In order to remove the misconception about polygyny, we must know that Islam does not command polygyny as some think, but rather Islam places limitations upon it. Salim narrated that his father said that Ghilan Ibn Salamah Ath-Thaqafi converted to Islam while he had ten wives. So, the Messenger [pbuh] said to him, ‘Choose four out of them.’ [Ahmad and Ibn Majah] This Hadith limited the number of wives. Islam did not order the one who marries a woman to then marry another. Polygyny is not a purpose in itself but was regulated for public interests.

There is no mention of polygyny in the Qur’an without it being accompanied by qualifying reasons, such as where God [swt] says, ‘And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].’ [An-Nisa’, 4: 3]

Those who interpret this verse or study it as a social system do not refer to the main reason for which it was set down: the presence of orphans and widows. Polygyny is referenced in conjunction with the term ‘orphans’, but they have taken His saying, ‘marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four’ out of its original context, which is a conditional statement. They remove the condition, ‘And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls.’ They also remove the following condition, which stipulates that the permissibility of polygyny is based on the just treatment of the wives, as He [swt] says, ‘But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one.’ So, the Qur’an never referred to polygyny without mentioning these restrictions.

Marrying more than four wives at one time is against the Sunnah, which is very different from suggesting that Islam ordered polygyny of up to four wives and forbade getting married to more than four wives at a time.

Polygyny was common before Islam among the Arabs, the Jews, and the Persians. Historically, there are examples of kings and sultans who built large houses to be inhabited by more than a thousand women and bondmaids. Sometimes they gave women to other kings as presents and brought new ones for themselves. Jewish laws and legislation, even at present, allow polygyny, yet no one dares to criticize their creed and religion.

What is noteworthy for those who attack the Islamic system, which allows men to marry more than one wife at a time in certain circumstances, is that they suffer from domestic disunity. Today, there is the spread of prostitution, the acceptability of multiple girlfriends [lovers] with no limitation, and a man can have a girlfriend who does not enjoy the rights of a wife. Moreover, neither the girlfriend nor her children are recognized by others. She is the only one who pays the price for having an abortion or to live unmarried [as a single mother] bringing up her illegitimate child, ‘So which of the two parties has more right to security, if you should know?’  [Al-An‘am, 6: 81]

Relationships in the West have no limitations and do not secure any rights for women.^[1] Instead, men enslave them, have illegitimate relations, and then drive them out emotionally and physically. Moreover, this might encourage the spread of dangerous sexually transmitted diseases, as well as illegitimate children. Women who live an un-Islamic lifestyle face several problems. The following are some of these: abortion, divorce, single parenthood, financial responsibility for children, rape, neglected elderly women, prostitution and much more.

It is commonly known in today’s world that the more homeless girls and women there are, the more likelihood there is of them turning to prostitution. Our pity for them does not help them in their plight. Having more women than men in a society is a problem unless men are allowed to marry more than one wife at a time, in order to safeguard the chastity and well-being of the women. Most laws these days limit men to marrying only one woman at a time and this poses a problem and a threat to many women; they are forced to seek employment and find some way to maintain themselves and their children. Moreover, nowadays there is a large number of married men with illegitimate children and these innocent children have become a burden on society; especially on the women who have to care for them alone. If polygyny was allowed, those children and their mothers would not suffer, and their honour would be secure. If polygyny were allowed women, would be legal wives and their children would be legitimate so the law would be able to ensure their maintenance, inheritance and general support from their father. ^[2]

Gustav Lobon said, ‘Polygyny is good as it promotes morality in the nations that practice it. It makes families more coherent, and gives women respect and happiness which are not found in Europe.’

The aforementioned affirms that this system [polygyny] in accordance with certain circumstances and conditions stipulated in Islamic legislation, is not rejected by all European thinkers, and we have seen the statement of those who are impartial.

In conclusion, I want to assure you that Islam allows polygyny for all the benefits that we have mentioned and the Qur’an actually limited it. God [swt] says, ‘And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]. [An-Nisa’, 4: 3] God [swt] also referred to the difficulty of being able to deal justly with women, as He [swt] says, ‘And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, …..’ [An-Nisa’, 4: 129]

We also see the Prophetic Sunnah, where the Messenger [pbuh] never ordered anyone who was married to one woman to marry another; rather, he ordered a companion who was married to many women to divorce some of them until he reached the allowed number. We mentioned in the Hadith narrated by Salim, that his father said – when Ghilan Ibn Salamah Ath-Thaqafi submitted himself to God [swt] by accepting Islam – that he was married to 10 women, so the Messenger [pbuh] told him to, ‘Choose four out of them.’ [Ahmad and Ibn Majah]

Thus, it becomes clear that polygyny in Islam is honourable for women on the whole. We should consider the issue from all sides and not look at polygyny as unfair to the first wife, because the second wife has the same rights as the first, and it would be unfair for her not to get married at all. Islam gives men this right in order to manage some of the social problems in Islamic societies.^[3]

[1] The author refers to lovers, male and female having relationships outside marriage such as girlfriend and boyfriend.

[2] The name of that woman is not mentioned in the Arabic text. It is taken from al-Manar Tafsir, vol. 4, p. 485, which quoted it from London Through newspaper.

[3] It should be noted that this refers to the Muslim man who acknowledges his responsibilities to his wives and treats them equally. No one can deny that some Muslims do not fulfil the responsibilities that God [swt] has commanded them to do and they fail to build a successful family. In this case, we cannot say that the reason for this failure is the Islamic teachings which only give men the right to do so. It is the responsibility of the person himself in this world and in the hereafter to live according to these principles. Polygyny is not an honour for men, it is a responsibility. [translator]