Why only four wives?

[MujahidAbdullah]

Why was the number of wives set at 4?

Have we been given this kowledge or is this like the question 'why is maghrib only 3 rakats?'

[al-Kankohi]

Why was the number of wives set at 4?

Have we been given this kowledge or is this like the question 'why is maghrib only 3 rakats?'

Why is the sky blue? Allah knows best.

[al-Kankohi]

Why do we have two eyes and not four? Allah knows best.

[Sulaiman84]

If you fear that you will not be able to be just to the orphans (in your care and you also fear that you will be unable to be just between your eight, ten or more wives, as was common during the early days throughout the world), then marry two, three, or four women with whom you are pleased (to have as wives). (However) If you (still) fear that you will be unable to be just (between your wives in spending your money or time on them), then (marry) just one.....

Nisaa:3

The truth of the matter is that a religion or law which aims to establish an infra-structure of chastity and modesty and considers the eradication of adultery as necessary has no way out except that it permits plurality of wives. Apart from being a preventive measure against adultery, it serves as a remedial approach to the problem of comparatively larger female population in some areas as compared to that of men. If such permission was not granted, mistresses and pros*titutes will proliferate. This is why nations which do not permit plurality of wives must live in rampant adultery (calling it 'free sex' hardly changes the reality). Even in our own time, if we look at the state of nations in Europe and America, we will see that they look down on what they call polygamy and put a ban on plurality of wives, but they permit a man to practice adultery with as many women as he can get under the cover of 'friendship', (and unlimited are the euphimisms invented to give it other names, such as, 'relationship', 'affair', 'consenting adults', 'union', 'partner' to get around the ban). Saying no to marriage and yes to adultery is certainly very strange!
To be short, we can say that the custom of taking a large number of wives was prevailing before Islam without any imposition of limits. The history of nations and beliefs shows that no religion or law had drawn a line in this matter, neither the Jews and Christians, nor the Hindus and Aryans or the Zoarastrians.
During the early period of Islam, this custom continued without being limited. As a result, people initially took too many wives to satisfy their greed. Later on they could not do justice to all of them and these wives of theirs lived like prisoners bound in the chains of marriage. Under such conditions, the idea of an equitable treatment of wives was practically non-existant. It was all a matter of personal choice or whim which could make the darling of the day a history of tomorrow. The concern for standing rights was a far cry.

It was the Holy Qur'an which stopped this great injustice prevailing in the human society at large. It restricted the plurality or multiplicity of wives by declaring that keeping more than four women under the bond of marriage was forbidden (haram). In addition to that, stern warning was given against any contravention of the Divine command which emphatically demanded that equality in fulfilling the rights of women taken into the bond of marriage at the same time must be maintained faithfully.

http://www.classicalislamgroup.co.uk...afseer/s4-v3-3

[London786]

As one shaykh marrying once is mentioned after 2,3,4...so polygamy is normal and monogomy abnormal. May I ask why the scholars of the indopak many of them were so averse to marrying more than once? They stress the need for looking after each of them equally....no-one disagrees with that...but why were some mashaikh so against it. I remember a big timer came from India to the UK and blazed the ulema who were marrying many times and he was totally against this marrying of young ladies by older men etc.

[UmHasan]

Most people living in societies where polygyny is not the norm are not able to be just and equal to two wives, and maybe that's why so much emphasis is put on that side of it. Equality and justice is emphasised just as strongly in the Quranic verse quoted above. But, obviously there are those that manage beautifully and are blessed with a happy family life and pious offspring because of it.

[DefendingIslam]

As one shaykh marrying once is mentioned after 2,3,4...so polygamy is normal and monogomy abnormal.

This was also mentioned by the Saudi Salafi Shaykh Ibn Baz, that the structure of marriage is such that men should marry more than one wife and have many, many children if they can afford to do so.

All in all, the injunction for polygamy assumes that the men will be dying at extraordinarily higher rates than women since the men should be outside their homes much more than women (and thus the risks of death would be increased). Just as one obvious example, many of the menfolk would be in Jihad, which should be their obligation, and this would obviously lead to many widows who need new husbands to take care of them. Of course this does not mean that the rule is followed only when the wisdom behind it is present, but the systems in Islam are designed to work together and not separately.

[smilesmile]

Dear my all muslim sisters and brothers lets see if i can make some difference in your forum. Regarding the above thread with respect to all sunnis and shias who have over looked in quran written very closed to aayat where kalame elahe says you can marry upto 4. ( those days men and women both used to marry much more than you can imagine .not very late in 80s I know few ladies in arabic countries who had entered into proper marriages more than 7 times.)

so kindly do not forget environment plays an important role and according to those days environment where both genders used to marry many folds of four times. restricting them to four was God'S will.

but there is an aayat near by the aayat where God has permitted men to marry four times ,he says you must do ADAL between your those four wives and immediately after this order he says BUT YOU CAN NOT DO THAT (ADAL)

so what do you think ???? is not our GOD all knower , is not he our creator and is not he knows our KHMIR he made us from. Do you think you can ignore this part of the sequence . kindly believe in GOD men can not do ADAL GOD SAYS SO.

now why God has given permission to marry four ;

wanted to restrict to maximum number of marriages one can enter.

wanted to restrict harram kari ( in case some one is so shahwat pasand) so he can enter in marriage saved the child being NUTFATUL HARRAM. but there is no shan in marrying four THERE WOULD GUARRENTTEED GUNNA FOR NOT DOING ADAL according to God's FARMAN that you can not do adal between your four wives.


but he gave you chance and saved you from gunnahay kabera of harram kary.

also he has given permission to marry second time where he has not asked you to do ADAL

in case wife is sick you can marry second time with an healthy woman (but do not give talaq to sick one take care of her every thing HIZ BEY HASYAT)

if your wife can not have children then also you can marry second time ( take caree of her give her NAN NAFQA)

this is how I understood

without GALAM GALOUJ pls all shias ansd sunnis can comment otherwise I would go out of forum if it is to waste time only. I want to learn and contribute thanks if read carefully

[smilesmile]

. what to do wasted so much time in writing and could not throu may be some other time

[Idil_]

Why are you even asking such a question lol