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Rayhana bint Shamun

Historical figure

Birth date unknown · d. c. 632 CE · Madinah

Overview

Woman in the household of Muhammad ﷺ whose marital status is reported differently in early sources.

Category: Historical figure
Period: Birth date unknown · d. c. 632 CE

A difficult historical setting

Rayhana was married before entering the household of Muhammad ﷺ. She was taken captive after the conflict with Banu Qurayza, in which her first husband died.

Sources:

Rayhana bint Shamun · TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam

Why accounts differ

Some biographies say Muhammad ﷺ freed Rayhana and married her after she accepted Islam. Other reports describe her remaining enslaved. Because the sources differ, she should be listed separately from the eleven commonly named wives.

Sources:

Rayhana bint Shamun · TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam

Her later life

Biographical accounts place Rayhana’s death in Medina before the death of Muhammad ﷺ. She is reported to have been buried in al-Baqi cemetery.

Sources:

Rayhana bint Shamun · TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam

Sources

We wrote this short biography using the sources below. We explain uncertain dates and differing accounts.

Rayhana bint Shamun · TDV Encyclopaedia of IslamWoman in the household of Muhammad ﷺ whose marital status is reported differently in early sources.