The Prophet Muhammad and his Wives

 We understand from early hadiths that Muhammad had a special inclination to women. For example, he said, "Two things of this world I cherish: women and perfume, prayer being the comfort of my eye." Al-Hasan al-Basri narrated: The Messenger of God said, "The only two things I cherish of the life of this world are women and perfume." The same thing has been narrated by `A´isha in different versions: "The Prophet of God liked three things of this world: Perfume, women, and food; he had the [first] two, but missed food." We may understand the following hadith better in the light of these stories: Many men reached perfection [in character] but none among the women reached perfection except Mary, the daughter of Imran, and Asia, Pharaoh's wife. And the superiority of `A´isha to other women is like the superiority of tarid [a meal of bread and meat] to other kinds of food. Another tradition says, "There was nothing liked by the Messenger of God like horses." There was nothing cherished by the Messenger of God like horses. This explains why there will be horses in heaven. "These four are of the traditions of the Messengers [of God]: shyness, wearing perfume, brushing the teeth with siwak, and wedlock." A woman is the best object of enjoyment of this world: "Life is an object of enjoyment, and there is nothing better in the pleasures of the world than a good women." The conditions [or descriptions] of a good wife, however, are: She should bring delight to her husband whenever he looks at her, and obey him whenever he commands her to do something. Scholars accounted for Muhammad's many wives and his inclination to women by saying that he had a superior sexuality, as the Prophet himself stated: "I was the least man in sexuality till God brought down on me the kafit." "Whenever I seek it I find it." Another tradition says: "The Messenger of God said, 'Gabriel met me with a pot, of which I ate, and I was given the kafit [sexual ability] of forty men.' "Salma narrated: "In one night, the Prophet had intercourse with his nine wives (who were to out-live him). When he would come out each time he would say, 'Pour water for me.' He would wash before having sex with the following one. I asked him 'O, Messenger of God, isn't one time of washing enough for you?' The Prophet replied, 'This is purer and better.' "

We would now like to study Muhammad's wives and the major incidents that happened in the house of the Prophet, depending on the sources recognised by the majority of Muslims. In spite of the fact that the sources provide us with contradictory information about the number of Muhammad's wives, we can still say that they were thirteen women, plus Maria the Copt. Muhammad married these women and lived with them for a certain period of time. Apart from these, there were twelve or thirteen women that Muhammad married, but with whom he did not spend a long period of time. There are still other women that he married, but with whom he never consummated his marriage, plus the one who bestowed herself upon him.

Muhammed's Wives in the Order in Which They Were Married to Him

1. Khadija Bint Khuwailid: Muhammad's first wife. He married her in 595 A.D. (25 years before the Migration); she died three years before the Migration and ten years after he claimed prophet hood.
2. Sawda Bint Zam`a: Muhammad married her in the month of Ramadan ten years after he claimed prophethood, after the death of Khadija and before he married `A´isha, or some months before the Migration, depending on the sources. Opinions agree that she was Muhammad's second wife. Yet the question is whether he slept with `A´isha first or Sawda. Some believe that he married `A´isha first, but had intercourse with Sawda first, as `A´isha was too young.
3. `A´isha Bint Abu Bakr: Muhammad married her in the month of Shawwal, three years before the Migration, ten years after he claimed prophet hood, according to the tradition of `A´isha herself. He had intercourse with her in the month of Shawwal, eight months after the Migration. She was the only virgin among Muhammad's wives.
4. Hafsa Bint `Umar: The Messenger of God married her in the month of Sha`ban, 31 months after the Migration, or in the third year after the Migration, or one month or two before Uhud.
5. Zainab Bint Khuzaima: Her husband died in the battle of Uhud, so Muhammad married her. This was 31 months after the Migration.
6. Ummu Salama: One tradition says that Muhammad married her three years before the Khandaq raid, in the sixth year after the Migration and the wedding was performed in Shawwal four years after the Migration, or three years after Badr.
7. Zainab Bint Jahsh: It is not possible to determine when Muhammad married her. It was either in Dsu al-Qa`da or Sha`ban in year 5 or 3 A.H. We will study the marriage of Muhammad and Zainab Bint Jahsh in a separate chapter.
8. Juwairiyya Bint al-Harith: She was taken captive during the raid of Banu al-Mustaliq and was part of the spoils. No one knows when this battle took place exactly. So the dates given for her marriage to Muhammad are the fifth or the sixth year after the Migration. Ibn Hisham claims that Muhammad bought her from Thabit Ibn Qais, set her free, and later married her.
9. Safiyya Bint Huyay: She was among the spoils of Khaibar (one of the famous Jewish tribes), which was conquered in the sixth year A.H., and was chosen for Muhammad.
10. Ummu Habiba: Stories say that the Negus of Ethiopia gave her to Muhammad as a wife.
11. Maria, the Copt: al-Muqawqas, king of Egypt, sent four female slaves to Muhammad and Maria was one of them. She reached Medina in the seventh year after the Migration. Only Khadija and Maria gave birth to male children among all of Muhammad's wives.
12. Maimuna Bint al-Harith: Muhammad married her in the seventh year after the Umra of al-Qadha.(26) She was the last one the Messenger of God married.
13. Rayhana: She was not of the "mothers of the believers," in spite of her respectable position in the house of Muhammad. When the Prophet attacked Banu Qurayza, he took her captive since it was necessary for him to have a selection of each spoil. Muhammad offered her Islam but she refused. Yet it is said that she espoused Islam later.