Are Muslims allowed to practice polygamy?
In India, Muslims are permitted to practice polygamy, limited to four wives. Under the Sunni (Hanafi school) law, if a Muslim marries for the fifth time, the marriage is merely irregular, which he might regularise at any time by divorcing any one of the earlier four wives. However, if a Muslim woman takes a second husband, she will be guilty of the offence of polygamy. Interesting trivia- The reason for the prevalence of polygamy among Muslims can be discerned after taking a look at the situation that prevailed in pre-Islamic Arabia. Here, a man had unbridled freedom to marry and divorce. In this context, the introduction of limited polygamy was considered a revolutionary step. Also, there was a prevalence of relations between unmarried men and women and as a result of this there were many illegitimate children. Therefore, allowing a man to marry ‘only’ 4 times was actually seen as a measure which would ameliorate the position of women.
