Matters Regarding the Wives of Imam Husayn AS

Salaamu Alaikum all.

I have recently been asked by a sunni friend regarding a narration they read on the wives of imam Husayn AS, some which state he was a "womaniser", or that he had 50-100 wives, or some ithna ashari sources which stated he participated in Mutah.

What is the consensus of the madhhab of ahlulbayt on this matter?  How many wives did Imam Husayn have, and what is the correct and educated response to the aforementioned matter?

Jazakallah.

wa alaikum salam,

before we go on about what there is stated among the zaydiyya on Amir al-Mumineen al-Hasan alayhi as-salam and his marriages, i have to ask why it is important to know how many women he married and why he had so many divorces and wifes according to those riwayaat.

Why did you two discuss about that in the first place??

wa salam

Salaam,

We were discussing the concept of infallibility and he tried to argue that someone could not be infallible if they were divorced, as they chose marriage to someone who was not a suitable partner for them, or something similar.

I explained the idea of individual infallibility from major sins, and we talked about the narration of Imam Husayn AS in itikaf, when he refused to do a favour for a Muslim brother.

But I had never previously read about Imam Husayn's marriages or divorces, so now I am interested in learning this history. I also think it is important as there seems to be a lot of misinformation, for example that Imam Husayn partook in Mutah, or that he had hundreds of wives simultaneously.

Many thanks, Jazakallah

wa alaikum as-salam,

We were discussing the concept of infallibility and he tried to argue that someone could not be infallible if they were divorced, as they chose marriage to someone who was not a suitable partner for them, or something similar.

1. you mentioned that your friend was a sunni, he seems to be someone who doesnt know his own madhab. According to the sunni sources Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa salam actually divorced hafsa and took her later back. Yet no sunni would dare to doubt the infalliability of the prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salam.
2.
i assume your discussion with him is not about infalliability per se, it is more about having knowledge of things beforehand as an infallible (which is contrary to zaydi belief)

I explained the idea of individual infallibility from major sins, and we talked about the narration of Imam Husayn AS in itikaf, when he refused to do a favour for a Muslim brother.

infallibiality is as you stated about being protected from major sins, not about never doing any small mistake or other things.
This is the actual definition in the zaydi madhab:
infallibility (al-‘Ismah), it is a subtle quality by which they are prevented from committing sins, despite having the ability to do so.

But I had never previously read about Imam Husayn's marriages or divorces, so now I am interested in learning this history. I also think it is important as there seems to be a lot of misinformation, for example that Imam Husayn partook in Mutah, or that he had hundreds of wives simultaneously.

1. I think your mixing something up, the one about whom it is said that the married often and divorced often is Imamuna al-Hasan alayhi as-salam, not Imam al-Hussain alayhi as salam.
2. There are many different riwayaat with different numbers and even the sunni scholars do actually not believe in their authenticity because they are extremely exaggerated.
3. We know the names of most his wives and even if there were some we do not know about, the sources actually show that his marriages were not much more than the other people around his time.
4. The Imams were human and as such they could and had desires like any other, the difference is that the infallible Imams where choosen people by Allah and were per default sincere and religious people, so if Imam al-Hasan alayhi salam loved to marry (which is his right) and he divorced them often (because they were unruly or other causes) that is fully in his right as a man and should not concern anyone.
5. None of our Imams alayhim as salam did ever Mutah.

wa salam