8.6 Polygamy in
Islam
The idea
is widely put about that the Qur'an supports or condones polygamy. This view is not entirely wrong, but nor is
it right in all circumstances. To find
the true position we need to dig a little deeper than hearsay or a superficial
reading.
The
verses which are often used to support the idea of polygamy are:
(4:2,3) Give
unto orphans their wealth, exchange not the good for the bad (in your
management thereof) nor absorb their wealth. Lo! That would be a great sin. And
if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women who
seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do
justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hand
possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice.
From
the last verse it must be emphasised that the Qur'anic position is that –
unless one is able to treat his wives with just equality – one must not
consider taking more than one wife. In practice, this condition is most
difficult to fulfil and so it must be understood that the general
recommendation is towards monogamy. Also, polygamy, as the verse suggests,
can only be justified under particular circumstances. In any case, there is no
escaping the fact that a man has ultimately to justify all his actions before
Allah, remembering that Allah knows what is in his heart. The following verse
emphasises the fact that it would be extremely difficult to deal justly between
more than one wife. If one does put himself in that situation, it is only right
to insist that one should not ignore the first wife, but fulfil all the outward
duties that are obligatory on him in respect of her.
(4: 129)
Ye will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much ye wish
(to do so). But turn not altogether away (from one), leaving her in suspense.
If ye do good and keep from evil, lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.
In
seeking to understand more of reasons for the introduction of polygamy in Islam
we might consider the following quotation from a paper submitted by Aisha Lemu
at the International Islamic Conference held in London, from 3rd to 12th April,
1976. Mrs. Lemu, an Englishwoman, embraced Islam about fifteen years prior to
this conference.
One has only to recall the figures of the dead in the first and
second world wars to be aware that literally millions of women and girls lost
their husbands and fiancees and were left alone without any income or care or
protection for themselves or their children. If it is still maintained that
under these circumstances a man may marry only one wife, what options are left
to the millions of other women who have no hope of getting a husband? Their
choice bluntly stated, is between a chaste and childless old maidenhood, or
becoming somebody's mistress, that is an unofficial second wife with no legal
rights for herself or for her children. Most women would not welcome either of
these since most women have always wanted and still do want the security of a
legal husband and family.
The
compromise, therefore, is for women under these circumstances to face the fact
that if given the alternative many of them would rather share a husband than
have none at all. And there is no doubt that it is easier to share a husband
when it is an established and publicly recognised practice than when it is
carried on secretly along with attempts to deceive the first wife.
And it is no secret that polygamy of a sort is widely carried on in Europe and America. The difference is that while the Western man has no legal obligations to his second, third or fourth mistresses and their children, the Muslim husband has complete legal obligations towards his second, third or fourth wife and their children8
She
says further: 'There may be other circumstances unrelated to war -- individual
circumstances, where marriage to more than one wife may be preferable to other
available alternatives -- for example where the first wife is chronically sick
or disabled. There are, of course, some husbands who can manage this situation,
but no one would deny its potential hazards. A second marriage in some cases
could be a solution to all three parties'.
She
goes on to conclude: 'I have mentioned some of these examples because to the
majority of the Westerners polygamy is only thought in the context of a harem
of glamorous young girls, not as a possible solution to some of the problems of
Western society itself' 9
According
to the Qur'an, however, marital problems and discord need to be tackled by
proper consultation and conciliation -- involving the spouses and their
families. The Qur'an does not subscribe polygamy for any other reason than what
is in verses 4:2-3.
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