THE PROPHET’S FAMILY

The Prophet had a large family. Most of his wives were widows. Two of his wives were Jewish, and one was Christian.

In those days, men could have several wives, but Islam restricted the number of wives to four. In that period, when men were often killed in battle, the women left behind had to be looked after. So taking several wives was like taking helpless refugees into one’s home. They were treated kindly and generously. Muslim men were encouraged to look after the widows of friends who had died in battle, give them separate homes, and treat them equally.

The Prophet’s wives shared his pious way of life. They made great personal sacrifices, bearing patiently with all kinds of hardships in the path of God. So they came to be known as the mothers of the faithful. The Prophet’s sons had died in infancy. However, four daughters Khadijah bore survived infancy, grew to adulthood, married and bore children. They were Fatimah, Umm Kulthum, Ruqayyah and Zaynab.

The Prophet was a man of peace. His main task was to tell the people about the divine message; he needed an atmosphere of peace and goodwill in which to do so. So he urged his companions to ask God for peace. However, the Quraysh did not allow him to work in peaceful conditions. When they saw the Muslims becoming more powerful, they resolved to wage war and crush them altogether.