The Wisdom and Reasons Behind Prophet Muhammad’s Marriages
The Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married a total of eleven (11) times in his life. When he departed from this world, nine (9) wives were in his bond; two wives had passed away during his lifetime. He undertook all these marriages for various reasons and purposes. However, some opponents of Islam, objecting to the personality and esteemed being of the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), claim that he contracted so many marriages because he was lustful. Ma’adh Allah (God forbid), we cannot even think of such a thing in relation to our beloved Prophet (ﷺ). But if an opponent holds such a view or spreads such talk among people in society, it is our responsibility to respond. With this objective in mind, an attempt is being made in the following lines to answer the question: why did the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) contract so many marriages? What were the underlying reasons, causes, and objectives?
1. It was with Allah’s permission:
In other words, whatever happened was from Allah; the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) did not do it of his own accord. As long as this permission existed, he (ﷺ) married, and when Allah withdrew this permission, he (ﷺ) did not contract any further marriages. As Allah has said:
{لَا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَائُ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَلَا أَنْ تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰي كُلِّ شَيْئٍ رَقِيبًا}
"Not lawful to you, [O Muhammad], are any women after this, nor that you should change them for other wives, even though their beauty pleased you, except what your right hand possesses. And ever is Allah, over all things, an Observer."
[Al-Ahzab: 52]
And it is an established fact that when Allah has given permission for something or commanded an act, then it is not for a servant to question or challenge it. When Allah forbade him (ﷺ), he did not contract any more marriages. If, Ma’adh Allah, the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was merely lustful, then why did he not marry further? He could have if he had wanted to, but since it was forbidden by Allah, he (ﷺ) did not. For those who wish to understand, this point alone is sufficient.
2. To even think such a thing about the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) is in itself an act of insolence:
For a personality whose greatness is such that even the Lord praises him, to make such wrong comments or use such meaningless words is nothing but insolence. A Muslim, in particular, should not let even the slightest trace of such a thing enter his mind, because the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was perfect and complete in every respect. To think that he (ﷺ) was lustful, na’udhu billah (we seek refuge in Allah), is folly, foolishness, and utter insolence, which can and does put a person’s faith in danger.
3. He spent the golden years of his youth with only one wife:
Imagine, the personality who is being accused of lustfulness (Ma’adh Allah), could he spend twenty-five (25) precious and priceless years of his youth with only one woman? The whole of history is a witness to the fact that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married Hazrat Khadijah (RA) at the age of twenty-five (25) and remained with her until the age of fifty (50), and he did not take another wife while she was alive. If one wishes to understand, this one point is sufficient for a person of understanding; otherwise, even a mountain of evidence is not enough for one who refuses to understand.
4. His first marriage was also to a widow:
The Prophet who at times would teach his companions to marry a virgin girl because there is more pleasure and delight in it, yet when that same Prophet marries for the first time in his life, he marries a widow. Can any lustful person ever think of doing such a thing? A bachelor, or even a married man, seeks a virgin girl. But may we be sacrificed for the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), who, by his first marriage to a widow, gave a message to the world and his Ummah that “I am the benefactor of humanity, the mercy to the worlds, one who makes things easy, one who cares for people, not a lustful or ignorant person.”
5. Except for one, none of his wives were virgins:
You (ﷺ) married several women, and among them, all except Mother Aisha (RA) were either divorced or their husbands had passed away. If the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was lustful, Ma’adh Allah, could he have even thought of doing such a thing? No, and certainly not. This shows that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), by the grace of Allah, was an absolutely pure and excellent human being, and based on this humanity, he (ﷺ) prioritized marrying such women.
If we pause here and talk about another thing, some people also make an issue of the Noble Prophet’s (ﷺ) marriage to Mother Aisha (RA), questioning how and why he married a nine-year-old girl. Whereas, if one considers it, according to the character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), this does not even constitute an issue. And if it were an issue, the first right to object and make it a problem would have belonged to the polytheists of Makkah, his opponents, and the enemies of Islam of that era. However, the books of history and Seerah (biography) tell us that among all such people present in the prophetic era, no one questioned or objected to his (ﷺ) personality in this regard because it was a common custom in their society for a girl to reach maturity by this age and be married off. The same happened here: the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married Mother Aisha (RA) at the age of six (6) and she came to live with him (ﷺ) at the age of nine (9). This was not a matter of objection or an issue from any angle, which is why no such concern is seen from the polytheists of Makkah or the Jews.
6. The intention was to strengthen relations with people through kinship and in-law ties:
The people of Arabia used to have great respect for in-law relationships; this bond was held in high esteem and honor in their society. The Noble Prophet (ﷺ) also contracted various marriages so that when an in-law relationship was established with a family, relations with them would also strengthen. In such a situation, the work of Da’wah and Tabligh (inviting to Islam) among them would become easier, and if there was any threat from them, it would be reduced or eliminated. And in this, a great deal of success was achieved and the objective was also met.
7. Despite being from the highest clan, he married women from different tribes:
The Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was a member of the best of clans; he belonged to the esteemed Banu Hashim branch of the Quraysh tribe. But despite being a member of the highest clan, the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married women from different tribes in order to strengthen his foundation by connecting with different families and tribes and reinforcing his ties with them. This way, we would also get help from the side of the enemies, in that the enemy would not dare to attack. If, Ma’adh Allah, the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was lustful or, na’udhu billah, hungry for women, would he have contented himself with eleven (11), or why would he have gone to different tribes to marry? By marrying women from different families, he (ﷺ) gave the message that it is not necessary for a marriage to be with a girl or boy from one’s own family; rather, marriage should be based on piety and excellent character, and he (ﷺ) taught the same.
8. The objective was to prepare a team of female teachers who would learn women’s specific issues and explain them among women:
The Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was a leader, a teacher, a mentor, a guide. People would come to him to ask for solutions to their problems. Women also used to come, but the constraint with women is that they possess more modesty and shyness, and they have more specific issues compared to men. If a problem ever arose, whom should they go to, whom should they ask? If they go to the Prophet, he has his own status, then there is modesty and shyness, and the question is also a private one. Therefore, the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) contracted so many marriages so that a team of female teachers could be prepared to provide education and training to women, who could directly address their private and specific issues. And so it happened. If you look at the hadiths, most of the issues related to women are narrated by the wives of the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), and particularly by Mother Aisha (RA). After his (ﷺ) life, women would come to the Mothers of the Believers (RA) and find solutions to their problems. The result was that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ), through his wives, provided an excellent team of female teachers, especially for women, who learned the specific issues of women from the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) and narrated them.
9. Religious wisdom aimed at eradicating some wrong customs and traditions of the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah):
In the era of ignorance, there were many self-made customs and traditions that had gained great status in society. One such custom or tradition was that people gave an adopted son the same status as a real son. They considered him an heir in inheritance, and if he passed away, they considered it forbidden to marry his wife. Now, Allah intended to end this wrong practice through the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) and created the means for it. What happened was that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) married his paternal cousin, Hazrat Zainab bint Jahsh (RA), to his freed slave and adopted son, Zayd ibn Harithah (RA). However, because there was a great difference in their family backgrounds and temperaments, the situation of divorce arose between them. But then, Allah the Almighty arranged the marriage of Hazrat Zainab bint Jahsh (RA) to His beloved Prophet (ﷺ), and the Qur’an in Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 37, has painted a complete picture of this: that the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) was afraid of the people of the society, wondering how it was possible for him to marry the wife of his adopted son, which was considered forbidden in that society. But Allah ended this wrong custom and said that you should fear Allah, not people, and that this custom has no reality. In this way, this marriage became a means and a cause for the abolition of a wrong tradition.
10. Political wisdom to incline other tribes towards Islam:
He (ﷺ) was a leader and a guide. He had to live his life among the people of the society, and he was on a mission from Allah. Now, how to complete this mission, what methods to adopt, what wisdom and expediency to employ so that this mission is completed and people enter Islam—the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) thought about all these things. And on this basis, he (ﷺ) also contracted so many marriages so that whichever tribe we form a relationship with, it is possible that the people of that tribe might accept faith or soften their stance towards Islam. And in this way, he (ﷺ) also achieved success, and several tribes entered the fold of Islam.
A Word from the Heart:
Objectors will object; those who spout nonsense will continue to do so. For those who wish to understand, a single point or piece of evidence is sufficient, and for those who do not, a treasure trove of evidence is of no use. Such critics have existed in every era and time, who have spoken, or rather barked, against the personality of the Noble Prophet (ﷺ) from one angle or another. We shouldn’t even engage with such people; such people are themselves humiliated and disgraced, and their words do not cause any deficiency in the honor of the Noble Prophet (ﷺ). In fact, Allah has promised to elevate his (ﷺ) honor and mention, and He continues to elevate it. And it is also a fact that the Lord of the Throne is sufficient against all such blasphemers. But since the matter concerns our Messenger (ﷺ), it becomes necessary, out of love for him, to answer such people. And then, one of the rights he (ﷺ) has over us is that we defend him, protect him, and if any stain is cast upon his honor, we give a full and complete response. We should make his noble biography (Seerah) common among people and explain the message of the Seerah to the people of the world.
May millions and billions of blessings and peace from Allah be upon the Holy Prophet (ﷺ).
وصلي الله على نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلي آله وصحبه أجمعين وسلم تسليما كثيرا إلى يوم الدين
(May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his family, and all his companions, with abundant peace until the Day of Judgment.)
By Hafiz Khalil-ur-Rehman Sanabali
Reference: https://ahlussunnah.net/?p=1727
