Polygamy in Islam is a question and statement that is often discussed by people outside the Islamic community.
For them, this is not a good thing and leads their followers to marry and divorce countless times.
So are such accusations true?
Definition of polygamy
Quoting from a book entitled Marriage Law written by Tinuk Dwi Cahyani, the term polygamy comes from the Greek apolus and gamos which means many partners.
Meanwhile, the Big Indonesian Dictionary defines polygamy as a marriage system that allows a husband to have more than one wife or a second, third and so on.
Polygamy in Islamic teachings
Polygamy in Islam is permitted for Muslims, but the limit is only up to four wives.
However, even though up to 4 wives are allowed, there are conditions, namely that they must be able to act fairly between the four wives. If you feel you can't do justice, then just have one wife.Read also
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The rule of having a family with more than one partner has been confirmed by Allah SWT through surah An-Nisa verse 3:
"If you are worried that you will not be able to do justice to (the rights of) an orphan woman (if you marry her), marry (other) women that you like: two, three, or four. However, if you are worried that you will not be able to do justice
, (marry) just one person or female slave that you have. That is closer to not committing injustice."Also in surah an-nisa: 129, Allah SWT says
"And you will never be able to act fairly between (your) wives, even though you really want to do so, therefore do not be so inclined (towards the one you love), that you leave the other hanging in the balance."
Based on the explanation of the an-nisa verse, the legal basis for polygamy in Islam is clear, but the conditions must be fair. Fair means not being one-sided, for example the income provided, food, clothing and even the smallest things, including feelings of love and affection.
But the last thing mentioned is of course quite difficult to achieve justice because it is emotional and has no measure at all. That's why at the beginning of Surah An-Nisa 129, Allah said, "And you will never be able to act fairly between your wives.
Reporting from the marriage law book written by Tinuk Dwi Cahyani at the beginning, Islamic scholars gave their opinions regarding Surah An-Nisa verse 3.
For example, the opinion of the scholar Sayyid Qutb is that Surah An-Nisa verse 3 is absolute, meaning that justice is meant in all its forms. He gave an example, everything given as a dowry at marriage must be the same.In a famous book of commentary on the Koran, written by Jalaluddin al-Mahalli in 1459, the meaning of justice in Surah An-Nisa verse 3 does not only concern income but also includes visiting schedules for his wives.
The reason Allah allows polygamy in Islam
Currently, the world's population is around 3 billion people, of which the number of women tends to be less than that of men.
However, according to data from worldatlas.com, there are 10 countries in the world where the number of women is greater than men, around 53%, namely Armenia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia, Russia, Lithuania, Georgia, Portugal, Zimbabwe, Estonia.The high number of women among men means that there will be women who do not marry because there are only a few men in stock. That is the reason why polygamy in Islam is permitted.
Allah SWT allows Muslim men to marry more than one person because of course you already know, there was a time when the number of women was more than the number of men.Another reason is that women are physically weak, of course this greatly affects their lives. She has physical limitations to work so she needs a man to help her.
When she is a widow because her husband dies, and at that time she does not have a steady income, of course this condition will make her life difficult so that she cannot support her children.The next reason, summarized from several sources, is that the majority of crime victims are women, so they should need a man to protect them.
So polygamy in Islam is actually a form of worship to help women whose economic conditions do not allow it, not based on the intention of lust alone.It is impossible for a Muslim man who has excess wealth to continuously help a woman who is not his legal wife because this could lead to slander. Other people will think they are having an affair, but the situation is different if the woman's status is as a legal wife, even if it is his second or third wife.
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