POLYGAMY IN ISLAM :
The shar’i text which permits plural marriage is:
Allaah says in His Holy Book (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice”
[al-Nisa’ 4:3]
This is a Qur’aanic text which shows that plural marriage is allowed.
According to Islamic sharee’ah, a man is permitted to marry one, two, three or four wives, in the sense that he may have this number of wives at one time. It is not permissible for him to have more than four.
There are some situations in which it is advantageous to society to have men marry multiple wives, and for this reason polygamy is practices by many religions and cultures too.
It should be noted that there are conditions in Islam on performing polygamy :
1 – Justice or fairness.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one”
[al-Nisa’ 4:3]
This aayah is indicates that just treatment is a condition for plural marriage to be permitted. If a man is afraid that he will not be able to treat his wives justly if he marries more than one, then it is forbidden for him to marry more than one. What is meant by the justice that is required in order for a man to be permitted to have more than one wife is that he should treat his wives equally in terms of spending, clothing, spending the night with them and other material things that are under his control.
2 – The ability to spend on one’s wives:
The evidence for this condition is the verse:
“And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allaah enriches them of His Bounty”
[al-Noor 24:33 – interpretation of the meaning]
In this verse Allaah commands those who are able to get married but cannot find the financial means, to remain chaste. One such example is not having enough money to pay the mahr (dowry) and not being able to spend on one’s wife. (al-Mufassal fi Ahkaam al-Mar’ah, part 6, p. 286).
If a man cannot maintain justice in the treatment of his wives, the Qur' an stipulates that he is to have no more than one wife . Polygyny provides a solution to some of life's problems. When there is a shortage of men, for example after a devastating war, many women will be unable to find husbands. Most women in that situation, given the option, would rather be a co-wife than no wife . If one maintains a strict monogamy in such a situation, moral depravity is bound to result.
It may be useful at this point to see what some non Muslim writers are now saying on this much misunderstood subject.
John Esposito says:
"Although it is found in many religious and cultural traditions, polygamy (or more precisely, polygyny) is most often identified with Islam in the minds of Westerners. In fact, the Qur' an and Islamic Law sought to control and regulate the number of spouses rather than give free license. (John Esposito, Islam : The Straight Path, Oxford University, 1988, p. 97).
Esposito then goes on to explain that in a society which allowed men an unlimited number of wives, Islam limited the number of wives to four. Then he continued to say: "The Qur'an permits a man to marry up to four wives , provided he can support and treat them all equally. Muslims regard this Quranic command as strengthening the status of women and the family for it sought to ensure the welfare of single women and widows in a society whose male population was diminished by warfare. and to curb unrestricted polygamy" (John Esposito: Islam the Straight Path, p. 97).
Karen Armstrong explains much the same in her book entitled Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam.
She says:
"We have to see the ruling about polygamy in context. In seventh-century Arabia, when a man could have as many wives as he chose, to prescribe only four was a limitation, not a license to new oppression" (Karen Armstrong. Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam , Victor Gollancz Ltd ., 1991, p. 191)
SOURCE :
2. COMMON QUESTIONS PEOPLE ASKED ABOUT ISLAM - BY SHABIR ALLY.
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POLYGAMY IN ISLAM BY DR. ZAKIR NAIK :
POLYGAMY IN ISLAM BY DR. SHABIR ALLY: