Prophet Muhammad asked his wives’ permission

Last updated on: January 6, 2011 at 5:40 pm by Nancy Qualls-Shehata

Prophet Muhammad asked his wives’ permission 2011-01-06T17:40:00-05:00 Nancy Qualls-Shehata

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Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmtullah.

I was taking care of some simple household task, thinking of nothing in particular, when I remembered an incident that happened towards the end of the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. He was ill, what turned out to be his final illness, and he was in the house of his wife Maymoonah, may Allah be pleased with her. He asked her to call all his wives to him, and when they assembled he asked their permission to stay with his wife Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, during his illness. Let me repeat that: He asked permission of his wives to stay in the house of his wife Aisha during his illness.

If you know much about polygyny in Islam, you know that it has strict rules. The husband may have up to four wives (Allah allowed Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, to exceed this number but no one else may) and the husband must divide his resources equitably and divide his time in an equal manner. If he sets up a schedule where he spends two nights at one wife’s home, then he must spend two nights at each of the other wives’ homes as well. A man who does not treat his wives fairly will come leaning on the Day of Judgment, so this is a fair warning against any man who takes such things lightly.

So, think about this. Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, was at that time the leader of all the Muslims. He had political power as head of state, so to speak, along with his spiritual leadership. It would have been easy for him to pronounce that he would stay with Aisha while he was sick. No one would have disagreed with him or gainsaid said him. It would have been considered reasonable, as he was ill and it would be difficult for him to move from house to house. Yet, he did not merely declare that he was making this move; he assembled his wives and asked them. They all agreed, and he stayed with Aisha, ra, and breathed his last in her house.

So, brothers – and sisters too – think about this whenever you are about to make a decision that short-circuits the rights of others, be that your wife or wives, your employees, your family, your coworkers, or your brothers and sisters in faith. If Allah’s Messenger, pbuh, was so strict about observing the rights of his wives, how can you excuse yourself from doing the same? Just a thought that came to me in a free moment…. And Allah knows best.

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