Muhammad's Multiple Wives

shathaway · 05-02-2007, 08:52 AM

Muhammad's Polygamy

Christians are often appalled with Muhammad having multiple wives. Was he really a spiritual deviant, taking on more than one wife? Maybe we should look more deeply into the life of Muhammad for understanding.

Ruhiyyih Khanum Rabbani has written this to explain the situation of Arabian Bedhouin tribal society and the influence of Muhammad upon that society. Muhammad did not have a harem. Many Arabians had harems numbering into the hundreds.

Baha’is recognize the validity of Muhammad’s teachings and the reason for His cause.

Quote:

Whatever doctrines were introduced into the Church regarding a monogamous society, the practice of polygamy existed in Jewish and early Christian society. The doctrine of man having only one wife came later.

Muhammad also appeared among a polygamous people, a people who were known to have enormous numbers of wives. Muhammad reduced this number in the laws of the Qur’an to four. This, in itself, was a tremendous step forward, and a great protection for the rights of women, who were held as mere chattels in the eyes of the Arabians.

Muhammad, perhaps from inclination, perhaps because He was almost constantly traveling with various caravans that left Mecca to trade in neighboring countries, never married until He was twenty-six, and He is reputed to have been entirely chaste until the time of His marriage. Who did He marry when He was twenty-six? If He was the licentious man He is depicted by most Christian commentators to be, He would not have picked out for His wife a woman of forty-two who was twice widowed, who was portly – though comely – and definitely middle-aged. In fact, for Oriental people forty-two means a very much older age than for Western minds. With this woman He lived alone, absolutely faithful to her, loving her devotedly and deeply, for twenty-three years, until she died.

We see therefore that until Muhammad was fifty-one years of age He had no woman in His life, except a relatively old widow, and although in nine years after her death He married twelve other women, only two, or perhaps three, were virgins. The others were widows, some of them middle-aged women, mostly with children of their own. When we realize that Muhammad during those nine years could have had practically His pick of the beauties of Arabia – a thousand virgins if He had wanted them – we see how greatly abused His name has been in Western literature and amongst Western people. The least we can say is that these are not the evidences of sensuality. Indeed, when we review these personal relationships of Muhammad we see only too clearly that the motives behind His marriages were magnanimity, pity, and what I would term religious statesmanship.

So much for our misconceptions of Muhammad. His own followers also have not spared Him, performing in His name acts which would have angered Him as we have performed in the name of Christ many abuses and introduced many corruptions into His teachings. It is interesting to note that whereas Muhammad strictly limited by law the number of wives a man could have to four at one time, many of His followers have boasted of harems that held literally hundreds of beauties. Though He Himself inculcated respect for the followers of Christ and Moses and even went so far as to permit His followers to marry them, and categorically states in the Qur’an, that Christ and Moses were “messengers from God,” “Prophets of repute,” truth-givers to be honored and loved, fanatical Muslims have considered it a virtue to slay “unbelievers” and have gone home and changed all their clothes if they so much as brushed against a Jew or a Christian.

Sincerely,
Steven J. Hathaway

Darkseid · 06-02-2007, 08:20 AM

Abraham had more than one wife and Christians still look up to Abraham.

They don't look up to Muhammad, because Muhammad's existence presents a threat to their own beliefs just like evolution.

Because if Muhammad was an authentic prophet of god, then that means the Christians are at fault by not following this new prophet. They don't like the idea and so they attack it. That is why christians attack muslims.

shathaway · 06-02-2007, 08:54 PM

If a person is attempting to live a good and moral life by following his own knowledge of the Laws of God! it should make no difference the name that person associates with his religious belief.

In my associations with persons of many religious faiths, I try my best to aid and enhance that person's understanding of his/her own religious beliefs and not denegrade it, deprecate it, or declare it to be false. If the person has an open ear for discussion, I can then share some compatible similarities and teachings of the Baha'i Faith.

Sincerely,
Steven J. Hathaway

bwb · 09-01-2010, 11:03 AM

First of all, polygamy is strictly forbidden in the Baha'i Faith, and this restriction is enforced by Baha'i institutions. A Baha'i who marries polygamously would have his/her administrative rights removed. But we also believe that in earlier times there were sometimes conditions which made polygamy a necessary evil.

First, as a result of warfare or religious persecution, a very large excess in the number of women over men would occur. A man who married polygamously had to take on the burden of providing food, shelter, clothing etc. for all of the wives and their children which was a huge burden of sacrifice for him. It was considered to be an act of charity and self-sacrifice, not an act of self-indulgence.

Muhammad's wife-taking had a second motive also. He was trying to bring about a peaceful union of the previously warring tribes of Arabia, and he needed them to accept his authority as a political leader. The common sentiment among Arabians was that no one had a right to rule over them who did not have a family relationship with their particular clan/tribe. Muhammad acquired family relationships by marrying women from various tribes and ethnic backgrounds.

Finally, out of Muhammad's 10 wives that he had towards the end of his life, he only had one child by one of his wives. The implication of that is that he did not have sex with most of his wives. They were platonic marriages and he may have been sexually monogamous throughout his life.

bwb · 09-01-2010, 11:30 AM

About Muhammad's marriage with his first wife Khadijah:

Their marriage is one of the true-love stories in history; until her death twenty-three years later, Muhammad married no other, although polygamy was almost universally practised.
(Marzieh Gail, Six Lessons on Islam, p. 4)

***

Ayesha's age when she married Muhammad is disputed and there are contradictory hadiths on the subject.
Here are a few links to web pages on this subject:

Aisha's age at marriage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Thus, Aisha - if she got married in 1 AH or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage."

Studying Islam | Articles
"Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or 18 years old at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age."

Age of Aisha (ra) at time of marriage
"So Aisha would be 19 years old at the time of the consummation of her marriage..."

What was Ayesha's (ra) Age at the Time of Her Marriage to the Prophet (pbuh)?
"Thus, Ayesha (ra) - if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage."

There are other dates, and ages of people, in Islamic history which are also disputed, see:
Disputed issues in early Islamic history - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(For example Muhammad may have married Khadijah when she was 40 years old or when she was 25 years old, according to different contradictory hadiths.)

***
Some more web links saying that Ayesha may have been 18-21 years old at the time of her marriage to Muhammad:

Did Prophet Muhammad rape a nine-year old girl called Aisha? | Facebook

"Other calculations based on historical events place Aisha as old as 20 when she was became a bride. Ibn Hisham, the historian, reports that Aisha accepted Islam quite some time before Umar (the second caliph). This means she must have been at least a young girl in the year 610. Assuming she was five years old when Abu Bakr and his family converted to islam, the information puts the age of Aisha at 20 or more at the time of her marriage with Muhammad was consummated in 624AD.
Furthermore, most Islamic historians agree that Asma, the elder sister of Aisha, was ten years older than her. It is also reported that Asma died in 683AD at the ripe age of 100. If this is true, then Asma would have been 31 years old at the time of Aisha's wedding with Muhammad in 624 and the bride would have been 21.
Of course, these facts do not suit either the Islam-haters or the Mullahs who sanction child marriage."

Was Ayesha A Six-Year-Old Bride?
"Based on Hajar, Ibn Katir, and Abda’l-Rahman ibn abi zanna’d, Ayesha’s age at the time she began living with the Prophet would be 19 or 20."

Hazrat Aishah Siddiqah's Age at Her Marriage [Proves that: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Married Hazrat Aishah When She was 19 Years of Age and not When She Was 9.]listfooterAhmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-e-Islam Lahore (Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for t
"Accordingly, her birth falls about four or five years before the Call, and her age at the time of the consummation of marriage in 2 A.H. will work out to 19-20 years."

What Was The Age of Ummul Mo'mineen Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) When She Married To Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)
"Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage. "

Hadith Inconsisties Exposed: Ayesha a Six-Year-Old-Bride?
"Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or 18 years of at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age."

What was Ayesha's Age?
"Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage."

What Was Ayesha's Age? | Institute of Islamic Information and Education
"Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage."

Hazrat Ayesha's Age at the Time of Her Marriage
"Clearly, if Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of Hijrah, Ayesha was 17 at the time of Hijrah and 19 at the time of consummation of her marriage with Muhammad....
Assuming she was barely 6 or 7 at that time this information puts the age of Ayesha at 20 or more at the time of her marriage with Muhammad."

THE ACTUAL AGE OF AISHA r.a WHEN SHE MARRIED RASOOL ALLAH PBUH | Facebook
"Hence, she was married when she was 19 years old, i.e., 2 years after Hijrah."

************************************************** ***************************

An article about the problem of child brides, from the Baha'i International Community web site:
Child Brides the Focus of UN Dialogue Baha'i International Community -- United Nations Office

06-02-2007, 08:20 AM	#2
Darkseid Junior Member Joined: Jun 2007 From: United States Posts: 2	Abraham had more than one wife and Christians still look up to Abraham. They don't look up to Muhammad, because Muhammad's existence presents a threat to their own beliefs just like evolution. Because if Muhammad was an authentic prophet of god, then that means the Christians are at fault by not following this new prophet. They don't like the idea and so they attack it. That is why christians attack muslims. Last edited by Darkseid; 06-02-2007 at 08:23 AM.

09-01-2010, 11:30 AM	#5
bwb Senior Member Joined: Aug 2010 From: earth Posts: 700	About Muhammad's marriage with his first wife Khadijah: Their marriage is one of the true-love stories in history; until her death twenty-three years later, Muhammad married no other, although polygamy was almost universally practised. (Marzieh Gail, Six Lessons on Islam, p. 4) * Ayesha's age when she married Muhammad is disputed and there are contradictory hadiths on the subject. Here are a few links to web pages on this subject: Aisha's age at marriage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "Thus, Aisha - if she got married in 1 AH or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage." Studying Islam \| Articles "Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or 18 years old at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age." Age of Aisha (ra) at time of marriage "So Aisha would be 19 years old at the time of the consummation of her marriage..." What was Ayesha's (ra) Age at the Time of Her Marriage to the Prophet (pbuh)? "Thus, Ayesha (ra) - if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH - was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage." There are other dates, and ages of people, in Islamic history which are also disputed, see: Disputed issues in early Islamic history - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (For example Muhammad may have married Khadijah when she was 40 years old or when she was 25 years old, according to different contradictory hadiths.) * Some more web links saying that Ayesha may have been 18-21 years old at the time of her marriage to Muhammad: Did Prophet Muhammad rape a nine-year old girl called Aisha? \| Facebook "Other calculations based on historical events place Aisha as old as 20 when she was became a bride. Ibn Hisham, the historian, reports that Aisha accepted Islam quite some time before Umar (the second caliph). This means she must have been at least a young girl in the year 610. Assuming she was five years old when Abu Bakr and his family converted to islam, the information puts the age of Aisha at 20 or more at the time of her marriage with Muhammad was consummated in 624AD. Furthermore, most Islamic historians agree that Asma, the elder sister of Aisha, was ten years older than her. It is also reported that Asma died in 683AD at the ripe age of 100. If this is true, then Asma would have been 31 years old at the time of Aisha's wedding with Muhammad in 624 and the bride would have been 21. Of course, these facts do not suit either the Islam-haters or the Mullahs who sanction child marriage." Was Ayesha A Six-Year-Old Bride? "Based on Hajar, Ibn Katir, and Abda’l-Rahman ibn abi zanna’d, Ayesha’s age at the time she began living with the Prophet would be 19 or 20." Hazrat Aishah Siddiqah's Age at Her Marriage [Proves that: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Married Hazrat Aishah When She was 19 Years of Age and not When She Was 9.]listfooterAhmadiyya Anjuman Isha'at-e-Islam Lahore (Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for t "Accordingly, her birth falls about four or five years before the Call, and her age at the time of the consummation of marriage in 2 A.H. will work out to 19-20 years." What Was The Age of Ummul Mo'mineen Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) When She Married To Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) "Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage. " Hadith Inconsisties Exposed: Ayesha a Six-Year-Old-Bride? "Thus, Ayesha, being 17 or 18 years of at the time of Hijra, she started to cohabit with the Prophet between at either 19 to 20 years of age." What was Ayesha's Age? "Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage." What Was Ayesha's Age? \| Institute of Islamic Information and Education "Thus, Ayesha (ra), if she got married in 1 AH (after hijrah) or 2 AH, was between 18 to 20 years old at the time of her marriage." Hazrat Ayesha's Age at the Time of Her Marriage "Clearly, if Asma was 27 or 28 years old at the time of Hijrah, Ayesha was 17 at the time of Hijrah and 19 at the time of consummation of her marriage with Muhammad.... Assuming she was barely 6 or 7 at that time this information puts the age of Ayesha at 20 or more at the time of her marriage with Muhammad." THE ACTUAL AGE OF AISHA r.a WHEN SHE MARRIED RASOOL ALLAH PBUH \| Facebook "Hence, she was married when she was 19 years old, i.e., 2 years after Hijrah." ************************************************ ************************* An article about the problem of child brides, from the Baha'i International Community web site: Child Brides the Focus of UN Dialogue Baha'i International Community -- United Nations Office Last edited by bwb; 10-06-2010 at 12:36 PM.

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06-02-2007, 08:54 PM	#3
shathaway Senior Member Joined: Jul 2006 From: Oregon, USA Posts: 133	If a person is attempting to live a good and moral life by following his own knowledge of the Laws of God! it should make no difference the name that person associates with his religious belief. In my associations with persons of many religious faiths, I try my best to aid and enhance that person's understanding of his/her own religious beliefs and not denegrade it, deprecate it, or declare it to be false. If the person has an open ear for discussion, I can then share some compatible similarities and teachings of the Baha'i Faith. Sincerely, Steven J. Hathaway

09-01-2010, 11:03 AM	#4
bwb Senior Member Joined: Aug 2010 From: earth Posts: 700	First of all, polygamy is strictly forbidden in the Baha'i Faith, and this restriction is enforced by Baha'i institutions. A Baha'i who marries polygamously would have his/her administrative rights removed. But we also believe that in earlier times there were sometimes conditions which made polygamy a necessary evil. First, as a result of warfare or religious persecution, a very large excess in the number of women over men would occur. A man who married polygamously had to take on the burden of providing food, shelter, clothing etc. for all of the wives and their children which was a huge burden of sacrifice for him. It was considered to be an act of charity and self-sacrifice, not an act of self-indulgence. Muhammad's wife-taking had a second motive also. He was trying to bring about a peaceful union of the previously warring tribes of Arabia, and he needed them to accept his authority as a political leader. The common sentiment among Arabians was that no one had a right to rule over them who did not have a family relationship with their particular clan/tribe. Muhammad acquired family relationships by marrying women from various tribes and ethnic backgrounds. Finally, out of Muhammad's 10 wives that he had towards the end of his life, he only had one child by one of his wives. The implication of that is that he did not have sex with most of his wives. They were platonic marriages and he may have been sexually monogamous throughout his life.