In Mecca, Muhammad was monogamous and told his followers that 4 was the maximum number of wives they were allowed. He moved to Medina a few years after his wife died, and became the ruler of the city. He fixed allegiances by taking a woman from each of Medina's tribes as his wife.
When Muhammad the Peaceful Prophet became the ruler of Medina, he became Muhammad the Warlord. The 'economy' of 7th century Arabia was based on raiding and trading. The climate was poor so most goods were imported, either stolen or purchased, from neighbouring empires, and the Arab tribes would steal and purchase from each other to spread the goods around. Going to war with other tribes was how you got your food.
Back then, the category 'goods' included human slaves, including sex slaves. Muhammad got himself a nice harem. He already had ten wives, and some of his followers were starting to ask awkward questions, such as "Why do you get to have so many wives and sex slaves?"
Muhammad was allowed to have so many women because God said so:
"O Prophet, We have made licit for you the wives to whom you have given their bridal money, as also the slaves that God assigned you as war booty, the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, the daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who emigrated with you, and also a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, provided the Prophet wishes to marry her, as a special dispensation to you only, but not to the believers."
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