Quran Garden

Polygamy and slavery are outlawed in modern societies, yet Islam permits them under certain conditions!  Isn't that backward, outdated thinking?  Isn't Islam meant to be the ultimate divine guidance?  Sit back and listen to today's Tafsir as we explain the Islamic perspective on both issues, then judge for yourself.   

Session 543

Chapter 4

Verse 3

a continuation

If you are afraid of not behaving justly towards orphans, then marry other permissible women, two, three, or four.  But if you are afraid of not treating them equally, then content yourselves with only one or the captives that your right hands possess.  That is more likely to make you avoid bias.  (Chapter 4: Verse 3)

Why did God allow polygamy?  This question is usually asked by those who have little understanding of the Lord's wisdom and, sadly, by others who understand but seek to sow doubt and division in Islam. 

We answer that polygamy is a matter necessary for the cohesion of the family and society.  Let's think about a situation where a husband, the head of a family, isn't getting along with his wife.  What are his options?  Should he go for divorce, potentially breaking up the family, and then remarry?  Or would it be better to keep the family intact—show kindness and fairness to his wife as Allah instructs—and seek happiness with a second wife?  The last option is to repress his desires altogether and risk violating other people's honor out of wedlock.

Allah's legislation is comprehensive and considers all the intricacies of the human condition.  The circumstances that have troubled non-Muslim societies have led them to adopt many Islamic principles; some countries even considered permitting polygamy, not because Islam advocates it, but because their social conditions demand it.  They see it as a solution to end the issue of mistresses.  Mistresses are women with whom men engage in illicit relationships, resulting in children born out of wedlock with absent fathers and no family structure.  Doesn't this scenario repeatedly unfold in all Western societies, regardless of their levels of education, wealth, or religious beliefs?  Wouldn't it be preferable for this second woman to be recognized as a legitimate wife, with the marriage public and the husband committed to the family?  Children would surely fare better with a present father who acknowledges them.  Polygamy, if legalized, would solve many of the social ills of Western society.  

Keep in mind that polygamy is not a mandate from God but an option.  If this issue burdens you, as a man or a woman, you can ignore it completely.  It is up to you, the believer, to use this allowance. 

Let's consider another perspective.  Polygamy is only possible when there is excess; if there is no surplus of women, logically, polygamy doesn't happen—each man will marry one woman, and the matter ends.  In our Tafsir of the first verse of Surah An-Nisa, we noted that, biologically, there often tend to be more females than males in many species.  We've seen examples with camels, chickens, and others.  This trend usually extends to human females as well.  Moreover, wars frequently leave societies with far more women than men, as young fighters die or are disabled in battle.  God's legislation accounts for all human conditions.   

If females outnumber males, and each male is allowed only one counterpart, what would be the fate of the excess females?  They would have to suppress their instincts and live in physical frustration, leading to discontent and psychological issues.  Alternatively, they would seek to release the sexual frustration out of wedlock and break up established families.  What about illegitimate pregnancies?  Would the woman abort the fetus, abandon the newborn, or raise the baby as an illegitimate child in society?  When Allah allowed polygamy, it was intended as a practical means to accommodate the surplus of women while safeguarding families, children, and society.  Always remember that the main clause of polygamy is fairness between the wives.  Allah stipulates, "But if you are afraid of not treating them equally, then content yourselves with only one."

Now we come to the issue of "then content yourselves with only one or the captives that your right hands possess." Some people take the issue of "the captives that your right hands possess" as a point of contention against Islam because they see it as incompatible with modern society and the West's so-called "human rights." We say to them, relax!  There is no current source for "captives that right hands possess" because Muslims today are in a state of weakness and disgrace.  Non-believers have become audacious, seizing lands from Muslim countries.  There are no genuine leaders and hardly any real Muslim men left to stand and defend what they believe.  There is no ongoing conflict between Muslims and non-believers that would result in "captives that right hands possess."

However, it is God's law, and we defend the concept as it existed when there were captives.  Let's look at the issue of "the captives that your right hands possess" through the broader lens of slavery in Islam.  Islam came into a society rife with slavery and injustice with the goal of eradicating both.  Before Islam, in Arabia, Europe, Asia, and the world, there were many sources of slaves.  It was common for a debtor, or one of his children, to be taken as a slave if he could not repay the loan on time.  If a crime was committed, the perpetrator would be forgiven if he gave one of his children as a slave to the victim.  The powerful would often enslave the weak, kidnapping their wives and children and selling them in the market. 

On the other hand, there was only one way to freedom: the will and "generosity" of the master.  If he wanted to, he could free the slave, and if he didn't, the slave would remain in bondage, and so would his children and their children. 

In short, there were multiple ways into slavery and one way out; thus, it was increasing by the day.  Think of it as a bathtub with many faucets pouring in and only one small drain, so naturally, the tub overflowed.

Islam did not abolish slavery overnight but dealt with it in stages.  God began by gradually closing the sources of slavery, like shutting off faucets one by one.  For instance, enslavement as punishment for a crime or unpaid debt was prohibited.  At the same time, more and more drains were opened.  Allah set the freeing of a slave as the expiation of many sins.  If you took an oath and wanted to break it, you must free a slave; freeing a slave is one of the allowed expenditures of the Zakat almsgiving and so on. 

Eventually, tens of drains were opened, and all the faucets were shut down except one.  The only remaining source of slavery in Islam, to this day, is prisoners of war.  Why not close this source, you may ask?  Because the alternative is death.  Which would you choose?  Remember that, as we discussed earlier, the chances for eventual freedom are pretty high.  Slavery is only allowed as a means to preserve life when death is very likely.    

But suppose a Muslim master had no sin to expiate through freeing a female slave and insisted on keeping her.  In that case, he must provide for the slave as he does for his family —giving clothing of the same quality as his wife or daughter, the same food, and living conditions.  God does not allow the master to burden her with tasks she cannot handle; otherwise, he must help.  What kind of virtue is this?  Islam requires that you call the person a "servant, " not a slave.  This approach elevates the slave to the same level as the master's family.  What is she missing then?  Only her physical desires might be unmet.  Thus, Allah permits sexual enjoyment between her and the master.  Now, she is no less than the wife and part of the man's life.  More importantly, bearing a child with the master would automatically grant her and her newborn freedom, further dissolving the institution of slavery.  In this manner, Islam achieved the goal of eradicating slavery while respecting and dignifying everyone.  Yet some people foolishly criticize Islam for this!

All the rules set for the orphans, polygamy, and the captives of war share one goal: "to make you avoid bias." In other words, be fair, be kind, and protect those most vulnerable in society regardless of their social status.      

Tune in for next week’s Tafsir of Aya 4 from Surah An-Nisaa.  We will uncover Imam Ali's unique remedy for pain, connecting spiritual wisdom and health.  Don't miss it! Hit the subscribe and bell icons below.