The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 314
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 314 is destined for those who do good. ” 1 Upon hearing this statement of the Holy Prophet sa , all of his wives unanimously submitted that God and His Messenger is all that they desired, and not the wealth of this world. 2 In the presence of this excellent historical testimony, can it be fathomed that God-forbid, the polygamy practiced by the Holy Prophet sa was a means of pleasure and lust? Instead, most definitely, every new wife who came into the home of the Holy Prophet sa would increase the domestic burden of the Holy Prophet sa. Moreover, it was due to the magnificent spirit of sacrifice exhibited by the Holy Prophet sa , that for the sake of his religion, nation and country, he happily bore all of these hardships, and casting away the peace and tranquility of his life, he lived a completely ascetic life, as if he were a traveller. Another wisdom in the polygamy practiced by the Holy Prophet sa was so that those attachments which are tied to a person in this world may be weakened. It is obvious that in this world, a person possesses many relationships which he must maintain. For example, there are parents, brothers and sisters, the wife and children, friends, neighbours, and so on and so forth. From among all these bonds, emotionally speaking, the most passionate and sensitive relationship is the one of husband and wife. At times, a man’s love for his wife takes on a state which may be generally described as passionate love, and sometimes the ebullience of emotions takes this passionate love to a kind of madness. Then, in such a state, except for spending an entire life preoccupied in this passionate love, a person no longer remains of any use. Moreover, it is accepted that the best works of the life of this world are not those which relate to individual life; rather, those which relate to collective and national life. Hence, since the Holy Prophet sa desired to develop the best possible ability in man so that he may fulfil the responsibilities which related to the collective life of humanity, for this reason, in certain circumstances and under special conditions, he permitted the practice of polygamy. Furthermore, in doing so, the Holy Prophet sa gave the relationship between husband and wife such a form, that a person does not become completely preoccupied in it. According to this principle, the polygamy practiced by the Holy Prophet sa was for the purpose of weakening personal ties, 1 Al-Aḥzāb (33:29-30) 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābut-Tafsīri Sūratul-Aḥzāb, Bābu Qaulihī Wa In Kuntunna Turidnal-Ḥayātad- Dunyā. . . . . , Ḥadīth No. 4786