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Academic Discourse On The Many Marriages Of The Prophet (S)

Another target of their objection is the many marriages of the Prophet (S). They say: Plurality of marriage in itself points to avidity and to yielding to lust and desire; and the Prophet was not content with four wives which he had allowed to his ummah, but exceeded even that limit and married nine women.

This question is related to many different verses of the Qur’an, and detailed discussion of its every aspect should be given under those verses. Therefore, we are leaving the details for the relevant places, restricting ourselves to a short description here in a general way.

It is necessary to point out that the plurality of the Prophet’s marriages is not such a simple matter as to be dismissed in a sentence that ‘he was inordinately fond of women, so much so that he married nine wives.’ The fact is that he had married each one of his wives for some particular reason in particular circumstances during his long life.

His first marriage was with Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he lived with her alone for more than twenty1 years, and it constitutes two-thirds of his married life - and covered [almost] the whole Meccan period of the prophethood. Then he emigrated to Medina and began spreading the Call and raising the words of religion. Thereafter he married several women - virgin and widows, young, old and middle-aged. This continued for about ten years, then the women were prohibited to him other than those who were already in his marriage.

Obviously, these happenings with these peculiarities cannot be explained just by love of women or desire and passion for them, because his early life and the later period both contradict this assumption.

Just look at a man with a passion for women who is infatuated with carnal desire, and enamoured of female companionship, with a sensual lust for them. You will find him attracted to their adornment, spending his time in pursuit of beauty, infatuated with coquetry and flirtation, and craving for youth, tender age and fresh complexion.

But these peculiarities were diametrically opposite of the Prophet’s character. He married widows after virgin, old-aged women after young girls. He married Umm Salamah (an aged woman) and Zaynab Bint Jahsh (who was more than fifty years of age) after marrying ‘A’ishah and Umm Habibah, and so on.

Then he offered his wives a choice that he should give them a provision and allow them to depart gracefully (i.e., divorce them) if they desire this world and its adornment, or they should renounce the world and abstain from adornments and embellishments if they desired Allah and His Messenger and the latter abode. It may be seen in the following words of Allah:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا

“O Prophet! say to your wives:’ if you desire this world’s life and its adornment, then come, I will give you a provision and allow you to depart a goodly departing’” (33:28).

وَإِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَاتِ مِنْكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

“’And if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the latter abode, then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a mighty reward” (33:29).

As you see this is not the attitude of a man who is enamoured of women’s love and infatuated with carnal desire.

If a scholar, after deeply studying this matter, follows the dictates of justice, he will have to look for some reasons, other than avidity and lust, for his plurality of wives, beginning with his early life to the latter days.

In fact, he (S) had married some of them to add to his strength by increasing relationships and helping hands; some of them were taken into marriage to win the enemies’ hearts and as a protection from some of their evils. He married some others to maintain and protect them, in order that it might become a regular practice among the believers for the protection of widows and aged women against poverty and degradation.

Some marriages were performed to practically affirm and enforce a lawful order, for abolition of evil traditions and false innovations which were prevalent in the society. This was the case of his marriage with Zaynab Bint Jahsh; she was first married to Zayd Ibn Harithah, then Zayd divorced her; this Zayd was called “son of the Messenger of Allah” by the [pre-Islamic] custom of adoption; the pagans considered wife of an adopted son like the wife of an actual son and the “father-in-law” could not marry her. Therefore, the Prophet (S) married her (to confirm abrogation of adoption and the related customs), and several verses were revealed on this subject.

The first woman to be married to the Prophet after the death of Khadijah, was Sawdah Bint Zam‘ah, whose husband had expired after returning from the second migration of Abyssinia. Sawdah was a believing lady who had migrated [for her faith]. If she were left to return to her own family who at that time were unbelievers, they would have tortured and tormented her as they were doing with other believing men and women using suppression and killings and forcing them to renounce their faith.

He married Zaynab Bint Khuzaymah after her husband, ‘Abdullah Ibn Jahsh, was martyred in Uhud. She was one of the most generous ladies even in the era of ignorance, and was called “Mother of the poor”, in recognition of her generosity and kindness towards needy people. The Prophet, with this marriage, preserved her prestige and dignity.

He also married Umm Salamah, whose actual name was Hind. Before that, she was married to ‘Abdullah Abu Salamah, who was a cousin of the Prophet (son of his paternal aunt) and his foster brother; Abu Salamah [and his wife] were among the first to emigrate to Abyssinia.

She had renounced the worldly pleasure and was highly distinguished in piety and wisdom. When her husband died, she was very advanced in age and had many orphan children. That is why the Prophet married her.

Safiyyah was daughter of Huyayy Ibn Akhtab, the chief of Banu ’n- Nadir. Her husband was killed in the battle of Khaybar, and her father with Banu Qurayzah, and she was among the captives of Khaybar. The Prophet chose her for himself and married her after emancipating her. With this marriage he protected her from humiliation and established affinity with the Children of Israel.

The marriage with Juwayriyyah, i.e., Barrah, daughter of al-Harith, the chief of Banu al-Mustaliq, was performed after the battle of Banu al-Mustaliq. The Muslims had arrested two hundred of their families together with women and children. The Prophet married Juwayriyyah; so, the Muslims said: “These are the relatives of the Messenger of Allah (S) by marriage; they should not be held captives.” So, they freed all of them. Impressed by this nobility, the whole tribe of Banu al-Mustaliq entered into the fold of Islam. It was a very large tribe, and this [generosity of the Muslims as well as the Islam of that tribe] created a good impression throughout Arabia.

One of his wives was Maymunah, whose name was Barrah Bint al- Harith al-Hilaliyyah. She was the one who gifted herself to the Prophet after the death of her second husband, Abu Ruhm Ibn ‘Abdi al-‘Uzza (al-‘Amiri). The Prophet then married her, and a verse was revealed regarding her marriage.

Also, he married Umm Habibah, i.e., Ramlah daughter of Abu Sufyan. She was married to ‘Ubaydullah Ibn Jahsh and had emigrated with him to Abyssinia in the second Migration. While there, ‘Ubaydullah was converted to Christianity, but she remained steadfastly on Islam; while her father, Abu Sufyan, in those days, was gathering army after army to annihilate the Muslims. Therefore, the Prophet married her and afforded protection to her.

Hafsah Bint ‘Umar was married to him after her husband, Khunays Ibn Hudhafah, was killed in Badr, and she was left a widow.

And he married ‘A’ishah Bint Abu Bakr, and she was a virgin.

When one looks at these details, and ponders on what we have mentioned above regarding the Prophet’s life from his early days to the end, and on his self-denial and rejection of worldly embellishments, and his exhortation to his wives to do the same, one can have no doubt that the marriages which he had contracted with these women were not like those done by other people. And to it the benevolence with which he treated the womanhood, revived their rights which the centuries of ignorance and barbarism had put to sleep, and restored their prestige and honour in the society. [He was so much concerned with women’s welfare that] reportedly the last words he uttered were addressed to the men about their women. He had said: “(Be careful about) prayer, (be careful about) prayer; and (about) what your right hands possess, do not impose on them what they have no strength for; (fear) Allah, (fear) Allah about the women, because they are helpless in your hands ...”

His behaviour was matchless in dealing equitably with his wives, living with them gracefully and paying regard to their feelings and wishes (as we shall describe some aspects of it when writing on his characteristics in the coming discourses, God willing.) As for the permission to marry more than four, it was, like the fasting continuously for two days without any break at night, an order exclusively reserved for the Prophet - the ummah was prohibited it. It was these especial characteristics - and the fact that all people were clearly aware of them - that did not have any room for objection to his enemies, although they were always on the lookout for some openings to attack him.

  • 1. Twenty-five years, to be exact. (tr.)