Merciful."

It seems both unseemly and unfitting that Muhammad should exclude himself from the already loose strictures that bound the rest of his Muslim followers and which limited their polygynous practices to four wives (with easy divorce) and as many captives and concubines as their hearts or their lusts craved. 

So unseemly and unfitting is this carved exception that one can literally still sense the dripping sarcasm behind Muhammad's young (and favorite) wife 'A'isha's comment related in Sahih Muslim 8:3453 to the Qur΄anic revelation in 33:51 which essentially allowed Muhammad free reign to any believer who offered herself to him:  "I felt jealous of the women who offered themselves to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Then when Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, revealed this: "You may defer any one of them you wish, and take to yourself any you wish; and if you desire any you have set aside (no sin is chargeable to you)" (33:51), I (Aisha) said: It seems to me that your Lord hastens to satisfy your desire."

Yes, 'Aisha, it seems to me also that this "god" of Muhammad hastened a bit too eagerly to satisfy Muhammad's desires.  God, it seems, was blasphemously recruited to witness against his own natural law to justify Muhammad's lust and inability to live chastely in accord with that natural moral law.  And this is most unseemly for a supposed man of God who is the perfect human.

Now Qur'an 33:50 includes a number of categories of women to which Muhammad had sexual access without supposedly committing adultery: (1) "wives," strictly so called, (2) "those whom your right hand possesses," (3) the "daughters of your 'Amm [paternal uncles]," (4) "the daughters of your Khal [maternal uncles]," (5) the daughters of your Khalah [maternal aunts] who migrated [from Mecca] with you," and (6) "a believing woman if she offers herself" to Muhammad.

So Muhammad's particular marital and sexual law gave him a wide universe of sexual allowables.  The sexual allowables included more than just his many legal wives, and also included both captive slavewomen ("those whom your right hand possesses" is a euphemism for slavewomen), his first cousins, and finally the broad category of a "believing woman if she offers herself" to him.  This teaching makes a mockery of any natural law of marriage, a mockery of any prohibition regarding adultery, and a mockery of prohibitions against incest.

The Islamic scholar Montgomery Watt has taken all the categories identified in Qur'an 33:50 and sifted through the historical evidence.  With respect to the category of wives and concubines, Watt identified fourteen as certain, nine of whom survived Muhammad.  There may be more than fourteen in this category, perhaps as many as "a score of other women" as Watt noted.  But he also observed:  "There is much obscurity and dubiety about some of them; many tribes were doubtless eager to claim a matrimonial relationship with Muhammad, and to make the most of vague reminiscences. . . . The one thing that seems certain about this supplementary list is that none of the women in it formed a lasting union with Muhammad."  In other words, they were not wives and concubines, but involved some of these other categories of sexual allowables.

Watt identifies sixteen others as part of this "score of other women" in addition to the fourteen legal wives and concubines.  Watt also identifies seven more women "between whom and Muhammad there was some talk of marriage without the plans ever being carried out."

So Muhammad certainly had sex with fourteen women, but may possibly have had sexual congress with at least twenty women.  And this sexual activity occurred in that ten-year period between 622 (when Muhammad left Mecca) and 632 (when Muhammad died).

It is apparent that Muhammad taught that polygamy (and concubinage) was in accordance with God's will.  He practiced polygamy (and concubinage) himself.  He allowed polygamy (and concubinage) to his followers.  It is, in the traditional Muslim's view, part of the law of God, the Shari'a, that a man may marry up to four women (and have unlimited concubines, which is what explains the famous Turkish seraglios). 

Both Muhammad's practice and teaching regarding polygamy and concubinage are offenses against the natural moral law, are inimical to a healthy marriage life, are demeaning toward women, and contradict one of the forceful aspects of the marital relationship apparent in its true nature: fidelity and unity.

(Muhammad's teachings regarding marriage, of course, also contradict the sublime teaching of Jesus on marriage, but that is to go beyond the natural moral law.  Because of Muhammad's teachings, Muslims will have great difficulty understanding the relationship of Christ and his Church as a relationship between a man and his one wife.)

Muhammad's polygamous practices and teachings and his teachings on concubinage are the first proved indictment against his claim to be a prophet of the God Most High.  They offend against the natural law of marriage and offend against the natural dignity of women, who have a natural right that their husband remain faithful to them, and that any marital relationship involve an exclusive one-on-one union.

(This article is adapted from the book written by the author entitled, The Heart's Witness Against Muhammad: Why the Natural Law Proves Muhammad False.)

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Andrew M. Greenwell is an attorney licensed to practice law in Texas, practicing in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He is married with three children.  He maintains a blog entirely devoted to the natural law called Lex Christianorum.  You can contact Andrew at agreenwell@harris-greenwell.com.
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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Islam, Jihad, Muslim, Muhammad, polygamy, Andrew M. Greenwell, Esq.

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