Sawda bint Zam'a (rha)
Second wife after Khadijah; gave her night to Aisha (Q 4:128).
The second wife of Muhammad ﷺ — married about six months after the death of Khadijah (rha), the eldest of the Prophet’s ﷺ wives.
Identity & lineage
Sawda bint Zam’a ibn Qays ibn Abd Shams. Her previous husband was al-Sukran ibn Amr, the brother of Suhayl ibn Amr. Al-Sukran had migrated to Abyssinia and died an early death — either there or shortly after returning to Makkah — making him one of the few Companions known by name to have died in the Makkan era. When Sawda embraced Islam her family disowned her, leaving her with no one to care for her after her husband’s death.
Role in the Seerah
After Khadijah’s (rha) death the Prophet ﷺ was not seen smiling for months. Khawlah bint Hakim suggested he remarry, offering two options: “If you want an elderly lady, then Sawda; if you want a younger lady, then Aisha.” The Prophet ﷺ married both within a month of each other. Out of compassion for Sawda’s plight after she was disowned, he ﷺ married her — probably in Shawwal of the 10th year of the da’wah. She was the eldest of all his wives.
Key episodes
- Large build; Muzdalifah concession. Sawda was a woman of large build who walked slowly. She herself narrates that at the Farewell Hajj (10 AH) she asked the Prophet’s ﷺ permission to leave Muzdalifah early to avoid the crowds, and Ibn Abbas was sent with her. From this the fuqaha derive that anyone with a genuine need (the elderly, the weak, their carers) may leave Muzdalifah for Makkah early.
- Giving her night to Aisha. Around the 6th–7th year in Madinah, sensing the Prophet ﷺ might divorce her, she negotiated of her own will: “I have no jealousy of your other wives… take my night and give it to Aisha,” so that she would be resurrected among his wives on the Day of Judgment. It is said that in connection with this Allah revealed Q 4:128 — “If a woman fears indifference or neglect from her husband, there is no blame on either of them if they seek a settlement, which is best.” This shows the permissibility of spouses negotiating over what is their right.
Character & lessons
A woman who sacrificed her worldly share to secure her place beside the Prophet ﷺ in the Hereafter; her selfless gift effectively gave the Prophet ﷺ a “double share” with the beloved Aisha (rha).
Death
Sawda (rha) died relatively early — in the caliphate of Umar (ra) — and was buried in Baqi’ al-Gharqad.
Cross-references
- Muhammad ﷺ — married her out of compassion
- Khadijah bint Khuwaylid — whose death preceded this marriage
- Aisha bint Abi Bakr — to whom she gave her night
- Baqi’ al-Gharqad — her burial place
- Umar ibn al-Khattab — she died in his caliphate
Sources
- S008 — Yasir Qadhi, Seerah lecture series EP 051–060 (EP 052).
- Classical: reports on Sawda in Ibn Ishaq/Ibn Hisham (Sirat Rasul Allah) and Ibn Sa’d (Tabaqat); the Muzdalifah narration and the sabab al-nuzul of Q 4:128 in the standard collections.