historical circumstances. When Muhammad was twenty-five years old he
married for the first time. His wife, Khadijah, was fifteen years
older than him. She remained the only wife of the prophet for the next
twenty-five years, until she died (may Allah be pleased with her).
Only after her death did the prophet marry other women. Now, it is
obvious that if the prophet was after physical pleasure he did not
have to wait until he was more than fifty years old to start marrying
more wives. He lived in a society in which it was quite acceptable to
have many wives. But the prophet remained devoted to his only wife for
twenty-five years. When she died she was sixty-five years old.
His later marriages were for various reasons. Some marriages were with
the view to help the women whose husbands had been killed while they
were defending their faith. Others were with a view to cement
relationships with devoted followers like Abu Bakr, may Allah be
pleased with him. Yet others were to build bridges with various tribes
who were otherwise at war with theMuslims. When the prophet became
their relative through marriage,their hostilities calmed down, and
much bloodshed was averted.
Recent non-Muslim writers who had the opportunity to study the life of
the prophet first-hand reached a similar conclusion about his plural
marriages. John L. Esposito, Professor of Religion and Director of the
Center for International Studies at the College of the Holy Cross,
says that most of these marriages had"political and social motives"
(Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University Press, 1988, p. 19). This
he explained as follows:
As was customary for Arab chiefs, many were political marriages to
cement alliances. Others were marriages to the widows of his
companions who had fallen in combat and werein need of protection
(John L. Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, pp.19-20).
Esposito reminds us of thefollowing historical fact:
Though less common, polygyny was also permitted in biblical and even
in post-biblical Judaism. From Abraham, David, and Solomon downto the
reformation period,polygyny was practiced (p.19).
Another non-Muslim Caesar F. Farah writes as follows:
In the prime of his youth and adult years Muhammad remained thoroughly
devoted to Khadijah and would have none other for consort. This was an
age that looked upon plural marriages with favor and in a society that
in pre-biblical and post-biblical days considered polygamy an
essential feature of social existence. David had six wives and
numerous concubines (2 Samuel 5:13; 1 Chronicles 3:1-9, 14:3) and
Solomon was said to have had as many as 700 wives and 300 concubines
(1 Kings 11:3). Solomon's son Rehoboam had 18 wives and 60 concubines
(2 Chronicles 11:2 1). The New Testament contains no specific
injunction against plural marriages. It was commonplace for the
nobility among the Christians and Jews to contract plural marriages.
Luther spoke of it with toleration (Caesar E. Farah,Islam: Beliefs and
Observances, 4th edition, Barron's, U.S. 1987, p. 69).
Caesar Farah then concluded that Muhammad's plural marriages were
due"partly to political reasonsand partly to his concern for the wives
of his companions who had fallen in battle defending the nascent
Islamic community" (p.69).
When people hear that the prophet had many wives they conclude without
much thought that the prophet was a sensuous man. However, a quick
historical review of his marriages, proves otherwise. May Allah shower
peace and blessings upon His noble messenger.
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