Mothers of the Believers

Another marriage would be Umm Salamah. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) also was one of the ones who made hijrah to Abyssinia, then they came back and they went to Madīnah. Later on, Abū Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) married Umm Salamah. So he would take care of the wives of his companions who die, and these are older women. But Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the father of this ummah, just like his wives are called mothers of the ummah. What's the name given to the wives of Muhammad (peace be upon him)? Ummahāt al-Muʾminīn, the mothers of the believers. So Muhammad (peace be upon him) viewed himself as a caretaker of this ummah, even if he doesn't have a direct family for everyone. So he would take care of the needy, he would take care of the hungry, and that's the statement, and the conversation that happened between Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays and ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, when ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb said, "We have more rights to Muhammad (peace be upon him) than you," arguing that they had made hijrah before her—Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays had just arrived from Abyssinia. Asmāʾ bint ʿUmays responded by saying, "No, that's not true. You were with Muhammad (peace be upon him): he was feeding the hungry among you, and he was teaching the ignorant among you." So Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the father of this ummah, and that is how his marriage life, even, is a reflection of that.