Understanding the Advantages of Polygyny in Islam
Who Benefits from Polygyny?
QUESTION: I hope for clarity regarding what is correct about this doubt. If someone were to say, “Islam permits plural marriage, and this matter benefits the men by safeguarding them and other than this. However, does the woman benefit from plural marriage?”
ANSWER: It contains abundant benefits. Have you not heard of the time when the women will be abundant in number? And we are now living in a time when women are abundant. At the end of time, there will be 50 women for one man, due to the abundance of women. As the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“The Hour will not be established until knowledge dissipates, ignorance appears, fornication spreads, intoxicants are consumed, and women increase to the point that for 50 women there will be one man to look after them.”
Reported by al-Bukhari (81) and Muslim (2671) from the hadith of Anas bin Malik.
One man in charge of them, and most of these things have taken place. Intoxicants are consumed in most of the world. Fornication has spread in most of the world. Knowledge has dissipated throughout the world. Ignorance has spread in the world. Women have increased greatly, according to what has reached us.
As for there being 50 women with one man to look after them, it will occur just as he (ﷺ) has said. It occurred to me that it occurred in the days of the last Great War; those killed between the two evil opposing forces were great in number, and the abundance of women in some of the lands increased to the point where there were 50 or more women for every man. We ask Allah for safety and security. It will occur again in the future, as well.
What will further clarify this is when the woman sits unmarried in the home, or 10 women sit unmarried in their home while the man has one wife, then he marries a second wife from among those unmarried women. Will not the woman benefit from that?
If she remains with the husband and she falls ill, or she menstruates, or it is difficult for her to conceive, or she suffers from postnatal bleeding every year, or the likes of this, perhaps this could lead to her being divorced if there is no way out (for the man) other than divorcing her so that he may marry another woman who can bear children for him or keep him chaste; or he marries two others, etc.
Therefore, she benefits from the second wife, so she can remain with her husband. And she (the second wife) could assist her in other affairs in the home. Perhaps she has a lot of work, and the second wife helps her in the home or the first wife helps the second in the second home, so she is able to relax for a day and a night regarding the affairs of the house.
Likewise, if there is a third or fourth wife—perhaps there will be abundant good in this for her. It is better than divorce and it is better than there being constant disputes between her and her husband. If there is another wife, then this will lighten the affairs, spread out the concern of the husband, and set his affairs in order. This wife will have a day and a night, and that one will have a day and a night; then the third will have a day and a night, and so on. At this point, his chest will be opened, and the disputes will be minimized. His speech regarding the first wife and her defects, shortcomings, imperfections, and other than this will be minimized.
Therefore, benefits for all parties involved will be achieved.
[The Beauty of Plural Marriage Book by Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Aziz bin Baz]