Woman Between Islam and Western Society
7. Polygamy and Islam
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The system of keeping a mistress is prevalent in all
those countries, including India, where there are
legal constraints on polygamy or where polygamy
is looked down upon socially. In such a situation,
the real problem is not whether or not to adopt
polygamy. The real problem is whether or not to
legalize its adoption. The problem of surplus
women in society can be solved only by polygamy,
whether we choose to consider it legal or not.
THE ISLAMIC WAY
The solution to this problem in the Islamic
shari’ah
is
the giving of permission to men, under special
conditions, to marry more than one woman. This
principle of polygamy, as enshrined in the Islamic
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
