Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that can help answer the question.
Query: How many wives did Muhammad have?
Muhammad was monogamous for 25 years. After his first wife Khadija bint Khuwaylid died, he proceeded to marry the wives listed below, and most of them were widows. Muhammad's life is traditionally delineated as two epochs: pre-hijra (emigration) in Mecca, a city in western Arabia, from the year 570 to 622, and post-hijra in Medina, from 622 until his death in 632. All but two of his marriages were contracted after the Hijra (migration to Medina). Of Muhammad's thirteen wives, at least two, Rayhana bint Zayd and Maria al-Qibtiyya, were referred to simply as concubines;[2][3] however, there is debate among Muslims as to whether these two officially became his wives.[4][5] Of his thirteen wives, only two bore him children, a fact which has been described as "curious" by Cornell University Professor of Near Eastern Studies David S. Powers.[6]
In the fourth year following the migration to Medina (4 AH), Umm Salama accepted a marriage proposal from Muhammad. After sharing her three reservations about the marriage, and hearing the response from Muhammad, Umm Salama was so pleased that she accepted the proposal. Umm Salama became the eldest of all of Muhammad's wives. She became the highest-ranking wife of Muhammad, only behind Khadija. Her elevated status among the rest of the wives was a result of her presence in many wars and her defense of the household of Muhammad. Attributes that distinguish Umm Salama from the rest of the wives of Muhammad include the following: Her role in Fatima al-Zahra's upbringing (most prominent daughter of Muhammad, whom Umm Salama proclaimed displayed more knowledge than ever herself in all affairs), her political activism, her accounts of Muhammad's narrations (378 total narrations of Hadith), and her unwavering defense of Imam Ali's personality and leadership following Muhammad's death.
Sources have varied on the number of Young's wives, due to differences in what scholars have considered to be a "wife".[54] There were 55 women that Young was sealed to during his lifetime. While the majority of the sealings were "for eternity", some were "for time only". Researchers believe that not all of the 55 marriages were conjugal.[54] Young did not live with a number of his wives or publicly hold them out as wives, which has led to confusion on the number and identities.[54] This is in part due to the complexity of how wives were identified in the Mormon society at the time.
Some Sunni scholars remark that the "purification verse" was revealed concerning five people: Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hassan and Husayn. Others maintain that the "purification verse" cannot refer to the inerrancy of the Imams because the context in which it occurs relates to the wives of Muhammad and necessitates that it, too, should refer to them, or that at the very least they cannot be excluded from the category it addresses. If it were to imply inerrancy, then the wives of Muhammad would also have to be inerrant, a belief that Sunni scholars do not hold. Shia scholars, however, do believe in the infallibility of Muhammad. Ibn Kathir in his tafsir of the relevant verse says "the [Sunni] scholars are unanimously agreed that [Muhammad's wives] were the reason for revelation in this case...but others may be included by way of generalization."
Before he left for Medina, it was suggested by Khawlah bint Hakim that he marry Sawda bint Zamʿa, who had suffered many hardships after she became a Muslim. Prior to that, Sawda was married to a paternal cousin of hers named As-Sakran bin ‘Amr, and had five or six sons from her previous marriage. There are disagreements in Muslim tradition whether Muhammad first married Sawda or Aisha. In one account, he married Sawda in Shawwal, when Sawda was about 55 years old, in the tenth year of Prophethood, after the death of Khadija. At about the same period, Aisha was betrothed to him.[26] As Sawda got older, and some time after Muhammad's marriage to Umm Salama,[27] some sources claim that Muhammad wished to divorce Sawda.[28] Still other traditions maintain that Muhammad did not intend to divorce her, but only Sawda feared or thought that he would.[29] As a compromise, or because of her old age, Sawda offered to give her turn of Muhammad's conjugal visits to Aisha, stating that she "was old, and cared not for men; her only desire was to rise on the Day of Judgment as one of his wives".[28] While some Muslim historians cite this story as a reason of revelation for Quran, others like Rashid Rida dispute this whole account as "poorly supported", or mursal.[29]
Bahá'ís argue that polygamy is an ancient practice and other religions did not require monogamy. Under the Law of Moses a man could take as many wives as he chose. Scholars views and church practices around the world vary about polygamy in Christianity; certainly some have advocated and practiced it across all of Christian history. In the Arabian peninsula Muhammad introduced a limit of four wives; polygamy was unlimited in pre-Islamic Arabia. The Bahá'í Faith slowly introduced monogamy to a region that considered polygamy a righteous lifestyle. Note 89 of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas comments on the verse in question:
Klempner's novel was "Letter to Five Wives". Two wives were lost in the transition to the screen. At one point, the film was called "A Letter to Four Wives". When submitting the adapted screenplay to 20th Century-Fox chief Darryl F. Zanuck, Joseph L. Mankiewicz mentioned that he found it too long and asked how Zanuck felt about shortening the movie. "Take out one of the wives," Zanuck replied. Originally, the movie would have featured Anne Baxter as Martha. Zanuck did not feel Baxter's segment was as strong as the other three, so it was cut.
Muhammad is reported to have had mysterious seizures at the moments of inspiration. According to Philip Schaff (1819–1893), during his revelations Muhammad "sometimes growled like a camel, foamed at his mouth, and streamed with perspiration." Welch, a scholar of Islamic studies, in the Encyclopedia of Islam states that the graphic descriptions of Muhammad's condition at these moments may be regarded as genuine, since they are unlikely to have been invented by later Muslims. According to Welch, these seizures should have been the most convincing evidence for the superhuman origin of Muhammad's inspirations for people around him. Others adopted alternative explanations for these seizures and claimed that he was possessed, a soothsayer, or a magician. Welch states it remains uncertain whether Muhammad had such experiences before he began to see himself as a prophet and if so how long did he have such experiences.
When Fatima was ill with the final sickness which caused her death, the wives of the emigrants and companions of Muhammad went out visit her to ask how she was feeling. In reply to them, after asking for the blessings of God for her father, Muhammad, she said: 
After the daily "Asr" prayer, Muhammad would visit each of his wives' apartments to inquire about their well-being. Muhammad was just in the amount of time he spent with them and attention he gave to them. Once, Muhammad's fifth wife, Zaynab bint Jahsh, received some honey from a relative which Muhammad took a particular liking to. As a result, every time Zaynab offered some of this honey to him he would spend a longer time in her apartment. This did not sit well with Aisha and Hafsa bint Umar.
Soon after this event, Muhammad reported that he had received a revelation in which he was told that he could eat anything permitted by God. Some Sunni commentators on the Qur'an sometimes give this story as the "occasion of revelation" for At-Tahrim, which opens with the following verses: Word spread to the small Muslim community that Muhammad's wives were speaking sharply to him and conspiring against him. Muhammad, saddened and upset, separated from his wives for a month. ‘Umar, Hafsa's father, scolded his daughter and also spoke to Muhammad of the matter. By the end of this time, his wives were humbled; they agreed to "speak correct and courteous words" and to focus on the afterlife.
According to a hadith, Muhammad's contemporaries believed that due to Safiyya's high status, it was only befitting that she be manumitted and married to Muhammad.[78] Modern scholars believe that Muhammad married Safiyya as part of reconciliation with the Jewish tribe and as a gesture of goodwill.[79][80] John L. Esposito states that the marriage may have been political or to cement alliances.[81][82] Haykal opines that Muhammad's manumission of and marriage to Safiyaa was partly in order to alleviate her tragedy and partly to preserve their dignity, and compares these actions to previous conquerors who married the daughters and wives of the kings whom they had defeated.[83] According to some, by marrying Safiyyah, Muhammad aimed at ending the enmity and hostility between Jews and Islam.[82]
The Mishnah interpreted the words "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself" in to limit him to no more than 18 wives. Judah said that he could have more wives, provided that they did not turn away his heart. But Simeon said that he must not marry even one wife who would turn away his heart. The Mishnah concluded that prohibited the king from marrying more than 18 wives, even if they were all as righteous as Abigail the wife of David. The "Gemara" noted that Judah did not always employ the rationale behind a Biblical passage as a basis for limiting its legal effect, as he did here in . The "Gemara" explained that Rabbi Judah employed the rationale behind the law here because itself expounds the rationale behind its legal constraint: The reason behind the command, "he shall not multiply wives to himself," is so "that his heart be not turned aside." Thus Rabbi Judah reasoned that itself restricts the law to these conditions, and a king could have more wives if "his heart be not turned aside." The "Gemara" noted that Simeon did not always interpret a Biblical passage strictly by its plain meaning, as he appeared to do here in . The "Gemara" explained that Simeon could have reasoned that adds the words, "that his heart turn not away," to imply that the king must not marry even a single wife who might turn away his heart. And one could interpret the words "he shall not multiply" to mean that the king must not marry many wives even if they, like Abigail, would never turn away his heart. The "Gemara" then analyzed how the anonymous first view in came to its conclusion that the king could have no more than 18 wives. The "Gemara" noted that refers to the children of six of David's wives born to David in Hebron. The "Gemara" reasoned that the prophet Nathan referred to these six wives in when he said, "And if that were too little, then would I add to you the like of these, and the like of these," each "these" implying six more wives. Thus with the original six, these two additions of six would make 18 in all.
Muhammad's wives were the first women to follow the practice of veiling with a Hijab. Sura 33:53, commonly called the ""hijab" verse," states that if "believers" want something from Muhammad's wives, they must ask "from behind a "hijab""; it also forbids "believers" from marrying Muhammad's wives after him.
Muslims have often pointed out that Muhammad married Khadija (a widow whose age is estimated to have been 40), when he was 25 years old, and remained monogamous to her for more than 24 years until she died. Norman Geisler frames Muhammad's marriages as a question of moral inconsistency, since Muhammad was unwilling to abide by the revealed limit of four wives that he enjoined on other men. The Quran states that the limit of four wives does not apply to Muhammad. Muslims have generally responded that the marriages of Muhammad were not conducted to satisfy worldly desires or lusts, but rather they were done for a higher purpose and due to God's command. Medieval Sufi, Ibn Arabi, sees Muhammad's relationships with his wives as a proof of his superiority amongst men. John Esposito states that polygamy served multiple purposes, including solidifying political alliances among Arab chiefs and marrying widows of companions who died in combat that needed protection.
The greatest attribute of the wives of Muhammad is demonstrated as being known as the "Mothers of the believers". They were also prohibited from marrying another man ever again. (33:53) The Qur'an indicates that the wives of Muhammad had to be role models in society (33:30-32). She was often looked up to by the rest of the wives of Muhammad due to her intelligence and political knowledge. Umm Salama herself narrated 378 Hadith, among them being some of the most important. She was the last of the wives of Muhammad to pass away.
Muhammad performed household chores such as preparing food, sewing clothes, and repairing shoes. He is also said to have had accustomed his wives to dialogue; he listened to their advice, and the wives debated and even argued with him.
Upon entering Muhammad's household, Safiyya became friends with Aisha and Hafsa. Also, she offered gifts to Fatima. She gave some of Muhammad's other wives gifts from her jewels that she brought with her from Khaybar.[90] However, some of Muhammad's other wives spoke ill of Safiyya's Jewish descent. Muhammad intervened, pointing out to everyone that Safiyya's "husband is Muhammad, father is Aaron, and uncle is Moses", a reference to revered prophets.[91]
Sallam was among the rabbis who debated with Muhammad. On one occasion, he asked: “Is it true that [the Qur’an] is the truth from God? For our part, we cannot see that it is arranged as the Torah is.” Muhammad protested that the Qur’an could be found in the Torah and that neither man nor jinn could have forged it; and the Jews challenged him: “Bring down to us from Heaven a book that will clearly demonstrate its identity [by its similarity to the Torah], otherwise we will produce one like [the Qur’an].” When no answers to their serious questions were forthcoming, the Jews began to tease Muhammad with facetious questions such as “How did God begin?” and easy ones to which he gave a non-traditional answer, such as “How many plagues did God send on Egypt?” Sallam apparently had a great talent for asking annoying questions and creating confusion “so as to confound the truth with falsehood.”
Verses 28-34 contain a reference to Muhammad's wives and tell the believers the proper conduct with Muhammad and his household. The prophet's wives are called the Mothers of the Believers and thus have to follow certain rules and regulations as women who are "unlike other women." As such, some scholars have suggested that these rules apply exclusively to only Prophet's wives. According to Shi'a interpretation, verse 33 contains a reference to Ahl al-Bayt (the Event of the Cloak) and Verse of purification.
Muhammad, fearing public opinion, was initially reluctant to marry Zaynab. The marriage would seem incestuous to their contemporaries because she was the former wife of his adopted son, and adopted sons were considered the same as biological sons.[26] According to Watt, this "conception of incest was bound up with old practices belonging to a lower, communalistic level of familial institutions where a child's paternity was not definitely known; and this lower level was in process being eliminated by Islam."[59] Muhammad's decision to marry Zaynab was an attempt to break the hold of pre-Islamic ideas over men's conduct in society. The Qur'an, however, indicated that this marriage was a duty imposed upon him by God. It implied that treating adopted sons as real sons was objectionable and that there should now be a complete break with the past.[26] Thus Muhammad, confident that he was strong enough to face public opinion, proceeded to reject these taboos.[60] When Zaynab's waiting period was complete, Muhammad married her.[61] An influential faction in Medina, called "Hypocrites" in the Islamic tradition,[62] did indeed criticize the marriage as incestuous.[26] Attempting to divide the Muslim community, they spread rumors as part of a strategy of attacking Muhammad through his wives.[62] According to Ibn Kathir, the relevant Qur'anic verses were a "divine rejection" of the Hypocrites' objections.[62] According to Rodinson, doubters argued the verses were in exact conflict with social taboos and favored Muhammad too much. The delivery of these verses, thus, did not end the dissent.[57]
Some jurists argue that even when beating is acceptable under the Quran, it is still discouraged. Ibn Kathir in concluding his exegesis exhorts men to not beat their wives, quoting a hadith from Muhammad: "Do not hit God's servants" (here referring to women). The narration continues, stating that some while after the edict, "Umar complained to the Messenger of God that many women turned against their husbands. Muhammad gave his permission that the men could hit their wives in cases of rebelliousness. The women then turned to the wives of the Prophet and complained about their husbands. The Prophet said: 'Many women have turned to my family complaining about their husbands. Verily, these men are not among the best of you."
Muhammad's wives, or the wives of Muhammad, were the women married to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Muslims use the term prominently before or after referring to them as a sign of respect. The term "Mothers of the Believers" is applied to them which is derived from Quran: "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their selves, and his wives are (as) their mothers."[1]
Raising one's hands is an encouraged option. There are many hadith that describe how Muhammad raised his hands during du'a. Some hadith describe him having raised his hands way up high in emergency situations. Many scholars agree that if it is not an extreme situation that Muhammad did not raise his hands above his head. The exact manner that many scholars in Islam describe how high the hands should be raised during a regular Du'a is up to the shoulders with palms placed together.
Although Muhammad's wives had a special status as Mothers of the Believers, he did not allow them to use his status as a prophet to obtain special treatment in public.[103]
Scholars and commentators have stated that Muhammad directed men not to hit their wives' faces, not to beat their wives in such a way as would leave marks on their body, and not to beat their wives as to cause pain ("ghayr mubarrih"). Scholars too have stipulated against beating or disfigurement, with others such as the Syrian jurist Ibn Abidin prescribing "ta'zir" punishments against abusive husbands.
In a certain hadidth, Muhammad discouraged beating one's wife severely: