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Asma' bint Marwan

عصماء بنت مروان

c. 625 CE · c. 3 AH

A woman of Banu Umayya ibn Zayd married to Yazid ibn Zayd of Banu Khatma, with five grown sons; Ibn Ishaq says she showed hypocrisy after Abu Afak's killing and composed verses reviling Islam and its people and inciting against the Prophet ﷺ, which Hassan answered; Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi (may God be pleased with him) killed her at night in her house after the Prophet said 'is there no one to deal with the daughter of Marwan for me?'

Depth

At a glance

Roles
Poet
Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Arabia
Review
Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it

Life in time

525550575600625650675700725 c. c. c. c. c. c.
Pre-Islamic Arabia · The Prophetic Era · The Rashidun Caliphate · The Umayyad Period Contemporaries: al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib · Abdullah ibn Abbas · Abdullah ibn Mas'ud · Abdullah ibn Salam · Abdullah ibn Ubayy

Dissent, heresy and freethoughtLiteratureWomen

Place in the story

Roles are dated and sourced; the museum describes the act and attributes the judgement.

Overview

A woman of the Banu Umayya ibn Zayd of the Aws, who was married to Yazid ibn Zayd of the Banu Khatma. On the day she was killed she had five sons who were men. 1 2 Ibn Ishaq says that when Abu Afak was killed she "apostatised" and said verses blaming the Ansar for obeying a stranger who was neither of Murad nor of Madhhij, and wishing for someone to assassinate him. Hassan ibn Thabit (may God be pleased with him) answered her. 2 Umayr ibn Adi killed her in her house at night; see the report and its variants. 2

Notes for researchers

  • Her name is "Asma'" in al-Saqqa's edition and "Asma'" in other sources (needs review).
  • The description of her apostasy is Ibn Ishaq's own, and the chain goes through Abd Allah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Fudayl from his father. 1

Connections

Explore the connections

Member of
Banu Umayya ibn Zayd
Authored
Asma' bint Marwan's verses reviling the Ansar for obeying 'the stranger'
Participated in
Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi's mission to kill Asma' bint Marwan
Mentioned in
Hassan ibn Thabit's reply to Asma' bint Marwan

People and things also explored

Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi's mission to kill Asma' bint Marwan· Asma' bint Marwan's verses reviling the Ansar for obeying 'the stranger'· Hassan ibn Thabit's reply to Asma' bint Marwan· Hassan ibn Thabit· Banu Khatma· Muhammad· Salim ibn Umayr's mission to kill Abu Afak· Banu Umayya ibn Zayd

Sources

  1. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/285
  2. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/286
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Asma' bint Marwan”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/person/asma-bint-marwan/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Wing

People

Prophets, companions, scholars, rulers, scientists, poets, travelers: women and men who shaped the story. Related

Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi's mission to kill Asma' bint Marwan

Ibn Ishaq relates from Abdullah ibn al-Harith ibn al-Fudayl from his father that Asma' bint Marwan, of Banu Umayya ibn Zayd and married to Yazid ibn Zayd of Banu Khatma, showed hypocrisy after Abu Afak's killing and composed verses reviling Islam and its people and inciting against the Prophet, which Hassan ibn Thabit answered; when it reached the Prophet he said 'is there no one to deal with the daughter of Marwan for me?' Umayr ibn Adi al-Khatmi heard him, went to her house that night and killed her, and the Prophet told him 'you have helped God and His Messenger, Umayr', and that no two goats would butt heads over her. Ibn Ishaq says that day was the first on which Islam became strong among Banu Khatma.