We attended the funeral of Maimunah رضی اللہ عنہا , the wife of the Prophet, with Ibn 'Abbas رضی اللہ عنہما in Sarif. Ibn 'Abbas رضی اللہ عنہا said: 'This is Maimunah رضی اللہ عنہا ; when you lift up her bier, do not rock it nor shake it. The Messenger of Allah had nine wives and he used to give a share of his time to eight of them and not to one.'

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died he had nine wives; he used to be intimate with all of them except one, who had given her day and night to 'Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا .

The Prophet ﷺ used to go around to his wives in a single night, and at that time he had nine wives.

I used to feel jealous of those (women) who offered themselves (in marriage) to the Prophet ﷺ and I said: 'Would a free woman offer herself?' Then Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, revealed: 'You can postpone whom you will of them, and you may receive whom you will.' I said: 'By Allah, I see that your Lord is quick to respond to your wishes.'

I was among the people when a woman said: 'I offer myself (in marriage) to you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, see what you think of me.' A man stood up and said: 'Marry me to her.' He said: 'Go and find (something), even if it is an iron ring.' So he went, but he could not find anything, not even an iron ring. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Do you have (memorized) any surahs of the Qur'an?' He said: 'Yes.' So he married him to her on the basis of what he knew of surahs of the Qur'an.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to her when Allah commanded him to give his wives the choice. 'Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ started with me and said: 'I am going to tell you something, but you do not have to rush until you consult your parents.' She said: He knew that my parents would not tell me to leave him. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Prophet! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner.' I said: 'Do I need to consult my parents about this? I choose Allah and His Messenger, and the abode of the Hereafter.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave his wives the choice (of staying with him) was it divorce?

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave us the choice, and we chose him, so there was no divorce.

'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not die until women had been made lawful to him.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not die until Allah permitted him to marry whatever women he wanted.

I was with Ibn Mas'ud رضی اللہ عنہ while he was with 'Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ, and 'Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ said: 'The Messenger of Allah came out to some fityah (young men)--Abu 'Abdur Rahman said, 'I did not understand (the word) fityah as I would want'-- and said: 'Whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding chastity, and whoever cannot, then fasting will be a restraint (wija') for him.'

'Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ said to Ibn Mas'ud رضی اللہ عنہ : Shall I arrange for you to marry a young girl? 'Abdullah رضی اللہ عنہ called 'Alqamah and he told the people that the Prophet said: Whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding chastity. And whoever cannot afford it, then let him fast, for it will be a restraint for him.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us: 'Whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, and whoever cannot then he should fast, for it will be a restraint (wija') for him.' Abu Abdur-Rahman said: (The mention of) Al-Aswad in this hadith is not preserved.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us: 'O young men, whoever among you can afford it, let him get married, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding chastity, and whoever cannot then he should fast, for it will be a restraint (wija') for him.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to us: 'O young men, whoever among you can afford it, let him get married,' and he quoted the same hadith.

I was walking with 'Abdullah رضی اللہ عنہ in Mina and he was met by 'Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ who stood with him and spoke with him. He said: 'O Abu Abdur-Rahman! Shall I not marry you to a young girl? Perhaps she will remind you of when you were younger?' 'Abdullah رضی اللہ عنہ said: 'As you say that (it reminds me that) the Messenger of Allah said to us: O young men, whoever among you can afford it, let him get married.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade 'Uthman رضی اللہ عنہ to be celibate. If he had given him permission we would have castrated ourselves.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade celibacy.

It was narrated from Samurah bin Jundab that the Prophet forbade celibacy. Abu Abdur-Rahman said: Qatadah is more reliable and better preserves narrations than Ash'ath but the hadith of Ash'ath (here) appears to be the correct one. Allah, Most High, knows best.

I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I am a young man and I fear hardship for myself, but I cannot afford to marry; should I castrate myself?' The Prophet ﷺ turned away from him until he said it three times. Then the Prophet ﷺ said: O Abu Hurairah, the pen is dried concerning what you are going to face, so (it is up to you whether) you castrate yourself or not. Abu Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasai) said: Al-Awzai did not hear this narration from Az-Zuhri, and this hadith is sahih, Yunus reported it from Az-Zuhri.

He came to the Mother of the Believers, 'Aishah رضی اللہ عنہا. He said: I want to ask you about celibacy, what do you think about it? She said: Do not do that; have you not heard that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, says: 'And indeed We sent Messengers before you, and made for them wives and offspring'? So do not be celibate.

There was a group of the Companions of the Prophet, one of whom said: I will not marry women. Another said: I will not eat meat. Another said: I will not sleep on a bed. Another said: I will fast and not break my fast. News of that reached the Messenger of Allah and he praised Allah then said: What is the matter with people who say such and such? But I pray and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There are three who are promised the help of Allah: The Mukatab who wants to buy his freedom, the one who gets married seeking to keep himself chaste, and the Mujahid who fights in the cause of Allah. *Mukatab: the slave who has made a contract of manumission.

I got married then I came to the Prophet ﷺ and he said: 'Have you got married, O Jabir?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'To a virgin or to a previously married woman?' I said: 'To a previously married woman.' He said: 'Why not a virgin, so you could play with her and she could play with you?'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ met me and said: 'O Jabir, have you got married to a woman since I last saw you?' I said: 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah.' He said: 'To a virgin or to a previously-married woman?' I said: 'To a previously-married woman.' He said: 'Why not a virgin, so she could play with you?'