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Polygamy in Islam I
Polygamy is permitted by Islam as the Qurlan implied:
"Marry women of your choice, two or three or four. " 1
However, it was practised in pre-Islamic Arabian society without any
limitations or restrictions as we me"tioned before, and as Al-! Aq4ad
confirmed, "All the pre-Islamic civil laws have permitted polygamy
without any limitations as to the number of wives. The only
limitation was that the husband should be able to provide for his
wives in terms of food and shelter. "
2
The practJce was also known
to many nations, as pointed out by Leban, "It was not peculiar to
Islam; it was known to Jews, Persians, Agabs and other oriental nations
before the coming of TheNessenger (Muhammad). The nations that
converted to Islam did not see anything unusual or unacceptable in
Islam's view regarding polygamy.
3
Long before Islam, polygamy was widely practised by Greeks, and
was permitted both by Judaism and by Christian3ty, as we mentioned
before in the first chapter. Islam accepted the practice of polygamy
and laid down the regulations by which it was to be practJsed. These
regul. atJons protect the women and the family rights.
IslamJc Reform of Polygamy
Although Islam tolerated polygamy, it was with reservations.
One condition was that the number of wives was restricted to four,
and the other condition, ýhat the wives must be treated equally, with
few$ tW10116,05:
fairness. As tU Qurlanic verse supports thati"If ye fear that ye
shall not be able to deal justly (with them). then only one. "
:Q4.3
1 2. - AlAqjadj"Abbas, Al-Mariah Fi Al Quran, P, 75
Seele-bon, op. cit., P. 10
101