Jews, Christians, and many other cultures practiced...

Jews, Christians, and many other cultures practiced polygamy, and some still continue to do so. Famous prophets practiced polygamy, such as David, Solomon, and Abraham. In fact, Islam was the only religion that restricted and regulated polygamous marriages. Fatma: What are the restrictions governing polygamy? Sayyid: Before the advent of Islam, polygamy had no limit on the number of wives, and the wives in polygamous marriages were often inequitably treated.

When Islam made its ruling on polygamy, it restricted it to include three criteria: It is not for every man. The limit is four wives. The wives must be treated equally. “If you fear that you will not do justice between them, then marry only one; this is more proper.” (4:3) Islam made it incumbent upon the husband to solely sustain and maintain his wife financially. As I mentioned earlier in “Matrimonial Rights,” the husband is the exclusive provider for his family.

Not every man is capable of providing and maintaining financial sustenance for one woman, let alone several, in addition to all of his children. Marriage requires financial security, and if a man wishes to practice polygamy, then he must be capable of providing an equal livelihood for his families, such as similar homes and financial disbursement. Otherwise, he is not permitted to marry more than one woman.

Beside the financial aspect, Islam also established rules of behavior for polygamous marriages. There are numerous guidelines that state the particulars of behavior. For instance, the husband’s time must be equally distributed among the wives; he spends his nights and days equally between the wives. If the husband takes one wife on a vacation or a trip, then he is required to take the others at intervals as well.

If the husband provides a gift to one of his wives, then he must present the other wives with gifts of equivalent values. Polygamous marriages in Islam are based on the fundamental principle of equality; therefore, favoritism, privileges, or neglect in any manner from the husband toward the wives is not permitted. Traditions of the Prophet give fair warning to polygamous husbands who do not practice equal justice and fairness between the wives. Fatma: What about the emotional aspects of couples?

How does Islam manage to regulate emotional fairness in polygamous marriages? Sayyid: When the Qur’an makes its point on incorporating justice in polygamous marriages, it is referring to materials and behavior.