Western education and polygyny

10-4-2004 | IslamWeb

Question:

Please tell me the importance of Western education for the Muslim Ummah and the importance of polygamy to Muslims.

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

 

Polygyny has a lot of benefits.

1) To have many children, prevent depravity and to preserve the chastity and modesty of a biggest number of women.

2) To reduce spinsterhood.

In some societies, the number of woman is greater than the number of men, so polygyny solves the problem. 

3) A man who is able to marry more than one wife, can keep his wife if he discovers that she cannot bear children, or she has an illness that prevents her from continuing childbearing, and he can take another wife.

It is possible as well for a man who is married with a beautiful or young wife who can bear children, to marry another elderly woman, or a woman who is barren, or unattractive but can bear children, or a widow, or a divorced one, in order to try to get nearer to Allah by supporting these women and providing for them, and at the same time has children from whoever among them can bear children.

As regards Western education, the Ummah should weigh its content with Shariah criteria hence accepting what does not contradict it and rejecting what is against Shariah.

The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) had benefited from the idea of Khandaq, and Umar had benefited from the idea of rcords.  And whatever is in contradiction with the Shariah, or harmful should be avoided.

 

Allah knows best.