Wives of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Allah says about the Pure Wives (Wives of the Prophet PBUH) in the Holy Quran (Al-Ahzab: 30-32)
O ye wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you committeth manifest lewdness, the punishment for her will be doubled. And whosoever of you is submissive unto Allah and His messenger and doeth right, We shall give her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her a rich provision. O ye wives of the Prophet! Ye are not like any other women (Means you hold a high status).
The Holy Quran addresses the people till the Day of Judgment: Allah says: Nor that ye should ever marry his wives after him.(Al-Ahzab: 53)
It means that the status of Pure Wives (Wives of the prophet (PBUH) is that, they are the mothers of all the believers.
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) married a number of women. Among them the only virgin was Ayesha (RA), while others were either widow or divorced. Allah's Messenger (PBUH)was first married to Khadijah (RA) at the age of 25 years. She was 40 at the time of her marriage to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), i.e. Khadijah (RA) was older than Allah's Messenger (PBUH) by 15 years. In addition she was married two times before her marriage to Allah's Messenger (PBUH), and had children from these marriages. When Allah's Messenger (PBUH) reached 50 years of age, Khadijah (RA) died. Thus Allah's Messenger (PBUH) spent the days of his youth (From the age of 25 to the age of 50 years) with a widow woman Khadijah (RA).
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) from 50 to 60 years of his age, contracted a few marriages.
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) married the daughter of the first caliph Abu Bakr (RA) Ayesha (RA), and the daughter of the second Umar Farooq (RA) Hafsah (RA). Allah's Messenger (PBUH) gave the hands of her daughters in marriage to the third caliph Usman (RA) and to the fourth caliph Ali (RA). Theses marriages established the relationship of either a son-in-law or a father-in-law with all the four caliphs who took the reign of power after the demise of Allah's Messenger (PBUH). This strengthened the relationship between the companions of Allah's Messenger (RA) and the Muslim Ummah enjoyed unity.
Some of the companions of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) died in the battlefields or some of the believing women were divorced by disbelievers. Allah's Messenger (PBUH)dealt with these widows and divorced women with kindness and married them to mitigate their suffering. In addition, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) by his act encouraged the people to marry widows and divorced women.
Allah's Messenger (PBUH) contracted all his marriages with either widows or divorced women except one virgin Ayesha (RA) who gained knowledge spending her life with Allah's Messenger (PBUH). There is a saying in Arabic "العلم في الصغر كالنقش في الحجر". "Learning in childhood, like carved in stone". There are as many as 2210 Ahadeeth narrated by Ayesha (RA). She died 42 years after the demise of Allah's Messenger (PBUH). She spread the message of Islam to the nation of Islam up to 42 years after the demise of Allah's Messenger (PBUH).
Those who accepted Islam from among Jews and Christians, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) treated them with kindness. When Safiyah (RA) accepted Islam, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) set her free and married her with her consent. Likewise Mariyah (RA) who was a Christian. When she accepted Islam, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) accorded her great respect and married her. Ibrahim (RA) one of the sons of Allah's Messenger (PBUH) was born from Mariyah (RA).
The Wives of Allah's Messenger (PBUH):
- Ummul Mu'mineen (Mother of Believers) Khadijah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Saudah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Ayesha (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Hafsah bint Umar (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Zainab bint Khuzaimah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Umme Salmah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Zainab bint Jahash (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Juwairiyyah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Safiyyah bint Huyai bin Akhtab (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Umme Habibah (RA)
- Ummul Mu'mineen Maimounah (RA)
