Did The Prophet ﷺ Really Have Sex With All His Wives In One Night? The Full Real Story
By Dr. Mohammad Ghitreef, New Age Islam
30 June 2025
There is no doubt that we are currently witnessing an intensifying wave of Islamophobia both in the West and in India
Main Points:
1. A Hadith may often be authentic, yet very likely misunderstood or misinterpreted.
2. In this narration, the narrator (Rāwī) clearly misperceived the incident and thus narrated it inaccurately.
3. There is no virtue or special merit for the Prophet ﷺ in having sexual relations with multiple women in one night.
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There is no doubt that we are currently witnessing an intensifying wave of Islamophobia both in the West and in India. Islamophobic writers, media commentators, social activists, and particularly ex-Muslims frequently make remarks—whether out of malice or ignorance—that are deeply offensive and blasphemous towards the personality of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Setting aside their intentions for a moment, a critical and unsettling question arises: From where do they derive such material?
The shocking answer is: from classical Muslim sources themselves.
And herein lies a tragic irony: for centuries, Muslims have venerated these sources, treating them as untouchable, and to this day, any attempt to question their reliability is often met with hostility and denial.
In what follows, I will present just one such controversial incident from the Prophet’s life as recorded in those very sources.
An incident was narrated by Al-Bokhari and other Hadis compilers that the holy prophet was on a sex spree in having sex with 11 women in one night.
The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ marital life has sparked many questions and reflections. What is the significance of the Prophet’s extraordinary marital strength ? Was there a higher prophetic wisdom behind the details of his intimate life? Is true manhood to be measured by physical power, or by something far greater?
A likely sound and possible Interpretation given by a great contemporary Hadith scholar Allama Shabbeer Ahmad Azhar Meeruthi of this Hadith narrated from Hazrat Anas (RA) may help us to understand the rather complex issue. I shall try to sum up his research in the following:
The original Arabic words used by the narrator Anas are as under:
أَنَّ نَبِیَّ اللّٰہِ ﷺ کَانَ یَطُوْفُ عَلٰی نِسَاءِہٖ فِی اللَّیْلَۃِ الوَاحِدَۃ
which means:
“The Prophet (PBUH) Used to Visit All His Wives in One Night”
At times, a hadith may be authentic in itself, but a narrator might misunderstand it. He may add explanatory words of his own or include additional details based on his personal interpretation. As a result, the original meaning becomes distorted and appears differently across various narrations. The corpus of Hadith literature contains numerous such examples. The case discussed below is one classical example of this phenomenon, which we now present to the readers.
The Text of the Hadith: Imam Bukhari said:
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْأَعْلٰی بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، ثَنَا یَزِیْدُ بْنُ زُرَیْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِیْدٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَۃَ، أَنَّ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِکٍ حَدَّثَھُمْ أَنَّ نَبِیَّ اللّٰہِ ﷺ کَانَ یَطُوْفُ عَلٰی نِسَاءِہٖ فِی اللَّیْلَۃِ الوَاحِدَۃِ، وَلَہُ یَوْمَءِذٍ تِسْعُ نِسْوَۃٍ۔ صحیح بخاری ص 42: کِتَابُ الغُسْلِ، بَابُ الجُنُبِ یَخْرُجُ وَیَمْشِي)
) فِی السُّوْقِ وَغَیْرِہٖ وص 785کتاب النکاح،طبع ہند
"Abdul A'la bin Hammad narrated to us; he said: Yazid bin Zuray' narrated to us from Sa'id from Qatadah, who narrated from Anas bin Malik (RA): 'The Prophet of Allah (PBUH) used to visit all his wives in one night, and he had nine wives at that time.'"
(Sahih Bukhari, Book of Ghusl, p. 42; Book of Nikah, p. 785, Indian edition)
Bukhari has also narrated this Hadith with the same chain via Musaddad bin Masarhad. Imam Ahmad narrated it from Yazid bin Zuray' through Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Samad.
(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 166)Ma‘mar also narrated this Hadith from Qatadah in the following words:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to visit his wives and perform one Ghusl (bath) only."(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 161; Sunan al-Nasa’i, p. 52; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, p. 28; Ibn Majah, p. 44 – Indian editions)
However, the phrase “in one Ghusl(bath)” was not originally part of Qatadah’s narration. It was an explanatory addition by Ma‘mar based on his own understanding. And this addition of the narrator changed the meaning entirely. And many later narrators included this phrase “in one bath”in the original texts. This why besides Sa’id bin Abi ‘Arubah and Ma‘mar bin Rashid, Hisham Dastuwa’i also narrated this Hadith from Qatadah,Thabit al-Banani also narrated it from Anas (RA). From Thabit, it was transmitted by Ma‘mar and Hammad bin Salamah. Ma‘mar’s narration from Thabit:
"The Prophet (PBUH) would go around to his wives in one night and take only one bath." (Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 111)
Hammad’s narration:
Multiple narrators—including Sa‘īd ibn Abī ‘Arūbah, Ma‘mar ibn Rāshid, Hishām Dastuwā’ī, and Ḥammād ibn Salamah—transmitted a ḥadīth from Qatādah and Thābit al-Bunānī, who reported it from Anas (RA). The narrations vary slightly: some state that the Prophet (PBUH) visited all his wives in one night using a single bath, while others mention he did so in one day. Al-Dārimī’s version uses the word "Jama‘" (all together).
Now the phrase “in one day” explains the correct nature of holy prophet’s visit to all his wives in day time.It is very obvious and beyond any doubt that the visits take place to check on their wellbeing, speak to them, and ask about their needs.
Yet once a misunderstanding happened after that many Hadis compilers such as Ibn Maja,Imam Ahmd Bin Hanbal,Abudaud et.al. took that false narrations cut off from its background and reconstructed a full notion of extraordinary prophetic sexual strength. And that the Physical Power of the Prophet ﷺ is a Miracle Beyond Worldly Standards .
So it is must to delve into the matter and ponder upon the correct meaning of the hadith.
In the narrations of Thabit and Humayd, the word “Tafa” (طاف) appears, indicating that this was a one-time incident that came to Anas’s (RA) attention. In the versions by Qatadah and Hisham, the wording “Kana yatūfu” (كان يطوف) suggests habitual occurrence — that Anas (RA) believed it happened repeatedly.
The Problem: How Did Anas (RA) Know The Prophetic Intimate Life?
It is highly unlikely that Anas (RA) personally witnessed this event. He was a very young servant of the Prophet (PBUH) and lived with his mother, Umm Sulaym, and stepfather Abu Talhah (RA). He never spent a single night at the Prophet’s home throughout his ten years of service.
So how did Anas (RA) know about this marital event?
Could the Prophet (PBUH) have told him directly? Impossible — it is unthinkable that the Prophet would narrate intimate details of his private life to a ten years old boy.
Could one of the Prophet’s wives have told him? Again, this is inconceivable, because the Prophet’s wives were the mothers of all the Muslims.
Could Umm Sulaym (RA), Anas’s mother, have learned it and passed it on to her son? Absolutely not — It is common sense that no mother would share such details with her child.
Hence, there is no valid way for Anas (RA) to have certain knowledge of any incident of marital nature. Nor can it be assumed that he would attribute something to the Prophet (PBUH) without clear knowledge. Therefore, I assert with confidence that Anas (RA) did not narrate the Hadith in the form we find it today.
So, did Qatadah, Thabit, Humayd, or Hisham fabricate it? Certainly not! These were honest and trustworthy individuals. What happened was that they misunderstood the meaning of a statement by Anas (RA). The words meant one thing, and they understood another — and narrated it according to their understanding, occasionally adding explanatory phrases.
The Original Meaning:
The Prophet (PBUH) had established a rotation system among his wives. He would spend each day and night with one wife, and during that day, food and rest would also be in her house. However, every day, he would briefly visit all his other wives to check on their wellbeing, speak to them, and ask about their needs. He would spend a short time with each, eventually returning to the wife whose turn it was.
This practice continued even in the early days of his final illness. Eventually, with everyone’s consent, he stayed in the room of Aisha (RA), where he also passed away.
These short visits would happen at different times — mid-morning, after Asr, (afternoon)or between Maghrib and Isha(that is first part of night). This was what Anas (RA) referred to when he said:
“The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to go around to all his wives.”
It meant visiting them for brief moments, not engaging in intimacy. However, those who heard this — Thabit, Humayd, Hisham, and others — misunderstood the word “go around” (Yatūfu) to mean that the Prophet (PBUH) had sexual relations with all of them each night, and so they added the phrase “with one Ghusl” (one bath)to clarify that.
Besides these narrators, Matar al-Warraq also reported it from Anas (RA):
"The Prophet (PBUH) would go around to his nine wives in the forenoon." (Musnad Ahmad, vol. 3, p. 239)
This clearly supports the interpretation that he simply visited them. Hisham Dastuwa’i also reported the Hadith with additional clarification:
"Anas (RA) said: The Prophet (PBUH) would go around to his wives within a single hour — sometimes by night, sometimes by day — and they were eleven in number.
The mention of "nine" or "eleven" wives is not a contradiction. After the marriage to Maymunah (RA) in 7 AH, his wives numbered nine — excluding bondmaids. If both the wives and two bondmaids (Rayhana and Maria) were included, the number was eleven. The key phrase “in one hour” clarifies that this “going around” was not a intimate spree but referential to brief visits.
To summarize: the misunderstanding of this Hadith arose from assuming that the word “Yatūfu” referred to sexual intercourse, whereas it originally referred to visiting and checking on the wives briefly. May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), his family, and all his Companions.
This kind of narration is now being weaponized by antagonists for heinous propaganda against Islam. Why aren't Hadith scholars actively revisiting and critically examining such narrations to resolve these complex issues and address the problem at its root?
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(This research is adapted from the first volume of Allama Meerthi’s Urdu work “A Study of Sahih Bukhari.صحيح بخاري كا مطالعه)
Dr. Mohammad Ghitreef is a Research Associate with CEPECAMI,AMU,Aligarh
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/prophet-saw-sex-wives-real-story/d/136029
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