Polygamy in the Quran; Challenges and Approaches

There has been a wide discussion among Muslim scholars on the subject of polygamy or the multiplicity of wives in the Quran and different views have been proposed in this regard. A group of scholars has supported polygamy and considered it necessary for some reasons. They believe that sometimes a man is urged to marry another woman in order to keep away from sin and corruption. On the other side, polygamy provides the opportunity for those women who have not married yet because of the death of their husband or divorce. In contrast, another group has criticized it. Polygamy, in their belief, may threaten the rights of the first wife. There is also the possibility that the wives oppose each other that makes some problems and challenges for them. In addition, polygamy may threaten the family preservation; since, generally, the entrance of the second wife into the life of the man brings about many tensions in the family relationship that disadvantages of which may also affect the children. Another group, taking into consideration the advantages and disadvantages of polygamy, has attempted to manage their disadvantages and to propose solution for that. Therefore, we see the formation of three different approaches to this problem. The present article reviews and evaluates the different approaches to polygamy in the form of three parts of “prescription”, “prohibition,” and “limitation”.