MORE WIVES FOR MUHAMMAD
 
The Fourth Wife - Hafsa, Daughter of 'Umar
 About this time Muhammad took a fourth wife, Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar.  There was much rivalry between Hafsa and 'Ayisha, but the latter succeeded in maintaining her supremacy.
 None of Muhammad's marriages at Medina produced a male heir.  It was only later, through his youngest daughter Fatima, that this line was perpetuated.  When she was seventeen, she was given in marriage to 'Ali, Muhammad's childhood friend and cousin, then twenty-five.  Within twelve months she gave birth to Hasan, and the year after to Husain.22

 The Fifth Wife - Zainab, His Adopted Son's Ex-wife
 One day Muhammad went to visit the house of his adopted son Zeyd, but Zeyd was not there.  Muhammad accidentally saw Zeyd's wife, Zainab, unveiled.  Smitten by her beauty, Muhammad exclaimed, "Praise belongeth unto God who turneth the hearts of men as He will."  These words were overheard by Zainab, who, proud of her conquest, told her husband of it.  Zeyd went to Muhammad and offered to divorce his wife for him.  At first Muhammad refused, for it was a thing unheard of to marry the divorced wife of an adopted son; but Zeyd carried out his proposal.  Muhammad at last resolved to have Zainab.  Sitting by 'Ayisha, he professed to have a revelation from Allah, and said, "Who will run and tell Zainab that the Lord hath joined her to me in marriage?"  Zainab was overjoyed and gave the messenger all the jewels she had on her person.  This event demonstrates that the traditional view that Muhammad's numerous marriages were for political reasons or to care for some widows is not true.23
 The marriage caused great scandal.  To save his reputation, Muhammad sought to justify his conduct by affirming that it was done by Allah's command:

 So when Zeyd had performed the necessary formality ( of divorce ) from her; We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that ( henceforth ) there may be no sin for believers in respect of wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality ( of release ) from them.  The commandment of Allah must be fulfilled.

Afterward, Zainab vaunted herself as the only wife of Muhammad who had been given in marriage by Allah Himself.
 The same Surat, at 33:50, allows Muhammad more than four wives:

 O Prophet!  Lo!  We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the ( rest of ) believers.

In  verse 59 of the same Surat, rules are laid down for the seclusion of women, especially in the case of Muhammad's wives.  The latter were not to be spoken to unless they were behind a curtain.  It was also said that Allah had forbidden them from ever marrying after Muhammad's death.  They were virtually "captives" in the prophet's houses.

The Sixth Wife-Juwairyah
During his residence at Medina, Muhammad gratified the ruling passion of the Arabs and gained many adherents by his numerous expeditions for plunder.  In one case, 1,000 camels, 5,000 sheep, and a great many women and children became the spoil of the Muslims.  Among the captives was Juwariya, the wife of one of the chiefs, distinguished for her beauty.  Muhammad ransomed her, took her to be his wife, and built a special room for her reception.25

The Seventh Wife-Raihana, A Jewess
At the conclusion of the battle against the Quraiza Jews, Raihana was kept by Muhammad as his seventh wife.  Her husband and male relatives had all perished in the massacre.  Muhammad offered her marriage, but she preferred to remain his bondslave.  She declined Islam, but she has no escape from the embrace of her conqueror.26

The Eighth Wife-Maryam
An Egyptian Christian Slave Girl
A year after the battle with the Quraiza Jews, Muhammad sent letters to various foreign sovereigns inviting them to embrace Islam.  The message was unheeded except by Al-Moqawqas, the governor of Egypt.  He sent Muhammad two Christian slave girls, Maryam and her sister Sirin, and a white mule.  Muhammad chose Mary, or Maryam, the fairer slave, for himself.  The fondness of Muhammad for Mary was resented by his numerous wives.  To show his displeasure for their attitude, he lived for a month with Mary alone, even though he had instructions Muslims to  marry as many as four wives provided they were treated equally.  Furthermore, he warned the other wives by revelation,

It may happened that his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your stead wives better than you, submissive (to Allah), believing, pious, penitent, inclined to fasting, widows and maids.27

The Ninth Wife-Safiyya from the Khaibar Jews
In the seventh year of the Hijra, the Muhammad attacked Khaibar, a Jewish settlement on the way to Syria.  The Jews surrendered the citadel on condition that the people to be free to leave the country, giving up all their wealth to the conquerors.  The chief, Kinana, was accused of keeping back part of his treasure, upon which he was tortured to death.

Among the female captives was Safiyya, the widow of Kinana and just fifteen year of age.  One of  Muhammad's followers begged to have her for himself, but the prophet, struck with her beauty, threw his mantle over her, and took her to his harem.  The wedding was celebrated by a feast.  This is further evidence that Muhammad's marriages were neither for political nor humanitarian purposes but purely for passion.28

The Tenth Wife- UM Habeeba
On his return to Medina in 628, Muhammad married his tenth wife-Um Habeeba, the widowed daughter of Abu Sufyan.  She had emigrated with her husband and other Muslims in 615 to Abyssinia to escape persecution.  But her husband had renounced Islam, become a Christian, and died.  Muhammad sent for her with a marriage proposal.  The marriage was consummated in 628.29

The Eleventh Wife-Maimuna of Mecca

During a short stay at Mecca in 629, for the Lesser Pilgrimage, Muhammad also arranged to marry Maimuna, his eleventh wife.  This marriage gained for him two of his most important converts: Khalid, Ibn al Waleed, called the "Sword of God," and 'Amr, a leading chief of Mecca.30