The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 255
VI - Rukhsatānah of Ḥaḍrat ‘Ā’ishah ra and an Exposition of Her Age at the Time, the Issue of Polygamy and Two Fabricated Incidents 255 on the other, and all these three cases are the natural result of war; for this reason, in this single verse, Allāh the Exalted has gathered all of the additional purposes for polygamy in a very subtle manner, as it were. These additional purposes are the protection of orphans, the welfare of widows and a remedy for the scarcity of offspring. Then, for further elaboration and clarification, He has alluded to each one of these purposes separately as well. Hence, Allāh the Exalted states: Meaning, “O Ye Muslims! (Now that we have proposed the remedy of polygamy for you in exceptional circumstances) you should make arrangements whereby no woman should remain without marriage inasmuch as possible, whether she be unmarried or a widow. ” 1 In this verse, attention has been drawn to the marriage of unmarried women, with specific mention to the marriage of widows. Then, it is related in a Ḥadīth : ْ َعَن ْ مَعْقَل ِ بْن ِ یَسَار ٍ قَال َ قَال َ رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ و َ سَلَّم َ تَزَوَّجُوا الْوَدُوْد َ فَاِنِّی مُكَاثِر بِكُم ُ الْاُمَم Meaning, “Ma‘qal bin Yasār ra narrates that the Holy Prophet sa would say to his Companions, “You should marry loving women who are fertile, so that your number may increase, and I can take pride in the number of my Ummah on the day of resurrection. ” 2 In this Ḥadīth , the purpose of an increase in progeny has been mentioned. In this manner, there are a total of seven purposes, which have been mentioned by Islām with respect to polygamy. In other words, protection from physical and spiritual ailments, continuation of human life, life-long companionship and peace of heart, growth of relations of love and compassion, 1 An-Nūr (24:33) 2 Mishkātul-Maṣābīḥ, Volume 1, Al-Faṣluth-Thānī, p. 570, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Al-Faṣluth-Thānī, Ḥadīth No. 3091, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2003)