As'salamu Alaikum Everyone,
I often hear criticism about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Islam using the following Noble Verse:
33:50 ياايهاالنبي انا احللنا لك ازواجك اللاتي اتيت اجورهن وماملكت يمينك مما افاء الله عليك وبنات عمك وبنات عماتك وبنات خالك وبنات خالاتك التي هاجرن معك وامراة مؤمنة ان وهبت نفسها للنبي ان اراد النبي ان يستنكحها خالصة لك من دون المؤمنين قد علمنا مافرضنا عليهم في ازواجهم وماملكت ايمانهم لكيلا يكون عليك حرج وكان الله [033:050] O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her -- specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.As you can see, I have crossed
"to marry" in the English translation of the Noble Verse, because the Noble Verse doesn't explicitly speak about marriage. The single women who gives herself to the Prophet, can be taken by him as either a wife or a harem or right hand possession. The Noble Verse doesn't invalidate any marriage if the Prophet, peace be upon him, chose to marry her. But the unmarried woman in either case must be the one who approaches the Prophet, by her free will and without any compulsion, and to offer herself to him for either marriage, or become a harem.
So what does the Bible say about this? Is this practice for the Prophets praised in the Bible?
Answer: The Bible has almost the same exact practice for the annointed Kings and Priests. And the preferred women for them are virgins. Though non-virgins would also suffice, but virgins were the most preferred. And this practice was praised by GOD Almighty, and not condemned. Let us examine the following verses:
1 Kings 1:1-3, 2 Kings 19:21, Esther 2:2-3, Psalm 45:14, Song of Songs 1:3, Song of Songs 6:8.
Furthermore, only virgin slave girls were spared for Moses' (peace be upon him) men after the battle was won. The non-virgin girls and women, and all of the males were put to death. Visit:
www.answering-christianity.com/age3.htm.
Also, Prophets had 100% control over everything:
http://www.answering-christianity.com/muhammads_share.htm#preists_share.
Also, men in general are allowed to marry an unlimited amount of women in the Bible's Old and New Testaments:
www.answering-christianity.com/ntpoly.htm.
So if Allah Almighty wanted to give special status for Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, to either marry or take as harem any single woman who may offer herself to him, then why should this be something bad?
I hope this helps, insha'Allah.
Take care,
Osama Abdallah
