Prophet Muhammad ﷺ first married Khadijah (may God be pleased with her) when he was 25 years old, and she remained his only wife until her death, when he was 50. For several years thereafter, Muhammad ﷺ remained unmarried, living with his daughters and sharing the message of Islam. Then, between the ages of 53 and 60, he married his remaining wives. All except A’ishah (may God be pleased with her) were either widows or divorcees. Each had the title of “Umm al-Mumineen,” or “Mother of the Believers,” and they were widely respected during and after the Prophet’s life.
Some of the obvious wisdoms behind the Prophet ﷺ having numerous wives include:
- He supported the widows and divorcees of his community and normalized the practice of marrying them, removing the stigma against both within early Arabian society.
- His wives would go on to narrate the Prophetic tradition to the world. Many of them became respected scholars in their own right, and taught Islamic knowledge to the scholars of the next generation.
- His wives narrated tender, daily moments within their households, revealing greater insight into his and each other’s beautiful character.
- Each marriage was a practical example of how to deal with many different scenarios within home and family life.
