Does Islam Promote Polygamy

Does Islam Promote Polygamy?

Does Islam promote polygamy? Well it depends on what you mean by promote and by polygamy. Polygamy refers to having multiple spouses. In Islam, a Muslim man may marry up to four wives – this is called polygyny, whereas a Muslim woman may only marry one man (polyandry – having multiple husbands – is forbidden). One may ask why such a disparity in the rules exists. The answer is multi-faceted and refers back to the innate disposition that Allah has created men and women with, their physiological and psychological needs and the roles that they play in society. Furthermore, why allow for the possibility of polygyny at all?

Islam envisions a society in which men are protectors and providers of a household. Under an Islamic society, a Muslim woman is not burdened with the responsibility of earning a living and supporting herself and her children, or to fight to defend her life and honor. This is to be arranged for by her husband, and this dependency on a man as her maintainer and guardian is part of what makes a husband desirable to a woman.

This responsibility is not one that all men can carry out equally. Some men may be strong or wealthy, while others may be weak, disabled or immensely poor. For men who may be more capable than others of maintaining a family and raising many righteous and prosperous children, Islam allows them to marry more than one wife (polygyny) and take on this responsibility. This is especially so in a world where biology (greater infant mortality and old-age disease for men) and gender roles (men die more in battle, or in violent crime) come
together to ensure a greater number of women in society than men.

While the number of men and women in the world today is roughly equal, this was not always the case, nor will it always remain the case. In most countries of the world, there is a greater number of women than men.

In those countries where this is not so, e.g., India and China, this can usually be explained by social factors that induce parents to abort female fetuses in hopes of having a son. In such situations, by allowing for polygyny, Islam offers a way out for society to continue to function and for every woman to have a husband, protector and maintainer, and this is the very context under which the verses pertaining to polygyny in the Qur’an were revealed – taking care of widows and orphan girls. This comes very naturally to the innate disposition of man, and it is perhaps for this very reason that most pre-modern societies practiced it, and all religious scriptures allowed it without any limit (the Christian insistence on monogamy seems to be an influence of Roman monogamy and the writings of Paul, not from Jesus).

This, under no circumstances means that polygyny is obligatory or even that having multiple wives is necessarily or inherently more righteous than having only one wife. Rather, what is recommended depends heavily on the situation. In modern times, most men do not have the capacity to offer a high-quality life as is normative in their social-economic class to more than
one wife, and tend to be married to only one woman at a time for their entire lives. At the same time, not so many woman today are willing to enter into a marriage with an already married man due to uncertainty or fear of potential problems arising from jealousy or unfair treatment later on, meaning that polygyny is a compromise that a wife enters into only when the husband is highly desirable according to her standards or if the alternative is no better than the compromise she makes when marrying a married man, such as not getting married at all or getting married to an undesirable or unsuitable man instead. These two factors mean that even in societies where no social taboo against polygyny exists, it cannot practically become a widespread practice unless the proportions of men and women in society drift away from their current parity.

Beyond the question of practicality, however, is a deeper one. The same verse of the Qur’an which allows polygyny ends with the warning that if a husband fears he cannot treat his wives with justice and equality, then it is better for him to marry only one. This equality includes both
financial support, time spent, gifts given, and so on, which is no easy task. Many Muslim men, who would otherwise have opted for polygyny, fear the consequences before Allah of not being just to their wives and stay married to only one wife. Furthermore, the allowance in the Qur’an to marry up to four wives is to be seen as more of a limit in a context where none existed before. A man could have as many wives as he liked, if he was powerful or influential enough to have them. Allah, in His infinite wisdom, limited that to four, beyond which a Muslim cannot marry. Nor does it make sense that a man could do good by his wives if he had so many to take
care of, given his limited time, if not other resources.

In conclusion, polygyny is certainly allowed in Islam under the condition of fairness between wives but is not necessarily “promoted”. At the same time, it is neither frowned upon or
discouraged either, as the Prophet PBUH himself and many of his companions practiced it. However, due to practical reasons, the scale of polygyny has and will remain limited, until the ratio of women to men increases worldwide, as is predicted in a hadith of the prophet PBUH. Until then, polygyny will remain a limited practice.

RESOURCES

Videos:
What does the Qur’an teach about polygamy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3p3ZD7JNT8
Shabbir Ally explains the history of polygamy in history, in both Muslim and Christian societies. Explains that it was mostly a minority practice throughout Muslim history. He explains the context of the revelation of the verse in Surah An-Nisaa’, specifically the martyrs of Uhud and the widows and orphans they left behind. Allah revealed this verse so that Muslim men would marry the widows and take over responsibility for them and their orphan children, but in all cases, to maintain justice and fairness between their wives. He goes on to explain the prophetic example in this regard. At the end, he warns against the potential risks in polygamous marriages and recommends that one be cautious and marry multiple wives when there is a need for it and when justice can be ensured.
Convincing sisters about polygamy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSrCDAdnLVc
Shaikh Karim addresses the brothers and discusses three qualifications a man needs to consider before having a second wife, and warns against opting for polygamy callously and without consideration, thereby destroying a settled and functional home in hopes of a new one. He addresses the sisters and accepts that many women may dislike for their husband to enter into a second marriage, but warns them against rejecting the Shari’ah. Particularly in the backdrop of the prophetic prediction that the ratio of men to women would be one to fifty, there would be a pressing need for polygyny in order for all women to be able to get married.
Why is polygyny allowed in Islam? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSrCDAdnLVc
Dr Zakir mentions scriptural references from Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity endorsing polygyny and that the Qur’an is the only heavenly scripture that limits the number of wives a man can marry. He goes on to quote statistics from around the world illustrating the disparity between the male and female populations, grounding these numbers in biological and social factors. The alternative to polygyny is that these excess women will enter into unmarried relationships with other men who are probably already married. In which way, he asks, is being a mistress with no legal rights preferable to being a sanctioned wife with all the rights afforded to her. The questioner further asks if a woman can marry multiple husbands in Islam. Dr Zakir explains why this is not the case based on biological reasons, such as the polygamous nature of men compared to women, the historical difficulty of ascribing paternity, psychological considerations that make this women less suitable for polyandry, etc.
Why are men allowed 4 wives in Islam? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPrTeMRj1CU
Brother Muhammad Hijab explains the historical context of unlimited polygyny before Islam, and that Islam limited it to four such that that is the maximum number of wives that a man can be fair to and fulfill the rights of. Islam also did not oblige one to have multiple wives, and scholars debated whether it is even recommended or not. The question of why polyandry is not allowed is discussed in the context of protection of lineage and the different natures of men and women.
Marrying four wives: polygamy in Islam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHT0221s_PE

Articles:
Dispelling myths about polygyny in Islam: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/women-in-islamic-law-examining-five-prevalent-myths
This paper by Yaqeen explains the historical and literary context of the verse allowing polygyny. The objectives of permission for limited polygyny in Islam are explained, i.e., to ensure protection and fairness for women and to regulate the practice of polygyny by removing potential avenues of abuse in their context. The caricature of an angry middle-eastern man oppressing his four wives is discussed in the context of contemporary polygyny statistics, where it is shown that in many parts of the world such as India and sub-Saharan Africa, the rates of polygyny among non-Muslim populations outstrip those of the Muslim populations. The myth that polygyny is exclusive to, introduced by or especially associated with Islam is summarily debunked.
Why does Islam allow polygyny: https://www.abuaminaelias.com/why-does-islam-allow-polygamy/
Islam allows polygyny, the practice of having multiple wives, but it is not encouraged as the ideal situation. The Quran permits up to four wives but places important legal and moral restrictions, requiring fair treatment and equal care among them. The Prophet Muhammad's plural marriages were due to specific social and humanitarian reasons, such as caring for widows and uniting families. The ideal in Islam is monogamy, as exemplified by the Prophet's long marriage to Khadijah. It should be noted that polygyny is also allowed in other religious texts, and it is practiced in various human societies. Overall, Islam's permission for polygyny is restricted and not a widely practiced norm.