Why did prophet Muhammed have too many wives?

Question

Through my reading in Islamic history I found that prophet Muhammed had 11 wives + 2 female slaves (Maria & Reyhana). This is in addition to at leasst 18 other women whom prophet Muhammed proposed for marriage, engaged or was about to marry.

Many muslims claim that the two reasons for prophet Muhammed to have such huge number of wives were:
1- To give shelter for widows.
2- For political reasons.

I am still confused because for the second reason, many of the ex-hudbands of those wives were killed by prophet Muhammed himself during his wars, while for the second reason he would achieve his political goals without having to marry all those wives (most of them were under 20 while he was about 60).

Does anyone know the real reasons for this?

Lily
Of course I agree with you about the problem with king (or prophet David), whom is considered a prophet by all religions. Do you mean that prophet Muhammed was following what prophet david did? so, where is the evolution then?

Answer 1

My guess is that he like all men just wanted as many women as he could. But then I am not muslim so I do not know much about him. As to him not committing adultery, he didn't have to he just married them.

Answer 2

Thank you for your interest, yet I advise to read a book about Wives of Muhammed for analysis of each case to further understand the situation.

Also, you need to understand that war was not Muhammed first option and Arab as a society has its own nature in terms that marriage involves not only the man and woman on their own, but families as well, so being married to the prophet is an honor.

Furthermore, Muhammed was not only sent to men, but also women, so having a woman talking to a woman on behalf of the prophet as well as being so close to him was like having ambassadors of highest degrees.

Also, marraige more than once in Islam is totally restricted by certain conditions.

Finally, why we can accept that it is God well to have Jesus to be born differently and that was really for a cause, but do not accept Muhammed many wives.

Answer 3

To give women shelter, one doesnt have to marry. There are many other ways to do the same thing. Its believed that a girl aged 6 was also in the group that you have mentioned. Nothing justifies so many marriages.

While Christianity is struggling to accept one marriage of Jesus, Islam accepts what the prophet did with the greatest ease. Ask the women in all honesty if this was acceptable. In truth she too will reject it. If asked in private and with no quotes.

Men write and rule. The prophet ruled and continues to rule the fools who believe his doings without questioning. To justify his marriages its quoted that God gave him permission.

During pre-Islamic era with other religions too polygamy was common. It was known for man to have several wives. And several kids. While there is open criticism about what man has done in other religions, weirdness of Islam and the even more weird minds of the people who follow that religion make it mandatory to accept his actions as gospel. Thus making the prophet with innumerable wives a point of praise.

Answer 4

When Prophet Muhammed came to preach about Islam, many people who were accustomed to worship other gods were offended thus it often resulted in war. and so many men who were killed left behind their wives and kids and since they were innocent and had no one to look after them. then it was made optional that men could marry more than 1 woman. but now days people try to use this to their own advantage which is a totall no no in islam. and a man can not just marry for the sake of it. there are some rules and criteria regaring polygamous relationships

Answer 5

are u muslim or jerks? why he got so many wife ? what u think of him dont read a book thats not original from history of muhammad it will pysco u r brain about him what i know is why he married so many wife is only 6 not 11 all bullshit ! and the purpose he married in the early stage before he become god messenger he was already had a good heart and sacrifice the poor one other widow women or older people to help them and why so many ex-husband was kill by muhammad was insane that not true! thats the one of the reason islam allowed marry more than one if yo can afford to feed them & care till old age

Answer 6

When Mohammad PBUH lived his first 25 years of life single and never committed adultery even though he lived in a free sex society without any restrictions, this indicates clearly that sex was not his motive to frequent marriages later in his life when was old. He lived his next 25 years with a widow who was 15 years older than him and he never married again till she died and he was 50, and this again indicates clearly that sex and pedophilia are not valid accuses. Only when he was over fifty he started to have multiple wives and this had several reasons. Those women whose husbands or fathers were killed in war were expected to be prisoners of war, but when he free one of them and took her as a wife, all Muslim fellows will also free their prisoners because of that and be kind to them.You can't judge Mohammad as a person and as a prophet by looking at controversial issues that have different prospective with different societies and time, but you can judge him by his characters and achievements.

Answer 7

Part is justified by the Arab morality of his time... I am not sure about his actual number of wives but he did restrict the number for all Muslims to the max of four and preferably just one. You will need to read a good biography and not just look up motivated sources to spite him. This is not to justify him but to give devil his due!

Among Arabs prior to Muhammad women were like cattle, he did provide them considerable rights but not equality with men in all respects. They were rendered into spiritual units answerable to God prior to many other faiths achieved that.

But this is no excuse to the way Muslims have largely suppressed women through history and continue to do so with much greater vigour in the present times.

Answer 8

through my readings in the Bible I found that Solomon had hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines { kings 11:1-3}
;although it's instructed in the Bible that it's forbidden to multiply wives {genesis 1:27} and {2:21-25}.

if you consider 11as a huge number , what about hundreds ?
do you know the real reason for this?
I think it's because it was considered normal to get married to any number of women you like in the past.

Answer 9

Very simple. Mohammad made the rules. He murdered so many people. Read history-Mohammad was a criminal who started Islam with a sword-become Muslim or die. It was a good witnessing tool. Islam started as a false religion for murderers and criminals to hide behind-it still is today-read the Koran.

If Mohamad were alive today we would hunt him down like Osama-bin-camel-hockey and kill him.

Answer 10

Firstly, In Muhammad's time to be a widow was dangerous, and you had to have a husband to protect you. Also when Muhammad went to medinah to rule their city, it was full of tribes almost at civil war, so he married girls from different tribes so no tribes would believe that he was favoring one and not the other. In that time it was not unusual for women to marry at thirteen. His last wife was nine when he married her but they wouldn't of had sex until she had hit puberty,as that would of been viewed as immoral. p.s im not a muslim.

Answer 11

muhammad (p.b.u.h) married the womens. he didnot have those relations those jews & christians think so.
he has given the rules by allah what is right. why is it that jews and christians childs are mostly illicit. they do not have father. why they live a miserable life.
the reason is that prophets are human .they have to follow the way allah/god tells so.
enlighten your heart with love, affection and tolerance for other religion and prophets.