Question 1
Assalamu Alaikum, I would like to understand the concept of polygamy in Islam in detail. Can you please explain its rulings and conditions? JazakAllah in advance.
Answer 1
Question 2
I have been married for just under a year. Before my husband married me, he was aware that I was not a virgin. I deeply regret committing this sin and have sincerely repented, making tawbah for my past actions. I changed my life and my ways, becoming a better person before meeting my husband. When he chose to marry me, he forgave my past and accepted me for the person I had become. However, after our marriage, he expressed that he does not feel an intimate connection with me due to my past and now wishes to take another wife who is a virgin to satisfy his emotions.
I love him dearly, and this situation is causing me immense pain—I am struggling to cope with it. I asked him for a divorce so that he could marry someone else because I know I am not strong enough to be in a polygamous marriage. However, he refuses to divorce me. Under these circumstances, can he refuse to grant me a divorce? And is he allowed to take a second wife even if it will cause me emotional distress and harm my marriage with him if he does not divorce me? Jazakallah.
Answer 2
Question 3
Recently, I have entered into my second marriage. I was already married and have two children with my first wife. However, I have not yet started living with my second wife since only the Nikah has been performed.
Since my first wife learned about my second marriage, she has been persistently asking for a divorce and has stated that she will take both children with her if I do not divorce my second wife. On the other hand, my second wife wishes to live in peace and harmony with my first wife and respects her as an elder sister, even though they have not yet met.
Can you please provide guidance on how to handle this situation? I wish to maintain both marriages and fulfill my duties justly between my wives. Additionally, my second wife has embraced the Ahle Hadith path, as I follow the same, whereas her parents were Hanafis. I sincerely appreciate your kind advice or fatwa.
Bismillaah
Answer 3
Question 4
I am facing a dilemma.
I married another woman whom I fell in love with, justifying to her and intending for myself to divorce my first wife due to significant issues in our marriage. However, after a few months, my first wife has made sincere efforts to improve our relationship, proving that our marriage does not have to be as difficult as it was.
At the same time, I have encountered some disagreements with my second wife, showing that she is not as perfect as I initially thought.
Now, I am in a difficult situation because I do not have sufficient justification to divorce my second wife (whom I have two children with and have been married to for 20 years), nor do I have the ability to maintain both marriages. I live in the US, where my first wife resides, while my second wife lives in Tunisia. To bring her to the US, I would need to be divorced. Furthermore, neither of them would ever agree to co-exist in a polygamous arrangement.
I love and care for both of them deeply. What should I do?
I would appreciate a quick response. May Allah reward you.
Answer 4
Question 5
I am one of two wives to my husband here in Alberta. I recently read on the CBC news website that the Canadian Council of Imams has issued a verdict stating that since polygamy is illegal in Canada, my religious marriage would not be considered valid.
Please clarify whether I am committing a sin or engaging in zina (adultery) according to Islamic teachings.
Answer 5
Question 6
The unbelieving women will ALWAYS have one thing superior to believing women because, in this world, they had the chance of having a single husband to themselves (in Christianity and many other religions, polygamy is forbidden). Please comment.
Answer 6
Question 7
If a woman is married and wishes to be her husband’s most beloved wife in Paradise, but he takes another wife in this world who also desires to be his most beloved in the Hereafter, does this mean that his decision to marry again has deprived one of them of her wish and happiness in Jannah?
Since both wives are at risk of not being their husband's favorite in Paradise, what would happen in such a case? Would they both be loved equally? If not, would this suggest that polygamy in this world might prevent a woman from attaining the happiness she desires in the Hereafter? While I understand that there is no sadness in Jannah, the principle seems to be that men receive whatever they desire, whereas women do not.
Answer 7
Question 8
What are the conditions for polygamy in Islam? Can a man marry a second wife without any particular reason as long as he has the financial means to support both?
What is the stance of the four schools of thought (Shafi’i, Hanafi, Maliki, and Hanbali) on polygamy?
Would it be wrong or a sign of weak faith if I, as a Muslim woman, do not wish to be part of a polygamous marriage?
Additionally, is it permissible for a woman to include a condition in the marriage contract stating that her husband will not marry another wife? If he does take another wife despite this agreement, would she have the right to seek a divorce? I would appreciate details on the opinions of all four madhabs regarding this matter.
Jazak Allah Khair.
Answer 8
Question 9
Assalamu Alaikum,
I wanted to ask if agreeing to participate in a polygamous marriage is an indication of strong Iman.
Consider this: when a person sets aside their emotions—not because they choose to, but because they recognize that this is allowed by Allah and practiced by the Prophet—then this individual is demonstrating good Iman, as they prioritize their faith over personal desires. On the other hand, if someone struggles to suppress their emotional or physical desires, would this not indicate weak Iman?
One of the main challenges in accepting polygamy, I believe, is its impact on one’s emotional state.
Why is polygamous marriage, which is part of the Sunnah, often viewed negatively, with the man being seen as someone merely fulfilling his desires and lust? Is that not unjust? There are men who genuinely care about the well-being of their sisters and wish to marry them to provide and take care of them. Isn’t it cultural to view polygamy negatively like this?
I wonder if it’s really that simple. Please share your thoughts and enlighten me.
Answer 9
Question 10
Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, respected elders.
I humbly request your insights on a matter related to polygamy in Islam. In Malaysia, women now have the right to include a no-polygamy clause in their marriage contracts.
However, the argument presented by some liberal Muslims is that the great-granddaughter of Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), Sakina Husein, included several conditions in her marriage contract, one of which was that her husband could not take another wife.
I would kindly ask the elders to read the article in its entirety and comment on it according to the Hanafi and Shafi’i madhahib. Jazakum Allah Khair. May Allah protect us from the fitnah of people decreeing what is halal and haram, and may Allah guide this Ummah with scholars who seek only His pleasure.
Answer 10