The Prophet Muhammed married one wife from the age of 25 until he was over 50. In fact, his first wife Khadija was actually 15 years older than him, meaning she was 40 and he was 25 when they were first married. Only after Khadija's death did the Prophet Muhammed marry more than one wife, all but one of whom had been divorced or widowed.
According to Muslim historians, these marriages were contracted to assist needy widows and divorcees and to solidify the community of Muslims by forging alliances among the tribes in and around Medina.
It is important to note that polygamy was prevalent in Arabia in the 7th century as it was in many cultures, as demonstrated by references in the Bible to polygamous marriages by many of the prophets or patriarchs.
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