POLITICAL ASPECT OF THE PROPHET’S MARRIAGE WITH MARIA AL-QIBTIA - MOTHER OF BELIEVERS

Abstract

The study discusses that the Prophet’s marriage with Maria al-Qibtia was not just a social or personal event but a well calculated diplomatic technique that contributed to long-lasting Muslim–Coptic relations and enabled peaceful political integration of Egypt. Maria al-Qibtia, titled by Quran as ‘Mother of believers’, arrived Madinah from Egypt in 7 AH, 628 CE.  She was a noble lady, sent by the Byzantine governor of Egypt Muqawqis to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as a goodwill diplomatic gesture. The prophet married her and she gave birth to the only child of the Prophet born after his migration to Madinah. The objective of the study is to bring forward the political aspect of the marriage as it is of great significance with respect to Islamic tradition of tolerance and peaceful coexistence with other communities. Moreover, the marriage has a political and diplomatic angle both at the Muqawqis and the Prophet’s side. Qualitative methodology has been followed while carrying out research for the study, focusing on authentic sources of the Prophet’s biography and commentary of Quran. It is revealed that getting noble woman married to rulers as a diplomatic step, has remained a practice in the past. The Prophet’s acceptance of Maria al-Qibtia as her wife had far reaching results with respect to political point of view. His directions to the Muslims to treat the Copts kindly upon conquering Egypt and its subsequent manifestation, after his death, was the ultimate political success of this whole event.