One of the most common doubts regarding Prophet Muhammad (PBUH )
has been his polygyny. He married a number of women more than the al-
lowed number in the Islamic shariah for the ordinary Muslim. The Prophet
(PBUH ) has been accused of being lusty; this has been the only reason
the accusers found to justify their plea.
In this chapter I am going to refute their plea through historical facts and
shariah rules. I believe that would prove this accusation as groundless.
Aspect One
His Marriage Makes him Completely Human
It is taken for granted that marriage for adult men is a virtue and not a de-
merit. Allah says in the Noble Qur ’ an what can be translated as “Adorned
for mankind is the love of lusts, for women and seeds, (Or: sons) and
heaped-up, heaps (Literally: “arched” hoarded cantars) of gold and silver,
and horses of mark, and cattle and tillage. That is the enjoyment (Literally:
the belongings) of the present life; (Literally: the lowly life, i.e., the life of
this world) and Allah has in His Providence the fairest resorting .” ( 3:14)
The males in every society or tribe marry when they grow up; those who
do not marry are held incomplete in one aspect or another. Divine religions
ordain marriage for people if they fulfil the required material and spiritual
conditions. At the top of those ordained to marry were Allah ’ s Prophets.
Allah says in the Noble Qur ’ an what can be translated as “And indeed We
have already sent Messengers even before you, and We made for them
spouses and offspring;” (14:38)
Therefore, Prophet Muhammad ’ s (PBUH ) marriage was a practical proof
of his complete humanity. He married Lady Khadijah (May Allah be pleased
with her) when he was twenty-five years old. She was twice widowed and
she wanted to marry the Prophet (PBUH ) because of his noble attributes.
She sent to him saying “O dear Muhammad, I would like to marry you be-
cause of your noble descent and your lofty status among your people and
your good manners and truthfulness.
”She was one of the greatest ladies of Quraysh, both in social status and
wealth. The Prophet (PBUH ) told his uncles. His uncles Hamzah and
Abu Talib went with him to her father and proposed for her. The Prophet
(PBUH ) gave her twenty she-camels as a dowry. This marriage produced
six children: Al Qasim, Abdullah, Ruqayyiah, Zainab, Fatimah, and Umm
Kulthoum. The Prophet (PBUH ) did not have any children from any of his
other wives, except from Lady Mary Bint-Sham ’ oun (RA ), mother of his
son Ibrahim.
Following Lady Khadijah ’ s death, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH ) married
Lady Sawdah Bint-Zam›ah (May Allah be pleased with her ), the widow of
Suhail bin Amr, one of the early converts to Islam who migrated to Abys-
sinia, embraced Christianity and died there. He then proposed to Lady
Aisha Bint-Abu-Bakr ( May Allah be pleased with her ), the daughter of his
closest Companion Abu Bakr. However, she was still young and he mar-
ried her when he migrated to Madinah.
Muhammad also married Lady Hafsah (May Allah be pleased with her )
Bint-Omar Ibnul-Khattab, the daughter of his close Companion Omar. She
was a widow whose husband Ghunays bin Hudhafah as-Sahmi had met
martyrdom in the battle of Uhud.
Then he married Lady Umm-Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her ),
Lady Zainab Bint-Khuzaimah (May Allah be pleased with her ) who was
called “the mother of the weak” because she was kind and charitable and
Lady Juwayriah Bintul-Harith ( May Allah be pleased with her ). Both were
widows. He also married Lady Safiyah Bint-Huiayy Ibn-Akhtab (May Al-
lah be pleased with her ) and Lady Maimunah Bintul-Harith (May Allah be
pleased with her ) who were both twice widowed. He married his cousin
Lady Zainab Bint-Jahsh following her divorce from his adopted son Zaid
who used to be his servant.
He betrothed Sharraf bint-Khalifah al-Kalbi but she died before marriage.
He betrothed as-Shanbaa bint-Amr al-Ghaffari. When his son Ibrahim died
she said that if Muhammad (PBUH ) were really a prophet, Allah would not
let his son die. The Prophet (PBUH ) divorced her. He betrothed Arabah
bint-Jabir al-Kalabi. However, when she came to him she unknowingly
asked protection against him and they separated. He married Al-Aliyah
bint-Zibian but he divorced her because of a contagious disease. rasoulallah.net