Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
Keeping nine wives at the same time is among the unique characteristics (khasa’is) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam); the Ummah is only permitted up to four. The one whose turn was not fixed refers to Sayyidah Sawdah radi Allahu anha, who, due to old age, gave up her turn to Sayyidah Aishah radi Allahu anha.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam married Maymunah radi Allahu anha at the place of Sarif, and it was at this very place that she passed away. This location is eighteen miles from Makkah al-Mukarramah.

(2)
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had nine (9) wives at the same time. Among them, due to the old age of Sawdah radi Allahu anha, her turn was not fixed; rather, she gave her turn to Aishah radi Allahu anha. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam should be mindful of the rights of his noble wives. There should be no difference in their honor and respect during their lives or after their deaths. Having nine (9) wives at the same time was a unique characteristic of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. They were declared as the mothers of the believers, and after him, it was made forbidden to marry them. Members of the Ummah are only permitted to have four wives at the same time, and that too is conditional upon justice and fairness. The Noble Qur’an has clarified that if there is fear of not being just and fair, then one should suffice with a single wife. ()

(3)
Regarding polygamy, we are afflicted with both excess and deficiency. Some people think that there is no limit to polygamy in Islam, and that the words “two, three, and four” in the Noble Qur’an are merely idiomatic. However, this position is incorrect for two reasons: First, if the permission were general, then these words would have sufficed: “Marry other women whom you like.” There would have been no need to specify up to four. Second, the Sunnah has set the limit at four, as narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar radi Allahu anhu that when Ghaylan ibn Salamah al-Thaqafi radi Allahu anhu accepted Islam, he had ten wives. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Choose four among them.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Book of Marriage, Hadith: 1953) After the clarification of the hadith, it is not the way of a Muslim to say anything contrary.

On the other hand, there are those who say that only one woman should be married. According to them, the permission for polygamy was only for emergency and wartime circumstances; these people are overawed by Western civilization. Their argument is that Allah the Exalted says: “If you fear that you will not be just among them, then one is sufficient.” () Then in this surah it is also stated: “You will never be able to be just between wives, even if you desire it.” () Thus, according to them, the conditional permission for polygamy given earlier was abrogated by the subsequent verse. This argument is incorrect because in the mentioned verse it is stated: “So do not incline completely to one and leave the other hanging.” And the matters in which lack of justice is indicated are those which are not within a person’s control, and the demand for justice is only in those matters which are within his control, such as maintenance, fulfilling her needs, and assigning turns for spending the night, etc. Thus, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to supplicate: “O Allah! In matters that are within my control, I treat all my wives equally, and in matters that are not within my control, forgive me.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Marriage, Hadith: 2134) Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah has clarified that a person is not in control of matters of the heart. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
Hazrat Maymunah radi Allahu anha was the maternal aunt of Hazrat Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu. After all the other wives, in the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah during the 'Umrat al-Qada' in 7 AH, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam married her at the place of Sarif. Her name was previously Barrah. Sarif, which is at a distance of nine (9) miles, more or less, from Makkah al-Mukarramah, is also the place where, after all the other wives, she passed away in 61 AH.

However, it is a mistake of 'Ata that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not assign a turn to Safiyyah radi Allahu anha. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had fixed a turn for each of them. In the end, Sawdah radi Allahu anha gifted her turn to Hazrat Aishah radi Allahu anha, but even so, her turn remained established. Therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would also go to her. However, he would spend the night at the residence of Aishah radi Allahu anha.

If a person willingly and gladly relinquishes their right, then there can be no objection. The case of Hazrat Sawdah (radi Allahu anha) was also such; she, out of respect for the wish of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), gifted her turn to Hazrat Aishah (radi Allahu anha), who was the most beloved to him among all his wives. It should be noted that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to come and go to Hazrat Aishah’s (radi Allahu anha) place during the day. He would take care of all her needs and make arrangements for her. He would also take her along with him during journeys. In other words, except for spending the night, he maintained a full relationship with her.

(1) It is among the wondrous powers of Allah Ta’ala that the marriage, the wedding night, and the passing away of Hazrat Maymunah (radi Allahu anha) all took place at the location of Saraf, and she was buried in the very tent where her wedding night had occurred. Hazrat Maymunah (radi Allahu anha) was the respected maternal aunt of Hazrat Ibn Abbas (radi Allahu anhu).

(2) “Do not move her”—It is obligatory to show respect to any deceased person, but the respect due to the wife of the Messenger is above all others. If a living person is to be honored, then after death, their respect increases even more, to the extent that it is prohibited to sit on the grave of the deceased, even though the deceased is buried deep below.

(3) “Nine wives”—In addition to these, two wives passed away during his lifetime. Female slaves (concubines) are in addition to these. Having nine wives was a unique characteristic (khasais) of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). An ordinary person cannot have more than four wives in marriage at one time.

(4) “Turn”—One of your wives, Hazrat Sawdah (radi Allahu anha), had become elderly, so she herself gifted her turn to Hazrat Aishah (radi Allahu anha). Therefore, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would stay two days with Hazrat Aishah (radi Allahu anha) and one day each with the other wives.

(5) The permission for more than four wives (for you) was for higher objectives: (a) To establish kinship with future caliphs, for example, through marriage to Hazrat Aishah and Hafsah (radi Allahu anhuma); (b) To encourage and support helpless widows who had left their families for the sake of Allah’s religion and, after their husbands’ deaths, could not return to their homes, such as Umm Habibah and Umm Salamah (radi Allahu anhuma); (c) So that domestic matters could be conveyed to the Ummah in detail—one or two wives could not have accomplished this task so effectively; (d) To win over hostile groups, for example, Hazrat Umm Habibah (radi Allahu anha), who was the daughter of the polytheist leader Abu Sufyan. After this marriage, Abu Sufyan’s fervor subsided and he eventually became Muslim—radi Allahu anhu wa ardahu. Similarly, Hazrat Safiyyah (radi Allahu anha), who was the daughter of a Jewish chief—this marriage removed the thorn of enmity from the Jews.

(6) It is worth remembering that the basis for the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) being permitted more than four wives cannot be attributed to desire, because the personality who spent the first 25 years of his life in blameless celibacy, and the next 25 years with only one wife—who herself was a widow—living with utmost chastity and nobility, and then spent a further five years with only one other wife (Hazrat Sawdah, radi Allahu anha), how can it be imagined in any way that when he reached the age of 55, when youth had completely departed and old age had begun, he would marry more wives out of desire in the last five years of his life? No! Absolutely not! In reality, the period of the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) multiple marriages was only the last five years. Can any reasonable person attribute this to desire? It cannot even be imagined—especially when that personality would spend most of his nights weeping in worship of Allah Ta’ala. Necessarily, the wisdom behind the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) multiple marriages was something else, some details of which have already been mentioned above. May my soul, spirit, and mother be sacrificed for him (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).

Benefit:
It is established from this hadith that when the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed away, he had nine wives, and he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had apportioned turns among them. When Sayyidah Sawdah radi Allahu anha became elderly, she willingly gave her turn to Sayyidah Aishah radi Allahu anha; therefore, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to distribute eight turns.