The Practice of Polygamy
Polygamy has been practiced in various cultures and societies for thousands of years. Many ancient rulers had hundreds of wives and concubines, whom they freely took or discarded according to their whims. Ancient societies did not place restrictions on the practice, either in the number of wives or the manner in which they were to be treated.
The word “polygamy” can refer to either a man or a woman having more than one spouse. In Islam, women may not have more than one partner. What is permitted in Islam is officially termed “polygyny,” the custom of men having multiple wives. In Islam, there are restrictions on this practice.
Islam put strict rules into place on the practice of marrying more than one wife, neither outlawing nor promoting it. This legal provision must be understood in the context of Islam's position on several important issues. First, Islam is a faith for all cultures and time periods, and thus it must take into consideration all possible circumstances. The laws must accommodate all possible individual and social conditions. Also, Islam strongly prohibits extramarital relationships and encourages all men and women to marry.
The Qur'an indicates that under specific, restricted circumstances, a Muslim man may marry two, three, or a maximum of four wives. This permission is restricted by conditions of financial, physical, and emotional fairness. Any woman involved in such a marriage must give her approval; it is a free choice of all parties.
While it has been abused in some instances, the practice of marrying more than one woman can have a valuable function in certain circumstances. The obvious example of this is in wartime, when there are large numbers of widows and orphans left without means of support, protection, and companionship. For example, at the Battle of Uhud in 625
The practice is not mandatory, but merely permitted in certain circumstances.
This practice is not associated with passion or lust. It is based on compassion toward widows and orphans, a matter that is confirmed by the atmosphere in which these verses were revealed.
Even in such a situation, the permission is far more restricted than what was common practice at the time — an unlimited number of wives with no conditions.
Dealing justly with one's wives is a condition and obligation. This applies to equal housing, food, and kind treatment without discrimination.
If a man doubts that he can be fair and even between two or more wives, he is encouraged to marry only one.
This permission is consistent with the realistic Islamic view of the varying social needs, problems, and cultural variations throughout time and in all places. Islam did not invent or require polygyny; it merely regulated the long-common practice in order to ensure equal rights and status for all parties concerned. In today's world, polygyny is not a common custom among all Muslims.
