خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ ثَعْلَبَة
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا
Khawlah bint Tha'labah
She pressed her case herself · Ansariyyah of Madinah
may Allah be pleased with her
Ansar — Madinah · Madinah, in the years after the Hijrah
An Ansari woman who brought a dispute about her husband directly to the Prophet ﷺ and kept pressing it. Classical exegesis connects her case to the opening of Surah al-Mujadila. Umar is reported to have shown her marked deference years later.
Known for
Classical exegesis connects the opening of Surah al-Mujadila to her case
She brought a dispute about her husband to the Prophet ﷺ and pressed it; the exegetical tradition names her in that connection. No verse is quoted or numbered in this record.
She brought her complaint to the Prophet ﷺ directly, and pressed it more than once
Umar is reported to have shown her marked deference years later, as caliph
The report has him stopping to hear her out at length; it does not give a reason beyond who she was.
She was one of the Ansar of Madinah
Her story in moments
Short episodes from her life, in order. Read one at a time.
Life & legacy
Her case
Khawlah bint Tha'labah was married to Aws ibn as-Samit, an Ansari of Madinah. At some point he addressed to her words that, under a pre-Islamic custom known as zihar, were treated by the Arabs as setting a wife aside without divorcing her — leaving her neither married in the ordinary sense nor free to remarry.
She did not accept that this should simply stand. She went to the Prophet ﷺ and put her case to him herself, and when the matter was not settled at once she kept raising it in the same place.
Afterwards
Classical exegesis connects her case to the opening of Surah al-Mujadila — the surah's name is usually explained as referring to the woman who pressed her case — though this record does not quote or number any verse, and states the connection as something the exegetical tradition reports rather than as settled history.
In later years, during Umar's caliphate, he is reported to have shown her particular deference, stopping to hear her out at length. The report does not explain why beyond identifying who she was.
How the sources describe her
She took her case to the person who could actually settle it
She did not settle for being heard once
Connect
People around her
Family
- Aws ibn as-SamitSpouse
Her husband; the dispute between them is connected by classical exegesis to the opening of Surah al-Mujadila.
Alongside
- The Prophet Muhammad ﷺCompanion
She brought her case to him directly, more than once.
Years later, as caliph, he is reported to have shown her marked deference and stopped to hear her at length.
Full timeline
- The Madinan years, after the Hijrah
Brings her case to the Prophet ﷺ and presses it
- During Umar's caliphate, 13-23 AH
Shown marked deference by Umar, during his caliphate
Part of
Sources & review
In reviewBased on the listed sources. See something to correct? Tell us.
The Qur'anالقرآن الكريم
Qur'an
Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz as-Sahabahالإصابة في تمييز الصحابة
Classical biography · Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani
Siyar A'lam an-Nubalaسير أعلام النبلاء
Classical biography · Shams ad-Din adh-Dhahabi
Kitab at-Tabaqat al-Kabirالطبقات الكبرى
Classical biography · Ibn Sa'd
SahabaMate editorial summary
Editorial summary
References follow the citation detail available in the source material.
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