Woman Between Islam and Western Society
7. Polygamy and Islam
~ 391 ~
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
man’s desires, would give us a commandment
which is neither possible nor practical?
The
Encyclopaedia Britannica
(1984) aptly concludes
that one reason for adopting polygamy is the
surplus of women. Among most peoples who
permit or prefer it, the large majority of men live in
a state of monogamy because of the limited number
of women.
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