Polygamy is one of the main targets for criticism on the part of non-Muslims and even some people who claim to be Muslims. However, it is not something that appeared with the advent of Islam; rather polygamy has been present in human societies since the very beginning, and was practised in many parts of the world. Before the advent of Islam, polygamy had been practised in many parts of the world. A man used to marry several women at one time. Even the prophets (Peace be upon them all) were not immune to this practice. The Prophet Abraham (Peace be upon him) had two wives, Isaac and Moses (Peace be upon them both) had many wives and Sulivan (Peace be upon him) had several wives, whilst David (Peace be upon him) had a hundred wives. When the Messenger of Allah (May God bless him and give him peace) brought the message of Islam, polygamy was still a widespread and well-established custom. It was practised without any restrictions or limitation. Due to this, a man would marry many women, but failed to fulfill their rights, while the women he was married to were oppressed and treated unjustly. Islam came and banned the ill treatment of women. It limited unrestricted polygamy that was the custom of the times of ignorance. It also stipulates certain conditions for the practice of polygamy. Treat them all the same The following verse of the Holy Qur'an was revealed to show that the man who wants to marry more than one woman should treat them on an equal footing. “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." [Surah al-Nisa', 4:3] The circumstances in which this verse was revealed illustrate the sincere teachings of Islam regarding polygamy. It was revealed after the Battle of Uhud, in which a significant number of Muslim men were martyred and, as a consequence, many women were widowed and their children orphaned. To safeguard the new Muslim community, this just and compassionate law was revealed, and it remains in effect until the end of time. Islam calls for men to take full care of orphans' interests and property, but, if they feel that they cannot do justice to them as custodians, then they should marry other women, up to a maximum of four. A grave sin Also, the Qur'an conditions the permissibility of marrying more than one wife with justice and fair treatment. It is a grave sin to treat the wives unequally. Any man who wishes to take a second wife has to meet the important condition of fair treatment of all his wives. The verse quoted above includes the command to treat wives equally, and anyone who is unable to do so should marry only one wife. Equal treatment extends to every social, economic and physical need. It is very difficult for human beings to be completely fair, a fact which is recognised by the Qur'an: “You are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire: but turn not away (from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her as it were hanging in the air". (Surah al-Nisa, 129) The Messenger of Allah (May God bless him and gives him peace) said: “A man who marries more than one woman and then does not deal justly with them will be resurrected with half his faculties paralysed." However, this hadith refers to aspects that are within the capacity of a man, such as equal treatment with regards to social, economic and physical needs. As far as the inclination of the heart is concerned, then that is beyond the capacity of a man. In the meantime, there are many reasons why men have been given the permission to engage in polygamy. There is also much wisdom in this. First of all, it is a known fact that there are more women than men and that they live longer. More men die due to war and other incidents. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers. Women without husbands If we restricted men to having only one wife, then there would be many women without husbands. Especially when a woman is divorced or becomes a widow, it is very difficult for her to remarry. In permitting polygamy, there is a solution to this problem. These women will have someone to look after their social and economic needs. Secondly, at many times, the wife is incapable of procreating or giving birth to a baby due to infertility and the husband desires to have children. Polygamy can also serve as a solution to this problem. Thirdly, some men are not satisfied with one woman. Recognising this need of a man, Islam permits them to marry more than one wife, rather than falling into the trap of adultery and fornication. At times, the woman may not be able to fulfil the physical needs of her husband due to illness. By permitting polygamy, the door to extra-marital affairs is closed. In Western society, some men have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs. In this case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society, however, does not accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a secure and protected life. One very important point that is often overlooked by modern society is the right that Islam has given to women but not to men. A man can only marry a woman who is not already married. But Islam also permits the woman to marry a man who is already married, to protect her in a society where the number of women outnumbers men. The right to choose In addition, the woman has a large selection of men to choose from. She has the right to choose from anyone in the community as long as he does not already have four wives. Some Orientalists and Westerners wonder why, if Islam allows men to have several wives, women are not allowed to have several husbands. Why does a woman not have the right to marry more than one man? Prominent scholars and jurists of Islam say that there is no point in giving a woman the right to marry several husbands, as this would be beneath her dignity. She would not know who was the father of her children, because she bears the offspring. If no-one knows who the father is, no-one will be responsible for bringing up the child; this will lead to the breakdown of families and the loss of ties between fathers and children. This is not permitted in Islam, as it is not in the interests of the woman or of the child or of society as a whole. [email protected] welcomes feedback from readers
