Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal
# Umm Kulthum bint Jarwal

Umm Kulthūm bint Jarwal (Arabic: أم كلثوم بنت جرول), also known as Mulayka (Arabic: مليكة), was a wife of Umar and a companion of Muhammad.

## Biography

She was born in Mecca as a member of the Khuza'a tribe. Her father was either Jarwal ibn $Malik^{:204}$ or his son 'Amr ibn $Jarwal.^{:92}$

She married Umar ibn al-Khattab before $616,^{:92}$ and they had two sons, Zayd and Ubayd Allah. Umar was concurrently married to Zaynab bint Maz'un, who bore him three $children,^{:204}$ and to Qurayba bint Abi $Umayya,^{:510}$ who was childless. Umar converted to Islam in $616.^{:207}$ The whole family emigrated to Medina in $622,^{:218}$ although Umm Kulthum and Qurayba were still $polytheists.^{:510}$

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 $Mecca.^{:204}^{:510}$

The sources do not indicate the order of Umm Kulthum’s subsequent marriages. She married Abu Jahm ibn Hudhayfa in Mecca "while they were both polytheists," i.e., before January $630.^{:92}$ Abu Jahm was, like Umar, a member of the Adi clan of the $Quraysh.^{:510}$ He was known in the community as "a great beater of $women."^{:192}$

Whether before or after this, Umm Kulthum was also one of the wives of Safwan ibn Umayya, a member of the Juma $clan^{:92}$ who was a leader in the Quraysh opposition to $Muhammad.^{:318–319,370}$ He became a Muslim after the Conquest of $Mecca^{:185}$ but continued to live in Mecca.

