THE ISSUE OF
POLYGAMY IN ISLAM

Regarding the birth rate, men and women are almost equal in number. But subsequently, for various reasons, the number of men in society decreases, leaving an excess of women. Now, the question arises as to what the solution to this problem should be. Given the inevitability of this imbalance, how can a healthy relationship between the sexes be established? The choice for us, therefore, is not between monogamy and polygamy but rather between the lawful polygamy of Islam or the illicit polygamy of non-Islamic peoples.

One of the commandments given in the Quran as a matter of social organization concerns polygamy, which is permission for a man to marry up to four women:

“If you fear that you cannot deal fairly with orphan girls, you may marry women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you might not be able to treat them with equal fairness, then only one …” (4:3)

This verse was revealed after the Battle of Uhud that took place in 625 CE, in which seventy Muslims were martyred. Suddenly, seventy homes in Madinah were bereft of all male members, and the question arose as to how all these widows and orphans were to be cared for. This was an acute social problem. It was solved by the revelation of this verse asking the people who could afford it to care for the orphans by marrying the widows and keeping their orphaned children under their guardianship.

The background and wording of this verse appear to express a commandment that should be only temporary in effect. It applied only to a particular state of emergency when, due to the loss of men in battle, the number of women exceeded the number of available men. However, the Quran, despite being revealed at a particular time and place, is universal in its application. One of the outstanding characteristics of the Quran is that it describes eternal realities concerning temporal issues, and this commandment is typical of this exceptional quality of the Quran. The permission to practice polygamy in Islam was not given to enable men to satisfy their carnal urges. It was designed as a practical strategy to solve a particular problem.

One point that needs clarification is that in marrying more than one woman, the initiative does not lie solely with any individual man. There is always the condition—an inescapable one—that whatever the society, the women should outnumber the men. Suppose the earth was inhabited by one billion people, of which 500 million were men and 500 million were women. It would not be possible for a man to have more than one wife in such a situation. A second, third or fourth wife would be obtained only by force. But in Islam, a forced marriage is not considered lawful. According to the Shariah, the willingness of the bride-to-be is compulsory.

Looked at from a practical angle, the above commandment of the Quran can be complied with only if that particular situation exists in the society in Madinah after the Battle of Uhud—that is, there is a disproportion in the ratio of men and women. In the absence of such a situation, this commandment of the Quran would be inapplicable. However, studies of human society and its history have shown that the situation in ancient Madinah did not exist only at a particular point in time. It is a situation that has almost always been prevalent worldwide. That emergency is, in fact, the general situation of humanity. This commandment is yet another proof of God’s omniscience. His commandment, seemingly elicited by an emergency, became an eternal commandment for the whole of our world.