Why The Prophet
Muhammad صلی الله
عليه وسلم Married More Women Than Allowed To His
Ummah:
الحمدلله
رب العالمين والصلوة
والسلام على اشرف
الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين
نبينا محمد صل
ا لله عليه وعلى
آله واصحابه وازواجه
اجمعين - امابعد
All the praises
and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation
to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah
be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.
(1) He was Messenger for the men of the Children of Aadam (AS) and was equally
Messenger for their women. So, it was necessary that some women remain in his
company forever and learn different things from him to teach them to the other
women. They may preach to their fellow women. That is why the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) married more women then he had allowed to his people.
(2) The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had greater physical and spiritual strength
compared to other people. He used to fast for days together but he did not
allow that to his Ummah. His companions protested that he used to observe
fasting for days together, so he said;
"Which of you is like me?"
"I spend the night with my Lord (in prayer). He feeds me and gives me
drink."
(3) The Christians and others have grossly misunderstood the marriages of the
prophet Muhammad (SAW). The main purpose for which he married was compassion
and mercy for the women. He also had in view the getting together of different
people. There were also numerous political and religious expediencies.
However, the antagonists of Islaam ascribe it to sensual desires (May Allaah
protect us from these views). History tells us that the prophet Muhammad (SAW)
when he married to the first time at the age of twenty-five, was KNOWN to the
Arabs for his CHASTITY and ABSTINENCE. He did not marry again for another
twenty-five years as long as Sayyidah Khadijah (RA) was alive. This in spite of
the fact that the Arabs had no restriction on the number of wives and no
condition was attached to that. Thus, those people who look at a good thing
from a wrong angle must look for the reasons behind the Prophet's (SAW)
marriages. The Prophet (SAW) did not marry more than one woman at a time until
he was fifty-five years old. If anyone can be
subject to sensual urge then it is when he is young when youthful sentiments
are at their peak. However, he was so content at the age of youth with one wife
that he did not give a second thought to reject the offer of the Quraish to
raise him as their chief and give him the most beautiful of their girls in
marriage.
It is a universally accepted fact that a man is over
powered with sensuality at his youth but the worst of the Prophet's (SAW) enemies
concede that at that time he was an example of INNOCENCE, UPRIGHTNESS and
PURITY. Therefore, the blame on him that he married a great number of women to
satisfy his fleshy desires is scandalous.
(4) There was an immense change of attitude in the initial stage of the Prophet
(SAW) life and in the final stages. In the earlier period of his preaching, it
is true that the infidels were harsh on the Muslims and released hardship and
difficulties on them, but the ties of relationship had not been severed. Those
people who were respectable in society and well to do were comparatively safe
from the onset of the unbelievers and their ties with each other remained as
they had been. One of the daughters of the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) was
married to an unbeliever. The daughter of Abu Bakr (RA) *Ayshah (RA) was
engaged to an unbelieving young man, "Jubays bin Muta'm", but Muta'm
broke off the engagement fearing that his son might embrace the new religion.
It was after this that Sayyidah Ayshah (RA) married to the Prophet Muhammad
(SAW). Gradually, however, there was change of attitude and relations between
the two sides came to be severed. It came to such a pass that if a Muslim woman
came into the hands of the unbelievers she was sure to be put to death. Then, with
the Hijrah (migration), of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) [to Medinah] there was a
complete snapping of ties, and it was necessary for Muslim girls and widows
that they marry only Muslim men.
It is in the light of this background that we must examine the various
marriages of the Prophet (SAW) with the exception of Sayyidah Ayshah (RA) all
the wives of the prophet Muhammad (SAW) were WIDOWS. We will separate them in
groups and say something about them. The first comprises those women who had
migrated to Habsh (Abyssinia) or Madinah with their husbands, and the second
those women who were daughters of the chiefs of some tribe or widows of those
chiefs who were killed in fighting. We will mention them in the same sequence
in which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had married them. After the death of Sayyidah
Khadijah (RA) the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had married Sayyidah Sawdah (RA). Her
husband and she had migrated to Abyssinia in the earlier days and her husband
died there. When she came back, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) married her.
Then, he married Hafsah (RA) daughter of Sayydina Umar (RA). She too had
migrated with her husband and when she was widowed, Sayyidina Umar (RA) first
proposed that Sayyidina Uthman (RA) marry her and then he asked Sayyidina Abu
Bakr (RA) but both of them turned down the proposal. She was then married to
the Messenger of Allaah (SAW). The fact that Umar (RA) approached Uthman (RA)
and Abu Bakr (RA) with proposal suggests how difficult things were for the
Muslims.
Next, he married Umm Salamah (RA) who was also one of those who migrated with
her husband in the first batch that went to Abyssinia to avoid the atrocities
of the Makkah infidels; her husband had died from an old wound that he had
suffered in the war.
After Umm Salamah (RA) he married Umm Habibah (RA). She was the daughter of the
chief of Quraysh, Abu Sufyan. She was one of those who had migrated to
Abyssinia in the 2nd batch, she had gone with her husband but he had become an
apostate converting to Christianity. He died few days after that. However, she
remained a staunch Muslim and was married to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The Prophet (SAW) then married Zaynab bint Jahash (RA). Her husband, Zayd bin
Harith (RA) did not see eye to eye with one another. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
then married to Zaynab bint Khuzaymah (RA) who was known as Umm al-Masakeen.
Her husband was martyred in the Battle of Uhud and she too died in the presence
of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) about four months after her marriage to him.
Ummal Mumineen as the wives of the Prophet (SAW) are known--- Maymonah (RA) was
also one of those who had migrated. After she was widowed, the Prophet (SAW)
married her.
The wives of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) found in this list had embraced Islaam
at the initial stage and had to migrate when they were oppressed and prosecuted
by the disbelievers and they sought refuge in the country of their migration.
They were all of the noble families of the Quraysh. One the one hand they had
given up their homes, property, and comfort and left their native land only for
the sake of religion Islaam. To top it, they suffered another difficulty when
their husbands who earned their livelihood died in foreign lands or was
martyred in war/s. Their utter helplessness may well be imagined. Was it proper
that they should be handed over to the infidels who might have killed them? Or,
should they have been left to themselves to die in misery without anyone asking
for them?
No! Islaam could not leave them alone---- they who had suffered for religion!
They could not be left to mend for themselves. They could not have surrendered
to the enemies to molest them and kill them. It was their helplessness that
prompted the Messenger of Allaah (SAW) to have MERCY on them and take them as
his wives thereby HONORING them for above the worldly honor and respect they
had surrendered when they became Muslims.
Juwayriyah (RA) and Safiyah (RA) were among the daughters of chiefs of tribes.
They had been arrested during the wars and were in Muslim hands. The former was
the widow of an unbeliever who was killed in war.
She was given to Thabit bin Qays (RA) when the booty of the war was divided as
part of his share of the booty. He demanded a huge ransom to release her, which
she could not offer. So, she approached the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), narrated
her predicament to him, and told him that she was the daughter of the chief of
her tribe. The Messenger of Allaah, did not think it wise to return her to her
people and it was against the sense of honor of the Arabs that she should marry
anyone below her status. Accordingly, the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) paid ransom on
her behalf and married her.
As for Sayyidah Safiyah (RA) she was taken prisoner in the Battle of Khyber. It
was Dihyah who first requested the Prophet (SAW) that one of the captive women
be handed over to him, and he suggested that Dihyah pick up one he wished to
have. Dihyah picked-up Safiyah (RA). His companions informed the Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) that she was the daughter of the chief and it was not proper
that anyone other than him married her. So, he married her.
It is very clear from the last tow marriages of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that
his aim in marrying them was that their people desist from mischief. The brides
who had spent ages in warfare may unite at least. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
succeeded in achieving the desired results.
(5) The Divine Decree in Glorious Quraan exempted Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from
the same law that is decreed for his Ummah i.e., marry up to four wives, if one
can afford.
Exemption from regular marriage laws for Prophet
Muhammad (SAW)
Glorious Quraan 33:51!
تُرْجِي
مَن تَشَاء مِنْهُنَّ
وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ
مَن تَشَاء وَمَنِ
ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ
عَزَلْتَ فَلَا
جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ
ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى
أَن تَقَرَّ أَعْيُنُهُنَّ
وَلَا يَحْزَنَّ
وَيَرْضَيْنَ
بِمَا آتَيْتَهُنَّ
كُلُّهُنَّ وَاللَّهُ
يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي
قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَانَ
اللَّهُ عَلِيماً
حَلِيماً
TURJE
MAN TASHAA' MIN -HUNNA WA- TU'WE 'ILAY -KA MAN TASHAA' WA- MAN IBTAGHAYTA MIN MAN
cAZALTA FA- LAA JUNAAH. cALAY -KA DHAALIKA ADNAA 'AN TAQARR AcYUN -HUNNA WA-
LAA YAH.ZANNA WA- YARD.AYNA BI- MAA 'AATAYTA -HUNNA KULL -HUNNA WA- 'ALLAAH
YAcLAM MAA FE QULOB -KUM WA- KAANA 'ALLAAH cALEM(AN) H.ALEM(AN)
You
(O Muhammad SAW) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives),
and you may receive whom you will. And whomsoever you desire of those whom you
have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her
again), that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may all
be pleased with what you give them. Allah knows what is in your hearts. And
Allah is Ever AllKnowing, Most Forbearing.