Source: India Today
Deoband, the influential seminary, has directed Muslims in India to avoid practising polygamy, an initiative that has won instant approval much like the 2008 advisory that denounced terrorism as a grave sin against Islam.
Responding to a query from a person who wanted to marry again while his first wife was alive, the Deobandi scholars advised him against another marriage.
“It is hard to provide equal justice to two wives in the Indian custom,” the Deoband fatwa said, pointing out that although marrying a second time is “allowed” in Islam, it is not encouraged.
Elaborating the reasons behind this fatwa and its consequences within the Muslim community, Maulana Mufti Arshad Faruqi, chairman of the fatwa department, also known as Madrassa Jamia Imam Mohammad Anwar Shah, said, “It is absolutely unacceptable that someone gets married for the second or third time without any valid reason. More precisely, minor disputes within the family can never be a reason.
“Now the Muslims avoid a second marriage, let alone four marriages. They are conscious about their economic condition and act accordingly. It is true that there is no need for a second marriage if it adversely affects the family financially.
The headline is misleading. The advice is not to abandon polygamy, but is just pointing out that it is an exception and not a rule for everyone to follow.
Those who who have made a duty to discourage Muslims from marrying more than one should rather advise Muslims to cease being Muslims. By such statements, some of them want to impress Christians who have been attacking Muslims for marrying up to four wives that they are now becoming modern. But if we are to follow the Christian examples, then such Muslim clerics Should be performing marriage ceremonies (nikkah) between a man and a man or a woman and a woman. Muslims have excellent examples from the best of humans, The Holy Prophet Mohammed(s.a.w.)who practised polygamy perfectly for us to emulate. Such Ulamas should rather take it upon themselves and marry more than one wife to show their followers the best way to go about it, based on the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the ahadith instead of discouraging their followers from marrying more than one wife, pointing to economic reasons and inability to show equal justice. It is only Allah whose justice is absolute but He has stated in another part of the Qur’an the way such justice should be exercised. We know from one of the traditions of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.), where one man after marrying one wife and facing economic problems was asked by the Prophet (s.a.w.)to marry other women in an addition. So economic problems should not be cited at all to discourage Muslims from marrying more than one. The Holy Prophet has showed us through the way he used to bless every marriage by repetition of fear of God. That, to me, should be the KEY to encourage Muslims to marry one and more and not economic reasons.
So my humble appeal to distinguish Muslim Leaders such as the Khalifa of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and other Muslim Ulamas to marry more than one so that their followers could emulate their good examples. That is the best we can defend Islam and the Holy Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w) regarding the practice of polygamy in Islam. Failure to this, then we will be tacitly supporting the enemies of Islam who condemn the Holy Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.) for marrying more than one wife.
May Almighty Allah strengthen us in our faith. Amin.
Assalam-o-alaikum
Ok, Actually indian constitution allows muslims for polygamy. And it further gives certain other concessions under a board who represents interests of muslims called as “muslim personal law board”.
At present there are very few instances of polygamy, rather it’s hardly seen in India. Except in case of those areas where muslim population is predominant. Things should be done with regards to taqwa(fear of GOD), but at times its used as a means of abuse by people who are unlearned/ill-educated both in deen and dunya. Darul uloom’s fatwa is welcome, if it is addressing the later. Everyone have view of their own, let it be a personal choice then.
It was a very good decision.Polygamy or bigamy now a days never help women which happened in the era of prophet(saw).
Polygamy not only create problems among the wives.But it also create problems among the children also.They feel jealous that their father love their step brothers & sisters more.When they grow up they become angry towards their father & adult boys often abuse their father for disrespecting their mother.
If the polygamous father treats all wives well the children have no reason to complain. But, yes, it is not easy. Rather than advising Indian Muslims to abandon polygamy religious leaders may give lectures on how to treat the extended family. Mistakes happen in non-polygamous families too (plenty …)