Muslim Slave System in Medieval India c16.8

c16.8

Then there was the life and thought of the Prophet himself. Muslims try to imitate, as far as possible, the life-style of Muhammad. He is the model, the paradigm of every pious Muslim.⁷ There is nothing unusual in this phenomenon. The followers of Mahavira, Buddha, Christ or Guru Govind Singh live, as far as in them lies, the life that their Masters lived. Their teaching was mostly oral but their words were lovingly collected by devoted men as guides to their own personal conduct. So did the followers of Muhammad collect the *hadises* and tried to imitate his way of life. Company of women had a very important place in Muhammads life. William Muir writes that Aisha used to say: the Prophet loved three things- women, scents, and food; he had his hearts desire of the two first, but not of the last.⁸ This is put by Margoliouth as the three things about which he cared were scent, women, and prayer⁹ According to these aphorisms and sayings attributed to the Prophet, the place of women was prominent in his mind, a preoccupancy in his psyche.¹⁰ It is well-known that his matrimonial affairs gave him the means of establishing a princely harem.