Why does marriage with four people exist in Islam?

The Details of the Question

- Why not 3 people or 5 people?
- What is the reason why it is specifically stated to be four?
- How can the objections to marrying four women be answered?
- Will you explain the issue in detail?

The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

The issue of marrying four women does not necessarily mean that there must be four wives. What is essential is to marry one woman. However, if necessary, it is permissible to marry two women, three women or four women provided that all conditions are met.

When the religion of Islam spread to the Arabian Peninsula, some Jahiliyya customs were in effect with all their influence. Islam completely abolished some of them and moderated others. One of them was the issue of marrying unlimited women in the Era of Jahiliyya (Ignorance). Before Islam emerged, men in the Arabian Peninsula could marry as many women as they wanted, without any restrictions in number.

The Holy Quran put a limit on this custom of Jahiliyya. It declared that a man could marry up to four people at most. God Almighty states the following in the Quran:

“…But if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then (marry) only one.” (an-Nisa, 4/3)

Accordingly, the Quran did not establish polygamy. However, it limited the previously unlimited number. For example, the companion named Ghaylan had been married to ten women when he became a Muslim. When he embraced Islam, he divorced all his wives except four.

Although Islam allows marrying many women, it accepts marrying only one woman as a principle. Allowing more than one is conditional upon “moral and social necessities”. In that case, it is explained that justice among women is essential but it is pointed out that it is not possible to treat them equally in terms of spiritual tendencies:

“Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire.” (an-Nisa, 4/129)

God Almighty commands justice in one verse and He explains in the other verse that people cannot truly achieve justice between their wives, indicating that one should not marry more than one woman without necessity.

Explaining that Islam’s permission to marry up to four women is in compliance with human nature, reason and wisdom, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following:

Although marrying up to four women is compatible with nature, reason and wisdom, shari’ah did not increase it from one to four; on the contrary, shari’ah reduced it from eight-night to four. Besides, shari’ah imposed such conditions related to the number of wives that there is no harm in acting accordingly. Even if it is evil at some points, it is the lesser evil. The lesser evil is relative justice. Unfortunately, it is impossible for everything to be absolutely good in the world.” (Münazarat, p. 69)

After these brief explanations, let us move on to the questions:

Answer 1:

1. A man cannot be married to as many women as he wishes at the same time. Islam has set a limit for men in this regard.

2. Marriage with four women is not commanded. It is not fard or wajib to marry four women.

3. During a marriage contract, the woman has the right to stipulate that the man she will marry cannot marry another woman.

4. Being married to more than one woman means increasing responsibility and burden for the man. Those who cannot ensure justice between their wives even though they are able to do so will have violated the rights of their spouses.

“To orphans restore their property (When they reach their age), nor substitute (your) worthless things for (their) good ones; and devour not their substance (by mixing it up) with your own. For this is indeed a great sin. If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.” (an-Nisa, 4/2-3)

In the verse above, Muslim men are advised to marry one woman. Acting fairly is a must. If a man fears that he will not be able to act fairly if he marries more than one woman, he should prefer to be married to one woman. Otherwise, the person will be in danger of violating others’ rights. Sins and violation of rights lead a person closer to hell.

5. Islam does not address a single society or a single time period. Islam is a universal religion. During wars, the number of women may be much higher than the number of men in countries. It may become necessary for a man to marry more than one woman in order to protect women, prevent them from being raped, ensure their livelihood and avoid fornication. In fact, it was observed in history that in such cases, women asked the country’s administrators to allow men to marry more than one woman.

6. It is compatible with human nature that Islam allows marriage with four women. Approaching the issue only from an emotional perspective will lead to wrong results. Islam is a religion that human logic can understand and easily accept. One of the most important purposes in marriage is to ensure the perpetuation of the human race. Women’s pregnancy period ends after a certain period of time. When a man gets older and wants to have a child, his wife cannot do it; so, he may try illegitimate ways. Marriage with more than one woman was allowed to prevent that danger.

7. Men can become sexually aroused even at the age of sixty or seventy. Women’s sexual potency weakens after a while. It is one of the indicators that the nature of women and men are not the same. Therefore, some men may be in danger of committing fornication.

In addition, women need less sexual intercourse than men because they are not as easily aroused as men. In other words, men feel the need for sexual intercourse more than women in a year. Women have menstrual days and the husband and wife cannot have sexual intercourse during those times. Since the husband may be in danger of committing fornication in that case, he is given the right to be married to more than one woman.

8. The woman may be infertile; she may have a disease that prevents her from having sexual intercourse, or she may be so disabled that she cannot have sexual intercourse, but the husband and wife may not want to separate from each other. When a man is married to more than one woman, his marriage to his infertile, sick or disabled wife continues, and the man can have a child with another woman. As the man is granted the right to marry more than one woman, he does not have to divorce his wife who is infertile, sick or disabled in order to have children.

9. A single woman who is known to be infertile and too ill to have sexual intercourse, or who is disabled to the extent that she cannot have sexual intercourse, may also want to get married to the man she loves. Thus, it is ensured that such women do not remain single, come under the protection of men and are cared for by men. Marriage with more than one woman is a blessing for women with sexual disabilities.

10. The high number of adultery and prostitutes in Europe, which objects to marriage with more than one woman, shows that Islam’s allowing marriage with more than one woman is a decree compatible with human nature.

Answer 2:

Islam’s attitude toward monogamy or polygamy has been discussed by members of other cultures and religions that have officially adopted and legalized marriage with one woman, and the following objections and criticisms have been put forward:

Objection:
When a married man marries another woman, the mutual love and affection between the spouses is replaced by feelings of hatred, jealousy, grudge and revenge. A woman under the influence of those emotions neglects her domestic duties, attempts to take revenge on her husband, and for this reason she may be engaged in many negative deeds, from wastefulness to cheating on her husband.

Answer:
Although Islam does not exclude emotions, it has established the family on the basis of logic and benefit, not on emotions. This choice is not aimed at killing people’s emotions, but rather at pushing them to the background and giving them to the control of reason and faith. Emotions, tendencies and most psychological attitudes are formed and changed by suggestions and education; the feelings and tendencies of an Islamic woman regarding the issue in a society where marriage with more than one woman is common are not the same as those of women in societies where marriage with one woman is valid. The evidence of this phenomenon is the different understanding and attitude between Islamic and Western societies regarding the fornication of men and women. While Islamic women do not react negatively toward women legally married and men married to more than one woman, they have a negative attitude toward fornication and prostitution committed by both women and men with the opposite sex or the same sex, and they strongly condemn this act, considering it shameful and sinful.

As a result of this socio-psychological situation, all kinds of adultery and fornication have become common in Western societies, and even legislative proposals and legal regulations have been made to legitimize it.

In Islamic communities, second spouses want to become second spouses of their own free will, and if first spouses do not want a partner, they have the right to stipulate it while making the marriage contract. Historical experience has shown that in Islamic families, if there is more than one woman, behaviors such as waste, revenge adultery, and neglect of family duties rarely occur.

That women do not want a second husband is due to an innate (natural) feeling of jealousy, as well as, perhaps more effectively, an acquired state of consciousness and will depending on social, psychological, economic and legal factors.

Objection:
Experience throughout history shows that men and women are approximately equal in number; a man’s marrying more than one woman disrupts this natural and inherent equality and balance, and is against what is natural.

Answer:
The claim that nature makes men and women equal and that this equality will be disrupted if marriage with more than one woman is allowed is not true.

Women have priority in terms of being physiologically and psychologically ready for marriage; in hot regions, girls reach this maturity at the age of nine while boys must wait until they are sixteen.

In so-called civilized countries, it is becoming more and more difficult and rare for girls to retain their virginity until they reach the legal marriage age, which is another evidence that they are already ready for marriage.

When a calculation is made based on this, the following result will appear:

If there are a thousand boys who have turned sixteen and a thousand girls who have turned nine in a given year, ten generations of boys and fifteen generations of girls will be biologically ready for marriage by the age of twenty-five, which is the legal marriage age. In that case, the number of girls in terms of biological puberty could - hypothetically - double that of boys; this case shows the preparation of two girls for one man by the hand of nature (in accordance with the sunnah of Allah).

The average life expectancy of women is longer than that of men and the age at which men have children is longer than that of women. When those two average age differences are considered together, on average, there are fifty women who can have children compared to one hundred men who can have children.

Events that cause death, especially war, bring about more male deaths. Therefore, at the end of some major wars, women in society could not find men to marry and requested permission from their governments for men to marry two women.

The claim that polygamy will cause social problems based on the equal number of men and women can only be considered if all or most men marry more than one woman.

However, the conditions imposed by Islam for marrying a second woman are met by a few, not most, men. Experience has revealed that there is not a shortage of women in places where polygamy is practiced, but a shortage of single men in places where marriage with one woman is legalized.

Objection:
Allowing marriage with more than one woman will lead men to lust and insatiability, giving priority to sexual satisfaction.

Answer:
The rules of decency and upbringing that Islam has introduced for women cause their sexual feelings and powers to be less developed and aroused compared to men.

In addition, due to nature, women’s periods such as menstruation, pregnancy, puerperium and breastfeeding keep them away from sexual life for one third of their married life.

In addition, when the importance that Islam attaches to the increase in the number of the ummah, it becomes inevitable that it will be permissible for a man to marry more than one woman when necessary. Islam has done so; it has not prohibited marrying more than one woman but it has not made it fard, wajib or mustahab either.

People become fond of things from which they are prohibited. Even if a Muslim man does not actually marry, he gets rid of this “prohibition” psychology by knowing that he has the opportunity to marry another woman.

Objection:
The balance of four women against one man in marriage is degrading to the honor and dignity of women; since even Islam has introduced the balance of two women against one man in matters such as witnessing and inheritance, four women in marriage destroys the balance.

Answer:
It is clearly seen in both religious texts and practices of exemplary periods how Islam values women and how it cares about the protection of their rights.

Conditional permission to marry more than one woman is not negatively related to women’s rights and values; the justification for this permission is based on religious, social, economic and moral necessities.

In practice, the injustice of men married to multiple women, the discord between the fellow wives, the turning of houses in such families into hellholes, and the beautiful relations between people turning bad are all cases in point. However, the cause of that bad and evil practice is not the law (shari’ah), but the Muslims who apply it - or rather, those who do not apply it.

Let us consider democracy; although it produces good results in the West, it exists in name in the East, but it does not actually exist. In many places, democracy was abandoned and communism was adopted; this time peace, justice and happiness were sought for humanity, but the practice did not comply with the theory; and those who could not find what they expected there started to return to democracy again.

Therefore, in order to make a correct evaluation about a legal, social or political system, it is necessary to distinguish between the system itself and its implementation, and not to attribute the faults of one to the other.

Human systems are made fit for purpose through radical changes. There is no radical change in Islam; there are immutable rules, but no matter what rule is applied, if an unnatural negative result occurs, it is possible to stop the application.

In this sense, polygamy, which is merely a permissibility can generally be prevented by the Islamic administration if it is abused and produces negative consequences; it does not mean changing the law (shari’ah); it is just like an individual who is afraid of not being able to fulfill his conditions and prefers to stay married to only one woman.

Today, in our country and in societies similar to ours, marriage with one woman has become a custom and tradition. When a man gets married to another woman, it affects, upsets and devastates the first woman, her children and her surroundings more than it did in other ages and societies.

A believer must have reasons other than pleasure to engage in a behavior that would upset people so much.

Answer 3:

For detailed information and evaluations regarding the issue, we recommend you read the following article:

Marriage to More Than One Woman in Islam

The Status in Ancient Tribes

Marriage with more than one woman is a permission confirmed by the verses of the Holy Quran.

“If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.”1

 The verse above states that marriage with more than one woman is a permission given out of necessity for believers.

Those who oppose Islam’s principle of polygamy have acted upon the view that “Muhammad was the first one to establish this principle that is against women” and have used this issue as a means of intense propaganda against Islam. However, marrying more than one woman existed in the world long before the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In other words, this tradition was valid in all Eastern tribes. In China, a person whose wife was infertile could marry a second wife. In fact, anyone who wanted to have many children could marry more than one woman. However, the women who came later were under the command of the first woman. In fact, according to the Liki law in China, a man could marry 120 women. Likewise, the Babylonians, Assyrians, Persians and Brahmans, who were Asian tribes, could marry as many women as they wanted.2

On the other hand, marrying more than one woman is accepted as a principle in Jewish law. According to the Torah, the Prophet Moses (Musa) did not object to marriage with more than one woman; besides, he did not even impose a limit on the number of women to marry. However, in Judaism, polygamy turned the family into a matriarchal family headed by the mother. In other words, polygamy divided the family into subgroups headed by the mother. This division into subgroups was so precise that children born to the same man by different wives could marry each other. However, this practice was banned afterwards. It is also worth saying here that the poor people who belonged to the Jewish religion had to be content with single marriage, not because it was prohibited by religion, but for socio-economic reasons.3 The Prophet Solomon had about 70 free women and about 300 slaves as his wives. The Prophets Jacob (Ya’qub), David (Dawud) and Solomon (Sulayman) did not object to marriage with more than one woman.4

There is no decree that prohibits marriage with more than one woman in Christianity. Although it is claimed that Christianity, unlike Judaism, adopts monogamy, it is not certain because in the early periods of Christianity, no consul opposed polygamy. However, only the ruler named Charlemagne banned polygamy only for priests. Even Martin Luther approved marriage with two women. On the other hand, some Christian sects have accepted marriage with more than one woman as a principle. Anabaptists even recommended polygamy in 1531 AD. Mormons also accept polygamy as a divine institution.5 Accordingly, it can be said that the current ban on marriage with more than one woman in Christianity was imposed later.

It is known that Egyptian Pharaohs had many wives. Pharaohs could often even marry their own sisters. However, in the family of Pharaohs, there was usually one legitimate wife from the royal dynasty; others were not considered legitimate. While the legitimate woman had many rights, illegitimate women did not have those rights.6

According to ancient Iranian religions, a man who wanted to marry more than one woman had to pay a certain compensation to the women as a surety fee. It can be said that Mut’a (temporary) marriage, which is considered permissible only in the Shia sect today, is inherited from such a tradition. However, there was no article in Persian law prohibiting marriage with more than one woman. Similarly, marriage with more than one woman was common among Indians and ancient Greeks.

Marriage with more than one woman was also common among pre-Islamic Arabs of Jahiliyya. As a matter of fact, when Ghaylan b. Salama embraced Islam, he was married to ten women. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to him: “You can choose only four of these ladies.”7 Likewise, when Qays b. Harith became a Muslim, he was married to eight women.8 This man probably also chose only four of his wives. According to the narration of Anas b. Malik, when a man from Thaqif, who was married to ten women, became a Muslim, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said to him: “Keep four of these wives with you and let the others go.”9

Distortion of Historical Facts

Based on the tradition of marriage with more than one woman in ancient tribes, we can say that Islam did not increase the marriage tradition from one to four; on the contrary, it abolished the tradition of marriage with multiple women and limited the number to four in cases of necessity and with a permissibility that expresses license. Despite those historical facts, Islam has been subjected to unfair attacks as if it rejects marriage with one woman and has made it mandatory to marry four women. Campaigns carried out under the control of some atheists who are enemies of Islam have sometimes reached a level of declaring Islam as misogynistic, using marrying more than one woman as an excuse. Some extremist people who did research in the field of theology made forced interpretations of the verse by radically denying marriage with more than one woman, in order to ingratiate themselves with those heretics or to defend Islam.

In fact, Islam accepts marriage with one woman as a rule, and marriage with more than one woman (up to four) as an exception and a case of necessity. When we examine some Islamic countries where Islamic family law is implemented, we see that the situation is like that. So much so that, in some Islamic countries where Islamic law is not implemented in all social life, restrictions have been imposed on marriage with more than one woman, considering the public interest.

Our main purpose in this article is not to defend the tradition of marriage with more than one woman, but to invite believers and everyone who is interested in the issue to rational reasoning. We argue that we should be subject to common sense, not feelings and propaganda on this issue because hostility toward Islam underlies the propaganda about polygamy. This issue is considered good material for those who do not accept Allah, the Quran and the afterlife. Therefore, some circles try to keep the issue of marriage with more than one woman on the agenda in order to find support for their ideas at every opportunity. In this respect, it can be said that marriage with more than one woman, if necessary, is a principle of Islam to be proud of. Necessity manifests itself in several ways.

1. In terms of ensuring justice:

Immediately after verse 3 of the chapter of an-Nisa, which allows marriage with more than one wife, the following statement appears:

“But if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.” 10 

Thus, monogamy is made conditional on “ensuring justice between women”, which is very difficult to fulfill in practice. Accepting the principle of justice as a basis means that marrying more than one woman is an exceptional situation and that men should not resort to this method unless an essential situation arises because injustice is a dangerous element that destroys family peace and order.

“Ye 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). If ye come to a friendly understanding, and practice self- restraint, Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.”11 

On the other hand, when the verse above, which is included in the same chapter, is examined carefully, it will be understood how difficult, even almost impossible, it is to ensure justice between women. This shows that marriage with more than one woman is not essential, but a necessity.

Undoubtedly, what is important in justice is to act fairly in providing sustenance and complying with the law of marriage. However, it is almost impossible to act fairly in the issue of loving, sympathizing and tending, which is a hearty and spiritual activity, as in providing sustenance. The decree in the verse, “Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women, even if it is your ardent desire” mentions justice in this sense. As a matter of fact, the Prophet (pbuh) was afraid of committing injustice due to this inevitable tendency and orientation, that is, due to the different bond he felt toward some of his wives, and asked for forgiveness from Allah as follows: “O Allah! This is justice from me. My Allah! Do not hold me responsible for the justice that you have but I do not have.”12

It can be seen that the essence of the verse commanding justice between one’s wives is to strictly prevent cruelty by respecting the rights. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) also gave the following warning to people about ensuring justice between wives:

“If a man has two wives and favors one of them over the other, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with one of his sides paralyzed.13

There is a contradiction between allowing up to four marriages, demanding equality and justice among women, and, on the other hand, emphasizing the difficulty of ensuring justice among women. According to the interpretations of the verses, although the permission to marry four women is legal, the issue of ensuring justice is left to the conscience of the man. On the other hand, contemporary thinkers and scholars give priority to ensuring justice regarding marriage with more than one woman, and accept that it cannot be achieved by men; thus, they express the opinion that allowing polygamy is for a temporary and limited purpose.14

However, it is a fact that it is not possible to suddenly eliminate polygamy, which has become an established tradition in the Islamic society, and it is an indisputable fact that the restrictions imposed by the Quran on polygamy are aimed at improving the ethics of the society. Thus, the permission to marry up to four women remained at a legal level. In other words, although marriage with more than four women was considered immoral and prohibited, being able to marry four women remained a permission in case of necessity, but it was regarded as neither wajib nor sunnah. Unfortunately, the issue of polygamy is always portrayed by the enemies of Islam as a commandment of Islam.  

2. In Terms of Protecting Women’s Rights

According to Said b. Jubayr and Qatada, who are among tafsir scholars of Tabiun, the verse allowing polygamy was revealed to protect the rights of women. According to them, before Islam, insulting orphans was not easily accepted and was considered a great evil. However, women whose husbands died were not given any human rights. Women were treated rudely and insulting them was not condemned by society. That is why Allah warns believers not to do like the Arabs of Jahiliyya, to respect women’s rights just as they respect the rights of orphans, and not to treat women unfairly.15

According to the verse, a man cannot marry more than four women. If he does not act fairly between the women he marries, he cannot marry more than one woman. In that case, contrary to the claims, the verse does not encourage polygamy but limits it. Whoever tries to marry more than one woman without ensuring justice will have disobeyed Allah. However, it is also wrong to claim that polygamy is prohibited in Islam based on the difficulty of the required justice because the Quran clearly allows marrying more than one woman as long as the spouses are treated fairly. However, given that it is quite difficult to fulfill this condition, it is possible to understand that marrying more than one woman is not recommended in the Quran unless it is necessary.

3. In Terms of Orphan Children

Before the verse that renders marriage with more than one woman permissible, Allah attracts attention to the situation of orphans. Undoubtedly, if children whose fathers were martyred in the war are left unattended and if they get into trouble, it means that the society will be in a bad situation. It is considered a duty for the entire society to raise orphans as decent human beings. It is necessary to keep the property inherited from their fathers under protection until they become of age. The orphans who are cared by society and their close circle will understand that their fathers who were martyred in the fields of jihad did not die in vain and that they sacrificed their lives for the sake of Allah. Immediately before the verse that allows marriage with more than one woman, Allah states the following:

“To orphans restore their property (When they reach their age), nor substitute (your) worthless things for (their) good ones; and devour not their substance (by mixing it up) with your own. For this is indeed a great sin.”16 

After this verse comes the verse that allows marriage with more than one woman: “If If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans, marry women of your choice, two or three or four.” What Allah means in this verse is this: “If you are afraid of making a mistake in terms of protecting orphans, who are members of society, tie them to yourselves by marrying their mothers for a purely humanitarian purpose. Thus, you can protect their rights better.”17 Thus, when marrying the mothers of orphans is intended to protect their rights better, more than one marriage may turn out to be a necessity.

When we examine it carefully, we will see that the Quran seriously warns the guardians who undertake to raise orphan children to protect their property and wealth. The statement “and devour not their substance (by mixing it up) with your own” shows it clearly. Essentially, the issue of protecting the property of orphans was brought to the agenda in Makkah. The following is stated in the Quran:

“Come not nigh to the orphan’s property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength.”18

The verse above emphasizes that it is essential to spend the orphan’s property for his benefit.

During the Madinah period, it was emphasized even more strongly. The following is stated in the Quran:

“They ask thy instruction concerning the women say: Allah doth instruct you about them: And (remember) what hath been rehearsed unto you in the Book, concerning the orphans of women to whom ye give not the portions prescribed, and yet whom ye desire to marry, as also concerning the children who are weak and oppressed: that ye stand firm for justice to orphans. There is not a good deed which ye do, but Allah is well-acquainted therewith.”19 

The verse above expresses what a humanitarian duty it is to marry the widowed mothers in good faith in order to protect helpless orphans. In addition, this verse clearly shows that questions about polygamy were asked when the situation of orphan girls was being discussed.

Aisha (ra) says that the verse about orphans (an-Nisa, 4/3) was revealed to eliminate a bad habit that was common in the Era of Jahiliyya. According to a narration, the guardians of the orphaned girls wanted to marry those orphans if they were beautiful or rich, taking advantage of their orphanhood in order to keep them under their control. After they got married, they used to treat them very rudely. Because of this bad tradition, some believers hesitated to marry orphan girls after becoming Muslims. Thereupon, the Quran advised them to marry other halal women, up to four, instead of orphan girls, if they were worried about being fair. In another verse of the same chapter, Allah commands Muslims not to marry orphan girls just to consume their wealth and to treat the weak fairly.

4. In Terms of Women Who Cannot Have Children

The main purpose of marriage is to have children. This issue has been accepted unquestionably since ancient times. Imagine a family that wants to have a child but cannot have a child due to an illness in the woman: What should the spouses do in such a situation? There are two ways for such a family that wants to have a child and hence experience the natural love of children: Either the man will divorce his wife who cannot bear children and make a new marriage or he will have a second marriage without divorcing his wife. Undoubtedly, divorce carries personal and social risks for both men and women. Moreover, it is a known fact that many women who cannot have children look for new wives for their husbands.20 A wise woman who cannot have children would definitely consent to a second marriage, but she would never want to disrupt the family order.

5. If the Woman Is Ill

Imagine a woman who has a disease that cannot be cured: A man should not be expected to continue his life alone with such a woman, in human, legal and social aspects. A man whose wife is so sick will either divorce his sick wife and marry, or have a second wife. It is certain that divorcing a woman while she is sick would be a monstrous act. On the other hand, in civilizations that do not allow second marriages, it is not difficult to predict what difficulties a man whose wife is constantly sick will have.21

6. In terms of preventing adultery

Some men may be sexually stronger than their wives. Moreover, it is certain that the situation of such a man who cannot have sexual intercourse with his wife during periods such as menstruation, pregnancy and puerperium will be even worse.

In such a situation, a man with little patience is likely to commit adultery. However, a second wife will protect him from adultery and will also preserve his moral values. According to Islam, adultery is a great immorality. The fact that adultery has ceased to be a crime and become a normal act in countries that prohibit polygamy is important in terms of showing the level of morality.

7. Why is more than one marriage prohibited for a married woman?

Some people who lack the understanding of honor and chastity want to distort the issue by asking, “Why can a woman not have four husbands, but a man can have four wives?” in order to denigrate the Islamic principle of marriage with four wives. However, as we have stated before, the purpose of marriage is to perpetuate the human race in a correct lineage. No intelligent person doubts that this phenomenon is necessary for humanity. However, it is very difficult for a woman who has sex with more than one man to give birth to a child of the right lineage. Moreover, apart from the prostitute women who are excluded by society and literally punished, there is no sane woman who would accept being in a relationship with more than one man as humane. Even women who are forced to fall into such situations hide their situation and do not want it to be known to others.

If we consider the issue from the perspective of proper preservation of the human race, the issue becomes clearer because there is nothing more secure and happy for a person than knowing his ancestry, his mother and father. The abundance of children of unknown family origin in the West is one of the main reasons that increase crime rates because such children lack self-confidence and self-happiness; they have less awareness of responsibility toward society. It is unfortunate and shameful for humanity that some scientists consider the issue of women having relationships with many men within the framework of women’s rights, as opposed to polygamy in cases of necessity, and write about it in their books.

8. Arguments of Those Who Object to Polygamy

The arguments of those who object to the principle of polygamy in Islamic law can be summarized under three main headings.

a) Spread of Immorality:

According to them, marriage with more than one woman is a phenomenon that causes bad traditions to spread in society because the love of women who see their husbands marrying more than one woman turns into a feeling of revenge; and those women, who think they have been victimized, try to respond in kind. This situation causes adultery and prostitution to spread in society.

However, Islam does not base its decrees on feelings and emotions. On the contrary, it has all its decrees approved by sound reason. It does not mean that Islam cancels feelings. However, feelings may vary. In other words, a person’s feelings may vary depending on the education he receives. The fact that an action that is considered good in one society is considered bad in another society is clear evidence of it. The education in Islam raises the woman to such a level that her taking revenge on her husband and retaliating against him due to such emotions is almost considered as something that never happens. 

For several centuries, the Western woman has adopted monogamy and has become accustomed to not wanting women other than herself in her home. However, the same Western woman cannot prevent her husband from having relationships with other women without marriage. As a result of this, Western centers had to partially allow adultery by accepting the natural right of men to be in love with another woman. I wonder if a Western woman would accept this with peace of mind if she heard about her husband having an affair with another woman. However, according to Islam, the woman who gets married later usually gets married with the consent of the first spouse in polygamy. In other words, forced second and third marriages are very rare.

b) Violation of Natural Balance:

According to their claims, polygamy disrupts the natural balance in the universe because men and women were created in numbers close to each other. Marriage with more than one woman can upset this balance.

In fact, marriage contracts between people are not based on the equality of men and women because the age at which men and women reach puberty is different. In hot regions, it is possible for girls to reach puberty at the age of ten, while this age is 15-16 for boys. It can be said that natural laws prepare women for marriage earlier. As a matter of fact, according to statistics made in Western European countries, the number of girls remaining virgin at the age of 18, which is considered the legal age of puberty, has dropped below twenty percent. Moreover, the number of women in the world has always been greater than the number of men. The most obvious reason for it is that women are more resistant to diseases than men.

c) Feeling of Lust

According to their claims, permission to marry more than one woman leads men to lust and self-indulgence, that is, to satisfy only their desires.

However, those who know the education and moral system brought by Islam cannot claim such a thing because Islam has taken many measures to prevent men and women from committing adultery. The most important of them is hijab, which keeps men and women at a distance from each other. Allah states the following in the Quran: “Nor come nigh to adultery.”  This command introduces measures to prevent adultery. Everyone who is a Muslim will understand many things when they think about this commandment. Undoubtedly, by complying with this command of the Quran, it is possible to keep the eyes away from haram and the ears not to be filled with useless things that provoke the soul. Women and men not dressing in a way that provokes lust, women avoiding tabarruj (indecency), in the words of the Quran, and not allowing unnecessary mixing of men and women in homes and places where they are supposed to be together are also considered among the measures that prevent fornication.

Allah introduced privacy to Muslims’ homes with those verses and similar ones. It is forbidden to enter someone else’s house without permission. Men and women are warned to protect their eyes in verses 27–31 of the chapter of an-Nur. Women are prohibited from exposing their ornaments to non-mahram people. And finally, women are ordered to cover their heads to keep away from fornication.

Undoubtedly, in a society that acts in accordance with the commands of the Quran, obsessions such as fornication will be at a minimum because the religion of Islam can keep human sexual impulses under control through worship and abstinence from haram things. In Western societies, on the other hand, relations between men and women are not like ours. For example, a woman there can sleep with whomever she wants, and neither the legislator nor society criticizes her. In our country, since unmarried relationships are considered fornication by religion, such deeds are rightfully considered immoral by society.

Conclusion

It can be said that one of the main factors that keeps fornication to a minimum in the Islamic society is the shari’ah’s permission to marry more than one woman because a man who resorts to polygamy when necessary does not stoop to inclination towards immorality and prostitution. It is possible to say the opposite for Western societies. Responding to Western civilization’s claim that polygamy is not beneficial for humanity, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following in brief:

“Indeed, if the purpose of marriage was only to satisfy lust, polygamy would have been contrary to it. But as is testified to by all animals and corroborated by plants that ‘marry’, the purpose and aim of marriage is reproduction. The pleasure of satisfying lust is a small wage given by Divine mercy to encourage performance of the duty. Since in truth and according to wisdom, marriage is for reproduction and the perpetuation of the species, since women can give birth only once a year, and can be impregnated only half the month, and after the age of fifty fall into despair, and men can impregnate till a hundred years old, and thus one woman is insufficient for one man, civilization has been compelled to accept numerous houses of ill-repute.”22

As a matter of fact, a Western researcher said, “No other factor has driven Christian society to prostitution more than the church’s prohibition of marriage with more than one woman.” It can be seen that the permission given by Islam for marriage with more than one woman is a facilitating principle that protects family morality, if applied in cases of necessity. Civilizations that do not accept this principle have been forced to establish prostitution houses throughout the country, in almost every province, which push the youth of that province to immorality. Those societies, which supposedly reject polygamy, have legally accepted the immoral practice of having relationships with many women.

Abstract

Islam accepts marriage with one woman as a rule, and marriage with more than one woman (up to four) as an exception and a case of necessity. Our main purpose in this article is not to defend the tradition of marriage with more than one woman, but to invite believers and everyone who is interested in the issue to rational reasoning. We argue that we should be subject to common sense, not feelings and propaganda on this issue because hostility toward Islam underlies the propaganda about polygamy. This issue is considered good material for those who do not accept Allah, the Quran and the afterlife. Therefore, some circles try to keep the issue of marriage with more than one woman on the agenda in order to find support for their ideas at every opportunity. In this respect, it can be said that marriage with more than one woman, if necessary, is a principle of Islam to be proud of. Civilizations that do not accept this principle have been forced to establish prostitution houses throughout the country, in almost every province, which push the youth of that province to immorality.

Footnotes:

1. an-Nisa, 4/3.
2. Amir Ali al-Hindi, Markazul-Mar’ati Fil-Islam, p. 36; Egypt, 1912.
3. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, II, 197; Ist. 1988.
4. Mustafa as-Siba’i, al-Mar’atu Baynal-Fiqhi wal-Qanun, p. 7; Egypt, 1965.
5. TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, II, 198.
6. Umar Rida Kahhala, az-Zawwaj, I, 98.
7. Hakim Nisaburi, al-Mustadrak, II, 192; Beirut, no date.
8. Suyuti, ad-Durrul-Manthur, III, 429; Beirut, 1985.
9. Malik, Muwatta, Talaq, 76.
10. an-Nisa, 4/3.11. an-Nisa, 4/129.12. Bayhaqi, Sunan, VII, 298.
13. Tabrizi, Mishkatul-Masabih, II, 196.
14. Fadlur-Rahman, Ana Konularıyla Kur’an, p. 123.
15. Suyuti, ad-Durrul-Manthur, II, 428.
16. an-Nisa, 4/ 2.17. Muhammad Abu Zayd, az-Zawwaj Fil-Quran, p. 25; Egypt, 1346 H.
18. al-Anam, 7/152; al-Isra, 17/34.
19. an-Nisa, 4/127.20. Muhammad Hamdi an-Nashshar, al-Mar’atu Fil -Islam, p. 46; Egypt, 1911.
21. Mustafa as-Siba’i, ibid., p. 85.
22. Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Sözler, Yeni Asya Neşriyat, Germany 1994, p. 373.

(see Musa Kâzım YILMAZ, Köprü Magazine, 2011, Issue 113)

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