Prophet Mohammed's various marriages explained

Prophet Mohammed (P) Various Marriages Explained.

Scholar Reza Aslan in his Book No God But God (2005) explains Prophet Mohammed(pbuh)'s various marriages.

Out of boredom on Friday I went to Borders, and as usual I was looking through the religious books. I found a very intersting book called No God but God by Religious scholar Reza Aslan. I had my notebook handy with me so I started copying down info off his book (I Didnt want to pay 14.95 plus tax for it....so I am cheap, sue me...) so here is it is, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)'s various marriages explained.

The following info was taken from the book No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam by scholar Reza Aslan. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Santa Clara University, a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University, a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction from the University of Iowa, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Sociology of Religions at the University of California, Santa Barbara.



The City of the Prophet Page 63:



The community that Mohammed was trying to build in Yathrib would be doomed without polygyny.



The City of the Prophet page 64:



Muhammad’s unions with Aisha and Hafsa linked him to the two most important and influencial leaders of the early Muslim community- to Abu Bakr and Umar respectively. His marriage to Umm Salamah a year later forged an important relationship with one of Mecca’s most powerful clans, the Makhzum. His union with Sawdah- by all accounts an unattractive widow long past the age of marriage-served as an example to the Ummah to marry those women in need of financial support. His marriage to Rayhana, a Jew, linked him with the Banu Qurayza, while his marriage to Mariyah, a Christian and a Copt, created a significant political alliance with the Ruler of Egypt.



The City of the Prophet page 65:



Like the great Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Jacob, like the prophets Moses and Hosea, like the Isrealite Kings Saul, David and Solomon and like nearly all of the Christian/Byzantine & Zoroastrian/Sasanian monarchs, all shakhs in Arabia-Mohammed included had either multiple wives, multiple concubines, or both. In seventh century Arabia, a Shaykh’s power and authority was in large part determined by the size of his harem. And while Mohammed’s union with a nine-year-old-girl may be shocking to our modern sensibilities, his betrothal to Aisha was just that: a betrothal. Aisha did not consummate her marriage to Muhammad until after reaching puberty, which is when every girl in Arabia without exception become eligible for marriage.



In an interview Reza Aslan had this to say about Prophet Mohammed (p)’s treatment of women:



Two, he also went through great strides to give women the opportunity to maintain some semblance of equality within the community. Certainly he didn't say women are equal to men in society. After all, we are talking about 7th century Arabia. But he did give them the right to divorce their husbands, the right to inherit, the right to maintain their own businesses and their own property, the right to keep their dowry as their own private property throughout their marriage. These were, again, revolutionary ideas in a society in which women were by and large considered property. Like cattle.


From The Agonist: Exclusive Interview with Author Reza Aslan, Sean-Paul Kelley | San Antonio | April 29, http://agonist.org/