Why the Prophet (s.a.w.) Married Three of His Wives

‎بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh ‘Utsman Nuri Tufbas wrote, in “The Prophet Muhammad Musthafa the Elect (s.a.w.)”, “The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) marriage to Swafiyyah (r.a.), the daughter of the Jewish leader of Khaybar, was motivated by the intention of bolstering relations with the Jews, conducive, therefore, to a political aim. 

The marriage to Sayyidatina Juwayriyyah bint al-Harits (r.a.) also had similar aims.  Marrying Sayyidatina Juwayriyyah (r.a.), the daughter of a chieftain, meant the release of hundreds of prisoners of battle, who enthralled to regain their freedom, entered Islam in their entirety.  Their good fortune was occasioned by the marriage between the Prophet (s.a.w.) and Sayyidatina Juwayriyyah (r.a.). 

The Prophet’s (s.a.w.) marriage to Sayyidatina Umm Habibah Ramlah bint Abu Sufyan (r.a.) was prompted by the intention of protecting her.  Among the early Muslims who immigrated with her husband to Abyssinia, Sayyidatina Umm Habibah (r.a.) was left alone and unprotected there when her husband retracted from Islam.  She, nonetheless, courageously preserved her faith under extremely difficult circumstances.  Although her father, Abu Sufyan Sakhr ibn Harb (r.a.), was at the time the leader of the Makkans, Sayyidatina Umm Habibah’s (r.a.) faith and honour prevented her from asking for his help.  Hence, by marrying her, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.) took her under his protection.  A further blessing fostered by the marriage was that it helped reduce the enmity between the Makkan idolaters and the Muslims.”