsons of Sayyidina Hassan ibn ‘Ali, and other members of the Ahlul Bayt during their campaign against Mansur al Dawaniqi.
Fatimah had been previously married to Hassan al Muthanna, and they were blessed with ‘Abdullah al Mahd, Hassan al Muthallath, and Ibrahim al Ghamr. Some scholars are oblivious of this relation, such as ‘Ali Muhammad Dakhil in his book Fatimah bint Hussain, where he mentioned that she only married Hassan al Muthanna, and then in his book A’yan al Nisa’ ‘Abar al ‘Usur al Mukhtalifah he mentions a biography for Fatimah bint Hussain and her marriage to Hassan al Muthanna and the children she bore for him. He also mentions them being imprisoned by Mansur al Dawaniqi and then executed by him; but he fails to mention that Muhammad al Dibaj ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, their uterine brother, was also killed alongside them.
However, despite this obvious negligence we find majority of the scholars of genealogy, history, and biographies, clearly establish that Fatimah bint Hussain married ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan and bore him a son, Muhammad.
I will now cite a number of references which establish this union. I will quote verbatim from the most recognised works on genealogy, according to both factions.
Ibn Tiqtaqa mentions in his book, Al Asili fi Ansab al Talibiyin, the marriage of Fatimah bint Hussain, reporting it with his isnad. We already discussed his book and its researcher at length, highlighting its importance and station amongst the books of genealogy. He says:
With the following isnad from Yahya—Musa ibn ‘Abdullah[16] informed me — ‘Isa ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Umar (al Atraf) ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “‘Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Hassan ‘alayh al Salam was born in the house of Fatimah bint Rasulillah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the masjid. When Hassan ibn Hassan passed away, she was married by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman, for whom she bore children.
With the following isnad form Yahya who said: My brother Abu Jafar Ahmed ibn Hassan ibn Jafar informed me—Ismail ibn Yaqub informed me that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman asked for the hand of Fatimah bint Hussain after the demise of Hassan ibn Hassan, but she turned down the proposal. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr then requested ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Abi Bakr al Siddiq, commonly known as Ibn Abi ‘Atiq to intercede for him. ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad, at that time, was married to her mother, Umm Ishaq bint Talhah, who he asked to speak to Fatimah bint Hussain. Umm Ishaq urged her daughter to consent to the marriage, even taking a vow to stand in the sun until she consents to marry ‘Abdullah ibn Amr. She then stood in the sun for two hours. When Fatimah bint Hussain saw her mother standing in the heat of the sun, she consented to the marriage.
Yahya said, “I heard this narration from Ismail ibn Yaqub but I did not write it. My brother spent more time with him than me and had a sharper memory.”
With the following narration from Yahya—Ismail ibn Yaqub—from his paternal uncle, ‘Abdullah ibn Musa, that ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan would say, “I loathed Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman when he was born, I hated him more than I ever loathed anyone. Then when he grew older, he [still] followed me and as a result I never loved anyone as much as I loved him.”[17]
The following narration is reported in the footnotes of ‘Umdat al Talib from Maqatil al Talibiyyin:
Fatimah [bint Hussain] married ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan al Umawi—the famous poet who was called al ‘Araji—after Hassan (al Muthanna) and she bore him a number of children: Muhammad, commonly known as al Dibaj, who was martyred alongside his uterine brother ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan. [She also bore him:] Qasim and Ruqayyah. This was mentioned by Abu al Faraj al Asbahani in Maqatil al Talibiyyin.[18]
Mus’ab al Zubairi mentions under the children of Hassan ibn Hassan ibn Ali in Nasab Quraysh:
Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib had a son Muhammad, after whom he received his agnomen [Abu Muhammad]. His mother was Ramlah bint Sa’id ibn Zaid ibn ‘Amr ibn Nufayl. [He also had] ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan—from whom his progeny continued, Hassan, Ibrahim, Zainab, Umm Kulthum—all children of Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. Their mother was Fatimah bint Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.
He then mentions the marriage of Fatimah bint Hussain to Hassan al Muthanna and what transpired during his demise. Thereafter he mentions the marriage of Fatimah bint Hussain to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, and says:
She bore him Muhammad al Dibaj, Qasim, who left no descendants, and Ruqayyah. ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan, who was her eldest son, would say, “I never loathed anyone more than ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, and I never loved anyone more than I loved his son, Muhammad—my brother.”[19]
‘Abbas al Qummi in his Muntaha al Amal mentions a number of various incidents, which prove that Fatimah bint Hussain did indeed marry ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan, and that she bore him a son, Muhammad al Dibaj, the uterine brother of ‘Abdullah (al Mahd), Hassan (al Muthallath), and Ibrahim (al Ghamr). He records under the killing of ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan and his two sons, Muhammad and Ibrahim:
… [those who were killed were] ‘Abdullah al Mahd and his two sons, Muhammad and Ibrahim, and Muhammad al Dibaj—the brother of al Mahd—and others…[20]
Rabah ibn ‘Uthman went to Madinah with Abu al Azhar, the warden of al Mansur—who was a wicked man. He then arrested the children of Hassan [al Muthanna] along with Muhammad al Dibaj, the uterine brother of ‘Abdullah al Mahd. He had them bound in chains and brought to Rabdhah.[21]
In summary: The children of Hassan[22] and Muhammad al Dibaj were brought to Rabdhah and left to swelter in the sun. Sometime later, one of Mansur’s men arrived and asked, “Which one of you is Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Uthman?” So Muhammad stood up. He grabbed Muhammad and dragged him before Mansur. [The narrators says:] Muhammad was not gone long when we heard the sound of the whip, and we knew what they were doing to him. When Muhammad returned his face was so blue that he looked like an African due to the severe beating. One of his eyes had been gouged out and blood was flowing down his cheek from the wound.
He was thrown next to his brother, ‘Abdullah al Mahd, who loved him dearly. Muhammad was suffering from intense thirst and was crying for water, but no one responded out of fear for Mansur.
‘Abdullah yelled out, “Who will give the son of Rasulullah a sip of water.”
A man from Khurasan then stood and gave him water.
It has been said that the shirt of Muhammad had stuck to his back due to the lashing and profuse bleeding. So they brought olive oil and soaked his clothes in it, and then removed his shirt but his skin peeled off with it.”[23]
Abu al Faraj said:
Mansur wanted to anger ‘Abdullah (al Mahd), so he tortured al Uthmani (Muhammad al Dibaj, his uterine brother)[24] He then placed Muhammad’s camel in front of ‘Abdullah, and every time he gazed at the back of Muhammad it grieved him.[25]
Sibt ibn al Jawzi and others said: Mansur’s governor of Khurasan wrote to him (before the killing of Muhammad ibn Hassan and Ibrahim ibn Hassan) that Khurasan has revolted against us due to the rebellion of Muhammad and Ibrahim, and they long to join them. So he (Mansur) beheaded Muhammad al Dibaj[26] and sent his head to him, along with a group of men to testify that it was the head of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan, whose mother was Fatimah bint Hussain.[27] This was to prevent people from rising up to assist him.[28]
Sibt ibn al Jawzi has reported: Mansur called Muhammad al Dibaj—whose daughter was married to Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan—and said, “Tell me where are the two sinful liars (referring to Muhammad and Ibrahim)?”
Muhammad replied, “By Allah, I do not know.”
So he was given 400 lashes, after which he was made to wear a coarse shirt, which was pulled off, ripping his skin off with it. He was the handsomest of men and this is why he was called al Dibaj. One of the lashes struck his eye—which caused him to lose his eye. He was then dragged back to his brother, ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan. He was suffering from intense thirst but none had the courage to give him water. So ‘Abdullah yelled out, “O Muslims, will you let the children of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam die of thirst?”[29]
It is recorded in Ansab al Ashraf[30]:
Fatimah bint Hussain was married to Hassan ibn Hassan, and she bore him ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Hassan, Hassan ibn Hassan ibn Hassan, and Ibrahim ibn Hassan ibn Hassan. She the [after his demise] married ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan al Muttaraf, and she bore him Muhammad.[31]
The torture and execution of Muhammad (al Dibaj) ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan has also been reported by Abu al Faraj al Asbahani in Maqatil al Talibiyyin as well as Ibn Qutaybah in al Ma’arif (pg. 199).
There are a number of references mentioning the marriage of Fatimah bint Hussain to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman, which leaves no doubt concerning this noble union. Had we not feared unnecessarily elongating the discussion we would have cited many more. However, we are confident that this much will prove sufficient for the one truly seeking guidance.
13. Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Sayyidina Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu married Layla or Aminah bint Abi Murrah, who was from the Banu Thaqif and Banu Umayyah, and the niece of Sayyidina Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu—the daughter of his sister
- ‘Abbas al Qummi: Muntaha al Amal (1/820, Mu’assat al Nashr, 1/653, 654, Dar al Islamiyyah)
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 57)
- Al Tustari: Tawarikh al Nabi wa al Al (pg. 108, Dar al Sharafah)
‘Abbas al Qummi writes:
Amongst the wives of Hussain was Layla bint Abi Murrah ibn ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ud al Thaqafi, whose mother was Maimunah bint Abi Sufyan—the mother of ‘Ali al Akbar. ‘Ali al Akbar is thus a Hashimi through his father and Umawi through his mother.[32]
Mus’ab al Zubairi writes:
The children of Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib: ‘Ali al Akbar, who was martyred in Taff alongside his father. His mother was Aminah or Layla bint Abi Murrah ibn ‘Urwah ibn Mas’ud ibn Mu’attab ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa’d ibn ‘Awf ibn Qusay. Her mother was Maimunah bint Abi Sufyan ibn Harb ibn Umayyah.[33]
14. Ishaq ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Ishaq ibn ‘Abdullah, who is the grandson of ‘Ali Zayn al ‘Abidin—considered to be the fourth infallible Imam of the Shia—married Aisha bint ‘Umar ibn ‘Asim ibn ‘Umar ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan. They were blessed with a son from this marriage who they named Yahya.
- Nasab Quraysh (pg. 65)
- Ibn Hazm: Jamarat Ansab al ‘Arab.
Mus’ab al Zubairi writes:
Ishaq ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib had a son Yahya, whose mother is Aisha bint ‘Umar ibn ‘Asim ibn Umar ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan. Her mother was Kulthum bint Wahab ibn ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Wahab ibn ‘Abdullah al Akbar ibn Zama’ah ibn al Aswad.
Ibn Hazm also recorded it while mentioning the children of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain, commonly known as al Arqat; however, he mentioned her name as Aisha bint ‘Umar ibn ‘Asim ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan ibn Abi al ‘As ibn Umayyah.
15. Umm Kulthum bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib
‘Abdullah ibn Jafar is the nephew of Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and to whom Sayyidina ‘Ali wed his beloved daughter Zainab, the daughter of Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anha and the granddaughter of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Thus Umm Kulthum is the granddaughter of Sayyidina ‘Ali and Sayyidah Fatimah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma. She was married to Aban, the son of Sayyidina ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan radiya Llahu ‘anhu.
Al Dinawari mentions:
And Umm Kulthum bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar (al Tayyar) ibn Abi Talib was in his [Aban’s] wedlock, the granddaughter of ‘Ali.
However, Ibn Hazm mentioned in Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab that she married her paternal cousin, Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib, and after him Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who thereafter divorced her. Ibn Hazm writes:
The children of ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar:… and Umm Kulthum, whose mother was Zainab bint ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, the daughter of Fatimah bint Rasulillah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Hajjaj ibn Yusuf married her, who was ordered to divorce her. Before him she was married to her cousin, Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib. Qasim had no children.[34]
Two points need to be taken heed of here:
- There is a slight confusion between the names Umm Kulthum and Umm Abiha, and which one of them was actually wed by Hajjaj and then divorced on the instruction of ‘Abdul Malik.
- It is possible that both the reports by Ibn Hazm and al Dinawari can be reconciled and that Aban ibn ‘Uthman married Umm Kulthum before or after Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib
16. Lubabah bint ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib
The daughter of the esteemed Sahabi, Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu—cousin of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and Sayyidina ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu—was married to Walid ibn ‘Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan, the nephew of Sayyidina Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. This was after being married to ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. The last person she was wed to was Zaid ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.
- Ibn Habib: Al Muhabbar (pg. 448)
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 133)
- Ibn ‘Inabah: ‘Umdat al Talib (pg. 133, footnotes, Ansariyan)
Ibn ‘Inabah mentions:
Walid ibn ‘Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan married Lubabah after Zaid ibn Hassan, and she bore him Qasim.[35]
Also amongst those she was wed to was Ismail ibn Talhah ibn ‘Ubaidullah al Taymi, as mentioned by Mus’ab al Zubairi in Nasab Quraysh (pg. 29).
17. Ramlah bint Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Sayyidina Jafar al Tayyar, the brother of Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu was married to Sulaiman ibn Hisham ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan ibn Hakam al Umawi.
- Ibn Habib: Al Muhabbar (pg. 449)
Ibn Habib says:
Ramlah bint Muhammad ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib married Sulaiman ibn Hisham ibn ‘Abdul Malik and then later Abu al Qasim ibn Walid ibn ‘Utbah ibn Abi Sufyan who was killed by ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali. She was then married by Ismail ibn ‘Ali or Salih ibn ‘Ali.[36]
18. Umm Muhammad bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib
Umm Muhammad, the daughter of ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar, nephew and son-in-law of Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhu, was married to Yazid ibn Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 69)
Ibn Hazm writes:
And Umm Muhammad bint ‘Abdullah ibn Jafar ibn Abi Talib married Yazid ibn Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan.[37]
19. Khadijah bint Hussain ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and Hamadah bint Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
Khadijah and Hamadah, the granddaughters of Sayyidina Hassan radiya Llahu ‘anhu—who were first cousins—were married to Ismail ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Harith ibn Abi al ‘As ibn Umayyah.
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 109)
Ibn Hazm writes:
Ismail ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Harith (ibn Abi al ‘As ibn Umayyah) had the following children: Muhammad al Akbar, Hussain, Ishaq, and Maslamah, whose mother was Khadijah bint Hussain ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib. He also had Muhammad al Asghar, Walid, and Yazid, whose mother was Hamadah bint Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib—who he married after her cousin mentioned above.[38]
20. Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The great grandson of Sayyidina Hassan radiya Llahu ‘anhu married Ruqayyah bint Muhammad (al Dibaj) ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan.
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 83)
- ‘Abbas al Qummi: Muntaha al Amal (1/504, Mu’assat al Nashr)
Ibn Hazm writes:
‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (al Muttarif) had Muhammad al Akbar, Muhammad al Asghar, better known as al Dibaj, and Qasim… the children of Muhammad al Dibaj were ‘Abdul Aziz, Khalid… Ruqayyah al Kubra, ‘Abdullah, ‘Uthman, Qasim… and Ruqayyah al Sughra. Ruqayyah al Kubra married Muhammad ibn Hisham ibn ‘Abdul Malik ibn Marwan, and Ruqayyah al Sughra married Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.[39]
‘Abbas al Qummi also stated this:
Mansur called Muhammad al Dibaj—whose daughter was married to Ibrahim ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan…[40]
21. Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The grandson of Imam Zayn al ‘Abidin—considered to be the fourth infallible Imam by the Shia—married Khulaydah bint Marwan ibn ‘Anbasah ibn Sa’id ibn al ‘As ibn Sa’id ibn al As ibn Umayyah.
- Ibn Hazm: Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab (pg. 81, 82)
Ibn Hazm writes:
The children of Sa’id ibn al ‘As ibn Sa’id ibn al As ibn Umayyah: ‘Amr al Ashdaq, Aban… Yahya, Muhammad, ‘Abdullah… Dawood, Sulaiman, ‘Uthman… Muawiyah, Sa’id… ‘Anbasah, who would attend the gatherings of Hajjaj.
He then said:
The children of ‘Anbasah were: ‘Abdul Rahman, Ziyad, Marwan, and Umayyah. The children of Ziyad ibn ‘Anbasah: Ibrahim ibn Ziyad and ‘Ali ibn Ziyad. The children of Marwan ibn ‘Anbasah: Khulaydah, who married Hassan ibn Hassan ibn ‘Ali ibn Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, and bore him children.[41]
22. Lubabah bint ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah—son of Amir al Mu’minin ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu—married Sa’id ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn Sa’id ibn al ‘As ibn Umayyah, who she married after being wed to ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib.
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 76)
23. Nafisah bint ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib
The granddaughter of Sayyidina ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu—beloved uncle of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam—married ‘Abdullah ibn Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan ibn Harb, and she bore him ‘Ali and ‘Abbas.
- Mus’ab al Zubairi: Nasab Quraysh (pg. 79)
24. Sukaynah bint Hussain ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib
Sukaynah, the daughter of Sayyidina Hussain, was [to be] married to al Asbagh ibn ‘Abdul Aziz ibn Marwan ibn al Hakam, the brother of Khalifah ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul Aziz. However, this nikah did not transpire. It has been said that she was sent to him in Egypt but by the time she arrived, he had already passed away.
- Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq (37/153)
- Ibn ‘Imad al Hanbali: Shadhrat al Dhahab (2/82)
- Ibn Khallikan: Wafayat al A’yan (1/378)
- Al Shablanji: Nur al Absar (pg. 268)
- Al Mustawi: A’lam al Nisa’ (pg. 124)
- Al Zurkani: Al A’lam (3/106)
- Ibn Habib: Al Muhabbar (pg. 438)
- And many other references.
Sukaynah, the daughter of Sayyidina Hussain, was also married to Zaid ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman, the grandson of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu. It has been said that Sulaiman ibn ‘Abdul Malik ordered him to divorce her and he obeyed.
- Ibn ‘Imad al Hanbali: Shadhrat al Dhahab (2/82)
- Ibn ‘Asakir: Tarikh Dimashq (37/153)
- Ibn Khallikan: Wafayat al A’yan (1/378)
- Al Shablanji: Nur al Absar (pg. 268)
- Al Mustawi: A’lam al Nisa’ (pg. 124)
- Al Zurkani: Al A’lam (3/106)
- Ibn Habib: Al Muhabbar (pg. 438)
- And many other references.
NEXT⇒ Marital Relations Between the family of ‘Ali and their cousins form the family of ‘Abbas
[1] For a better understanding of the close relationship Sayyidah Umamah radiya Llahu ‘anha shared with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam refer to Fath al Bari, # 3729, and its chain under # 926. Also refer to the biography of Abu al ‘As in al Isabah, 4/158; as well as Fada’il al Sahabah of Imam Ahmed, # 1329, 1330, 1334, 1335.
[2] Al Isabah, 3/81, 6181. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amir attained many victories in battle during the Caliphate of Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu , which were described in detail by Ibn al Kathir in al Bidayah wa al Nihayah. He was both courageous and generous. He is responsible for conquering all of Khurasan, as well as portions of Persia, Sijistan, Kirman, and other areas. It was during his governorship that Yazdegerd, the last emperor of the Persians, was killed. In gratitude for this great victory, he donned the Ihram from Nishapur and proceeded for Hajj. He is the first person to construct water wells in ‘Arafah. Sayyidina ‘Uthman radiya Llahu ‘anhu appointed him governor of Basrah.
[3] Al Muhabbar, pg. 57.
[4] He did not state his name fully here, the reason for doing so is unclear, despite him being a scholar and genealogist. This union is well established in the most recognized sources.
[5] Al Majdi, in the annotations of ‘Umdat al Talib, pg. 60, Ansariyan.
[6] Nasab Quraysh, pg. 45.
[7] Sirr al Silsilat al ‘Alawiyyah, pg. 103.
[8] ‘Umdat al Talib, pg. 312.
[9] Nasab Quraysh, pg. 52.
[10] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 108.
[11] ‘Umdat al Talib, pg. 60, Ansariyan.
[12] Ansab al Ashraf, pg. 59-60.
[13] A’yan al Nisa’, pg. 20.
[14] Tarikh al Yaqubi, pg. 322.
[15] Nasab Quraysh, pg. 53.
[16] Musa al Thani ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Musa al Jawn.
[17] Al Asili, pg. 65, 66.
[18] ‘Umdat al Talib, footnotes, pg. 90, Ansariyan.
[19] Nasab Quraysh, pg. 51, 52.
[20] Muntaha al Amal, 1/498, Mu’assat al Nashr.
[21] Ibid, 1/503.
[22] Referring to his three sons: ‘Abd Allah al Mahd, Ibrahim al Ghamr, and Hassan a-Muthallath.
[23] Muntaha al Amal, 1/503, Mu’assat al Nashr.
[24] This is how ‘Abbas al Qummi clarified the name of al ‘Uthmani, in brackets. We have cited it verbatim.
[25] Muntaha al Amal, 1/505, Mu’assat al Nashr; 1/376, Maktabat al Fikr; Maqatil al Talibiyyin, pg. 190, Dar al Ma’rifah, pg. 198, Mu’assat al A’lami li al Matbu’at.
[26] Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan.
[27] Mansur hoped thereby to fool the people into thinking that Muhammad al Dibaj ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan—whose mother was Fatimah bint Hussain ibn ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib—who he had killed, was actually Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah (al Mahd) ibn Hassan al Muthanna—whose mother was also Fatimah bint Hussain. Ibn Qutaybah indicated to this, “Abu Jafar arrested him with the other Fatimiyin, and then ordered he be killed in secret and his head sent to Hind and claim it to be the head of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Hassan al Fatimi.” Al Ma’arif, pg. 199.
[28] Muntaha al Amal, 1/506, Mu’assat al Nashr.
[29] Ibid, 1/504.
[30] Al Baladhuri has reported the incident between Sayyidah Fatimah bint Hussain and ‘Abdul Rahman ibn Dahhak ibn Qais al Qahri—governor of Madinah for the Umayyads—and the hostility he showed towards her. She sent her complaint to the Umayyad Khalifah Yazid ibn ‘Abdul Malik who was very disturbed by this. So he sent ‘Abdul Wahid ibn ‘Abdullah al Basri—who was in Ta’if—as the new governor of Madinah and to discipline Ibn Dahhak and impose a fine upon him. This is exactly what transpired. This narration gives us an indication of the consideration the Banu Umayyah showed to the men and women of the Banu Hashim, as well as honour them and fulfil their rights. There were many governors and state officials of the Banu Umayyah who harboured no ill feeling for the Banu Hashim.
[31] Ansab al Ashraf, 2/419, Dar al Fikr, with the research of Suhayl Zakkar; 2/198, Mu’assat al A’lami, with the research of Muhammad Baqir al Mahmudi.
[32] Muntaha al Amal, 1/820, Mu’assat al Nashr, 1/653, 654, Dar al Islamiyyah.
[33] Nasab Quraysh, pg. 57.
[34] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 69.
[35] ‘Umdat al Talib, pg. 133, footnotes, Ansariyan.
[36] Al Muhabbar, pg. 449.
[37] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 69.
[38] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 109.
[39] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 83.
[40] Muntaha al Amal, 1/504, Mu’assat al Nashr.
[41] Jamharah Ansab al ‘Arab, pg. 81, 82.