What is the subject of polygamy that has generated so much
controversy against Islam? Does Islam really sanction for men to acquire up to
four wives?! If Moslem men could marry up to four wives then, with the number of
women being relatively equal to that of men, some men should not find anyone to
marry! Is God, the All-Knowing, worried about the excessive sexual appetite of
some men not being satisfied with only one wife and has wished to satisfy them
by sanctioning such proclamation in his book of guidance, or is the truth
something else? It seems like the best way to answer this question is, instead
of referring to the various written articles, edicts, and opinions rendered by
religious leaders on the subject matter, to go directly and without any
intermediator to the source, that is to the clear and unambiguous word of God in
the Qur’an, and without pride prejudice or prejudgment ponder the answer to this
question.
In the Qur’an there is mention of polygamy and permission has been granted for
marrying up to four wives, but under special and limited circumstances, with a
specific class of women, and for a specific purpose!
The subject of polygamy is mentioned in Chapter Al-Nesa, Verses 2 and 3. We will
peruse the text of these two Verses while paying attention to details, but first
let us mention some introductory points:
1. The subject of these two Verses
is the solution to the problem of guardianship of orphans, not a solution to
the problem of excessive sexual appetite of some men. Absent a central
government and societal support organizations such as orphanages and the
like, one of the most pressing needs of the tribal societies at the onset of
Islam was the subject of managing the widows and those who had lost their
guardianships in war, i.e., orphans. Management of the lives of these
orphans in the days of poverty and ignorance was one of the most urgent and
pressing needs of the society.
(1)
2. Among the Qur’anic Chapters,
Chapter Al-Nesa (2) which was revealed in Medina during the
hard times when the Moslems had to defend themselves, places the highest
stress and emphasis on the issue of “orphans” and issues a direct order to
Muslims:
تَقُومُوا لِلْيَتَامَى بِالْقِسْطِ
that ye stand
firm for justice to orphans ... (3)
The emphasis of
Verses 2 and 3 of Chapter Al-Nesa concentrates on “economic justice” قِسْط
among the orphans which is a testimony to the importance of the issue of
managing the lives of orphans.
3.
The second Verse of Chapter Al-Nesa states:
وَآَتُوا الْيَتَامَى أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ
بِالطَّيِّبِ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ
حُوبًا كَبِيرًا
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 won. For this is indeed a great sin.
(4)
As you can see,
the entire Verse is concerned with the rights of orphans and the warning not
to take possession of the inheritance of those who do not have the ability
to defend their own rights and inheritance. Immediately in the next Verse it
adds:
وَإِنْ
خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ
النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا
فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلَّا تَعُولُو
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.
(5)
4.
The above Verse may generate the question as to why is it necessary for the
protection of the rights of women (mothers and orphaned girls) for one to
marry them, and why up to four wives? Does not this action by itself create
other problems? These seem to be logical questions, but they are far from
the realities of the time of revelation of this Verse. This is an
ideological and absolute point of view. Clearly, such actions would not be
considered logical in today’s societies, but fourteen centuries ago those
Arabs who until then were committing infanticide with their own daughters
and who would become angry and enraged with shame at hearing that one’s own
wife had just given birth to a girl, would never consider taking care of the
widow and orphaned daughters of another man killed in a war. How was it
possible then to impose the responsibility of feeding the survivors of a
stranger’s family upon another in a society strewn with poverty and hunger?
This was not possible without providing incentives (6) and
legal rights for such undertakings.
Certainly, it would be easier to solve the problem of widows and their
orphaned children were it possible not to marry them. This issue is
addressed in 4:2, where it discusses administration of justice among
orphans, e.g., safeguarding their lives without marrying them. But God is
completely aware of the realities and limitations of human societies and
does not expect man to be perfect. God states in the Qur’an (4:3) that if
you fear that you cannot or are not motivated to manage their lives, then
(based on the temporary and conditional authorization, accepting all
incidentals) marry them.
5.
The other question is why up to four wives? What is the wisdom inherent in
this limitation?
This limit by being a variable target, i.e. two, three, four (مَثْنَى
وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ), shows that it is related to the solution of the
problem of widows and orphans. Just as a physician prescribes a drug in
accordance with the intensity and type of disease, numbers tow, three and
four, are proportional to the number of widows who are to be brought under
someone else’s care. In other words, if married men with financial ability
could accept the responsibility of supporting one widow, then having two
wives would be permissible. If there were more widows, or fewer men with
financial ability, then the permissible number of wives for the man with
financial capability could increase to four.
The important point is that in the same Verse (4:3) it immediately states
that this is (a temporary and conditional authorization) provisioned upon
administration of justice between/among one’s wives, and that if you fear
that you cannot institute justice, be content with only one:
وَإِنْ
خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ
النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا
فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلَّا تَعُولُوا
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.
(7)
6.
A look at the problem from the point of view of wellbeing of the society,
not personal gains
It is a fact that no woman appreciates her husband being attracted toward
another woman. To consider this jealousy or zeal has no effect on the
reality of the case. Also, no matter how many samples of such cases are
cited where there are no friction in the family, the reality is that
acquiring more than one wife will cause friction among the wives and
children. So what is the remedy? The ideal situation is that described in
second Verse of Chapter Al-Nesa, e.g., solving the widows’ problems and
administering justice (without resorting to marriage.):
وَآَتُوا الْيَتَامَى أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ
بِالطَّيِّبِ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَى أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ
حُوبًا كَبِيرًا
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 won. For
this is indeed a great sin. (8)
If the conditions inherent to a particular time
and place, due to war or any extraordinary phenomena, are not conducive to
such actions on the part of individuals or the society at large, would it
not be considered tyranny and a violation of their rights to deny such
protection to widows and orphans who have no guardians? Would they
themselves not object to such injustice? Under such circumstances when some
sacrifice their lives for their society, why should others, who are able to
use their love and financial ability, not use such resources for the latter
for the benefit of those who have no one to care for them?
Now let us suppose that some persons during the course of history of Islam
have taken advantage of this revelation, which is a special provision for
the specific situation mentioned above, to satisfy their own excessive
desires and to this day continue to take advantage of the situation. Is it
not also the case that other worthy things, i.e., religion, have been and
are being abused? Is it not true that in the name of freedom, justice, etc.,
there is tyranny and injustice being committed? The religion itself should
not be blamed for the improper actions of the uninformed.
Besides, is it possible to take the prescription issued to one patient and
use it for another patient? Is it possible to take a prescription issued for
the treatment of one of the ailments of a growing society with tribal values
of fourteen centuries ago and use it for a different time and place where
such problems do not exist? The disciplines by which societies operate and
the advanced and sophisticated regulations in such societies have employed
the revelation regarding awareness of conditions of orphans and
administration
of justice among them by providing special conditions for them. It is no
longer necessary to marry them even though the problems associated with war
and its consequences, including orphans thusly produce, have not been fully
eradicated from human societies, nor the difficulties associated with the
relations between men and women are exclusive to this problem. Therefore, if
under special circumstances an unavoidable situation does arise the door
should not be closed on all people for all times!
The important point to note is that one cannot look at this problem from the
point of view of sex alone, a practice prevalent in seemingly civilized
societies, and interpret all aspects of this case around the notion of sex,
a powerful factor as it may be. Neither the Verse regarding marrying more
than one wife nor the relationship of Islamic societies of fourteen
centuries ago make reference to the issue of sex and revolve around this
issue.
The issue of the number of wives of the Prophet and some of the Imams, which
is a pretext for the attacks against Islam by the unbelievers and which is
not the issue being addressed in this article, can be revisited for an
objective evaluation.
At the end of this article I will ask this question of those
who are not yet convinced: How is it that the unrestrained behavior of married
men with multiple partners of opposite sex, in progressive Western societies,
which today are the Mecca of the youth from the Eastern countries, does not
generate surprise and reaction, but the official and stipulated weddings,
performed under special conditions exclusive to protecting life and rights of
widows and their orphaned children, and which are authorized only for a
specified duration, is considered tyranny imposed by Islam?! Whereas the former
knows no bounds, has no commitments or obligations, is purely for pleasure, is
treacherous, unlawful and committed in secrecy, and the latter is limited in
scope, has commitments, obligations and responsibilities, is for the purpose of
providing a service, is lawful and performed openly, and above all has
provisions for the possible off springs. Truly, which one is less harmful for
the society?
