Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam? - Discussion Boards

Ahmed

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 25, 2006 - 07:17 PM

Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (95% C.E to 1030 C.E) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as 1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.

3. Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims

The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims. According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.

Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.

Ahmed

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 25, 2006 - 07:18 PM

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:

‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory

‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or encouraged

‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed

‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or discouraged

‘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.

Ahmed

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 25, 2006 - 07:19 PM

5. Average life span of females is more than that of males

By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the male child. For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the females.

During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers.

6. India has more male population than female due to female foeticide and infanticide

India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in which the female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as compared to males.

7. World female population is more than male population

In the USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male population of New York one-third are gays i.e sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays. This means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in the whole world as compared to males.

Ahmed

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 25, 2006 - 07:19 PM

8. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical

Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million females in U.S.A who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has twenty five million gays). There would be more than four million females in Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband.

Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has a wife or becomes public property. There is no other option. All those who are modest will opt for the first.

In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life.

Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a married man or to become public property. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second.

There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 26, 2006 - 11:20 AM

It's really nice the way you put it. There are certainly some misconceptions about Islam that need to be clarified to non-Muslims, and to secularist Muslims as well.

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Anu maheshwari

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 26, 2006 - 02:10 PM

Dear Alahmedsh ,

you are giving your arguments based on certain 'statistics' and if the statistics are proved incorrect then yr theory would lose relevance in the present scenario and thankfully for all the women living in the 20th century the statistics provided by you are incorrect .

check this out

Are there more males or females in the world?
Anna-Marie
Troy, Michigan

Dear Anna-Marie:
As kids, we were told women outnumber men. After looking up the actual stats, we're confident that's just something moms tell their sons to scare them.
According to GeoHive.com, a site specializing in population statistics, there are around 3,248,080,000 males on the planet and around 3,214,983,000 females. That translates to men accounting for 50.25% of the population.
Interestingly, ratios vary from country to country. For example, the United States has around 4.8 million more females than males. However, in China, males outnumber females by nearly 36 million. In Cuba, the number of males and females is about equal, give or take a few thousand.
Population growth is an interesting (and sometimes scary) topic. For those interested in learning more, the Web offers a slew of sites to aid in your research. This "population clock" allows visitors to compare past, present, and future populations. And who knows, by the year 3030, maybe our alien overlords will outnumber men and women put together.
http://ask.yahoo.com/20060608.html

check out another article ;
[link="http://www.isteve.com/2002_Problem_with_Polygamy.htm"]the problem with polygamy

This post was edited on: 2006-09-27 at 02:42 AM by: anuriandima84

Saladin

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 26, 2006 - 05:39 PM

Of course, thinking straight about polygamy is not something that the human mind seems wired to do

Of course this is true Anu, but this is not the whole issue. The fact that ALahmedsh statistics are not correct is not the main point.

Polygamy in Islam is an option for very special cases, and not something all Muslims are asked to perform.

In many countries, polygamy is extremely common. The vast majority of my west-African friends from The Senghor University in Alexandria, their fathers are actually polygamous. However, polygamy is an exception, and monogamy is the norm. Though, exceptions should be regulated.

Consider some situation when most men in a certain place are killed in a battle, women and children are just left hopeless. Islam offers them an option that is not necessarily better than their initial status, but it is by far better than their status-quo.

Moroever, we are not talking here about someone who was married to 100 women, Islam regulates this "polygamy" exception by limiting the number to four, and by stating in the Qur'an that no one should have more than one wife unless he is able to treat them justly, and then showing that this has to be in special situations when indicationg that a husband cannot treat more than one wife justly.

Just to make things more clear...

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Ahmed

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 26, 2006 - 06:39 PM

aymanelhakea ,
u r welcome brother.

anuriandima84 ,
U r talking as if Islam is responsible of the increment of men in India !!!!

This problem came from the abortion of the female fetus which is against Islam, nature and even the UN rights !!!
Islam is the religion of nature and it works to harmony of nature !!!
Although the increment of men is a problem in India or any country that gives more respect to men, although Islam is not the reason of this problem, but Islam gives a perfect solution to it !!!
Islam says don't kill girls
Islam says respect girls
Islam says girls is a great gift from Allah
Islam says boys aren't necessary better than girls in Allah's side
Islam says heaven will be the destiny for the parents who have two girls and they well raised them

i think the problem of the increment of men is very serious, and Islam gave a solution to get out of it though.
Islam says respect Allah's willing and give more respect to woman.

PLEASE CHOOSE WHAT U THINK IS BETTER!!
1- Polygamy.
2- adultery.
3- not marrying at all due to the less number of females.

Anu maheshwari

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 27, 2006 - 03:03 AM

aymanelhakea wrote:
<br /
Of course this is true Anu, but this is not the whole issue. The fact that ALahmedsh statistics are not correct is not the main point.

Polygamy in Islam is an option for very special cases, and not something all Muslims are asked to perform.

In many countries, polygamy is extremely common. The vast majority of my west-African friends from The Senghor University in Alexandria, their fathers are actually polygamous. However, polygamy is an exception, and monogamy is the norm. Though, exceptions should be regulated.

Consider some situation when most men in a certain place are killed in a battle, women and children are just left hopeless. Islam offers them an option that is not necessarily better than their initial status, but it is by far better than their status-quo.

Moroever, we are not talking here about someone who was married to 100 women, Islam regulates this "polygamy" exception by limiting the number to four, and by stating in the Qur'an that no one should have more than one wife unless he is able to treat them justly, and then showing that this has to be in special situations when indicationg that a husband cannot treat more than one wife justly.

Just to make things more clear...

YEs , Ayman you put it quite reasonably, thank you ....
my point is not to challenge what Islam says ...i never implied that ....what is there in Islam might have its justification in the olden times and i do not dispute that...

so , first of all i wasnt refering to any religious text ...my argument was directed against the incorrect statistics and the conclusion made on it( for the present scenario) ....and the the " ultimatum " issued to women that they have only two options ( where the second oneis actually a 'no option)' i.e

they either get marrried to a man already married
or they live alone and risk being called "immodest"

this is simply a case of norms designed in patriarchal societies;

a women who chooses to live alone and lead a life of a spinster ...why should she would be called 'immodest ' ???

secondly polygamy could have had its justifications in the past ...but in the modern world its not somthing that can be accepted

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 27, 2006 - 03:27 AM

ALahmedsh wrote:

aymanelhakea ,
u r welcome brother.

anuriandima84 ,
U r talking as if Islam is responsible of the increment of men in India !!!!

This problem came from the abortion of the female fetus which is against Islam, nature and even the UN rights !!!
Islam is the religion of nature and it works to harmony of nature !!!
Although the increment of men is a problem in India or any country that gives more respect to men, although Islam is not the reason of this problem, but Islam gives a perfect solution to it !!!
Islam says don't kill girls
Islam says respect girls
Islam says girls is a great gift from Allah
Islam says boys aren't necessary better than girls in Allah's side
Islam says heaven will be the destiny for the parents who have two girls and they well raised them

i think the problem of the increment of men is very serious, and Islam gave a solution to get out of it though.
Islam says respect Allah's willing and give more respect to woman.

PLEASE CHOOSE WHAT U THINK IS BETTER!!
1- Polygamy.
2- adultery.
3- not marrying at all due to the less number of females.

did i ever say or imply that Islam was the root cause of the " increment of men in India " (as you put it .)?

did i even talk about India in my post ???

you are jumping to conclusion without actually refering to the contents of my post ...

I never talked about Islam ....I was simply saying that the statistics provided by you are incorrect and hence the conclusions/predictions based on it also become invalid...
once again i do not refute what Islam says ...but i do say that those things were said in a context and with the changing circumstances , our values and beliefs also change and people have to adjust to it .

Anu maheshwari

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 27, 2006 - 03:28 AM

female infanticide is a problem and with more awareness and education the problem can be rooted out ....
prevention is better than cure ( esp when the cure is polygamy!!! )

In India , the practice of female infanticide is more prevalent in states like Rajasthan whereas in states like Kerala with hundred percent literacy females outmuber men !

But things are slowly turning around with more education ! this problem will be non-existent some years from now !

again there is one doubt !

I believe that there is some gap between what a religion preaches and what its followers do !!!!

i dont think any where in Gita it is said that
girls should not be respected
girls should be killed etc
In fact according to Hinduism , women are " Laxmi "( goddess of wealth) and "saraswati "( goddess of knowledge) , , shakti ( the ultimate power behind thew creation of the universe)...
also the trinity " shiva ( destroyer,) brahma( creator ) and vishnu( preserver)
are actually creations of Shakti ( Mother ) . she created them !

but all that logic and good words in the texts dont stop the female infanticide , doest it ?
now is that the fault of the texts ?
no definitely not !

and yes you were citing the example of epics like Mahabharata and amayana ......thats like citing Arabian Nights !!!!

Anu maheshwari

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 27, 2006 - 03:46 AM

ALahmedsh wrote:

According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being illegal, It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.

.

exactly which Hindu scriptures have you read and refering to?
as far as I know there are no " Hindu " scriptures per se !
except if you are refering to the Vedas or Gita

check this out !
Polygamy in Hinduism

by Jayaram V

Polygamy and polyandry were prevalent In ancient India, but it is doubtful whether they were ever popular in the public opinion. It was practiced mostly by the warrior castes and rich merchants. Many Hindu gods are also depicted as polygamous, with two or more wives. The goddesses are not actually wives in the physical sense but pure universal energies who assist their gods to maintain dharma (good order) in the universe. They do not possess physical bodies, though they can appear in human form if they want to. Present day Hindus consider both polygamy and polyandry primitive and archaic, remnants of an old society that still haunt the lives of a few unfortunate victims. In India Hindus acknowledge polygamy as both illegal and immoral.

If we study the history of ancient India, we realize that polygamy and polyandry were practiced by the rich and the powerful, while the sages and seers were strictly monogamous or completely celibate. We also notice that whether it was in the past or in the present, polygamy was never a popular practice in the public opinion.

Hinduism does not favor Polygamy

Hindu scriptures describe the family as a social institution, and at the same time as an integral part of this illusory world. In the ultimate sense the institution family is meant to keep each individual chained to the world of illusion. The relationships in the family are meant to develop attachment, selfishness and desires. In the end these relationships really do not last and each individual in it is left to himself.

Anu maheshwari

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Re: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
September 27, 2006 - 03:47 AM

Hinduism therefore rightly describes the family as an illusion (samsara maya). A family is a coming together of different souls, each having his or her own distinct spiritual agenda and final destiny. Some relationships may last for some lives, but they would not stay for ever. On the cosmic scale each soul has to tread its own path and find its own salvation. The family relationships are in a way a great distraction, because they develop attachment and delay the liberation of the of the soul. What is true and what makes life meaningful is our relationship with God, because in the real sense the hidden self is nothing but God only. Hinduism therefore exhorts every individual to be wary of the illusory nature of the family and develop an divine oriented attitude while performing their obligatory duties as a sacrifice to God.

If family itself is an instrument of maya, polygamy makes it more difficult for an individual to break out of his illusions. Spiritually therefore polygamy is least desirable option for an individual to pursue

[link="http://www.hinduwebsite.com/hinduism/h_polygamy.asp"]