250328 - Polygyny and polygamy in the Quran question

Bog.

☝️🙂 1. among several goodly names of the beloved, Al Wadoodh

[24:32] And marry off those among you that are single, and the good from among your male and female servants. If they are poor, then God will grant them from His grace. And God is Encompassing, Knowledgeable.

Marry single people.

If you are already married, you're disqualified from the pool of eligible people to get married.

Subhan'allah.

Serendipitous find on issue of polygyny and polygamy.

[33:36] Is is not for a believing male or believing female, if God and His messenger issue any command, that they have any choice in their decision. And anyone who disobeys God and His messenger, he has gone far astray.

[33:37] And you said to the one who was blessed by God, and blessed by you: "Keep your wife and reverence God", and you hid inside yourself what God wished to proclaim. And you were concerned with the people, while God was more deserving that you be concerned with. So when Zayd ended his relationship with his wife, We had you marry her, to establish that there is no wrongdoing for the believers in marrying the wives of their adopted sons if their relationship is ended. And the command of God is always done.

[33:38] There is no blame on the prophet in doing anything that God has decreed upon him. Such was the way of God with the people of old. And the command of God is a determined duty.

These ayat are fascinating for many reasons.

From what I can tell in ayat [33:36]

In other words, if God issues any command, say, deliver this message to Mohammad, the messenger Gabriel obeys it, and delivers it to prophet Mohammad.

It appears that God commanded Mohammad to marry Zayd's former wife.

Prophet Mohammad received the command, however opted not to reveal it but instead said, "Keep your wife and reverence God" as God reveals to us in 33:37.

Nonetheless, note what Allah is saying in 33:36 that the recipient of the command has not choice in their decision, given the English translation of this ayat from the monotheist group.

Meaning, Prophet Mohammad also had no option but to express interest in Zayd's former wife, or whatever the marriage procedure of the day was to express interest. Prophet Mohammad had to do it, because in 33:37, God is reminding us, that the command of God is always done.

By God's grace this is the context I gather from ayat 33:36 and 33:37, however there's 33:38 to watch for as well because 33:38 and 33:50 are strongly connected, to me anyway.

Note one clarification in 33:37is that God is allowing believers to marry the former wives of their adopted sons. That's what's being clarified here. Not numeracy as far as I can tell. Can numeracy be inferred?

Note that in 33:38 God is saying that there's no blame on the prophet for following God's decrees and commands, and 33:36 and 33:37 is an example of prophet Mohammad navigating the conflict between God's commands to him, versus the everyone else.

Why?

Because in 33:50 God, according to English translations of the Quran, is stating that

[33:50] O prophet, We have made permissible for you the wives to whom you have already given their dowries, and the one committed to by your oath, as granted to you by God; and the daughters of your paternal uncle, and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncle, and the daughters of your maternal aunts-those who emigrated with you. Also, the believing woman who had decreed herself to the prophet, the prophet may marry her if he wishes, as a privilege given only to you and not to the believers. We have already decreed their rights in regard to their spouses and those who are committed to by their oath. This is to spare you any hardship. God is Forgiver, Merciful.

Did Zayd's former wife, and subsequent wife of Prophet Mohammad decree herself to the prophet? I don't know, and certainly God knows, among others who God has granted this knowledge.

Feb 2020 conclusion

Al'hamdulilah, by God's grace, this is no longer a "question" for me.

Based on the translations of the Quran I've read, as well as the commentary, it's undeniable that one wife is what God prescribes (at a time) from what I can tell.

Fact. Prophet Muhammad had many wives. Al'hamdulilah.

God decided.

God is good, and God is greater.

The ruling I'm going with? Chapter 4 ayat.

Note: the monotheist group's translation and Sam Gerrans' translation differ in a major grammar way, however, thankfully, the main message is still unchanged. More on that later if God permits.

4:1: O people, be aware of your Lord who has created you from one person and He created from it its mate and sent forth from it many men and many women; and be aware of God whom you ask about, and the relatives. God is Watcher over you.

4:2: And give the orphans their money; and do not substitute the bad for the good, and do not consume their money to your money; for truly it is a great sin!

4:3: And if you fear that you cannot be equitable to the orphans, then you may marry those who are agreeable to you of the women: two, and three, and four. But if you fear you will not be fair, then only one, or whom you are committed to by your oath. This is best that you do not face financial hardship.

4:4: And give the women their charities willingly, and if they remit any of it to you of their own will, then you may take it with good feelings.

4:5: And do not give the immature ones your money for which God has made you overseers, and spend on them from it and clothe them, and speak to them in goodness.

4:6: And test the orphans when they reach puberty, then, if you have determined from them comprehension, then give them their money, and do not deliberately consume it wastefully or quickly before they grow up. And whoever is rich, then let him not claim anything, and if he is poor then let him consume in kindness. If you give to them their money, then make a witness for them, and God is enough for Reckoning.

Note, that in 4:2 and 4:3 the God is speaking about the fatherless (often translated as "orphans"), and hence, the main condition here is

1. Orphans in your custody
2. Issues pertaining to equitable dealings with said orphans
3. Major point: if you fear you cannot be fair, then only marry only one

This should be the nail in the polygyny polygamy issue relative to middle class, precarious wage earning folk:

4:129: And you will not be able to be fair regarding the women even if you make every effort; so do not sway too greatly and leave her as one hanging in a void. And if you reconcile and do right, then God is Forgiver, Merciful.

Note, God seems to be saying that it's not possible to be fair regarding women and more than one wife even if you try, however if that's the situation you're in, be equitable between women as best as possible so no one is left hanging.

Al'hamdulilah.

Taken together, the likelihood of multiple married partners and those sorts of fantasies are pretty much, unequivocally off limits. Period.

Monogamy, understood as one marriage at a time I guess, is what God is generally recommending.

"Monogamy" understood as one marriage for your entire life, and no more, as some Catholics believe, goes against the Quran, because divorce and getting married again is permitted by God in the Quran.

"Polygamy" understood as having multiple marriages over a lifetime, so long as you are married to only one person at a time, isn't outlawed in the west. Under this definition, according to the Quran, women too can have multiple marriages over a lifetime, so long as they are married to one person at a time, as evidenced by the divorce related ayat.

Polygyny, understood as men being married to several women at once, is outlawed in the west, but the Quran clearly permits it (under very clear and narrow conditions).

While polygyny is permitted for men (again, under very narrow conditions), polyandry is not an option for women.

Polyandry for women would cause issues relating to determining the father of a child, and this would conflict with ayat related to the responsibility of the father of a child as it relates to caring for the pregnant mother during divorce. See the divorce related ayat in chapter 2. Once the baby in the womb is delivered, the divorced woman is free to marry another man. In other words, woman can have multiple marriages over their lifetime, so long as they are no longer married to another man.

Polygyny for men seems like a social service in times of severe hardship. Looks like if you are pious, wealthy, AND, have been given custody of fatherless kids, THEN a man can marry more than one woman.

Resources

• 250328 Google Doc backup https://docs.google.com/document/d/12iHEDS6cZ4K6vZ92BSIX7g1jPstKUHGcoAOVxfjPF1Q/ via--- https://jots.rahidelvi.ca/tagged/camh

• 200222 - Polygyny and polygamy in the Quran shared entry

• 200109 - Polygyny and pologamy in the Quran entry

• https://free-minds.org/polygamy-islam

Previously

• 200304 - Polygyny and polygamy in the Quran questionj