Marriages of lust?

The marital history of the Prophet reveals that all of the women he married were either divorced or widowed with the exception of Aisha. Although the prophet willfully chose this despite having had the full power and Quranic right to have much more women that were much younger, yet he did not necessarily push his followers to shoulder the same responsibilities and self-restraint. For example when the prophet learned that his young companion Jabir, who had lost his father in battle, married a woman older than him, in addition previously married, he told him he could and should have chosen among the virgins, who would playfully interact with someone like minded and of similar age. Virgins tend to be young, especially in ancient societies where girls married early. Girls still lose their virginity young today, but for the wrong reasons as compared to older times. Also, for a young girl to be infertile is very uncommon, under normal circumstances. Jabir's purpose was to have someone care for his younger siblings, and thus thought that marrying an experienced woman would help him from that perspective. The prophet was a fatherly figure to the community and was here giving a common sense advise to a young man who should be looking for a more cheerful, playful female companion.

In a time where the average life expectancy was 60, the multiple marriages of the Prophet started when he was 54-56, and 7 years before his death, after 2 years of celibacy, and in the middle of the fierce struggle to establish Islam. The calumny that he suddenly had the libido that only 11 women could satisfy is grotesque and not grounded in reality as shown through the multiple facts above. 

In addition these marriages came at a time where he had to balance his extraordinary responsibilities as a spiritual leader and statesman, with his personal life, and the Quran relates how he had so little room for privacy as the believers would enter his home at all times to seek counseling. Sura Ahzab extends the prophet's spiritual responsibilities to his wives who had to dedicate themselves to studying the Quran and help propagate it in words, thoughts and deeds. His extraordinary schedule and responsibilities, his regular lengthy night prayers, his amazing achievements in such a short time, all that precludes any notion of obsession with worldly pleasures as the critics and those who hate him try to portray.

By contracting most of these marriages, the prophet meant to eliminate the cast or class system, racial and national superiority, and religious prejudices that were all baseless and unjust factors preventing marriages. He married some of the humblest and poorest women and widows, most of them having attained and advanced age, as a way of paying back his due to some of the companions who had perished in battles leaving behind widows with children. He created bonds with conflicting tribes, helping them to settle their disputes, just as prophet Solomon did through his multiple marriages. The Arabs had extreme respect for their son-in-laws and fighting them was considered a great shame therefore many tribes were at peace with others merely due to inter-tribal marriages.

So through these marriages, the prophet strengthened the bonds between muslims, made peace with his enemies, released some women from slavery. From the pattern of the prophet's marriages, none can deny that social and reforming purposes were the priority, and physical attraction, although perfectly legitimate, was not the primary criteria. The restrictions regarding polygamy that were placed on Muslims in general had to be lifted for these goals to be achieved. The verse 33:50 says that this exception was to allow the tasks which he, the prophet and statesman shall encounter 

"for you exclusively, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that there should be no difficulty for you; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful". 

Had the prophet been guided by his lusts, or primarily by physical attraction, when seeking marriage he could have had any captive he wanted from the different wars or any Muslim woman from among the most beautiful ones. He would at least have shown a pattern in his behavior, especially in his younger years where he had every opportunity to show which qualities were the ones he primarily sought in women.  Given the ruling as regards right hand possessions, the prophet did not need to loosen up the restriction on the number of wives, thereby "exposing" himself as using revelation for personal "convenience".

Wars and persecution burdened the Muslims with many widows, orphans and divorcees. They had to be protected and maintained by the surviving Muslim men. It was his practice to help these women become resettled by marriage to his followers. They rejected some women and so some of those women sought his personal protection. Realizing fully their conditions and sacrifices for the cause of Islam, he had to do something to relieve them. One course of relief was to take them as his own wives and accept the challenge of heavy liabilities. He had to take part in the rehabilitation of those widows, orphans and divorcees because he could not ask his companions to do things that he himself was not prepared to do or participate in. These women were trusts of the Muslims and they had to be looked after jointly. What he did, then, was his share of responsibility, and as always his share was the largest and heaviest. That is why he had more than one wife and more than any of his Companions, with all the restrictions and responsibilities on himself and his wives.

There were also many prisoners of war captured by the Muslims who were entitled to security and protection. They were not killed or denied their rights: human or physical. On the contrary, they were helped to settle down through legal marriages to Muslims instead of being taken as concubines and common mistresses. That also was another moral burden on the Muslims, which had to be shouldered jointly as a common responsibility.

The prophet's wives had the title of mothers of the believers 

33:6"The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers". 

That sanctified title carried several implications to those that were willing to uphold it. It is not a title of nobility but rather denotes responsibility and care towards the community. For example Zaynab one of the prophet's wives was called Barrah/pious. The prophet told her to keep her name instead of that nickname to avoid her "giving herself the prestige of piety". He further told his wives 

"Don't hold yourself to be pious. It is God alone who knows the people of piety among you".

They had to restrain their social activities to their own houses as much as possible in order to dedicate themselves to piety and religious study, pray intensely, solidify in their memories the recitations and wisdom of the revelation so that they become means of preserving the right way 33:33-4. During their spiritual counseling activities, they had to watch for the tone of their voice when addressing the opposite sex so that they leave no ambiguity as to their intentions, or cause those with an indecent inclination to harbor inappropriate thoughts. They had to speak to males outside their close relatives from behind a curtain 33:32,53-55. 

This injunction, besides it being a logical demand of modesty whenever opposite sexes interact, becomes all the more relevant if one considers the Quran's description in sura ahzab/33 of the atmosphere of rumour mongering, provocations and other verbal abuses the prophet, and the righteous members of the Muslim community at large were either already the targets of, or were potentially at risk of. There were elements within the community and outside of it that were on the look out for any opportunity to spew their malice and discredit and dishearten the Muslims. Consequently the prophet's household and the Muslims at large are given reassurance of the nobility of their status in God's eyes, and told in which manners to fend off those with evil inclinations. The best way to fend off these attacks were with ethics becoming of the nobility of their moral status as well as by adopting a modest dresscode. 

The religious duties the prophet's wives had to shoulder were such, that willingly faltering in that respect would make them deserving of a more severe chastisement in the hereafter 33:30. This was meant to stress their spiritual responsibilities and the fact they had to exemplify piety, and so their moral conduct should be corresponding. As stated in 33:32, their difference with other Muslim women consisted in them maintaining and propagating moral, ethical and spiritual uprightness. On the other hand their reward will be more intense than regular people due to their higher sacrifices 33:31. This is just like Allah's addressing the prophet warning him not to falter in his righteousness and upright conduct lest he should face a double/more severe punishment than regular people 10:15,17:73-4,39:65,68:9. There is a simple reason behind that principle, leaders in a society are the ones that establish moral standards and are emulated. Their evil does not remain their own but spreads fast and creates further evil, just as their goodness. One and the same sin may thus be requited according to different levels of severity depending on the person committing it as well as the social repercussions of that sin.

Finally, in consequence of their designation and duties as mothers of the believers, they were not allowed to remarry after the prophet's death, contrary to regular Muslim women divorcees 33:53.

The difference between the prophet's wives and others is that obviously none would ever marry and sleep with Moses', Solomon's, Abraham's or Muhammad's wives had the prophets passed away. This sanctified status is not one that was decreed because some believers would potentially desire to unite with one of them after the prophet's demise, it was addressed to the wives he already had and those in the future that would enter into a marriage with him, making clear to them the conditions of marrying him, and the consequences. To those that were already married to him, they could at anytime prior to his death, relinquish that status and be given the opportunity to leave this life of sacrifices and socio-religious responsibilities. Some of them did, prior to even consummating the marriage, unable to bear the burden of responsibility and an austere life. 

In 33:28-29 they are told that if their desire for this world and its adornment is preferable in their eyes than a life of sacrifices dedicated to their spiritual duties 

"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 goodly departing". 

After divorce the woman would have stood excluded from the category of "mothers of believers", and she would not be forbidden to any other Muslim; for she would have chosen divorce from the prophet only for the sake of the world and its adornments of which she had been given the choice. The prophet's wives had thus the option of requesting and getting a just and kind divorce for even such petty reasons like their desire to pursue this worldly life which God's prophet could not afford giving them in his household. No shame or stigma was put on those that did nor on those that would afterwards. Divorces with prophet occurred, as already said. Also, enemies of Islam were all around Medina and within the city itself. Had there been such a potential negative consequence on a divorced woman's personal life she could have joined any opposing community just as former polytheist Meccan women joined the Medina Muslims for shelter after conversion to Islam. 

Furthermore, in relation to 33:28-9 referred to earlier, in which the prophet is told to "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 goodly departing". No Muslim, and no man of any culture is required to go out of his way and ask his wife if she is happy and satisfied enough in all material aspects, especially when one is just with the wife in relation to one's financial capabilities. Further, no Muslim or man in general is required to offer divorce if the wife is unhappy. On top of it, not simple divorce, with each partner going his/her way, which would be fairest in this case, but a "gracious" divorce, where the wife is free to leave as well as receive compensation if she chooses to. Yet this is what was required of the prophet, contrary to all Muslims, a man supposedly seeking multiple marriages of lust.

By the time this verse was revealed, and as shown in the direct context, the Muslims had conquered the rich agricultural region of Khaybar, and the community had grown more prosperous. But while life was becoming easier for most of its members, this ease was not reflected in the household of the Prophet 33:28-9. As was always his habit, he only allowed himself and his family only the absolute minimum necessary for the most simple living 

28:83"that future abode, We assign it to those who have no desire to exalt themselves in the earth nor to make mischief and the good end is for those who guard (against evil)". 

His prestigious status as a prophet and ruler never came in the way of that humble principle of living. Not only was he not ever one to ask for any kind of reward from his addressees 6:90,12:104etc, his reward and compensation being simply that people might be guided 

25:57"Say: ‘No reward do I ask of you for this. All I ask is that he who so wills may find a way leading to his Lord" 

but every occasion where he could make use of his status and deep knowledge for material benefit, he would do it for the sake of the needy 

58:12"when you consult the Messenger, then offer something in charity before your consultation; that is better for you and purer"

The prophet's wives on the other hand naturally were longing for a share in the comparative luxuries which other Muslim women could now enjoy. His wives often stated that they had little on their shelves besides bread flour and dates. But it is reported that all of them rejected a possible separation with the prophet and resumed their spiritual duties as "mothers of the believers", and were promised a great reward in the Hereafter for having denied themselves the ordinary comforts of life by remaining in the Prophet's house 33:31. Their voluntary worldly sacrifices can only be understood from a spiritual perspective. Umm Habiba, one of the prophet's wives had such awareness for that spiritual favor despite the sacrifices that she even proposed the hand of her own sister to the prophet 

“Are you interested in my sister, Apostle of Allaah?” He said “What should I do?” She said “You marry her” He said “Your sister?” She said “Yes”. He said “Do you like that?” she said “I am not alone with you of those who share me in this good, my sister is most to my liking. He said “She is not lawful for me.”

4:3,33:50-1"specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful". 

Here, the women made lawful to him are spelled out, outside of which he could not marry, and each with a specific purpose that he might discharge his duties of prophethood and moral reformer without any hindrance, blame and difficulty:
1. Those whom he was already married to
2. Those whom were captured in war, meaning for the pacification of tribes
3. Cousins from paternal and maternal sides that had migrated with him and left everything behind, meaning close family ties should not impede him from coming to such women's help.
4. Women that wanted to gift their souls to the Prophet, if he so desired to marry them. These women knew the difficulties that awaited them, spiritually due to their religious burdens and social role, emotionally due to the prophet hardly being available for them. In addition they knew they could not re-marry following his death, besides the major fact that financially, the prophet's household lived a very basic lifestyle relatively to others in the community. These selective criteria allowed for only the most pious, disinterested elements to be associated to him. This ordinance was so revealing of their piety that Aisha used to say 

"I used to feel jealous of those women who offered themselves to the Prophet and I said, `Would a woman offer herself'"

And yet the noble prophet never took advantage of that rule as reported from ibn Abbas 

"The Messenger of Allah did not have any wife who offered herself to him". 

Ibn Kathir relates one such situation involving Khawlah bint Hakim

 "a woman came to the Messenger of Allah and said, "O Messenger of Allah, verily, I offer myself to you (for marriage).'' She stood there for a long time, then a man stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you do not want to marry her.'' The Messenger of Allah said: (Do you have anything that you could give to her as a dowery) He said, "I have only this garment of mine.'' The Messenger of Allah said: (If you give her your garment, you will be left with no garment. Look for something.) He said, "I do not have anything.'' He said: Look for something, even if it is only an iron ring.) So he looked, but he could not find anything. Then the Messenger of Allah said to him: (Do you have (know) anything of the Qur'an) He said, "Yes, Surah such and such and Surah and such,'' he named the Surahs. So, the Messenger of Allah said: (I marry her to you with what you know of the Qur'an.)"

The verse made it clear that the prophet's marriages were primarily motivated by his religious, social and moral obligations, and no blame was attached to him ever by his contemporaries for him marrying more than 4 in order to fulfill these duties, from within the categories allowed to him and with the special procedures cited in the verses. This shows that his contemporaries, enemies an followers alike, were aware and could not deny his motivation for having more wives than other Muslims.

Having a large household combined with his prophetic duties and the turmoil of these early days in which he was involved in on a daily basis, he could not be expected to divide his time so as to satisfy each of the wives and potential concubines equally. But as the Islamic history books explicitly denote, he tried to observe equality among them as much as possible. He used to visit sometimes his 9 wives at once. In that report, the Arabic doesnt denote sexual intercourse, on the part of that humble man in his late 50s who had in addition to balance his household duties with his extraordinary responsibilities as a spiritual leader and statesman. Some of his male companions might have assumed so, but it did not have to be the case. And to further corroborate that the prophet, despite visiting all his wives, would only have intercourse with the one whose turn had arrived 

"Narrated ‘Urwah: ‘A’ishah said: “O nephew! The Messenger of Allah would not prefer any one of us to another with regards to spending time with us. Hardly a day would go by without him visiting all of us. He would come close to each woman, without touching her, until he reached the one whose turn it was, then he would spend the night with her". 

The flexibility of the law as regards the division of time is of course not speaking of the sustenance and rightful material needs of every wife. In this area, the prophet had to divide his resources among every household, in addition to the financial burden of taking care of the indebted of the community and the incessant guests who would be received at all moments. He is known to have been left with very little to spend on himself and his wives, leading to them often complaining about the relative ease in which other companion's wives were living. And this at a time where the community had grown more prosperous in Medina, an ease which was not reflected in the prophet's household 33:28-9"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 goodly departing".  

 

The prophet thus, despite being absolved from strict obligations towards his multiple wives would nevertheless feel saddened whenever he delayed his appointed time with one of his wives

 33:51"You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you". 

This ordinance made sure that no reproach would be cast upon him, and neither would he be hindered by social pressures or customs. So although he had the peace of mind from a spiritual viewpoint that he would never be blameworthy, he still felt uneasy emotionally towards his wives whom he loved. And he did his utmost to spend as much time as he could with them all equitably. Aisha would say to him 

"If I could deny you the permission (to go to your other wives) I would not allow your favour to be bestowed on any other person". 

This statement from the prophet's youngest wife, and thus logically the most physically attractive in comparison to his other wives, shows the prophet tried as best as he could not to favor one wife over another based on his personal preference. There is an instance where he refused letting Aisha replace another wife on a day that wasnt hers 

"O Aisha, keep away from me, it is not your day".

 The prophet maintained as best he could that considerate pattern of behavior throughout his life, as narrated by Aisha:

 "When the ailment of the Prophet became aggravated and his disease became severe, he asked his wives to permit him to be nursed (treated) in my house. So they gave him the permission. Then the Prophet came (to my house) with the support of two men, and his legs were dragging on the ground, between `Abbas, and another man". 

Besides absolving the prophet, the ordinance also put all the wives and potential concubines on the same level as it concerned them all from God's perspective. Through it, they find the inner peace that the emotional sacrifice they shall endure, and which they all were fully aware of before accepting to marry the prophet, is for the accomplishment of a higher objective. Their merit with God will naturally be higher given their worldly sacrifices  

"this is most proper, so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased, all of them with what you give them". 

The verse ends with an affectionate message to the prophet's household in general, stressing that God is aware of the difficulties in all levels of life that they must endure, and their toll on their feelings 

"and Allah knows what is in your hearts; and Allah is Knowing, Forbearing." 

Aisha is indirectly described as expressing her initial frustration and spousal jealousy, when she supposedly stated in relation to 33:51 that 

“I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires". 

It is remarkable that the prophet would always abide by the restrictions divinely imposed on him but not the relaxations, as described above. In Sura Ahzab, around the verse quoted in the hadith, there are seven rules about marriage peculiar to the Prophet. Four of these granted him relaxations and three put restrictions. The Prophet certainly abided by the restrictions, but yet, for someone whose "Lord hastens his desires" he did not opt to benefit from two of the relaxations. 

Had the idea of ‘convenient revelations’ any basis in that report from Aisha as claimed by Islam's opponents, to start with, there wouldnt have been any restrictions on the Prophet neither in this sura or other suras, to the exclusion of the rest of the believers. And neither would he have failed to take benefit of every relaxation, without having any guilty conscience as he just happened to have. It is further worthy to note that, in those relaxations pertaining to marital affairs described in 33:50-1, the prophet is a passive agent; it is the women that are given the option of seeking him in marriage, not the other way around. The bottom line is that, whichever one looks at it, nothing in the pattern of the life of the prophet supports the malicious charges against him. 

As a side note about the issue of jealousy, as noted by the earliest scholars the jealousy – of either husband or a co-wife, when it does not lead to transgression either by words or by actions, is not blameworthy. It is but a normal human feeling that can overwhelm anyone, especially when there is intense love involved. The prophet's wives loved their husband and it is normal they would feel jealous of oneanother. The prophet however always tried resolving these issues as pragmatically as possible, without ever accepting there one oppressing another. For example his companions knew that in terms of personal feelings, the prophet had more love for Aisha than his other wives. This is itself not blameworthy. But because of that, his companions, seeing the bare minimum comfort he allowed himself and his household, if they wanted to gift him something, which the prophet would then share with them, they would prefer visiting him when he was at Aisha's house. If the people honored her home in that manner, it would be inappropriate for the prophet to ask them to refrain from doing so, just so as to appease his other wives. It would be unfair towards Aisha who did not ask for such a conduct, nor would it be fair towards the people themselves. They are free to enter whatever home they wish, if they are welcomed in it. They in addition should not be forced to conform their behavior so as to reduce tensions within another person's household, even if it is the prophet. That is why the prophet, after his wives' repeatedly pressing him that he should 

"tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife's house he was" 

answered them back by honoring Aisha even further. Instead of reducing of her value in people's eyes, as the other wives demanded, he declared 

"Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me on any of the bed sheets except that of Aisha". 

The prophet received revelation long before marrying Aisha. After his marriage he continued receiving inspiration in different locations and conditions than Aisha's house. All his other wives saw him and described his symptoms in the ahadith while the phenomenon occurred. But by telling them that from all places, he only had inspiration in the bed sheets of Aisha, he was denoting a particularity which none of the wives had experienced with him. 

The prophet in turn did not hesitate to preserve the honor of another wife even if it made Aisha jealous. He had such an intense remembrance of his first wife Khadija that whenever she was mentioned he gave her the best of praises so that Aisha used to say

 "I never envied any woman as much as I envied Khadijah. The Holy Prophet always remembered her. Whenever any sheep or goat was slaughtered, the choicest parts were sent to Khadijah's relatives and friends. I used to say, 'It appears that Khadijah was the only woman in the world.' Hearing this, the Holy Prophet was very much annoyed and said: 'Khadijah had many virtues, which others do not have. "' 

However such spousal jealousy isnt blameworthy, especially considering how Aisha herself reported Khadija’s merits. 

Further, Aisha too had merits of her own, as reported in the narrations, as stated earlier she was the only one from among his wives under whose lihaf/thawb (used interchangeably for a blanket) and mirt (piece of unsewn fabric) he would receive revelation. 

There are some documented conflicts and instances of petty jealousies among Prophet Muhammad’s wives, but this was by no means the norm and the prophet was always considerate and delicate when handling these issues. Aisha narrated: 

“Once, Sawdah visited us and the Prophet sat down between me and her, one leg in her lap and the other in mine. I made then Khazira (a dish of bran in meat broth) and told her: “Eat!” She refused. I said: “If you don’t eat I will stain your face with Khazira,” but she insisted not to eat; therefore, I put my hand in Khazira and painted her face. Seeing that, the Prophet laughed and gave his share in Khazira to Sawdah and told her to stain my face; so, Sawdah stained my face and the Prophet laughed".

 There are many such reported instances of the prophet's tactful handling of tense co-wives situations.
As shown above, they got along amicably otherwise, with mutual respect and sisterly love. Just like normal women, though, they had their human weaknesses and moody phases.
 
Then through 33:52, the prophet was specifically told not to marry more women or divorce anyone from the wives he already had, if it is for purely physical motives. Here is a man who is supposedly lustful for women, forbidden from taking wives on the basis of their beauty only, which is precisely what is supposed to satisfy his alleged lusts. And besides, the ones leveling this type of mindless arguments, mainly Christians nowadays should ask themselves; how does having multiple or young/beautiful wives stain his truthfulness as a prophet, considering the marital and concubinal history of the prophets of the Hebrew Bible? 

33:52 was an answer to the hypocrites' annoying talk and unjust provocations the likes that were directed at other righteous men and women 33:48,57-58. The prophet is not here being denied the right to divorce. He is denied to do it for purely physical motives. He could divorce a woman if she misbehaved, then replace her with one regardless of her age or marital history, whose selection would strictly be on the basis of high morality and spiritual qualities 2:221,66:5,49:13. His divorces therefore would be dictated not by whims or lust but by righteousness and uprightness in conduct, or as the HB states in Prov31 after listing the true qualities of a married woman 

"Charm is false and beauty is futile; a God-fearing woman is to be praised". 

That is based on the notion that 

24:26"corrupt women are for corrupt men, and corrupt men, for corrupt women - just as good women are for good men, and good men, for good women". 

This negates the charges and calumnies raised by modern critics, mainly from a Judeo-Christian background, concerning the motives behind the prophet's marriages and these critics should rather turn attention towards their own scriptures where "divine ordinances" regulate whom is to marry whom, strictly on a physical basis 

Ezek44:22"And neither a widow nor a divorced woman may they (the high priests) take for wives, but they shall take virgins from the descendants of the House of Israel".

Such calumnies werent reserved to Muhammad, in the prophetic history, the likes of Moses were slandered to such an extent that the HB portrays YHWH wrathfully descending on the culprits Numb12,Ex2:21,Quran33:69. 

Despite these talks, the prophet is consoled that he is under constant spiritual blessings by God and His angels. These blessings in themselves will bring to naught all such imputations levelled against him or the believers in general, while a grievious sin will be written upon the culprits 33:56-8. 

What is very interesting is that the verse, although restricts any future marriage, allows him still to have as many right hand possessions as he would like to have and establish concubine relationships with them. And yet, here again is a man supposedly lustful, taking only 1 such women although he had the possibility of having much more, even as many as he would have liked. Again, we see a clear pattern from the prophet, abiding by all the restrictions imposed on him but not taking advantage of the legal relaxations. The religion of Islam, as exemplified in the life of the prophet, is against the concept of monasticism, the depraved idea of conflict between the flesh and the spirit, and the rejection of this world's legitimate pleasures. Accordingly, the Prophet said 

“By Allah, I fear Allah more than you do, and I am most obedient and dutiful among you to Him, but still I observe fast and break it; perform prayer and sleep at night and take wives. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me”. 

That balance between worldly enjoyments and spirituality is encapsulated in another hadith, placed by an Nasa'i in the chapter on the kind treatment of women 

“In your world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my comfort has been provided in prayer". 

Al-Suyuti offers the following insights on this report 

"In view of the fact that what is understood from the context of this Hadith is that the Prophet wanted to clarify what he received from the enjoyments of this world; he started his statement saying, “In your world, women and perfume have been made dear to me …“. In view of the fact of what has been made dear to him from the enjoyments of this world is the best thing of it; the women, as evidenced by his saying in another Hadith “The world is but a (quick passing) enjoyment; and the best enjoyment of the world is a pious virtuous woman” [Muslim]. It is appropriate to include the best religious matter, prayer, in the same Hadith, as prayer is the best worship that ranks second to faith. Therefore, we learn that this Hadith is a rhetorical one as it includes the best worldly enjoyments besides the best religious worships. Furthermore, the Prophet simply used the words “made dear to me” for the worldly matters while for the religious worships, he used the great expression of “my comfort has been provided in” as we can see that the word ‘comfort’ is used to express a great love not a normal one like the word “dear”".

The single right hand possession that was in addition his concubine was the noble Maria the Copt, who wasnt even a war captive, meaning the prophet didnt even go out of his way to find a woman that pleased him. She was given to him out of reverence by an Egyptian notable. It is interesting to note that there are at least 2 similar precedents in prophetic history, of a prophet's union with the Egyptian daughter of royalty. First Hagar who was given to Abraham, and then Solomon's unnamed Egyptian wife 1Kings3. The Egyptian notable wanted to establish political relations with the prophet, and this gesture was considered normal as per the decorum of ancient societies. Some reports say that two women were given, Maria and Sirin. The prophet freed Sirin whom he married to a close follower and took Maria as his concubine and lodged her in one of his followers' houses temporarily, Haritha. The prophet died only 2-3 years later. It is reasonable to assume that he would have eventually freed then married her, as seen from his relationship pattern in his household.