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[qwickmalik]

Salams everyone,

this is a question someone asked through our main website, and I thought I should share it here, together with the answer, because it might come of use to someone.

Assalamalaik
I will be grateful if can give me the names of Prophet Mohammeds(SAW)wives and children and details of what happened to his family after his death.
THANK YOU


Khadijah (RA) was Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) first wife. She was a wealthy
widow from the same clan as Rasulullah (pbuh) i.e. Quraish. He married her
on the recommendation of his uncle, Abu Talib. They had two sons and four
daughters. His first son Qasim died at age two and it is by this son that
Rasulullah (pbuh) was called Abu-l Qasim (i.e. Father of Qasim). Abdullah,
their second son died at infancy. His four daughters by Khadijah were
Ruqayyah bint Muhammad, Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad, Zainab bint Muhammad,
Fatimah Zahra. Only Fatimah and Zainab were alive at the time of his death.
 
Up to the age of 53, Muhammad (pbuh) had only one wife, and only re-married
after the death of Khadijah and his emigration to Madinah, to a total of 11
women namely (in order of occurrence) .
1. Sauda bint Zama
2. Aisha
3. Hafsa
4. Zainab bint Khuzaima Umm ul-Masakin
5. Umm Salama
6. Zainab bint Jahash
7. Juwairiya
8. Safia
9. Umm Habiba
10. Maria al-Qibtiyya
11. Maimuna
 
Maria al-Qibtiyya bore him a son named Ibrahim, who also died at the age of
two.
 
These marriages were contracted within 7 years of hijrah, and in the eighth
year, Allah sent the Revelation that limits marriages.
{Quran 4:3 -
004.003 وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلا تَعُولُوا
004.003 If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.}
 
Allah exempted him from this limit but commanded him not to marry any more
in addition in any event whatsoever in Qur'an 33:52 -
{033.052 لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَلا أَنْ تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَقِيبًا
033.052 It is not lawful for thee (to marry more) women after this, nor to change them for (other) wives, even though their beauty attract thee, except any thy right hand should possess (as handmaidens): and Allah doth watch over all things.}
 
He left nine widows, all of whom led exemplary lives. His wives were called
"Ummahat-ul-Muminin" or "Mothers of the Faithful". These marriages were
forced on him, or were contracted to protect the women whose husbands had
died in the Cause of Allah, or were contracted to cement the bonds of love
with those who could by their position and influence, service Islam. In
every single case, it was a personal sacrifice on his part to have
contracted the marriage, or circumstances obliged him to do so whilst there
was as yet no law limiting the number of wives.
 
(Details of the circumstances surrounding each of these marriages are
available. Let me know if you are interested in reading this.)

[mubaarack]

This is one of the areas the enemies of Islam like to tackle. They throw the question to us muslims saying, "if your book (the Noble Qur'an) has mentioned clearly that you can marry up to 4.........(Nisa 4:3) why did your prophet contradict that verse since historical record proves he married more than that number?". I've been asked this particular question by a christian on Legon campus before, Alhamdulillah I was able to give him the right answer. The reality is that on the face of it, it looks like a contradiction, i.e talking about the prophet's wives and 4:3 but it is not, because our beloved Prophet (P.B.U.H) was an exception as we read in the article.

Why was he an exception? Because he was a chosen prophet of Almighty God and He granted His prophets authority over many other things.

Lastly, we have those who say that our prophet (P.B.U.H) was a womaniser, Subhaanallah!

When we read this piece of information carefully, we can discuss this issue ernomously with anyone at all we meet.

Ma'assalaam.

[qwickmalik]

KHADIJAH
•   The Prophet (pbuh) was by then 25 and she was 40.
•   Khadijah was a wealthy business women, daughter of Khwailad bin Asad bin Abdul Uzzah bin Qusai.
•   She had been married twice before, and her second husband had left her considerable amounts of property after his death. Many rich men had offered to marry her, which she had refused.
•   She made the proposal, which he accepted, and their subsequent marriage turned out to be a most happy one, lasting 25 years, till she died at 65. Despite the fact that during the last 15 years of her life (when he was 35-50), she was old and past child-bearing, while he was still a young strong man, he never made an attempt to marry an additional wife.
•   He cherished her memories so much that Aisha was jealous of her more than she was jealous of the other wives who were alive. She used to say to Muhammad (pbuh) "Why do you mention an old woman so often when God has given you better wives?" and his reply was "No, she loved me and was the irst to believe and I loved her."
•   If Muhammad was a licentious man, in the last 15 years of his marriage to Khadijah, he most likely would have married additional wives, since by then, there was no law from Allah limiting the number of wives a man could have, and according to the Arab custom, a man could marry as many women as he could afford. He wouldn't have had so fond memories about her.

SAUDA BINT ZAMA
•   When Khadijah died, he had on his hands, two unmarried daughters. Instead of choosing a young woman, he chose a widow - Sauda.
•   She had emigrated to Abyssinia with her first husband Sakran bin Amr to flee persecution in Makkah.
•   She had a son named Abdur Rahman.

AISHA & HAFSA
•   These marriages were contracted to cement relations with his ministers Abu-Bakr and Omar, just as he gave his own daughters to Othman and Ali. All these were in the interest of Islam.
•   Hafsa was a widow of Khanais, one of the martyrs of Badr. Omar had offered her hand to Abu-Bakr and Othman, but they refused.
•   Hafsa, like her father, was a strong-minded woman, and was not quite young.
•   Muhammad (pbuh) married her at age 54.
•   A man who had remained with one wife into her old age for 25 years, could not suddenly turn licentious.

ZAINAB BINT KHUZAIMA UMM UL-MASAKIN & UMM-SALAMA
•   Zainab Umm-ul-Masakin (the mother of the poor) was a widow of Abdullah bin Jahash, a martyr of Uhud. Muhammad (pbuh) took her under his protection but she died soon afterwards.
•   Umm-Salama was also a widow of Abu-Salama, who had been dangerously wounded in Uhud, and died in 4 AH. Muhammad (pbuh) married her when he was 57.

It must be kept in mind that the battles of Badr and Uhud, plus the murder of 77 teachers of religion by the Arabs had widowed nearly half the Muslim women of Madina. Muhammad (pbuh) was not the only one contracting marriages to these widows to protect them, and safeguard the morality of the society. He was setting an example for the surviving Sahaba, and Abu-Bakr, Omar and Uthman and the rest all had their share of the burden. It would seem unfair to have strong punishments for fornication and adultery, yet women be left to take care of themselves.

ZAINAB BINT JAHASH
•   Probably the most controversial marriage.
•   Her mother was Umaimah bint Abdul-Muttallib, and therefore, she was a cousin of Muhammad (pbuh).
•   European writers are known to have described her a very pretty woman.
•   He had known her all her life, and there were no secrets between them.
•   Islam had come to abolish inequality among men, and men and slaves were counted equal in the sight of Allah. The Arabs were a very proud people and treated slaves with harshness and contempt. Even emancipated slaves were not spared. Muhammad (pbuh) wanted to set an example by asking his emancipated slave Zaid bin Harith to marry Zainab bint Jahash, which Zaid was afraid to do, and Zainab condemned the idea. Allah approved of Muhammad (pbuh)'s proposal by revealing
"And it is not for a believing man or believing woman, when God, as well as His Messenger, has decided an affair, that they should have any choice in their affair."
•   Zaid and Zainab had no choice but to agree, but as with forced marriages, it did not last. Zainab was gifted with power of speech and often boasted of her nobility/superiority over Zaid. When he complained to the Prophet (pbuh), he adviced patience, and eventually, Zaid divorced her. Unknown to them all was the fact that all the happenings were the will of Allah.
•   Allah then ordered Muhammad to marry Zainab. It was against Arab custom to marry an adopted son's widow or divorced wife, but Allah intended to abolish this law. An adopted son is not the same as a biological son, and Muhammad (pbuh) was chosen to be the one to break that custom. Allah said in the Quran
"Nor has He made your adopted sons your (real) sons;
These are your words spoken with your mouths:
But Allah speaks the truth and He guides in the (right) path.
Call them by their (real) father's names, that is more equitable in the sight of Allah" (Qur'an 33:4-5)
•   Zaid was often called Zaid bin Muhammad instead of Zaid bin Harith, and this had to change.
•   Additionally, Allah said
"And when thou didst say to him whom Allah has blessed and whom thou hadst blessed: 'Keep thou thy wife and reverence to Allah'.
And thou wast concealing in thy mind what Allah was going to disclose and thou was afraid of the people
And it is more righteous that thou shouldst be afraid of God.
Therefore when Zaid had had his want of her, We married her to thee that there might be no barrier upon the Faithful in the marriage of the wives of their adopted son when they had their want.
And Allah's order was found to be carried out." (Qur'an 33.37)
•   The Prophet had to sacrifice his will for the Will of Allah.

JUWAIRIYA & SAFIA
•   Juwairiya was the daughter of Harith bin Darar, a captive of war. Harith married her to Muhammad as an honour to himself and his daughter, and this led to the freeing of all the war prisoners of Banu Mustaliq.
•   This marriage might rightly be called a marriage for the sake of charity and brotherly love. It was by such deeds that Muhammad won the hearts of the Arabs.
•   Safia was the daughter of a Jewish chief (Huyyay bin Akhtab) and the widow of another Jewish chief Kinana (killed at Khaibar). It was not fit for a woman of her rank to be taken captive of war by any Muslim, and though the Prophet (pbuh) gave her to Dihya bin Kalbi, he was obliged to take her back to himself.
•   She was a Jew by birth, and Muhammed (pbuh) loved her very much. She also loved him a lot.
•   Once Hafsa and Aisha called her the daughter of a Jew and not equal to an Arab woman. When she complained to the Prophet (pbuh), his reply was "Why did you not say, 'Harun is my father, Musa is my uncle and Muhammad is my husband, how can you be better than I?'"

UMM-HABIBA & MARIA
•   Umm-Habiba was the daughter of Abu Sufyan, the chief of the Quraish. She was also a widow of Abdullah bin Jahash who had emigrated to Abyssinia and died there.
•   Muhammad (pbuh) married her by proxy, and the marriage was to help win over the unbelieving Quraish. It is said that the weakening of Abu-Sufyan's opposition to Muhammad (pbuh) was greatly influenced by this marriage. It showed them that Muhammad was not thier enemy but was a man who wished them well.
•   Maria was sent to Muhammad as a gift by the ruler of Egypt and he could not possibly hand her over to another as it was against all kingly rules.

MAIMUNA
•   Her first husband, Harith had divorced her.
•   She then married Abu-Rahm and was widowed.
•   She made a gift of her person to the Prophet (pbuh).
•   She lived up to AH 51.

Summary:
He left nine widows, all of whom led exemplary lives and were called "Ummahat-ul-Muminin" or "Mothers of the Faithful". These marriages were forced on him, or were contracted to protect the women whose husbands had died in the Cause of Allah, or were contracted to cement the bonds of love with those who could by their position and influence, service Islam. In every single case, it was a personal sacrifice on his part to have contracted the marriage, or circumstances obliged him to do so whilst there was as yet no law limiting the number of wives.

Up to age 53, Muhammad (pbuh) had only one wife. Then in seven years, he contracted all his other marriages. When he was 60 (8 AH), Allah sent the Revelation about the limit of marriages:
"And if you fear that you will not be able to do justice to the orphan (girls) (by taking them in marriage),
Then marry whom you like
From amongst other women,
Two at a time, three, or four:
But if you are afraid that even then you will not be able to keep equality (Amongst your wives)
Then (marry) only one
Or that which your right hands have possessed;
This is nearer to keeping you from doing an injustice." (Qur'an 4:3)

The Arabs, like most other people, used to take rich orphan girls under their control as their wives. Allah asked/asks them to do these girls justice, and if they cannot do so by marrying them, then they should choose other women as wives.

Muslims who had more than four wives were commanded to divorce the extra ones. But what about Muhammad? Allah made the retention of his wives lawful for him, but commanded him not to marry any more, by revealing the following verse:
"Hereafter no more wives are allowed thee, nor (is it allowed to thee) to change for other wives even though their beauty surprise thee - excepting what thy right hand possesses; For Alah is Guardian over all things" (Qur'an 33:52)

Muhammad (pbuh) left nine widows and each of them led an exemplary chaste life till her death. The were collectively called Ummahatul Muminin - Mothers of the Faithful. May Allah bless them all and the His Noble Prophet for ever!