Some prophets had many wives. How can it be possible to be busy in worship and take care of so many wives? How can polygamy and many marriages and divorces even in the time of the Companions be explained?

Dear Brother / Sister,

There is no doubt about the worship of those people. It would be wrong to hesitate, especially in the understanding and practice of the worship and justice of the prophets. There is no doubt that they fulfilled their obligations under the conditions of that day in terms of material means. There are also reports that they have special power in terms of husband-wife relations.

There is even information showing that the Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) said, “I will have intercourse with seventy or ninety concubines or wives one night and be a means of the creation of ninety warriors who will fight in the way of Allah.” However, since he neglected to say “by Allah’s leave” he was removed from his sultanate for a while. (see Razi, Shawkani, the interpretation of Sad, 34)

In the narration in Bukhari, without being associated with being removed from the sultanate, the Prophet Sulayman said: “I swear that I will have intercourse with seventy or ninety (Bukhari’s preference is narration with the word ninety) women or wives tonight and each of them will be pregnant with a warrior who will fight in the way of Allah”. His friend said “inshaallah” but the Prophet Sulayman neglected to mention it. Therefore, only one of the ninety women in question became pregnant. (Bukhari, Anbiya, 40)

In this sound hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) states that the Prophet Sulayman had intercourse with ninety women in one night. The Quran states the following about him:

“How excellent in Our service! Ever did he turn (to Us).” (Sad, 38/30)

In that case, what we need to do is to have good thoughts about prophets, Companions and righteous people, and to accept that they have the power to worship along with fulfilling the duty of being the head of the family.

Questions on Islam