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WIVES AND CHILDREN

In deference and consideration for Fatimah al-Zahra’ (a.s), Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) did not think of another marriage during her lifetime. But after she passed away, he married ladies from different tribes at different times and had several issues through them. The particulars of `Ali’s spouses and their children are given here:

Fatimah al-Zahra’

She gave birth to Imam al-Hasan (a.s) on the fifteenth of Ramadan, 3 A.H. and to Imam al-Husayn (a.s) on the fifth of Sha`ban, 4 A.H. History mentions about another son, Muhsin, who died in early childhood. Some say that he died before birth in an accidental miscarriage. This was a tragedy in the History of Islam that happened within about a year of the passing away of the Prophet (a.s). She gave birth to two daughters. The elder was Zaynab al-Kubra whose title was al-`Aqilah. The second daughter was Zaynab al-Sughra whose kunyah was Ummu-Kulthūm. Zaynab al-Kubra was married to `Abdullah ibn Ja`far and Ummu-Kulthūm was married to Muhammad ibn Ja`far.

Umamah bint Abil-`as

In deference to the will of Fatimah al-Zahra’, `Ali (a.s) married her. She gave birth to Muhammad al-Awsat who was martyred in the Battlefield of Karbala’.

Ummul-Banin bint Hizam al-Kalabiyyah

Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) asked his brother `Aqil, who was an expert at Arab genealogy, to select a lady from any tribe that is known for its exceptional valor so that she gave birth to valorous sons. `Aqil suggested to him to marry Ummul-Banin al-Kalabiyyah whose tribe was famous in Arabia for their exploits of chivalry and bravery. `Ali (a.s) married her. She gave birth to four sons: `Abbas, `Abdullah, `Uthman and Ja`far. `Abbas was born in 26 A. H and was the eldest of the four brothers. Then `Abdullah, `Uthman and Ja`far

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were born in that order. All the four brothers fought valiantly and were martyred by the troops of Yazid in the battle of Karbala’.

Layla bint Mas`ūd al-Darimiyyah

Ibn al-Athir writes in al-Kamil and Ibn Sa`d in al-tabaqat that two sons were born to her. They were Abū-Bakr and `Abdullah. Some historians are of opinion that both the names were of the same person. Shaykh `Abbas Qummi writes in Muntaha al-Amal that she gave birth to Muhammad al-Asghar and Abū-Bakr. Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin writes in A`yan al-Shi`ah that apparently the two names were that of one person. Muhammad al-Asghar is the name and Abū-Bakr is the kunyah. Shaykh al-Mufid too considered Abū-Bakr as the kunyah. He too was martyred in Karbala’.

Asma’ bint `Umays al-Khath`amiyyah

Ibn al-Athir writes in al-Kamil that Muhammad al-Asghar was born to her. Ibn Sa`d writes in al-tabaqat that she gave birth to Yahya and `Awn. Yahya died while `Ali (a.s) was alive and `Awn died in the battle of Karbala’.

Ummu-Habib al-Sahba’ bint Rabi`ah al-Taghlubiyyah

She gave birth to one son, `Umar al-Atraf and one daughter Ruqayyah al-Kubra. They were both born as twins. Ruqayyah al-Kubra was married to Muslim ibn `Aqil.

Khawlah bint Ja`far al-Hanafiyyah

She gave birth to Muhammad who was well-known with the title of Ibn al-Hanafiyyah. His kunyah was Abul-Qasim. He died at al-Ta’if in 81 A.H.

Umm-Sa`id bint `Urwah al-Thaqafiyyah

Ibn ShahrAshūb writes that she gave birth to Nafisah, Zaynab al-Sughra and Ruqayyah al-Sughra. Sayyid Muhsin al-Amin writes that she gave birth to Umm al-Hasan and Ummu-Kulthūm al-Sughra. Some chroniclers write that Ummu-Kulthūm was Nafisah’s kunyah.

Ummu-Shu`ayb al-Makhzūmiyyah

Ibn ShahrAshūb writes that Umm al-Hasan and Ramlah, two daughters were born to her.

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Mukhabba`ah bint Imru’ al-Qays

She gave birth to one daughter who died in her childhood.

Besides these wives, Amir al-Mu’minin had several slave girls whom he had married. The daughters born through these alliances were Ummu-Hani’, Maymūnah, Zaynab al-Sughra, Ramlah al-Sughra, Fatimah Umamah, Khadijah, Ummul-Kiram, Ummu-Salamah, Ummu-Ja`far, Jumanah and Nafisah.

At the time of the death of `Ali (a.s) the surviving wives were Umamah, Asma’ bint `Umays and Ummul-Banin besides the eighteen slave girls. His progeny continued with Imam al-Hasan (a.s), Imam al-Husayn (a.s), Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah, `Abbas and `Umar al-Atraf. Some chroniclers say that the total number of children he had was twenty-five, some others say that it was twenty-eight and others say they were thirty-three or thirty-five. The reason for this difference is perhaps some of them had counted the name and the kunyah as separate persons. Some have counted Muhsin in the list of children and others have not.