Question:
Regarding the history of Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah(Raliallahu Anha), the wife of the Prophetﷺ ﷺ. Some say she was a slave woman; others say she was not. Which is correct?
Answer:
Mariyah al-Qibtiyyah (Mother of Beleivers) was from Egypt. The ruler of Egypt (al-Muqawqis) received the Prophetﷺ ’s letter inviting him to Islam. Though he did not accept Islam, he honored the Prophetﷺ and sent gifts, including Mariyah and her sister, who were slave women.
The question is whether the Prophetﷺ kept Mariyah as a slave or married her. The majority of scholars say he did not formally marry her and kept her as a slave. They argue there is no clear record of a marriage date. But such detailed records are not available for all wives.
There are indications that he married her. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophetﷺ said that Muslims would conquer Egypt and that Muslims should treat its people well because “we have a bond and relationship with them”—in another narration, a marital relationship (sihr). This refers to Mariyah. If she had remained merely a slave, it would not be described as a marital bond.
He said there is a marital relationship between us and them. Who from Egypt did he marry other than Mariyah? This suggests he married her. Also, when her son Ibrahim died, the Prophetﷺ wept and treated him as his own son. Calling Egypt a place of marital bond indicates marriage.
Therefore, some scholars conclude that though she was given as a slave, the Prophetﷺ later married her, making her one of the Mothers of the Believers. However, the majority of scholars maintain that she remained a slave.
But the statement of the Prophetﷺ about a marital bond is strong evidence that he married her. Hence, considering her as married to the Prophetﷺ is a stronger view.