She was a lady of high status and prestige...

She was a lady of high status and prestige, and when the Prophet saw that she was about to be sold as a slave, he proposed to her, as a way to save her from the degradation of slavery, and she accepted his marriage proposal. Her story is almost similar to that of Juwayriyya, whose real name was Barra daughter of al-Harith, head of Banu al-Mostaliq, narrated below. This continued for about eight years, that is, till 8 A.H./629 A.D.

It was only then that he was prohibited by the Almighty from marrying any woman besides those whom he had already married. Obviously, these marriages cannot be explained by his love for women because both his early life and the later period contradict such an assumption. Just look at a man with a passion for women who is infatuated with a casual desire, enamored by female companionship, with a sensual lust for them.

You will find him attracted to their adornment, spending his time in pursuit of beauty, infatuated with youth, tender age, and fresh complexion. But these qualities are conspicuously absent in the Prophet's marriage life. He married widows after having married one virgin and a number of old-aged ladies after having married young ladies.

Then he offered his wives a choice to give them a good provision and allow them to depart gracefully, that is, divorce them if they desired this world and its adornment. Alternatively, they should renounce the world and abstain from adornments and embellishments if they desired Allah and His Prophet and the everlasting abode. Look at this verse of the Qur'an: O Prophet!

Say to your wives: If you desire this world's life and its adornment, then come, I will give you a provision and allow you to depart a graceful departure. And if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the latter abode, then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good from among you a mighty reward. (Qur'an, 33:28-29) Is this the attitude of a man infatuated with lust and desire?!

The fact is that we will have to look for reasons other than lust and avidity for his plurality of wives: (a) He had married many of them in order to give them protection and safeguard their dignity . It was hoped that the Muslims would follow his example and provide protection to aged women, widows and their orphaned children. Sawdah bint Zam’ah's marriage comes into this category.

‘Abdullah ibn Jahsh (a cousin of the Prophet), husband of Zainab daughter of Khuzaymah, was martyred during the battle of Uhud (as stated above).