The Shar' allowed the marriage of a man to four women. What condition is required to allow this?
أباح الشرع الزواج بأربع نسوة. فما الشرط الذي اشترط لإباحة ذلك؟
The permissibility of polygyny in Islam is not an unrestricted right, but a heavy responsibility that demands equity and prevents the marginalization of any spouse.
إن إباحة تعدد الزوجات في الإسلام ليست حقا غير مقيد، بل هي مسؤولية جسيمة تتطلب الإنصاف وتمنع تهميش أي زوجة.
The Requirement of Justice | شرط العدل
1. Defining Equity
The condition is that a man should be just with all of his wives. Justice includes the expenses as well as spending time and sleeping overnight with each of his wives equally, and each has as much allowance as the other.
1. تعريف العدل
الشرط أن يعدل الرجل بين النساء، والعدل يكون في النفقة والمبيت فيبيت عند كل واحدة من الزوجات بقدر ما يبيت عند الأخريات، ولكل واحدة منهن نفقة بقدر الأخرى.
2. The Divine Command
(You will never be able to maintain emotional justice between your wives no matter how keen you are. So do not totally incline towards one leaving the other in suspense. And if you do what is right and are mindful of Allah, surely Allah is All Forgiving, Most Merciful.) An Nisa 4:129.
2. الأمر القرآني
(وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَن تَعْدِلُوا بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا كُلَّ الْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَالْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا) النساء 4: 129.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Does "justice" mean I must love all my wives equally?
No. Emotional love is often beyond human control. The Quran recognizes this, but it strictly forbids showing favoritism through actions, such as neglect, poor financial support, or spending disproportionate time with one wife while leaving others abandoned.
What constitutes material justice between wives?
Material justice includes providing equivalent housing, sufficient financial maintenance, and equal time for staying overnight with each wife, ensuring no one is deprived of their rights.
What happens if a husband cannot be just?
If a man knows he is unable to uphold the mandatory conditions of justice, he is not permitted to marry more than one wife. Marrying multiple wives while knowing one cannot treat them justly is a violation of Allah's limits.