Does Islam allow a man to have more than one wife?

Women, family and marriage Quran · 2 Hadith · 2

Short answer

Islam permits a man to marry up to four wives, but only under strict conditions of justice, and the Quran warns that if one fears being unjust, then one should marry only one. In practice, the great majority of Muslim marriages today are monogamous.

The fuller answer

The verse was revealed after the battle of Uhud, when many men had died and many widows and orphans needed protection. Polygamy existed everywhere in the world at the time and had no limit; Islam limited it to four and attached conditions: equal treatment in support, housing and time, and the consent of the law. The Quran itself says that one cannot be fully equal between wives, however much one tries.

A woman can make a condition in her marriage contract that her husband will not take another wife, and this is accepted by most schools. Some Muslim-majority countries, such as Tunisia and Türkiye, have banned polygamy, and others require a court's or wife's approval. Muslims differ on how widely it should be practised today.

From the Quran

1An-Nisa 4:3

وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تُقْسِطُوا۟ فِى ٱلْيَتَٰمَىٰ فَٱنكِحُوا۟ مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَٰثَ وَرُبَٰعَ ۖ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا۟ فَوَٰحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُكُمْ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰٓ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا۟ ﴿٣﴾

And if ye fear that ye will not deal fairly by the orphans, marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that ye cannot do justice (to so many) then one (only) or (the captives) that your right hands possess. Thus it is more likely that ye will not do injustice.

2An-Nisa 4:129

وَلَن تَسْتَطِيعُوٓا۟ أَن تَعْدِلُوا۟ بَيْنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتُمْ ۖ فَلَا تَمِيلُوا۟ كُلَّ ٱلْمَيْلِ فَتَذَرُوهَا كَٱلْمُعَلَّقَةِ ۚ وَإِن تُصْلِحُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ غَفُورًۭا رَّحِيمًۭا ﴿١٢٩﴾

Ye will not be able to deal equally between (your) wives, however much ye wish (to do so). But turn not altogether away (from one), leaving her as in suspense. If ye do good and keep from evil, lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.

From the Sunnah

The authentic hadith behind this answer, from Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and the Sunan with the grade of the scholars of hadith. Open a reference to read it in the hadith library of this site.

1 Sunan Abi Dawud 2133 Sahih (Al-Albani)

Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ بَشِيرِ بْنِ نَهِيكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتَانِ فَمَالَ إِلَى إِحْدَاهُمَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَشِقُّهُ مَائِلٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

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2 Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1141 Sahih (Al-Albani)

Arabic text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ بَشِيرِ بْنِ نَهِيكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ امْرَأَتَانِ فَلَمْ يَعْدِلْ بَيْنَهُمَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَشِقُّهُ سَاقِطٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَإِنَّمَا أَسْنَدَ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ هَمَّامُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ قَتَادَةَ ‏.‏ وَرَوَاهُ هِشَامٌ الدَّسْتَوَائِيُّ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ كَانَ يُقَالُ ‏.‏ وَلاَ نَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ مَرْفُوعًا إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ هَمَّامٍ ‏وَهَمَّامٌ ثِقَةٌ حَافِظٌ

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This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.

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