The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 420
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 420 them. Whilst alluding to the tale of Zainab bint Jaḥash ra , Sir William Muir, from whom a better mentality was expected, has not only accepted the fictitious and forged narration of Wāqidī, but has made a hurtful remark taunting that along with his advancing age, the carnal passions of the Holy Prophet sa grew as well, and Muir has attributed the expansion of his household to this very sentiment. In my capacity as a historian, I do not wish to enter into a religious debate, but upon witnessing the false portrayal of historical account, I cannot remain without raising a voice against such an unpleasant and unjust assertion either. Undoubtedly, it is a historical fact that the Holy Prophet sa married more than once and history also establishes that with the exception of Ḥaḍrat Khadījah ra , all of these marriages took place in an era, which may be described as one of old age. However, without any historical evidence, rather, in contradiction to clear historical fact, to assert that the marriages of the Holy Prophet sa were, God-forbid, owed to carnal passions, is far from the greatness of a historian, and even further still from the greatness of a noble man. Mr. Muir was not oblivious to the fact that at the age of twenty-five, the Holy Prophet sa married a forty year elderly widow (Ḥaḍrat Khadījah ra ), and then fulfilled this relationship until the age of fifty, with such integrity and loyalty that its like can be found nowhere else. 1 After this, until the age of fifty-five, the Holy Prophet sa practically kept only one wife, and coincidentally this wife ( Ḥaḍrat Saudah ra ) also happened to be a widow, who was a lady well advanced in age. 2 During this entire period, which is especially a period of carnal urge, the Holy Prophet sa never thought 1 * Al-Iṣābah Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 100, Khadījatu bintu Khuwailad, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 364, Fī Dhikri Azwājihiṭ-Ṭāhirāt / Khadījatu Ummul-Mu’minīn , Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter II (Khadîja’s Passion for Mahomet), p. 23, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878) * The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter VI (The Ban Withdrawn), Death of Khadîja, p. 110, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878) 2 * Al-Iṣābah Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 8, p. 196, Saudatu bintu Zam‘ah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 4, p. 379, Fī Dhikri Azwājihiṭ-Ṭāhirat / Saudatu Ummul-Mu’minīn , Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * The Life of Mahomet, By Sir William Muir, Chapter II (Mahomet marries Sawda), p. 117, Published by Smith, Elder & Co. London (1878)