Basics of Religious Education — Page 231
231 231 231 231 231 B ASICS OF R ELIGIOUS E DUCATION - F IFTH E DITION Towards the Exalted Companion The news of the demise of the Holy Prophet sa was no less than a dreadful calamity for the Muslims. However, with the establishment of Khilafat-e- Rashidah, their state of grief changed to that of peace. Let us first understand the circumstances which led him to have many wives at a time. His marriage with Hadhrat Khadijah ra lasted for twenty-five years (595-620 A. D. ), and during this period he did not take any other wife. She passed away at the age of 65, when the Holy Prophet sa was 50 years old. After Hijrah in 622 A. D. , as the religion of Islam began to spread, more and more tribes started entering its fold. Now, the Holy Prophet sa needed many wives to achieve certain objectives, some of which are given below: ♦ He married women of certain tribes to establish friendly relations with those tribes, and to encourage the spread of Islam among their people. ♦ He married some widows as an expression of kindness, generosity or even protection, to establish a respectful status for women, in the unkind society of those times. ♦ The Holy Prophet sa needed many wives to impart religious education and training to Muslim women, specially the new converts of various tribes. For instance, Hadrat `Aa’ishah ra did an excellent job in this field. The Holy Prophet of Islam sa set an excellent example in his noble and affectionate conduct with all his wives on the basis of mutual respect, justice and equality. A brief account of his wives is given below: She was a rich lady of Mecca who was already twice widowed. She married the Holy Prophet sa in 595 A. D. , when she was 40 and the Holy Prophet sa was 25. She passed away about two years before Hijrah. The Holy Prophet sa did not take any other wife during the lifetime of Hadrat Khadijah ra. She bore seven children for the Holy Prophet sa. No other wife bore him children except Hadrat Maariah Qibtiah ra , who bore him a son, Ibraheem ra , who died at the age of eighteen months. The names of eight children of the Holy Prophet sa are: Wives and Children of the Holy Prophet sa 6. 1 6. 1 6. 1 6. 1 6. 1 H H H H H O L O L O L O L O LY Y Y Y Y P P P P P ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET SA SA SA SA SA A N D A N D A N D A N D A N D S S S S S UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS UCCESSORS — L — L — L — L — L I F E I F E I F E I F E I F E O F O F O F O F O F H H H H H O L O L O L O L O LY Y Y Y Y P P P P P ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET ROPHET SA SA SA SA SA 1. Hadrat Khadijah ra