The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married a number of women
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The second question, Fatwa number ( 1977 )
Q2: Why did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) marry a group of women?
A2: Allah possesses perfect wisdom, and among His wisdom is that He permitted men in the previous legislations and in the Shari'ah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to have more than one wife under his protection. Thus, plural marriage was not specific to our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, Ya'qub (peace be upon him) had two wives, and Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon him) gathered ninety-nine women and visited them all in a single night, hoping that Allah would grant him a son from each of them who would fight in the cause of Allah. This is not an innovation in legislation, nor is it contrary to reason or the dictates of fitrah (the innate natural disposition); rather, it is the dictate of wisdom. Women are more numerous than men, as indicated by continuous statistics. A man may possess the strength that leads him to marry more than one woman to satisfy his desire lawfully instead of satisfying it unlawfully, or to suppress his urges. A woman may suffer from illnesses or obstacles, such as menstruation or post-natal bleeding, that prevent a man from satisfying his desire with her, so he needs another wife with whom to satisfy his desire instead of suppressing his urges or committing a major sin. If plural marriage is permissible and acceptable to reason, fitrah, and Shari'ah, and if it was practiced by previous prophets, and if dire necessity may require it or pressing need may call for it at times, then it is no wonder that it occurred with
our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). There are other reasons for his gathering of wives, mentioned by the scholars, including: strengthening the relationships between him and certain tribes, and reinforcing the bonds, hoping that this would return strength to Islam and help in its spread, due to the increased affection and confirmation of ties of love and brotherhood inherent in marriage alliances. It also included sheltering some widows and compensating them with good for what they had lost, for in that is the soothing of hearts and the mending of calamities, and it established a Sunnah (recommended practice) for the community in the path of showing excellence to those whose husbands were killed in jihad or the like. It also included the hope of increasing offspring, in accordance with fitrah, to increase the number of the Muslim community and support it with those who are expected to rise up in support of the religion and its spread. It also included increasing the number of women who would teach and guide the community from what they learned from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and from his internal conduct. The motive for his gathering of wives (peace and blessings be upon him) was not mere lust, as it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not marry a virgin or a young girl except 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and the rest of his wives were previously married women. If his lust had controlled him and sexual instinct were what drove him to frequent marriage and directed him, he would have chosen young virgins to satisfy his instinct, especially after he migrated and the conquests opened up, the state of Islam was established, the power of the Muslims was strengthened, their numbers increased, and every family desired to be related to him by marriage and loved for him to marry one of their women. But he did not do so; rather, he married for noble occasions and lofty motives, which are known to one who follows the circumstances of his marriage to each of his wives. Also, if he had been a lustful person, that would have been known in his biography during his youth and strength, when he had only his noble wife
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid , who was older than him in age, and it would have been known of him that he deviated and was unjust in his division among his wives, who varied in age and beauty. But he was only known for perfect chastity and trustworthiness in his honor and the preservation of his self, and his guarding of his chastity in his youth and old age, which indicates the perfection of his purity, the nobility of his character, and his uprightness in all his affairs, until he became known for this and famous among his enemies. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Q2: Why did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) marry a group of women?
A2: Allah possesses perfect wisdom, and among His wisdom is that He permitted men in the previous legislations and in the Shari'ah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to have more than one wife under his protection. Thus, plural marriage was not specific to our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, Ya'qub (peace be upon him) had two wives, and Sulayman ibn Dawud (peace be upon him) gathered ninety-nine women and visited them all in a single night, hoping that Allah would grant him a son from each of them who would fight in the cause of Allah. This is not an innovation in legislation, nor is it contrary to reason or the dictates of fitrah (the innate natural disposition); rather, it is the dictate of wisdom. Women are more numerous than men, as indicated by continuous statistics. A man may possess the strength that leads him to marry more than one woman to satisfy his desire lawfully instead of satisfying it unlawfully, or to suppress his urges. A woman may suffer from illnesses or obstacles, such as menstruation or post-natal bleeding, that prevent a man from satisfying his desire with her, so he needs another wife with whom to satisfy his desire instead of suppressing his urges or committing a major sin. If plural marriage is permissible and acceptable to reason, fitrah, and Shari'ah, and if it was practiced by previous prophets, and if dire necessity may require it or pressing need may call for it at times, then it is no wonder that it occurred with
our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). There are other reasons for his gathering of wives, mentioned by the scholars, including: strengthening the relationships between him and certain tribes, and reinforcing the bonds, hoping that this would return strength to Islam and help in its spread, due to the increased affection and confirmation of ties of love and brotherhood inherent in marriage alliances. It also included sheltering some widows and compensating them with good for what they had lost, for in that is the soothing of hearts and the mending of calamities, and it established a Sunnah (recommended practice) for the community in the path of showing excellence to those whose husbands were killed in jihad or the like. It also included the hope of increasing offspring, in accordance with fitrah, to increase the number of the Muslim community and support it with those who are expected to rise up in support of the religion and its spread. It also included increasing the number of women who would teach and guide the community from what they learned from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and from his internal conduct. The motive for his gathering of wives (peace and blessings be upon him) was not mere lust, as it is established that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not marry a virgin or a young girl except 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and the rest of his wives were previously married women. If his lust had controlled him and sexual instinct were what drove him to frequent marriage and directed him, he would have chosen young virgins to satisfy his instinct, especially after he migrated and the conquests opened up, the state of Islam was established, the power of the Muslims was strengthened, their numbers increased, and every family desired to be related to him by marriage and loved for him to marry one of their women. But he did not do so; rather, he married for noble occasions and lofty motives, which are known to one who follows the circumstances of his marriage to each of his wives. Also, if he had been a lustful person, that would have been known in his biography during his youth and strength, when he had only his noble wife
Khadijah bint Khuwaylid , who was older than him in age, and it would have been known of him that he deviated and was unjust in his division among his wives, who varied in age and beauty. But he was only known for perfect chastity and trustworthiness in his honor and the preservation of his self, and his guarding of his chastity in his youth and old age, which indicates the perfection of his purity, the nobility of his character, and his uprightness in all his affairs, until he became known for this and famous among his enemies. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.