Chowrangi

Prophet Mohammad first married at the age of 25 to Hadhrat Khadija who was 40. He lived with her for 27 years until her death.

It was only after her death did he take other wives. This was to spread Islam among women through his wives and to show the Ummah that different types of marriages are allowed in Islam.

If he (saw) was a “sexually obsessed man” as non-muslims say he would have married more when he was young, not after he had passed the age of fifty.

The fact that he married Hadhrat Khadijah and lived a monogamous life (for twenty-seven years) till she died, showed that he (saw) was not a “sexually obsessed man.”

The Prophet’s (saw) marriage to Khadijah (ra) shows a limited side to marriage. His marriage to Khadijah (ra) showed that a man is allowed to marry a woman who is older than him, for a poor and orphan man to marry a wealthy woman, for an employee to marry his employer, and for a bachelor to marrry a widow.

If Allah (swt) did not allow the Prophet (saw) to marry other women, how could marriage in Islam be open to all other types of marriages? Had the Prophet (saw) not married other women, Muslims who follow the Quran and the authentic Sunnah would find it difficult to enter into marriage with the limited examples from the Prophet’s (saw) marriage to Khadijah (ra).

A man can marry his enemies daughters as the Prophet (saw) married: Juwairiyah bint Al-Harith (ra), the daughter of Al -Harith, the head of Bani Al-Mustaliq of Khuza’ah and Umm Habiba or Ramlah (ra), the daughter of Abu Sufyan (ra). Note that both Al-Harith and Abu Sufyan (ra) were bitter enemies of Islam. The Prophet’s (saw) marriages to their daughters show how Islam goes for peace and reconciliation.

A man is allowed to marry woman of low social class as in the case of Maria (ra), who was given to the Prophet (saw) as a present by the ruler of Egypt. Ther Prophet (saw) elevated her status by marrying her, instead of making her his slave.

His marriages to his captive: Safiyyah bint Huyay bin Akhtab (RU), not only show how Islam allows mixed marriages based on social status, but also shows the high regard given to women. Instead of making her his slave, being his captive, he married her and gave her the highest status of women being among the “Mothers of the Believers.” It further shows how the Prophet (saw) freed women from the bondage of slavery.

With the Prophet’s (saw) marriage to Sawda bint Zam’a (ra), a widower can opt to marry a widowed woman like Sawda (ra).

The Prophet’s (saw) marriages to Hafsah bint Umar bin Al-Khattab (ra), Zainab bint Khuzaimah (ra) and Umm Salamah Hind bint Abi Omaiyah (ra), all widows, show that men should show sympathy and care for widows by marrying them. Had he not married Umm Salamah (ra), a widow with many children, he would not have demonstrated his virtuous teachings on the care of the orphans. He showed kindness to them, treated them just like his real children.

The Prophet’s (saw) marriage to his cousin, Zainab bint Jahsh (ra), shows that in Islam, a man is allowed to marry his first cousin.

He married captives, slaves, widows, women of a lower social status, divorced women and a woman with many children. Goes to show his excellent, noble and pure character.

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