Q. I read in a book that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had one Christian wife and one Jewish wife. Please confirm whether this is true and give the names of the ladies concerned.

H.K. Mahmood

A. The Prophet married one formerly Jewish woman, Safiyyah bint Huyay ibn Akhtab. Her father was an avowed enemy of the Prophet, raising armies and forging alliances to wipe Islam out. But God foiled all his actions. She was married before becoming the Prophet’s wife, and her former husband was also extremely hostile to Islam. However, she became a Muslim before the Prophet married her. The fact that she was Jewish before does not detract from her status as a mother of all believers. Other wives of the Prophet used to be idolaters.

When the Prophet sent letters to the kings and rulers of neighboring countries, calling on them to accept Islam, Al-Muqawqis, the Egyptian ruler, sent him a cordial reply, without embracing Islam. He also sent him gifts including two slave women. The Prophet took to himself one of them, Maria, who was a Christian, but she became a Muslim. She gave him the only child he had by any of his wives other than Khadeejah. That child was Ibraheem, the Prophet’s last son. He lived about 18 months only.

Q. Could you please enlighten me on how a Muslim should cut his hair. Some people suggest that it should be cut in the same way on all sides.

M.N.S.

A. There is no particular way that Islam recommends, other than keeping one’s hair tidy and looking after it. The Prophet says: “Whoever has hair should take care of it.” As for the way it should be cut, everyone chooses what suits him.

As for keeping it the same on all sides, this is difficult to imagine. Surely, you cannot have it on the sides in the same length as on the top.