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number of man ? If we suppose that the one-wife system or monogamy is to be followed, the resulting 'surplus' of unmarried women may have unwelcome social consequences such an a drop in the birth rate or a rise in the rate of illegitimacy. This causes hardship to the women themselves and sometimes a weakening in family bonds. Under such circumstances, polygamy would be the best means in order to protect such women and to protect the society an a whole. Individual Necessities 1. , In certain circumstances, polygamy can be a humans solution to humane problems, for ý example, if a woman suf fore from a chronic or infectious disease. which makes her unable to undertake her marital duties. in such a case. her husband may take another wife. She herself need not be divorced, but remains partof the family and her husband continues to maintain her and at the same time, she loses no social status, and there is no bar to her husband begetting a "family. This may well be' a better solution in terms of both I protecting the family life and the sick wife. 2. If the wife is bar an ind incapable of giving birth to children, and the husband wants to have children, "It becomes understandable why polygamy is likely to exist or be advocated in societies where adoption. for example, is not legalised and the desire for children can be satisfied only through legitimate procreation and where sexual conti nence is highly valued and sexual expression is tightly restricted to wedlock or where status indices are limited or fixed. " 1 In the Saudi society for example, sometimes the barren wife herself may look Abd. &Ohti; op. cit., P. 111 105
for another wife for her husband in order to satisfy his need for the feeling of fatherhood. It is- believed: "This system (polygamy) does not'imply any contempt or humiliation for the woman. And the motive behind it is not just to satisfy lust; the woman herselfý might, as a result of her desire to delegate some of her domestic duties to somebody else. encourage her husband to get married to another woman ,1 3. Another reason for polygamy which has been suggested is that some men might be so sexually active that only one wife is not enough to satisfy the desires and sexual needs, especially in the days of menstruation or after child birth. In such circumstances, it would be better for such a man to marry another woman to keep himaelf away from sin. Obviously, polygamy might have disadvantages, for example, disputes between wives and their jealousy of one another, especially if the husband. in contradiction to Islamic injunctions. is not being fair to all his wives. Polygamous marriages are to be treated equally. After observing that "The aptest to endure troubles is the man who has two wives, the most liable to perish is the man who has three 2 and the nearest to madness is the man who has four. " M. SiTaY' states. in the permission of polygamy that Allah has given us there is nothing that forces us to go through troubles and hardship without an urgent need. However, this shortcoming which is the result of the wrong application of the principle of polygamy, not of the principle itself, is nothing relative to the mountain of shortcomings associated with giving al-Sibli. op. cit.. P. 85 2. '-'Ibid. 'P. 116 106
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- Page 79 and 80: A tradition reported that. "when a
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- Page 99 and 100: give me what is sufficient for me a
- Page 101 and 102: discuss later with divorce in Islam
- Page 103 and 104: excuses as the Prophet said: "If a
- Page 105 and 106: The idea behind the Qurlanic verse
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- Page 111 and 112: Divorce in Islam Islam considers ma
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- Page 117 and 118: 6 114 family's house together with
- Page 119 and 120: is to give the opportunity to notic
- Page 121 and 122: On that, Allah's Apostle said (to h
- Page 123 and 124: 4: his father. Ibn Umar said, 'The
- Page 125 and 126: -"The mothers ' shall give two whol
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- Page 133 and 134: Also: "Serve God, and join not any
- Page 135 and 136: KHADIJAH BINT KHUWAYLID The longest
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for another wife for her husband in order to satisfy his need for the<br />
feeling <strong>of</strong> fatherhood. It is- believed: "This system (polygamy)<br />
does not'imply any contempt or humiliation for the woman. And the<br />
motive behind it is not just to satisfy lust; the woman herselfý<br />
might, as a result <strong>of</strong> her desire to delegate some <strong>of</strong> her domestic<br />
duties to somebody else. encourage her husband to get married to<br />
another woman ,1<br />
3. Another reason for polygamy which has been suggested is that<br />
some men might be so sexually active that only one wife is not enough<br />
to satisfy the desires and sexual needs, especially in the days <strong>of</strong><br />
menstruation or after child birth. In such circumstances, it would be<br />
better for such a man to marry another woman to keep himaelf away<br />
from sin.<br />
Obviously, polygamy might have disadvantages, for example,<br />
disputes between wives and their jealousy <strong>of</strong> one another, especially<br />
if the husband. in contradiction to Islamic injunctions. is not being<br />
fair to all his wives. Polygamous marriages are to be treated equally.<br />
After observing that "The aptest to endure troubles is the man who<br />
has two wives, the most liable to perish is the man who has three<br />
2<br />
and the nearest to madness is the man who has four. " M. SiTaY'<br />
states. in the permission <strong>of</strong> polygamy that Allah has given us there<br />
is nothing that forces us to go through troubles and hardship without<br />
an urgent need. However, this shortcoming which is the result <strong>of</strong> the<br />
wrong application <strong>of</strong> the principle <strong>of</strong> polygamy, not <strong>of</strong> the principle itself,<br />
is nothing relative to the mountain <strong>of</strong> shortcomings associated with giving<br />
al-Sibli. op. cit.. P. 85<br />
2. '-'Ibid. 'P. 116<br />
106