This article takes issue with Muhammad’s pursuit of Zainab, the wife of his adopted son. The Qur’an tells us that Muhammad received inspired verses from Allah that authorized him to marry his own daughter-in-law. Not only this raises a question of the moral character of Muhammad, but it also casts suspicion on whether his so-called inspirations were really divine revelation or dictates of personal convenience. How could Allah reveal verses in the Qur’an that authorizes the lust of a man for someone else’s wife?
The historical event mentioned in this article is well documented in the Qur’an, Hadith, Tafsirs and Sira (reputed history books of Islam) and no Muslim can legally question their authenticity.
Zaid (Zayd) was a freed slave whom Muhammad publicly adopted as his son. According to recorded Islamic history, Muhammad took Zaid to the Black Stone of the Ka’ba and said:
“Bear testimony, all ye that are present. Zaid is my son; I will be his heir and he shall be mine.” (W. Muir, The Life of Muhammad, ed. T.H. Wair, p. 35).
Thereafter, he was called Zaid ibn Muhammad (Zaid the son of Muhammad). Zaid was one of the first persons who accepted Islam. Muhammad chose Zainab (Zaynab) as a wife for Zaid. She was a cousin of Muhammad. The marriage between Zainab and Zaid took place in Medina around the year 626 C.E. when Muhammad became a prominent leader, both religiously and politically, in Arabia. One day Muhammad paid an unexpected visit to the couple but Zaid was not at home. As the wind blew the curtain aside, Muhammad saw Zainab in a near naked (Arabic: hasirah) state and he was moved by the beauty of his daughter-in-law. She quickly dressed up, invited Muhammad into the house and said, “Come in, oh Prophet of God, for you are as my father and my mother to me.” This was in keeping with Arabic tribal tradition, where a daughter-in-law was regarded by the parents of her husband as their own daughter. However, Muhammad went away repeating, “Praise be Allah who changes hearts.” This admiration was noticed by Zainab.
Muhammad’s utterance shows that his feelings towards Zainab now changed from what they used to be before. His feelings towards her now changed from the time when he arranged her marriage to Zaid. In other words, he was not attracted to her previously, but now he realized that he was suddenly drawn towards her. What has changed in Zainab that made Muhammad feel attracted to her? Obviously, when he caught a glimpse of the scantily dressed Zainab, he did not see any dramatic change in her personality, but a near naked woman with a desirable figure. When Zaid came home, Zainab related to him about Muhammad’s visit and what he had expressed.
Having served Muhammad for years, both as a slave and as a son, Zaid had a fairly good knowledge of Muhammad’s character and personality. He knew how his father thought and felt. He realized that his father had been affected emotionally by Zainab. But he also knew that once Muhammad developed a desire for someone or something, he would let nothing stand in the way to attain it. Zaid knew he had no choice. He not only feared that Muhammad would destroy anyone who stands in his way, but he was also sure of it. Otherwise, he would not have gone to such painful limits of announcing his willingness to hand over his wife, whom he was supposed to protect. He was so sure of Muhammad’s true nature that he had the courage to say to him what would otherwise be an unimaginable thing for a son to say to his father. He went to Muhammad and openly told:
Tabari VIII:1: “Perhaps Zaynab has excited your admiration, so I will leave her.”
One would expect Muhammad to be outraged at this morally offensive offer but he did not. He did not reprimand Zaid for this utterly indecent proposal. Fearing the people, he replied, “Keep your wife.” However, what filled Muhammad’s heart was very different from what his lips expressed, for he really desired her. To make matters worse, the Qur’an tells us that Allah was totally behind this immoral episode. While this admission incriminates Allah and questions his godship, it must also be remembered that it is a habit of Muhammad to involve Allah to legitimize his depraved actions.
We will now consider the evidences provided by the sources of Islam itself. We will look at the facts provided by the Qur’an, Hadith, Tafsirs and the Sira of the most reliable and devout Muslim scholars.
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (839 C.E. – 923 C.E.) was a Muslim historian and religious scholar whose annals are the most important source for the early history of Islam. He wrote:
Tabari VIII:4: “One day Muhammad went out looking for Zayd. Now there was a covering of haircloth over the doorway, but the wind had lifted the covering so that the doorway was uncovered. Zaynab was in her chamber, undressed, and admiration for her entered the heart of the Prophet. After that Allah made her unattractive to Zayd.”
Let us now look at the corroborating Qur’anic verses that validate the reliability of this historical incident. It also confirms that it was Allah’s will for Muhammad to marry his daughter-in-law:
Surah 33:37-38: “And when you said to him to whom Allah had shown favor and to whom you had shown a favor: Keep your wife to yourself and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; and you concealed in your soul what Allah would bring to light, and you feared men, and Allah had a greater right that you should fear Him. But when Zaid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife, so that there should be no difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their want of them; and Allah’s command shall be performed. There is no harm in the Prophet doing that which Allah has ordained for him; such has been the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before; and the command of Allah is a decree that is made absolute.” (Shakir)
According to the above Qur’anic verses, Allah himself ordained the marriage between Muhammad and Zainab while she was still the wife of his adopted son. For Allah to ordain the marriage between Muhammad and Zainab, he must have pre-ordained the divorce to take place between Zaid and his wife, since only then it is possible for Muhammad to marry her. If the divorce is pre-ordained, then the cause leading to the divorce must also be pre-ordained. Since the cause for the divorce was Muhammad’s desire for his daughter-in-law, it must then be Allah who pre-ordained Muhammad to develop a wrong desire for his son’s wife. This wrong desire then led to the divorcing of his son’s wife, which finally culminated in Muhammad’s marriage to her. Therefore, from the planting of the wrong desire for another man’s wife to the resulting marriage itself, it was all pre-arranged by Allah. According to the above Qur’anic verses, Allah planned and predestined the entire episode. In other words, Allah was the author of this disgraceful folly.
A sudden unintentional glance can be forgiven, but when the glance causes a divorce then this becomes a serious sin. The true God views the sin of covetousness seriously. The Holy Bible gives a warning in Matthew 19:6:
“Therefore, what God has yoked together (in marriage) let no man put apart.”
Worshippers of the true God are strongly warned against breaking up marriages, either their own or that of others. Will the true God who warns his worshippers not to break-up marriages, do so himself? Certainly not! Therefore, Allah cannot be the true God. Unlike Jehovah, Allah the imposter is a wrecker of marriages. With no justification whatsoever, Allah broke-up the marriage of an innocent man. Worse still, Allah’s sole reason for breaking up the marriage of an innocent man is to satiate the adulterous sexual desire of his Prophet.
To cover the shameful conduct of his Prophet, Allah claims that the moral behind this affair is that he wanted Muhammad to set the example for others to emulate, making it permissible for fathers to marry the divorced wives of their adopted sons and to remove the prohibition of such marriages. Allah is putting the cart before the horse. The truth is that the new legislation only came after Muhammad desired his daughter-in-law. There is an old saying that describes this justification of Allah, “the excuse is worse than the offence.”
Could not Allah reveal a verse about the new legislation without having his Prophet to go into this grossly immoral and socially damaging state of affairs? Could not Allah have brought on the changes without victimizing an innocent man and breaking-up his marriage? Does not this new edict potentially open the door for an adoptive father to develop wrong desires for his son’s wife, especially so when they live in close-proximity, sharing the same home? This new legislation will actually cause distrust between sons and their adoptive fathers with regard to their wives. The whole justification is moot. Even Aisha, the favorite wife of Muhammad, appears to be somewhat suspicious of Muhammad’s claim:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 311:
Narrated Aisha: I said (to the Prophet), “I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires.”
Jehovah God gave the following command to the ancient nation of Israel:
Leviticus 18:15: “Do not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; do not have relations with her.”
In total violation of the divine commandment stated above, Muhammad developed an immoral sexual desire for his daughter-in-law after viewing her in a near naked state while she was still married to his adopted son who carries his name – Zaid bin Muhammad. It is important for us to note that in Surah 33:37 Allah said that he is going to bring to light what Muhammad was hiding within himself – out of fear for the people – namely Muhammad’s desire to marry his adopted son’s wife. This proves that the only reason Muhammad directed Zaid to keep his wife was because he feared what the people would say about him marrying his son’s wife. Also, note that Allah reprimanded Muhammad for fearing the people and holding back his desire to marry Zainab. Instead of fearing the people, he was told to fear Allah and that means to fulfill his illicit carnal desire to marry the wife of his adopted son. Observe Allah’s words carefully: “We gave her to you as a wife.” Thus, even while Zainab was legally bound to Zaid through marriage, Allah ordained her to become the wife of Muhammad. In violation of all moral laws, Allah caused Zaid to divorce his wife so that Muhammad could marry her. And Muslim apologists have the audacity to say Allah hates the act of divorcing.
In “Muhammad: the Holy Prophet,” Sarwar stated on page 375:
“At last Zaid divorced her. It was not Zaid who did so but it was the Will of God. God ordered Muhammad to marry her.”
For Zaid, Zainab was his family and life-partner. Zaid must have struggled with his inner emotions upon knowing that it was divinely ordained by his “God” to break-up his family, take his wife away from him and give it to his father, who already has numerous wives and multiple sexual partners. A tragedy of that magnitude can devastate any man. A tragedy that is sanctioned by Allah and inscribed in the Qur’an.
According to the Qur’an and the Hadith, Allah match-made the marriage in heaven.
The Tafsir al-Jalalayn on Surah 33:37 states:
“The Messenger of God (s) purchased him before his call to prophethood, and then manumitted him and adopted him as his son – (And when you said to him to whom Allah had shown favor and to whom you had shown a favor:) ‘Retain your wife for yourself and fear God’… But you had hidden in your heart what God was to disclose, what He was to manifest of your love for her and of the fact that should Zayd part with her you would marry her, and you feared people would say, ‘He has married his son’s wife!’, though God is worthier that you should fear Him, in all things, so take her in marriage and do not be concerned with what people say. Zayd subsequently divorced her and her [obligatory] waiting period was completed. God, exalted be He, says: So when Zayd had fulfilled whatever need he had of her, We joined her in marriage to you – the Prophet consummated his marriage with her without the customary permission from her legal guardian and gratified the Muslims with [a feast of] bread and meat – so that there may not be any restriction for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have fulfilled whatever wish they have of them. And God’s commandment, that which He has decreed, is bound to be realised.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 517:
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Verse of Al-Hijab (veiling of women) was revealed in connection with Zainab bint Jahsh. (On the day of her marriage with him) the Prophet gave a wedding banquet with bread and meat; and she used to boast before other wives of the Prophet and used to say, “Allah married me to the Prophet in the Heavens.”
A commentary by Ibn Abbas states:
(And when thou saidst unto him on whom Allah hath conferred favour) through Islam, i.e. Zayd (and thou hast conferred favour) on him by emancipating him: (Keep thy wife to thyself) and do not divorce her, and fear Allah and do not let her go. (And thou didst hide in your mind) her love and the desire to marry her (that which Allah was to bring to light) in the Qur’an, (and thou didst fear mankind) and you feel ashamed of people because of this (whereas Allah had a better right that thou shouldst fear Him) whereas you should be ashamed of Allah. (So when Zayd had performed the necessary formality (of divorce) from her) when she has finished her waiting period after her divorce from Zayd, (We gave her unto thee in marriage, so that (henceforth)) after you (there may be no sin for believers about wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have performed the necessary formality (of release) from them) when they had finished their waiting period after they are divorced or after the death of their husband. (The commandment of Allah) marrying Zayd to Muhammad (pbuh) (must be fulfilled) must take place. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs)
To gratify Muhammad’s sexual desires and to prevent criticism from others, Allah prohibited the highly moral practice of adoption. This will be discussed shortly. Can we really believe that the true God would put it in the heart of someone to develop a desire for a married woman and later cause a divorce to occur in order for that someone to marry the women he was made to desire? Does God really cause people to have adulterous desires? Incredible as it may seem, according to Islamic theology, Allah actually creates adulterous desires in the hearts of men.
ALLAH CREATES ADULTEROUS DESIRES IN THE HEARTS OF MEN
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 77, Number 609:
Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas: I did not see anything so resembling minor sins as what Abu Huraira said from the Prophet, who said, “Allah has written for the son of Adam his inevitable share of adultery whether he is aware of it or not: The adultery of the eye is the looking (at something which is sinful to look at), and the adultery of the tongue is to utter (what it is unlawful to utter), and the innerself wishes and longs for (adultery) and the private parts turn that into reality or refrain from submitting to the temptation.”
Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6421:
Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Apostle as saying: Verily Allah has fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in, and which he of necessity must commit.
Sahih Muslim, Book 033, Number 6422:
Allah fixed the very portion of adultery which a man will indulge in. There would be no escape from it.
This means that Allah is responsible for all the sins of adultery (zina) committed throughout the world, from the time of man’s beginning until now. How, then, can the Allah of Islam be the same God as revealed in the Holy Bible? The answer is that he simply cannot be. The true God would never do such a thing and this proves that Allah is an immoral imposter.
The following two narrations are rather heartrending to read. Muhammad had the insensitivity to send Zaid, the ex-husband himself, with his proposal of marriage to his daughter-in-law. As you read the narrations by Sahih Muslim and Ibn Kathir, please consider the feelings of Zaid.
Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3330:
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported: “When the ‘Iddah of Zainab was over,Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said to Zaid to make a mention to her about him.Zaid went on until he came to her and she was fermenting her flour. He (Zaid) said: As I saw her I felt in my heart an idea of her greatness so much so that I could not see towards her (simply for the fact) that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had made a mention of her. So I turned my back towards her, and I turned upon my heels, and said: Zainab, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) has sent (me) with a message to you. She said: I do not do anything until I solicit the will of my Lord. So she stood at her place of worship and the (verse of) the Qur’an (pertaining to her marriage) was revealed, and Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) came to her without permission.”
The above Hadith shows that the Qur’anic verse sanctioning the marriage between Muhammad and Zainab was not revealed until after Muhammad had offered to marry her. This proves that Muhammad sought justification for the scandalous marriage to his son’s divorced wife and he used a Qur’anic verse to convince Zainab. She now believed that by accepting his marriage proposal, she was doing what was pleasing to Allah. This Hadith proves that Muhammad wanted to marry her even before the Qur’anic verse sanctioning the marriage was revealed. In actual fact, it does not matter whether it was revealed before or after. Both are morally wrong.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir:
(So, when Zayd had completed his aim with her, We gave her to you in marriage,) meaning, `when her marriage to Zayd was over and he had separated from her, We married her to you,’ and the One Who was her Wali (guardian) in this marriage was Allah Himself, in the sense that He revealed to the Prophet that he should go in unto her without any Wali, contractual agreement, dowery or witnesses among mankind.Imam Ahmad recorded that Thabit said that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “When Zaynab’s `Iddah finished, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger of Allah said to Zayd bin Harithah, (Go to her and tell her about me (that I want to marry her).) So, he went to her and found her kneading dough. He (Zayd) said, `When I saw her I felt such respect for her that I could not even look at her and tell her what the Messenger of Allah had said, so I turned my back to her and stepped aside, and said, `O Zaynab! Rejoice, for the Messenger of Allah has sent me to propose marriage to you on his behalf.’ She said, `I will not do anything until I pray to my Lord, may He be glorified.’ So she went to the place where she usually prayed. Then Qur’an was revealed and the Messenger of Allah came and entered without permission.”
Notice how Muhammad has reduced his son to such a level that he could not even look at his former wife. Can you not feel the wickedness and cruelty of this man? There is a significant moral and theological problem with this self-serving revelation of convenience that Muhammad received at a time when he lusted after his daughter-in-law. It is quite clear that Muhammad was attracted to Zainab before Zaid divorced her and it was reason for the divorce itself.
Muhammad needed an excuse to conceal his disgraceful desire for his son’s wife and Allah was made to provide one through the Qur’an. Some Muslim scholars are honest enough to admit that Muhammad started to have lustful desires for his son’s wife and that it was his glorifications regarding her beauty, which she overheard, that caused a rift between husband and wife. His praise of a married woman’s beauty resulted in the couple getting a divorce, which then presented him with the opportunity to fulfill his illicit desire to marry his daughter-in-law. Whether Muslims consult the Qur’an by itself or seek to understand it by turning to the Hadiths or to the Tafsirs of Muslim scholars, the fact remains that Muslims must still deal with the fact that Muhammad committed adultery by taking another man’s wife through deceit and treachery.
Surah 33:37 clearly states that Allah’s reason for this marriage was to use Muhammad as a precedent in making it permissible for Muslim fathers to marry the divorced wives of their adopted sons. The Qur’an claims that the rationale behind Muhammad marrying Zainab is so that the believers could now see that there is no sin in a person marrying his adopted son’s former wife. Is this really the true reason? How could it be when shortly after the event of this marriage between Muhammad and Zainab, Allah went on to totally abolish the practice of adoption? The Qur’an completely prohibits Muslims from adopting sons. Please read the following verses to see Allah’s prohibition of the noble practice of adoption:
Surah 33:4-5: “Allah hath not assigned unto any man two hearts within his body, nor hath He made your wives whom ye declare (to be your mothers) your mothers, nor hath He made those whom ye claim (to be your sons) your sons. This is but a saying of your mouths. But Allah saith the truth and He showeth the way. Proclaim their real parentage. That will be more equitable in the sight of Allah. And if ye know not their fathers, then (they are) your brethren in the faith, and your clients.” (Pickthall)
Regarding the above Qur’anic passage, Ibn Kathir says:
<Nor has He made your adopted sons your real sons.>“This was revealed concerning Zayd bin Harithah, may Allah be pleased with him, the freed servant of the Prophet. The Prophet had adopted him before prophethood, and he was known as Zayd bin Muhammad. Allah wanted to put an end to this naming and attribution.”
So how could Muhammad set the example for adoptive fathers to marry the divorced wives of their adopted sons when Allah went on to forbid the practice of adoption altogether? Is it not obvious that Muhammad needed to find justification for marrying Zainab and came up with an excuse? In fact, this marriage which was supposed to be set as an example for future generations was unnecessary since Muslims have no chance of ever marrying the divorced wives of their adopted sons as adoption became prohibited in Islam. In other words, there will be no adopted sons.
Muslims believe that Allah knows all things, which means that he knew beforehand that he was going to abolish the practice of adoption. Why, then did Allah allow and arrange this marriage when he already knew in advance that he would prohibit adoption altogether? The fact remains that Muhammad lusted after a married woman and he used Allah to legitimize his forbidden desire through deceit and manipulation. The true situation in Islam is that what is moral and right today depended entirely on that which was convenient for Muhammad.
Additionally, is it necessary for a lawgiver to institute laws by performing actions that create a precedent? Muhammad, as Islam’s lawgiver, could have simply issued a decree. For instance, Muhammad allowed husbands to beat their wives. (Surah 4:34). Is it necessary for Muhammad to beat his wives in order to establish this as a law? Similarly, when a lawmaker says that killing someone in self-defense is acceptable, no one argues that the lawmaker must go out and kill someone in self-defense if his law is to stand. Thus, the argument that Muhammad needed to marry Zainab “so that there should be no difficulty for the believers to marry the wives of their adopted sons” is totally unfounded.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 25:
Narrated ‘Aisha: “…Salim was the freed slave of an Ansar woman, just as the Prophet had adopted Zaid as his son. It was the custom in the Pre-Islamic Period that if somebody adopted a boy, the people would call him the son of the adoptive father and he would be the latter’s heir.”
The pre-Islamic Arab custom of adoption of orphans and helpless children was a very popular and moral practice amongst pre-Islamic Arabs. An adopted child is considered as their own as it was a strong social principle not to make a distinction between sons by birth and sons by adoption. They pass onto the child the adopter’s genealogy, name and investments with all the rights of the legitimate son. Besides the rights to inherit, the prohibition of marriage that applies to blood relatives is also applied to the one being adopted on the grounds of consanguinity (related by birth). Thus, in the eyes of the contemporaries of Muhammad, his marriage to the wife of his adopted son was viewed as incestuous because in their custom the adopted sons were counted the same as biological sons. In an attempt to do some damage control to the situation, Allah overturned the Arabian tradition of adoption for the sole purpose of removing the stain caused by Muhammad’s marriage to Zainab. And Allah revealed the following Qur’anic verse:
Surah 33:40: “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things.” (Yusuf Ali)
Prohibitions of adultery, drunkenness, gambling, sorceries and murder are rightly considered as a moral action. But why should Allah prohibit a noble practice such as adoption? Is it not clear that it is to protect his Prophet? The reason for the prohibition is clear. It is to silence the accusation of his contemporaries. Provided below are the comments by two well-known Muslim scholars.
Al-Jalalayn wrote:
When the Prophet (s) married Zaynab bt. Jahsh, who had been Zayd b. Haritha’s wife, the adopted son of the Prophet (s), they said, ‘Muhammad married his son’s wife!’, and so God proved them liars in this. But God speaks the truth, in this [matter], and He guides to the way, the way of truth. (Tafsir al-Jalalayn)
And in reference to Surah 33:40, Ibn Kathir writes:
“After this it was not permitted to say Zayd bin Muhammad, i.e., he was not his father even though he had adopted him…”
Muhammad’s motive for ending this noble practice of adoption is solely for self-interested reasons. He did this to remove the stigma caused by his marriage to his adopted son’s wife. This wicked man was willing to sacrifice the welfare and happiness of untold millions of orphans and needy children just to cover his shame. And this wicked man also robbed the happiness of thousands of childless couples who could have found joy through the adoption of children that they could call their own. Just ask yourself, why was this law prohibiting adoption given only after Muhammad fell in love with the wife of his adopted son?
Al-Zamkhashri, a great Muslim Imam, said:
“The Messenger of Allah saw Zainab, after he gave her in marriage to Zayd, and he fell in love with her, and said, Praise Allah, who changes things.”
After Muhammad got everything he wanted, one tiny blemish continued to tarnish his status as the Prophet of Allah. Yes, the very presence of Zaid was a constant reminder to the people that Zainab was once the wife of Muhammad’s adopted son. In 629 C.E., Muhammad sent Zaid with an unprepared and poorly equipped army of around 3000 men to Mu’tah. From the beginning, the mission was doomed to fail because of the superiority of the Roman army in numbers and equipment. The combined force of Roman soldiers and Arab allies totaled around 200,000 men. Muhammad assigned Zaid to be the flag-bearer, which also made him the first to be targeted. The humiliating defeat came as no surprise and neither was the fact that Zaid was one of the first to be killed. Muhammad’s marriage to Zainab is indeed a story of great tragedy, filled with nothing but lust, murder and deceit. (See Saif-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, ar-Raheeq al-Makhtoom).
The entire account of Zaid’s divorce of Zainab, Muhammad’s marriage with Zainab and the subsequent revelations of several Qur’anic verses from Allah to justify this scandalous incident is something for sincere Muslims to contemplate very seriously. What happened at the door of Zainab would have passed without any far-reaching consequences, had the person at the door been a true prophet of God.
Al-Halabia, a great Muslim scholar made the following observation in his distinguished book, Al-Sira Al-Halabia, Vol. III, p. 377:
“If Muhammad lusted after a married woman, it became a must for her husband to divorce her for him.”
Let us now compare Muhammad’s affair to an incident in the life of King David – “the prophet David” to Muslims. David lusted after the wife of another man. However, the true God did not let the affair slide by just because David was his chosen king. On the contrary, Jehovah severely chastised and punished him. He warned David of the consequences of his sins:
2 Samuel 12:10: “Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”
Unlike Allah, Jehovah is a Holy God. He does not compromise his holiness for any person’s sins, whether it is David’s or that of any other’s. The true God punishes serious sinners. He does not reward them. As a result, the sword wreaked havoc in David’s family. Consequently, David repented with tears:
Psalms 51:1-3, 10: “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your unfailing love. According to great compassion wipe out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my iniquity, And cleanse me even from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is in front of me constantly. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
As for King David, he should have known better. He was familiar with the laws of Jehovah. He knew that worshippers of Jehovah are strictly warned against developing covetous sexual desires for another man’s wife. God gave the following commandment in Exodus 20:17:
“Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
How much more so if she happens to be your son’s wife. Christians are further cautioned in Matthew 5:27-28:
“You have heard that it was said to them: ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Thus, from a Biblical perspective, Muhammad was guilty of committing adultery both in his heart and in reality by his actions. Through the deceitful use of self-serving situational scriptures, he stole Zainab from Zaid. This, in realty, invalidates Muhammad’s marriage to Zainab, making his marriage to her potentially adulterous. Muslims need to realize that to have faith is one thing, but to accept blindly whatever Muhammad does is quite another matter. That is blind faith.
The Holy Bible says that the true God hates the annulment of marriages (divorce):
Malachi 2:13-16: Another thing you do: You flood the altar of Jehovah with tears. You weep and wail because he no longer looks with favor on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands. You ask, “Why?” It is because Jehovah himself is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. Has not the God made the two of you one? So be on your guard respecting your attitude, and do not be unfaithful to the wife of your youth. “I hate divorce,” says the God of Israel.
The Allah of the Qur’an is an absolute different deity from the true God of the Holy Bible who hates adulterous acts and desires. As a God who hates divorce, it is beyond the holiness of Jehovah to compel anyone to forsake his wife so as to allow another to marry her.
Tabari IX:134:
“Muhammad took Zaynab but Allah did not find any fault in the relationshipand ordered the marriage.”
Muhammad’s pursuit of Zainab, the wife of his adopted son not only raises a question of moral character, but it also casts suspicion on whether his so-called inspirations were really divine revelation or dictates of personal convenience. How could Allah reveal verses in the Qur’an that authorizes the lust of a man for someone else’s wife?
Before we conclude, there are a couple of objections that we need to address. Some Muslims contend that an adopted son is not a blood relative and therefore it was proper for Muhammad to marry the wife of his adopted son. Such an argument is weak because legally and ethically he is still considered a son by the civilized world. Will these same Muslims now approve a man to marry his adoptive mother because she is not a blood relative? Both from a legal and moral point of view it would be grossly indecent and improper for a man to marry his adoptive mother. Neither would it be permissible for him to marry his stepmother even though she is not his blood relative. In both cases, he is morally expected to view her as his own mother. Based on this same moral principle, Muhammad should view Zaid as his own son and by extension he should lawfully view Zainab as his daughter. Did he not publicly testify that Zaid is his son?
Another objection that Muslims raise is regarding the portrayal of their Prophet as a lustful person. Despite the evidences provided by Islamic sources themselves, Muslims still deny that Muhammad was an immoral man. Is their denial justifiable? Let us consider the reports of two incidences that took place in the life of Muhammad.
[1] Sahih Muslim, Book 008, Number 3240:
Jabir reported that Allah’s Messenger (phub) saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zainab, as she was tanning leather and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and told them: The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.
What do you think it is that Muhammad felt in his heart that needs to be repelled after he saw the woman? Clue for green Muslims: “…he came (immediately) to his wife, Zainab and had sexual intercourse with her.” Here we find Muhammad lusting after a woman, and going to a woman he once lusted to satisfy his sexual desires. And concluding that all men are also sexually uncontrollable like him, he said, “…when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife.”
[2] Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith Number 927:
Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas’ud: Allah’s Messenger (phub) saw a woman who charmed him, so he went to Sawdah who was making perfume in the company of some women. They left him, and after he had satisfied his desire, he said, “If any man sees a woman who charms him he should go to his wife, for she has the same kind of thing as the other woman.” Darimi transmitted it. (Alim)
Let us for a moment put aside the derogatory remarks made by Muhammad concerning women and instead measure the man himself who claims to be a prophet of God. To begin with, no godly person will entertain the desire to have sexual intercourse immediately, simply because an attractive woman happens to pass by. That is the characteristic of animals not humans. Human beings can make a decision as to where to direct their thoughts and desires. Obviously, Muhammad did not see the women only, but started to entertain lustful desires for them.
Read the narrations in the above Hadith very carefully. It clearly shows that Muhammad became so aroused sexually that he could not bear it anymore and needed to release the sexual pressure immediately, in the middle of the day, interrupting the work his wife was doing and even causing the women who were with her to leave. Muhammad entertained adulterous thoughts in his mind and then used the body of one of his wives to release the built-up sexual pressure resulting from his adulterous desires. He did not make love to his wife with the intention of making her happy and satisfied, but he simply wanted to satisfy his lustful desire by using her body – to be precise her vagina – while his mind was with the other woman. No love is involved, the wife was just a sexual object to gratify his lust for another women. The only reason that he used his wife’s body was because the opportunity did not present itself to use the body of the other woman.
Note Muhammad’s words carefully. He said one should go to his wife because she has the same kind of “thing” meaning the “vagina” as the other woman. His words clearly reveal what was on his mind whenever he saw women. The fact that there exist at least two different incidents, showing the same reaction from Muhammad, strongly suggests that Allah’s final Prophet was a sex devotee. Thus, it is not an isolated incident, a moment of temporary weakness. Apparently, Muhammad’s numerous wives were not enough for him to keep his desires under control. Instead of acknowledging his weaknesses and seeking God’s help to overcome his immoral tendencies, Muhammad misused his wives’ bodies as sexual objects to gratify himself sexually. But then again, how could he seek help from Allah who, according to the words of Aisha, hastens to fulfill his desires. Muhammad not only failed to acknowledge his weaknesses but in his wickedness he held women responsible for “what he feels in his heart.” He blamed them saying:
“The woman advances and retires in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.”
Here we have clear evidences that Muhammad could not avoid lusting when he saw women. This would certainly have been the case when he saw Zainab, especially in her undressed state. Sincere Muslims should wake up. For the sake of their own eternal salvation, they should not be afraid to confront and analyze the issues involving Muhammad’s moral character. Islam stands and falls on the person of Muhammad. Muhammad’s sexual greed for the wives of other men proves that he has a standard much lower than that of many ordinary men. Muslims should also question Allah’s participation and support for his Prophet’s scandalous behavior. Just ask yourself, “Will a true God give permission to a father to marry his son’s wife?” “Or is there any son who will allow his father to marry his own wife?” This shows the corrupting power of Islam.
A man who desires and lusts after his own daughter-in-law cannot be of good moral character. He cannot be the messenger of the true God. The action of Muhammad, which was sanctioned and abetted by Allah, proves that the Allah of Islam cannot be the true God. A debased sexual behavior can only be condoned by an equally debased spirit. Therefore, Allah is not God, Islam is not divine and Muhammad is not a prophet of the true God. This episode of Muhammad’s marriage to his daughter-in-law gives us one of the strongest reasons to reject Islam. The Source Material and Commentaries provided in this article are not provided and expressed by the enemies of Muhammad or the enemies of Islam but by the most important Muslim exegetes – the very defenders of Islam.
