for he himself said, “The heart grieves, and at your departure, O Ibrāhīm, we are indeed saddened.” This is also proof that a child of the Prophet ﷺ could die in his lifetime, that he felt the pain of that loss, and that the trials that touch human beings also touched him.

He had seven children in all—three sons and four daughters. The most renowned of the sons was Ibrāhīm. Of the daughters, the foremost was Fāṭimah, the wife of ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with them both), then Zaynab, the wife of Abū al-ʿĀṣ ibn al-Rabīʿ, and finally Umm Kulthūm and Ruqayyah, both of whom were married to ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān. When one of them died, the Prophet ﷺ married ʿUthmān to the other. The Messenger of Allah gave no Companion two of his daughters in marriage except ʿUthmān, who was thus uniquely honored; after the first daughter passed away, he married the second.

His sons were al-Qāsim, ʿAbdullāh, and Ibrāhīm, though the one who lived the longest and became most widely known was Ibrāhīm. All of these children were from Khadījah (may Allah be pleased with her) except Ibrāhīm, who was from Māriyah the Copt. None of his children—male or female—survived him except Fāṭimah; they all died during his lifetime. This is part of Allah’s wisdom, for no one can repel death, even the one who enjoys the greatest standing with Allah—not even the Prophet ﷺ himself.