Marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها
This chapter covers Maymunah bint al-Harith رضي الله عنها, the Prophet’s ﷺ marriage connected to the period of Umrah al-Qada, her family ties, the reports about where the marriage was completed, her honour as a Mother of the Believers, and why this became the final marriage of the Prophet ﷺ.
Where This Chapter Fits
Umrah al-Qada fulfilled the promise of Hudaybiyyah. Around this blessed return to Makkah, the marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها took place, creating another family bridge with Quraysh and the believers.
Umrah al-Qada
The Muslims returned to Makkah and completed the delayed Umrah.
Maymunah رضي الله عنها
The Prophet ﷺ married her during this period connected to Makkah and the treaty.
Mu'tah
The next chapter moves to beloved Companions returning to Allah at Mu'tah.
Who Was Maymunah bint al-Harith رضي الله عنها?
Maymunah رضي الله عنها was Maymunah bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyyah. Her family ties connected her to important people in the Seerah, and her sisters were linked through marriage to notable Companions.
She is also remembered as the maternal aunt of Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما and Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه through family connections. Her household therefore stood near several important lines of the Muslim community.
She became one of the Mothers of the Believers, and her marriage is commonly described as the final marriage of the Prophet ﷺ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4258; Sahih Muslim 1410; biographical reports in Ibn Sa'd and Ibn HajarMothers of the Believers
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ
Meaning: “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers.”
Qur'an 33:6The Marriage Proposal
Reports mention that Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib رضي الله عنه was involved in arranging the marriage. Maymunah رضي الله عنها was connected to him through family ties, and the marriage carried social significance around the time of the Muslims’ return to Makkah.
The marriage came after the believers had entered Makkah for Umrah al-Qada. It therefore belongs to the atmosphere of treaty fulfilment, softened relations, and new openings after Hudaybiyyah.
Maymunah رضي الله عنها’s name itself carries a sense of blessing and good fortune, and her marriage came in a period when Allah was opening doors after years of hardship.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4258; Sahih Muslim 1410; Seerah and biographical reportsAllah Opens Good
وَاللَّهُ يَخْتَصُّ بِرَحْمَتِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ
Meaning: “And Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills.”
Qur'an 2:105Reports about ihram
There are well-known hadith reports about whether the Prophet ﷺ married Maymunah رضي الله عنها while in ihram or after leaving ihram. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما reported one wording, while Maymunah رضي الله عنها herself and Abu Rafi' رضي الله عنه reported that the marriage occurred when the Prophet ﷺ was not in ihram.
Because Maymunah رضي الله عنها was the person directly involved, many scholars gave weight to her own report. This page keeps the issue careful and does not turn it into confusion for the reader.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4258; Sahih Muslim 1410; Jami' at-Tirmidhi 841Sarif
Reports mention Sarif, a place outside Makkah, in connection with the marriage. The Prophet ﷺ did not remain in Makkah beyond the treaty period, and the completion of the marriage is connected to leaving the sacred area according to the reports.
This detail matters because the Prophet ﷺ honoured the treaty terms and did not use the marriage as a reason to overstay in Makkah.
Sahih Muslim 1410; biographical reportsFulfil the Covenant
وَأَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ ۖ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْئُولًا
Meaning: “Fulfil the covenant. Indeed, the covenant will be asked about.”
Qur'an 17:34Quraysh and the Treaty Time
When the three days of Umrah al-Qada ended, Quraysh asked the Prophet ﷺ to leave according to the treaty. Reports mention that the Prophet ﷺ offered to hold a wedding meal and invite them, but they insisted that he leave.
The Prophet ﷺ honoured the agreement and left. The marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها therefore happened in a setting where joy, treaty limits, and discipline stood together.
The believers were learning that even joyful personal events remain under the light of covenant and Prophetic truthfulness.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4251; Sahih Muslim 1783; Seerah reportsImportant ties
Maymunah رضي الله عنها was connected to notable families and Companions.
After Umrah al-Qada
Her marriage belongs to the period of fulfilled promise after Hudaybiyyah.
Final marriage
She is commonly described as the final wife married by the Prophet ﷺ.
Maymunah رضي الله عنها in the Prophet’s ﷺ Household
Maymunah رضي الله عنها entered the household of the Prophet ﷺ as one of the Mothers of the Believers. Her life is remembered through hadith reports, including narrations connected to worship, purity, and the private household knowledge preserved by the Mothers of the Believers.
Her marriage also strengthened family ties around Makkah and connected the Prophet’s ﷺ household to people who would soon play major roles in the later spread of Islam.
Like the other Mothers of the Believers, her honour is not a decorative title. It is a Qur'anic status that teaches the Ummah respect, love, and careful speech.
Qur'an 33:6; Sahih al-Bukhari 249; Sahih Muslim 317; biographical reportsRespect for the Prophet’s ﷺ Household
وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ
Meaning: “And his wives are their mothers.”
Qur'an 33:6Why This Marriage Matters
The marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها matters because it came at a point where Makkah was no longer seen only through the wound of exile. The believers had returned for Umrah, treaty promises had been honoured, and family ties around Makkah were being woven into the future of Islam.
It also marks the completion of the Prophet’s ﷺ marriages. The Mothers of the Believers would preserve knowledge, model household faith, and carry lessons that the Ummah still studies.
Maymunah رضي الله عنها’s chapter therefore belongs as a quiet but important doorway before the Seerah moves toward Mu'tah, Makkah, Hunayn, Tabuk, and the final years.
Dua for Good in Both Worlds
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Meaning: “Our Lord, give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
Qur'an 2:201Keep reports careful
The ihram discussion is presented gently because reports differ in wording.
Keep treaty honour visible
The Prophet ﷺ did not overstay in Makkah beyond the agreed period.
Keep her status central
Maymunah رضي الله عنها is honoured as a Mother of the Believers.
What This Stage Led To
After Umrah al-Qada and the marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها, the Seerah moves toward Mu'tah, where beloved Companions returned to Allah far from Madinah.
The promise of Hudaybiyyah was fulfilled
The believers completed the delayed Umrah in Makkah.
Maymunah رضي الله عنها married the Prophet ﷺ
Reports connect the marriage to this period and to Sarif outside Makkah.
She became a Mother of the Believers
Her honour joined the Qur'anic rank of the Prophet’s ﷺ wives.
Mu'tah
The next page covers a major expedition and beloved Companions returning to Allah.
References Used in This Chapter
Major claims are tied to Qur'an, authentic hadith, or named Seerah and biographical reports.
- Qur'an 33:6: the Prophet’s ﷺ wives are Mothers of the Believers.
- Qur'an 2:105: Allah selects for His mercy whom He wills.
- Qur'an 17:34: fulfilling covenants, connected to honouring the treaty period in Makkah.
- Qur'an 2:201: dua for good in this world and the Hereafter.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4258 and Sahih Muslim 1410: reports about the Prophet’s ﷺ marriage to Maymunah رضي الله عنها and the ihram discussion.
- Jami' at-Tirmidhi 841: report from Maymunah رضي الله عنها and Abu Rafi' رضي الله عنه about the marriage while not in ihram.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4251 and Sahih Muslim 1783: Umrah al-Qada and the treaty period in Makkah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 249 and Sahih Muslim 317: reports transmitted through Maymunah رضي الله عنها connected to household knowledge and purity.
- Seerah and biographical reports: family ties, Abbas رضي الله عنه’s involvement, Sarif, marriage arrangements, and fuller details are recorded in works such as Ibn Hisham’s Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Sa'd’s Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Ibn Abd al-Barr’s Al-Isti'ab, and Ibn Hajar’s Al-Isabah.