Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam?

[Madhuri]

Well you did say you are surprised why other societies don't practice polygamy as most men would be happy with numerous wives.

Religion. And women's influence probably.

 

[Caladan]

Religion. And women's influence probably.

Not sure I got you, religion is the reason why other societies don't practice polygamy?

 

[Madhuri]

Not sure I got you, religion is the reason why other societies don't practice polygamy?

Religions tend to preach against lust and sexual indulgence even if they don't specifically say 'only have one wife'.
In fact, religion has greatly contributed to sexual repression.

 

[Caladan]

Religions tend to preach against lust and sexual indulgence even if they don't specifically say 'only have one wife'.
In fact, religion has greatly contributed to sexual repression.

OK, I think we need to slow down.
religion contributes to sexual repression and therefore toned down polygamy, but at the same time one of the world largest religions, who many claim to be the most repressive is OK with polygamy?

 

[Madhuri]

OK, I think we need to slow down.
religion contributes to sexual repression and therefore toned down polygamy, but at the same time one of the world largest religions, who many claim to be the most repressive is OK with polygamy?

If you are talking about Islam, isn't our muslim friend saying that this is not the case? When we see polygamy in cultures it is most likely that the society can misinterpreted for some reason or other. Or ignored a specific instruction. If people desire something, they will find what they want to see in their scripture or law.
However, in western countries I believe it is largely Christian influence that has lead to polygamy being seen as sinful. Obviously there are various factors, but religion is certainly relevent in recent history.

 

[Caladan]

If you are talking about Islam, isn't our muslim friend saying that this is not the case? When we see polygamy in cultures it is most likely that the society can misinterpreted for some reason or other. Or ignored a specific instruction. If people desire something, they will find what they want to see in their scripture or law.
However, in western countries I believe it is largely Christian influence that has lead to polygamy being seen as sinful. Obviously there are various factors, but religion is certainly relevent in recent history.

My last posts were referred to your claim though. that men would prefer to marry more than one wife, because we have crazed desires?

 

[Madhuri]

My last posts were referred to your claim though. that men would prefer to marry more than one wife, because we have crazed desires?

Lol, yes you men do! It's so annoying!

 

[Zhakir]

Just because a scripture doesn't say 'don't do this' doesn't mean that it allows something.

And actually in Indian society it was the Brahmins who only had one wife as they were the religious cast. It was the warrior cast that ate meat, went to war, had numerous wives and behaved irreligiously. The Brahmins were focussed on God and spirituality and did not participate in polygamy as it was seen as indulging in lust, which is negative to spiritual advancement.

Yes it means so. I'm not going to repeat it again: If nothing forbids it in the scriptuers, then it is not forbidden,allowed. This statement is enough to end the discussion.
Let alone that many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives, they had , how could it then be forbidden ? How are the Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims,If there religion forbids it. And I'm not discussing cultuers but rather religions.

 

[Madhuri]

Yes it means so. I'm not going to repeat it again: If nothing forbids it in the scriptuers, then it is not forbidden,allowed. This statement is enough to end the discussion.
Let alone that many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives, they had , how could it then be forbidden ? How are the Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims,If there religion forbids it. And I'm not discussing cultuers but rather religions.

Not everyone was allowed to have multiple wives. Like I said, it had to do with your cast and social expectations. The religious people either did not marry or only had one wife. Having sex with various partners IS condemned in Vedic tradition because it disrupts spiritual advancement. But the warrior caste were not expected to live simple pious lives and therefore weren't told not to do certain things.

 

[nameless]

The point is that the Hindu scriptures don't prohibit Polygamy, therefore it's surely allowed in Hinduism, Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. Again this confirms that it is allowed in hinduism.The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures,Including the Vedas,does one find restriction on the number of wives,so according to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. Again this why the Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims

much of the warrior caste people consumed meat, from that it cannot be assumed that vedas supported eating meat.
Similarly some characters in philosophy had multiple wives, it would be moronic if someone assume vedas supported pologomy only because of that reason. The vedas are not evolved from the culture, infact they evolved out from meditation of well renounced saints. It is true that not all people succeeded completely in applying vedic systems in their life.

 

[Beaudreaux]

any man who would want two wives is a mystery, but to want three wives he would have to be a bigamist----ery still.

 

[Beaudreaux]

Not sure why, but it would explain a lot. I have one wife and I'm often tempted to blow myself up. Imagine more than one......

 

[blackout]

ahhhh but the two RIGHT wives...
who also love each other and work together...
with you...
as a unit.....

*about to get WAY off Islam topic....*

 

[.lava]

ahhhh but the two RIGHT wives...
who also love each other and work together...
with you...
as a unit.....

*about to get WAY off Islam topic....*

yes two right women who accept each other with love and trust, not two slaves who's forced to do things they do not want to do out of fear and poverty.






.

 

[gwk230]

Zhakir,

From the other thread you stated that I had some misconceptions as to islam?

gwk230 has many misconceptons about Islam, but I didn't mention it in my reply though. and i wished he gives us his opinion in other threads like http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/religious-debates/85897-why-man-allowed-have-more-than.html . My message to him that Islam is different. I think he thinks well as whole.

Would you mind explaining?

 

[Perfect Circle]

My view on polygamy:

In India a Muslim is permitted to have upto four wives. This is seen by many as a law oppressive to women and contrary to the spirit of the egalitarianism. The letter of the Quran seems to accept polygamy and this is taken as evidence for permissibility of the same. The true position of the Quran about polygamy has been entirely overlooked in this regard.

Firstly Quranic injunctions have to be seen in the context of the time they were revealed in. To mindlesssly apply them in today's society would be incorrect. In 7th century Arabia, when the Quran was revealed, warfare was seen as a part and parcel of life. It had a necessary after effect of leaving many widows with children with no means of sustenance. Specially after the battle of Uhud, when the Muslims had suffered a terrible defeat with the death of nearly one tenth of the population (and an even greater percentage of men) there was a dire need of looking after the orphan girls and widows. In that context, the Quran stated in 4:3

(This is the only verse, where polygamy is explicitly discussed.)
So the Quran permitted men to take upto 4 wives in the existing situation (in fact before this verse there was no limit on the number of wives a man could take), while stressing upon the fair dealing that each wife was supposed to get. That all wives should be treated fairly and equally was important aspect of this permission. In fact, Hazrat Ali was denied permission to take another wife by the Prophet on the basis that he “shall not be able to deal justly” with two women. (Sharia Law And Society—Tradition And Change in South Asia, by Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin. Oxford University Press: 2001, p.160.)
Moreover, in the seventh year of the Hijra, long after the Battle of Uhud had passed and thus the ratio of men to women in Muslim society stabilized, Verse 52 of Sura 33 of the Quran was revealed. The verse stated:

After the revelation of the verse above, even the Prophet refrained from marrying again. The Quran's intention was to outlaw polygamy gradually.

Another argument, preverted in nature, is that polygamy is allowed in Islam because it satisfies man's lustful nature. This is clearly contrary to all injunctions in the Quran stressing upon not trying to satisfying your baser desires and living life solely for the sake of God. Moreover other verses of the Quran stress upon concepts hardly suitable for polygamy. The verse 33:35 make women and men in all respects, the verse 2:228 also establishes equality between men and women.

So it is clear that Quranic injunctions merely tolerated polygamy as a necessary part and parcel of the society. It made no effort to promote it and indeed when no longer really necessary, frowned upon it. Clearly, in today's society when a woman can earn for herself it would be wrong to blindly apply the Quran to conclude the permissibility of polygamy. A similar case can be made about slavery. The Quran tolerated slavery and never outrightly abolished it, since it was the norm in the 7th century society. It did stress upon treating slaves with due kindness and justice. Coupled with the egalitarian spirit of the Quran, this has led all Muslim countries to ban slavery in all forms. Polygamy is still legal in India, however, mainly due to the backward male chauvinistic mentality existing in the minds of many orthodox scholars. The only Muslim country to have outlawed polygamy today on Islamic grounds, based on the spirit of the Quran, is Tunisia. Turkey too has outlawed polygamy but on secular grounds.

Wow. This is a really nice post. No disrespect to anyone on the forums, but it is one of the most well written and reasonable posts I've ever seen on justifying an Islamic position.


...and now I make it rain.
FRUBALS

 

[idea]

Abraham had a handmaid.

So did Heavenly Father.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
(New Testament | Luke1:38)

Jesus was born to a virgin, it was not about sex, it is about bringing up children.
Each after their own kind. Heavenly Mother and Father cannot beget a being who is able to die. Their offspring is like them, immortal, with spirit in Their veins, not blood. A half-mortal being has to come from one mortal parent. hence the need for a a second wife if we were to have a savior born to married parents.

polygamy is symbolic of a sacred heavenly relationship for those who recognize it.

Abraham sacrificing Isaac = Heavenly Father sacrificing Jesus.
Sarah giving a handmaid to Abraham = Heavenly Mother giving a handmaid to HF for their "only" (note "only") begotten.

Abraham and Sarah were both let off the hook at the last instant.
Our Heavenly Parents were not.
Those who become Gods may someday follow in Their footprints, for there is only way to glorify the intelligences.
Living polygammy/polyandry for some is a first step in preparing themselves for Godhood.

No, I am not in a polyandry/polygamous relationship. God does not now request us to live it. Some believe this is due to the cycle in time we are now living in. The principle still stands, our ability to live it wavers.

PSS The only children born to Joseph Smith were born of Emma. See DNA testing results.
http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith_and_polygamy/Children_of_polygamous_marriages

 

[gwk230]

No, I am not in a polyandry/polygamous relationship. God does not now request us to live it. Some believe this is due to the cycle in time we are now living in.

Or maybe it was because the so called lsd prophet back in the 1890's decided it best to deny polygyny to keep the US government from taking the mormans monies and land away from them because of the so called majority of the bible thumping so called christian women back east wouldn't accept it?

 

[idea]

Or maybe it was because the so called lsd prophet back in the 1890's decided it best to deny polygyny to keep the US government from taking the mormans monies and land away from them because of the so called majority of the bible thumping so called christian women back east wouldn't accept it?

This is the cycle with hints of where we currently are in it from the last general conference, official LDS site:
LDS.org - Ensign Article - Learning the Lessons of the Past

Very few were able to handle the law in the OT too. Very few have been commanded to live it. It is hard for all of us throughout all time.

 

[Sahar]

The only Muslim country to have outlawed polygamy today on Islamic grounds, based on the spirit of the Quran, is Tunisia.

What a joke!! :biglaugh:
On Islamic grounds in Tunisia?! You can't be serious. The personal status law in Tunisia was a part of the wide secularization programs adopted by the government in 1956. Canceling polygamy was based on westernized secular anti-Islamic ground just like in Turkey (actually the one wife law in the West has Christian origin).
The Qur'an did allow polygamy, no matter what you think, although I agree it was concerned with the necessity and subjected to the justice element, and not for fulfilling the lust of men but canceling polygamy no matter what the circumstances are is just like allowing polygamy without any boundaries.
What we need is regulation not prohibiting what Allah prescribed.
The Tunisian personal status code contradict Islamic Shari'a in many aspects, and Tunisia in the different fields adopt secularized values and systems.
And we can ask the Muslim women who can not wear their hijab there about the Islamic ground for such ban!