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Muhammad's Marriages: Difference between revisions
→Muhammad's Marriages and Poor Widows
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Muhammad's wives [[Khadijah]] & [[Aisha]] are generally altogether excluded in the analyses of those who maintain that Muhammad's marriages were a form of welfare. This is because it is agreed upon that “Khadijah was a merchant woman of dignity and wealth”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 82.</ref> who eventually expended her on maintaining [[Islam]].<ref>Ibn Hanbal, ''Musnad'' vol. 6 pp. 117-118.</ref> It is also agreed that Aisha, beside being a professional spinster,<ref>Ibn Hisham note 918.</ref> was the daughter of “a man of means,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 223.</ref> “a merchant of high character” with “experience in commerce.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 114.</ref> She likewise already had a fiancé at the time of Muhammad’s proposal, and her father had to break off this engagement before marrying her to Muhammad,<ref>{{Tabari|9|p. 129-130}}.</ref> so it would rather difficult to argue that Muhammad did Aisha some sort of financial favor through his marriage to her, as it seems that, in all likelihood, she would have socially and financially prospered regardless. | Muhammad's wives [[Khadijah]] & [[Aisha]] are generally altogether excluded in the analyses of those who maintain that Muhammad's marriages were a form of welfare. This is because it is agreed upon that “Khadijah was a merchant woman of dignity and wealth”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 82.</ref> who eventually expended her on maintaining [[Islam]].<ref>Ibn Hanbal, ''Musnad'' vol. 6 pp. 117-118.</ref> It is also agreed that Aisha, beside being a professional spinster,<ref>Ibn Hisham note 918.</ref> was the daughter of “a man of means,”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 223.</ref> “a merchant of high character” with “experience in commerce.”<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 114.</ref> She likewise already had a fiancé at the time of Muhammad’s proposal, and her father had to break off this engagement before marrying her to Muhammad,<ref>{{Tabari|9|p. 129-130}}.</ref> so it would rather difficult to argue that Muhammad did Aisha some sort of financial favor through his marriage to her, as it seems that, in all likelihood, she would have socially and financially prospered regardless. | ||
As for Muhammad’s other wives, it is true that most of them were widowed, divorced or both. Only | As for Muhammad’s other wives, it is true that most of them were widowed, divorced or both. Only Mariyah,<ref>{{Tabari|39|193-195}}; {{Tabari|9|pp. 137, 141}}.</ref> Mulaykah<ref>{{Tabari|8|p. 187}}.</ref> and Fatima<ref>{{Tabari|9|136-139}}; {{Tabari|39|pp. 186-188}}.</ref> are not recorded as having been previously married.<ref>Since so little is known about these women, it cannot be asserted that they were ''not'' widows. We only state here that no previous marriages are ''recorded''.</ref> | ||
Whether these widows were “poor” depends on how one defines poverty. Some may not consider a slave to be poor if the slave serves in the household of the wealthy, for while Islamic slaves had no political rights or autonomy, they were usually better fed than the poorest free persons. Others may not consider a Bedouin to be poor, even while Bedouins eat daily, simply because they neglect and thus have few material possessions. Moreover, no matter how poor a widow might be, some might argue that she fails to truly qualify as “destitute” so long as she has living relatives who can guarantee that they will take care of her. | Whether these widows were “poor” depends on how one defines poverty. Some may not consider a slave to be poor if the slave serves in the household of the wealthy, for while Islamic slaves had no political rights or autonomy, they were usually better fed than the poorest free persons. Others may not consider a Bedouin to be poor, even while Bedouins eat daily, simply because they neglect and thus have few material possessions. Moreover, no matter how poor a widow might be, some might argue that she fails to truly qualify as “destitute” so long as she has living relatives who can guarantee that they will take care of her. | ||
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So, it appears, Sawdah had no economic need to marry Muhammad. On the contrary, it seems more likely that ''he'' rather than she was the one who gained financially from this marriage. | So, it appears, Sawdah had no economic need to marry Muhammad. On the contrary, it seems more likely that ''he'' rather than she was the one who gained financially from this marriage. | ||
As a general commentary on the social problems in the Muslim community, it should be noted that at this early date, the Muslims had not fought a single battle. No Muslim “died in the wars” before the [[ | As a general commentary on the social problems in the Muslim community, it should be noted that at this early date, the Muslims had not fought a single battle. No Muslim “died in the wars” before the [[Battle of Badr]] in 624,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 289ff.</ref> an event that, in all likelihood, no one could have foreseen in 620. In fact, the only Muslim who had so far died violently was a woman.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 145.</ref> So it is equally difficult to maintain that there was a problem with finding enough men to take care of the numerous widows. On the contrary, the gender imbalance appears to have been in the opposite direction. The Egyptian scholar Al-Suyuti compares different traditions about Umar’s conversion in 616: “He embraced the faith early — after the conversion of 40 men and 10 women — or as some say, after 39 men and 23 women, and others, 45 men and 11 women.”<ref>Al-Suyuti, ''Tarikh al-Khulafa''. Translation by Jarrett, H. S. (1881). ''History of the Caliphs'', p. 112. Caclutta: The Asiatic Society.</ref> All these numbers appear to be incorrect, however, for [[Ibn Ishaq]]’s list of Muslims who emigrated to Abyssinia in 615 includes 83 men and 18 women.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 146-148.</ref> His list of Muslims converted by Abu Bakr has 41 men and 9 women.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 115-117.</ref> One consistency among all these lists, however, is that the early Muslims seemed to comprise ''far'' more men than women, at least twice (and perhaps ''four times'') as many. Moreover, many of the Muslim women whose names are missing from these early lists<ref>There is no mention of Khadijah and her daughters, nor of Umm Ruman, nor of the numerous sisters of Lubabah bint Al-Harith ({{Tabari|39|p. 201}}).</ref> were married to [[Pagan Origins of Islam|pagan]] men; so even if they had been “numerous” (although they likely were not), there could have been no such pervasive problem of “homeless widows”. | ||
It appears, then, that the issue of how to provide for single women would not have been on Muhammad’s mind in 620. Rather, the problem was how to find anyone at all who was available to marry him. Indeed, it appears that Muhammad was having some difficulty finding Muslim women for his male converts to marry, for he permitted marriage to polytheists right up to the year 628, and even later retained the permission for Muslim men to marry Jewish and Christian women, but not the other way around.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 509-510.</ref> | It appears, then, that the issue of how to provide for single women would not have been on Muhammad’s mind in 620. Rather, the problem was how to find anyone at all who was available to marry him. Indeed, it appears that Muhammad was having some difficulty finding Muslim women for his male converts to marry, for he permitted marriage to polytheists right up to the year 628, and even later retained the permission for Muslim men to marry Jewish and Christian women, but not the other way around.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 509-510.</ref> | ||