How Many Children Did the Prophet (PBUH) Have, and What Were Their Names?
كم عدد أولاد الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم وأسماؤهم؟
All the children of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were from Sayyeda Khadija except Ibrahim who was born to Maria the Coptic, the first of the children of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was Al-Qasim (which was why he was nicknamed Abu Al-Qasim ), then they had Zainab, Ruqaia, um Kulthum, Fatima and Abdullah, and Abdullah was nicknamed the Tahir. His sons all died when they were young, while all the daughters lived to witness Islam and they embraced it and emigrated, but they all died during the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), except Fatima, may Allah be pleased with her, who died six months after his death.
كل اولاد الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم من السيدة خديجة ماعدا ابراهيم من ماريا القبطية، اول اولاد الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم: القاسم وبه كان يكنى، ثم زينب ورقية ، وأم كلثوم وفاطمة وعبد الله، وكان عبد الله يلقب بالطاهر الطيب. ومات بنوه كلهم في صغرهم ، أما البنات فكلهن أدركن الإسلام فأسلمن وهاجرن، إلا أنهن ادركتهن الوفاة في حياة الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم، سوى فاطمة رضي الله عنها لحقت به بعد موته بستة أشهر.
1. The Seven Children of the Prophet | عدد أبناء النبي وأسماؤهم الشريفة
The most widely held view among scholars is that the Prophet had seven children: three sons and four daughters. In chronological order, they were: Al-Qasim, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, Fatimah, Abdullah (also called At-Tahir and At-Tayyib), and Ibrahim.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ (سورة الأحزاب: 59)
اتفق المحققون على أن للنبي ﷺ سبعة أولاد: ثلاثة بنين وأربع بنات. وترتيبهم: القاسم، ثم زينب، ثم رقية، ثم أم كلثوم، ثم فاطمة، ثم عبد الله ويلقب بالطيب والطاهر، ثم إبراهيم بالمدينة.
2. The Mothers of His Children | أمهات الأولاد: السيدة خديجة ومارية القبطية
Six of his children were born to his beloved first wife Khadijah in Mecca. Only his youngest son, Ibrahim, was born in Medina to Maria al-Qibtiyyah (the Coptic noblewoman gifted by the Muqawqis of Egypt) in the eighth year of the Hijrah.
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ (سورة الكوثر: 1)
ولدت السيدة خديجة رضي الله عنها ستة من أبنائه في مكة، بينما وُلد ابنه الأصغر إبراهيم في السنة الثامنة للهجرة بالمدينة المنورة من السيدة مارية القبطية رضي الله عنها.
3. The Early Passing of All Three Sons | وفاة البنين صغاراً والحكمة الإلهية في ذلك
All three of the Prophet's sons died during early infancy. Al-Qasim (from whom the Prophet derived his kunyah Abu al-Qasim) and Abdullah passed away in Mecca, while Ibrahim died at around eighteen months in Medina. Scholars see a wisdom in this: it prevented people from claiming hereditary prophethood after him.
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّـهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ (سورة الأحزاب: 40)
شاء الله أن يتوفى جميع الذكور في طفولتهم المبكرة؛ فمات القاسم (وبه يُكنى أبا القاسم) وعبد الله بمكة، ومات إبراهيم بالمدينة ابن عام ونصف، حكمة من الله لئلا يدعي الناس فيهم النبوة بعده.
4. The Four Noble Daughters and Their Marriages | بناته الأربع الشريفات وبناء الأسر الطاهرة
All four daughters grew to adulthood, embraced Islam, and migrated: Zaynab married Abu al-Aas ibn ar-Rabi'; Ruqayyah married Uthman ibn Affan, and after her death Uthman married her sister Umm Kulthum (earning the title Dhul-Nurayn); and Fatimah married Ali ibn Abi Talib, through whom the Prophet's lineage continues.
ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِن بَعْضٍ (سورة آل عمران: 34)
عاشت بناته الأربع وهاجرن وتزوجن: زينب تزوجت أبا العاص بن الربيع، ورقية تزوجها عثمان بن عفان فلما ماتت زوجه أختها أم كلثوم فلُقب بذي النورين، وسيدة نساء العالمين فاطمة تزوجت علي بن أبي طالب.
5. Maternal Continuation Through Fatimah az-Zahra | بقاء النسل النبوي الشريف في ولد فاطمة
All the Prophet's children passed away during his lifetime except Fatimah, who passed away six months after his death. Through Fatimah and Ali's sons, Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, whom the Prophet called the masters of youth in Paradise, his noble lineage was divinely preserved.
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ (سورة الكوثر: 3)
مات أولاد النبي كلهم في حياته وتجرع مرارة فقدهم، إلا فاطمة توفيت بعده بستة أشهر. وحفظ الله نسله وذريته المباركة من خلال ولديها السبطين الحسن والحسين سيدي شباب أهل الجنة.
Scholarly Insight: Surah Al-Kawthar and Surah Al-Ahzab reveal the divine balance: while his sons died young and the Quran affirms the finality of prophethood (33:40), Allah granted him abundant goodness (Al-Kawthar) and enduring spiritual offspring. Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-Kawthar.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many children did Prophet Muhammad have?
He had seven children: three sons and four daughters.
What were the names of his sons?
Al-Qasim, Abdullah, and Ibrahim.
What were the names of his daughters?
Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm Kulthum, and Fatimah.
Did any of his children outlive him?
Only his youngest daughter, Fatimah az-Zahra, outlived him, passing away six months after his death.
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →