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Is it true that Hussein, Abdullah ibn Omar, and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr married daughters of Khosrow?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The story that al-Husayn, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr married the daughters of Chosroes (Kisra) is doubtful for several reasons:

Firstly: It has not been narrated with a reliable chain of transmission. The earliest mention of it was by Al-Zamakhshari, and Al-Mubarrad mentioned it before him but without a chain of transmission.

Secondly: There is an authenticated narration similar to it that mentions the upbringing of the three jurists, "Ali ibn al-Husayn, Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, and Salim ibn Abdullah," from concubine mothers, without mentioning them as daughters of Chosroes. What is well-known in biographical dictionaries is that their mothers were concubines and not daughters of Chosroes. Furthermore, the mothers of these jurists have known and distinct names.

Thirdly: The narration contradicts some historical facts. Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr was very young (less than 13 years old) at the time of Umar's death, and he would not have been able to marry then. Moreover, Yazdegerd (Chosroes) was constantly moving with his army and family away from battles, which makes the capture of his daughters an unlikely event.

In conclusion, the story has no reliable evidence to confirm its occurrence. Even if it were true, a Muslim marrying the daughter of Chosroes is not considered a defect, for merit lies in piety, not in lineage.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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