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There seems to be a widespread misconception featuring polygamy as an Islamic invention, and therefore enjoying another opportunity to add to the propaganda war against Islam.

Polygamy existed in religions preceding Islam, it continued in Judaism and in Christianity long before Islam. A look at the Old Testament will reveal that a number of prophets had many wives. King Solomon is said to have had seven hundred wives, princesses and three hundred concubines (1 Ki. 9: 16; 11 :3 cf. , S of Sol. 6:8). His son had eighteen wives and sixty concubines (2 Chron. 11 :21 ). The Talmud gives advice that men should not take more than four wives, the number Jacob had. When Jesus came, Christianity did not prohibit polygamy, and the New Testament insists on monogamy only for bishops and deacons. No church council in the earliest Christian centuries opposed polygamy. St. Augustine clearl)' declared that he did not condemn it. Luther tolerated it and approved of the bigamous status of Philip of Hesse. In 1531 the Anabaptists preached polygamy and the Mormons of today believe in it (see Abd al Ati, The Family Structure in Islam, American Trust Publications, 1977, p 114 : Until this very day, the church in some African countries conducts the marriage of men to more than one wife. In Europe, the attempt to legally enforce monogamy and outlaw polygamy took place as late as the late sixth and early seventh centuries.

Out of the three current monotheistic religions, it was Islam that gave clear guidance indicating that the natural situation is one of monogamy. It permitted polygamy not as an injunction but as an alternative option for those who were in dire need of it and cannot cope otherwise. A man's wife may become unfit to fulfill her duties as wife and her husband does not want to forsake her. To contend with the situation and repress his desire or transcend over it is an option to take if he so chooses and this might be a great charity. But this option cannot be made obligatory, because not all men can achieve it, and the inevitable result might be widespread adultery.  After devastating wars when large numbers of men are killed and a large surplus of women are left without support, the lesson history teaches us is that illegitimate fornication with all its sequelae becomes a social phenomenon, as the near and far pasts testify.

Polygamy, however, is not tantamount with loosening the reins for sensuality, and as we look in the Quran we realize that Islam lays such criteria that appreciably limit polygamy.

The verse of the Quran denoting that polygamy is permissible reads:

"And if you tear that you will not act justly towards the orphans (girls), marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, four; but if you fear that you will not be equitable, then only one, or what captives your right hands own; so it is likelier that you will not be unjust (or become destitute)." (4:3)

The context is interesting. The verse addresses men who acted as guardians of orphaned girls. It was a widespread practice that the guardians considered marrying them or marrying them to their sons. Many guardians were motivated to do so at least in part-lured by their wards' wealth that was under the management of the guardian. Sometimes the guardian would name a dower lower than that due to the social equals of the girl, since he was the lawful person to act on her behalf. The Quran, in the verse immediately preceding this, warned the guardians that both practices were sins to be condemned. Many guardians became apprehensive, and many men shunned being guardians. The Quran opened a new option: if the guardian feared he would be unjust to his ward, then let him seek marriage outside this critical relationship, other women than his ward are plenty and he may take up to tour wives.

Some exegists stick to the wording of the verse and see that permission to polygamy is valid only in the case of guardians under those specified circumstances. The majority, however, do not concurr, but they tind two legislations that were really new to the subject of polygamy:

The first was the limitation of polygamy to a maximum of four wives. For the first time, over the three monotheistic religions-Judaism, Christianity and Islam a numerical limit is imposed.

The second is even more restrictive. For it makes equity between the wives a prerequisite for taking the option of polygamy and if the man fears he would not be equitable, then one wife is the limit. This directive is the more reinforced by the saying of God in another Quranic verse:

"You shall never be able to be fair and just as between women even if it is your ardent desire."(4: 129)