Praise be to Allah.
The scholars differ concerning the number of wives that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah be upon him) consummated marriage, and he left nine of them behind when he died. Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid and Zaynab bint Khuzaymah – may Allah be pleased with them both – died before him (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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 Allah 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.
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