Betul Yilmazornek

In Arabic, the phrase Azwaj-i-Tahirat means “the pure wives” and refers to the women to whom Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was married.

Although the Prophet was married to only one woman during the Meccan period, he married others afterwards for a variety of religious, social, economic or moral reasons.

The Quran characterizes the wives of the Prophet as the “Mothers of Believers”: “The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers” (al-Ahzab 33/6). Moreover, this respected position was reinforced by the prohibition of their marriage to any other believers (even after the death of the Prophet) (al-Ahzab 33/53). Actually, the status of the Prophet’s wives as the mothers of believers is one of respect and veneration. It is for this reason that their marriage to others was prohibited and their reverent treatment is obligatory. On other issues, these women are on equal footing with other Muslim women.