Under what conditions, if any, can a Muslim have more than one wife?
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No. 9871 : Under what conditions, if any, can a Muslim have more than one wife?
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Answer:
Condition of Polygamy
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no person, no
grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 3:
And if you be apprehensive that you will not be
able to do justice to the orphans, you
may marry two, or three, or four women whom you choose. But if you apprehend that you might
not be able to do justice to them, then marry only one.
The one and only condition Allah Subhanah has laid upon
the believers who wish to practice polygamy is that they deal fairly and justly
between their wives, especially with their time allotment and in the providing
of their sustenance. If one chooses to
utilize the option bestowed upon them by the Lord Most Merciful to practice
polygamy, but inclines or favors one of his wives in such a way so as to leave
the other wife ‘hanging’ (ie. neither does he divorce her, nor does he allot
equal time to her, nor does he provide equal sustenance to her, etc.); the
Messenger of Allah (saws) warned that such a person will have a severe
accounting in the Court of The Majestic Lord on the Day of Resurrection.
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2128 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
The Prophet (saws) said: ‘When a man has two
wives and he is inclined to one of them, he will come on the Day of
resurrection with a side hanging down.’
Other than the condition of dealing fairly, justly and
equally between the wives, there are absolutely no conditions or restrictions
for a believer if he wishes to utilize the option of marrying more than one
wife, upto a maximum of four wives at any one time. The truth of the matter is that, no matter how hard one tries, it
is so difficult to be fair and just between one’’s wives, that Allah Subhanah
has Himself declared this nature of man in His Glorious Quran.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verses 129-130:
129 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.
130 But if they disagree (and must part or divorce) Allah will provide
abundance for all from His all-reaching bounty: for Allah is He that careth for
all and is Wise.
It is only natural that, just as one has a favorite friend
amongst his friends, or one favors or loves ones own brother or sister or uncle
or aunt more than the other, or one has a favorite child amongst his
off-springs, etc.…it is only natural that if one has more than one wife, he
will obviously be more attached to or have a favorite one amongst them. As long as one is fair and equal in the
allocation of ones time and resources, and tries his level best to fear Allah
and be as fair and just as much as he can amongst them, it is expected that he
will not be held to blame in the Court of Allah Subhanah.
Even the Prophet Mohamed (saws) had a favorite wife
(Hadrat Aisha), and although he (saws) was absolutely and exemplarily fair and
just amongst all of them, he (saws) would constantly supplicate Allah Subhanah
to not hold him accountable for the condition and inclination of his heart!
I take this opportunity to declare that all the other
conditions and restriction one hears regarding the permissibility of polygamy
in Islam; like one needs permission from the first wife to marry another, or
one can only marry another if he has no children from the first wife, or one
can only practice polygamy in the cases of war, etc. are absolutely all
self-invented and man-made and have absolutely nothing to do with the guidance
of Allah and His Messenger (saws). The
one and only condition that Islam has declared if one wishes to practice
polygamy upto a maximum of four wives, is that one must be fair and just
amongst them.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only
Source of Strength.
Your brother and well wisher in Islam,
Burhan