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The Philosophy of Marriages of
Prophet Muhammad (P)
INTRODUCTION
In the early part of eighteenth century, the Christian writers started
with new tactics of attacking Islam. They aimed, through publications full
of lies and slanders, at diverting attention from the noble framework of
Islam and degrading the exalted perrson of The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him and his progeny). The basis of that adverse propaganda were
the books written by Christian writers of the fifteenth century. A writer
had written a book under the title "Refutation to the Religion of Muhammad"
which became the source of later writers against Islam. These writers were
unacquainted with the real facts about lslam, due to their ignorance of
the Arabic language in which Islamic history and holy books were then available.
It is not strange, therefore, to see them writing against the Prophet
of Islam, accusing him of lust because he had married a number of wives,
whilst other Muslims were restricted to a maximum of four at a time. (They
perhaps forgot that the writers of the present Bible have openly accused
their own Prophets of having committed adultery!) Of course, by misinforming
their Christian brothers, and slandering the Prophet of Islam, they hoped
to cause a set-back in the fast progress of Islam. But these tactics did
not succeed much. We find a number of learned and fair-minded Christian
writers defending the Holy Prophet against such slanders, in apologetic
language. Undoubtedly these stories of slanders are totally unacceptable
to the Muslims, since part of their faith is to believe in the infallibillity
('Ismat or Sinlessness) of the Prophets.But at the same time it is imperative
to acquaint the non-Muslims with the true facts.
VERDICT OF HISTORY
Unbiased historians, both Muslims and Christians, are agreed that
the number of marriages contracted by the Prophet of Islam was not as a
result of lust or to satisfy the sexual desires. If this had been the case,
he would not have married the twice widowed Khadijah, 40 years old, at
the youthful age of 25 when one is full of emotion and sexual urge. Prophet
Muhammad (s.a.w) lived together with his first (and, at that time, only)
wife, Khadijah happily for 26 years with great mutual affection, despite
the fact that young and beautiful girls of Arabia were easily available
to him and were keen to be married to the Prophet. Not even once, during
that period, did the Prophet take another wife. Undoubtedly he would have
at least considered another younger wife simultaneously with Khadijah if
he ever suffered from lust and fondness of young women, particularly when
the country's customs wholly approved unlimited marriages.
CRITICS DUMBFOUNDED
Let us look at the life history of the Prophet of Islam. During the
prime of his life, he remains satisfied with an aged and twice-widowed
wife, and does not even think of another. Then during the last ten years
of his life, after passing the age of fifty, in his old age, when he is
surrounded by various difficult problems of the newly-born Islamic State,
he starts marrying a number of wives.Ask these Christian writers why this
phenomenon?What logical answer can these critics give to this amazing question?
Was it not a difficult exercise and heavy burden to marry widows and support
their orphans? Was it easy for a perfectly dignified man in the person
of Muhammad (s.a.w.) to marry women of different outlook, characters and
tribes, including some of much younger age who were still unaware of the
full responsibilities of life? Let us ponder over the reply to these questions
as given by a famous western historian, Thomas Carlyle in his book ''Heroes
and Heroes Worship". He says in effect that contrary to what his enemies
accuse him, Muhammad was never lusty and sexualist and that it was a slander
only out of prejudice against him and this indeed is a great injustice.
John Devenport says, "and it may then be asked, is it likely that a very
sensual man, of a country where polygamy was a common practice, should
be contented fo twenty five years with one wife, she being fifteen years
older than himself"
.
LIST OF WIVES OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM
After the death of his first wife, Khadijah, he married upto twelve
wives in this order:-
(1) Sawdah
(2) 'A'ishah
(3) Umm-Salamah
(4) Hafsah
(5) Zaynab bin -Khuzaymah
(6) Zaynab bint-Jabsh
(7) Umm-Habibah (Ramla)
(8) Maymunah
(9) Zaynab bint-'Umais
(10) Juwayriyah
(11) Safiyah
(12) Khawlah bint-Hakim
Let us examine the circumstances and conditions under which these
marriages had taken place. In principle, it can be stated that the marriages
were contracted with one or more of the following objectives:-
(1) For the sake of caring for the orphans and looking after the
poor widows. These were some Muslim women who had earlier enjoyed high
dignity in the Arab society. But on the death of their husbands their status
and even faith were in jeopardy, because their tribal chiefs would take
them back and compel them to renounce lslam. Thus converting them back
to polytheism.For example, Sawdah had migrated to Abyssinia where her husband
died, and she became absolutely without helper. It was the time when the
Prophet had lost Khadijah, his first wife; so he married Sawdah.
Likewise, Zaynab daughter of Khuzaymah, was an old-aged widow, who
after the death of her husband was inflicted with poverty, despite her
being amiable and being known as Ummul-Masakih (Mother of the poor). The
Prophet married her to uphold her dignity and she died of old age only
after two years of that marriage.
(2) For the sake of enacting a new law and eradicating injustice
by the ignorant tribes. For example, Zaynab bint-Jabsh was the daughter
of the Prophet's aunt. She was married, at the recommendation of the Prophet,
to Zayd ibn-Harithah, the freed slave and adopted son of the Prophet. This
marriage was contracted to eradicate the discrimination against slaves
and poor and to emphasize the lslamic equality and brotherhood, as Zaynab
was from the family of 'Abd al-Muttalib, the grandfather of the Holy Prophet
and the Chief of Quraysh, whereas Zayd was a slave who was freed by the
Prophet.
Unfortunately, Zaynab due to her family pride, did not get along
well with Zayd despite the Prophet's persuations. The rift between the
two culminated into divorce. Meanwhile, the system of adoption of children
was expressly forbidden by AIlah. So, when Zayd divorced Zaynab, the Prophet
of lslam, at the express command of God, married Zaynab; and, thus, put
an end to the then prevalent belief that adopted sons were like real sons
and that wives or widows of adopted sons were like daughters-in-laws.
(3) For the sake of freeing prisoners and slaves. For example, 'Juwayriyah'
was from a prominent tribe of Banuh -Mustalaq. In a war against Islam this
tribe was defeated; and Juwayriyah, the daughter of their Chief, was held
in captivity. The Prophet married her to set an example of protection and
good treatment to prisoners of war. On seeing that the prisoners had become
relatives of the Holy Prophet by marriage, the Muslims released all the
prisoners of war held by them. According to lbne Hisham, over one hundred
families of Banul-Mustalaq were freed from captivity as a result of this
marriage.
(4) For the sake of uniting some prominent Arab tribes who often
were at logger heads with each other and to safeguard the internal political
status of lslam. The Prophet married 'A'ishah daughter of Abu Bakr from
the tribe of Bani Tim, Hafsah daughter of 'Umar ibn AI-Khattab from the
tribe of Adi, Umm-Habibah daughter of Abu Sufyan from the tribe of Umayyah,
Safiyah daughter of Huaiy bin Akhtab of the Jewish tribe of Bani an-Nadir,
and Maymunah from the tribe of Bani- Makhzum.
Umm-Habibah (i.e. Ramla) was daughter of Abu Sufyan of Bani Umayyah
who was the bitterest enemy of the Prophet and had repeatedly fought
against him. She, as a Muslim, was in great distress since she was divorced
from her original husband (who had become a Christian in Abyssinia) and
her father was a great enemy of Islam. Seeing her deprived of every help
from parent and divorced from husband, the Prophet married her in sympathy.
This marriage also gave a chance to the people of Bani Umayyah to soften
their hearts for Islam.
Safiyah was widowed daughter of Huaiy bin Akhtab, one of the chiefs
of a Jewish tribe of Bani an- Nadir,When the prisoners of this tribe were
released by the Muslims, the Prophet married her in order to safeguard
her status and, thus, also linking himself with one of the great Jewish
tribesof that time and paving the way for them to come nearer to Islam.
Maymunah was 51 years of age and from a prominent tribe of Bani Makhzom
whom the Prophet married in the year 7 after Hijrah.
The above marital history of the Prophet clearly shows the noble
aim and objectives for which he married a number of wives. It is not difficult
to see that none of these marriages was for personal satisfaction of sexual
desires as unjustifiably accused by the Christian writers. Also, it is
important to remember that all of these marriages, except that with 'A'ishah,
were contracted with women who were widowed not only once, but often twice
or thrice.
