The prophet, May Allah’s prayers and peace be on him lived in Macca, among his people, for forty years before the mission. This was the period of youth and manhood but he was ideal in everything, conduct, chastity, purity, honor and good manners.

After the declaration of his mission, there was a conflict between him and the polytheists of Macca.

He reviled their gods and attacked their beliefs. They told lies about him and propagated seditious rumours to prevent the people from supporting him and shake their belief in him, but none of them dared accuse him of any violation of honour and chastity.

It is worth mentioning that the polytheists-after they had been overwhelmed by the Quran the accused him of being a poet. In this respect the Almighty says what means: Nay, say they, it is the medley of dreams; nay, he has forged it; nay, he is a poet; let him come to us with a sign, as (the prophets) of old were sent.

Ch.21, V.5.

They also accused him of being a sorcerer.

Here the Almighty says what means: And they marvel that a Warner from among themselves has come to them; and the infidels say, this is a sorcerer, a liar. Ch.38,V.4.

They claimed he was a priest; the Almighty says what means: It needs not that I swear by what you see, and by that which you see not, that this is verily the sword of a messenger worthy of all honour; and that it is not the word o a poet.. How little do you believe; neither is it the word of a soothsayer.. How little do you remember. It is a missive from Allah of the worlds.

Ch 69,V.38-42.

They said he was mad. The almighty says what means: almost would the infidels strike you sown with their very looks when they hear the warning (of the quran); and they say: he is certainly possessed Ch.68;V.51.

ch.25,V.5. But they could not propagate a single word that touches his chastity and purity. Had they found a means to so, they would have done it, without hesitation or fear; they would have exaggerated, and propagated rumours. He never tried to commit a foul deed; his hand never touched a woman’s hand, unless she was his wife or a near relative or a slave. of his youth he said: “I have never done a thing of what the people of Al Jahilia (period of ignorance) used to do except on two occasions, and Allah protected me; then he honoured me with his message.

“one evening I asked a boy from Quraysh used to graze with me on the highlands of Macca: “would you

look after my cattle until I go to Macca and have some fun, as young me do ?” the boy answered “I will”.

I went with this intention, and when I reached the first house in Macca I heard the sound of tambourines and flutes I asked “what is this?” they answered : “somebody is getting married. Then I sat and watched but Allah made me deaf and I slept and did not wake up till sunrise.

When I returned to my friend he asked, “ what have you done?”

I answered: Nothing, “ and I told him what had happened”. “ on another evening I asked my friend to do me the same favour, and he agreed.

I set out and when I reached Macca I heard the same music but Allah made me deaf again.

By Allah, I slept till sunrise, then I returned to my friend and told him the whole story.

Henceforth I have never done evil until Allah the Almighty honoured me with his Message.

A study of the prophet’s biography and character shows clearly that Allah’s Messenger- May Allah’s prayers and peace be on him- was quite indifferent to the luxuries of this world . Many men brought up by him renounced worldly pleasure as he did. Abu Bakr, Omar and Ali lead a pious ascetic life.

Al Sayeda ( lady) Hafsa once said to her father Omar Ibn Al Khattab, after the conquests had been achieved

“you should wear the softest of clothes when you receive delegates from far countries, and you should order special food for us for our guests”.

Omar said: You should know better.

she answered : I do.

He said “ for Allah’s sake, don’t you remember that Allah’s Messenger spent many years after the revelation when neither he nor any member of his family felt full at the end of a meal; but they were always ready for the next one? Don’t you remember that the prophet - may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him - spent many years when neither he nor any member of his family were satisfied with what they had of dates until they conquered Khaibar? Don’t you remember that you once set the Prophets’ food on a high table, and he felt so embarrassed that his face changed colour , then he ordered the table to be removed and the food laid on a lower level or on the ground! Don’t you Know that Allah’s Messenger used to sleep on a folded mantle; one night the mantle was folded four times for him and when he woke up he said: “You have prevented me from waking up part of the night by folding the mantle, in this way. fold it twice only as you used to do.” Omar kept reminding her of these stories until she cried and he cried and sobbed.

This asceticism was not due, as some people thought, to lack of means or extreme poverty, but it was a kind or renunciation with a view to purify the soul, and sacrifice for the sake of others.

But if renunciation is the result of financial incapacity and lack of means it is then a compulsion and one has no choice.

A few examples of some aspects of his asceticism will explain matters.

A. - He did not keep for himself any of the money that poured upon him from the spoils, tributes, alm taxes and gifts. On the contrary, out of all that wealth he retained only the fifth, which he spent for the causes of Islam and to help those in need. He said: “It does not give me pleasure to possess am mountain of gold unless I assign every dinar of it for my religion. “He fulfilled his promise, but he gave six dinars to some of his wives. He could not sleep until he got them back and distributed them and said:” Now I am satisfied”. His clothes and dwelling were confined to bare necessity, expenditure was the bare minimum renouncing any excess. When he died, he left neither a dinar nor a dirham, nor a slave, nothing except his white mule, his arms, and a piece of land that he made public property.

B. - His meals never exceeded one course. Thus if he had meat, he ate nothing besides it; if dates, he had nothing else, if bread , it would suffice him, and if he found milk without bread he would be satisfied.

He used to eat what was available and never refused what he was offered, while eating he never reclined.

Al Sayeda Aisha said: “The prophet never ate to satiation. He never asked his folk for food, nor did he long for it. If they gave him food he would eat, and whatever the gave him he would eat, and whatever they gave him as food or drink he would accept it.”

C.-He was also simple in his clothes, his bed and his utensils. He used to wear whatever he could get hold of clothes, sometimes he wore wool, some other times cotton or flax. He wore Yemeni cloaks, gowns, shirts, trousers, wrappers, mantles, boots and sandals, HE never wore silk and he forbade drinking or eating in gold or silver utensils. He also forbade wearing silk or sitting on it. Sometimes he slept on a mattress, some other times on leather or on a mat. Sometimes on the bed, His mattress was stuffed with palm fibers and so was his cushion , yet he was ideally clean,

D.- He was not the only ascetic one among his people, but he induced his nearest folk to do the same. He imposed the same asceticism upon his wives and his daughter Al Sayeda Fatima, for the Muslim women to follow their example. Had he wished to be generous and extravagant with them he could have been; it was easy for him to allot more than his folks and his dire needs

( out of the spoils and tripbtes). The Muslims would accept his decision: believing it to be sanctioned by Allah the Almighty but he did nothing of the sort. Thus he probed with his contentment and asceticism to be the perfect man, the great ruler, and the owner who disposed villingly of his possessiodisrpleasures of this world. He may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him, uttered many traditions inducing chastity, assceticism and modesty.

He married A Sayeda Khadija who was elder than him; he was twenty -five years old and she was forty years old.

She died after twenty five years of a happy

and faithful marriage. He never contemplated having a second wife while she was alive, as many of his people used to do. Marrying more than one at that time was a common procedure and an acknowledged convention, with no limit to the number of wives permissible (15). The limitation of the number of wives to four, was sanctioned in the eighth year of the Hijra ( immigration) by the Almighty’s injunction.

Allah says what means:

Marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three of four, and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hand possesses. Ch.4,V.3.

The happy life he spent with Al Sayeda Khadija, his loyality to her memory and his care for her relations and friends would make us believe that had she lived, he would have never married another women.

He had a strong will which protected him before and after the message. His wife Aisha testified that he was unequalled inn mastering his emotions and controlling his desires. In this respect she uttered the following comprehensive diction: “he was the most capable of controlling his passions and desires, the best in using his wisdom and handling his religion”.

she also said : “Allah’s Messenger- may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him- used to fast until we thought he would not break the fast, and he used to eat as usual until we thought he would not fast. I have never seen him complete a month’s fast except in Ramadan, and I have never seen him fast more days than he

did in Sha’ban” . And she said: “ His work was continuos. Whoever amongst you could bear what Allah’s Messenger- may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him could bear?”

Nobody can deny that the heave responsibilities of the Message consumed the efforts of the Prophet , occupied his time and possessed his heart, his brain, and demanded his strength. He used to receive Allah’s scripture, memorize it and dictate it, and when readers differed they would refer to him. He had to legislate for the Muslims, act as a ruler and judge for them. He also had

to lead them in the five daily prayers and listen to their problems. HE was devoted to Allah often fasting and watching at length during the night avoiding sleep so indulged in his prayers to the extent that his feet used to swell. His prostration during prayers was so lengthy, that he who saw him would think he was dead.

He indulged in continuous wars against the polytheists and the Jews.

As soon as one war was over, he prepared for another, in defense of his religion and his country. He - may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him - was the bearer of a heavenly message, the head of a growing and new state, and the leader of a people who were ready to sacrifice their livers for the sake of Allah.

Could he then spare the time and have the peace of mind and soul to marry several wives, as a lustful man would do? Why did he not do that before the Message, when de did not carry the burden and the responsibilities

of “Al-Jihad; when he was not involved in the problems of thousands of followers whom he considered his loyal sons, and who found in him a good father?

The prophet - may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him- was not superhuman. on the contrary he was human. Like all other prophets : he ate , drank .slept, enjoyed good healthy and suffered from illness, was subject to pleasure and anger . The Almighty said what means: And we sent not (as our messengers) before you other than men whom we inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder (Ahl Al Zikr) if you know not.

We gave them not bodies that should not eat food, nor were they immortals.Ch.21,V.7,8.

And : Say , I am no Messenger of innovated doctrines; neither know I what will become of me or you. Only what is revealed to me do I follow, and I am only charged to warn openly.ch.46,V.9.

Thus he married and had children like his predecessors, Prophets before him married ; his two grandfathers Ibrahim and Ismail, Noah, Isaac, David and Solomon had several wives, and nobody commented upon their action or criticised them. The Almighty said what means: Apostles truly have We already sent before you, and We have given them wives and offspring.Ch. 13,V.38.

The Prophet married more than one for various necessary reasons which will be explained later, it is a mistake to attack the prophet and accuse him of seeking pleasure in having several wives.

It is surprising that religious men of the mediaeval ages assumed that marrying more that no was a system innovated by Muhammad. such men are greatly mistaken, or shamefully ignorant, because polygamy started hundreds of years before Islam. All the ancient nations practised polygamy, the Hebrews practised it ages ago, the tourat allowed it, but did not limit the number of wives; this was done by the Talmud . Solomon had one hundred wives. The rabbis limited the number of wives to four; depending on the fact that Jacob had simultaneously four wives. The Jews preserved the practice of polygamy in Europe till the middle ages. And they are still practicing it till today in the Muslim world.

The Athenians used to marry more than one wife without limitations. Demesius boasted that he had three classes of wives, two classes were legal and one not fully. The ancient Egyptians practiced the same tradition during the time of theodor the Sicilian; their nobles also possessed slave women. The laws of Zerdushcht allowed the Persians to have more than one wife, besides mistresses and woman -friends, claiming that warlike nations were in constant need of young-men.

Thus polygamy was allowed, without any specific law either to forbid it or organize its practice. The Romans did the same thing, the dictator sylla had five wives, Caesar and pompy had four each.

Some Christians, such as emperor Constantine and his son, married more than one.

Emperor Vlabius Valentian issued a law permitting all citizens the right to marry several women, if they wished to do so.

No one in the middle of the fourth century A.D. Ever protested. The emperors who succeeded Valentain also practised this tradition, and his law remained in force till the reign of Justinian, when it was successfully prohibited, few of the learned people obeyed it, but the majority of the people ignored it.

Men of other nations also used to marry several women, such as the Indians, medians, Babelonians and Assyrians it is therefore no wonder that in the jahilia period this tradition was practised by the Arabs. Every Arab married more than one woman if he could afford it, or if the circumstances compelled him to, or if he found that some advantage would befall him, Al Munzir Ibn al Harith Ibn Abi Gabla Al Ghassani, patriarch and guardian of the eastern church had several wives. So did Al no’man, king of Hira, even after becoming a Christian

When Islam dawned, there were men at thaqif for example, who had ten wives each and when some of them, were converted to Islam, such as Ghilan Ibn Salma and sofian Ibn Abd Allah and Massu’ud Ibn Amer, each had to divorce six wives and keep four only. Quain Ibn Al Harith had eight wives, and Nofl Ibn Mu’awia had five, so the prophet asked him to choose four, Abdul Mutalib Ibn Hashem had six wives . Abu Sofian and Safwan Ibn Umayya had six. Al Mughira Ibn Sho’ba married quite a large number ranging – according to different sources – between seventy and ninety-three. Such information helped Abul Hassan El Mada’eni to write a book about those who married more than four wives.

This short review is, I hope , sufficient to refute the claims of the adversaries of Islam who assume that Muhammad – may Allah’s prayers and peace be on him- was the legislator of this tradition.