Muhammad ‘Abduh and Muhammad Rashid Rida on Sura 4:3

If you fear that you will not be able to act justly towards orphans (Who are to be the first choice in marriage, then instead of them) marry two, three, or four of such women as seem good to you, but if you fear you will not be equitable, then (marry) only one, or what your right hands own (as slaves). Thus it will be more likely that you will not be partial.

Muhammad ‘Abduh has said: After God said But if you fear you will not be equitable, then (marry) only one, he gives a reason for this in his words: Thus, it will be more likely that you will not be partial, that is, thus you will come more closely to the condition in which neither injustice nor oppression will occur. Consequently, God has made the condition that one keep far from injustice to be the basis for his giving of a law (concerning marriage). This confirms the fact that justice is enjoined as a condition and that duty consists in striving for it. Further, it shows that justice is something difficult to attain. God says in another verse of this sura: ‘You will not be able to treat your wives equally, regardless of how eager you are (to do so)’ (Sura 4:129/128). This refers to justice in the inclination of the heart, since otherwise the two verses taken together would have the result that there would be no permission for polygamy at all. And then also the meaning of his words in (another) part of the verse just cited, (namely) ‘Yet do not follow your inclination to the extreme (thus completely severing your relations with any of them) so that you leave her as it were deserted’ (sura 4:129/128), would not be clear. God forgives the servant when something in the inclination of his heart goes beyond his power, even as, towards the end of his life, the Prophet felt a stronger inclination for ‘A’isha than for his other wives. To be sure, he did not treat her with any distinction above them, that is, not without their consent and authorisation. He used to say: ‘God, this is my share of what lies in my power. Do not call me to account for what does not lie in my power!’ That is: (This is my share) regarding the inclination of the heart.

Muhammad ‘Abduh has said: Whoever considers the two verses correctly acknowledges that permission for polygamy in Islam applies (only) with the most severe restriction. Polygamy in Islam applies (only) with the most sever restriction. Polygamy is like one of those necessities which is permitted to the one to whom it is allowed (only) with the stipulation that he act fairly with trustworthiness and that he be immune from injustice (al-jaur). In view of this restriction, when one now considers what corruption results from polygamy in modern times, then one will know for certain that a people(umma) cannot be trained so the their remedy lies in polygamy, since, in a family in which a single man has two wives, no beneficial situation and no order prevail. Rather, the man and his wives each mutually assist in the ruin of the family, as if each of them were the enemy of the other; and also the children then become enemies to one another. The corruption of polygamy carries over from the individual to the family and from the family to the (entire) people.

Muhammad ‘Abduh has said: Polygamy had advantages in the early period of Islam, among the most important at that time being that it brought about the bond of blood relationship and of relationship by marriage, so that the feeling of tribal solidarity was strengthened. Also, at that time it did not lead to the same harm (darar) that it does today, since at that time the religion was firmly rooted in the souls of women and men, and the insult (adhan) of taking an additional wife (darra) did not go beyond her rival (in its effect). Today, on the other hand, the harm (darar) of every additional wife (darra) carries over to her child, its father, and its other relatives. The wife stirs up enmity and hatred among them; she incites her child to enmity against his brothers and sisters, and she incites her husband to suppress the rights of the children which he has from the other wives. The husband, on the other hand, follows in the folly of the wife whom he loves the most, and thus ruin creeps into the entire family. If one wished to enumerate specifically the disadvantages and mishaps that result from polygamy, then one would present something that would cause the blood of the believers to curdle. This includes theft and adultery, lies and deceit, cowardice and deception, indeed even murder, so that the child kills the father, the father kills the child, the wife kills the husband, and the husband kills the wife. All this is tangible and is demonstrated from the (records of the) courts of justice.

It may suffice here to refer to the (poor) education of the (modern) woman, who knows neither the worth (qima) of the husband nor that of the child and finds herself in ignorance concerning herself and her religion, knowing of religion only legends and errors which she has snatched up from others like herself and which are not found either in the scriptures or in (the sayings of) the prophets who have been sent. If women had the benefit of a proper religious education, so that religion had the highest power over their hearts and would prevail over jealousy, then no harm would grow out of polygamy for the people today, but the harm would remain limited as a rule to the women (who are concerned). However, since the matter now stands as we see and hear it, there is no possibility of educating the people so long as polygamy is widespread among them. Thus, it is the duty of scholars to investigate this problem, (that is) especially the Hanafite scholars, in whose hand the matter lies (in the Ottoman empire and its sphere of influence), and whose opinion is determinative (here). They do not deny that religion was sent down for the use and benefit of mankind and that it belongs to the principles of religion to prevent harm and injury. Now if at a (certain) time (that is, the present), corruption results from something that was not connected with it earlier, it is without doubt necessary to alter the laws and to adapt them to the actual situation, that is, according to the principle that one must prevent the deterioration beforehand in order then to bring about the well-being (of the community). Muhammad ‘Abduh has said: Hence, it is recognised that polygamy is strictly forbidden when the fear exists that one cannot act fairly.

This is what the Ustadh-Imam (Muhammad ‘Abduh) said in the first lecture in which he interpreted the present verse. In the second lecture he then said: It has been said before that permission for polygamy is restricted since a stipulation is imposed which is so difficult to realise that it represents the same as a prohibition against polygamy. Further, it has been said that to him who fears that he is unable to act equitably it is forbidden to marry more than one wife. This is not, as has been done by some students (of al-Azhar University), to be understood in the sense that a marriage settlement is null and void when it has been completed under such circumstances, since the prohibition (given here) is not so firm that it could require the negation of the marriage settlement. The husband may indeed fear that he will act unjustly, but yet not do so. And he may act unjustly, but then repent and act equitably and thus lead a legitimate life.

I (Muhammad Rashid Rida) say: Add to this that polygamy is at variance with the natural fundamental rule (asl) in the nature of marriage, since the fundamental rule is that the man is to have a single wife and that he is her mate just as she is his. Polygamy is however, a necessity that befalls human society (under certain circumstances, that is) especially in warlike peoples (al-umam al-harbiyya) like the Islamic community. Polygamy is permitted to them only in the case of necessity, and then only with the stipulation that neither injustice nor oppression will occur thereby. This problem requires further discussion. So the wisdom of the plurality and number (of wives) is discussed, and there must be discussion as to the extent to which the administrators of the law are in a position to impede the perversions of polygamy through restraint when the harm done through polygamy becomes widespread, as is seen to be the case in Egypt. For those men who marry more than one wife are numerous here, while in Syria and Turkey this is not the case; and at the same time, the customs in Egypt ordinarily are more corrupted than there.