The House of Umm Habiba

Umm Habiba, Remle bint Abi Sufyan (d. 44/664), is the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Umayyad clan of the Quraysh. Her mother is Safiyya bint Abi al-As. Umm Habiba migrated to Abyssinia with her first husband, Ubaydullah b. Jahsh; however, her husband converted to Christianity there and separated from Islam. Umm Habiba remained in Islam. Moreover, she continued her life alone and without support in a foreign country. The Prophet conveyed his marriage proposal to her through the Abyssinian ruler, Negus. Negus personally officiated the marriage ceremony; the dowry of 400 dinars was also paid by Negus on behalf of the Prophet. Umm Habiba arrived in Medina in the 7th year of Hijra. This marriage also had a political significance: the fact that the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the leader of the Quraysh, became the wife of the Prophet was part of the efforts to balance the tension between Islam and the Quraysh. [Source: "Umm Habiba", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/ummu-habibe]