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The question

Does the Hadith, "The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to go around to his wives, all eleven of them, in a single hour of the night or day," contradict Allah's saying, "Indeed, your Lord knows that you stand [in prayer] for less than two-thirds of the night, and [sometimes] half of it, and [sometimes] a third of it"?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · imported Sep 2, 20262 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came with the easy monotheistic religion (Hanifiyyah), making the pursuit of livelihood and fulfilling the rights of one's wife acts of worship. He forbade asceticism and monasticism, yet he was the most pious and God-fearing of people, striving in worship until his feet swelled. He would rebuke those who were overly strict with themselves in worship, balancing the right of his Lord with the right of his nation, his family, and striving in the path of Allah.

As for the mentioned in the question, it does not contradict the Prophet’s guidance, peace and blessings be upon him, for the following reasons: 1. The hadith is authentic, and it occurred within a single hour of the day or night, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was given the strength of thirty men in this regard. 2. This matter was not exclusive to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, alone. Solomon, peace be upon him, had many wives, and this did not distract him from his jihad. It is narrated in a hadith that he visited one hundred women in a single night. 3. Many scholars have concluded that the hadith of Anas does not indicate a continuous habit of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Rather, it was his custom to divide his time among his wives and spend a night with each one, visiting them daily without intercourse unless it was the night of the wife whose turn it was. Some scholars interpreted the word "كان" (was) as referring to specific occasions or a single instance, in order to reconcile the evidence. This is further confirmed by the fact that this number of wives did not gather with him until the latter part of his life, peace and blessings be upon him.

Conclusion: A man is praised for his strength, chastity, and purity. If these are combined with worship and fulfilling the rights of wives, then this is more complete, and this is what characterized our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as he was the most perfect of creation and the master of the children of Adam.

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Ftawy
Original fatwa ID
190816
Imported
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