The prophet's wives

In the name of Allah, MostMerciful, Most Compassionate

Why did the ProphetMohammad have many wives?

- .... - If someone asks you thatquestion, either in a good orin a bad intention, will you be able to answer?

Here is the answer, as givenin a lecture by Amro Khalid about the Mothers of the believers ( the Prophet’s wives )

- - Let’s first ask ourselves, how many wives did the Prophet marry?

- - They were twelve. When he died there were ten wives with him, while Khadija and Zaynab died in his life

But do you know their names, the names of your mothers, the mothers of the believers?

They are: Khadijah Bint Khuwaylid Sawdah Bint Zamaah Aaishah Bint Abi Bakr Hafsah Bint Omar Zainab Bint Khuzaymah Om-salamah , Hind Bint Otbah Zainab Bint Jahsh Juwayriyah Bint Alharith Safiyah Bint Huyay Ibn AkhtabOmmo Habibah Ramlah Bint Abi Sofian Maria Bint Shamoun, the Egyptian Maymonah Bint Alharith

Were they all virgins?

- - Only one, Aaishah, all the rest were either widows or divorced.

Were they all Arabs?

All, except for Mariya, who was from Egypt.

Where they all Muslims?

All but two; Safiya whowas a Jew , and Mariya who was a Christian.

- -Now, let’s answer the main and very important question: Was it lust thatcaused the prophet to have so many marriages?

- - - - - - - - -

To answer the question we have to mention the following facts:

1- The Prophet married forthe first time when he was25 years old. Too old forsomeone who is driven bylust.

2- The first woman he married ,Khadijah was 40 years oldalready married twice before himand had children. He stayedmarried to her alone for 25 years,until she died. He stayed singleafter her death for two years ingrief and mourning over herdeath. He was then 52 years old.

3- From 52 till 60, he marriedseveral times for political andsocial reasons.After tow years of living single ,he married Sawdah, an 80 yearold widow in order to honor herbecause she was the first widowin Islam. Not an act of a lustfulman after a long period of singlelife.

It’s not logical to say that lusthad appeared suddenly at the Prophet’s life at 52, and at the middle of the fierce physical and psychological struggle to spread Islam

- - ( ) .1 ( ) .2There is only one conclusion we can extract from the above: 1- Mohammad the man married Khadijah2- Mohammad the Prophet married

- -But , was Mohammad the only Prophet to have multiple wives? Orpolygamy was taken byother Prophets as well?

-- The answer is : NO. Polygamy was the norm at the times of Ibrahim, Dawoud, Solayman, all known in the Bible to have been polygamists.

Now, let’s mention thepolitical, social and religiousreasons why did the prophet had these marriages.

- – - -First: To spread the culture through eyewitnesses with all the details known only to intimate people. Aaishah , being so young, was able to tell all those details to the Muslims formore than 42 years. She had seen and learned so much from him. Her young age was a great advantage in this respect. She could tell what the Prophet used to do or say in all aspects of life, so that people do and say the same in the same situations

- - Aaishah , was the most knowledgeable person when it comes to the daily life of the Muslim and how it should go as was lived by theProphet himself . But how come he married her when she was only nine years old? The desert climate answers to that . In such environment Girls reached menstruation very young. Not only in Arabia, but also in Roma and Persia, girls were married that young

Second: To strengthen the relationships withhis companions, he married Abi Bakr’sdaughter and Omars sister, married hisdaughters to Othman and Ali, May God bepleased with them all.

- -Third: out of mercy and rewarding to theearly Muslim widows and divorcees hegave them the honor of marrying themhimself (Husbands either died in battles or were non Muslims who divorced them.). Sawdah, Om-salama and Habeebah were widows.

Fourth: The Prophet was being a role modelfor the Muslims being kind to the widows and to the people of the book who newly embraced Islam. He married Safiyah afterher father , a Jew, embraced Islam , so giving him and his daughter the honor among his people

- -Fifth: He wanted to have ties and links withthe different nations of the world. When hemarried Mariya, all Egyptians were on hisside, and when he married Gowayriyah, all her people (they were called the Bani Almustalaq and were captured by theMuslims after a battle),, they all embraced Islam

I wish I had given you what makesyou more assured and able to stand up to such allegations. May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all.

PRAY FOR ME.

The prophet's wives

by Raja Waseem Akhtar

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