Polygyny In Islam Made Clear

First of all, many of us may get confused between “polygyny” and “polygamy” which are related but not similar words. Polygamy, which is the more common word, is the practice of multiple wives and husbands, and since Islam preaches that only men who can have more than one wife, then “polygamy” does not apply here. What applies in Islam is “polygyny” which means the fact of a husband having more than one wife and not the other way round.

It has grown rather boring of non-Muslim fellows who consider Islam to be oppressive for women as it allows men to have up to four wives. To put it in a nutshell, every single law in the Islamic marriage system has not been issued without a logical purpose; a purpose that is beneficial for the Muslim believers and the Islamic society in the broader sense. On the one hand, there are several merciful reasons behind polygyny in Islam, however on the other hand, there are, also, some limitations to the legitimacy of it. The only absolute and undoubted idea in all this is that Islam respects women’s rights and provides a dignified life for them.

Let us scrutinize the meaning of polygamy and see how the very replacement of some letters can lead to a huge discrepancy in Muslims and non-Muslims realities. In many countries like USA and Canada for example polygamy is practiced in one way or another through having affairs with mistresses. The grave repercussions of these extramarital affairs are way too dangerous for the wife, the husband and the mistress, because it is actually an act of adultery and nothing else. Needless to say, the poor little children that could spring from this shameful deed are, most of the times, unwanted and become a victim of two irresponsible parents. This could also contribute to aggravating other problems like the outbreak of homeless children and crimes committed due to family violence.

However, polygyny in Islam entails that man should be fully responsible of his second, third and fourth wife just as the first; and the same applies to children. So, marriages are done in an official and public manner so that the woman does not become a “mistress” in the eyes’ of the society, and hence all her rights as a wife are preserved.

The logic behind the legitimacy of polygyny in Islam is one of great meanings and mercy as well. God has allowed men to marry more than one wife in order to reduce chances of adultery and moral depravation in the Muslim society. If a wife is suffering from a chronic disease that disables her from undertaking her marital duties, then a man may have the right to get another wife. Also, in times of wars when females outnumber males, polygyny serves as an anchor against illegal affairs and prostitution.

Unless polygynous men are sure that they have the ability to treat their wives justly, they should never remarry. However still, if they do, they will never be able to feel the same for every woman because they it is hard to equally divide feelings of affection. This is to show that polygyny is not a favorite practice that Islam encourages every man to do, but it is limited to the aforementioned cases. Let us conclude by the the famous story when Ali Ibn Abi Taleb asked to marry another woman, when he already was married to Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Muhammed (Peace Be Upon Him), the Prophet refuses because he has no pressing need. There is nothing can be more just for both women and men than the Islamic marriage system.

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