contract a valid marriage, a married man can do it. There is no difficulty in understanding this differentiation, if the natural duties of man and woman in the preservation and upbringing of the human species are kept in view. Nature has so divided the duties of man and woman, in this respect, that while one man can raise children from more wives than one, one woman can have children only from one husband. Therefore while polygamy may at times be a help in the welfare of society and the preservation of the human race, polyandry has no conceivable use for man.

Polygamy is an exception

In the first place it must be borne in mind that polygamy is allowed in Islām only as an exception. It is expressly so stated in the Holy Qur’ān: “And if you fear that you cannot do justice to orphans, marry such women as seem good to you, two or three or four: but if you fear that you will not do justice (between them), then (marry) only one” (4:3). This is the only passage in the Holy Qur’ān that speaks of polygamy, and it will be seen that it does not enjoin polygamy; it only permits it and that, too, conditionally. Before we consider the significance of this verse, it must be understood clearly that polygamy is here allowed only when there are orphans to be dealt with, and it is feared that they will not be dealt with justly. This condition relates more to the welfare of society than to the needs of the individual.

The traditional interpretation put upon this verse is that of ‘Ā’ishah, as contained in the Bukhārī. She is reported to have said: “This is the orphan girl who is under the care of her guardian and is his partner in property, and her property and her beauty please him, so her guardian wishes to marry her without being just in regard to her mahr, so that he should give her what another man would give; so they were forbidden to marry them unless they would do justice to them and give them their dowries according to their usage, and therefore they were commanded to marry other women that seemed good to them” (Bu. 65, sūrah 4, ch. I). It will be seen that this explanation introduces into the passage words and phrases of which there is no trace, nor is this significance traceable to the