Qurayba bint Abi Umayya

Qurayba "the Younger" bint Abi Umayya, a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was in succession a wife of Umar the second Caliph and of Muawiyah I the Umayyad Caliph.

Family

She was from the Makhzum clan of the Quraysh tribe in Mecca. Her father, Abu Umayya ibn Al-Mughira, was the chief of Mecca in the early seventh century. Her mother was Atika bint Utbah, a member of the Abdshams clan of the Quraysh. Hence Hind bint Utbah was her maternal aunt while Umm Salama was her paternal sister.

First marriage

Her first husband was Zam'a ibn al-Aswad. By him, she bore three sons: Yazid, Wahb and Abdullah. Her son, Abdullah married Zaynab bint Abi Salamah, Abu Salama's daughter. Her son, Abdullah and Yazid early convert to Islam. Her son, Wahb late convert to Islam. And Wahb married Zaynab bint Shayba, daughter of Shaybah ibn Rabi'ah.

Second marriage

She married Umar before 616. Umar was concurrently married to Zaynab bint Madhun and to Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal, who had between them five children, while Qurayba was childless.

Umar converted to Islam in 616. The whole family emigrated to Medina in 622, although Umm Kulthum and Qurayba were still polytheists. Quarayba is briefly mentioned in Medina in an incident when she helped to care for her sister Umm Salama's baby.

Soon after the Treaty of Hudaybiya in 628, Muhammad announced a revelation that Muslims were ordered to "hold not to the cords of disbelieving women." Accordingly, Umar divorced Umm Kulthum and Qurayba, and they both returned to Mecca.

Third Marriage

Qurayba then married her cousin, Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, "while they were both still polytheists", i.e., before January 630. However, Muawiyah also divorced her. But Qurayba had 3 daughters with Muawiyah, they are Umm Hakim, Umm Sa'id and Umm Habib

Fourth marriage

Later she was courted by Abdul-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr. Aisha negotiated for her brother, and the Makhzum family agreed to the match. Abdul-Rahman and Qurayba had three children: Abdullah, Umm Hakim, Asma, Muhammad and Hafsa.

Abdul-Rahman had a reputation for being "harsh" with women, and the Makhzum family protested his treatment of Qurayba. They claimed that they had only given consent because of Aisha, who now conveyed their concerns to her brother. One day Qurayba exclaimed, "I was warned about you!" and Abdul-Rahman replied, "I will divorce you if you like." She then changed her mind and said, "I will not prefer anyone over Abu Bakr's son." They remained together.