Genealogy of Khadijah's daughters
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The Islamic prophet Muhammads wife, Khadija, had six children. There is some dispute regarding whether all of the children where born in her marriage with Muhammad, or three of the four daughter where born in in marrigage previos to her marriage to Muhammad.
Introduction
The dispute extends to Umm Kulthum, Ruqayah, Zainab. For case of identification, all four daughters share the same patronimy, "Ibn Muhammad". This, since even those who view them as children from a previous marriage view that Muhammad adopted them, this previous to the rules of adoption in Islam being restricted. Notable is that Muhammad also had a male adopted son, Zayd ibn Muhammad.
This debate becomes heated since two of the children, Ruqayyah and Umm Kulthum where married to the same man, Uthman,one after the other died. Uthman happened to become the third Sunni Caliph and first the Banu Umayyad Caliph.
Views
The Quran states [33:59] that Prophet Muhammad has daughters (three or more).
Muslim view
Regardless of marriage they where born in, both Shi'a and Sunni view all the children with the high respect.
Sunni view
Sunni outright reject any notion of them being born anywhere but in Muhammads marriage. Sunni honour Uthman as "possesor of the two lights", in reference to him being married to two of Muhamamds biological children. Shi'a view that Fatimah was the only one of Muhammads biological daughter that married a Caliph, ie, Ali. Shi'a also view Fatimah as Muhammads only daughter.
Sunni view that Ruqayyah was born three years after the birth of Zainab when Muhammad was 33.(ref)
Shi'a view
Shi'a view them as born in previous marriages, and this fact being ubscured in order to give greater merit to the first Banu Umayyad Caliph. Shi'a argue it improbable for Khadija to have given birth to so many children at such a high age, while at the same time having abstained from having children in both her presumed marriages. Also, a third version includes the two daughters being the children of Khaijah's deceased sister.
Non-Muslim view
Some Orientalists argue it improbable and a grossly inaccurate tall tale that the 40 year old Khadijah had five children in five years, as Sunnis believe. Sunni reply that the age of 40 is largely disputed.