Divine Favor or Human Privilege?

Why Did Muhammad Have More Wives Than Any Other Muslim?

“When lawgivers exempt themselves from the very rules they impose on others, what are we truly witnessing—revelation or rationalization?”

📌 Introduction: The Unequal Law

The Qur’an explicitly sets a limit on the number of wives a Muslim man may marry:

“...then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you cannot deal justly [with them], then only one...”
(Surah 4:3)

This verse establishes the universal ceiling for Muslim men: four wives, maximum, with justice required as a condition. However, Muhammad had more than four wives, violating this supposed universal rule.

Why was he allowed to do what others were forbidden?

The Qur’an responds in Surah 33:50—a verse that conveniently exempts Muhammad from this law. The implications are staggering.

📖 The “Revelation” of Privilege — Qur’an 33:50

“O Prophet! Indeed, We have made lawful to you your wives to whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses ... and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet... this is only for you, and not for the [rest of] the believers...”
(Qur’an 33:50)

Let’s break it down:

Exclusive Law: This is a divine law tailored only for Muhammad.
Open-Ended Marriage: Muhammad is permitted marriage to women simply because they “offer themselves.”
Contradiction to Qur’an 4:3: While all other Muslims are limited to four, Muhammad has no such restriction.

This verse is so explicit in its personal exemption that it reads more like a royal decree than a moral or spiritual command from the Almighty.

📊 Fact Check: How Many Wives Did Muhammad Have?

Muhammad had at least 11 wives, not including concubines. Among them:

Khadijah
Aisha
Hafsa
Zaynab bint Jahsh
Umm Salama
Sawda bint Zam'a
Juwayriya bint al-Harith
Umm Habiba
Safiyya bint Huyayy
Maymunah bint al-Harith
Zaynab bint Khuzayma

In addition, he had concubines like Maria the Copt, who bore him a son.

Meanwhile, his followers were tightly restricted to four wives and only under the condition of equal treatment.

💣 Theological Problem: Divine Justice or Preferential Treatment?

This opens up serious theological contradictions:

1. Is Divine Law Universal or Selective?

God’s laws are meant to reflect divine justice, not individual favoritism. Yet in this case:

One man is permitted what others are forbidden.
The lawgiver (Muhammad) is exempt from the law.

How is this consistent with a just and impartial God?

2. Why Tailor a Revelation for One Man’s Desires?

A woman could simply “offer herself” and Muhammad could marry her—no limit, no context of social justice, no restraint.

What prophet in history had divine license to marry anyone who desired him?

3. The Apologetic Escape Hatch

Muslim apologists often argue:

“Muhammad’s marriages were for political, social, or charitable reasons.”

But this cannot justify:

The explicit exemption in the Qur’an.
The inclusion of desire-based marriages (e.g., a woman offering herself to him).
The double standard between him and all other Muslims.

These are not “pragmatic” exceptions. They are personal indulgences disguised as prophecy.

🧠 Psychological Insight: Power and Privilege

History is replete with men who claimed divine authority and then used that authority to:

Justify sexual privilege,
Accumulate wives or concubines,
Frame indulgence as obedience to God.

What sets Muhammad apart from Joseph Smith, David Koresh, or others if the pattern is the same?

This is not merely theological—it’s human psychology dressed in religious garb.

📚 Even Aisha Noticed the Pattern

Aisha, Muhammad’s youngest and most favored wife, once remarked:

“I feel that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desires.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari 4788)

This is stunning. His own wife recognized that the revelations often seemed suspiciously well-timed in satisfying Muhammad’s personal interests.

✝️ The Contrast: Jesus the Prophet of Self-Denial

Compare this to Jesus, whom the Qur’an also claims was a prophet:

Never married, though many would have followed him.
Preached self-denial: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself...” (Luke 9:23)
Refused earthly kingship and power.
Died without wealth, wives, or worldly privilege.

Jesus never needed a revelation to justify indulgence—because he never pursued it. This is what a morally transcendent prophet looks like.

❗ Final Questions for the Sincere Muslim

Why does the Qur’an make Muhammad above the law that binds others?
Can a true prophet claim divine revelations that consistently benefit his personal life and sexual access?
If Muhammad is the moral example (Q 33:21), should Muslims aspire to have more than four wives as he did?
Why does the Qur’an need to protect his reputation with personalized exemptions rather than hold him to a higher standard?
How is this behavior distinguishable from self-serving authoritarianism?

🔚 Conclusion: Divine Law or Prophetic Loophole?

The Qur’an teaches that God is just, consistent, and impartial. Yet this selective exemption in Qur’an 33:50 casts a long shadow over Muhammad’s claim to prophethood.

A man who creates a law but exempts himself from it—particularly in the most personal and self-indulgent areas—is not acting as a servant of God, but as a master of the system.

True prophets deny themselves. False ones demand exceptions.

Islam Imploding

Saturday, June 21, 2025