Answer
Short Answer:
- Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married 12 women throughout his life. Two of them passed away during his lifetime—Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (may Allah be pleased with them)—and he died with 9 wives married to him.
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Salam Helen,
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12 Wives
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) married 12 women throughout his life. Two of them passed away during his lifetime—Khadijah bint Khuwaylid and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (may Allah be pleased with them)—and he died with 9 wives married to him.
The following is the order of his marriages according to one of the authentic narrations (Zad Al-Ma`ad by Ibn Al-Qayim). Regarding their ages when he married them, not all of their ages were recorded in books discussing his seerah (biography). Examples of these books are Zad Al-Ma`ad, Sirat Ibn Hisham, and Al-Raheek Al-Makhtum.
Order of Marriages
1. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid (may Allah be pleased with her). Prophet Muhammad married her when he was 25 and she was 40. She bore all his children except for Ibrahim, who was the child of Maria the Coptic (may Allah be pleased with her).
2. Sawdah bint Zam`ah. Prophet Muhammad married her a short while after the death of Khadijah bint Kuwaylid. She died in AH 54 (Hijri year).
3. `A’ishah bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her). Prophet Muhammad married her when she was 7—according to one of the narrations—and consummated the marriage when she was 9. Other narrations have her age anywhere from 12 to 18. She died in AH 56.
4. Hafsah bint `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them both). He married her in AH 2 or 3. She died in AH 45.
5. Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (may Allah be pleased with her). Prophet Muhammad
married her in AH 3 or 4 and she died in AH 4.
6. Umm Salama (may Allah be pleased with her). Her name is Hind bint Umayah, but she was known as Umm Salama because she was the mother of Salama. The Prophet married her in AH 4 and she died in AH 58.
7. Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). He married her in AH 3 or 5 and she died in AH 20 or later.
8. Juwayriah bint Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her). Prophet Muhammad married her in AH 5 or 6 and she died in AH 50 or later.
9. Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her). Her original name was Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan. The Prophet married her in AH 7 while she was in Ethiopia. She most probably died in AH 44; narrations differ on the year of her death.
10. Safiah bint Hoyay ibn Akhtab (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet married her in AH 7 and she died in AH 50. Some other narrations say that she died after this date.
11. Maymunah bint Al-Harith (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet
married her in AH 7 and she died in AH 51.
12. Maria the Coptic (may Allah be pleased with her) was the mother of Ibrahim. She was one of his right-hand possessions since she was given to the Prophet as a present from a foreign ruler. He then married her. The date of her death is not known.
Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
(From Ask About Islam archives)
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
The Beautiful Wives of the Prophet
Why Did the Prophet Have So Many Wives?