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Allah Taãla
has given certain priviledges only to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi
Wasallam) which are mentioned in Chapter 33 vs 50-51. Among other
priviledges one was having more than four wives simultaneously.
Allah Taãla
says, 'Oh Nabi (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) we have made permissible
for you your wives.' (Ahzaab 33-50).
The polygamous
marriages of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) to more than
four wives simultaneously should be viewed as obeying the order of
Allah Taãla to do so. It was not merely a means of fulfilling his
carnal desires as many people allege. The Arab environment was
infested with many evils among which was adultery and fornication.
Despite living in such an environment, he never indulged in this evil
act. His modesty was so popular among his people that when the Prophet
(Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) claimed prophethood, his people made
every effort to disgrace him by accusing him of being a poet,
practising witchcraft, of being insane, etc. However, nobody ever
accused him of any act of immodesty.
The Prophet (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) was very handsome and attractive. Many beautiful
women from honourable families even proposed marriage to Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) but he declined. Instead, when he was only 25 years
of age he married a widow who had children from her previous marriage.
Considering the fact that he was the most handsome person that Allah
Taãla has created, many women desired him in marriage. Had he followed
his desires, there was no obstacle for him to do so. In his youth, he
could have had many many beautiful women, but he married a widow 15
years his senior. He lived with her for 25 years and she bore all the
children of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) except one.
When
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) was 50 years of age, Hadhrat
Khadija (Radhiallaahu Ánha) passed away. Those 25 years of Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam)'s marriage was a monogamous one. The
polygamous marriage was only after he attained the age of 50.
AFTER 50 YEARS
He married
Hadhrat Sawdah and Áaisha (Radhiallaahu Ánhuma). Sawda (Radhiallaahu
Ánha) lived with him immediately but Áaisha (Radhiallaahu Ánha) came
to live with him in the year 2 AH. when he was approximately 54 years
of age.
55 YEARS (3
AH.)
He married
Hadhrath Hafsa (Radhiallaahu Ánha). After a few months, he married
Hadhrat Zaynab bin Khuzaymah (Radhiallaahu Ánha) who lived with him
for only 3 or 18 months (as recorded in different narrations) before
she passed away.
56 YEARS (4
AH.)
He married
Umme Salma (Radhiallaahu Ánha)
57 YEARS (5
AH.)
He married
Zaynab (Radhiallaahu Ánha)
58 YEARS (6
AH)
He married
Hadhrat Juwayriyah (Radhiallaahu Ánha)
59 YEARS (7
AH.)
First he
married Umme Habibah then Safiyyah then Maymoonah (Radhiallaahu
Ánhunna) in one year. From the above explanation, it is clear that
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam)'s marriage was a monogamous
one till he was 50 years. His polygamous marriages, mostly to widows
were after the age of 50 with the command of Allah Taãla. Had Nabi (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) followed his carnal desires, he would have married
all virgins and changed them in short periods of time. Since the
polygamous marriages of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) was
by the order of Allah, therefore, the wisdom of that order cannot be
questioned nor comprehended.
However,
according to our limited understanding, the wisdom underlying the
polygamous marriages of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) was:
1. Since
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) came as a teacher to mankind,
there are many avenues of a person's domestic life which had to be
conveyed to the Ummah. It was the many wives of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) who had the knowledge of these aspects and fulfilled
their responsibility by conveying the teachings of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) to the Ummah. Consider the following: Áaisha (Radhiallaahu
Ánha) alone narrated approximately 2210 Ahaadith with regard to
different laws, character, ettiquettes, etc. The narrations of Hadhrat
Umme Salma (Radhiallaahu Ánhu) totals up to 378. Hafiz ibn Qayyim (RA)
mentions that if the Fataawa of Hadhrat Umme Salma (RA) had to be
gathered which she gave after the demise of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam), then the need would arise to compile an entire book.
The total students of Áaisha (Radhiallaahu Ánha) are approximately 200
and she taught Deeni knowledge for 48 years consecutively after the
demise of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam).
2. The mission
of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) was to convert people and
propagate Islam. By marrying one woman, her entire tribe had accepted
Islam. This was done by virtue of marrying that woman.
3. Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Álayhi Wasallam) had to transform the evils of the
society by practice. The people shunned marrying widows especially if
they already had children from their previous husbands. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam) married a widow and thereby changed the wrong
ideology of the people. Likewise, he reformed the society that abused
the orphans by caring for the orphans of the women he married.
These are but
just a few wisdoms of the polygamous marriages of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
Álayhi Wasallam).
Mufti Ebrahim Desai |
