I have nothing against people who hold the other opinion because their arguments are not to be totally rejected. Some of their concerns have great purposes to serve. So, we don’t need to argue much. However, we need to strive hard to correct some wrong impressions created in the course of arguing for and against regulation of Islamic polygamy through a state law. AlhamduliLah, I have written severally in defence of women who suffer from the mismanagement of Islamic polygamy by a lot of Muslim men (they are still on my wall). So, there is no way I can be accused of not being sensitive towards the plight of women facing this problem.
The first thing we need to note is that Islamic polygamy has nothing to do with poverty, begging or poor education of the Muslims. Let us address the issue of abuse of Islamic polygamy separately without unnecessarily making it look like it is only for the rich. For the purpose of practising Islamic polygamy, the definition of poverty is relative and subjective. It has different connotations to different kinds of people. We have a lot of rich people who practice polygamy, but they are “poor” because they mismanage it. Some so called poor men practice polygamy according to their means and their wives are considerably contented with their status because they manage it well enough. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is our best example in this regard. He wasn’t a rich man. His not being rich has a purpose to serve in this matter. It is not until someone has one big fortune or one “Federal or Lecturing Job” before he can practise polygamy. The most important thing is to be ready to apply the rules based on individual capacity and capability with proper understanding of parties involved. Mixing issues together in this regard is what has led to all these misconceptions. The problem of poverty, begging and poor education can be treated independently, especially through a well organized zakat system. Our problem is our inability to unite upon what our salaf united on (Qur’an and Sunnah), which made them the best generations to have ever lived on the surface of the earth.
People who can’t regulate the sunnah of hijab and display of beauty here and there by women are talking of regulating polygamy through state laws. Some people have even used the opportunity to show their true colour, feminism and pathological hatred for Islamic polygamy, and now we know them by their speeches. Yes, the comment was not about a ban of the right of the poor to practise polygamy, and couldn’t have been because the person talking is learned in what he was talking about. But honestly, I have read it, and I see that it gave room for misunderstanding, misconception and circumstantial suspicion. There is an aspect of it specifically relating to “gender equality”, which is the biggest concern of feminists over Islamic polygamy. I discussed this particular matter in an article I wrote on “Feminist Jurisprudence: Islamic Perspective”.
Let us regulate taoheed and sunnah in our lives first, and see whether or not we would have to be told to fear Allah regarding our women. We should focus our efforts more on teaching Muslims the right ‘aqeedah that would illuminate their minds to love and fear Allah سبحانه وتعالى. Anyone who truly love Allah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم would be conscious of the sunnah, and anyone who is conscious of the sunnah would strive hard not to mismanage any aspect of the deen, including marriage (and by extention polygamy).
May Allah guide us aright.
Ibn ‘Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori
24th February, 2017
