Polygyny

The Islamic ruling on polygyny ‘التعدد’

We often joke about polygyny – but if this is not done correctly, the consequences will be no joke.

Polygyny is allowed in principle by the Qur’an and if a person were to believe that this is unjust or oppressive, they would have committed kufr – and no two jurists would disagree on their Takfir.
However, this is a condition based permissibility:
It’s like a doctor giving you a prescription, saying: “eat this medicine, at this particular time only.”
If you take it at the wrong time – it can cause a lot of harm!!!
We should not encourage this for everyone.
The ruling on polygyny is not always the same, it is also not the same for everyone.
For some people, it would be recommended – مستحب – for example, if a man fears adultery and his own wife cannot fulfil his needs.
For some people, it would be forbidden – حرام – for example, if he cannot deal justly with them.

Many classical fuqaha discouraged it:

———————————————

1- Imaam ash-Shaafi’ii said:
وأحب له أن يقتصر على واحدة وإن أبيح له أكثر لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً
“I prefer a man to limit himself to one wife, even though it is permissible for him to marry more, due to the saying of Allah Almighty: “If you fear you will not be just, then only one.” [Qur’an 4:3].”
[“Al-Bayān fi madhhab al-Imām al-Shāfiʻī”, 11/189].

2- Imam Abu al-Hussain al-Imrani, the Shafi’ii jurist said:
قال أبو الحسين العمراني :
” قال الشافعي: وأحب له أن يقتصر على واحدة وإن أبيح له أكثر؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: ( فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَلا تَعُولُوا ).
فاعترض ابن داود على الشافعي، وقال : لِمَ قال الاقتصار على واحدة أفضل ، وقد كان النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جمع بين زوجات كثيرة ، ولا يفعل إلا الأفضل ، ولأنه قال : ( تناكحوا تكثروا)؟
فالجواب : أن غير النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إنما كان الأفضل في حقه الاقتصار على واحدة ؛ خوفًا منه أن لا يعدل ، فأما النبي صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : فإنه كان يؤمن ذلك في حقه.
وأما قوله صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : (تناكحوا تكثروا) فإنما ندب إلى النكاح لا إلى العدد “.
انتهى من “البيان في مذهب الإمام الشافعي” (11/189) .
“Ibn Dawud critisized Imam Shafi’ii and said: How can he say that it is better to marry only one while the Prophet married multiple women? He would not do except that which is better. And how can limiting oneself to one wife be better, while the Prophet said: “Marry and multiply.”?
The Answer is as follows:
We say that it is better for other than the Prophet to limit oneself to only one wife, because they will not be able to deal justly between them. As for the Prophet, there was no fear of injustice from him, so it does not apply to him.
As for the statement: “Marry and multiply”, this is recommending marriage and having children. It does not say anything about marrying more than one.”
[“Bayan fi Fiqh al-Imam Shafi’i”, 11/189].

3- Imaam Al-Maawardi ash-Shaafi’ii said:
وَاسْتَحَبَّ الشَّافِعِيُّ أَنْ يَقْتَصِرَ عَلَى وَاحِدَةٍ وَإِنْ أُبِيحَ لَهُ أَكْثَرُ لِيَأْمَنَ الْجَوْرَ بِالْمَيْلِ إِلَى بَعْضِهِنَّ أَوْ بِالْعَجْزِ عَنْ نَفَقَاتِهِنَّ
“Imam Al-Shafi’i recommended that a man limit himself to one wife, even though it is permissible for him to marry more, in order to protect himself from wronging them by inclining more to some of them or being unable to spend equally upon them.”
[“Al-Ḥāwī al-Kabīr”, 11/417].

4- Ibn Khatib said:
جُمْهُورُ الْأَصْحَابِ اسْتَحَبُّوا أَنْ لَا يَزِيدَ عَلَى وَاحِدَةٍ
“The majority of our scholars recommend not marrying more than one wife.”
[“Al-Inṣaaf”, 8/16].

5- Imaam Al-Buhuti Hanbali said:
وَ يُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ لَا يَزِيدَ عَلَى وَاحِدَةٍ إنْ حَصَلَ بِهَا الْإِعْفَافُ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ التَّعَرُّضِ لِلْمُحَرَّمِ
“It is recommended not to marry more than one wife if he can maintain chastity with her, as it might expose him to what is forbidden.”
[“Kashshāf al-Qinā’”, 5/9].

6- Imam Al-Shirbini said:
وَيُسَنُّ أَنْ لَا يَزِيدَ عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ حَاجَةٍ ظَاهِرَةٍ
“It is the Sunnah not to marry more than one wife without an obvious need.”
[“Mughnī al-Muḥtāj”, 4/207].

7- Imam Jamal al-Din al-Raymi said:
عِنْدَ الشَّافِعِيِّ وكافة العلماء يجوز للحرِّ أن يجمع بين أربع زوجات حرائر ولا يجوز أن يجمع بين أكثر من أربع ويستحب أن لا يزيد على واحدة لا سيما في زماننا هذا
“According to Al-Shafi’i and the rest of the scholars, it is permissible for a free man to marry up to four free women and it is not permissible to marry more than four. It is recommended not to marry more than one wife, especially in these times of ours.”
[“Al-Ma’ānī al-Badīʻah”, 2/195].

8- Imam al-Mardawi Hanbali said:
والأولى أن لا يزيد على نكاح واحدة . قال الناظم : وواحدة أقرب إلى العدل . قال في تجريد العناية : هذا الأشهر . قال ابن خطيب السلامية . جمهور الأصحاب استحبوا أن لا يزيد على واحدة
“It’s better if he doesn’t marry more than one woman.”
Al-Nadhim said: “Marrying one is closer to justice” and he said: “This is the most well-known opinion.”
Ibn Khatieb al-Sulamiyya said: “The majority of the Companions [of the Hanbali school] preferred that one should not marry more than one woman.”
[“Al-Insaaf”, 8/16].

9- Imam al-Hijjawi said:
وقال الحجاوي : ” ويُسْتَحَبُّ أَنْ لَا يَزِيدَ عَلَى وَاحِدَةٍ إنْ حَصَلَ بِهَا الْإِعْفَافُ ؛ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ التَّعَرُّضِ لِلْمُحَرَّمِ ، قَالَ تَعَالَى : ( وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ) ، وَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ امْرَأَتَانِ فَمَالَ إلَى إحْدَاهُمَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَشِقُّهُ مَائِلٌ ) رَوَاهُ الْخَمْسَةُ”. انتهى من ” كشاف القناع ” (11/148) .
“It is recommended not to exceed more than one.”
[“Kashaf al-Qana”, 11/148].

10- Imam Nawawi ash-Shafi’ii said:
قيل في التفسير أن لا تجوروا في حقوقهن فحرم الزيادة على الاربع وندب إلى الاقتصار على واحدة خوفا من الجور وترك العدل
“It is recommended to be limited to one wife out of fear of wronging them or failing to be just.”
[“Al-Majmū’ Sharḥ al-Muhadhab”, 16/144].

11- Ibn Qudamah Hanbali said:
والأوْلَى أن لا يَزِيدَ على امرأةٍ واحِدَةٍ ذَكَرَه في المُجَرَّدِ لقولِ اللهِ تعالى فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً ولِقَولِه سُبحانه وَلَنْ تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تَعْدِلُوا بَينَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ
“The preference is to not marry more than one wife, as mentioned in Al-Mujarrad, due to the saying of Allah Almighty: “If you fear you will not be just, then only one.” [Qur’an 4:3]. And due to His saying: “You will never be able to be just between your wives, even if it is your ardent desire.” [Qur’an 4:129].
[“Al-Sharḥ al-Kabīr”, 20/24].

———————————————

Conclusion:

As you can see, many classical fuqaha discouraged polygyny, because dealing justly between women is very difficult.
They lived many centuries ago – imagine what they would say today!
Sometimes it works, but often these type of marriages fail, especially when it is not with the consent of the wife.
The mindset of society should be shifted towards accepting polygyny, without this, the harms will outweigh the benefits.
It is recommended for husband and wife to discuss this issue before they perform the Nikah. According to many fuqaha, the wife can stipulate during the time of the Nikah that she does not want her husband to marry a second wife until she passes away. If he agrees to it – it will not be allowed for him to break his oath.
These type of decisions, when taken without consultation and mutual consent, destroy families.
The most important thing to safeguard is the harmony within a family.

Ibn Hummam al-Hanafi said 700 years ago:
إذا ترك أن يتزوج كي لا يدخل الغم على زوجته التي كانت عنده كان مأجورا
“If a man leaves out marrying a second wife, in order to not sadden his first wife who’s already with him, then he will be rewarded for his intention!”
[“Fath al-Qadir”, 3/239].

PS: Polygyny can also not be the Asl, because the RATIO of males/females is almost exactly the same in the world. God did not create 4x more females than males in the world.

Allaahu A’lam