M
riyya the Copt: gender, se x and heritage in the legacy of Muhammad's umm walad
Author: Aysha Hidayatullaha
| Affiliation: | a Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of San Francisco, USA |
DOI: 10.1080/09596410.2010.500475
Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year
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View Article Online (HTML) AbstractThis article concerns the figure of M  riyya al-Qib iyya, the Coptic slave of the Prophet Muhammad who became his umm walad (the mother of his child). It undertakes close readings of the evolving historical representations of Mriyya as found in a broad range of Muslim biographical, historical and literary texts from medieval to contemporary times. Rather than attempting a unified biography of Mriyya, this work examines representations of her for their disparities, contradictions and wider social implications. The contending portraits of Mriyya presented in the texts examined here serve three primary functions: 1) to uphold the moral purity of the Prophet Muhammad and the members of his household; 2) to instruct readers on the gender characteristics of men and women; and, 3) to advocate interfaith harmony between Muslims and Christians. Rather than conveying a clear and coherent summation of her life, these portraits of Mriyya reveal their authors' attempts throughout the centuries to defend the Prophet's character against Orientalist attacks, to inform readers on the essential gender attributes of the sexes, and to promote modern efforts toward peaceful Muslim-Christian relations. |
Keywords: Mriyya al-Qib iyya; Mriyya the Copt; wives of Muhammad; umm walad; milk al-yamīn |
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