From: hyetim@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Hasan Yetim)
Subject: Re: MUHAMMED'IN 9 YASINDAKI BIR COCUKLA GERDEGE GIRMESI
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 21:25:20 GMT

Mr. Kaya here is an article appeared on SRI some time ago in which 
a partial information was given related to wiwes of the Holy Prophet (SAS). 
Previously, somebody had asked why he got married more than 4 times etc.
Thanks to Allah I had saved for the times needed. Please read it then
you will see the facts.
 
.....
Some of the text has been deletet not to lenghten the article.
.....

Let us now examine why Allah (SAS) gave him the privilege of having more
than 4 wives.  It was not because (Naujubillah) he was a lastful person.
Even if the worst enemy of Islam think and see with an open mind, they will
see that the Holy Prophet (SAS) at age of 25, married a lady (Khadija (RA)) 
who was 40 years old. He led a happy life with her for 25 years untill her
death. After her death the Prophet (SAS) married another old lady, Saudah
(RA) who remained with him alone for next 4 years. No sensible and honest
person can believe that when the Prophet (SAS) became over 55 years old, he
started to have more than one wives for physical reasons (Naujubillah).
Moreover, all of his wives except A'isha (RA) were either divorced or widows.
None of these widows or divorced wives was particularly known for their
beauties or physical charms. Some of them were senoir to him in age.

To understand the Hikmah behind this, one need to understand what a great and

difficult task was assigned to the Holy Prophet (SAS) by Allah (SWT) and
under what a hostile enviornment he was supposed to carry on that
resposibility. 
Anyone keeping these two points in an unbiased mind will certainly realise 
why it was necesary to grant him the privilege of having more than 4 wives 
and what hindrance was there for him to be restricted to maximum of 4 wives.

The task entrusted to the Holy Prophet (SAS) was that he should mould and
chisel by all-round education and training an uncouth, uncultured nation
which was not only uncivilized from Islamic point of view but also from any
other point of view, to a civilized and cultured nation. He needed to train
and propagate the Din of Allah not only to the men but also to the women.
However, the social rule of Islam does not allow free mixing of sexes. 
Therefore, the Prophet (SAS) trained his wives first, who then with the help
of other believing women spread the mission of the Prophet (SAS) among the 
non-bilieving women.

As we all know how hostile the social enviornment was for the Prophet (SAS) 
to spread the message of Allah (SWT).  The Arab traditions at that time was
that if someone marries a girl from a particular tribe, the whole tribe 
come to peace with the new bridegroom.  The Prophet (SAS) used this tradition
to his advantage for accomplishing his hudge task.  Thus, the selection of
the ladies whom he married were somewhat determined by this factor besides
their personal qualities of course.  Let me give few examples.  By marring
A'ishah (RA) and Hafsah (RA), the Prophet's (SAS) relationship with 
Abu-Bakar (RA) and Umar (RA) was further strengthed. Umm Salamah (RA) was the
daughter of the family of Abu-Jahl and Khalid bin Walid. Umm Habibah (RA)
was the daughter of Abu Sufyan.  These marriages neutralized the enimity of
these families with the Prophet (SAS) to a large extent. It was to such an
extent that after the marriage of Umm Habibah (RA) Abu Sufyan never
confronted the prophet (SAS) in the battle field. The Holy Prophet's (SAS)
other wives Safiyyah (RA), Juwairiah (RA), and Raihanah (RA) came from Jewish
families. When the Prophet (SAS) married them, after setting them free, the
hostility of the Jews against him subsided. 

For these reasons it was essential that there should not be any restriction
on the number of wives for the Prophet (SAS). This was necessary in view of
the great responsibility he was entrusted with. Evidently, the reason for
the Holy Prophet (SAS) to marry more than one wives was not that he needed
a male child, or that he needed to overcome a barren wife, or that he needed
to upbring an orphan girl etc. He married all his wives either in view of the
educational requirements, or for the reformation of society, or for political
and social objectives.

I ask forgiveness from Allah (SWT) first, and also from the brothers and 
sisters for making any unintentional mistake.

Wssalam,

Ruhul Amin
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Montana State University