Marriage to Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra)
The following is the background to Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) marriage with Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra). Prior to the Holy Prophet’s (sa) claim to prophethood, Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra) was betrothed to the son of Abu Lahab, Utbah, whilst her sister, Hazrat Umm Kulthum (ra) was due to marry Utbah’s brother, Utaibah.
After Surah al-Masad, or Surah al-Lahab, was revealed, their father, Abu Lahab, said to his sons that he would cease to have any connection with them should they fail to sever their relations with the daughters of Muhammad (sa). Therefore, before the marriage ceremony took place, they separated from both sisters. Thereafter, in Mecca, Hazrat Uthman (ra) married Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra) and migrated with her to Abyssinia. Hazrat Uthman (ra) and Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra) were paradigms of beauty. Thus, it was said:
اَحْسَنَ زَوْجَيْنِ رَاٰهُمَا اِنْسَانٌ رُقَيَّةُ وَزَوْجُهَا عُثْمَانُ
That is, “The most beautiful couple that anyone had set their eyes on was Hazrat Ruqayyah (ra) and her husband, Hazrat Uthman (ra).”
(Sharh Zurqani ala al-Mawahib al-Laduniyyah, Vol. 4, pp. 322, 323, Bab fi Dhikr Awladuh al-Kiram, Darul Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 1996)