Muhammad: The Perfect Spouse

Prophet Muhammad The Perfect Spouse

Prophet Muhammad is the epitome of an ideal husband and father. His wives couldn’t imagine their life without him and didn’t want to live apart from him because he was so lovely and understanding. While in Makkah, he wed Sawdah, his second wife. He eventually decided to get a divorce from her for specific reasons. She pleaded with him, “O Messenger of Allah, I wish no worldly thing of you,” as the news greatly saddened her. If you decide not to come to see me, I will forfeit the time allotted to me. But don’t deprive me of being your wife, please. I want to go to the hereafter as your wife. I have no other concerns” (Muslim).

When he realized Hafsah was uneasy about their financial position. He said, “If she wishes, I may set her free,” or words to that effect. She was so horrified by this suggestion that she asked mediators to convince him not to do it. He continued to live with the daughter of his devoted companion.

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Calamity of Separation

Because the Messenger of Allah had so firmly cemented himself in their hearts, all his wives considered their separation a catastrophe. They were at one with him entirely. They took part in his blessed, easy, and uncomplicated life. They would have perished from despair if he had abandoned them. She would have waited at his door until the Last Day if he had divorced one of them.

There was a great lot of longing and loss following his passing. Every time they visited the wives of the Messenger, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar discovered them to be in tears. They appeared to have spent the rest of their lives crying. On everyone, Muhammad made an enduring impression. He once had nine wives, and he treated them equally and without major issues. He was a loving and patient husband who never used harsh or impolite language. He was, in other words, the ideal husband.

“A servant has been allowed to choose this world or his Lord. He chose his Lord” (Al-Bukhari). He said a few days before he passed away. When Abu Bakr realized that the Prophet was talking about himself, he started to cry. His disease worsened daily, and his excruciating headache made him writhe in agony. But throughout this challenging time, he continued to be friendly and kind to his wives. He requested permission to remain in one room because he lacked the energy to see each individually. After his wives approved, the Messenger spent his final days in ‘A’ishah’s room.

Most cherished

Each woman believed she was his most cherished because of his generosity and kindness. It seems unthinkable that any man could treat nine women equally and fairly in his interactions with them. The Messenger of Allah pleaded with God to atone for any unintended leanings. In his prayers, he would say, “I may have unintentionally shown more love to one of them than the others, and this would be injustice. So, O Lord, I take refuge in Your grace for those things beyond my power.” (At-Tirmidhi).

What tenderness and awareness! I ponder whether anyone else could treat his spouse or children with such kindness. When people can disguise their more undesirable innate impulses, it appears as though they have used great intelligence and effort. However, people can unintentionally display these flaws while boasting about their intelligence. The Messenger asked simply for God’s forgiveness despite having committed no sin.

Because of how profoundly his tenderness reached into his wives’ spirits, their separation must have felt insurmountable once he left. Although Islam condemns suicide, they continued to live lives that were drenched in unending anguish and unceasing tears. The Messenger treated all women with kindness and gentleness and counselled other men to emulate him in this respect. The following is how Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas described his kindness:

`Umar said: One day I went to the Prophet and saw him smiling. “May God make you smile forever, O Messenger of God,” I said and asked why he was smiling. “I smile at those women. They were chatting in front of me before you came. When they heard your voice, they all vanished,” he answered, still smiling. On hearing this answer, I raised my voice and told them, “O enemies of your selves, you are scared of me, but you are not scared of the Messenger of God, and you don’t show respect to him.” “You are hard-hearted and strict,” they replied. (Al-Bukhari )

‘Umar was very kind to women. However, the most attractive guy appears hideous compared to Joseph’s attractiveness. Like the Prophet, ‘Umar’s softness and sensitivity come off as violence and severity. Because they had witnessed the Messenger’s kindness, sensitivity, and gentleness, the women thought harshly of ‘Umar.

Discussion

The Prophet did talk to his wives for advice. The Messenger talked about issues with his wives in a friendly setting. He was guided by revelation; thus he most definitely didn’t need their counsel. Nevertheless, he wished to impart the importance of Muslim men showing equal respect for women to his people. As it is today in many parts of the world, this concept was rather innovative. He started instructing his followers by using his interactions with his wives.

For instance, many Muslims were upset and dissatisfied with the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah since one of the requirements stated that they could not perform the pilgrimage that year. They desired to repudiate the treaty, proceed to Makkah, and bear any potential repercussions. But the Messenger commanded them to sacrifice their animals and remove their pilgrim clothes. Some Companions pondered, hoping he might reconsider. They remained uneasy despite his repeated commands. They didn’t disagree with him; rather, they continued to hope that he would alter his mind because they had set out on a pilgrimage and didn’t want to turn around halfway through.