What Are The Conditions Of Polygamy?

**Prof. Dr. Sinsi** · 10-11-2012

What are the conditions of polygamy?
Hakkında What are the conditions of polygamy?

What are the conditions of polygamy?

I want to ask about polygamy

What are the conditions of marrying more than one woman in Islam?

The Answer:

Conditions of marrying more than one woman:

Islam set forth some conditions for marrying more than one woman

Those conditions are as follows:

1- To deal justly among the wives

This is limited with the human capability; it includes being just in food, clothes, housing, interest and treatment

However the Quran denotes that it is very difficult: "

if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or that which your right hands possess" (an-Nisa, 4/3)

So if there is a fear that one cannot deal justly or one can oppress, then the principle of being content with one woman becomes valid

However, justice does not include issues like liking, inclination of the heart and love, because they cannot be controlled

Islam does not place a burden on man greater than he can bear

However, it is forbidden to incline to one of the wives extremely and deprive the others from love

The following is stated in a verse: "Ye are never able to do justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire: but turn not away (from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air)

” (an-Nisa, 4/129)

When the two verses above are evaluated, we can draw the conclusion that polygamy is not an essential rule but a permission that can be used when extraordinary conditions are present

2- To be able to maintain the family

In Islam, it is necessary for a man who wants to marry one woman or more to be able to meet the eating, drinking, clothing and housing expenses of her or them

The Prophet (PBUH) said the following: O young men! Those among you who can support a wife should marry " (Bukhari, Sawm, 10, Nikah, 2, 3, 19; Muslim, Nikhh, 1,3; Abu Dawud, Nikah, I; Ibn Majah, Nikah, ; Nasai, Siyam, 43)

There is no doubt that the hardship of marriage lies in the expenses of the wife

The reasons why Islam permits polygamy:

In Islam monogamy is essential and polygamy is exceptional

It can be used only when it is necessary or compulsory

Islam did not make polygamy obligatory for anybody, nor did it encourage polygamy

However, it is regarded permissible when there are some general or special reasons

General reasons: In some regions the male population decreases and female population may increase above normal

During the time of wars it is more frequent

As a matter of fact, after the World War I in Germany, there were four or six women for one man

Then German women advocated that men should marry more than one woman

In such a situation polygamy serves to protect women from prostitution, to provide them with a warm home and to guard fatherless children

Sometimes it may be necessary to marry more than one woman to increase the population in some regions; for instance, the death of most of the population in war

There may be polygamy in order to spread Islam

So the Prophet was married to one woman Hazrat Khadijah until he was 54 and had 9 wives after that

(az-Zuhayli, VII, 169, 170)

There are a lot of special reasons:

1- The woman may be ill and cannot meet her husband’s sexual needs

It may be a gynecologic disease that cannot be cured; the woman may be barren and cannot bear a child

In such a case divorcing the diseased wife and marrying another may seem to be a solution but instead of sending her away from her children’s home, marrying a second woman with the consent of the first wife should be a better solution

Thus the rights of the first wife are preserved

2- Some men may have fallen in love with another woman

The only way to prevent him from adultery is the second marriage

So, the fact that polygamy is permissible is due to obligation, necessity, illness or a valid cause

Love and polygamy

Islam advises spouses to love each other in a legitimate way

However, it does not want that love to be confined to this world only but to become eternal

It defines some criteria for it

One of them is to love someone for the sake of Allah, because everything depends on Allah and belongs to Him

He is the owner of all estates

He who loves the people he loves for the sake of Allah makes his love eternal and guarantees it

Death and partings cannot cause the disappearance of that love

A man who thinks of marrying more than one woman can marry only if he is determined to act equally among his wives in terms of treatment, spending the night with, justice, clothing, meeting their necessities and other issues and if he needs a second marriage Otherwise it is not permissible

If he does not observe these conditions he will have committed a haram (a forbidden act) and violated other people’s rights

Allah permitted marrying more than one woman in the Quran

However, it demanded monogamy in cases where there may be injustice

Therefore we can easily say that marrying more than one woman is not right unless it is obligatory

We see that treating all of the wives equally is almost impossible, at least very difficult and that not every man can do it

However, a person who thinks that a second marriage is obligatory can marry with the presence of witnesses and it is not compulsory for him to inform his relatives about it

10-11-2012	#1
Prof. Dr. Sinsi	What Are The Conditions Of Polygamy? *What are the conditions of polygamy?* Hakkında *What are the conditions of polygamy?* What are the conditions of polygamy? I want to ask about polygamy What are the conditions of marrying more than one woman in Islam? The Answer: Conditions of marrying more than one woman: Islam set forth some conditions for marrying more than one woman Those conditions are as follows: 1- To deal justly among the wives This is limited with the human capability; it includes being just in food, clothes, housing, interest and treatment However the Quran denotes that it is very difficult: "if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or that which your right hands possess" (an-Nisa, 4/3) So if there is a fear that one cannot deal justly or one can oppress, then the principle of being content with one woman becomes valid However, justice does not include issues like liking, inclination of the heart and love, because they cannot be controlled Islam does not place a burden on man greater than he can bear However, it is forbidden to incline to one of the wives extremely and deprive the others from love The following is stated in a verse: "Ye are never able to do justice between wives even if it is your ardent desire: but turn not away (from a woman) altogether, so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air)” (an-Nisa, 4/129) When the two verses above are evaluated, we can draw the conclusion that polygamy is not an essential rule but a permission that can be used when extraordinary conditions are present 2- To be able to maintain the family In Islam, it is necessary for a man who wants to marry one woman or more to be able to meet the eating, drinking, clothing and housing expenses of her or them The Prophet (PBUH) said the following: O young men! Those among you who can support a wife should marry " (Bukhari, Sawm, 10, Nikah, 2, 3, 19; Muslim, Nikhh, 1,3; Abu Dawud, Nikah, I; Ibn Majah, Nikah, ; Nasai, Siyam, 43) There is no doubt that the hardship of marriage lies in the expenses of the wife The reasons why Islam permits polygamy: In Islam monogamy is essential and polygamy is exceptional It can be used only when it is necessary or compulsory Islam did not make polygamy obligatory for anybody, nor did it encourage polygamy However, it is regarded permissible when there are some general or special reasons General reasons: In some regions the male population decreases and female population may increase above normal During the time of wars it is more frequent As a matter of fact, after the World War I in Germany, there were four or six women for one man Then German women advocated that men should marry more than one woman In such a situation polygamy serves to protect women from prostitution, to provide them with a warm home and to guard fatherless children Sometimes it may be necessary to marry more than one woman to increase the population in some regions; for instance, the death of most of the population in war There may be polygamy in order to spread Islam So the Prophet was married to one woman Hazrat Khadijah until he was 54 and had 9 wives after that (az-Zuhayli, VII, 169, 170) There are a lot of special reasons: 1- The woman may be ill and cannot meet her husband’s sexual needs It may be a gynecologic disease that cannot be cured; the woman may be barren and cannot bear a child In such a case divorcing the diseased wife and marrying another may seem to be a solution but instead of sending her away from her children’s home, marrying a second woman with the consent of the first wife should be a better solution Thus the rights of the first wife are preserved 2- Some men may have fallen in love with another woman The only way to prevent him from adultery is the second marriage So, the fact that polygamy is permissible is due to obligation, necessity, illness or a valid cause Love and polygamy Islam advises spouses to love each other in a legitimate way However, it does not want that love to be confined to this world only but to become eternal It defines some criteria for it One of them is to love someone for the sake of Allah, because everything depends on Allah and belongs to Him He is the owner of all estates He who loves the people he loves for the sake of Allah makes his love eternal and guarantees it Death and partings cannot cause the disappearance of that love A man who thinks of marrying more than one woman can marry only if he is determined to act equally among his wives in terms of treatment, spending the night with, justice, clothing, meeting their necessities and other issues and if he needs a second marriage Otherwise it is not permissible If he does not observe these conditions he will have committed a haram (a forbidden act) and violated other people’s rights Allah permitted marrying more than one woman in the Quran However, it demanded monogamy in cases where there may be injustice Therefore we can easily say that marrying more than one woman is not right unless it is obligatory We see that treating all of the wives equally is almost impossible, at least very difficult and that not every man can do it However, a person who thinks that a second marriage is obligatory can marry with the presence of witnesses and it is not compulsory for him to inform his relatives about it