Muhammad 11 Aug 14

Khadijah

After Muhammad’s wife, Khadijah, died in 619, he married many other women and took many concubines. Some say he had as many as 29 wives total. He had at least 22 women total: 16 wives, 2 slaves or concubines, and 4 devout Muslim women who gave themselves to satisfy his sexual desires. One of these slaves was a Christian who refused to convert and marry him, so she remained a slave. From all these women, he had one son, who died in infancy. He said God allowed him this compensation for his suffering as a prophet.

“Prophet, We have made lawful for you the wives whom you have granted dowries and the slave-girls whom God has given you as booty; the daughters of your paternal and maternal uncles and of your paternal and maternal aunts who fled with you; and any believing woman who gives herself to the Prophet and whom the Prophet wishes to take in marriage. This privilege is yours alone, being granted to no other believer. We well know all the duties we have imposed on the faithful concerning their wives and slave-girls. (We grant to you this privilege) so that none may blame you.” Sara 33:50

One of his wives, Zaynab, was originally his adopted son’s wife. Muhammad asked Zaid to divorce her and give her to him. When he refused, Muhammad had a revelation that commanded Zaid to give her up and decreed that there was no evil in a man taking his daughter-in-law from his adopted son.
“You [Muhammad] said to the man [Zaid] whom God and yourself have favored: ‘Keep your wife and have fear of God.’ You sought to hide in your heart what God was to reveal [Muhammad's intention to marry Zaid's wife]. You were afraid of man, although it would have been more proper to fear God. And when Zaid divorced his wife, We gave her to you in marriage, so that it should become legitimate for true believers to wed the wives of their adopted sons if they divorced them. God’s will must needs be done.” Sura 33:37-38

One of Muhammad’s wives, Zaynab, was originally his adopted son’s wife. Muhammad asked Zaid to divorce her and give her to him. When he refused, Muhammad had a revelation that commanded Zakl to give her up and decreed that there was no evil in a man taking his daughter-in-law from his adopted son.

In contrast, when David fell into the temptation of another man’s wife, God punished him severely.

2 Samuel 12:10-14 (NIV) “10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

Another of his wives, Aesha, was only 6 years old when he married her and only 8 or 9 when he consummated the marriage. She later became his favorite wife. He died in her lap. In some Islamic countries even today a girl of that age can be given to an adult male for a wife.

Muhammad died in 632 after a sudden illness. Some believe a Jewish woman poisoned him because his armies had murdered her relatives. He had named no successor. This caused a major conflict that continues even until today. The major division in Islam is between the Sunni and Shiite. They are divided over who was the rightful successor to Muhammad. Shiite means partisan. Shiites believe only the descendants of Muhammad through Fatima can be imams. They believe that these imams, (They are divided as to whether there are 7 or 12), are sinless, miracle workers, and infallible. About 80%-90% of Muslims are Sunni. Shiites are the majority only in Iran. The current war in Syria and Iraq Is a war between Shiites and Sunnis with Syrian Alawites and Iranian Shiites on one side and Sunni Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar on the other.