Companions & Great Women
The ten whom the Prophet ﷺ named together as promised Paradise (Tirmidhi 3747), the Mothers of the Believers, his wives (Quran 33:6), and the great women of Islam. Each life is told from the Quran, the hadith, al-Dhahabi's Siyar A'lam an-Nubala and islamweb, in our own words; where reports differ, the page says so.
64 entries
- Abu Bakr as-Siddiqأبو بكر الصدّيقThe first grown man to believe in the Prophet ﷺ, his companion on the Hijra, and the first caliph.Sahih
- 'Umar ibn al-Khattabعمر بن الخطابAl-Faruq, the second caliph, under whom Syria, Iraq, Jerusalem and Egypt were opened.Sahih
- 'Uthman ibn 'Affanعثمان بن عفانThe third caliph, who equipped the army of hardship and gathered the Quran into one copy.Sahih
- 'Ali ibn Abi Talibعلي بن أبي طالبThe Prophet's ﷺ cousin and son-in-law, the first of the young to accept Islam, and the fourth caliph.Sahih
- Talha ibn 'Ubaydullahطلحة بن عبيد اللهOne of the first Muslims, who shielded the Prophet ﷺ with his own hand at Uhud.Sahih
- Az-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwamالزبير بن العوامThe Prophet's ﷺ cousin through his aunt Safiyya, whom he called his disciple (hawari).Sahih
- 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awfعبد الرحمن بن عوفOne of the eight first Muslims, of the people of Badr and the council, known for his giving.Sahih
- Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqasسعد بن أبي وقاصAmong the very first Muslims, and the first to shoot an arrow in Allah's cause.Sahih
- Sa'id ibn Zaydسعيد بن زيد'Umar's cousin and brother-in-law, who named himself as the tenth when he narrated the hadith.Sahih
- Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrahأبو عبيدة بن الجراحWhom the Prophet ﷺ called the trustee of this Ummah; he led the Muslims in Syria.Sahih
- Bilal ibn Rabahبلال بن رباحOne of the first to declare Islam, tortured for it in Makkah, and the muezzin of the Prophet ﷺ.Sahih
- 'Ammar ibn Yasirعمار بن ياسرAn early Muslim who was tortured in Makkah with his parents, Yasir and Sumayya.Sahih
- Mus'ab ibn 'Umayrمصعب بن عميرA young man of Quraysh who left a life of luxury for Islam, the first emigrant to reach Madinah, and a martyr of Uhud.Sahih
- Salman al-Farisiسلمان الفارسيA Persian who searched for the true religion from Isfahan to Madinah, and found it in Islam.Sahih
- Hamza ibn 'Abd al-Muttalibحمزة بن عبد المطلبThe Prophet's ﷺ uncle and foster brother, a hero of Badr, killed at Uhud.Sahih
- Abu Hurayraأبو هريرةA Companion from Daws who stayed close to the Prophet ﷺ and narrated more hadith than any other.Sahih
- 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbasعبد الله بن عباسThe Prophet's ﷺ young cousin, for whom he prayed for understanding, and the great interpreter of the Quran.Sahih
- 'Abdullah ibn Mas'udعبد الله بن مسعودOne of the first Muslims, who served the Prophet ﷺ closely and was a master of the Quran.Sahih
- Khalid ibn al-Walidخالد بن الوليدA commander of Quraysh who became Muslim in 8 AH, was named a Sword of Allah, and led the early conquests.Sahih
- Mu'adh ibn Jabalمعاذ بن جبلA young man of the Ansar, praised for his knowledge of the lawful and unlawful, whom the Prophet ﷺ sent to Yemen.Sahih
- Ubayy ibn Ka'bأبي بن كعبA man of the Ansar, named the best reciter of the Quran, to whom the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to recite.Sahih
- Abu Dharr al-Ghifariأبو ذر الغفاريOne of the first Muslims, who declared his faith at the Ka’ba and was beaten for it, known for truthfulness and detachment from the world.Sahih
- Sa'd ibn Mu'adhسعد بن معاذThe leader of al-Aws, whose whole clan followed him into Islam; wounded at the Trench, he died of it, and the Throne shook at his death.Sahih
- Zayd ibn Harithahزيد بن حارثةThe only Companion named in the Quran, freed and raised by the Prophet ﷺ, who died leading the army at Mu'tah.Quran
- Ja'far ibn Abi Talibجعفر بن أبي طالبThe Prophet's ﷺ cousin, who spoke for the Muslims before an-Najashi and fell at Mu'tah.Sahih
- Al-'Abbas ibn 'Abd al-Muttalibالعباس بن عبد المطلبThe Prophet's ﷺ uncle, through whom 'Umar asked Allah for rain.Sahih
- Al-Hasan ibn 'Aliالحسن بن عليThe grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, through whom Allah made peace between two great groups of Muslims.Sahih
- Al-Husayn ibn 'Aliالحسين بن عليThe grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, who called him and his brother his two sweet basils of this world.Sahih
- Anas ibn Malikأنس بن مالكThe servant of the Prophet ﷺ, for whom he prayed for wealth and children; among the last Companions to die.Sahih
- 'Abdullah ibn 'Umarعبد الله بن عمرThe son of 'Umar, known for following the Sunnah closely and for his night prayer.Sahih
- Jabir ibn 'Abdillahجابر بن عبد اللهA man of the Ansar who pledged at al-'Aqabah and under the tree, and narrated much knowledge.Sahih
- Abu Musa al-Ash'ariأبو موسى الأشعريThe Companion whose beautiful recitation the Prophet ﷺ likened to the pipes of the family of Dawud.Sahih
- Abu Ayyub al-Ansariأبو أيوب الأنصاريThe man of the Ansar in whose house the Prophet ﷺ stayed on reaching Madinah; he died on campaign at Constantinople.Sahih
- Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamanحذيفة بن اليمانThe keeper of the secret the Prophet ﷺ entrusted to no one else.Sahih
- Zayd ibn Thabitزيد بن ثابتThe young scribe of the revelation whom Abu Bakr charged with gathering the Quran.Sahih
- Usamah ibn Zaydأسامة بن زيدThe son of Zayd ibn Harithah, whom the Prophet ﷺ put in command of an army while still a young man.Sahih
- Abu Talhah al-Ansariأبو طلحة الأنصاريThe man of the Ansar who gave his dearest garden, Bayruha, in charity when the verse on spending what you love came down.Sahih
- Sa'd ibn 'Ubadahسعد بن عبادةThe generous chief of the Khazraj, who gave a garden in charity for his late mother.Sahih
The Mothers of the Believers are counted here as the eleven women the Prophet ﷺ married and lived with, as islamweb's article gives it from Ibn Hajar and Ibn al-Qayyim. Another islamweb answer (fatwa 1462) counts twelve, adding Rayhana bint Zayd, about whom scholars differ.
- Khadija bint Khuwaylidخديجة بنت خويلدThe first wife of the Prophet ﷺ and the first to believe in him.Sahih
- Sawda bint Zam'aسودة بنت زمعةWho gave her day with the Prophet ﷺ to 'A'isha.Sahih
- 'A'isha bint Abi Bakrعائشة بنت أبي بكرDaughter of Abu Bakr, whom the Companions consulted on matters of the religion.Sahih
- Hafsa bint 'Umarحفصة بنت عمرDaughter of 'Umar, widowed at Uhud, praised for her fasting and night prayer.Scholarly opinion
- Umm Habibaأم حبيبةDaughter of Abu Sufyan, married to the Prophet ﷺ while she was in Abyssinia.Scholarly opinion
- Umm Salamaأم سلمةKnown for her sound judgement and knowledge; the last of the Mothers to die.Scholarly opinion
- Zaynab bint Jahshزينب بنت جحشThe daughter of his aunt, whose marriage to the Prophet ﷺ the Quran tells of.Quran
- Zaynab bint Khuzaymaزينب بنت خزيمةCalled Umm al-Masakin, 'mother of the poor', for feeding them.Scholarly opinion
- Juwayriya bint al-Harithجويرية بنت الحارثOf Banu al-Mustaliq; because of her marriage, about a hundred families of her people were freed.Sahih
- Safiyya bint Huyayyصفية بنت حييWhom the Prophet ﷺ freed after Khaybar and married, making her freedom her dowry.Sahih
- Maymuna bint al-Harithميمونة بنت الحارثThe aunt of Ibn Abbas, and the last woman the Prophet ﷺ married.Scholarly opinion
The Prophet ﷺ named four women as enough of the world's women to follow: Maryam, Khadija, Fatima and Asiya (Tirmidhi 3878, graded sahih by al-Albani and Ahmad Shakir). Khadija is listed above among the Mothers of the Believers. With them are women Companions remembered for what they did.
- Maryam bint 'Imranمريم بنت عمرانThe mother of 'Isa, whom Allah chose above the women of the worlds; a surah of the Quran bears her name.Quran
- Asiya bint Muzahimآسية بنت مزاحمPharaoh's wife, whom the Quran gives as an example for the believers.Quran
- Zaynab bint Muhammad ﷺزينب بنت محمد ﷺThe eldest daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, wife of Abu al-'As and mother of Umama.Sahih
- Ruqayya bint Muhammad ﷺرقية بنت محمد ﷺA daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, wife of 'Uthman, who emigrated with him to Abyssinia.Sahih
- Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad ﷺأم كلثوم بنت محمد ﷺA daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, married to 'Uthman after her sister Ruqayya died.Scholarly opinion
- Fatima bint Muhammad ﷺفاطمة بنت محمد ﷺThe Prophet's ﷺ daughter, whom he called a part of him and the leader of the women of Paradise.Sahih
- Sumayya bint Khayyatسمية بنت خياطThe mother of 'Ammar ibn Yasir, counted the first martyr in Islam.Scholarly opinion
- Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكرThe daughter of Abu Bakr, called 'she of the two belts' for her help on the night of the Hijra.Sahih
- Nusayba bint Ka'b (Umm 'Umara)نسيبة بنت كعب (أم عمارة)A woman of the Ansar who fought to defend the Prophet ﷺ at Uhud.Scholarly opinion
- Umm Sulaymأم سليمThe mother of Anas, whose footsteps the Prophet ﷺ heard in the Garden.Sahih
People the Quran tells of who are not counted among the prophets. Where scholars differ on someone's standing, as on whether al-Khidr was a prophet, the entry says so.
- LuqmanلقمانThe wise man to whom Allah gave wisdom, whose counsel to his son the Quran records; most scholars hold he was a righteous servant, not a prophet.Quran
- Al-KhidrالخضرThe servant of Allah, given knowledge from Him, whom Musa travelled with to learn; whether he was a prophet, and whether he still lives, is disputed.Quran
- Dhul-Qarnaynذو القرنينA righteous king whom Allah established in the earth, who reached the far west and east and built the barrier against Ya'juj and Ma'juj.Quran
- TalutطالوتThe king Allah chose for the Children of Israel for his knowledge and strength, who led them against Jalut.Quran
- The believer of Pharaoh's peopleمؤمن آل فرعونA man of Pharaoh's own house who hid his faith and spoke up to defend Musa.Quran