The Prophet Muhammad had 12 wives for political, social, and religious reasons rather than lust. He first married Khadijah at age 25 and remained with her for 25 years until her death when he was 52. After a period of mourning, he married several more times to spread Islam, strengthen bonds with companions, reward widows and divorcees, serve as a role model, and form alliances with other groups. His marriages were not unusual for the times and helped advance Islam in various ways rather than being motivated by lust.

1. In the name of Allah, Most Merciful,
Most Compassionate

2. Why did the Prophet Mohammad
(PBUH) have many wives?

3. If someone asks you that question,
either in a good or in a bad intention,
will you be able to answer?

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

5. Let’s first ask ourselves,
how many wives did the Prophet had?

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

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

8. 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 Akhtab
Ommo Habibah Ramlah Bint Abi Sofian
Maria Bint Shamoun, the Egyptian
Maymonah Bint Alharith

9. Did the Prophet’s (PBUH) wives married
someone for the first time
(i.e. were they all virgins)?

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

11. Were they all Arabs?

12. All, except for Mariya, who was from
Egypt.

13. Where they all Muslims?

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

15. Now, let’s answer the main and very important
question: Was it lust that caused the prophet
(PBUH) to have so many marriages?

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

17. 1-The Prophet married for the first
time when he was 25 years old.

18. 2-The first woman he married , Khadijah was 40
years old already married twice before him and had
children. He stayed married to her alone for 25
years, until she died. He stayed single after her
death for two years in grief and mourning over
her death. He was then 52 years old.

19. 3-From 52 till 60, he married several times for political
and social reasons, not for lust (Naooz Billah(….
After two years of living single , he married Sawdah, an
80 year old widow in order to honor her because she
was the first widow in Islam.
Not an act of a lustful man after a period of living single.

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

21. There is only one conclusion we can extract
from the above:
1-Mohammad (PBUH) the man married Khadijah
2-Mohammad (PBUH) the Prophet married the
rest of his wives.

22. But , was Mohammad (PBUH( the only
Prophet to have multiple wives?
Or polygamy was taken by other
Prophets as well?

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

24. Now, let’s mention the political, social
and religious reasons the prophet
(PBUH) had these marriages.

25. First: To spread the culture through eyewitnesses with
all the details known only to intimate people. Hazrat
Aaishah (R.A), being so young, was able to tell all
those details to the Muslims for more than 42 years.
She had seen and learnt so much from him. Her
young age was a great advantage in this respect. She
could tell what the Prophet (pbuh) used to do or say
in all aspects of life, so that people do and say the
same in the similar situations…

26. Hazrat Aaishah (R.A), was the most knowledgeable
person when it comes to the daily life of the
Muslims and how it should go as was lived by the
Prophet (PBUH) himself . But how can he (PBUH)
married her when she was only nine years old? The
desert climate answers to that.
In such environment Girls reached youth very
young. Not only in Arabia, but also in Roma and
Persia, girls were married that young

27. Second:To strengthen the relationships with his
companions, he married Abi Bakr’s daughter and
Omar's sister, married his daughters to Othman
and Ali, May God be pleased with them all.

28. Third: out of mercy and rewarding the early Muslim
widows and divorcees he (PBUH) gave them the honor of
marrying them himself (Husbands either died in battles
or were non Muslims who divorced them.).
Sawdah, Om-salama and Habeebah were widows.

29. Fourth: The Prophet (PBUH) was being a role model
for the Muslims being kind to the widows and to the
people of the book who newly embraced Islam.
He (PBUH) married Safiyah after her father , a Jew,
embraced Islam , so giving him and his daughter the
honor among his people

30. Fifth: He (PBUH) wanted to have ties and links with the
different nations of the world. When he married Mariya, all
Egyptians were on his side, and when he married
Gowayriyah, all herpeople (they were called the Bani
Almustalaq and were captured by the Muslims aftera
battle),, they all embraced Islam

31. I wish this makes you more assured and able take
a stand up to allegations against the Prophet (PBUH).
May peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you all.