Friday, September 30, 2005
Polygamy or polygeny or polywhat?! Well firstly the most common misconception is that Islam allows Polygamy.
Terminology is essential to understanding the precise information and rulings given in any situation not just Islam. Therefore, we need to define the meanings of the terms in question.
Polygamy according to the Oxford dictionary is where either partner has more than one spouse. Islam prohibits women to have more than one male spouse so how can it be polygamy? Infact the appropriate terminology is Polygyny...whereby males may have limited polygyny of upto 4 wives. Polyandry ( women having more than one spouse ) is forbidden.
Why do you think it is forbidden and why does Islam allow Polygny?
Terminology is essential to understanding the precise information and rulings given in any situation not just Islam. Therefore, we need to define the meanings of the terms in question.
Polygamy according to the Oxford dictionary is where either partner has more than one spouse. Islam prohibits women to have more than one male spouse so how can it be polygamy? Infact the appropriate terminology is Polygyny...whereby males may have limited polygyny of upto 4 wives. Polyandry ( women having more than one spouse ) is forbidden.
Why do you think it is forbidden and why does Islam allow Polygny?
Written by Xen
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10 Comments:
Ill start off with my own personal viewpoint and then inshallah post a scholars viewpoint at the end of the week.
I believe that firstly Polygyny is only there for those who use it for a purpose other than just some sort of sexual pleasure. I dont believe that a man can just marry four wives just because he wants to. The reason for this line of reasoning is because if we look at the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), he married others either for political gain or to help a widow.
I agree until someone proves me wrong with the statement that no other religion has a limit to how many a person may marry, not christianity buddhism hinduism etc.
Why cant a woman marry more than one male for the same reasons? Well i believe its a matter of practically. A woman in general biologically wont be able to perform her duties as a mother and wife to several husbands as oppose to several husbands to one wife.
Me thinks people abuse the concept of 4 wives. Prophet Muhammad had REASONS for taking more than one wife. They were religiously or politically mandated reasons. The companions took widows for wives to help them out. But these days what reasons do men have for marrying more than one woman except for sexual pleasure?
As for the prohibition of women taking multiple husbands, can't say much there. A prohibition is a prohibition. BUT...
..Ever think perhaps the reason(s) for this prohibition is not due to women being weak emotionally or not being able to fulfil her duties to several husbands, but because the husbands will not cope sharing her? Or because they cannot go against their nature - which is to be authorative - and hard to be the ONLY authorative figure when there are more than one man to a single woman. Ever think about that?
That may be the case for thinking in modern terms, but if we were to apply that mentality to all ages i dont think that would apply because the men of the past perhaps werent as domineering in such ways as today? But that is mere speculation.
I think the main problem with that way of thinking is that it would be saying that the Quran would be biased towards men, therefore unacceptable?
Well I believe men were more so domineering in the past. You ought to read Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad's article - Boys Will Be Boys (http://masud.co.uk/ISLAM/ahm/boys.htm).
Authority and domination are a part of a man's nature. Cannot change that.
And no, I don't believe that/my way of thinking allows Quranic bias. Rather, I believe scholars tend to be gender biased at times. Not demeaning scholars, but lets face it, some scholars are misogynistic and monopolistic in their views. Or rather, I should say in their interpretations.
the idea of polygny is so abused, the whole point has been lost. Men take second and third and fourth wives when they can't even support the first. Then when a pretty fifth comes along, they kick one of the first 4 to the curb. Unless we can get some upholdable shariah in place in the west, polygny should not even be permitted there.
Yep some scholars are mysoginistic in their interpretations, and because they are, they appeal to a wide range of males and females in some cases..lets not forget there are females that also hav been shaped to accept such injustices and to them its perfectly normal. I guess we would be on the brink of religion and culture.
In response to Inaya, thats exactly why its important for the contractual agreement in marriage have both rights included in such circumstances, so that they cant be "kicked to the curb" just like that. Islam has all the right tools, but people misuse them, or dont know of them.
Fact is that polygny is allowed and we are supposed to marry for piety etc etc, but scince it isnt forbidden, to mary more than once why restrict ourselves and place restrictions as to the conditons of doing so other than those already eluded to or layed out..if i wana marry four models ..whts that gotta do with YOU, if i wanna mary four WIDOWS whats that gotta do with YOU,the concpet hasnt been abused women have just got louder...so what?? We live in a world where women out number men polygny vs adultry is the only real choice, when it comes to relations... marital or other wise.., no one is perfect. There may be discepinces in the traetment of wives but I dont think ANy human can treat two people teh same,...merely re crerate same conditions...Luk men or women will never be perfect..but why deny ourselves the 'pleasure' of carrying otu Allahs commands!
"There may be discepinces in the traetment of wives but I dont think ANy human can treat two people teh same,...merely re crerate same conditions"
Unfortunately for those hopefuls that want to marry othe than one wife, the condition is to treat each of them totally equally, islamically if they are capable of doing so then sure go for marrying multiple wives.
The Quran says,
"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."
[Al-Qur’an 4:3]
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Lets inshallah post up what Dr Zakir Naiksays in regards to this matter...
4. Qur’an permits limited polygyny
As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse from Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an:
"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."
[Al-Qur’an 4:3]
Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals justly with them.
In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse 129 says:
"Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women...." [Al-Qur’an 4:129]
Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more than one wife.
Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Don’ts:
i. ‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory
ii. ‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or encouraged
iii. ‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed
iv. ‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or discouraged
v. ‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or forbidden
Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible. It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife...
The complete article may be found at here
Exception to waht??? dude war death widows orphans...sumtimes its a nessiaty..as opposed to a choice...just luk at Bosnia or Chenya...if al men fet theywere incable sumhow..these women wud never get married..L
Like Imaam Shafi said 'why make narrow what Allah has made wide'
Necessity is an exception, its not ALWAYS the case that a person has to marry another wife. Those cases are exceptions in most countries.
The mere fact the quran states we can never be fair to women, and the only time when we can marry more than one is if we are fair to both, means it is an exception, as deduced by Zakir Naik.
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