The Greater Mary - Birth

Birth

See also: Genealogy of Khadijah's daughters

Fatimah was born in Mecca to Khadija, the first wife of Muhammad. There are differences of opinion on the exact date of her birth, but the widely accepted view is that she was born five years before the first Quranic revelations, during the time of the rebuilding of the Kaaba in 605, although this does imply she was over 18 at the time of her marriage, which was unusual in Arabia. Twelver Shia sources, however, state that she was born either two or five years after the first Qur'anic revelations, but that timeline would imply her mother was over fifty at the time of her birth.

According to the Shia sect, Fatimah was Muhammad's only biological daughter, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum who the Sunnis believe to be the other daughters of the Prophet were actually the daughters of Hala, the sister of Khadijah, who were adopted by Muhammad and Khadijah at her death. A strong reason given by the Shi'a scholars for this belief is the event of (mubahala) mentioned in the Quran, in which there is no reference of the presence of any other female apart from Fatimah, however Sunnis accept that Muhammad had four daughters all from Khadijah.. The Muslim world takes into evidence the verse of the Quran chapter 33 verse 59 where God commands Muhammad to "tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful." Since in Arabic, the word of more than two daughters is specified and Islam does not allow legal adoption and change of a child's lineage, it is established that Muhammad had four daughters and not just one.

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