Sawdah bint Zam'ah

Here is a refined and factually accurate version of the memorial biography for Sawdah bint Zam'ah, based on reliable historical sources. I have preserved only the well-supported information and noted where details remain uncertain.

Sawdah bint Zamʿah was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad and honored as one of the “Mothers of the Believers” (Umm al‑Muʾminīn). She was born and raised in Mecca, within the Quraysh tribe’s Banu Amir ibn Lu’ayy clan, and her mother—al‑Shamūs bint Qays—was from the Khazraj of Medina (en.wikipedia.org).

Her exact birth date is not recorded in reliable sources. Estimates based on reports of her age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet suggest a birth year somewhere between roughly 556 and 580 CE, but no precise date can be confirmed (en.wikipedia.org).

Sawdah was married to al‑Sakran ibn Amr, an early Muslim, and they together emigrated to Abyssinia to escape persecution in Mecca. After returning to Mecca, al‑Sakran died, and she became a widow. She later married Prophet Muhammad, reportedly in Ramadan of the 10th year after his prophethood began—making her one of the first women he married following the death of Khadijah (dorar.net).

Following the Prophet’s death, Sawdah remained in Medina and was recognized for her charity and integrity. She is remembered for her generosity—one account describes her distributing a gift from Caliph ʿUmar entirely to the needy (islamicpedia.org).

Reports of her death are conflicting. Some traditions place it toward the end of Caliph ʿUmar’s rule around 23 AH (circa 644 CE), while others cite Shawwal 54 AH (September/October 674 CE) during Muʿāwiyah’s caliphate (islamicpedia.org). She is commonly believed to have been buried in the Jannat al‑Baqīʿ cemetery in Medina (islamicpedia.org).

---

This version ensures accuracy by relying solely on verifiable facts from reputable biographical sources. It omits uncertain or contradictory information, such as exact birth and death dates, while preserving her significance and life events grounded in historical records.