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The Wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf)
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Chapter 15
The Wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf)
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Similarly, the wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) are included in what was said about the companions of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) since blood relation or the bond of marriage alone would not ensure a safe passage to Paradise. Allah teaches in the Qur'an that only good deeds entitle the believers to success and to enter Paradise. Being a wife or a son or a daughter of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) would not automatically grant success on the Day of Judgement, although it may grant them the fellowship of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) and knowledge of his traditions.
Almighty Allah puts forth, in the Holy Qur'an, a parable about the wives of two prominent messengers of Allah, Noah (Nuh) and Lot (Lut): "Allah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve: the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of our righteous slaves but they both betrayed (their husbands, by rejecting their doctrine), so they benefited them not against Allah, and it was said to them: 'Enter the Fire with those who enter it'."[209]
For several reasons, the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) had many wives, and historians narrate that some of them were not always on good terms with him. Imam Bukhari narrates from one of the wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf), Lady 'A'ishah:
The Apostle of Allah (pbuh&hf) used to spend time with Zaynab bint Jahsh (one of his wives) and drink honey at her house. She (Lady 'A'ishah) further said: I and Hafsa (another wife) agreed that the one whom the Apostle of Allah (pbuh&hf) visited first should say: I notice that you have an odor of "maghafir" (the gum of mimosa). He (pubh) visited one of them and she told him this, whereupon he said: I have taken honey at the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I will never do it again. At this, the following verse was revealed, referring to his abstination from honey:
O Prophet! Why do you ban for yourself that which Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives (Lady 'A'ishah and Hafsa)? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.[210]
The Holy Qur'an also addresses Lady 'A'ishah and Hafsa exclusively: "If you two (wives of the Prophet) turn in repentance to Allah - but your hearts are so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet likes). But if you help one another against him, then verily Allah is his Protector - and Jibril, and the righteous among the believers, and the angels are also his helpers. It may be that if he divorced you, his Lord would give him, instead of you, wives better than you - Muslims submitting to Allah, believers, women obedient to Allah, who turn to Allah in repentance, worship Allah sincerely, given to fasting, or emigrants (for the cause of Allah) - previously married and virgins."[211] These verses of the Holy Qur'an prove that the wives of the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) were not the best of the companions. However, for political, social, and economic causes as well as to spread the word of Allah, the Holy Prophet (pbuh&hf) married this number of wives and was patient with their mischief and rebellion.
Notes:
[209] Qur'an 66:10
[210] Qur'an 66:1; see Sahih Bukhari, Book on the Interpretation of the Holy Qur'an, hadith #4531; Sahih Muslim, Book on Divorce, hadith #2694; al-Tirmidhi, Book on Foods, hadith #1574; al-Nisa'i, Book on Divorce, hadith #3367; Oaths, Vows, and Crop Sharing, hadith #3735; Intimacy for Women, hadith #3896; Abu Dawud, Book on Drinks, hadith #3227; ibn Majah, Book on Foods, hadith #3314; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 6:221; al-Darami, Book on Foods, hadith #18986
[211] Qur'an 66:4-5
