Muhammads Marriages of Political Necessity - Revision history

Asmith: fixed language and score

2026-04-19T01:12:23Z

fixed language and score

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	Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.		Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.

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	#624-627. The Jews in Medina announced that they did not believe Muhammad was the Messiah, which seriously damaged his credibility with the local pagans. He ejected two of the tribes and killed the third, becoming the "Duke" of Medina. The [[angel Jibreel]] purportedly delivered urgent messages regarding the Jews' treachery to Muhammad's wife Hind.		#624-627. The Jews in Medina announced that they did not believe Muhammad was the Messiah, which seriously damaged his credibility with the local pagans. He ejected two of the tribes and killed the third, becoming the "Duke" of Medina. The [[angel Jibreel]] purportedly delivered urgent messages regarding the Jews' treachery to Muhammad's wife Hind.
	#627. The Meccans, together with a few Bedouin chiefs and exiled Jews, besieged Medina, hoping to kill Muhammad. Muhammad dug a trench around Medina and the siege failed. Muhammad then conquered a Kilab tribe and secured a trade blockade against Mecca. By the time Muhammad agreed to end the blockade, the Meccans had learned not to attack Muhammad directly.		#627. The Meccans, together with a few Bedouin chiefs and exiled Jews, besieged Medina, hoping to kill Muhammad. Muhammad dug a trench around Medina and the siege failed. Muhammad then conquered a Kilab tribe and secured a trade blockade against Mecca. By the time Muhammad agreed to end the blockade, the Meccans had learned not to attack Muhammad directly.
	#628. Muhammad ~~took~~ a ~~pre-emptive strike~~ against the surviving Jews. After a war of conquest against Khaybar, every Jew in Arabia was reduced to vassalage. There was a danger that their Ghatafan allies would retaliate, leading Muhammad to stockpile weapons in anticipation. Muhammad's wife Hind reportedly carried the first aid box to Khaybar.		#628. Muhammad engaged in a punitive campaign of conquest against the surviving Jews in the oasis of Khaybar. After a war of conquest against Khaybar, every Jew in Arabia was reduced to vassalage. There was a danger that their Ghatafan allies would retaliate, leading Muhammad to stockpile weapons in anticipation. Muhammad's wife Hind reportedly carried the first aid box to Khaybar.
	#630. After Mecca was starved out, Muhammad mustered an army of 10,000 and marched in to conquer the city. The “Duke” of Mecca was converted by force and the city surrendered. This served as a warning to the Ghatafans, and the Yemenites negotiated an “alliance” rather than face the Muslim armies.		#630. After Mecca was starved out, Muhammad mustered an army of 10,000 and marched in to conquer the city. The “Duke” of Mecca was converted by force and the city surrendered. This served as a warning to the Ghatafans, and the Yemenites negotiated an “alliance” rather than face the Muslim armies.
	#630–632. Muhammad conquered what was left of Arabia.		#630–632. Muhammad conquered what was left of Arabia.

Zhothaqquah at 18:39, 11 December 2025

2025-12-11T18:39:40Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:39, 11 December 2025
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	{{QualityScore\|Lead=1\|Structure=1\|Content=3\|Language=4\|References=2}}		{{QualityScore\|Lead=1\|Structure=1\|Content=3\|Language=3\|References=2}}
	Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.		Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.

Zhothaqquah at 01:17, 8 December 2025

2025-12-08T01:17:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:17, 8 December 2025
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	{{QualityScore\|Lead=1\|Structure=1\|Content=3\|Language=1\|References=2}}		{{QualityScore\|Lead=1\|Structure=1\|Content=3\|Language=4\|References=2}}
	Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.		Some Islamic scholars and religious leaders suggest that the Prophet Muhammad engaged in [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]] only for reasons of political necessity.

Zhothaqquah: Revised language and removed argumentative material

2025-12-08T01:17:26Z

Revised language and removed argumentative material

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IbnPinker at 00:34, 8 March 2021

2021-03-08T00:34:15Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:34, 8 March 2021
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	Now let's look at it from a different angle. What would Islam have lost if Muhammad had failed to marry any of the other women?		Now let's look at it from a different angle. What would Islam have lost if Muhammad had failed to marry any of the other women?

	#If he hadn’t married Aisha, Sawdah or Hafsah, he might have had to think of a different way of raising money. However, what with the plundering and ~~[[taxes\|~~taxing]], Muhammad seemed to have had that problem worked out.		#If he hadn’t married Aisha, Sawdah or Hafsah, he might have had to think of a different way of raising money. However, what with the plundering and taxing, Muhammad seemed to have had that problem worked out.
	#If he hadn’t married his [[Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law\|cousin]] Zaynab bint Jahsh, he would have saved himself quite a bit of trouble, as this marriage – the first to break his “four wives only” rule – caused him social embarrassment on several fronts.		#If he hadn’t married his [[Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law\|cousin]] Zaynab bint Jahsh, he would have saved himself quite a bit of trouble, as this marriage – the first to break his “four wives only” rule – caused him social embarrassment on several fronts.
	#If he hadn’t married Mulaykah, Fatima, Asma or Amrah, he wouldn’t have had to divorce them, which might have kept his relations with their families smoother. But never mind about this – only Asma was of any political importance, and the divorce proved that even she was not as important as her family had hoped.		#If he hadn’t married Mulaykah, Fatima, Asma or Amrah, he wouldn’t have had to divorce them, which might have kept his relations with their families smoother. But never mind about this – only Asma was of any political importance, and the divorce proved that even she was not as important as her family had hoped.

IbnPinker at 23:20, 7 March 2021

2021-03-07T23:20:18Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:20, 7 March 2021
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	#If he hadn’t married Aisha, Sawdah or Hafsah, he might have had to think of a different way of raising money. However, what with the plundering and [[taxes\|taxing]], Muhammad seemed to have had that problem worked out.		#If he hadn’t married Aisha, Sawdah or Hafsah, he might have had to think of a different way of raising money. However, what with the plundering and [[taxes\|taxing]], Muhammad seemed to have had that problem worked out.
	#If he hadn’t married his [[Cousin Marriage in ~~Islam~~\|cousin]] Zaynab bint Jahsh, he would have saved himself quite a bit of trouble, as this marriage – the first to break his “four wives only” rule – caused him social embarrassment on several fronts.		#If he hadn’t married his [[Cousin Marriage in Islamic Law\|cousin]] Zaynab bint Jahsh, he would have saved himself quite a bit of trouble, as this marriage – the first to break his “four wives only” rule – caused him social embarrassment on several fronts.
	#If he hadn’t married Mulaykah, Fatima, Asma or Amrah, he wouldn’t have had to divorce them, which might have kept his relations with their families smoother. But never mind about this – only Asma was of any political importance, and the divorce proved that even she was not as important as her family had hoped.		#If he hadn’t married Mulaykah, Fatima, Asma or Amrah, he wouldn’t have had to divorce them, which might have kept his relations with their families smoother. But never mind about this – only Asma was of any political importance, and the divorce proved that even she was not as important as her family had hoped.
	#If he hadn’t married Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Hind or Maymunah, nothing at all would have changed.		#If he hadn’t married Zaynab bint Khuzaymah, Hind or Maymunah, nothing at all would have changed.

IbnPinker at 23:20, 7 March 2021

2021-03-07T23:20:10Z

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	~~<BR><BR><BR>~~
	Some have suggested that "Prophet Muhammad married most of his wives for political reasons" and that "He only married so many women at one time out of political necessity."		Some have suggested that "Prophet Muhammad married most of his wives for political reasons" and that "He only married so many women at one time out of political necessity."

IbnPinker at 20:28, 7 March 2021

2021-03-07T20:28:51Z

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	This reasoning does not convince many critics. No matter how urgent the needs of state, they argue, nothing justifies having more than one wife at a time. If [[Muhammad]] could not see any way around his political problems except [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]], that simply proves he was not a "prophet".		This reasoning does not convince many critics. No matter how urgent the needs of state, they argue, nothing justifies having more than one wife at a time. If [[Muhammad]] could not see any way around his political problems except [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]], that simply proves he was not a "prophet".

	You might take the line that polygamy was normal in seventh-century Arabia, and Muhammad was not doing anything wrong by the standards of his own culture. That may convince some of them that he was a decent person by the standards of his day. In that case, however, it would contradict [[Uswa Hasana\|Islamic theology]], and there's still the question as to why Muhammad limited other Muslims to four wives each, yet at one point in his own life, he had [[Muhammad's ~~Wives~~\|eleven wives]] plus the intention of adding more. When Ghaylan ibn Salama became a Muslim, he had to divorce six of his ten wives – even though this was in early 630, when Muhammad himself had exactly ten wives.		You might take the line that polygamy was normal in seventh-century Arabia, and Muhammad was not doing anything wrong by the standards of his own culture. That may convince some of them that he was a decent person by the standards of his day. In that case, however, it would contradict [[Uswa Hasana\|Islamic theology]], and there's still the question as to why Muhammad limited other Muslims to four wives each, yet at one point in his own life, he had [[Muhammad's Marriages\|eleven wives]] plus the intention of adding more. When Ghaylan ibn Salama became a Muslim, he had to divorce six of his ten wives – even though this was in early 630, when Muhammad himself had exactly ten wives.

	Why did Muhammad pick the apparently random number of four and enforce this as the maximum number of wives, yet break this rule himself? If the answer is that it was politically necessary, we would expect some exceptional political situation that, in order to ensure the future survival of [[Islam]], required Muhammad to [[marriage\|marry]] all those women.		Why did Muhammad pick the apparently random number of four and enforce this as the maximum number of wives, yet break this rule himself? If the answer is that it was politically necessary, we would expect some exceptional political situation that, in order to ensure the future survival of [[Islam]], required Muhammad to [[marriage\|marry]] all those women.
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	==See Also==		==See Also==

	{{Hub4\|Muhammad's ~~Wives~~\|Muhammad's wives and concubines}}		{{Hub4\|Muhammad's wives and concubines\|Muhammad's wives and concubines}}

	[[Category:Muhammad]]		[[Category:Muhammad]]

IbnPinker at 19:25, 7 March 2021

2021-03-07T19:25:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:25, 7 March 2021
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	Some have suggested that "Prophet Muhammad married most of his wives for political reasons" and that "He only married so many women at one time out of political necessity."		Some have suggested that "Prophet Muhammad married most of his wives for political reasons" and that "He only married so many women at one time out of political necessity."

	This reasoning does not convince many critics. No matter how urgent the needs of state, they argue, nothing justifies having more than one wife at a time. If [[Muhammad]] could not see any way around his political problems except [[polygamy]], that simply proves he was not a "prophet".		This reasoning does not convince many critics. No matter how urgent the needs of state, they argue, nothing justifies having more than one wife at a time. If [[Muhammad]] could not see any way around his political problems except [[Polygamy in Islamic Law\|polygamy]], that simply proves he was not a "prophet".

	You might take the line that polygamy was normal in seventh-century Arabia, and Muhammad was not doing anything wrong by the standards of his own culture. That may convince some of them that he was a decent person by the standards of his day. In that case, however, it would contradict [[Uswa Hasana\|Islamic theology]], and there's still the question as to why Muhammad limited other Muslims to four wives each, yet at one point in his own life, he had [[Muhammad's Wives\|eleven wives]] plus the intention of adding more. When Ghaylan ibn Salama became a Muslim, he had to divorce six of his ten wives – even though this was in early 630, when Muhammad himself had exactly ten wives.		You might take the line that polygamy was normal in seventh-century Arabia, and Muhammad was not doing anything wrong by the standards of his own culture. That may convince some of them that he was a decent person by the standards of his day. In that case, however, it would contradict [[Uswa Hasana\|Islamic theology]], and there's still the question as to why Muhammad limited other Muslims to four wives each, yet at one point in his own life, he had [[Muhammad's Wives\|eleven wives]] plus the intention of adding more. When Ghaylan ibn Salama became a Muslim, he had to divorce six of his ten wives – even though this was in early 630, when Muhammad himself had exactly ten wives.

Asmith: /* See Also */

2021-02-24T17:42:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:42, 24 February 2021
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	{{Hub4\|Muhammad's Wives\|Muhammad's wives and concubines}}		{{Hub4\|Muhammad's Wives\|Muhammad's wives and concubines}}

			[[Category:Muhammad]]
	[[Category:Women]]		[[Category:Women]]
	~~[[Category:Muhammad]]~~
	[[Category:Muhammad's wives and concubines]]		[[Category:Muhammad's wives and concubines]]
			[[Category:Marriage]]
			[[Category:Sahabah (companions)]]
			[[Category:Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House)]]

	{{page_title\|Muhammad's Marriages of Political Necessity}}		{{page_title\|Muhammad's Marriages of Political Necessity}}