05-01-2003, 07:44 AM
In all age groups, mortality rate is higher for men than for women.
Thus, there will always exist in monogamous societies husband less women. Society presents such women with limited choices. A husband-less woman has to choose one of the following.
Suppress her sexuality, sublimate and join the convent, or be a
spinster for life.
Flaunt her sexuality for material benefits, and be single for life.
Grab another woman's man and remain another woman for life
Grab another woman's man, and push her into the pool of husband less women.
Of course, she can change her mind any time. That is her prerogative!
But those are the options she has, or does she?
Islam has the solution, but one must set aside one's prejudices first. Right!
Islam permits polygyny to rectify the ills of the society.
[b:44ac3ade0c]It does not require that all men must have multiple wives. [/b:44ac3ade0c]Polygyny is permitted with certain conditions.
In India 82 girls are born to every 100 men. There is, statistically, less than a woman for every man. Polygamy will only exacerbate the problem.
On an individual basis, Polygamy can still not be outlawed.
But to insist that every man take up four wives would leave over sixty percent of the men without any prospects of marriage. Such a situation is fraught with grave danger.
Polygamy is allowed. To not do so would be to rob the society of a solution when women outnumber men.
However, when women do not outnumber men, or outnumber them marginally, encouraging men to take on more wives exacerbates the problem.
Islam solves problems, not creates them.
To suggest that polygamy is a must for Muslim men is a mockery.
Ahadith and Sunnah permit polygamy, not mandate it.
Allah had allowed certain practices for the prophet, which other believers were forbidden; certain deeds were obligatory for him, and only voluntary for other Muslims. Examples:
And prior to dawn, perform the tahajjud (non-obligatory) prayer at night. Your Lord may elevate you to the most exalted status (in heaven). 17:79
This (more than four wives) is an exemption especially for you, not for any other believer. We know what We have mandated for the believers concerning their wives, and the captive women. You are exempted so as to remove the difficulty you face! 33:50
Acting on any one hadith without regard to all the rest of them is fraught with difficulties.
For the first twenty five years of his married life, the prophet was
strictly monogamous. Does that mean all Muslims must be forced to lead a monogamous life for twenty-five years before being allowed to have two wives.
The notion that polygamy is absolutely required of a Muslim because the prophet practiced it is also a similarly flawed argument.