Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Are there any pre-conditions for a Muslim to get into a second marriage? Does he need to take permission from his first wife/wives? Does he require to have any prerequisites (such as money or a second house or a permission or agreement with any person (his parents or relatives or community)) before he can marry a second or third..? Are there any stated reasons in Islam for a person to marry more than once? Does Islam encourage or discourage marrying more than once (specifically in a state where the man has accomplished everything almost from his first wife)? Is it permitted for a muslim to marry more than once just for the sake of lover/lust/desire/etc..?

I apologize for the many questions asked above, but these are a collection of questions that have been given to me by a group of friends in our gatherings. I sincerely request for anyone to provide in-depth details on the above questions with references if possible so that we may have the concepts of more than one marriage in Islam clear to all our readers. Jaza’k Allah Khaire.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Four polygamy concept of multiple marriages

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 3:

3 If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly with the orphans marry women of your choice two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one or (a captive) that your right hands possess. That will be more suitable to prevent you from doing injustice.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 129:

129 Ye are never able to be (totally and absolutely) fair and just as between women even if it is your ardent desire: but turn not away (from a woman) altogether so as to leave her (as it were) hanging (in the air)!. If ye come to a friendly understanding and practice self-restraint Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2128 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he will come on the Day of resurrection with a side hanging down.’

Beloved Sister in Islam, Allah Subhanah has permitted the believers who wish to marry more than one wife, to marry and keep upto an absolute maximum of four wives at any one time.

The one and only condition Allah Subhanah has laid upon the believers who wish to marry more than one wife is that they are absolutely just and equal amongst their wives in the distribution and allocation of their time and their resources amongst them.

Your Question: Are there any pre-conditions for a Muslim to get into a second marriage?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 3:

3 ….. marry women of your choice two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one …..

The one and only condition Islam lays upon a believer who wishes to exercise his option to marry more than one wife is that he treat his wives with justice and equality, especially with the allocation and distribution of this time and his wealth.

Other than this one condition of ‘justice/equality’ amongst his wives, there are no other pre-conditions in Shariah Law which the believer who wishes to exercise his option to marry more than once is required to fulfill.

Your Question: Does he need to take permission from his first wife/wives?

There is absolutely no obligation or condition in Shariah upon the believer who wishes to exercise his lawful option of marrying more than once that he needs to take the permission or consent of his first wife/wives. The consent, approval, permission, etc. of the first wife/wives is absolutely irrelevant and does not in the least effect the validity or legality of the new marriage.

But if the husband, of his own will and choice, wishes to inform his first wife regarding his intention to marry again, there is obviously no harm.

Your Questions: Does he require to have any prerequisites (such as money or a second house or a permission or agreement with any person (his parents or relatives or community)) before he can marry a second or third..?

None whatsoever! But it would only be prudent of the husband to make sure himself that he can afford the running of two houses. The husband does not need the permission of either his parents, or relatives, or the community or even his first wife to exercise his lawful option of marrying more than one wife, if he chooses to do so.

Your Question: Are there any stated reasons in Islam for a person to marry more than once?

The Lord Creator Who created everything in existence, created man and bestowed upon him a distinct nature, and also created the woman and bestowed upon her a distinct nature.

Islam has recognized that man has been created ‘polygamous’ by nature, and the woman ‘monogamous’; and the Lord Most High has bestowed in the very nature of man to honor and love more than one woman as his wife.

Instead of leaving the man loose to develop illicit relationships, or have secret affairs, or girl-friends, etc. out of marriage…..Islam has allowed the men, who for any reason whatsoever desire more than one woman, to honor that woman and lawfully marry her as his wife.

There are absolutely no reasons or obligations stated in Shariah Law for a man to fulfill to enable him to marry more than once, except that he be just and equal in the treatment of his wives.

Your Question: Does Islam encourage or discourage marrying more than once (specifically in a state where the man has accomplished everything almost from his first wife)?

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 3:

3 ….. marry women of your choice two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them) then only one …..

In accordance with the context of the Glorious Quran, the preference amongst the option given first is to marry twice, then thrice, then four times, and then once; and that too for only those men who fear that they may not be able to deal justly amongst their wives.

Besides the absolutely majority of the Prophets who were sent as perfect examples, almost all of them chose to marry more than one wife!

Islam absolutely encourages the concept of marriage; but there is nothing in the Quran or the Sunnah which specifically encourages or discourages the concept of multiple marriages. It is not the mere marrying of multiple times which is a virtue in the Sight of Allah, but how exactly man behaves with his family, regardless of whether he chooses to marry once or more than once, is what will determine his virtue or his sin.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 278 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘The most perfect Muslim in the matter of faith is one who has excellent behaviour; and the best among you are those who behave best towards their wives.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3252 Narrated by Aisha ; Abdullah ibn Abbas

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "The best of you is he who is best to his family, and I am the best among you to my family."

Sahih Muslim Hadith 3465 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman.’

Sahih Muslim Hadith 3469 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: ‘a believing man should not hate a believing woman (his wife); if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3358 Narrated by AbuBakr as-Siddiq

The Prophet (saws) said, "One who treats badly those under his authority will not enter Paradise."

Your Question: Is it permitted for a muslim to marry more than once just for the sake of lover/lust/desire/etc..?

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 7.4 Narrated by Abdullah

We were with the Prophet (saws) while we were young and had no wealth whatever. So Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty, and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, if truth be told, the absolute prime reason a man chooses to enter into the sacred bond of marriage and take the responsibility of a woman as his wife is so that he may be able to guard his modesty and lawfully fulfill his natural physical desire.

If nature had not kept this natural physical desire in the man which can only be fulfilled lawfully through the sacred bond of marriage, it would have been nigh impossible to convince any amongst the men to take on the responsibility of marriage! Thus although the lawful fulfillment of this natural physical desire or ‘lust’ is the prime reason which encourages the man to marry, through this sacred bond of marriage Allah Subhanah puts ‘love’ and ‘mercy’ into the hearts of those in the marriage, and it is only through this bond that the future of mankind, and the expansion of blood-relatives is expanded and maintained!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 30 Surah Rome verse 21:

21 And among His Signs is this that He created for you mates from among yourselves that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts); verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 4 Surah Nisaa verse 1:

1 O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, and from them twain scattered countless men and women; reverence Allah through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights) and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.

Thus beloved Sister, just as it is permissible and encouraged for a man, who chooses to lawfully fulfill his natural physical desire, to marry his first wife….similarly it is absolutely permissible for the man to marry for a second time for the very same reason!

Dear and beloved Sister in Islam, we have written a few more articles on the subject of marriages and especially multiple marriages for your perusal, please check our site for them.

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan