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Why did prophet Muhammed have too many wives?

Through my reading in Islamic history I found that prophet Muhammed had 11 wives + 2 female slaves (Maria & Reyhana). This is in addition to at leasst 18 other women whom prophet Muhammed proposed for marriage, engaged or was about to marry. Many muslims claim that the two reasons for prophet Muhammed to have such huge number of wives were: 1- To give shelter for widows. 2- For political reasons. I am still confused because for the second reason, many of the ex-hudbands of those wives were killed by prophet Muhammed himself during his wars, while for the second reason he would achieve his political goals without having to marry all those wives (most of them were under 20 while he was about 60). Does anyone know the real reasons for this? Lily Of course I agree with you about the problem with king (or prophet David), whom is considered a prophet by all religions. Do you mean that prophet Muhammed was following what prophet david did? so, where is the evolution then?

Public Comments

1. My guess is that he like all men just wanted as many women as he could. But then I am not muslim so I do not know much about him. As to him not committing adultery, he didn't have to he just married them.
2. Firstly, In Muhammad's time to be a widow was dangerous, and you had to have a husband to protect you. Also when Muhammad went to medinah to rule their city, it was full of tribes almost at civil war, so he married girls from different tribes so no tribes would believe that he was favoring one and not the other. In that time it was not unusual for women to marry at thirteen. His last wife was nine when he married her but they wouldn't of had sex until she had hit puberty,as that would of been viewed as immoral. p.s im not a muslim.
3. This question has some confusion appearing in “limited the marriage of Muslim men to only four women.” Every Muslim knows that Muhammad (pbuh) is a messenger whose basic task is to convey what has been revealed to him from God. He can not limit out of his own will and does not make something legal to himself. God the Almighty allowed Muslims to marry more than one woman, He says: “but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (the slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 3). Concerning the prophet (pbuh), God the Almighty said: “O Prophet (Muhammad (pbuh)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to whom you have paid their mahr (bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses – whom God has given to you, and the daughters of your khal (maternal uncles) and the daughters of your khalah (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you, and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet wishes to marry her – a privilege for you only, not for (the rest of) the believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their wives and those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, in order that there should be no difficulty on you. And God is Ever oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. You (O Mhammad 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. God knows what is in your hearts. And God is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing. It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even though their beauty attracts you, except those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses. And God is Ever a Watcher over all things”(Holy Qur’an: 4: 3). Examine the above holy verses which show that God the Almighty who allowed the prophet to marry the wives whom he had granted bridal-money, and God took the responsibility to explain that in order to silence all who talk about the messenger of God (pbuh), as if God the Almighty said, “We made you marry those women, and that is the original thing, i.e. God sent him to his creatures and he was being taken care of by God the Almighty as he was in his care in all of his matters, including marriage. We also see that in those holy verses, God the Almighty prevented him from marrying any more women after those whom he married by saying to him “It is not lawful for you (to marry other) women after this” i.e. those are your wives only, so you cannot marry other ones. So lawfulness and unlawfulness, permission and prevention are God’s concern, not the messenger’s. Polygamy was a common practice in the human and Arab environment before Islam; it was familiar to previous prophet and their followers. The prophet (pbuh) said that one of the prophets of the Jews, married one hundred wives, and Solomon (pbuh) married more than that. As to why the prophet married several women and limited Muslims to four, that was one of the specialties, i.e. it is not lawful for any other Muslim to imitate him in this. He has other specialties, like continuing to fast after sunset; when his companions continued their fast after sunset, he prohibited them by saying: “I am not like you, God provides me with food and drink;” and like the unlawfulness of his wives’ marriage after death, as they are the mothers of believers; and like the unlawfulness to marry more than his nine wives or divorce one of them. Pondering into his biography, we find that the prophet (pbuh) did not marry more than one until he emigrated to Medina, and that was after exceeding fifty three of his age, an age when, usually, no one marries for purely sexual purposes or desires. All the ladies whom he married in Medina were widows, except Aishahh; as was mentioned earlier, the prophet married these ladies for legislative and reformative purposes, including: 1. Spread of education: It suffices to know that half the society were women, and they needed culture and education exactly as men did and that are, two or three could not perform their role in transmission, education and guidance. Therefore, a group of women were indispensable to educate the other women of the society, especially in matters relating to women, as they feel shy to ask men about it. For example, it is cited in Bukhari and Muslim that Aysha reported that one Ansari woman asked the prophet about the after-menstruation-bath. The prophet told her what to do by saying: "Purify yourself with a piece of cloth scented with musk." The woman asked, "How shall I purify myself with it." The prophet felt shy to clarify it any further; at which appropriate time, I (Aysha) pulled the woman aside and told her: "Use the cloth to rub the place soiled with blood." The prophet’s various houses were centres for teaching women their religious rules, and especially to enlighten men about matters relating to women. Verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed in support of this by addressing the mothers of believers (the prophet’s wives): “And remember (O you the members of the Prophets family, the Graces of Your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of God and al-Hikmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to God and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the sunnah). Verily, God is Ever Most Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 34). 2. Completing the Legislation: The prophet (pbuh) married several women for legislative purposes, like abolishing the adoption custom , and contributing to the subject of relating the prophetic traditions, which are the second source of legislation after the Holy Qur’an. The prophet’s wives contributed to the narration and conveyance of every tradition they heard from him and every act of the messenger they saw. In this way, a big number of prophetic traditions reached the Muslim community through his wives. Narrators of the traditions mentioned that the number of hadith the prophet’s wives related were more than three thousands. 3. Achievement of solidarity: The prophet (pbuh) married women who had nobody to look after them, especially after they had lost husbands. He married them out of mercy, like the Makhzomite lady Hind Ummu Salamah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan and other ladies whose biographies had been mentioned in the biographies of the prophet (pbuh), which show us that his mercy (pbuh) upon women like these, his care for orphans, sponsorship of widows and consoling those inflicted with calamities. 4. Exemplification: The messenger of God (pbuh) is the good example and high ideal of good treatment of his wives and achievement of justice among them and respect of their opinions, helping them in their household works, and loyalty to those who died from them. Anyone who looks for a good example and a high idea in dealing with wives, he needs to learn about the guidance of the prophet (pbuh) in the books of his biography, which embodied and portrayed to us his life with his wives, as if we were living with him (pbuh) and in his homes.
4. I don't know, my friends told me that there are many women than men, so men actually can have many wives
5. Part is justified by the Arab morality of his time... I am not sure about his actual number of wives but he did restrict the number for all Muslims to the max of four and preferably just one. You will need to read a good biography and not just look up motivated sources to spite him. This is not to justify him but to give devil his due! Among Arabs prior to Muhammad women were like cattle, he did provide them considerable rights but not equality with men in all respects. They were rendered into spiritual units answerable to God prior to many other faiths achieved that. But this is no excuse to the way Muslims have largely suppressed women through history and continue to do so with much greater vigour in the present times.
6. To give women shelter, one doesnt have to marry. There are many other ways to do the same thing. Its believed that a girl aged 6 was also in the group that you have mentioned. Nothing justifies so many marriages. While Christianity is struggling to accept one marriage of Jesus, Islam accepts what the prophet did with the greatest ease. Ask the women in all honesty if this was acceptable. In truth she too will reject it. If asked in private and with no quotes. Men write and rule. The prophet ruled and continues to rule the fools who believe his doings without questioning. To justify his marriages its quoted that God gave him permission. During pre-Islamic era with other religions too polygamy was common. It was known for man to have several wives. And several kids. While there is open criticism about what man has done in other religions, weirdness of Islam and the even more weird minds of the people who follow that religion make it mandatory to accept his actions as gospel. Thus making the prophet with innumerable wives a point of praise.
7. muhammad (p.b.u.h) married the womens. he didnot have those relations those jews & christians think so. he has given the rules by allah what is right. why is it that jews and christians childs are mostly illicit. they do not have father. why they live a miserable life. the reason is that prophets are human .they have to follow the way allah/god tells so. enlighten your heart with love, affection and tolerance for other religion and prophets.
8. Very simple. Mohammad made the rules. He murdered so many people. Read history-Mohammad was a criminal who started Islam with a sword-become Muslim or die. It was a good witnessing tool. Islam started as a false religion for murderers and criminals to hide behind-it still is today-read the Koran. If Mohamad were alive today we would hunt him down like Osama-bin-camel-hockey and kill him.
9. you stated that you got this information through READING Islamic history. Apparently you don't read Arabic. I am sure if you could READ the KORAN your understanding would be quite clear. you would find out the truth by finding someone who could read it to you or go the a MOSQUE and talk to the IMAM.you will be welcomed.
10. When Prophet Muhammed came to preach about Islam, many people who were accustomed to worship other gods were offended thus it often resulted in war. and so many men who were killed left behind their wives and kids and since they were innocent and had no one to look after them. then it was made optional that men could marry more than 1 woman. but now days people try to use this to their own advantage which is a totall no no in islam. and a man can not just marry for the sake of it. there are some rules and criteria regaring polygamous relationships
11. are u muslim or jerks? why he got so many wife ? what u think of him dont read a book thats not original from history of muhammad it will pysco u r brain about him what i know is why he married so many wife is only 6 not 11 all bullshit ! and the purpose he married in the early stage before he become god messenger he was already had a good heart and sacrifice the poor one other widow women or older people to help them and why so many ex-husband was kill by muhammad was insane that not true! thats the one of the reason islam allowed marry more than one if yo can afford to feed them & care till old age
12. Thank you for your interest, yet I advise to read a book about Wives of Muhammed for analysis of each case to further understand the situation. Also, you need to understand that war was not Muhammed first option and Arab as a society has its own nature in terms that marriage involves not only the man and woman on their own, but families as well, so being married to the prophet is an honor. Furthermore, Muhammed was not only sent to men, but also women, so having a woman talking to a woman on behalf of the prophet as well as being so close to him was like having ambassadors of highest degrees. Also, marraige more than once in Islam is totally restricted by certain conditions. Finally, why we can accept that it is God well to have Jesus to be born differently and that was really for a cause, but do not accept Muhammed many wives.
13. Prophet Mohammad did whatever he was commanded by God and he married on God's commands too. If you know, many earlier prophets had more than one wives.
14. mohomed had a circumcized sausage
15. When Mohammad PBUH lived his first 25 years of life single and never committed adultery even though he lived in a free sex society without any restrictions, this indicates clearly that sex was not his motive to frequent marriages later in his life when was old. He lived his next 25 years with a widow who was 15 years older than him and he never married again till she died and he was 50, and this again indicates clearly that sex and pedophilia are not valid accuses. Only when he was over fifty he started to have multiple wives and this had several reasons. Those women whose husbands or fathers were killed in war were expected to be prisoners of war, but when he free one of them and took her as a wife, all Muslim fellows will also free their prisoners because of that and be kind to them.You can't judge Mohammad as a person and as a prophet by looking at controversial issues that have different prospective with different societies and time, but you can judge him by his characters and achievements.
16. through my readings in the Bible I found that Solomon had hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines { kings 11:1-3} ;although it's instructed in the Bible that it's forbidden to multiply wives {genesis 1:27} and {2:21-25}. if you consider 11as a huge number , what about hundreds ? do you know the real reason for this? I think it's because it was considered normal to get married to any number of women you like in the past.