Woman in Islamic Shari‘ah
8. Polygamy and Islam
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shari’ah
is designed, in actual fact, to save women
from the ignoble consequences mentioned above.
This commandment, although apparently general in
application, was given only as a solution to a
specific social problem. It provides an arrangement
whereby surplus women may save themselves from
sexual anarchy and have a proper stable family life.
That is to say, it is not a question of adopting
polygamy rather than monogamy. The choice is
between polygamy and sexual anarchy.
If the commandment to practice polygamy is seen
in the abstract, it would appear to be biased in favor
of men. But when placed in the context of social
organization, it is actually in favor of women.
Polygamy is both a proper and a natural solution to
women’s problems.
The permission to practice polygamy in Islam was
not given in order to enable men to satisfy their
sexual urges. It was designed as a practical strategy
to solve a particular problem. Marrying more than
one woman is possible only when there are more
women than men. Failing this, it is out of the
question. Is it conceivable that Islam, just to satisfy
