Sayyidah Saudah bint Zam’ah

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

Sayyidah Saudah bint Zam’ah

Name and lineage

Saudah bint Zam’ah ibn Qais ibn ‘Abd Shams ibn ‘Abd Wudd ibn Nasr ibn Malik ibn Hisl bin ‘Amir ibn Lu’ayy ibn Ghalib ibn Fihr. Her mother was Shamus bint Zaid ibn ‘Amr al Ansariyyah.

Before her marriage to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, she was married to Sakran ibn ‘Amr radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

She narrated from the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu and Yahya ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Sa’d ibn Zurarah narrated from her.

She embraced Islam early on and along with her husband emigrated to Abyssinia in the second emigration. It was here where her husband passed away.^[1] She is the first woman to marry the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam after Sayyidah Khadijah radiya Llahu ‘anha, which was before the Hijrah while still in Makkah. She was exclusively with him for approximately four years. She passed away during the final years of Sayyidina ‘Umar’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu Caliphate.

Merits and Status

1. She strongly desired to remain in the wedlock of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She sacrificed her day with the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to gain proximity to him and out of love for him, to remain his wife in Jannat. Ibn Sa’d mentions in al Tabaqat that Sayyidah Saudah radiya Llahu ‘anha said to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

أنشدك بالله أما راجعتني وقد كبرت ولا حاجة لي في الرجال ولكني أحب أن أبعث في نسائك يوم القيامة فراجعها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم

“I implore you by Allah to keep me in your wedlock. I have grown old and have no desire for men but I long to be resurrected among your wives on the Day of Resurrection.”

So, the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam kept her in his wedlock.^[2]

Al Bukhari reported with his chain from Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha:

أن سودة بنت زمعة وهبت يومها لعائشة وكان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يقسم لعائشة بيومها ويوم سودة

Saudah bint Zam’ah gifted her day to ‘Aisha. So, the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would spend with ‘Aisha her day and Saudah’s day.^[3]

2. Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha desired to have the same temperament and personality as Sayyidah Saudah radiya Llahu ‘anha. Muslim reported with his chain to Sayyidah ‘Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha who said:

ما رأيت امرأة أحب إلي أن أكون في مسلاخها من سودة بنت زمعة

I have not seen a woman whose temperament I would like to resemble more than Saudah bint Zam’ah.^[4]

NEXT⇒ Sayyidah ‘Aisha bint Abi Bakr

^[1]  Tahdhib al Tahdhib, vol. 12 pg. 455.

^[2]  Tabaqat ibn Sa’d, vol. 8 pg. 45, with slight variation.

^[3]  Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 5212.

^[4]  Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 1463.