Why does the Qur'an allow Muslim men to have four wives?

Question

There are some situations in which it is advantageous to society to have men marry multiple wives, and for this reason polygyny is practiced by many religions and cultures. As we have already seen in answer to question 2, polygyny is permitted in the Bible too. Here we will see that the Qur’an permits only a restricted and limited form of that practice. Only 2% of Muslim marriages are of this nature.

Notice that the Qur’an permits but does not command a man to have four wives. Furthermore, the Qur’an stipulates that a man is responsible for the maintenance of his wife or wives. If a man has more than one wife, he has to provide separate living accommodation for each of his wives.

Multiple marriages are a heavy responsibility on the male. It is not a pleasure trip as some people may assume. Some even imagine all kinds of sexual exploits involving a man and his wives altogether. However, such activity is not permissible in Islam. A man must divide his time equally among his wives. He may, for example, spend one night with each wife on a rotating schedule.

If a man cannot maintain justice in the treatment of his wives, the Qur’an stipulates that he is to have no more than one wife.

Polygyny provides a solution to some of life’s problems. When there is a shortage of men, for example after a devastating war, many women will be unable to find husbands. Most women in that situation, given the option, would rather be a co-wife than no wife. If one maintains a strict monogamy in such a situation, moral depravity is bound to result.

It may be useful at this point to see what some non-Muslim writers are now saying on this much misunderstood subject.

John Esposito says:

Although it is found in many religious and cultural traditions, polygamy (or more precisely, polygyny) is most often identified with Islam in the minds of Westerners. In fact, the Qur’an and Islamic Law sought to control and regulate the number of spouses rather than give free license. (John Esposito, Islam: The Straight Path, Oxford University, 1988, p. 97).

Esposito then goes on to explain that in a society which allowed men an unlimited number of wives, Islam limited the number of wives to four. Then he continued to say:

The Qur’an permits a man to marry up to four wives, provided he can support and treat them all equally. Muslims regard this Quranic command as strengthening the status of women and the family for it sought to ensure the welfare of single women and widows in a society whose male population was diminished by warfare, and to curb unrestricted polygamy (John Esposito: Islam the Straight Path, p. 97).

Karen Armstrong explains much the same in her book entitled Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam. She says:

We have to see the ruling about polygamy in context. In seventh-century Arabia, when a man could have as many wives as he chose, to prescribe only four was a limitation, not a license to new oppression (Karen Armstrong, Muhammad: A Western Attempt to Understand Islam, Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1991, p. 191).

It is unfortunate that the Western media often gives the wrong impression of what Islam is all about. Karen Armstrong writes:

Popular films like Harem give an absurd and inflated picture of the sexual life of the Muslim sheikh which reveals more about Western fantasy than it does about the reality (p. 190).

Some people incorrectly assume that because of this ruling most Muslim men would have four wives. However, as Huston Smith points out, "multiple wives are seldom found in Islam today" (The World’s Religions, p. 252). Ira Zepp, Jr. says that "less than 2% of Muslim marriages are polygamous" (A Muslim Primer, p. 180).

Answer 1

This is proof that MAN wrote this religion. As it is contrary to what God says. Polygamy is only adultry with a stamp of SELF approval on it, claiming to be approval from GOd. Most men are blessed to know what to do with one wife, and most women know they can only deal with one husband, and when they deal with marriage the way God says to do,it works and they are both blessed as they bless God
God says that when one teaches something not in His holy word, it is false and we believe Him, US CHRISTIANS.
BUT, you are free to your own believes. WE cant even change your mind, nor is our job to try. We are to live truth and speak truth without fear or compromise and leave the rest to God. amen

Answer 2

First off, the idea of Plural marriage is also supported within the Christian faith and in the Jewish faith (among others).

Polygamy was adopted as a means of maintaining the human poplulation during times of world stress (major wars, etc where the population would suffer as a result).

The concept of Plural marriage in the Islamic faith was adopted for two reasons, the first of which is what I described above. When the idea was made acceptable, the population of women far (FAR) exceeded that of men and there was a lot of fear that the human population would cease to exist if the idea was not adopted, this time was when many other religions adopted the concept as well.

The second reason why Islam supported the concept of Plural marriage was, also when the population of women far exceeded that of men, because of sexual needs. It is said within religious texts that there are sexual needs and desires that should be fulfilled within a marriage for all mankind (men and women) and because marriage was the only proper means of fulfilling these needs and also because the population was so limited, the concept was adopted.

It is a very old practice that is no longer needed and many Islamic countries no longer practice the concept of Plural Marriage.

I hope this helps. I studied Islam in college and although very limited in the grand scheme of things, this is one of the topics we'd gone over.

Answer 3

You seem to be educating people on Islam, Only 2% of muslims are in such marriages, do you know why? Women are now understanding that they dont have to be in the mercy of men and live like slaves, women are educated, holding jobs, and hence do not need any prescriptions from any holy book to address their need for protection. This number will be falling still low. This law will be extinct soon. Women are choosing to remain single even in Muslim Countries. They have all taken up jobs and opted out of marriages. It was ok for man to hold illiterate women for his lust but today this is not a possibility, better get real in this matter. Perhaps the islamic man did not treat everyone equally hence hence the number is going down. He has disproved the Prophet's law of having 4 wives ! Do you still support it? Women in the middle east live in insecurity because if they grow old the sheik brings in a very young one and divorce the older one and pay her the dues and send her away, to maintian the 4 figure, who is the shaik cheating ...Allah?

Islam believes in multiplying muslims by more number of births, thats why they dont believe in abortions, and having more wives so they make use of the ovas that would go a waste during war times. hence it is common for families to have more children.

Religion is realization of god. People are proud of Islam spreading, yes it is spreading on a horizontal level, but there is absolutely no gowth on a vertical level, a good religion will help individuals grow on a vertical level of self realization and truth.

In the middle east young girls are recruited from developing countries and taken as domestic servants and she is used for sexual purposes by the sheiks, she is held captive in rooms and men of the house use her. I am no stranger to this fact. So do not tell western media or fantasy, it is reality. You have still not been affected hence you are supporting, get real! Western media is factual.

Why is it that welfare of women has to be with sex involved, why cant man think of welfare without it? Did you give it a thought??? Welfare is always a justification when it come to marrying 4 wives. Why are so many things ok for man? I am surprised that women support all these things and appreciate and promote these teachings like you did now. Do you have an idea what time you are living??? Life is too short to live in denial get real and live llife, i am passionately dismayed you are missing so much of reasoning. YOu may not like my answer but believe me sometime in your life you are going to remember this message.

Answer 4

Thank you, dear sister, for your explanation on the issue of polygyny. Alhamdulillah!

To full gospel shirley:

You are entitled to your views concerning polygyny in Islam; however, it is very strange that David and his son Solomon had more than one wife. Did they commit adultery? In America, there are men who have a lawful wife and one or more girlfriends/mistresses. That's immoral and illegal polygyny. That's also adultery.

In 1 Kings 11:3, Solomon is reported to have had "700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines." Was he an immoral man who not only had lawful wives, but also women just for sexual pleasure only? It is very odd why a lot of Christians condemn polygyny in Islam. Do they also condemn the Biblical prophets who were also polygynous?

Did Jesus condemn polygynous marriages and promote strictly monogamous ones? Personally, I'm convinced that there were polygynous marriages during the time of Jesus' ministry.

Answer 5

Even though 2/3's of the world's population lives in countries where plural marriage is accepted and legal, the reason for it not being more widely practiced is one of economics - the masses in these countries are poor and cannot afford to support a family of that size. That is why only the rich, the upper 1% to 2% of the population practice plural marriage.

It's not a theological thing, it's an economic one.

Answer 6

Wow, a muslim girl trying to defend polygamy among muslim men. The fact that after wars there may be a shortage of men is a wonderful excuse for muslim men to have 4 wives. Are mulsim countries really that short of men nowadays? It must be a terrible burden, and only the bravest and self-sacrificing men can do it. Of course, muslim men are allowed to marry a woman for an hour or two as well, but perhaps that does not count.

Answer 7

No it is not. The Noble Qur'an 4:19 O ye who believe! ye are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should ye treat them with harshness that ye may take away part of the dower ye have given them except where they have been guilty of open lewdness; on the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If ye take a dislike to them it may be that ye dislike a thing and Allah brings about through it a great deal of good. Hadith - Tirmidhi "The most perfect of the believers is the best of you in character, and the best of you are those among you who are best to their wives." No physical abuse is forbidden to anyone, except if it is self defense, punishment for a sin, and the only case you are loud to hit your kids is if they don't pray. Which is totally understandable because they need to worship Allah for all that he has given us. They need to, they shouldn't have to be beaten to do so, but if they don't the do need to be hit for it. (and its not like really abusiveness its more like a spanking.)

Answer 8

Actually most people see that right as the right of man...actually its the right of women to be married to a man that is all ready married...since adultery is haram.

God is giving women who have no chance at marriage because of the shortage of men due to war...or cause of being orphaned and having no family or affiliation with a tribe etc...to marry a man that already has a wife or wives.

That permission is for women...not for men...which is why God doesnt go on about man getting married again just cause he wants to...God only mentions widows and orphans as allowable in a polygamous marriage....period. Just another area in which muslim men have expanded on Gods words to say what they want it to say rather then restrict themselves in anyway....

Answer 9

According to what a muslem said to me, Qouran says "you can even have 4 wives, if you can treat them all in the same way". And he added: "since it is impossible to treat all the 4 wives in the same way (you look at one and the other one is jealous, ...), the Qouran means that you can have just 1 wife. The Qouran wants to say that you would like to have 4 wives, 4 women, but you are not able to have them all, since you humanly cannot treat them all in the same way, as they would worth to be treated". Now: materialistic people allow themselves to have as many wives as they like ... regardless about what those women really feel and regardless about who those women really are. Inner Light.

Answer 10

seriously how long did u take to rite that and Islam allows more than four marriages
example-look at our last Prophet and he got married more than 4 times