3. Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad (RA)
The Third Daughter — Wife of Dhun Nurayn
📜 Quick Facts
- Born: Approximately 603 CE, Makkah
- Passed away: 9 AH (630 CE), Madinah
- Husband: Uthman ibn Affan (RA) — after the death of Ruqayyah (RA)
- Children: None who survived
Her Early Life and Broken Engagement
Like her sister Ruqayyah (RA), Umm Kulthum (RA) had been engaged before Islam to one of Abu Lahab's sons — Utaybah ibn Abu Lahab. When Surah Al-Lahab was revealed, Abu Lahab ordered his son to end the engagement, and Utaybah cruelly dissolved the betrothal and reportedly treated Umm Kulthum (RA) harshly. The Prophet ﷺ made du'a against Utaybah, and it is narrated that he was later killed by a lion on a journey.
Umm Kulthum (RA) embraced Islam wholeheartedly and migrated to Madinah with her family. She lived with great simplicity and faith, finding her greatest comfort in the worship of Allah and the company of her father ﷺ.
Marriage to Uthman (RA) — Dhun Nurayn
After Ruqayyah (RA) passed away, the Prophet ﷺ saw how deeply Uthman ibn Affan (RA) grieved. It is narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "If I had a third daughter, I would give her in marriage to Uthman." He then offered Umm Kulthum (RA) in marriage to Uthman (RA), and she became his wife in 3 AH.
Because Uthman (RA) married two daughters of the Prophet ﷺ in succession, he earned the noble title Dhun Nurayn — "The Possessor of Two Lights." This honour is unique to him alone in all of Islamic history.
💡 Did You Know? The Prophet ﷺ once said about Uthman (RA): "Every Prophet has a companion in Paradise, and my companion there is Uthman." His marriages to both Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum (RA) reflect the immense esteem in which the Prophet ﷺ held him — and the remarkable honour placed upon both of his daughters.
Her Passing
Umm Kulthum (RA) passed away in 9 AH in Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ was present at her washing and burial. It is narrated that he sat at the edge of her grave with tears running down his cheeks. When he descended into her grave to lay her down, those present saw the grief on his blessed face — a father burying his third daughter.
By this time, three of the Prophet's ﷺ four daughters had passed away before him. Only Fatimah al-Zahra (RA) remained.
🌿 Lessons from Umm Kulthum (RA)
- What appears as rejection can be the opening to something far greater — both she and Ruqayyah were freed from marriages to the enemies of Allah
- The Prophet ﷺ chose the most righteous companions for his daughters — wealth and status mattered less than character and faith
- Uthman (RA) earned his unique title through righteous conduct — honour comes through deeds, not claims
- Even the Prophet ﷺ wept at the loss of his loved ones — grief is not weakness; it is a sign of love