Aslam

Praise be to Allah.

The scholars differ concerning the number of wives that the

Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had. The majority

are of the view – which is correct – that he had eleven wives with whom he

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consummated marriage, and

he left nine of them behind when he died. Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid and

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah – may Allaah be pleased with them both – died before

him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

This is the view of his companions, as the imams narrated

from them in their saheeh books.

It was narrated from Anas (may Allaah be pleased with him)

that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to go

around his wives in a single night, and he had nine wives. Narrated by

al-Bukhaari, 280.

Mu’aadh ibn Hishaam narrated from his father, according to a

report narrated by al-Bukhaari (265) from him alone, that there were eleven

wives, but he was mistaken; the correct view is that he went around to nine

wives.

Ibn Hajar said:

Ibn Khuzaymah said: Mu’aadh ibn Hishaam was the only one who

narrated that from his father, and it was narrated by Sa’eed ibn ‘Uroobah

and others from Qataadah but they said “nine wives.” Al-Bukhaari referred to

the report of Sa’eed ibn Abi ‘Uroobah in a mu’allaq report here, but twenty

chapters later he narrated it in a mawsool report when he said: “He used to

go around his wives in one night, and at that time he had nine wives.”

Fath al-Baari, 1/377.

It was

narrated that ‘Ata’ said: We, along with Ibn ‘Abbaas, attended the funeral

of Maymoonah in Sarif. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: This is the wife of the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). When you lift up her bier,

do not shake it or rock it; be gentle, for the Prophet (peace and

blessings of Allaah be upon him) had nine wives and he used to give a

portion of his time to eight and not to one.

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4780; Muslim, 1465.

The one to whom he did not give a portion of his time was

Sawdah bint Zam’ah, when she gave up her night to ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be

pleased with her).

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

There is no scholarly dispute concerning the fact that he

left nine behind when he died and that he used to give a portion of his time

to eight of them. Those nine were: ‘Aa’ishah, Hafsah, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Umm

Salamah, Safiyyah, Umm Habeebah, Maymoonah, Sawdah and Juwayriyyah. The

first of his wives to follow him after he died was Zaynab bint Jahsh in 20

AH and the last of them to die was Umm Salamah in 62 AH during the caliphate

of Yazeed.

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/114

With regard to his female slaves, he

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had four female slaves.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Abu ‘Ubaydah said: He had four: Maariyah who was the mother

of his son Ibraaheem; Rayhaanah; another beautiful slave women who he got

among some of the prisoners of war; and a slave woman who was given to him

by Zaynab bint Jahsh.

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/114.