The Holy Prophet’s(sa) Kind Treatment of His Wives

25The Review of Religions – September 2005 The topic I shall attempt to address today concerns the Holy Prophet Muhammad’s(sa) domestic life with special reference to the character of his relationship with all his wives, and the kindness he displayed towards all of them. However, before I embark on this wondrous journey depicting love, kindness and respect, I should spend a little time explaining some of the background and historical points in relation to the Holy Prophet’s marriages. The Holy Qur’an says: O Prophet! We have made lawful to thee thy wives whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesses from among those whom Allah has given thee as gains of war, and the daughters of thy paternal uncle, and the daughters of thy paternal aunts, and the daughters of thy maternal uncle, and the daughters of thy maternal aunts who have emigrated with thee and any other believing woman if she offers herself (for marriage) to the Prophet provided the Prophet desires to marry her: this (provision) is only for thee, as against(other) believers – We have already made known what We have enjoined on them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess – in order that there may be no difficulty for thee ( in the discharge of thy work). And Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. (Ch.33:V.51) This verse of the Holy Qur’an refers to three kinds of women whom the Holy Prophet(sa) could The Holy Prophet’s(sa) Kind Treatment of His Wives Based on a speech at the 39th Annual Convention of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (UK), July 2005 By Bilal Atkinson – Regional Amir North East, Stockton-on-Tees, UK 26 The Review of Religions – September 2005 marry in addition to his already wedded wives: Women who had migrated to Madinah with the Holy Prophet(sa) and women who offered themselves willingly for marriage to him. These special allowances clearly demonstrate that the Holy Prophet’s(sa) marriages were motivated by pure considerations other than the sensual gratification that his ignorant and mischievous critics try to depict. Those who had left their homes for the sake of Islam and those widows whose husbands had been killed in wars fighting in defence of or even against Islam had special claim on the Holy Prophet’s(sa) generosity, kindness and consideration. It is in view of these considerations that he married most of his wives. The Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) was twenty-five years old when he married Khadijah, who was forty years old and had been twice widowed, and had her own children. In making his own decision, Muhammad(sa) must have been principally influenced by the kindly treatment Khadijah had accorded him while he worked for her, and the good impression her other qualities had made upon him. It is true Khadijah willingly placed all her resources at her husband’s disposal, such was her respect, affection and trust for her husband and he, in turn, dis- tributed the greater part of her goods and property among the poor, the needy and the afflicted. He also freed all her slaves. He thus voluntarily chose a life of poverty for himself and his wife, and this speaks highly of Khadijah’s deep affection for her husband and of her lofty character that she accepted his choice cheerfully. The marriage, despite the disparity in age and affluence, proved a very happy one. Khadijah bore Muhammad(sa) several children: of these, the sons died in infancy, but the daughters grew to womanhood and in due course married. When at home, Muhammad(sa) occupied himself, as was his practice, in helping with the household tasks and taking care of his wife and children. Muhammad(sa) was a loving and THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 27The Review of Religions – September 2005 affectionate husband, showing tender regard and consideration for Khadijah; she, on her part, was so devoted a wife that when, fifteen years after their marriage, her husband received the Divine Call, she responded to it immediately and was a constant source of comfort and support to him throughout the remaining ten years of their life together. Many years later Muhammad(sa) used to look back to this period of his life with fond remembrance. For twenty-five years, and in the prime of his life, the Holy Prophet(sa) had observed strict monogamy in his marriage with Hadhrat Khadija and for twenty- five years he was her faithful, loving husband. Only when she died, after twenty five years of marriage, when he was already more than fifty years old and now with the enormous task of spreading God’s word to mankind did he marry again and more than once. During the latter part of his life after the death of his beloved wife Hadhrat Khadija, the Holy Prophet(sa) married eleven times intermittently. After Hadhrat Khadija’s death, he married Hadhrat Saudah, a pious widow of advanced age. He married all his other wives, between 2 and 7 years after migration: a critical period when he was constantly engaged in active fighting and his life was perpetually endangered and the fate of Islam itself hung in the balance. The Holy Prophet(sa) also married Hadhrat Aisha, the daughter of his closest friend, Hadhrat Abu Bakr. Her youthfulness and intelligence ensured the Holy Prophet’s(sa) demonstration of Islam and traditions were accurately reflected from close quarters as an example for all mankind long after his death. He married Hafsah whose husband was killed in the Battle of Badr and Zainab bint Khuzaimah whose husband was killed in the Battle of Uhud. He married Umm Salamah, the widow of one of his beloved Companions, who had been left with several children to look after. It is worthy of note that a hundred families of the Bani Mustaliq were liberated by Muslims when the THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 28 The Review of Religions – September 2005 Holy Prophet(sa) married Juwairiyah. He married Zainab bint Jahsh, the divorced wife of Zaid five years after migration, as he wished to soothe her wounded feelings as the respected lady had felt deeply humiliated at being divorced by Zaid. He also married Umm Habibah, daughter of Abu Sufyan, who was widowed (in exile in Abyssinia). The Holy Prophet(sa) married another widow, Hadhrat Safiya, seeking union with and pacification with her tribe. It is recorded that another widowed lady by the name of Maimunah, proposed herself to be taken in marriage by the Holy Prophet(sa), which he accepted gracefully in the interest of the education and training of Muslim women. Lastly, he married Mariah 7 years after migration and thus by raising a freed slave girl to the highly eminent spiritual status of the ‘Mother of the Faithful’, he gave a deathblow to slavery. These were the pious and righteous motives of this noble Prophet(sa) in marrying widows and divorced women – who were by no means noted for their youth or beauty. After this point the Holy Prophet(sa) lived for about three years as virtual ruler of the whole of Arabia when comforts and amenities of life were at his disposal and yet he entered into no further marriage. Does not this fact alone establish the honesty and sincerity of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) motives in marrying his wives? Each of these marriages had a social, merciful or political reason, for he wanted, through the women he married, to honour pious women, or to establish marriage relations with other clans and tribes for the purpose of opening the way for the propagation of Islam. With the sole exception of Hadhrat Aisha, he married women who were neither virgins nor young. The words from the verse I have quoted earlier – ‘if she offers herself (in marriage) to the Prophet’ – have been taken as specially referring to Maimunah who is reported to have offered herself to be taken into marriage THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 29The Review of Religions – September 2005 by the Holy Prophet(sa). The clause, ‘This (provision) is only for thee as against other believers,’ means that it was a special privilege of the Holy Prophet(sa) and was due to the special nature of his duties as a Divine Prophet. The clause may also refer to the special permission granted to the Holy Prophet(sa) to retain all his wives, after the commandment was revealed limiting to four the number of wives allowed to Muslims at one time. It states: And if you fear that you, (the society), may fail to do justice in matters concerning orphans (in the aftermath of war) then marry women of your choice, two or three or four. And if you fear you will not deal justly, then (marry only) one or what your right hands possess. That is the nearest way for you to avoid injustice. (Ch.4:V.4) In Islam the purpose of marriage is that the parties concerned may be enabled to lead their lives at the highest level of righteousness. Islam does not permit self- indulgence in marriage and forbids unchaste behaviour. A Muslim who fails to uphold that standard in marriage, whether monogamous or polygamous, falls short of that which is required of him. As regards treatment of wives the Holy Qur’an states: … And consort with them in kindness; and if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing wherein Allah has placed much good. (Ch.4:V.20) These words of the Holy Qur’an are brief, but contain every detail of how to make married life a success in every way. The stress has been laid on men’s duty to be kind to their wives and it signifies that the husband’s treatment of his wife should not only be extremely kind and affectionate, but also of a type that is liked and respected by everyone concerned. The Holy Prophet(sa) emphasised that a husband should make it his habit to overlook trivial faults of his wife and not fuss over any minor mistakes on her part. The Holy Prophet(sa) has also said, ‘No believer should ever bear a THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 30 The Review of Religions – September 2005 grudge against his wife because of an imperfection of hers, for if she has an imperfection, she has some lovable virtues also which please him.’ (Muslim – Book of Marriages) There is a Tradition of the Holy Prophet(sa) to the effect that nothing pleases Satan more than a husband and wife quarrelling with each other. He further said on one occasion that there were some people who exhibited great eagerness for getting married, but when they brought their wives to their homes, they neither cared to provide for their sustenance nor for their comfort. He said that it was the duty of the husband to look after the needs of his wife and to be kind to her. The Holy Prophet(sa) has laid so great a stress on the importance of cordial relations between man and his wife that once he said, ‘If a believer puts a morsel in the mouth of his wife out of love, Allah will reward him for it, because it is an act which will please his wife who would feel that her husband loved her dearly.’ (Bukhari & Muslim) The Holy Prophet(sa) attached great importance to a husband’s kind treatment of his wife. He observed, that after belief in God and in His Prophet(sa) and in His Faith, the deeds of a man in respect of his treatment of God’s servants shall be subject to Divine scrutiny. The kind treatment of a wife holds a place of high priority, so much so that in the eyes of God the best of Muslims is the one who is best in the treatment of his wife. The Holy Prophet’s(sa) advice on this point is an excellent illustration of this fact. He said. ‘The best among you is he who is the best in his treatment of his wife and I am the best of you in the treatment of my family.’ (Tirmirdhi – narrated by Hadhrat Jabir) The Holy Prophet(sa), as is true of every aspect of his life, is incomparable in his treatment of his wives. Under Divine guidance, he has shown us how to promote and preserve happy and cordial relations between man and wife. He has laid down golden rules which, if followed, would serve as principles against all forms of marital discord. THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 31The Review of Religions – September 2005 Unfortunately Western criticism of Islamic marriage values is based upon a total misconception of the spirit of kindness and fairness that Islam tries to inculcate and which was demonstrated by the Holy Prophet(sa). Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan writes in response to these criticisms: ‘..there are unfortunately many among the Muslims (nowadays) who fall short of the standard that Islam prescribes (and the Holy Prophet exemplified) in this respect (of marriage). …It is unfair to ascribe the (marital) shortcomings of such Muslims to Islam, as it would be (equally unfair) to ascribe the vicious immorality that is unfortunately so prevalent in the West today to Christianity. ..Islam insists upon chastity and the upholding of moral and spiritual values (within marriage) as against the Western preference for nominal monogamy and unchecked promiscuity.’ (Muhammad – Seal of the Prophets p.61) No man has ever been as kind and courteous to his wives as the Holy Prophet(sa). He used to help his wives in their household chores such as kneading flour for bread, fetching water, kindling the fire for cooking, patching his own clothes and cobbling his own shoes. He would milk his own goats and would tie his camel and look after it personally. No work was too low for him. In person he would do shopping, not only for his own household but also for his neighbours and the helpless. He never despised any form of work, however humble it may have been. Hadhrat Aisha narrates that the Holy Prophet(sa) helped her in the daily household chores, all this over and above his duties to the whole of mankind as a Prophet of God. He mended his own clothes and shoes, went himself to fetch water for his use and would never seek help in these matters. This aspect of his character impressed his companions immensely. The Holy Prophet(sa) is reported to have said: THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 32 The Review of Religions – September 2005 ‘The most perfect in faith amongst you is he who is most courteous, and the best among you is he who is best in the treatment of his wife; the more a man is good to his wife the greater shall be his value before Allah.’ (Tirmidhi – Book of Marriages) It was a habit of the Holy Prophet(sa) to joke and laugh with his wives within the bounds of decency. Hadhrat Aisha has reported that once when the Holy Prophet(sa) returned from the battle of Tabuk or Hunain, he observed a curtain that hung over a niche in the wall. A gust of wind removed the curtain from over the niche and exposed her dolls placed inside. The Holy Prophet(sa) said ‘Whose are these dolls?’ She replied that they were hers. Among them was a two-winged horse about which he said, ‘Do horses ever have wings?’ And she replied ‘Well! I thought you knew Solomon’s horses were winged ones.’ At this the Holy Prophet(sa) burst into a hearty laugh. (Abu Daud Book 41 No.4914) Again, Hadhrat Aisha has also reported, ‘I once accompanied the Holy Prophet(sa) on one of his journeys. On the way we stopped and in a jovial mood we both competed in a short race which I won. But a few years later when I had gained weight, the Holy Prophet(sa) had a race with me again and easily beat me, and then said, ‘This settles the debt I owed you!’ (Abu Daud) The Holy Prophet(sa) was so careful concerning the sentiments of women that on one occasion when he was leading the prayers he heard the cry of a child and concluded the service quickly, explaining thereafter that as he had heard the cry of the child he imagined that the child’s mother would be distressed. He therefore concluded the service quickly so that the mother could attend to the child. The Holy Prophet(sa) was so careful with regard to the kind treatment of women that those around him who had not previously been accustomed to consulting with women over important matters found it difficult to improve THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 33The Review of Religions – September 2005 themselves to the standards that the Prophet was anxious to see established and maintained. Hadhrat Umar relates: ‘My wife occasionally sought to intervene in my affairs with her counsel and I would rebuke her, saying that the Arabs had never permitted their women to intervene in their affairs. She would retort: ‘That is all past. The Holy Prophet(sa) lets his wives counsel him in his affairs and he does not stop them. Why don’t you follow his example?’ (Bukhari) The Holy Prophet(sa) not only consulted his Companions in most matters, but was keen for them to also seek the advice of their women, as he was aware that knowledge and wisdom had not been limited by Almighty God to men only. For example, during the negotiations of the Treaty of Hudaibiya the Holy Prophet(sa) made the point of consulting his wife Umm Salama, who gave her opinion, fully aware that the Prophet(sa) did not need her advice. He thus illustrated his equal regard for the opinion of men and women. In doing this he taught us an important social lesson in that we should learn that there is nothing wrong in exchanging ideas with our wives on such important matters. The Holy Prophet(sa) was so conscious of the feelings and sentiments of women that he always exhorted those men who had to go upon a journey to finish their errands quickly and return home as soon as possible so that their wives and children should not suffer separation longer than was necessary. Whenever he returned from a journey he always came home during the daytime. If he found night time approaching towards the end of his journey, he would camp outside Madinah for the night and enter it next morning. He also told his Companions that when they returned from a journey they should not come home suddenly without giving notice of their return (Bukhari & Muslim). Once Hadhrat Safiyah, a wife of the Holy Prophet(sa), was travelling with her husband. She used to wrap herself in a sheet and sit behind him on the camel’s back. THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 34 The Review of Religions – September 2005 Whenever she had to mount the camel, the Holy Prophet(sa) offered his knee for her to step on. Once the camel on which the Holy Prophet(sa) and Hadhrat Safiyah were riding, slipped and they both fell down. A Companion, Abu Talha, ran towards the Holy Prophet(sa) to offer assistance but the Prophet of God directed him to go to the aid of the lady first. (Bukhari – Book of Jihad) On one occasion the Holy Prophet(sa) was on a journey when women, including some of his wives, were also of the party. At one stage the camel drivers, fearing they were late, began to drive the camels fast. The Prophet admonished them: ‘Mind the crystal’ meaning that they should have due regard to the comfort of the women. (Muslim – Book of Excellences) His reference to the women as ‘crystal’ implied that women are precious and delicate. On another occasion he explained that a woman is by her nature like a rib. You can straighten it out with persistent gentleness, but if you try to straighten it out suddenly, you are likely to break it. (Muslim – Book of Prophets) Continuing with this analogy, the actual curve of the rib provides the greatest protection for the heart and lungs contained within and to straighten them would be detrimental. It is narrated that once Hadhrat Safiyah was found weeping and the Holy Prophet(sa) enquired of the cause of her weeping. Hadhrat Safiyah said: ‘Hafsah said to me that I was a daughter of a Jew’. (Tirmidhi – Book of Traditions) On this, the Holy Prophet(sa) asked Hadhrat Hafsah to fear Allah and then said to Hadhrat Safiyah: ‘You are the daughter of a Prophet; your uncle was also a Prophet. You are the wife of a Prophet. What excellence can Hafsah have over you?’ (Tirmidhi – Book of Excellences) Once Hadhrat Aisha and Hadhrat Hafsah together addressed Hadhrat Safiyah: ‘We are occupying a position of superior dignity with the Holy Prophet(sa) THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 35The Review of Religions – September 2005 because we are not only his wives but also his cousins’. Hadhrat Safiyah resented this and complained to the Holy Prophet(sa) who remarked: ‘Why did you not say your relationship was with three Prophets of God. Hadhrat Muhammad is my husband, Prophet Aaron was my father and Prophet Moses was my uncle? (Tirmidhi – Book of Excellences) Although there are reports of Hadhrat Aisha and some of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) other wives losing their temper with him, never once has it been recorded that the Holy Prophet(sa) reacted in the same way. He was never known to have addressed them harshly as other men are prone to do. He was extremely kind and fair towards his wives. If on occasion any one of them failed to comport herself with due deference towards him he merely smiled and passed the matter over. The Holy Prophet(sa) said to Aisha one day: ‘Aisha, whenever you are upset with me I always get to know it.’ Aisha enquired: ‘How is that?’ He said: ‘I have noticed that when you are pleased with me and in the course of conversation you have to refer to God, you refer to Him as the Lord of Muhammad. But if you are not pleased with me, you refer to Him as the Lord of Ibrahim.’ (Bukhari V.7 Book 62 No.155) Hadhrat Muawiya al-Qushairi relates: ‘I enquired of the Holy Prophet(sa) what claim my wife had upon me,’ and he replied: ‘Feed her with that which God bestows upon you in the way of food, and clothe her with that which God bestows upon you in the way of clothes and do not chastise her nor abuse her nor put her out of your house.’ (Abu Daud – Book of Marriages) There were certain special directions for the wives of the Holy Prophet(sa) which set forth the ideal of good behaviour and should be emulated by all believing women. As regards the standard of life prescribed in the Holy Qur’an for the wives of the Holy Prophet(sa), he was commanded: O Prophet! Say to thy wives: ‘If you desire the life of this THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 36 The Review of Religions – September 2005 world and its adornment, come then, I will provide for you and send you away in a handsome manner. But if you desire Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, then truly Allah has prepared for those of you who do good a great reward. (Ch.33:Vs.29-30) Thus the standard of marital status of a Muslim man and woman is set up so high that on one hand the husband’s treatment of his wife is declared to be a measure of his moral excellence in the eyes of God and on the other hand the fulfilment of a wife’s duty to her husband is declared to be mandatory to win the pleasure of God. It is to this high standard of the sacrifice of material benefits and of an affluent lifestyle, which these verses of the Holy Qur’an refer. The companionship of the Holy Prophet(sa) demanded this sacrifice, and his wives had to make a choice between a comfortable life or his companionship, and it should be said to their credit that they chose his companionship rather than considering individual material gains. If any one of them had elected to part company with him, it would have entailed no displeasure of God, on the contrary she would have been handsomely provided materially. The Holy Prophet(sa) treated his wives with equality and kindness; he had no jewellery or fancy clothes to please his wives, but he had a most tender and loving heart. The treatment of his wives and their respect for him show conclusively that the object of his marriages was anything but self- indulgence. Even as master of Arabia he led a simple life. But for all his sobriety in regard to worldly goods, he was ever anxious to raise the status of women in his community and society. Hadhrat Aisha has reported that her great husband had remarked many a time that ‘The best of you is he who is good to his wife, and women are like pleasing roses.’ THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 37The Review of Religions – September 2005 According to a report from Abdullah bin Umar, the Holy Prophet(sa) had declared: ‘the whole world is a thing to be made use of and the best thing in the world is a virtuous wife.’ (Ibni Maja – Book of Marriages) In this regard Hadhrat Aisha also relates: – ‘Once I was plying the spinning wheel and the Holy Prophet(sa) was sitting near me mending his shoes. I noticed that his forehead was covered with drops of sweat which appeared to be emitting a light whose lustre increased as I watched them. I was greatly amazed and the Holy Prophet(sa) looked up. He looked at me and enquired. ‘Oh Aisha! What has amazed you?’ and I replied, ‘O Prophet of Allah! In the drops of perspiration on your forehead I am noticing a lovely and sparkling light. By Allah! If Abu Kabir Hazli had seen you, his verses would fit you admirably.’ The Holy Prophet(sa) said, ‘Do you remember the verses?’ I said, ‘Yes’ and recited the following couplet: ‘He is untainted with the defilement of childbirth and suckling; and if you look at his resplendent face you will witness a radiant, luminous flash of lightning playing thereon.’ Hearing this the Holy Prophet(sa) dropped what he was holding in his hand, stepped forward and kissed her forehead and said, ‘The pleasure you gave me by what you have said has, I believe, far exceeded the ecstasy of delight which the sight of the drops of my sweat have given you.’ (Rahmat- ul-lil-A’alameen: Vol.2, p153). There are many illustrations of the profound love and devotion of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) wives. One incident relates to his wife Maimunah. ‘She met the Prophet for the first time in a tent in the desert. If their marital relations had been coarse, if the Prophet(sa) had preferred some wives to others because of their physical charms, Maimunah would not have THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 38 The Review of Religions – September 2005 cherished her first meeting with the Prophet(sa) as a great memory. If her marriage with the Prophet had been associated with unpleasant or indifferent memo- ries, she would have forgotten everything about it. Maimunah lived long after the Prophet’s(sa) death. She died full of years but could not forget what her marriage with the Prophet(sa) had meant for her. On the eve of her death at the age of eighty years, when the delights of the flesh are forgotten, when things only of lasting value and virtue move the heart, she asked to be buried at one day’s journey from Makkah at the very same spot where the Holy Prophet(sa) had camped on his return to Madinah, and where after his marriage she had first met him. The world knows of many stories of love both real and imaginary, but not of many which are more moving as this.’ (English Commentary of the Holy Qur’an by Hadhrat Mirza Bashir Uddin Mahmood Ahmad, Volume 1 page clxiv-clxv. Also available as The Life of Muhammad) Even in the final days of the Holy Prophet’s(sa) life, he was ever mindful of his kindness to his wives and their sensibilities. With the consent of his other wives, he decided to remain in Hadhrat Aisha’s room during his final illness as he had no strength to visit them individually in each of their rooms. All his wives agreed and the Messenger(sa) spent his last days in Aisha’s room. He respected and honoured the rights of his wives even under the most severe conditions. This was the Messenger(sa) of God. Because of his generosity and kindness each of his wives thought that she was his most beloved. The idea that any man could show absolute equality and complete fairness in his relationship with nine women seems impossible. For this reason, the Holy Prophet(sa) asked God’s forgive- ness for any unintentional favouritism he may have committed. He would pray: ‘I may have unintentionally THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES 39The Review of Religions – September 2005 shown more love to one of them than the others and this would have been injustice. So, O Lord, I take refuge in Your grace for those things which are beyond my power.’ (Tirmidhi ‘Nikah’ 41/4 Bukhari ‘Adab’68) The Holy Prophet(sa) treated members of his family with utmost kindness. However, he never forgot his first wife, Khadija, who was also the first to accept him as Prophet(sa). He was a loving father and a loving husband. But above all, he was a servant of God. All his love was for God. His entire household followed his example faithfully. The large family denied themselves the pleasures of this world and shared all the hardships of the Prophet’s(sa) life. Upon his demise he left no property, no gold, nor cash for his family, but he did leave a priceless key – a set of Islamic teachings to help unlock the gates of Paradise for all mankind. The Holy Prophet’s(sa) kindness to his wives is an invaluable example and a tradition perfectly demon- strated for all men to follow, and proves that the emancipation of women came not in the twentieth century but at the time of the advent of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(sa) and the religion of Islam, as bestowed by Almighty God. All verses and translations of the Holy Qur’an have been taken from the English translation of the Holy Qur’an by the late Maulawi Sher Ali published with alternative translation of, and footnotes to some of the verses by Hadhrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad Fourth successor of the Promised Messiah(as) and under the auspices of Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Fifth Successor of the Promised Messiah(as) and Supreme Head of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam. – (Islam International Publications Ltd. 2004) THE HOLY PROPHET’S(SA) KIND TREATMENT OF HIS WIVES